“To BFA or Not To BFA”
About “To BFA or Not To BFA”
The question of whether to attend a BFA/conservatory acting school or a BA university/college is complicated, and unfortunately, there is a severe lack of accessible, honest, up-to-date, and informed conversation surrounding the nuanced topic. This panel will offer the next generation of theatre-makers insight into the pros and cons of pursuing a BFA in acting, a BA in acting, or a BA in a non-theatre-related degree. You will hear firsthand from students who have recently graduated with BAs, BFAs, and MFAs from Carnegie Mellon University’s School of Drama, Brown University/Trinity Rep., Boston University’s School of Theatre, Pace University’s Actors Studio Drama School, University of Connecticut’s School of Fine Arts, and Yale University. The perspective of someone who pursued an acting career without a degree is also represented. During this webinar, panelists will also dive headfirst into a discussion about the sad reality that some theatre education programs and practices perpetuate harm towards students – especially those of marginalized identities. This panel aims to bring awareness to this issue so you can make an informed decision about your education that best serves you, your needs, and your goals. You will leave this webinar with a deeper understanding of the theatre education system and with the tools to help you navigate your education in a way that prioritizes your physical, mental, and emotional health.
Panelists include Broadway actor & American Musical and Dramatic Academy (AMDA) teacher Reynaldo Piniella (he/him); BFA BU School of Theatre & MFA Brown/Trinity Rep. Acting graduate Cloteal Lee Horne (her/she); BFA Carnegie Mellon School of Drama Musical Theatre graduate Dylan T. Jackson (he/him); current BFA UConn Acting student Carlos Fruzzetti (he/him); and BA Yale Theater Studies & English major & MFA Pace Actors Studio Drama School Acting graduate Eden Ohayon (she/her).
Panelists
Carlos Fruzzetti (he/him/his)
Carlos Fruzzetti is an actor, playwright, and musician. Originally from Nevada, his mission as an artist is to give voice and presence to people who are silenced and ignored; he aims to break the stigma around subjects that are taboo. He began his journey of theater education in middle school but deepened his passion as a student of theatre at the Boston University Summer Theatre Institute. He is currently a candidate for a BFA in Acting from the University of Connecticut, where he is in his second year of study. As a playwright, he has written numerous works, largely in development as a part of UConn’s student-produced works. As an actor, he has had the fortune of playing many parts, including Scar in The Lion King, Orcus in She Kills Monsters, Orpheus in Polaroid Stories, and, most recently, Moisés in Connecticut Repertory Theatre’s production of Seven Spots on the Sun.
Cloteal Lee Horne (her/she)
My name, Cloteal Lee Horne, aptly weaves together parts of my grandparents' names. I am committed to collaborative processes that illuminate humanity through the craft of storytelling, and thus I muster the courage to stand before witnesses on stage or on screen in order to shine a light upon hidden parts of humanity and architect a world that ignites imagination through transformation. My work uproots classics and tethers itself to immersive ceremonies and rituals that center blackness and black-femininity. Calling on both the sacred and profane to locate that small (sometimes quiet) place where healing happens, I dedicate my practice to community, honest liberation, and building just and joyous futures. Blissfully standing on the shoulders of those that come before me, I am a product of my grandmother’s prayers and the embodiment of my ancestors’ wildest dreams. I received my MFA in acting from Brown University/Trinity Rep and my BFA in Theater Arts from Boston University’s School of Theatre.
As an educator, I have taught at Yale School of Drama, Brown University, New York University, Playwrights Horizons, and La Jolla Playhouse Conservatory. MFA Acting- Brown University/Trinity Repertory Theatre and BFA Theater Arts- Boston University.
Dylan T. Jackson (he/him/his)
A native of Palm Beach County and recent NYC transplant, Dylan is a recent graduate of the Carnegie Mellon School of Drama with a BFA in Musical Theatre. He has worked at theaters such as Virginia Repertory Theater, Hatch Arts Collective, Maltz Jupiter Theater, and The Refuge. In June, he will be in the upcoming world-premiere of Martha Clarke’s God’s Fool at La MaMa Experimental Theatre Club. Dylan is passionate about the vastitude of blackness and telling stories in which blackness is not traditionally represented. Using all forms of art, he hopes to aid in deconstructing the unconscious bias in America surrounding blackness while allowing space for black people to see all versions of themselves exist on the stage and screen, free from politicization through the white gaze.
Eden Ohayon (she/her/hers)
Eden Ohayon is a Brooklyn-based writer and performer. She is a recent graduate of Actors Studio Drama School at Pace University, where she earned her MFA in Acting. Eden received her undergraduate training at Yale University, majoring in Theater Studies and English with a concentration in Playwriting. She has worked as an acting intern at Marin Shakespeare Company as well as in the literary department at Manhattan Theatre Club and the artistic department at the New Repertory Theater in Boston. In February, Eden both performed in and executive produced Alice Birch's Revolt. She Said. Revolt Again. as a part of the Actors Studio Drama School Repertory Season. This summer, she will join the Chenango River Theater's production of Men On Boats by Jaclyn Backhaus. As a storyteller, Eden is committed to and passionate about boundary-pushing feminist media. Eden continues to write plays and collaborate with theater companies throughout New York to devise new work.
Reynaldo Piniella (he/him/his)
Reynaldo Piniella is an actor, writer, activist, and educator from East New York, Brooklyn. He was seen on Broadway in Trouble in Mind and Thoughts of a Colored Man. Off-Broadway credits include work at Signature Theatre, Theatre for a New Audience, Rattlestick Playwrights Theater, Next Door at New York Theatre Workshop, Working Theater, and The Public Theater. Regional work includes Baltimore Center Stage, Syracuse Stage, St. Louis Shakespeare Festival, Actors Theatre of Louisville, The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis, O’Neill, Sundance Theatre Lab, Cleveland Play House. TV credits include Blue Bloods, Sneaky Pete, Flesh & Bone, Greenleaf, The Carrie Diaries, Law & Order: SVU, NYC 22, Us & Them, Louie, The Daily Show with Jon Stewart. Reynaldo’s film works includes Shadows (HBO Max), Madeline’s Madeline (Showtime), and Broken City (20th Century FOX). As a playwright, his work has been developed and commissioned by Baltimore Center Stage, San Diego Repertory Theatre, The Civilians, Single Carrot Theater, HB Studio, Shakesqueer Theater Company, and the Lee Strasberg Theatre & Film Institute. He has received fellowships from Theatre Communications Group, the National Association of Latino Arts and Cultures, Weeksville Heritage Center, and the All Stars Project.