Performance

The performance concentration is centered in Stanisklavski's late work with physical actions. The training also includes voice work with Linklater and Fitzmaurice techniques, and movement work in disciplines such as Alexander, Feldenkrais, and Butoh. We know that learning is experiential; actors grow by working on stage. That is why we produce four mainstage productions and twelve studio productions a year. During their senior year, actors take a Senior Audition class taught by a professional New York City casting director to provide them with the knowledge to start a professional career. This is followed by a video showcase of scene work for agents and casting directors that exposes them to contacts in the industry.

  • We intend that prior to graduation the response for each actor to the questions below will be a resounding yes:

    • Does the actor understand how to play an objective?
    • Does the actor physically embody the objective?
    • Does the actor open to his/her partner?
    • Does the actor’s imagination respond to changing circumstances?
    • Does the actor have the ability to transform?
    • Does the actor understand the definition of a beat?
    • Does the actor know how to research a character?
    • Does the actor know how to rehearse?
    • Does the actor bond with an ensemble?
  • Concentration Requirements

    THEA 2080: Collaboration I

    THEA 2090: Collaboration II

    THEA 2010: Acting I

    THEA 2700: Acting II

    THEA 3000: Acting III

    THEA 3100: Acting IV

    THEA 3030: Actor’s Vocal Technique I

    THEA 3040: Actor’s Vocal Technique II

    THEA 3011: Text Analysis

    THEA 3050: Movement I

    THEA 3060: Movement II

    Design & Production Elective

    Advanced Performance Elective

    Two of the three following courses:

    THEA 3004: Global Theater History - Foundational Impulses

    THEA 3005: Global Theater History - Evolutions of the Present

    THEA 3920: History of Theater Design (preference given to D&P concentration)

    Elective Courses

     

    THEA 3017 - Song As Scene

    THEA 3095 - Stage Combat

    THEA 3232 - Shakespeare: Text and Performance

    THEA 3563 - French Theatre and Performance

    THEA 4000 - Creating a Character

    THEA 4010 - Creating a Character II

    THEA 4100 - Acting Shakespeare

    THEA 4250 - Acting for the Camera

    THEA 4030 - Rehearsal Technique

    THEA 4305 - Clown and Improvisation

    THEA 4400 - Senior Audition I

    THEA 4410 - Senior Audition II

    THEA 4500 - Theatre, Creativity, and Values

    THEA 3350 Ancient Theatre in Contemporary Practice

    The following sequential pairs of two-credit courses, when completed successfully, will count as one course toward satisfying the graduation requirement of 36 courses.

    THEA 3030 - 3040 Actor’s Vocal Technique I and II

    THEA 3050 - 3060 Movement for the Actor I and II

    THEA 4400 - 4410-Senior Audition I and II

     

    All D&P classes are open to Performance Majors except for:

    Scene Design II

    Projection Design II

    Costume Design II

    Sound Design II

    Lighting Design II

    Stage Management II

    Drafting for the Theater II

     

  • Denzel Washington Endowed Chairs

    • Phylicia Rashad 2011
    • Joe Morton 2012
    • Christine Jones 2013
    • Kenny Leon 2014
    • Joanne Akalaitis 2015
    • Stephen McKinley Henderson 2016
    • Regina Taylor 2017
    • Michael Potts 2018
    • LaTanya Richardson Jackson 2019
    • Liesl Tommy 2020
    • Kaneza Schaal 2021
    • Mimi Lien 2022

    Visiting Artists

    • Beau Bridges
    • Patricia Clarkson, Alum
    • Willem Dafoe
    • Marcia Gay Harden
    • John Benjamin Hickey, Alum
    • Spike Lee
    • Robert Sean Leonard
    • Fiona Shaw
    • Denzel Washington, Alum
    • Julie White
  • THEA 2750 - Performing Italian
    THEA 3017 - Song As Scene
    THEA 3095 - Stage Combat
    THEA 3232 - Shakespeare: Text and Performance
    THEA 3563 - French Theatre and Performance
    THEA 4000 - Creating a Character
    THEA 4010 - Creating a Character II
    THEA 4025 - Flying Solo
    THEA 4100 - Acting Shakespeare
    THEA 4250 - Acting for the Camera
    THEA 4302 - Russian Theatre Workshop
    THEA 4305 - Clown and Improvisation
    THEA 4400 - Senior Audition I
    THEA 4410 - Senior Audition II
    THEA 4500 - Theatre, Creativity, and Values
    THEA 4600 - Projects: Acting

    The following sequential pair of two-credit courses, when completed successfully, will count as one course toward satisfying the graduation requirement of 36 courses.

    THEA 4400 - 4410-Senior Audition I and II

  • Many of our performance graduates have especially distinguished themselves since their time at Fordham. Please see examples below:

    Rebecca Ballenger
    Alabama Shakespeare Festival 2016 Rep Season, STEEL MAGNOLIAS (Idaho Shakespeare Festival) directed by Sari Ketter, the premiere of Tony Glazer’s AMERICAN STARE (New Jersey Rep), THE TEMPEST (Idaho Shakespeare Festival).

    Mayaa Boateng
    Her standout work is featured on screen in top streaming arenas such as HBO, Showtime, and Netflix, as well as across New York City stages at notable theaters such as Signature Theatre and The Public Theatre. In 2019, MaYaa starred in the Pulitzer Prize winning drama production of  FAIRVIEW at Theatre for a New Audience. 

    Soraya Broukhim
    WINTERTIME by Charles L. Mee at San Jose Rep, and WOYZECK at the Culture Project in New York City.

    Patricia Clarkson
    Emmy award-winning actress for HBO's “Six Feet Under;” more than 30 movie credits; academy award nomination as best supporting actress in Pieces of April.

    Kelley Curran
    Kelley Curran is known for “The Gilded Age” (2022), The Man Who Killed Hitler and Then the Bigfoot (2018) and “The Blacklist” (2013).

    Tommy Dorfman
    Tommy Dorfman is known for her role as Ryan Shaver on “13 Reasons Why” and starred in Jeremy O. Harris' DADDY at The Signature.

    Allison Dunbar
    Allison Dunbar is known for StartUp (2016), Quick Draw (2013) and 2 Broke Girls (2011).

    Winter Dunn
    Winter Dunn is an award-winning director, producer and actress with a passion for depicting universal stories through the lens of BIPOC voices. Her short film Dear Mama… World Premiered at SXSW 2022, was awarded a Special Jury Mention in Drama at Aspen Shortsfest and is currently streaming on The New Yorker.

    RJ Foster
    TV: Damages, Blue Bloods, Fringe; Theatre: EDWARD II at Bank Street Theatre, HAMLET with The Pearl Theatre Company.

    Gene Gallerano
    Gene Gallerano is an Emmy Award-winning producer, actor and filmmaker. Gene produced all 10 episodes of the TV series “Edge of the Unknown” for National Geographic and Disney+.

    Betty Gilpin
    Off-Broadway: WE LIVE HERE at Manhattan Theatre Club, THE LANGUAGE ARCHIVE at the Roundabout, GOOD BOYS AND TRUE at Second Stage.

    Morgan Gould
    Associate Artistic Director of the Obie award-winning young Jean Lee’s Theater Company; directing work at New Georges, ensemble studio Theatre, The Culture Project, Ars Nova, and the Lincoln Center Directors Lab.

    Zabryna Guevara
    Off-Broadway: The Public Theater, Intar, Urban Stages; Regional theatre: Hartford Stage, Actors Theatre of Louisville, Dallas Theatre Center.

    Miles Gutierrez-Riley
    Miles Gutierrez-Riley is a New York-based actor originally from Long Beach, California, and a recent Fordham University graduate. He has appeared in Leah Bleich’s feature film The Moon and Back as part of Justin Baldoni’s 6 Feet Apart Experiment with Wayfarer Studios. He will appear as “Hulkling” in Marvel Studios’ upcoming Disney+ series Agatha: Coven of Chaos.

    John Benjamin Hickey
    Broadway: THE NORMAL HEART (Tony award for best featured actor in a play), MARY STUART, THE CRUCIBLE, the Tony award-winning revival of CABARET, and Terrence Mcnally’s LOVE! VALOUR! COMPASSION!, in which he also appeared off-Broadway, winning an Obie for that performance.

    Van Hughes
    Van Hughes was born on April 20, 1983. He is an actor and composer, known for Sex and the City (2008), Sex and the City 2 (2010) and Rachel Getting Married (2008).

    Amen Igbinosun
    Amen was cast in TNT's hit TV show The Last Ship, as well as a supporting role in the History Channel miniseries Texas Rising opposite Bill Paxton and Ray Liotta. He has also appeared in Tina Fey's multi-camera comedy pilot, The Kicker.

    John Johnson
    Broadway producing credits include: A View from the Bridge, Skylight, Fish in the Dark, A Delicate Balance, This is Our Youth, A Raisin in the Sun, A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder, Betrayal, Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike

    Emily Kunkel
    Regional includes: DRACULA at Actors Theatre of Louisville; A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM at Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey, ALL MY SONS at Barrington Stage Company. TV/Film: “Nurse Jackie,” Ostrander.

    Christopher Larkin
    AJ Hawkes on the CW pilot “Cooper & Stone;” KAFKA ON THE SHORE at the Steppenwolf Theatre in Chicago.

    Ian Lassiter
    Ian Lassiter is known for Mixed Up (2014), Queen of Glory (2021) and King Theodore Live (2013).

    Christina Lind
    Christina Lind is an actress and producer, known for Fireworkers (2017), Grown (2009) and The Talk Man (2011).

    Heather Lind
    Heather Lind is an actress and producer, known for Mistress America (2015), “Boardwalk Empire” (2010) and Demolition (2015).

    Grant Lowenstein
    Grant Lowenstein is known for his portrayal of “Young Bernie Madoff” in the Netflix series Madoff: The Monster of Wall Street (2023). He is slated to appear in the upcoming films Back to the Present! and One Week in Heaven.

    Olivia Macklin
    Olivia Macklin was born on March 16, 1994 in Glencoe Village, Illinois, USA. She is an actress, known for “The Young Pope” (2016), “Christmas Always Finds Its Way” (2022) and “Dead to Me” (2019).

    Michaela McManus
    Michaela McManus is known for her portrayals of Lindsey Strauss on “One Tree Hill,” A.D.A. Kim Greylek on “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit”, and Grace Karn on the NBC drama “Aquarius.”

    Tom Pecinka
    Tom Pecinka is known for The Survivalist (2021), The Kill Room and “American Rust” (2021).

    Ian Quinlan
    Ian Quinlan is known for “Gotham” (2014), “Sneaky Pete” (2015) and City Hall (1996)

    Taylor Schilling
    Piper Chapman on “Orange Is The New Black”. Film: The Lucky One, opposite Zac Efron; Atlas Shrugged; Dark Matter; TV: NBC’s “Mercy” (Veronica Callahan); Regional Theatre: UNCLE VANYA (Bard Summerscape).

    Aja Singletary
    Aja Singletary is an actor, dancer and singer originally from Philadelphia. She received her B.A. in Theatre Performance from Fordham University. She is also a 2019 School at Steppenwolf graduate and moved to Chicago after feeling the warmth and support from the Chicago performing arts community. Chicago credits include Dance Nation (u/s, Steppenwolf Theatre) Eclipsed (Jeff nominated for Best Ensemble, Pegasus Theatre); The American Revolution (Theatre Unspeakable); and As You Like It (Eclectic Full Contact Theatre). Her upcoming show will be Ghost at Adventure Stage Chicago.

    Denzel Washington
    Two Golden Globes, two-time Academy Award-winning actor; films include Training Day, The Taking of Pelham 123, American Gangster, Man on Fire, The Preacher’s Wife, Courage Under Fire, Malcolm X, Glory, and A Soldier’s Story; Broadway: Tony Award for portrayal of Troy Maxson in FENCES, played Walter Younger in A RAISIN IN THE SUN, Brutus in JULIUS CAESAR.

Performance Track

Performance Track
An Actor’s Four-Year Path

First Year- Fall

First Year- Spring

Course Name

Credits

Course Name

Credits

THEA 2010 Acting I

4

THEA 2070 Acting II

4

THEA 2080 Collaboration I

4

THEA 2090 Collaboration II

4

3 Academic Core

9

3 Academic Core

9

Total Credits:

17

Total Credits:

17

 

Second Year- Fall

Second Year- Spring

Course Name

Credits

Course Name

Credits

THEA 3000 Acting III

4

THEA 3100 Acting IV

4

THEA 3050 Movement I

2

THEA 3060 Movement II

2

3 Academic Core

9

THEA 3011 Text Analysis

4

 

 

2 or 3 Academic Core

9

Total Credits:

15

Total Credits:

19

 

Third Year- Fall

Third Year- Spring

Course Name

Credits

Course Name

Credits

THEA 3004 Theatre History I

4

THEA 3005 Theatre History II

4

THEA 3030 Vocal Technique I

2

THEA 3040 Vocal Technique II

2

THEA XXXX Advanced Acting**

4

THEA 4100 Acting elective*

4

2 Academic Core or electives

6

THEA Design course

3 or 4

 

 

1 Academic Core or elective

3

Total Credits:

16

Total Credits:

16 or 17

 

Fourth Year- Fall

Fourth Year- Spring

Course Name

Credits

Course Name

Credits

THEA elective*

4

THEA elective*

4

THEA elective*

4

THEA elective*

4

THEA 4400 Senior Audition

2

THEA 4410 Senior Audition II

2

Academic or Theatre electives

8

Academic or Theatre electives

Total Credits:

18

Total Credits:

18

 

** One advanced acting course taken from the following: 

Creating a Character**

Acting Shakespeare**

Acting for the Camera**

Clown and Improvisation**

**These courses are advanced acting courses and are open to performance majors only. During junior and senior year, many theatre majors take more than the required number of electives for their particular track. This is permitted as long as all Fordham College Core requirements have been completed.

Performance Concentration Required Courses: 

  • Acting I, II, III and IV 
  • One Advanced Acting
  • Actor’s Vocal Technique I and II 
  • Movement for the Actor I and II

Additional Acting Electives

  • Stage Combat
  • Ancient Theatre and Contemporary Practice
  • Song as Scene
  • Senior Audition I & II (Showcase)