MFA Program In Dramatic Art

The MFA is designed to provide a program of rigorous, advanced training and practice that enables mid-career artists to explore and expand skills in order to develop artistically and professionally. With the focus firmly on interdisciplinary practice, the MFA offers artists the opportunity to create and realize new dimensions of classical and contemporary performance. The program is designed for flexible interchange between artists and faculty, and the faculty mission ensures that graduates are prepared to develop their craft in new directions.

We focus on a collaborative curriculum of interdisciplinary seminars and practical laboratories/workshops covering a range of performance practices, including acting, choreography, design, devising and directing. Students are also encouraged to collaborate with faculty and students in other UC Davis Arts Programs in the Departments of Music, Art & Art History, Design, and Technocultural Studies, as well as with other departments across the campus.

Students expand their horizons by working with a professional faculty and with nationally and internationally known visiting artists. For twenty-five years, the department's acclaimed Granada Artist-in-Residence program has hosted renowned directors, choreographers, actors, designers and playwrights. Each year, the Granada artists undertake special projects or theatrical productions and teach courses as part of their residencies.

MFA students participate in the department's intensive calendar of productions, which draws a sophisticated and appreciative audience - and important media coverage - from the region. Each year several major shows and numerous smaller performances are produced in our playing spaces, including UC Davis' world-class Robert and Margrit Mondavi Center for the Performing Arts and various other venues.

The department has established a resident professional company, Sideshow Physical Theatre. Dedicated to exploring new performance forms, the company creates interdisciplinary work that merges text, video, movement and film. These artistically and intellectually challenging productions aim to bridge the gap among theatre practices, life and art. Sideshow also provides a performance outlet for professional-caliber graduate students.

MFA Mission Statement