The Class of 2020 now showcase their talents in live, in-person performances.
Pace University’s Actors Studio Drama School (ASDS) Master of Fine Arts Program today announced the return of its emblematic Repertory Season featuring the acting, directing, and playwriting Class of 2020 with five consecutive weeks of live performances, beginning October 20, 2021.
As the arts and entertainment industry resumes live performance, the ASDS Repertory Theater in lower Manhattan reopens for the first time since April 2019 and welcomes in-person audiences at 70% capacity. The venue will follow industry standards as well as New York State and local COVID-19 safety protocols.
“This is a thrilling moment of colossal significance with an unprecedented level of collective engagement. Our alumni’s passion, talent, training, and dedication will be in full display. They have great stories to tell, and we look forward to our audiences returning to see them,” says Cosmin Chivu, chair, Actors Studio Drama School MFA program.
“We are delighted that our talented MFA alumni will be back on stage in front of live audiences after a two-season hiatus. The Repertory Season is an exciting culmination of their training in the program and something we eagerly anticipate at Pace University,” says Bette Kirschstein, PhD, associate dean, Dyson College of Arts and Sciences.
The five-week Repertory Season consists of ten productions directed by ASDS alumni Jessica Francis Fichter, Sarah Lang, and Amy Woschnik and includes four original plays by ASDS alumni Brett Goldberg, Joris De Graaf, Jay Gulotta, and Timothy Nolan.
The acting company features ASDS alumni Elisa Alemparte, Myrna Dahdah, Victor Del Ray, Delaney Duquesne, Zachary Glassman, Jimena Herrero, Rose Kanj, Brenden MacDonald, John McPhee, Jamie P, Samuel Pygatt, Dan Pavacic, Chip Rybak, Lillie Ricciardi, Ryan Swartz, Clara Tristan, Jes Washington.
The creative team includes Set Designer Shawn Lewis; Projections Designer Yana Birÿkova; Sound Designer Sean Hagerty; Lighting Designer Ethan Steimal; Costume Designer David “DW” Withrow; Props Supervisor Mecca McDonald; and Costume Designer Jennifer Paar. The General Management company is Brierpatch Productions.
The Repertory’s production schedule is as follows:
When: Wednesdays through Saturdays at 7:30 p.m.; Saturday matinees at 3:00 p.m..
Where: ASDS Repertory Theater, 80 Greenwich Street (between Rector and Edgar Streets), New York, NY, 10006.
Admission is free.
The purpose of the Repertory Season is to facilitate a professional experience, as students in their graduating year work with professional designers, stage managers, production companies, and benefit from the response of real audiences. While many events and educational programs impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic that started in early 2020 were shifted to a successful online and nontraditional instruction, the Repertory Season, after a two-season hiatus, is now happy to be back live.
Located at Pace’s New York City campus and housed within the Dyson College of Arts and Sciences, the three-year MFA program offers three distinct tracks: Acting, Directing, and Playwriting. The curriculum is built on the philosophy and the tradition of the Actors Studio and the foundation of the Stanislavsky System. Acting, directing, and playwriting, students are trained side-by side and guided by the pedagogical approach of our distinguished faculty, toward the discovery of their unique voice and full manifestation of their talent. Upon graduation, students receive the title of ‘Finalist’ at The Actors Studio and are invited to attend sessions there for one post-graduate year prior to auditioning for lifetime membership. Directing and Playwriting students are also invited to participate in the Playwright/Director’s Workshop in New York for their post-graduate year.
Pace University’s liberal arts college, Dyson College, offers more than 50 programs, spanning the arts and humanities, natural sciences, social sciences, and pre-professional programs (including pre-medicine, pre-veterinary, and pre-law), as well as many courses that fulfill core curriculum requirements. The College offers access to numerous opportunities for internships, cooperative education and other hands-on learning experiences that complement in-class learning in preparing graduates for career and graduate/professional education choices. .
Pace University has a proud history of preparing its diverse student body for a lifetime of professional success as a result of its unique programs that combine immersive academics and real-world experiences. Pace is ranked the #1 private, four-year college in the nation for upward economic mobility by Harvard University’s Opportunity Insights, evidence of the transformative education the University provides.
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