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Looking for Houston acting schools?
Start with these detailed listings of acting schools in Houston, Houston acting classes and Houston art schools.
Each listing includes a brief description of classes, performance opportunities, acting career help, tuition fees and financial aid, along with contact information and other info when available.
Rice University
Considered one of the most academically chalenging universities in the nation, Rice offers a BA in Visual and Dramatic Arts for undergraduates interested in drama.
Houston acting classes available to Rice Theatre students include acting techniques, movement, voice and speech, scene study, text analysis, musical theater, Shakespeare, screen acting and drama theory. In addition to other general education required courses, actors also study directing, costuming, makeup, set and lighting design, theater design, film production and drawing. Other available courses include choreography, dance (ballet, jazz, hip-hop) and Alexander Technique.
If you’re also looking at Houston art schools, you can double major in theater here.
Students have the opportunity to audition for the 2 mainstage productions held at the school’s 500-seat theater and directed by professional guest artists. There’s also a working cinema.
This Houston acting school has a faculty of working professionals who try to help students get exposure to the professional theater world through internships at established companies like The Alley Theatre and the Williamstown Theatre Festival.
The school organizes showcases and field trips to allow students to discover art forms outside of academic setting.
This is also one of the acting schools in Houston that encourages study abroad programs in theater. In particular, serious drama student can transfer credits from a semester of studies at the O’Neill Center in Connecticut or the NTI Moscow Art Theater (there is also a summer program).
In addition, every other year, a renowned Shakespearean company from London performs at Rice and leads a series of workshops with drama students.
Of all the Houston acting schools, the Visual and Dramatic Arts program also has a film track, so drama students have an opportunity to build relationships and work with fellow filmmaking students.
BA in Visual and Dramatic Arts with Theatre Emphasis.
In addition to financial aid available to all students, drama students can apply for travel fellowships and merit-based awards.
Application and fee, application supplement, test scores and transcripts, school report and midyear report, a teacher evaluation and an interview (optional).
About 20% of applicants are accepted at Rice, all departments included.
www.arts.rice.edu
University of Houston
Out of the Houston acting schools, this university offers both a graduate and undergraduate theater program. There is also a theater education program for those interested in teaching acting.
In addition to general education courses like English and Math, classes include acting techniques, voice and movement, musical theatre, theatre fundamentals, drama genres, theater history, scene tech, lighting and sound tech, costuming, makeup, directing and production.
MFA students participate in a 2-year intensive program of classes, performances and networking with a focus on production experience through the Alley Theatre Training Program. Classes include acting, voice, speech, movement, Viewpoints, Suzuki, characterization, Shakespeare, Greek theater, directing, drama theory and history, set and lighting design, costumes and make-up.
Students of this Houston acting school have access to a 500-seat professional theater, a 185-seat black-box theater and a costume shop.
MFA students can appear on the Neuhaus Stage in a production directed by a member of the Alley Theater, a renowned LORT theater company. Some students may earn a fellowship to participate in one or more productions of the Alley Theater’s regular season.
Drama students have an opportunity to work with guest artists on school productions, including with professional actors, directors and playwrights. Seniors appear in a showcase during their last year.
MFA students take ensemble workshops and learn the business of acting and get help with resumes and other approaches to market themselves.
BFA in Acting (pending), BA in Theatre, MA in Theatre, MFA in Theatre.
Tuition only for the MFA in Acting is about $3,200 per semester for residents and $6,900 for non-residents.
Scholarships from the department of Theater and Dance are available to already enrolled students, while Freshmen have access to a range of university, private and state scholarships and other financial aid.
Graduate students have access to assitanships and fellowships.
Submit university application and fee, test scores and transcripts, and schedule an acting audition. Auditions consist of 2 contrasting monologues and are held at the acting school in Houston and throughout the state.
Auditions for the MFA program are held in New York, Chicago and Houston.
Acting students are assessed by a jury twice during the course of their studies.
www.theatredance.uh.edu
Houston Family Arts Center Actors Academy
Among Houston acting schools, the HFAC Actors Academy was established as the training arm of Houston Family Arts Center, a non-profit, family-friendly community theatre.
This Houston acting school is located in Northwest Houston, on Grant Road, less than a mile east of the intersection with Jones Road.
In addition to skill-based classes in acting, dance, and singing, HFAC Actors Academy has several performance opportunities each year for 1st-3rd graders, 4th – 6th graders, and 7th – 12th graders. Most adult classes do not result in a performance.
Because of some generous financial partners, we have some scholarships available.
Students can register on line or in person at www.houstonfac.com. Auditions are required for some shows, but at this time auditions are not required to register for classes. Most student performance-based workshops will require an audition from among those registered in order to determine roles in the show.
Acceptance rate is generally 100% for most of our classes, since most are not audition based.
“The classes and shows are high quality with a family-friendly atmosphere. My children have learned so much from HFAC while being nurtured and cherished as individuals. The teachers, directors and volunteers are very professional, accomodating and allow all to feel welcome and respected.” – Parent of young students
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www.houstonfac.com
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