The Theatre School at DePaul University, previously the Goodman School of Drama (also known as TTS and GSD, respectively) is the
drama school
A drama school, stage school or theatre school is an undergraduate and/or graduate school or department at a college or university; or a free-standing institution (such as the Drama section at the Juilliard School); which specializes in the pr ...
of
DePaul University
DePaul University is a private, Catholic research university in Chicago, Illinois. Founded by the Vincentians in 1898, the university takes its name from the 17th-century French priest Saint Vincent de Paul. In 1998, it became the largest Ca ...
. Founded with its first class conducted at the
Art Institute of Chicago on January 5, 1925, the Goodman School was associated with the
Goodman Theatre
Goodman Theatre is a professional theater company located in Chicago's Loop. A major part of the Chicago theatre scene, it is the city's oldest currently active nonprofit theater organization. Part of its present theater complex occupies the la ...
Company. The school officially became part of DePaul University on July 1, 1978, and was renamed The Theatre School at DePaul University in 1982. The Theatre School is the Midwest region's oldest theatre conservatory and is ranked as one of the top professional theatrical training programs in the United States, enrolling approximately 450 students from North America and abroad. The Theatre School's main performance spaces are the
Merle Reskin Theatre (formerly Blackstone Theatre) in
Downtown Chicago
''Downtown'' is a term primarily used in North America by English speakers to refer to a city's sometimes commercial, cultural and often the historical, political and geographic heart. It is often synonymous with its central business distri ...
, the Healy BlackBox theatre, and the Watts Theater in the Lincoln Park Campus.
Academics
The Theatre School is organized in three departments with the following degrees are currently on offer:
;Design/Technology
#
Bachelor of Fine Arts in
Costume Design
Costume design is the creation of clothing for the overall appearance of a character or performer. Costume may refer to the style of dress particular to a nation, a class, or a period. In many cases, it may contribute to the fullness of the arti ...
, Costume Technology,
Lighting Design
In theatre, a lighting designer (or LD) works with the director, choreographer, set designer, costume designer, and sound designer to create the lighting, atmosphere, and time of day for the production in response to the text while keeping i ...
,
Projection Design,
Scenic Design,
Sound Design
Sound design is the art and practice of creating sound tracks for a variety of needs. It involves specifying, acquiring or creating auditory elements using audio production techniques and tools. It is employed in a variety of disciplines including ...
,
Stage Management,
Theatre Technology, and Wig and Makeup Design
;Performance
#
Bachelor of Fine Arts in
Acting
#
Master of Fine Arts in
Acting and
Directing
;Theatre Studies
#
Bachelor of Fine Arts in Comedy Arts,
Dramaturgy/
Criticism,
Playwriting
A playwright or dramatist is a person who writes plays.
Etymology
The word "play" is from Middle English pleye, from Old English plæġ, pleġa, plæġa ("play, exercise; sport, game; drama, applause"). The word "wright" is an archaic English ...
, Theatre Arts (with possible concentrations in
Directing and Theatre for Young Audiences), and
Theatre Management
#
Master of Fine Arts in
Arts Leadership
The arts are a very wide range of human practices of creative expression, storytelling and cultural participation. They encompass multiple diverse and plural modes of thinking, doing and being, in an extremely broad range of media. Both hi ...
The Theatre School produces over two dozen public theatrical productions and nearly forty total productions each season. The Theatre School Showcase Series features contemporary and classic plays, while the Chicago Playworks for Families and Young Audiences presents plays for children. Other mainstage productions include the New Directors Series (MFA Directing theses) and the New Playwrights Series (BFA Playwriting pieces).
Notable alumni
Goodman School of Drama at the Art Institute of Chicago (1925–1978)
*
Theoni V. Aldredge (BFA Costume Design, 1952)
*
Shelley Berman (Acting)
*
Bruce Boxleitner
Bruce William Boxleitner (born May 12, 1950) is an American actor and science fiction and suspense writer. He is known for his leading roles in the television series '' How the West Was Won'', '' Bring 'Em Back Alive'', ''Scarecrow and Mrs. King ...
(Certificate Acting, 1971)
[''TSNews'' (The Theatre School at DePaul University), April 3, 2014.](_blank)
/ref>
*Melinda Dillon
Melinda Dillon (born October 13, 1939) is a retired American actress. She received a 1963 Tony Award nomination for her Broadway debut in the original production of ''Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?'', and she was nominated for the Academy Award ...
(Acting)
*Dennis Dugan
Dennis Barton Dugan (born September 5, 1946) is an American director, actor, writer, artist and comedian. He is known for his partnership with comedic actor Adam Sandler, for whom he directed the films ''Happy Gilmore'', '' Big Daddy'', '' The Be ...
(BFA Acting, 1969)Scott Ellis
Scott Ellis (born April 19, 1957) is an American stage director, actor, and television director.
Biography
Ellis graduated from Goodman School of Drama at the Art Institute of Chicago (now at DePaul University) in Chicago. (BFA Acting, 1978)
* Joel Fink (BFA Acting)
*Charles Fleischer
Charles Fleischer (born August 27, 1950) is an American actor, stand-up comedian, musician, and writer, best known for appearing in films such as ''Who Framed Roger Rabbit'', ''A Nightmare on Elm Street'', '' The Polar Express'', '' Rango'', '' ...
(Acting)
*Gloria Foster
Gloria Foster (November 15, 1933 – September 29, 2001) was an American actress. She had acclaimed roles in plays ''In White America'' and '' Having Our Say,'' winning three Obie Awards during her career. Foster played the Oracle in ''The Matrix ...
(Acting)
* Dennis Grimaldi (BFA Acting, 1969)
*Linda Hunt
Lydia Susanna "Linda" Hunt (born April 2, 1945) is an American actress of stage and screen.
She made her film debut playing Mrs. Oxheart in ''Popeye'' (1980). Hunt portrayed the male character Billy Kwan in '' The Year of Living Dangerously'' ...
(BFA Acting, 1966)
*Barry Kelley
Edward Barry Kelley (August 19, 1908 – June 5, 1991) was an American actor on Broadway in the 1930s and 1940s and in films during the 1940s, 1950s, and 1960s. The heavy-set actor created the role of Ike in '' Oklahoma!'' on Broadway. His l ...
(Acting)
*Harvey Korman
Harvey Herschel Korman (February 15, 1927May 29, 2008) was an American actor and comedian who performed in television and film productions. His big break was being a featured performer on CBS' '' The Danny Kaye Show'', but he is best remembered ...
(Acting)
* Eugene Lee (BFA Scenic Design, 1964)
*Joe Mantegna
Joseph Anthony Mantegna (, ; born November 13, 1947) is an American actor.
Mantegna began his career on stage in 1969 in the Chicago production of the musical ''Hair''. He earned a Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Play and a Joseph Jeff ...
(BFA Acting, 1967–1969)Lois Nettleton
Lois June Nettleton (August 16, 1927 – January 18, 2008) was an American film, stage, radio, and television actress. She received three Primetime Emmy Award nominations and won two Daytime Emmy Awards.
Early life
Lois Nettleton was born on Aug ...
(Acting)
* Geraldine Page (BFA Acting, 1945)
*Betsy Palmer
Betsy Palmer (born Patricia Betsy Hrunek; November 1, 1926 – May 29, 2015) was an American actress, who was known as a regular supporting film and Broadway actress and television guest star, as a panelist on the game show ''I've Got a Secret' ...
(Acting)
* Shauneille Perry (MFA Directing, 1952)
*José Quintero
José Benjamín Quintero (15 October 1924 – 26 February 1999) was a Panamanian theatre director, producer and pedagogue best known for his interpretations of the works of Eugene O'Neill.
Biography
Early years
Quintero was born in Panama C ...
(BFA Acting, 1949)
*Steve Smith Stephen, Steve, Stevie, or Steven Smith may refer to:
Academics
* Steve Smith (political scientist) (born 1952), British international relations theorist and senior university manager
* Stephen Smith (journalist) (born 1956), American journalist, ...
(BFA Acting, 1977)
* Carrie Snodgress (Acting)
*Concetta Tomei
Concetta Tomei (born December 30, 1945) is an American theatre, film and television character actress, best known for her roles as Major Lila Garreau on the ABC series ''China Beach'' (1988–1991) and as Lynda Hansen on the NBC series ''Provi ...
(BFA Acting, 1975)Sam Wanamaker
Samuel Wanamaker, (born Wattenmacker; June 14, 1919 – December 18, 1993) was an American actor and director who moved to the United Kingdom after becoming fearful of being blacklisted in Hollywood due to his communist views. He is credited a ...
(Acting, 1938)
*Ted Wass
Edward Wass (born October 27, 1952) is an American television director and former actor. He is best known for his roles as Danny Dallas on the series ''Soap'' (1977–1981) and as Nick Russo on the NBC sitcom ''Blossom'' (1991–1995). After '' ...
(BFA Acting)
* Howard Witt (Certificate Acting, 1967)
*Charlayne Woodard
Charlaine "Charlayne" Woodard (born December 29, 1953) is an American playwright and actress. She is a two-time Obie Award winner as well as a Tony Award and Drama Desk nominee. She was a series regular on the hit FX TV series Pose. She played ...
(BFA Acting, 1974–1977)
*Louis Zorich
Louis Zorich (February 12, 1924 – January 30, 2018) was an American actor. He played sporting good salesman Burt Buchman, Paul Buchman's father, on the NBC series ''Mad About You'' from 1993 to 1999.
Early years
Zorich was born in Chicago, I ...
(BFA Acting, 1958)
Goodman School of Drama at DePaul University (1978–1982)
*Tom Amandes
Tom Amandes (born March 9, 1959) is an American actor. His best-known role to date is that of Eliot Ness in the 1990s television series ''The Untouchables''; he also played Geena Davis' boyfriend in '' The Long Kiss Goodnight'', and Abraham Lin ...
(Certificate Acting, 1981)
* Kevin Anderson (Certificate Acting, 1981)Ann Dowd
Ann Dowd (born January 30, 1956) is an American actress. She has played supporting roles in numerous films, including ''Green Card'' (1990), ''Lorenzo's Oil'' (1992), ''Philadelphia'' (1993), '' Garden State'' (2004), '' The Manchurian Candidate' ...
(MFA Acting, 1982)Elizabeth Perkins
Elizabeth Ann Perkins (born November 18, 1960) is an American actress. Her film roles have included ''About Last Night'' (1986), '' Big'' (1988), ''Avalon'' (1990), and '' He Said, She Said'' (1991), ''The Flintstones'' (1994), ''Miracle on 34th ...
(Certificate Acting, 1981)Michael Rooker
Michael Rooker (born April 6, 1955) is an American actor known for his roles as Henry in '' Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer'' (1986), Chick Gandil in ''Eight Men Out'' (1988), Frank Baily in '' Mississippi Burning'' (1988), Terry Cruger in '' ...
(BFA Acting, 1982)
The Theatre School at DePaul University (1982–present)
* Aaron Abrams (BFA Acting, 2001)Gillian Anderson
Gillian Leigh Anderson ( ; born August 9, 1968) is an American actress. Her credits include the roles of FBI Special Agent Dana Scully in the series ''The X-Files'', ill-fated socialite Lily Bart in Terence Davies's film '' The House of Mirt ...
(BFA Acting, 1990)Kevin Bigley
Kevin Bigley (born October 5, 1986) is an American television and film actor, best known for playing rookie paramedic Brian Czyk on the USA Network series '' Sirens''.
Biography
Bigley was born in Yuba City, California, and studied acting at The ...
(BFA Acting, 2009)
*W. Earl Brown
William Earl Brown (born September 7, 1963) is an American actor, screenwriter, producer, musician, and songwriter. He is perhaps best known for his roles as Kenneth "Kenny" Brown in the film ''Scream (1996 film), Scream'' (1996), Warren in the ...
(MFA Acting, 1989)Julianne Buescher
Julianne Buescher (born February 4, 1965) is an American actress, writer, and puppeteer who performs in film, television, radio, and on stage. As a voice actress, she is known for many roles including Anko Mitarashi on ''Naruto''. She hails fro ...
(BFA Acting, 1989)
* P. J. Byrne (MFA Acting, 1999)
* John Cabrera (BFA Acting, 1997)
* Paula Cale (BFA Acting, 1993)David Dastmalchian
David Dastmalchian (; born July 21, 1975) is an American film and stage actor. He has had supporting roles in a number of superhero franchises; he portrayed Thomas Schiff in ''The Dark Knight'', Kurt in the first two Marvel Cinematic Universe ...
(BFA Acting, 1999)
* Eli Goodman (BFA Acting, 1988–1990)
*Judy Greer
Judith Therese Evans (born July 20, 1975), known professionally as Judy Greer, is an American actress. She is primarily known as a character actress, who has appeared in a wide variety of films. She first rose to prominence in a variety of suppor ...
(BFA Acting, 1997)Sean Gunn
Sean Gunn (born May 22, 1974) is an American actor. He is known for his roles as Kirk Gleason on The WB series ''Gilmore Girls'' (2000–2007), and Kraglin Obfonteri in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. In this role, he has been in the films ''Gu ...
(BFA Acting, 1996)Jeremy O. Harris
Jeremy O. Harris (born ) is an American playwright, actor, and philanthropist, known for his plays ''"Daddy"'' and '' Slave Play''. The latter received 12 nominations at the 74th Tony Awards, breaking the record previously set by the 2018 reviva ...
(BFA Acting, 2009–2010)
* Zach Helm (BFA Acting, 1996)
*Ike Holter
Ike Holter (born 1985) is an American playwright. (BFA Playwriting, 2007)
* Stana Katic (MFA Acting, 2000–2002)Lisa Robin Kelly
Lisa Robin Kelly (March 5, 1970 – August 15, 2013) was an American actress. She was best known for her role as Laurie Forman on the TV series ''That '70s Show''.
Early life
Kelly was born in Southington, Connecticut, and raised there and in Mo ...
(BFA Acting, 1992)
*Joe Keery
Joseph David Keery (born April 24, 1992) is an American actor and musician. He is best known for playing Steve Harrington in the science fiction series '' Stranger Things'' (2016–present) and for his role in the comedy film ''Free Guy'' (2021) ...
(BFA Acting, 2014)
* Alexander Koch (BFA Acting, 2012)Alexander Koch, ''Under the Dome'' (biography) – CBS.
/ref>
* KiKi Layne (BFA Acting, 2014)
*Adam Mayfield
Adam Mayfield (born August 2, 1976) is an American actor. He is best known for portraying Scott Chandler on the ABC soap opera ''All My Children''. He has joined the cast of NBC soap opera drama series ''Days of Our Lives'', and debuted in 2015 ...
(BFA Acting, 2000)
*Tarell Alvin McCraney
Tarell Alvin McCraney (born October 17, 1980) is an American playwright, screenwriter, and actor. He is the chair of playwriting at the Yale School of Drama and a member of the Steppenwolf Theatre Ensemble.
He co-wrote the 2016 film ''Moonlight ...
(BFA Acting, 2003)
* Cynthia McWilliams (BFA Acting, 2003)Michael Muhney
Michael Muhney (born June 12, 1975) is an American actor. His best known roles include Sheriff Don Lamb on the UPN/The CW television series ''Veronica Mars'' between 2004 and 2007 and Adam Newman on the CBS daytime soap opera ''The Young and th ...
(BFA Acting, 1997)Zak Orth
Zak Orth (born October 15, 1970) is an American actor known for his roles in ''Wet Hot American Summer'', '' The Baxter'', '' Melinda and Melinda'', '' In and Out'', ''Music and Lyrics'', and '' NYC 22''. He also starred in the NBC television dram ...
(BFA Acting, 1992)
* Caitlin Montanye Parrish (BFA Theatre Studies, 2006)
* Dewayne Perkins (BFA Acting, left)
*Amy Pietz
Amy Pietz (born March 6, 1969) is an American actress, known for her roles on television. She received the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Comedy Series nomination for her role as Annie Spadaro in the ...
(BFA Acting, 1991)Leonard Roberts
Leonard Roberts (born November 17, 1972) is an American actor. He is best known for his roles as Sean Taylor in ''Drumline'' and for playing Forrest Gates in the fourth season of '' Buffy the Vampire Slayer'' and D. L. Hawkins in a recurring ro ...
(BFA Acting, 1995)
* Ashton Sanders (BFA Acting, 2013–2016)
* Casey Siemaszko (BFA Acting, 1983)
*Nina Siemaszko
Antonina Jadwiga Siemaszko (born July 14, 1970) is an American actress. Best known for her film roles in '' Little Noises'' (1992), ''The Saint of Fort Washington'' (1993), and for her role as Eleanor Bartlet in ''The West Wing'' (2001–2006).
...
(Acting)
*Lili Taylor
Lili Anne Taylor (born February 20, 1967) is an American actress. She came to prominence with supporting parts in the films ''Mystic Pizza'' (1988) and '' Say Anything...'' (1989), before establishing herself as one of the key figures of 1990s i ...
(Acting)
See also
*Goodman Theatre
Goodman Theatre is a professional theater company located in Chicago's Loop. A major part of the Chicago theatre scene, it is the city's oldest currently active nonprofit theater organization. Part of its present theater complex occupies the la ...
References
External links
The Theatre School at DePaul University
DePaul University
{{DEFAULTSORT:Theatre School at DePaul University
DePaul University
Drama schools in the United States
Educational institutions established in 1925
Performing arts education in the United States
Theatre in Chicago
1925 establishments in Illinois