Acting

Master of Fine Arts in Theatre: Acting

Creating Connections

The M.F.A. Acting program offers extensive training to prepare candidates for professional careers in theatre. We seek talented and generous theatre artists dedicated to exploration, growth, and collaboration. Our aim is to provide training that strengthens all aspects of the actor’s instrument—in an environment that challenges perception, expands the intellect, and engages the heart—ultimately developing in our students a way to live truthfully and personally on stage, to expertly tell stories that reveal the depths of our shared humanity.

We admit a unified graduate cohort every three years, where students progress through the program as a single group. Recruitment for our next cohort (2029–2031) will begin in fall 2028. To receive notifications when the application opens, please fill out this form.

Although our current cohort is at capacity, our field of study is shaped by emerging opportunities and evolving needs. As a result, there are occasional instances in which an off-cycle applicant may be considered. Bottom line, if you are interested in our program, please reach out to Head of Acting: Amy Herzberg - herzberg@uark.edu).

About the Program

Philosophy & Training

Our three-year professional actor-training program focuses on leading from the heart, connecting with partner, and exploring why we do theatre—what we have to say as theatre artists about our common humanity. We offer a positive, supportive environment, essential to the kind of intensive work we do with our students. A small, select group of graduate students allows for highly personalized instruction.

Our rigorous curriculum aims to awaken the rich inner life of each student and increase the ability to live fully and actively every moment onstage. Intensive exploratory work in the studio is fully complemented by numerous production experiences and the development of new work, culminating in the performance of a thesis role and one-person show.

Apply

We admit a unified graduate cohort every three years, wherer students progress through the program as a single group. Recruitment for our next cohort (2029–2031) will begin in fall 2028. To receive notifications when the application opens, please fill out this form.

Applicants wishing to apply to the MFA Acting Program should prepare to provide:

Applicant Information

Undergraduate Degree and GPA
Unofficial Transcript
Resume and Headshot
A Personal Statement, one- to two-pages, addressing the applicant’s reasons for wanting to pursue an M.F.A. in Acting. The statement should also discuss the applicant’s goals after completion of the program. Applicants are welcome to share other relevant information that might give the selection committee perspective on their application.
A Preliminary Audition: Prepare three contrasting monologues (a contemporary comedic, a contemporary dramatic, and a Shakespeare or other classical piece), totaling no more than eight minutes. If desired, applicants can provide an additional song from the musical theatre repertoire of up to one minute. In this case, the audition should not exceed nine minutes. All applicants must submit a video audition.
Three Letters of Recommendation from theatre professionals, professors, or other people who are familiar with the applicant and/or their work.
After your preliminary audition is reviewed, you may be invited to a callback audition. Callbacks may be done in-person on our campus or via Zoom. In some cases, additional video audition pieces may be requested.
Final admission into the MFA Program requires a formal application to the University of Arkansas Graduate School. This step is not necessary until one has been granted admission into the MFA Program by the Department of Theatre. To apply to the Graduate School, one should expect to provide:

Current official transcript (official transcripts must come from a College or University Registrar or similar office)

If one’s undergraduate career is incomplete at the time of application, a final official transcript must be sent to the Graduate School before registration begins for one’s second semester.

The GRE Test is not required for admission to the University of Arkansas Graduate School and standardized tests are not required for admission into the M.F.A. Program in Theatre.

Assistantships & Financial Aid

We offer graduate assistantships, fellowships, and teaching opportunities.

Graduate acting assistantships may include teaching opportunities, other departmental duties will be assigned as needed.

Our assistantships pay for all tuition (excluding fees) and give a minimum 9-month $21,163 stipend each academic year. The Graduate School offers competitive merit-based fellowships to provide additional financial support to outstanding incoming students. These competitive, merit-based fellowhips award an additional $4000 each year to select students. There are other select scholarships for which you might be eligible, as well. Summer assistantships are also sometimes available.

All new graduate assistants must have background checks before they can be appointed. All offers are contingent on a successful background check, but no work can begin until the check is complete.

Artistic Community

We offer MFAs in Acting, Directing, Playwriting, Scene Design, Costume Design, and Lighting Design—and there is a lot of interaction between the disciplines. The theatre faculty shares a philosophy that is deeply collaborative.

If you pursue an MFA in Acting at the University of Arkansas, you will join an intimate community of theatre artists who are at once mutually supportive and passionately devoted to craft.

Faculty & Guest Artists

We have an outstanding faculty of professional theatre artists that are devoted to making every student's experience positive, productive, and focused on the individual development of each student.

In addition, we offer a vibrant guest artist series, which gives our students intensive training opportunities and builds connections with professional theatre artists with exceptional careers. Our guest artists have included: Elizabeth Barnes (four-time Emmy nominated casting director and alum of our program), Linda Bloodworth-Thomason, Liz Callaway, John Cariani, Peter Coyote, Carmen Cusack, Crystal Dickinson, Brandon Dirden, Estefania Fadul, Idris Goodwin, Francis Guinan, James Ijames, Moises Kaufman, Ben Livingston, Tim Miller, Jason Moore, Dael Orlandersmith, Mary Louise Parker, Robert Redford, Carla Renata, Tonia Sina, Scott Wolf, agents, casting directors, and artistic directors.

Facilities & Opportunities

Our program believes M.F.A. candidates learn best by making theatre. Performance opportunities are plentiful, produced in three different spaces with generous production budgets to ensure actors, designers, directors, and playwrights can fully explore their artistry on stages large, medium, and intimate.

Large: The University Theatre is a 315-seat proscenium, housing fully equipped scenery and costume construction facilities, as well as state-of-the-art sound, lighting, and rigging systems.
Medium: The Global Campus Theatre is a 181-seat flexible black box space, located on the Downtown Fayetteville Square, featuring state-of-the-art sound, lighting, and projection systems.
Intimate: Studio 404 is a 75-seat black box space, which is a perfect venue for student directed projects, experimental productions, and new play workshops.

Professional Internships & Networking

Northwest Arkansas is home to several active professional theatre companies, including Arkansas Classical Theatre and TheatreSquared, an Obie award-winning Equity theatre. While there is no guarantee that students will perform in productions other than at the University, many of our students have had opportunities to work with these companies alongside professional actors, directors, designers, and playwrights from across the country.

Student Success

University of Arkansas alumni have performed on Broadway, off-Broadway, at A Contemporary Theatre, Actors Theatre of Louisville, Alley Theatre, Alliance Theatre, Alabama Shakespeare Festival, Arena Stage, Arkansas Repertory Theatre, Arkansas Shakespeare, Atlantic Theatre, Broadway Playhouse, Chicago Shakespeare, Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park, Cincinnati Shakespeare, Dallas Theater Center, Florida Studio Theatre, Guthrie Theater, Kennedy Center, Lincoln Center, McCarter Theatre, Ogunquit Playhouse, Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Orlando Shakespeare, Public Theatre, Repertory Theatre of St. Louis, Shakespeare Theatre Company, Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey, Seattle Shakespeare, Steppenwolf, the Studio Theatre, TheatreSquared, Tuacahn, Virginia Stage Company, Westport Country Playhouse, in national tours, and in major film and television.

In the Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival Irene Ryan Acting Competition, we have had seven national finalists perform at the Kennedy Center--including two national winners and a national best-partner award--and ten national alternates from our program in fourteen years of our participation.

Location

Nestled in the beautiful foothills of the Ozark Mountains, Fayetteville and its Northwest Arkansas environs are fast becoming a cultural destination. The Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art and The Momentary (a multi-disciplinary space for visual and performing arts, culinary experiences, music festivals, and artist residencies) only add to the areas already rich cultural legacy.

A maturing arts scene and live music, together with the areas natural beauty and congenial environment, make for an atmosphere that is the highly conducive to graduate training.

Sample Plan of Study

Year 1

Fall

Graduate Acting Studio: Principles
Voice and Speech I
Collaboration Strategies for Theatre Artists
Script Analysis for Actors

Spring

Graduate Acting Studio: Shakespeare
Singing for Musical Theatre
Dramatic Literature
Graduate Movement

Year 2

Fall

Gradaute Acting Studio: Characterization
Meisner Technique I
Voice and Speech II
Devising
Graduate Movement

Spring

Acting Studio: Musical Theatre Performance
Meisner Technique II
Voice and Speech III
Gradaute Movement

Year 3

Fall

Graduate Acting Studio: Synthesis
Creating a One-Person Show
Professional Acting Practices
Voice and Speech IV
Master’s Thesis

Spring

Graduate Acting Studio: Audition/Creating the Reel
Thesis: Capstone
Grad Movement
Elective: Internship or Practicum
Master's Thesis: Performing the Role