
Learn about... Dordt College
The University of Maryland, College Park is a public research university, the flagship campus of the University System of Maryland, and the original 1862 land-grant institution in the State. It is one of only 62 members of the Association of American Universities, an organization composed of the leading research universities in the United States and Canada.
The University of Maryland is committed to achieving excellence as the State’s primary center of research and graduate education and the institution of choice for undergraduate students of exceptional ability and promise.
About UM
At the University of Maryland not even the sky is the limit. With the Deep Impact project created at the University in conjunction with NASA, students and faculty are able to see inside a comet in outer space, 80 million miles from earth.
But if you want to look a little closer to home, view the inside of our campus here with the Images of UM and Virtual Tour. Don't stop there. Learn about our top ranked Academic Programs, we have twenty nine in the top ten and ninety in the top twenty five according to US News and World Report.
Don't miss the Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center, Campus Recreation Center and the Riggs Alumni center, right by Byrd football stadium where we cheer on the Terps. The Terps are a force to reckon with on the field and court. Go Terps!
And you're just getting started - there is an endless amount to learn about the University of Maryland. Get moving in the right direction and explore our world! Please view our Video Message from the President of the University of Maryland.
Applying as a Freshman
The Admission Committee considers all aspects of a student's qualifications and offers admission to the most competitive applicants in order to build a talented, diverse and interesting entering class.
The following information is considered: the student's academic performance in high school, the rigor of the high school academic program, SAT I and/or ACT scores, class rank (if available), essay, extracurricular activities, school counselor and teacher recommendations and responses to short answer questions.
Maryland residency, special talents and/or abilities, personal experiences and background and Maryland alumni/ae affiliation may be taken into consideration.
Learn more about ADMISSIONS.
Residence Life
You're about to start college! There are memories to be made at every turn, whether you're tasting great homemade ice cream at The Dairy, rubbing Testudo's bronze nose for good luck on an exam or breaking out your laptop to study on McKeldin Mall on a sunny day.
Most Maryland freshmen choose to live in the university's residence halls while others live at home or rent apartments or houses near campus. No matter where you live, you'll be immersed in the student experience at one of the nation's finest and most comprehensive public universities.
We'll help you select the right housing option and put you in touch with potential roommates. When they don't live with their families, Maryland freshmen live in high-rise and low-rise residence halls and in apartment-style units (some with their own kitchens) either on campus or close-by. All of our residence halls have live-in Resident Assistants and successful upper-division students who will help you find your way academically and socially.
For more information about living on campus, visit the Department of Resident Life.
Clubs & Organizations
Getting involved at the University of Maryland couldn't be easier with more than 300 clubs, hundreds of cultural events, fraternities and sororities, movies, speakers, concerts, and sports. Looking for a fencing club, a cappella singing group, mock trial team, a Buddhist Thought and Meditation Group or ballroom dancing? We've got you covered.
Also on campus are religious organizations, an improvisational comedy company, sports clubs, political clubs and student chapters of professional societies. Every September there is a two-day "First Look Fair" on McKeldin Mall to introduce you to all the student groups the University of Maryland has to offer.
Learn more about Clubs!
College Park
You will love taking advantage of our location— a Metro ride away from sights, culture and nightlife of Washington, D.C. You will also be half an hour down the road from Baltimore and Annapolis.
Maryland is a state that offers every kind of natural beauty, from the Chesapeake Bay and ocean beaches to the mountains, lakes and rivers of its western counties. Sailing, thoroughbred racing, skiing, hiking and camping are a few of its features.
The city of College Park is a true college town, with dozens of eateries, shops, clubs, and diversions just for students. Neighboring towns offer multiplexes showing their latest movies, shopping malls for all your needs, a national park, a beautiful lake, and restaurants for when your parents come to town.
Visiting The University Of Maryland
Attend a Maryland Upclose information session, or join a tour group. For full immersion, go for the truly live: by hanging out with a real Maryland student, attending classes, eating in the dining hall and kicking back, as college students are known to do now and then.
CONTACT US!
Office of Undergraduate Admissions
University of Maryland
Mitchell Building
College Park, MD 20742
301.314.8385
1.800.422.5867
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The Acting Program At...
University of Maryland


THE THEATRE DEPARTMENT AT UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND!
Undergraduate Program: BA in Theatre
The Department of Theatre offers a balanced, liberal arts education that integrates production, design, and scholarship. Under this curriculum, students will gain a strong foundation in the theatre arts, and have the opportunity to tailor the degree to their own interests and strengths.
Additional advanced coursework is available as well, and is designed to prepare students for their next step, whether it is into graduate school, the profession, or another field entirely. The program encourages students to get involved in productions beginning in their first semester.
Auditions, reviews or interviews are not required for admission to the program.
At just under two hundred students, the Department of Theatre's undergraduate program is similar to that of a small college. This fosters collaboration and support among the individual members and allows us to offer workshops with alumni and theatre professionals in an intimate setting.
We require mandatory advising each semester to keep in touch with our student base and assist them with curricular and co-curricular choices. The Department sponsors annual events such as the Career/Internship Fair and Alumni Career Panel to assist students in transitioning into the professional theatre community.
For information about applying to the University of Maryland and pertinent admissions information, visit ADMISSIONS!
Scholarships
Creative and Performing Arts Scholarships (CAPAs) award funds equivalent to full in-state tuition and fees to outstanding undergraduate theatre majors for academic excellence and exceptional performance or design/production skills. These scholarships may be renewed up to eight semesters for qualifying students.
Up to four scholarships may be awarded to fall incoming theatre majors at the Scholarship Audition Day held in January of each year. When funds are available, CAPA awards are also made to students currently in the program.
Theatre Patrons Association Scholarships award $1000-2000 to full-time students active in the theatre program. Awards are based on service to the Department. Up to four scholarships may be awarded at the beginning of each semester and up to two scholarships may be awarded at the January Audition Day to incoming fall Theatre majors.
Student Theatre Groups
Undergraduate Theatre Artists Society supports undergraduate activities in the Department such as workshops, a play reading series, community meetings, the Maryland Original Works Festival (MOWF), community outreach, an annual spring banquet, and more.
Erasable, Inc is an improvisational comedy group. Sketchup is a sketch comedy performance group. Kreativity supports diversity through theatre. Playwrights-at-Perk supports readings of new works at a local College Park coffee house. Weekday Players is a performace-based group with no performances or rehearsals on the Sabbath.
Internships
Academic internships allow students to explore potential career fields, develop career related skills and abilities, observe professionals, and network with relevant contacts. The Department supports a variety of internships at the local, national, and international levels. The vibrant Washington D.C. theatre community supports many such opportunities and students are encouraged to take advantage of them.
Many performance students receive their first important theatre credits as members of The National Players, a pre-professional touring company in partnership with The Olney Theatre Center. The Department of Theatre is home to The Shakespeare Globe Center Research Archive - providing an opportunity for students to serve as interns on campus or in London at the new Shakespeare Globe Theatre.
Professional Partnerships
The Department of Theatre and the Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company joined forces to create Woolly/UM, a unique partnership based on a common mission: to forge the future of American theatre through Maryland's extraordinary work in developing young theatre artists and Woolly Mammoth's nationally recognized efforts in the development and production of new plays. This partnership has included staged readings and "blended" productions in which students work with professional artists and learn from affiliated artists who present master clases, workshops and mentor-ships.
In addition, the Department of Theatre launched a collaborate venture with the African Continuum Theatre Company this year to co-produce August Wilson's play The Piano Lesson. Other producting ventures in the Washington area include Round House Theater, Ford's Theatre, The Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts and Olney Theatre Center for the Arts.
Arrange a Visit
Visits to the Department of Theatre should be arranged one week in advance. We are glad to provide a tour of the Theatre facilities, answer your questions about our curriculum and activities, and give you a packet of information about our Undergraduate Program.
And Check Out Our Fantastic Facilities!
The Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center is one of the largest, most advanced performing arts complexes in the United States. In addition to the Departments of Theatre, Dance and Music, the Center houses a fully equipped Performing Arts Library.
Learn more about our FACILITIES!
MEET A FEW OF OUR GIFTED FACULTY
Our award winning faculty includes three Helen Hayes Award winners, a regional Emmy winner, and a winner of the Barnard Hewitt Award for an outstanding theatre history book. We have a significant international presence with Study Abroad programs, participation in conferences, designing shows, and research in countries from Ireland to Senegal.
Daniel MacLean Wagner, Professor, Chair
301.405.6679
Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center, Room 2811
dmwagner@umd.edu
Areas of Specialization/Interest: Lighting Design, Producing
Professional Affiliations: Lighting Designer, United Scenic Artists Local 829. Resident Lighting Designer, Olney Theatre Center and National Players (1992 - present); Artistic Associate, Signature Theatre (1996 - present), Associate Artist, Round House Theatre (2003-present); previously served as Resident Lighting Designer, The Studio Theatre (1986 - 1998). Producer and Production Designer, Helen Hayes Awards (1988 - present). Board Member, Olney Theatre Center; Washington Area Performing Arts Video Archive (WAPAVA). Lighting Consultant/Systems Designer
Honors and Awards: Eight-time recipient of the Helen Hayes Award for Outstanding Lighting Design (most recently for The Diary of Anne Frank at Round House Theatre, 2005), for which he has been nominated twenty-six times; Creative and Performing Arts Award, College of Arts and Humanities, 1997; Individual Artist Fellowship, D.C. Commission on the Arts and Humanities, 1992, 1996
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Leslie Felbain, Assistant Professor
301.405.6672
Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center, Room 2819
lfelbain@umd.edu
Areas of Specialization/Interest: Acting, Directing, Movement, Mask, Clown, Bouffon, Theatrical Styles, Character Development, Ensemble Work, Solo Performance, Creation & Development of Original Material.
Professional Affiliations: American Society of Teachers of the Alexander Technique, Theatre Bay Area, Association des Theatres de Poche, International Association of Heathcare Practitioners.
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Mitchell Hébert, Professor
301.405.6684
Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center, Room 2820
mhebert@umd.edu
Areas of Specialization/Interest: Acting, Directing
Professional Affiliations: AEA, SAG, AFTRA
Honors and Awards: Creative and Performing Arts Award (CAPA), 1987; 2004 Helen Hayes Award nomination for Outstanding Lead Actor, Resident Play; Morgan in The Drawer Boy at Round House Theatre.
Learn more about our wonderful FACULTY!
CONTACT US!
Misha Kachman, Director of Undergraduate Studies
Department of Theatre
2810 Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center
University of Maryland
College Park, MD 20742-1610