{"id":3666,"date":"2022-06-02T11:50:14","date_gmt":"2022-06-02T15:50:14","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.bu.edu\/cfa\/?post_type=bu-program-page&p=3666"},"modified":"2025-07-28T10:08:11","modified_gmt":"2025-07-28T14:08:11","slug":"bfa","status":"publish","type":"bu-program-page","link":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/cfa\/academics\/degrees-programs\/acting\/bfa\/","title":{"rendered":"BFA Acting"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Acting students at BU are exposed to a wide range of acting and movement techniques and are encouraged to embrace the unknown and be open to new and varied approaches to the creative process. Immersive studio classes in acting, voice, speech, movement, and Alexander Technique provide the foundation for the acting major and encourage students to open up expressive channels through their physicality, voice, and imagination in order to find more freedom, power, range, and sensitivity in their work.<\/p><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Students explore materials from the classic to the contemporary and prepare for their transition to the professional world through classes in acting for the camera, professional life skills, and audition techniques. At BU, we aim not only to prepare students for careers in the professional world of theatre and the related media of film and television but also to cultivate generous, passionate citizen-artists. We support them as they discover and develop their voices. And we empower them to make bold theatre and to dare to have an impact on the world through their unique personal artistry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Program of Study<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

All first-year performance students are admitted to the First Year Performance Core<\/a>. The First Year Core experience establishes a base vocabulary that serves as the foundation for a student\u2019s progression into their chosen BFA degree program. In addition, the First Year Core is designed to provide an appropriate context for faculty evaluation of each student\u2019s strengths, interests, and potential for success in the upper years of training. At the end of the first year, each student will declare a BFA major; these decisions are reviewed and mentored by members of the School of Theatre<\/a> faculty before a student is officially enrolled in their BFA program.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The acting program at BU integrates a sequence of courses in which the actor learns to develop deep self-awareness in order to foster personal transformation. Actors are tasked with the responsibility of being the mirror to society, to provide the necessary reflection that accurately represents who we are in order to inspire who we might be. Students explore materials from the classic to the contemporary. Immersive studio classes in voice, speech, movement, and Alexander Technique provide the foundation for acting majors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Acting majors are regularly mentored by working professional faculty and advisors through studio class work, hands-on, in-process rehearsal and performance advising, and conferences. With an average class size of 14 and a 5:1 student-to-instructor ratio, students receive exceptional mentoring from faculty. The acting faculty is a passionate ensemble of artists-in-residence who are fierce and fearless professional theatre-makers, educators, activists, and scholars committed to building a better and more inclusive industry and world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

During their senior year, acting students create a capstone thesis, which consists of a solo performance of wide-ranging material requiring collaboration with classmates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Situated within a large, top-tier research institution, students pursue coursework in the University Hub<\/a>, the University’s general education program that is integrated into the undergraduate student experience. This provides students with the chance to dive into other topics, from other colleges and schools, to enhance their studies. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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BEYOND THE CLASSROOM<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Acting in a new musical: My workshop experience with SpeakEasy Stage<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

After doing a search on Playbill<\/em> for Boston and Massachusetts-based auditions, acting major Mair\u00e9ad O\u2019Neill <\/strong>(CFA\u201926) stumbled upon SpeakEasy Stage\u2019s call for actors to help in a short workshop of a new musical. There was zero context about the show, but that didn\u2019t stop Mair\u00e9ad from pursuing the opportunity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As an actor in the two-week equity workshop acting contract with SpeakEasy Stage<\/a>, developing the new musical, The Museum of Broken Relationships<\/em>, Mair\u00e9ad has welcomed the quick adjustments that come with workshopping a new piece. This experience has also allowed her to meet fellow Boston and New York-based actors and creatives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Being in this room has introduced me to so many AMAZING Boston and New York-based fellow actors and creatives. I\u2019m the youngest in the cast, so I\u2019ve been keen on networking and trying to get advice from those with more experience on how to tackle this industry post-grad. It\u2019s also been so gratifying to get to bring my acting skills into song and grow my understanding of music theory. I definitely want to have a focus on new works in my career as an actor, and watching new music be written every day has inspired my songwriting process and made me want to collaborate in the music world more. <\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

read Q&A in CFA news<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Opportunities<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Students are guaranteed casting in the School of Theatre productions, allowing students to put what they’ve learned in their classes into practice. Acting majors may pursue musical theatre training through our Musical Theatre courses<\/a>, and cross-curricular opportunities in CFA.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Speaking of professional development, guest lecturers, visiting artists, and CFA acting alums host masterclasses and workshops for School of Theatre students. Acting students also participate in SOT’s annual Theatre Showcase<\/a> that takes place in Boston or New York City. The event serves as a celebration of the graduating class and the group\u2019s formal introduction to the professional theatre community. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Studying in a city like Boston, known for its vibrant arts culture, provides our students with additional acting opportunities in Boston-based professional theatre organizations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Study Abroad experiences are also available through programs in the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art (LAMDA), Academia Dell\u2019Arte in Arezzo, Italy, or others through BU Study Abroad<\/a>. As you can see, our acting students have a plethora of opportunities to continue their acting training beyond the classroom.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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