MFA > Acting | Acting with Emphasis on Teaching
York's MFA program in Theatre - Acting is an intense, full-time course of study for experienced actors. It is the only program of its kind in Canada.
The first year consists of full days of classes with evenings and Saturdays reserved for workshops and rehearsals. Performance projects in the first year include a collective creation project, a Shakespeare project, and at least two unmounted productions. Students can expect to be in the studio for classes, workshops or rehearsal 40-60 hours per week.
In the second year of study, students take a full complement of classes in the fall term and work on their MFA thesis. Performance projects in the second year include a collective creation, a Shakespeare project, and one or more fully mounted productions in the Theatre @ York season.
Acting Curriculum
The work includes training in a classic theatrical base of movement, voice, text and acting techniques, which are then applied to various theatrical and media styles. The classes are taught by a complement of master teachers. In addition to the core course work, students participate in professional workshops led by specialists from the Canadian theatre community. Students in the Acting area spend their days in the studio; evenings and Saturdays are reserved for rehearsal.
The program includes:- an examination on a comprehensive reading list of 100 plays
- acting classes
- movement classes
- voice and speech classes
- text study
- scene study
- film acting workshops
- solo show workshops and project
- stage combat workshops
- graduate research seminar
- collective creation projects
- Shakespeare projects
- unmounted, one-act projects in the first year
- fully mounted productions in the second year (including one thesis role)
Students spend the summer term working on their thesis research as well as creating a solo show that is presented at the beginning of the second year.
Acting with emphasis on Teaching
Long recognized for training high-level studio theatre teachers and coaches, York offers an invaluable opportunity for advanced actors to deepen their acting craft while developing studio teaching skills. Students in the Acting program with emphasis on Teaching undertake the Acting curriculum while simultaneously pursuing a heavily-mentored teaching experience.
This program includes the entire Acting curriculum as well as
- weekly studio teaching seminars
- supervised teaching within York's undergraduate theatre program, including regular observation and feedback on your teaching of acting
- supervised training in conducting evaluations of incoming undergraduate students and in running auditions.
Students with significant prior teaching and acting experience who have been accepted into the MFA Acting program may also apply to pursue a concurrent diploma in Teaching Voice for Theatre.
