Curriculum
Our MFA curriculum is built around the guiding principle that we learn best by doing. Students enrolled in the program are taught and mentored by the Touchstone Ensemble – our core group of professional theatre-makers – while working hand in hand with them. Through this practicum-based technique, students are immersed in a 360° approach to artmaking, developing a holistic understanding of how ideas move from impulse to actualization. Graduating students leave with a deep understanding of themselves as artists, paired with a well-rounded skill set, positioning them for smooth entrance into the professional world.
Gain hands-on experience in:
Original Performance Creation: Through engagement with Touchstone’s season programming and student-led projects, MFA candidates learn to harness their creative impulses and transform them into fully realized works of art. All areas of the creation process are open for students to explore – including performing, designing, constructing, marketing, and all technical aspects.
Applied Theatre and Community-Based Performance: Touchstone’s work centers around giving voice to the issues and people in our community. MFA students engage with all aspects of this work, including developing their own site-specific and community-based performances.
Arts Administration: Under the guidance of Touchstone’s Managing Director, students are introduced to the day-to-day tasks of running, maintaining, and financing a professional theatre.
Arts Education: Students become practiced in Touchstone’s award-winning educational pedagogical approach and deliver arts education programming in real world, K-12 classroom settings.