Acting Company 48 in Machinal (Written by Sophie Treadwell / Directed by Budi Miller) with Theatre Design/Tech students
There’s no such thing as a typical Purchase actor.
But they’re all daring.
What they have in common is raw talent, creativity, and daring. Your cohort is your “company,” sharing the intensity of the four-year sequential program that will test the depths of your instrument—your body, voice, and personality—to reveal your essence as an artist.
The program’s intensity is by design. The physical, mental, and emotional demands have a single purpose—to prepare actors for the unique demands of the profession.
It takes physical strength to perform eight shows a week on Broadway, confidence to believe in your artistic integrity when it seems no one else will, and resiliency to persist in the face of repeated rejection.
We impart a set of skills, and we also train the whole person. It’s preparation for life.
“When someone goes to Purchase, I assume that they’re the kind of actor who won’t sit around and wait for someone to make a choice for them and who will create a roaring fire from very little tinder.”
Each year, the conservatory presents several seasonal productions—exciting and bold interpretations of classic and contemporary plays that bring to the stage for the first time the next generation of actors, designers, and technicians. All conservatory productions are designed and produced exclusively by students under the mentorship of faculty and staff.
Previous Seasons
Fall 2023
Gint Fucking A Heroes of the Fourth Turning Socrates Machinal
Spring 2024
Intimate Apparel Luna Gale The Good Doctor The Most Lamentable Roman Tragedy of Titus Andronicus
Serious Money Conduct of Life Orpheus Descending Cyrano de Bergerac Good Goods Orestes Twelfth Night
Henry IV, Part 1 Barbecue Waiting for Godot Sweat Everybody Babette’s Feast Life is a Dream The Pirandello Party
Passage Wolves Eat Elk The Misanthrope Cloud Tectonics The Last Days of Judas Iscariot The Colored Museum Disco Pigs As You Like It
Helen
Bastille Day
Bibles and Candy
Blood Wedding
Fen
Marisol
A Bright Room Called Day
Showcase Your Progress
At the end of their final semester, senior acting students perform a showcase of theatrical scenes for industry professionals in New York City. They also collaborate with Film BFA students to capture their scenes in a performance reel. Take a look at last year’s reel.
Recent Performances Gallery
Acting Company 48 in Machinal (Written by Sophie Treadwell / Directed by Budi Miller) with Theatre Design/Tech students
Nicco Annan ’98 is an actor, dancer, and choreographer.
He’s best known for his portrayal of Uncle Clifford on the Starz drama series P-Valley, an adaptation of the Katori Hall play Pussy Valley, in which Annan originated the role at the Mixed Blood Theatre in 2015.
