At least two things that Chicago is lauded for is its numerous top-tier universities and theatres found here. Not surprisingly, the two are richly tied and, together, form one stirring relationship. Theatre artists, whether they are directors, lighting designers or actors, commonly do double-duty in the Windy City. You’ll find them honing their crafts on stage. You’ll also see them at the heads of classrooms, where students revel in one fact: The lessons in stage savvy are coming straight from the source.

While affiliations between university faculty and professional productions mounted around town are far too numerous to list, intrepid students–be they non-traditional or straight out of high school–should familiarize themselves with the highlights of area university theatre programs. Want to go where a Tony Award-winning director is at the podium? What about getting a hint on how to do battle right from a renowned combat instructor? Check out this tip sheet to find out the who, what and where of Chicago’s prolific theatre studies scene. The first-hand experiences professors relay are sure to give you an edge in arts-focused academia.

Columbia College Chicago
Theatre Department
Sheldon Patinkin, Chair
600 S. Michigan Avenue
Chicago, IL 60605
312/344-6100
E-Mail: spatinkin@popmail.colum.edu
Web: www.colum.edu

Semester System

Degrees: BA (Acting, Directing, Playwrighting, Design)

Short List of Who’s on Staff (& their local connections): Sheldon Patinkin, David Wooley (stage combat, Xena! Episode II), Tom Mula (actor), Harisse Davidson (agent), etc.

College of Performing Arts Tuition & General Fee: Full-time Undergrad, $13,914; Full-time Grad, $11,312. *Does not include books, fees or living expenses.

Application/Audition: No special requirements for theatre program. Applications available online.

About Columbia:

This South Loop College attests to its seasoned faculty from the get-go. A statement from Theatre Department chair Sheldon Patinkin reads: "Performance is considered to be the key to progress. The faculty and staff are all working professionals–active and prominent members of Chicago’s lively theater community." As proof positive, Patinkin himself has a dense resume including being one of the first directors of The Second City.

Students enrolled in the program are required to learn the basics of every aspect of the profession, and those with a concentration in acting must take a combination of traditional scene study, spoken and sung vocal technique, body movement, acting techniques and theatrical styles. A cruise through its current course catalog turns up dozens of classes; there are labs in African-American performance, lighting and more, as well as acting style courses focusing on everything from Latino theatre to Moliere.

David Wooley

Columbia’s part-time faculty features lighting designer Mary Badger, and the school can also cite musical theatre guru Bill Williams and avid Goodman Theatre director Chuck Smith as being affiliated. Additionally, stage combat artist David Wooley has been an artist-in-residence with Columbia since 1988. Wooley choreographs several theatres’ productions each year (including the recent Xena! Episode II at About Face Theatre), as well as performing at the Bristol Renaissance Faire in Dirk and Guido: The Swordsmen!

"I oversee the violence in the theatre department," Wooley jokes, adding that he ensures that fight scenes and use of weaponry is done safely. It’s just another example of how professors’ "real-world" theatre experiences ultimately benefit students. "[The students] begin meeting people they’ll work for in the future," he says. "And it’s to my benefit, too. I need better trained actors for smaller roles…and I have this pool of young talent out there."

To that end, Wooley says he’s placed five students in understudy positions and, on more than a few occasions, has worked with his former students down the line as they grew into bigger roles. "If you’re a hot-shot student, [you can] develop these contacts to move into the working world," he says.

DePaul University
The Theatre School
John Culbert, Dean
2135 N. Kenmore Avenue
Chicago, IL 60614
773/325-7999
E-Mail: theatreadmissions@wppost.depaul.edu
Web: www.depaul.edu

Quarter System

Degrees: BFA (Acting, Design & Technical, Costume, Lighting, Scenic Design, Stage Management, Theatre Technology, Theatre Studies, Dramaturgy/Criticism, General Theatre Studies, Playwrighting, Theatre Management); MFA (Acting, Directing)

Short List of Who’s on Staff (& their local connections): Dexter Bullard (Plasticene/artistic director), Henry Godinez (Goodman/artistic associate), Chris Jones (Chicago Tribune/theatre critic), Tony Adler (former critic/co-founder of Actor’s Gymnasiusm), Lou Contey (freelance director), Janet Louer (casting director), Anne Wakefield (actor/Steppenwolf, Court, Lifeline), etc.

College of Performing Arts Tuition & General Fee: Full-time Undergrad, $20,500; Grad, $21,200. *Does not include books, fees or living expenses.

Application/Audition: On campus and regional audition/interview dates are available throughout the year. To make an audition appointment, or to find out the audition dates, call their office directly at 773/325-7999 or 1-800-4DEPAUL, ext. 7999 (outside Illinois). Audition guidelines are available online. Videotaped auditions are not accepted. The GRE is not required for admission to the Theatre School.

About DePaul:

John Culbert

Founded as the Goodman School of Drama in 1925, The Theatre School at DePaul is the Midwest’s oldest theatre training conservatory. The highly selective conservatory program currently has 300 students enrolled on an undergrad and grad level.

"The goal of our program is to prepare people for the profession, and learning from those who are in it is a central aspect…a major strength of our school," says Theatre School dean John Culbert. Before becoming dean in 2001, Culbert was the longtime head of the Lighting Design program–and a Jeff Award-winning lighting designer to boot. In his years teaching at DePaul, he emphasized students’ direct involvement, much as he does today in his role of dean.

"I hired students to assist on projects and would bring the class to tech shows," Culbert explains. "There was this interaction that was immensely valuable. I made [my career and teaching] one gesture, rather than keeping them separate." Culbert notes that he continues to turn out professional work today.

Culbert also ensures that opportunities are directed students’ ways. There are internships available through the Design Tech and Theatre Studies programs, for starters. And DePaul’s faculty and staff list is a venerable who’s who of the Chicago theatre scene. Frequent Goodman and Steppenwolf sound designer Michael Bolden, for one, teaches there, as does Victory Gardens Theater Playwrights Ensemble member Dean Corrin.

DePaul’s Costume Design program is incredibly strong, thanks to the talents of Nan Cibula-Jenkins, a designer and chair of the Design Tech program. She, like many others, sees the payoff of having working professionals as faculty members. "It generates lively discussion in class. I welcome criticism, so it helps me too," she explains. "And [being involved in outside theatre] keeps the faculty current…the business changes and the resources change. It’s a part of knowing what trends are. It helps the students and keeps the faculty’s critical facilities honed."

Cibula-Jenkins adds that students are offered a significant number of contacts and are often directed to theatres suited to their strengths. DePaul also provides a frequent platform for student talent; its Merle Reskin Theatre houses a subscription season of four plays every year. That’s not to mention its annual Graduate Showcase, which takes place at Chicago Shakespeare Theater (executive director Criss Henderson is a DePaul grad).

Loyola University Chicago
Department of Theatre
Sarah Gabel, Chair
6525 North Sheridan Road
Chicago, IL 60626
773/508-3830
E-Mail: loyolanow@luc.edu
Web: www.luc.edu/depts/theatre/

Semester System

Degrees: BA (Theatre)

Short List of Who’s on Staff (& their local connections): Dan Ostling (set designer/Goodman, Steppenwolf), Nan Withers-Wilson (voice/Goodman, Steppenwolf), Jonathan Wilson (director/affiliated with Organic), etc.

College of Performing Arts Tuition & General Fee: $18,000

Application/Audition: ACT, SAT, GPA required. Scholarships given based on auditions held annually.

About Loyola:

Loyola’s Department of Theatre, located on Chicago’s far North Side, is another school to acknowledge working professionals in its mission. It states: "We have faculty who not only teach, but are also actively involved in professional theatre. Thus, we are able to provide the student with hands-on information about what will be required of them when they pursue their theatre careers."

The Department blends academic and professional theatre courses, as it’s grounded in a liberal arts education. Students receive a foundation in world history, sociology, political science and more. As a result, the Department selects student productions that complement these arenas (the previous season featured Chekhov, Brecht, Williams and Shepard).

According to Sue Peterson, who handles media relations for the department, there is constant mentoring between staff and students at Loyola. She points out Design Program head Dan Ostling, for one. Along with being in continual contact with the students, Ostling keeps a busy schedule doing set design work. He designed two current productions: Galileo Galilei at the Goodman Theatre and Purple Heart at Steppenwolf Theatre. And–without a doubt the biggest coup–Ostling was the set designer for the Tony-nominated Metamorphoses.

The Loyola faculty further ups its creative dynamo with Nan Withers-Wilson, a vocal coach with the Goodman and Steppenwolf; and Jonathan Wilson, a frequent director who’s also on Organic Theatre’s Board of Directors. Rounding things out are playwright Anne McGravie and actor/make-up designer Raoul Johnson. It’s a faculty mix that students have gleaned a lot of experience from–and professors have undoubtedly provided a good amount of hard-line advice.

Northwestern University
School of Speech
Barbara O’Keefe, Dean
1979 S. Campus Drive
Evanston, IL 60208
847/491-3170
E-Mail: N/A
Web: www.speech.northwestern.edu/departments/theatre

Quarter System

Degrees: BA, MA, PhD (Theatre), MFA (Design), MFA (Directing), BS, MA, PhD (Performance Studies)

Frank Galati

Galileo Gallilee (directed by Mary Zimmerman)

Short List of Who’s on Staff (& their local connections): Frank Galati (Tony Award winner, Steppenwolf ensemble member, highly acclaimed director/adaptor), Mary Zimmerman (Tony Award winner, associated with Lookingglass and Goodman), etc.

College of Performing Arts Tuition & General Fee: $24,648

Application/Audition: Interview, portfolio required for graduate admission.

About Northwestern:

With undergraduate, graduate and even a summer master’s program in theatre, Northwestern has a number of bases covered. It also keeps one wowing graduate roster. Nearly every founding Lookingglass Theatre ensemble member has come out of the school, according to Wendy Leopold in the Office of University Relations. The same holds true for bona fide theatre mavens Mary Zimmerman and Frank Galati, both of whom teach in the Performance Studies department.

Add to the roster a number of others; professor David Downs was the advisor of David Schwimmer and is a regular on "Dawson’s Creek," and professor/costume designer Virgil Johnson has won a Jeff Award for his work with the Goodman Theatre. Former Northwestern playwrighting professor John Logan is now, in the words of theatre department chair Bud Beyer, "the golden boy of screenwriting" (he did, after all, write the Gladiator movie script).

Incoming students note that the Theatre Department is welcoming. Case in point: Northwestern does not audition for entry. "Our belief is that you shouldn’t have to audition for your college education," says Beyer, who adds that many students really blossom after their first year in the program.

Beyer adds that having such a prolific faculty is good for practical training, but is equally effective for establishing moral standards. "It’s a good entrée. It gives them a sense of value systems, ethics, knowledge to be a working professional–they get it by the example of the professor. And it impacts students to see their teachers doing professional work…there’s a continual lineage to teach and talk."

Sometimes, Beyer admits, the rapport stretches beyond the classroom, as several students have ended up getting internships through their professors. He names Chicago Shakespeare Theater artistic director Barbara Gaines (who teaches in the MFA program) as taking on interns and assistants. Enhanced ties like these can be attributed to relatively small class sizes and a lot of teacher-student contact.

Roosevelt University
Chicago College of Performing Arts
James Gandre, Dean
430 S. Michigan Ave.
Chicago, IL 60605
312/341-3789
E-Mail: theatre@roosevelt.edu
Web: www.roosevelt.edu

Semester System

Degrees: BFA (Acting, Musical Theatre); BA (General Theatre Studies); MA (General Theatre Studies, Directing); MFA (Acting, Directing/Dramaturgy)

Short List of Who’s on Staff (& their local connections): Belinda Bremner (PI columnist), Lou Conte Dance Studio Staff, Chuck Coyl (Stage Combat), Adrian Danzig (500 Clown, Redmoon), Ted Hoerl (director, casting director), Molly McGrath (Make-up/Lyric Opera), Jerry Proffit (Jeff Committee), Steve Scott (Goodman Associate), Jana Stauffer (freelance costume designer)

College of Performing Arts Tuition & General Fee: Full-time Undergrad , $8,150; Full-time Grad, $6,962.50

Application/Audition: To apply to The Theatre Conservatory, an audition and interview are required. In addition, three letters of recommendation and a picture/resume must also be submitted. Students applying to The Theatre Conservatory at Roosevelt University must apply to both the Theatre Program and to Roosevelt University.

About Roosevelt:

This university, located in the heart of downtown, offers a Theatre Conservatory and Music Conservatory that draw from the talents of artists who are entrenched in the area performance community. Working professionals–those skilled in disciplines ranging from vocal coaching to producing–are there to broaden each student’s practical training.

The Chicago College of Performing Arts (CCPA) has a faculty roster that’s as vast as it is varied; Goodman Theatre associate producer Steve Scott teaches there, as does Adrian Danzig (a founding member of Redmoon Theater and current member of 500 Clown). Other CCPA professors who are habitués of Chicago stages include Eric Armstrong, who’s currently a vocal coach for HBO’s Tom Wilkenson vehicle, "Normal"; and make-up artist Molly McGrath, a fixture at the Lyric Opera of Chicago and Chicago Shakespeare Theater. That’s not to mention the CCPA faculty members who have racked up a share of impressive non-Chicago credits, like former Colorado Shakespeare Festival casting director Joel Fink.

For CCPA dean James Gandre, this kind of student-professional integration is what defines a true conservatory. "The strongest aspects of the faculty is their commitment to teaching as both a responsibility and a privilege," Gandre stated in an e-mail interview. "They must have a sense of 'giving back’ the wealth of knowledge and experience they have to the next generations of actors. If we are to have theatre in the future, we must have mentors to hand down a tradition…to give our students the tools to create new traditions."

The mentorship goes beyond the classroom. CCPA creates a show each year that’s produced in conjunction with Lookingglass Theatre and directed by one of its ensemble members. Students also work directly with the Lou Conte Dance Studio, a wing of Hubbard Street Dance Company. Collaborations like these are a coup to students, to be sure, and Gandre admits that people are finally taking notice.

"Several years ago, a critic reviewed a production in The Theatre Conservatory and called our program 'the best kept secret in Chicago.’ Fortunately for us, it is no longer a secret nationally and Chicago theatre artists are recognizing the fine work students trained in our program can do," he explains.

University of Chicago
Graham School of General Studies (Alternative Program)
1427 E. 60th Street
Chicago, IL 60637
773/702-1722
Web: www.grahamschool.uchicago.edu

Quarter System

Short List of Who’s on Staff (& their local connections): Curt Columbus (Steppenwolf/artistic associate, Theatre on the Lake/artistic director), Penelope Mesic (Chicago Magazine)

About University of Chicago:

While the University of Chicago (U of C) is regarded most frequently for its math and science achievements, it does have a strong liberal arts program. Most notable, though, for actors (or those who simply like to watch them) is its Graham School of General Studies. This school appeals to post graduates looking to continue their education in a non-competitive yet intellectually stimulating environment.

Offerings include courses like "Behind the Scenes: Interviews with Stage Professionals," an eight-week course taught by Chicago magazine columnist Penelope Mesic (the next is Sept. 30-Nov. 18) about what kind of preparation goes into a production. Budding critics can also get a leg up on theatre reporting skills with a course taught by Reader and Chicago Free Press writer Jennifer Vanasco called "Writing Theater Reviews" (to be held Oct. 28-Nov. 18).

The Graham School program that reaps the most accolades, though, is a Theater Discussion Group led by Curt Columbus, an artistic associate at Steppenwolf Theatre. This group, offered on a regular basis, has participants catching matinee performances. Then, led and assisted by Columbus, they discuss and evaluate the shows at a restaurant. "Being affiliated with U of C attracts intelligent, well-rounded, experienced students who are really interested in theatre and having conversations," says Columbus. "It’s not meant as a training program. We’re teaching them to be a better audience. We have conversations on the elements of the live theatre experience…teach them to articulate their ideas."

Columbus ups the ante three times a year when he takes groups on theatre tours of New York, London and Chicago. Acting as a theatrical docent of sorts, Columbus selects four shows in each city and leads lively discussions and pre-tour lectures. "We see plays that are wildly different. It gives them a great, rich knowledge," he says.

University of Illinois at Chicago
Dept. of Performing Arts
Michael J. Anderson, Chair
1040 W. Harrison St.
Chicago, IL 60607
312/996-2977
E-Mail: dpa@uic.edu
Web: www.uic.edu/depts/adpa

Semester System

Degrees: BA (Acting, Directing, Design) MA (Theatre)(BFA’s by 2003)

Bernie Sahlins and Nicholas Rudall

Short List of Who’s on Staff (& their local connections): Bryn Magnus (Curious Theatre Branch), Yasen Peyankov (European Rep), Sharon Gopfert (Plasticene), Bernie Sahlins (Second City), etc.

College of Performing Arts Tuition & General Fee: $3,500

Application/Audition: No special requirements for theatre program. Interview and portfolio required for designers.

About UIC:

The University of Illinois (UIC), located on Chicago’s near West Side, has a remarkable claim to fame: It’s the only state school offering a BA in Theatre. "We offer a conservatory-style training program with huge resources and add the advantages of a general education," says UIC Department of Performing Arts event administrator Neal McCollam.

McCollam emphasizes that faculty contacts–working professionals who are in the midst of Chicago’s vibrant theatre scene–create a collaborative environment. Early Second City producer Bernie Sahlins, for one, is part of the faculty (he also regularly directs student productions). Sharon Gopfert of Plastiscene teaches movement and even offers sponsorships to her students, entitling them to take free Plastiscene workshops. Additionally, Yasen Peyankov, artistic director of European Repertory, is on the adjunct faculty and directed the student production of Comedy of Errors.

"The professional has greater expectations from the student and challenges them to produce at a higher standard of excellence," McCollam explains. "The professional director, for example, expects the students to come to rehearsal prepared to offer him their best performance. Bernie Sahlins, for one, was very impressed with the skill levels the UIC theatre students brought to his production–co-directed with former Court Theatre artistic director Nicholas Rudall–of The Mysteries: Creation."

Faculty members are not the only ones that acknowledge UIC theatre majors’ skill levels. "The program brings in experts to witness the artistic direction," says McCollam. According to McCollam, Steppenwolf Theatre artistic director Martha Lavey saw a show and was impressed. It’s another indication that UIC’s theatre program is not only growing in size–it’s also making a bigger impact.

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Yearbook 2002