Theatre Arts Program

Guest Artists Series

Students engage and interact with several prominent and emerging artists in our Theatre Arts Program. These artists visit the campus to act, direct, design, speak, and teach master workshops. Some of our past guests included: 

• Ruben Arana-Downs
• Nicoye Banks
• David Barr III
• Christopher Benson
• Trezana Beverley
• Maria Broom
• Phillip Burgess
• Kevin Carroll
• Rosiland Cauthen
• Anthony Chisholm
• Sharlene Clinton
• Kurt Columbus
• Aunjanue Ellis
• Cynthia Hardeman
• Charlene Harris
• Gregory J. Horton
• Sallah Jenkins
• Timothy Jones
• Lillie Kahkonen
• Woodie King, Jr.
• Kwame  Kwei-Armah
• Antoinette McDonald
• David Mitchell
• Prince No Ra
• Howard Overshown
• Donald Owens
• Marc Payne
• Rain Pryor
• D. Wambui Richardson
• Jefferson Russell
• Sadiqa  
• Mark St. Germain
• Daniel Sunjata   
• Alvin Sykes
• L. Steven Taylor
• Claudette Alexander Thomason
• R. Paul Thomason
• Douglas Turner Ward
• Allan Weeks
• Linda West
• Robert White
• Samm-Art Williams
• Ian Wooldridge

National Organizations and Festivals

Coppin students attend, participate, and compete in several national organizations and festivals.

The National Association of Dramatic and Speech Arts (NADSA)

NADSA is an association of students, faculty, staff, alumni and other arts/entertainment professionals from historically black colleges and universities across the country. Founded in 1936, NADSA is today the nation’s oldest surviving educational theatre association. The four-day annual conference, held in March or April, features a series of workshops, competitions, performances, panels and plenaries. Theatre and speech communication enthusiasts use NADSA as an opportunity to network, build skillsets, and share best practices of the field.

Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival

The Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival (KCACTF) is a national theater program involving 18,000 students annually from colleges and universities across the country. KCACTF aims to:

• Encourage, recognize, and celebrate the finest and most diverse work produced in university and college theatre programs;
• Provide opportunities for participants to develop their theater skills, insight, and achieve professionalism;
• Improve the quality of college and university theatre in the United States; and
• Encourage colleges and universities to give distinguished productions of new plays, especially those written by students; the classics, revitalized or newly conceived, and experimental works.

Since its inception, KCACTF has given more than 400,000 college theater students the opportunity to have their work critiqued, improve their dramatic skills, and receive national recognition for excellence. More than 16 million theatergoers have attended approximately 10,000 festival productions nationwide. Since its inception, KCACTF has given more than 400,000 college theater students the opportunity to have their work critiqued, improve their dramatic skills, and receive national recognition for excellence. More than 16 million theatergoers have attended approximately 10,000 festival productions nationwide.

University Resident Theatre Association

Founded in 1969, the University Resident Theatre Association works to ensure the continued renewal of the American theatre by supporting excellence in the professional training of new artists. URTA continues to develop programs and services that answer the needs of university theatres, training programs, and individual artists. Whether it’s articulating the highest standards for professional training, helping to match potential students with the MFA program best suited to their needs, facilitating engagement of professional artists at universities, or expanding the scope of our education and career outreach programs, URTA is setting the stage for emerging theatre artists, and professional advancement.