Performance and Performance Studies, MFA
Through the simultaneous development of practice and study, students earning an MFA in Performance and Performance Studies at Pratt are grounded in creative practices with a strong emphasis on theory that they can apply directly to their creative work. The program, offered on the Brooklyn campus, is guided by a set of principles about the integral nature and importance of performance, community, art practice, theory, and politics. Students explore the ways in which effective performance is artistically engaging and is a catalyst for scholarship and social change.
This degree was developed with a wide range of practitioners, scholars, and students in mind, including recent undergraduates; professionals in the field who are seeking terminal career credentials; working performers and artists who seek to gain a more critical/theoretical depth and background (as well as new performance skills) for their work; scholars with some artistic training who seek to complement their work with training in performance technique; and students from other disciplines who understand the opportunities they can gain by focusing
on the performative dimensions of their fields.
With an MFA in Performance and Performance Studies from Pratt, artist-scholars will be able to:
- work as artists and performance practitioners;
- work as teachers in colleges/universities and other institutions in a variety of fields—such as theater, performance studies, art criticism, movement, performance art, interdisciplinary art forms, and creative writing—and in community settings, arts education and youth programs, as well as other venues;
- work as curators, arts administrators, art critics, or production staff, and in media; and
- pursue a PhD in a range of fields, including performance studies, cultural studies, theater, race and gender studies, queer studies, and others.
THE PROGRAM'S STRUCTURE
The goal of the MFA in Performance and Performance Studies is to develop students as artists and thinkers. Students will move from a basic command of the field of performance practice as well as theory to become active artists/scholars who contribute to the field’s evolution.
Students in the program will take four semesters, or 60 credits, of courses. Of these, 33 credit hours will be in required courses, and 27 in electives selected based on students’ needs and interests. Throughout, students will combine study in performance practice with theoretical inquiry in performance studies. After taking a series of foundation courses in the first year, students will develop their own body of work in the second year. In their last semester, the students will focus on rounding out the competencies they are building and on refining their concluding academic and performance art presentations.
We also offer opportunities for students to work with community-based and larger institutional arts organizations in which performance and constructs of performativity are central. The students will work intimately to serve these communities in conceptual and practical contributions to art practice and community empowerment for underserved populations.
The Performance and Performance Studies program is anchored by a series of core, required classes:
- Introduction to Performance Theory (PPS-650A Introduction to Performance Studiesa), where students focus on conceptual underpinnings of the field;
- Introduction to Performance Practice (PPS-651A Introduction to Performance Practicea), providing core competencies in crucial aspects of performance and presentation;
- workshops with an artist-in-residence (PPS-549A Workshop W/Visiting Artist-In-Residence -Residencea), on cross-cultural performance (PPS-550A Performance Across Culturesa), and on community-based practice (PPS-550B Approaches to Community-Based Performanceb);
- a Critical Writing course (PPS-652A Critical Writing for Performance and Performance Studiesa) to support scholarly writing skills, increasingly vital as a component both of creative/collaborative processes and professional practice; and
- Thesis/Project Workshops (PPS-659A Thesis/Project Workshop Ia and 659b) to support students in developing viable and fully realized visions and incarnations of their own work.
Students will also take Open Electives (totaling 27 credits), which will be theory and practice seminars offered by full- and part-time faculty and covering a wide range of topics and areas.
As part of the program’s community focus, students may do an internship to fulfill one of their electives. The required second-semester workshop on community-based practice will provide important preparation and, in some cases, specific venues and contacts to accommodate a broad range of interests.
In addition to providing support through the structure of courses of the program, the Performance and Performance Studies MFA strongly encourages connections for our students and graduates that will prepare them for successful careers in the field. The support system includes opportunities for internships, mentorships, networking, visiting artists, scholars-in-residence, and presentations attended by influencers in performance and performance studies.
ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS
Applicants for admission to the Master of Fine Arts (fall entrance only) will have a BA, BS, or BFA from an accredited institution. Candidates must submit:
- a statement of purpose in which they describe their interest in the program as well as their own goals and preparation;
- 10-20 pages of relevant writing sample(s);
- transcripts of undergraduate coursework; and
- two letters of recommendation.
Collaborative pairs will be welcomed, but each member must apply separately under the above guidelines. All applicants must follow the standard admissions process for graduate programs at Pratt. See www.pratt.edu/applying.
Program Coordinator
Jennifer Miller
jmille11@pratt.edu
Office
Tel:718.636.3790
mfaperformance@pratt.edu
| Semester 1 | Credits | |
|---|---|---|
| PPS-549A | Workshop W/Visiting Artist-In-Residence -Residence | 3 |
| PPS-550A | Performance Across Cultures | 3 |
| PPS-650A | Introduction to Performance Studies | 3 |
| PPS-651A | Introduction to Performance Practice | 3 |
| All Institute Elective | 3 | |
| Credits | 15 | |
| Semester 2 | ||
| PPS-549A | Workshop W/Visiting Artist-In-Residence -Residence | 3 |
| PPS-550B | Approaches to Community-Based Performance | 3 |
| Performance Theory Elective | 3 | |
| Performance Practice Elective | 3 | |
| All Institute Elective | 3 | |
| Credits | 15 | |
| Semester 3 | ||
| PPS-549A | Workshop W/Visiting Artist-In-Residence -Residence | 3 |
| PPS-652A | Critical Writing for Performance and Performance Studies | 3 |
| PPS-659A | Thesis/Project Workshop I | 3 |
| Departmental Elective | 3 | |
| All Institute Elective | 3 | |
| Credits | 15 | |
| Semester 4 | ||
| PPS-659B | Thesis/Project Workshop II | 6 |
| All Institute Elective | 9 | |
| Credits | 15 | |
| Total Credits | 60 | |
Donald Andreasen
Adjunct Associate Professor
M.F.A. Playwriting, Actors Studio, Parsons The New School for Design.
Youmna Chlala
Professor
B.A., University of California, Santa Cruz; M.F.A., California College of the Arts.
Steven Doloff
Professor; Lecturer, Intensive English
B.A., Stony Brook University; M.Phil., Ph.D., The Graduate Center, CUNY.
Lisabeth During
Associate Professor, Philosophy
B.A., Wesleyan University; M.Th., King College, University of London; Ph.D., Trinity College, Cambridge University.
Ann Holder
Associate Professor, History
B.A., Hampshire College; Ph.D., Boston College.
May Joseph
Professor, Global Studies
Ira Livingston
Professor
Ph.D. English, Stanford University.
Jennifer Miller
Professor
Mendi Obadike
Associate Professor
B.A., Spelman College; Ph.D., Duke University.
Martha Wilson
Visiting Associate Professor
B.A., Wilmington College; M.A. English Literature, Dalhousie University.
In this course, students of performance and performance studies will have the opportunity to work with a visiting artist for a 5-week session during the fall or spring semester, and for the remainder of the semester on (1) studying the work of the visiting artist and other relevant work prior to the visit, and (2) developing relevant performance and/or critical work of their own. This class will consist of lectures, seminars, studio work and studio visits. May be repeated for credit with new visiting artists; Performance and Performance Studies MFA students are required to take three semesters.
This class is designed to introduce students to theater and dance companies in New York City performing in a wide range of international styles and traditions. The course is meant to offer students wide knowledge-- across a range of cultures and communities-- of what performance is. We will look at traditional forms as well as contemporary work. Most classes will feature lectures and demonstrations by guest artists. We will watch samples from their work, hear about their process and be led in some embodied work of our own. Students will participate in workshops and complete weekly readings and independent projects.
Community-based theater includes a variety of theater-making practices defined by their interaction with the communities from which they grow, including theater performed in or for communities other than the self-selected audience that comes into a theater. In this class, we will look at histories and theories of community-based work as well as projects on the contemporary landscape. The class will consist of viewings, weekly readings, and discussion as well as embodied work. We will learn and practice exercises to create a sense of trust and openness in community work, gathering approaches to collecting stories and strategies for working collaboratively. We will pay particular attention to the power dynamics involved in community-based art practices. What does it mean to be a professional working with community members, and what strategies can we use to negotiate the challenges of being an outsider in a leadership position? This course also serves to prepare students for internships in community-based theater.
Mentorship Study is an elective of the graduate P+PS MFA program. Through weekly meetings (1 hour each) over the semester the Mentorship course gives students one-on-one contact with their mentors (prestigious expects in the field of performance and performance studies); the goal is for mentors to act as guide, ally, advisor, and knowledge-resource to a given student and their scholarly work and/or creative process. The primary goal of the mentor-mentee relationship will be to prepare the student for their academic and performance presentations during the semester or for their culminating work at the end of the graduate program. Throughout the semester the student will work closely with their mentor to set up meetings and to coordinate the mentor's presence and support for the students' presentations.
This class is designed to introduce students to theater and dance companies in New York City performing in a wide range of international styles and traditions. The course is meant to offer students wide knowledge--across a range of cultures and communities--of what performance is. We will look at traditional forms as well as contemporary work. Most classes will feature lectures and demonstrations by guest artists. We will watch samples from their work, hear about their process and be led in some embodied work of our own. Students will participate in workshops and complete weekly readings and independent projects.
Community-based theater includes a variety of theater-making practices defined by their interaction with the communities from which they grow, including theater performed in or for communities other than the self-selected audience that comes into a theater. In this class, we will look at histories and theories of community-based work as well as projects on the contemporary landscape. The class will consist of viewings, weekly readings, and discussion as well as embodied work. We will learn and practice exercises to create a sense of trust and openness in community work, gathering approaches to collecting stories and strategies for working collaboratively. We will pay particular attention to the power dynamics involved in community-based art practices. What does it mean to be a professional working with community members, and what strategies can we use to negotiate the challenges of being an outsider in a leadership position? This course also serves to prepare students for internships in community -based theater.
In this course, students of performance and performance studies will have the opportunity to work with a visiting artist for a 5-week session during the fall or spring semester, and for the remainder of the semester on (1) studying the work of the visiting artist and other relevant work prior to the visit, and (2) developing relevant performance and/or critical work of their own. This class will consist of lectures, seminars, studio work and studio visits. May be repeated for credit with new visiting artists; Performance and Performance Studies MFA students are required to take three semesters.
This course provides a comprehensive introduction to performance studies and theory. We will develop basic theoretical, critical, literary and performance skills that will improve understanding of creative work in performance studies and cultural studies. We will put theories into practice by presenting performed work every other week. This class is foundational for the Performance and Performance Studies program.
This class explores the art, play, technique and rigorous fun involved in bringing a strong presence to the unique space of performing. The class begins with a focus on physical and vocal training, moving through improvisation, generating material, and working with prepared material. Time and timing, space, tenderness, chaos, intention, perception, lying, and the imaginary are examples of the kinds of ideas we will be using as tools to move us into exploratory spaces.
In this course, we will examine and practice the analytical, critical, and writing skills needed to compose essays suitable for publication. In workshops we will engage in writing exercises, peer evaluation, revision, and editing with a focus on completing one review essay and journal article for publication. We will learn how to create pressing arguments, to integrate textual and other evidence, and to engage in sustained reflection. We will review relevant readings in Performance Studies in order to participate in current debates within the field. By doing so, we will learn how to make important disciplinary Interventions in the field of Performance Studies through writing.
This course will help students prepare for the production of a final projector thesis. The class will be run as a workshop for student work, facilitated by a faculty member. Students will engage with readings relevant to their topics; examine relevant critical texts; select a thesis advisor; assemble an annotated bibliography, a precis and literature review; prepare outlines and preliminary or preparatory statements of purpose, and begin the work at hand. Instructor and peers will respond to work in progress and help the student reach the point at which they can take the project or thesis to fruition during the current or following semester.
This course enables Performance and Performance Studies MFA students to work closely with a faculty mentor while preparing and completing their final performance project and written thesis.
This course is designed to enable students to explore special topics in performance studies in a concentrated way. See PPS website for descriptions of topics being offered in a given semester. Students will learn contemporary theories and methods via an in-depth exploration of the topic at hand. May be repeated for credit as topic changes.
This course is designed to enable students to explore special topics in performance practice in a concentrated way. See PPS website for descriptions of topics being offered in a given semester. May be repeated for credit as topic changes.
This course allows Performance and Performance Studies MFA students to work as interns in venues relevant to their studies and career paths. and for the internship to appear on their transcripts. The proposed assignment and a specific program of hours and supervision have to be approved by the Internship Coordinator.
This course allows Performance and Performance Studies MFA students to work as interns in venues relevant to their studies and career paths. and for the internship to appear on their transcripts. The proposed assignment and a specific program of hours and supervision have to be approved by the Internship Coordinator.
This course allows Performance and Performance Studies MFA students to work as interns in venues relevant to their studies and career paths. and for the internship to appear on their transcripts. The proposed assignment and a specific program of hours and supervision have to be approved by the Internship Coordinator.
This course allows Performance and Performance Studies MFA students to work as interns in venues relevant to their studies and career paths. and for the internship to appear on their transcripts. The proposed assignment and a specific program of hours and supervision have to be approved by the Internship Coordinator.