State-of-the-Art Performance Spaces
From classroom instruction to rehearsals and opening nights, our students learn and perform in professional theatre spaces. Nationally recognized for its architectural design, the Clayes Performing Arts Center sets the stage for student success and professional development.
Grammy Award-winning Faculty
Students in the School of Music are taught and mentored by Grammy Award-winning musical artists who bring their passion and expertise to the classroom.
Faculty in the Field
Our faculty have appeared in Hollywood on the big screen, seen their names in lights on Broadway and been featured in hit television shows. As educators, they bring that real-world experience back to students, preparing them to connect with casting agents, book roles and succeed in the performing arts.
Visual Arts Modernization Project
Set for completion in fall 2024, the Visual Arts Modernization Project will feature two new buildings that will house the Nicholas & Lee Begovich Gallery, student art galleries, high-tech classrooms and project spaces. These changes will impact how we teach, learn, engage with and experience the arts.
Meng Concert Hall
Celebrated for its outstanding acoustics, the 800-seat Meng Concert Hall engages audiences with its subtleties and unobstructed sound. Performances by the university's music ensembles and guest artists produce a unique synergy.
Opportunities in Theatre
Fourth-year musical theatre students travel to New York City every year to perform on Broadway for agents, managers, casting directors and alumni. In 2023, all 14 graduating seniors received a call from a talent agent, manager or casting director after the showcase.
Nationally Recognized Dance Program
Over the past decade, students in our program have repeatedly been chosen to perform at the American College Dance Festival at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. This impressive record demonstrates the strength, intensity and depth of our program and the faculty and students that continue to shape the future of dance.
Notable Alumni and Faculty
Kathy Baur, assistant professor of art
artist for “The Prince of Egypt” and “The Iron Giant”
Tanya Michnevich Bracco ’95 (B.A. theatre arts)
supervising producer of “The Late Show With Stephen Colbert”
Rubén Carbajal ’15 (B.F.A. theatre arts-musical theatre)
original cast member in the first national tour of “Hamilton”
Maria Cominis, professor of theatre and dance
award-winning playwright, actress in “Desperate Housewives” and “New Girl”
Marc Cherry ’95 (B.A. theatre arts)
creator and executive producer of Emmy- and Golden Globe-winning ABC drama series “Desperate Housewives” and Lifetime’s “Devious Maids”
Brian Crosby '07 (B.F.A. art-illustration)
director of Marvel Themed Entertainment development
Bill Cunliffe, professor of music
Grammy Award-winning arranger and record producer
Svetlana Efremova-Reed, professor of theatre and dance
actress in “For All Mankind” and “Spinning Out”
Erik Elizarrez ’03 (B.F.A. art-entertainment art/animation)
prop designer and character cleanup artist with Disney TV and Warner Bros.
Farnaz Esnaashari-Charmatz ’04 (B.F.A. art-entertainment art/animation)
creator and executive producer of Nickelodeon’s “Shimmer and Shine”
Andrew Feliciano ’08 (B.F.A. art-entertainment art/animation)
animation supervisor for Disney’s “Raya and the Last Dragon”
Josh Grisetti, associate professor of theatre and dance
actor in “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” and “The Good Fight”
Bruce Healey '72 (B.M. music)
former music director/producer for Walt Disney Parks and Resorts Creative Entertainment
Rob Istad ’01 (M.M. music-performance)
professor of music, Grammy Award-winning artist
Kirsten Monson ’15 (B.A. theatre arts)
lead automation for Cirque du Soleil
Julie Orser, professor of art
award-winning visual artist and Lucas Artist Fellow with works at Los Angeles County Museum of Art and The Museum of Contemporary Art
Jesus Ramos ’20 (M.M. music-performance)
English horn musician with the Puerto Rico Symphony Orchestra
Wayne Unten ’03 (B.F.A. entertainment art-animation)
animation supervisor for Disney’s “Frozen” and “Frozen 2”
Kirsten Vangsness ’96 (B.A. theatre arts)
actress in “Criminal Minds”
Karen Weller ’81 (M.F.A. theatre arts)
former costume production manager for Disneyland Resort, co-founder of The Costume Connection
Linda Woolverton ’79 (M.A. theatre arts)
screenwriter for Disney’s “Beauty and the Beast”
