USC School of Dramatic Arts

The USC School of Dramatic Arts (SDA) (formerly the USC School of Theatre) is the dramatic arts school at the University of Southern California. It is ranked one of the top 10 dramatic arts schools in the world, according to The Hollywood Reporter's Top 25 Drama Schools.[1] The USC School of Dramatic Arts offers Bachelor of Arts degrees in theatre and visual & performing arts; Bachelor of Fine Arts degrees in acting, design, sound design, stage management and technical direction; and Master of Fine Arts degrees in acting and dramatic writing.

USC School of Dramatic Arts

Type	Private drama school
Established	1945
Location	Los Angeles , California , United States
Website	dramaticarts.usc.edu

History

Founded in 1945 as Department of Drama at USC, it became an independent school in 1991 and was named USC School of Theatre.[2] It was renamed USC School of Dramatic Arts on July 1, 2012.[3] Madeline Puzo served as Dean from 2002-2015. From 2015-16, David Bridel was Interim Dean, and he served as Dean from 2015-2020, when he resigned after admitting to an affair with an undergraduate.[4]

Notable faculty

• Michael Keenan - actor (Picket Fences) and professor of acting and directing; directed USC plays and stage productions from 1987 to 2015[5]

• Anna Deavere Smith - playwright, actress, author, journalist; taught acting in the MFA program from 1985 to 1989.

Notable SDA alumni

See also: List of University of Southern California people § Performing Arts

Patrick J. Adams Robin Bain Leigh-Allyn Baker Todd Black Nathan Parsons Troian Bellisario Beck Bennett LeVar Burton Sophia Bush Tate Donovan Ryan Eggold Will Harris Evan Helmuth (1999)[6] Devin Kelley Eric Ladin James Lesure Peter Levine Kevin Mambo Perry Mattfeld Timothy Omundson J. August Richards John Ritter Jon Rudnitsky Stark Sands Kyra Sedgwick James Snyder (actor) Anthony Sparks Richard Speight Jr. Karan Soni Eric Stoltz Danny Strong TJ Thyne Michael Uppendahl Peter Vack Forest Whitaker Deborah Ann Woll Programs of study Undergraduate Degrees Bachelor of Arts (BA) BA in Theatre BA in Theatre, Acting Emphasis BA in Theatre, Comedy Emphasis BA in Theatre, Design Emphasis BA in Performing & Visual Arts Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) BFA in Acting BFA in Design BFA in Sound Design BFA in Stage Management BFA in Technical Direction BFA in Musical Theatre Graduate Degrees Master of Fine Arts (MFA) MFA in Acting MFA in Dramatic Writing Performance Venues Bing Theatre Drama Center and Massman Theatre Scene Dock Theatre McClintock Theatre Theatrical Productions The School of Dramatic Arts presents more than 20 theatrical shows annually that showcase the works of the students in acting, stage management, lighting design, set design, costume design, technical direction and more. References "The Top 25 Undergraduate Drama Schools Ranked". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2016-05-20. "USC SChool of Theatre Branding & Web Services" (PDF). 2010. p. 22. Retrieved 2012-11-05. "Theatre school renamed USC School of Dramatic Arts". USC News, University of Southern California. 2012-04-23. Retrieved 2012-11-05. Mier, Tomás. "USC dean resigns after past relationship with student is revealed". latimes.com. Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 4 July 2020. Barnes, Mike (2020-05-04). "Michael Keenan, 'Picket Fences' Actor and Longtime USC Professor, Dies at 80". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on 2020-05-11. Retrieved 2020-05-25. Emke, Dave (2017-07-28). "Obituary: Actor Evan Helmuth, 40, Lived in Reston as a Boy". RestonNow.com. Retrieved 2017-07-29. External links http://dramaticarts.usc.edu/