There are over 150 BFA and MFA acting programs in the US today, nearly all of which claim to prepare students for theatre careers. Peter Zazzali contends that the curricula of these courses represent an ethos that is as outdated as it is limited, given todays shrinking job market for stage actors.
Acting in the Academy traces the history of actor training in universities to make the case for a move beyond standard courses in voice and speech, movement, or performance, to develop an entrepreneurial model that motivates and encourages students to create their own employment opportunities. This book answers questions such as:
- How has the League of Professional Theatre Training Programs shaped actor training in the US?
- How have training programmes and the acting profession developed in relation to one another?
- What impact have these developments had on American acting as an art form?
Acting in the Academy calls for a reconceptualization of actor training the US, and looks to newly empower students of performance with a fresh, original perspective on their professional development.
Chapter 1 The Challenges Facing US Acting and Actor Training Today
Chapter 2 20
th Century US Acting and Actor Training: From Stanislavsky to the
League
Chapter 3 Putting the League in Its Socio-historical Context
Chapter 4 Exploring the Leagues Uneasy Dichotomy With Higher Education
Chapter 5 The Rise of the New Breed of American Actors and the LlC'
![Acting in the Academy: The History of Professional Actor Training in US Higher Education [Hardcover]](/itemImage/2/9/3/0/2_5530528.jpg "Acting in the Academy: The History of Professional Actor Training in US Higher Education [Hardcover]")