THEATER
Mykail Gholston, Sofia Sanchez, Riley Larimer, Jacoba Wentross VOLU N T E E R PA R K | Capitol Hill
“
THE MORE I LEARNED ABOUT
CORNISH, THE COLLEGE FELT LIKE
A COLLISION OF MY PASSIONS. CORNISH PROVIDED A PLATFORM TO EXPLORE DIRECTING, WRITING, LEADERSHIP, AND ACTING
Michelle Smith-Lewis
WITH EQUAL ENGAGEMENT.” —COURTNEY SALE ‘01, ARTISTIC DIRECTOR OF SEATTLE CHILDREN’S THEATRE
Cast of KITTENS IN A CAGE | 2015 K E L L E E N C ON WAY B L A N C HA R D ‘ 96
CA L L I N G A L L DREAM ERS .
EXPLORERS. STORYTELLERS. The Cornish BFA Theater program provides a home for ambitious artists who want to extend the boundaries of storytelling, bringing the work of great playwrights—and also your own—to vibrant life. From classwork to stage to career, we encourage you to connect your work with the world around you. Spend your first year exploring theater from multiple perspectives, grounding yourself in classical and modern play texts. Then focus on one area of study—Acting, Musical Theater, or Original Works—and add specialized training like voiceover technique, stage combat, and neo-burlesque to your storytelling toolbox.
Interdisciplinary work and collaboration are at the heart of our program. You might create a web short with Film students, or do voiceover for a Design student’s animation. Whatever your passion, our faculty of working theater artists will help you develop your unique, creative voice within a healthy, sustainable practice. And when you graduate, you’ll join an alumni community who have achieved incredible success. They’re leading shows in Seattle theatres, starring on Broadway, writing Netflix series, and taking their storytelling skills into executive jobs at Google and Apple.
ARE YOU OUR NEXT STORYTELLER?
SEATTLE A CITY CULTURALLY RICH WITH LIVE STAGES SEATTLE IS THE PERFECT PLACE to pursue your artistic education— and Cornish College lives right at the heart of it all. Our faculty, students, and alumni are fully woven into the fabric of Seattle’s theater scene, from large stages like 5th Avenue Theatre to small companies like Strawberry Theatre Workshop. And many have started their careers here in Seattle, only to find themselves on Broadway—like Don Darryl Rivera ‘06 in Disney’s Aladdin. With both a white-hot economic base and a truly stunning natural
setting, the greater Seattle area is home to tech giants like Microsoft and film studio newcomer Amazon, and natural wonders like Mount Rainier and Snoqualmie Falls. And as a cultural crossroads with a progressive personality, Seattle is a place where “inclusivity” and “ecofriendly” aren’t just buzzwords; they’re the foundation upon which our city and college thrive. Cornish couldn’t have happened anywhere but Seattle—and we think you’ll thrive here, too.
ŠAnkrom Moisan Architects/Casey Braunger
FROM THE CLASSROOM
CORNISH PLAYHOUSE AT SEATTLE CENTER OUR PREMIER PERFORMANCE SPACE, FORMER HOME OF TWO TONY AWARD-WINNING REGIONAL THEATER COMPANIES, RIGHT IN THE HEART OF SEATTLE CENTER’S THEATER ROW
TO THE STAGE Your experience at Cornish goes beyond the classroom and right onto the stage. Develop your craft in class, then put your skills into practice by performing in the many plays, musicals, and dramas of our richly varied Cornish Theater season; and collaborating on the 30-plus original works we produce every year.
MARLEEN AND KENNY ALHADEFF STUDIO THEATER AT CORNISH PLAYHOUSE BLACK BOX STUDIO USED FOR ORIGINAL WORKS, SMALLER PRODUCTIONS, AND REP FESTIVALS
Freshmen create and perform in the LORE Project, bringing myths and legends from around the world to life on stage. Sophomores participate in a threeshow repertory of an established drama, musical, and ensemble-generative work. Juniors and seniors perform in our fall season of contemporary work and spring capstone projects, including a classical production, large-scale musical, and O!FEST, featuring a clown show and ten-minute play festival. The work you do each semester builds towards your senior thesis project, where you showcase skills you’ve polished through four years of “practice/perform/repeat.” And Seattle theater companies know the value of a Cornish education: you also have opportunities to audition or interview for internships at local theaters and producing organizations.
RAISBECK PERFORMANCE HALL EASILY CONFIGURABLE BLACK BOX SPACE USED FOR DRAMAS, COMEDIES, MUSICALS, AND ANNUAL CABARET SHOW
It takes a village to put on a theater production. So whatever craft you choose—performing, playwriting, directing, all of the above!—there’s always a part for you in our Theater department.
Chris Bennion
SISTER ACT | 2017 M U S I C BY A L A N M E N K E N / LYR I C S BY G L E N N SL AT E R BOOK BY CHERI & BILL STEINKELLNER
A DAY IN
THE LIFE
WHY INVEST
IN ARTS COLLEGE?
“OUR CALLING IS TO CREATE POSITIONS FOR OURSELVES AND OTHERS, TO IMPROVISE AND BLOW THE CEILING OFF ANYTHING RESEMBLING A LIMITATION.” — CL A IRE CHASE, F LUTIST & MACARTH U R FELLOW
Art has always played a vital role in society. Artists and performers challenge the way people interact with space, with technology, and with each other. Generating new ideas requires artists to not only be able to work in their field, but also to think critically— examining a situation, identifying a problem, and then designing a creative solution. Whether writing a play that highlights social injustice or designing a new skyscraper, artists enlighten us with their ability to examine problems in an entirely new way. When you decide to invest your time and money into a college education, you are faced with a choice: invest in reproducing the techniques of other artists, or invest in a degree that teaches critical problem-solving by generating new art and performance. Hundreds of programs teach basic techniques
or craft in performance or visual arts, but few degrees teach artists how to apply critical thinking skills toward the creation of new work. At Cornish, we believe this immersive training offers the preparation necessary to address any future challenge. Cornish College of the Arts offers a wide range of scholarships and financial aid to support the investment you make in your own future. Our students understand the value of studying in a thriving urban environment with fellow artists and performers, and experience the results of their hard work. As the Cornish artistic community both leads a changing society and adapts to a changing job market, we proudly support our student visionaries who are boldly challenging society to look at the world in a new way.
LEARN MORE AT CORNISH.EDU/FINANCIALAID
MORE THAN 95% OF CORNISH STUDENTS RECEIVE SCHOLARSHIPS.
ALUMNI SPOTLIGHTS
JOSHUA CONKEL ‘03
DIANA HUEY ‘08
Writer, A Series of Unfortunate Events (Netflix)
Disney’s The Little Mermaid, multiple cities
RAMIZ MONSEF ‘02
DON DARRYL RIVERA ‘06
Geffen Playhouse & Mark Taper Forum, Los Angeles
Disney’s ALADDIN, Broadway
COURTNEY SALE ‘01
LANISE ANTOINE SHELLEY ‘02
Artistic Director, Seattle Children’s Theatre
Stratford Festival, Canada & Chicago Shakespeare Theater
Chris Bennion
THE RIMERS OF ELDRITCH | 2016 L A N F OR D W I L SON
5 THINGS
YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT THE CORNISH THEATER FACULTY
1
THEY’VE PERFORMED & DIRECTED AT NATIONAL ICONIC THEATERS like
2
THEY HAVE SUNG AND DANCED ON BROADWAY, ON RECORD, AND ON FILM.
3
THEY’RE PROUD MEMBERS OF PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZATIONS like
4
THEY CARE DEEPLY ABOUT LOCAL AND GLOBAL ISSUES collaborating
5
THEY RECEIVED THEIR EDUCATION AT RENOWNED INSTITUTIONS,
the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, American Conservatory Theater, Arizona Theatre Company, Berkeley Repertory Theatre, and Yale Repertory Theatre; as well as beloved Seattle venues like ACT Theatre, Seattle Repertory Theatre, 5th Avenue Theatre, Seattle Children’s Theatre, Village Theatre and On the Boards.
They have worked in film and television as performers, writers, voice coaches, and stunt coordinators.
Actor’s Equity Association, SAG-AFTRA, Stage Directors and Choreographers Society, Society of American Fight Directors, and the Dramatists Guild.
with marginalized people like imprisoned women, AIDS widows in rural Kenya, and undocumented immigrants.
including NYU Tisch School of the Arts, University of Washington, Columbia University, Yale School of Drama, London International School for Performing Arts, Oberlin Conservatory, and of course, Cornish.
LEARN MORE & MEET OUR FACULTY AT CORNISH.EDU/THEATER
“
CORNISH MAKES FEARLESS, INDIVIDUAL ARTISTS.
I DIDN’T COME OUT OF THERE FEELING LIKE I FIT INTO SOME KIND OF MOLD. I CAME OUT
FEELING LIKE I KNEW MYSELF, AND WHAT I WAS MEANT TO BECOME... READY TO TAKE ON THE PROFESSIONAL WORLD. AND I DID.” —RAMIZ MONSEF ‘02,
Chris Bennion
WRITER-PERFORMER, THE UNFORTUNATES OREGON SHAKESPEARE FESTIVAL, AMERICAN CONSERVATORY THEATER
SINGIN’ IN THE RAIN | 2016 S CRE E N P L AY BY B E T T Y C OM D E N & A D OL P H G R E E N SONGS BY ARTHUR FREED & NACIO HERB BROWN
TEAR OUT & KEEP
APPLICATION DEADLINES
SCHOLARSHIPS
DECEMBER 1
Cornish offers merit scholarships based upon the strength of your application and audition/portfolio.
EARLY ACTION DEADLINE
FEBRUARY 15
Photography by Danielle Barnum unless noted. Design by Shannon Loys.
PRIORITY APPLICATION / SCHOLARSHIP DEADLINE
Those applying for scholarship consideration should apply by
FEBRUARY 15.
After February 15, applications are accepted on a rolling basis if space is available.
CORNISH FAST FACTS ESTABLISHED
STUDENT ORIGINS
1914
35 states 18 countries
MAJORS
Art, Dance, Design, Film, Interior Architecture, Music, Performance Production, Theater
CAMPUS
3 locations in downtown Seattle: South Lake Union, Capitol Hill, Seattle Center
AVERAGE CLASS SIZE
13
ACCREDITATION
FACULTY:STUDENT RATIO
1:7
Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities, National Association of Schools of Art and Design
CORNISH.EDU/THEATER
THE MISSION OF CORNISH COLLEGE OF THE ARTS
is to provide students aspiring to become practicing artists with an educational program of the highest possible quality, in an environment that nurtures creativity and intellectual curiosity, while preparing them to contribute to society as artists, citizens, and innovators.
ADMISSION@CORNISH.EDU
800.726.ARTS
CORNISH.EDU/THEATER
FIND OU T AT
YOUR STORY?
HOW WILL YOU TELL
Cornish College of the Arts 1000 Lenora Street Seattle, WA 98121
Non-Profit Org US Postage PAID Seattle WA Permit No 227