Acting in the Academy
Acting in the Academy There are over 150 BFA and MFA acting programs in the US today, nearly all of which claim to prepare students for theatre careers. Peter Zazzali contends that these curricula represent an ethos that is outdated and limited given today’s shrinking job market for stage actors. Acting in the Academy traces the history of actor training in universities to make the case for a move beyond standard courses in voice and speech, move- ment, or performance, to develop an entrepreneurial model that motivates and encourages students to create their own employment opportunities. This book answers questions such as: • How has the League of Professional Theatre Training Programs shaped actor training in the US? • How have training programs and the acting profession developed in relation to one another? • What impact have these developments had on American acting as an art form? Acting in the Academy calls for a reconceptualization of actor training in the US, and looks to newly empower students of performance with a fresh, original perspective on their professional development. Peter Zazzali is Assistant Professor of Theatre at the University of Kansas. John Houseman and members of Group I at Juilliard in the spring of 1972 reading positive reviews of the Acting Company’s inaugural season. Kevin Kline is seated behind Houseman. Photo by Raimondo Borea; Courtesy of the Juilliard School Archives. Acting in the Academy The history of professional actor training in US higher education Peter Zazzali First published 2016 by Routledge 2 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon OX14 4RN and by Routledge 711 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10017 Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an informa business © 2016 Peter Zazzali The right of Peter Zazzali to be identifi ed as author of this work has been asserted by him in accordance with sections 77 and 78 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.
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