DRAMA FACT SHEET

Source: https://artsci.washington.edu/academics/arts/drama/fact-sheet Parent: https://artsci.washington.edu/academics/arts/art-arthistory-design/fact-sheet

From "A Thick Description of Harry Smith." Photo by Sunny Martini.

The University of Washington School of Drama develops innovative and courageous artists and scholars poised to be the creative leaders of tomorrow.

VISIT DEPARTMENT WEBSITE

HIGHLIGHTS

At the UW School of Drama, we believe in the power of theatrical storytelling to elevate individual and collective voices, promote understanding, and nurture compassion. Our undergraduate and graduate programs prepare students for careers as theatre professionals and scholars, while developing skills that are relevant to a wide range of fields.

The School of Drama produces a full season of shows each year, featuring contemporary and classic works. The season includes both fully produced and studio shows, as well as our recently launched Producing Artist Laboratory, an annual offering of exploratory or developmental projects in which student-artists can engage in more vigorous artistic risk-taking.

At the School of Drama, our students and faculty are defining the future of the field in pedagogy and production. This includes exciting new practices in devised, process-focused, and generative work, like our November 2025 production of OMNIA Break Room, a new production led by faculty member Adrienne Mackey and developed with School of Drama faculty and students.

60

Undergraduate majors

PROGRAMS

• Bachelor of Arts: With classes in performance, design, directing, theatre history, performance studies, and production, oOur B.A. program teaches essential skills like collaboration, critical thinking, imagination, and innovation, preparing students for success both within theatre and in the larger professional landscape. Drama also offers Minors in Theatre Studies, Directing, Acting, and Design for Performance. \
• Master of Fine Arts: Our nationally recognized graduate professional training program offers MFA degrees in acting, design, and directing, offering advanced training in each specialty within a cross-disciplinary ethos.  \
• Doctor of Philosophy: Our Ph.D. program is at the forefront of critical theatre and performance studies in the U.S. with a highly respected international profile.

Students

From "Thrive, Or What You Will." Photo by Christine Mitchell.

Winter 2025

• 60 Undergraduate majors
• 23 Master of Fine Arts students
• 11 PhD students

Degrees Awarded

Autumn 2024- Summer 2025

• 20 Bachelor of Arts degrees
• 4 Master of Fine Arts degrees

FACULTY

• 5 Professors
• 4 Associate Professors
• 7 Assistant Professors
• 2 Lecturers
• 1 Affiliate Faculty

Our decorated faculty, comprised of working artists and scholars, are dedicated to supporting and nurturing the artistry and scholarship of every student, and honoring their identities, perspectives, and traditions.

Recent Faculty Awards:

• Jasmine Jamillah Mahmoud, assistant professor, 2025 UW Distinguished Teaching Award
• Scott Magelssen, professor and director, 2025 Outstanding Undergraduate Research Mentorship

Recent faculty publications:

• Viewers in Distress: Race, Gender, Religion, and Avant-Garde Performance at the Turn of the 21st Century by Stefka Mihaylova
• Teaching the Alexander Technique: Active Pathways to Integrative Practice by Cathy Madden
• Ruins: Classical Theater and Broken Memory by Odai Johnson
• Enveloping Worlds: Toward a Discourse of Immersive Performance, edited by Scott Magelssen with E.B. Hunter (Washington University)

New faculty include:

• Chi-wang Yang, assistant professor of acting, brings a unique approach to exploring the intersections of body, emotion, and technology in theatre. His work has been featured at REDCAT, San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMoMA), and the Edinburgh Fringe.
• M.L. Dogg (MuTTT), assistant professor of sound design, was nominated for a 2023-24 Tony Award with co-designer Cody Spencer for their work on Here Lies Love on Broadway. MuTTT has designed numerous Broadway productions including The Pee-Wee Herman Show and Gutenberg! The Musical! as well as numerous professional productions in Seattle.

NOTABLE ALUMNI

• Chris Brown, scenic designer nominated for 5 Emmy awards for his work as Art Director on the TV series Mad Men.
• Ken Cherniligia, Dramaturg and Literary Manager for Disney Theatrical Group and recently appointed president of Literary Managers and Dramaturgs of the Americas.
• Desdemona Chiang, Seattle and San Francisco Bay area director whose work has been seen at Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Guthrie Theater, South Coast Repertory, ACT Theatre, Baltimore Center Stage and many others.  She is also a co-founder of Azeotrope in Seattle.
• Allison Leach, Emmy Award-winning costume designer known for The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story, Mad Men, and Glee.
• Andrew Leiberman, opera and theater designer, based in Paris, whose designs have been seen throughout the world at English National Opera, Deutsche Oper Berlin, Festival d’Aix en Provence, New York City Opera and many other renowned companies.
• Kyle MacLachlan, actor known for Twin Peaks(2 Emmy nominations),Dune, Sex and the City, Desperate Housewives, and Portlandia.
• Joel McHale, actor, comedian, writer, producer and television host known for his role as Jeff Winter on the sitcom Community and for hosting The Soup (Emmy nomination).
• Lynn Shelton (d. 2020), filmmaker known for Humpday, Your Sister’s Sister, Touchy Feely,and Laggies, as well as episodes of Glow, Mad Men, Fresh Off the Boat, and New Girl.
• Ron Simons, four-time Tony Award-winning producer known for Broadway productions of Porgy and Bess, Jitney, A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder, and Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike.
• Jean Smart, actor known for her roles in Hacks(2021 Emmy Award), Samantha Who? (2008 Emmy Award), Designing Women, and Frasier (2000, 2001 Emmy Awards).  Smart was also nominated for a Tony Award for Best Actress in a Play for her portrayal of Lorraine Sheldon in the 2000 Broadway revival of The Man Who Came to Dinner.
• Lois Smith, actor known for The Inheritance (Tony winner for Best Actress in a Play), East of Eden, Grapes of Wrath(Steppenwolf Theatre to Broadway, Tony nomination), Buried Child (Steppenwolf Theatre to Broadway, Tony nomination), and The Trip to Bountiful (off-Broadway), for which she received Drama Desk, Outer Critics Circle, Obie, and Lucille Lortel awards.

PRODUCTIONS

From "Fefu and Her Friends." Photo by Logan Guerrero.

The School of Drama’s season features five shows fully-produced in three state-of-the-art spaces on campus, and featuring the work of our exceptional MFA and BA students. Students execute these rigorous productions with the guidance of our faculty and the support of a full staff of theatre technicians and artisans. Over 8,000 patrons attend these performances annually.

In addition to School of Drama productions and activities, our student Drama community is involved with several active Registered Student Organizations (RSOs) that produce full seasons of shows and events. RSOs at the UW include The Undergraduate Theatre Society (UTS), the Chinese Theatre Club, Stage Notes musical theatre club, and The Collective Improv Troupe.

FACILITIES

The School of Drama is centered in Hutchinson Hall on the Seattle Campus.

Our facilities include:

• Five performance venues

• Five acting studios

• Two design studios

• a light lab

• a dedicated drama library

• a production shop with construction and storage resources for scenery, paint, props, lighting, and sound

• a costume shop with construction and storage resources for costumes

The Floyd and Delores Jones Playhouse\ 210-SEAT THRUST STAGE \ The Playhouse was the very first state-sponsored theatre in the nation and was home to WPA projects and the Negro Federal Theater Projects. It is now a hub of arts activity and community engagement in the heart of Seattle’s University District.

The Glenn Hughes Penthouse Theatre\ 160-SEAT ARENA STAGE \ The Penthouse was the nation’s first theatre built in the round and inspired the national arena movement in the mid-20th century.

Meany Hall Studio Theatre\ 250-SEAT BLACK BOX

Hutchinson Hall\ TWO 60-SEAT BLACK BOXES

CONTACT

School of Drama\ Box 353950\ University of Washington\ Seattle, WA 98195\ (206) 543-5140\ drama.washington.edu

last update: July 2025