Our intensive three-year MFA training program boasts a strong emphasis in emotional depth, vibrant expressivity, heightened language, and period-style work. Our actors address the emotional needs of the character in the given circumstances with adaptable voices and bodies that are able to respond organically in the moment. The foundation of the acting training is Somatic Meisner work –grounded in the Sanford Meisner sequence and integrating the Williamson Technique and Somatic Experiencing. This is a systematic, sequential training where each lesson unfolds into the next and is rooted in a deep understanding of text and subtext.

We develop and nurture the artistic sensibilities of each actor in a collaborative training environment, while adhering to the highest standards of artistic integrity and rigor. Graduates of the NIU MFA program are professional artists prepared to enter any facet of the industry.