JOIN US! April 20, 22, 24 and 25 Helen Wayne Rauh Studio Theater Readings of new plays by the Class of 2024 Dramatic Writers, directed by students in the John Wells Directing Program. Jamie Olah Gretchen Suárez-Peña elle thoni Zoë Norman-Hunt Sally Seitz Lara Miller Katie Kirk Christiane Swenson Robin Goldberg SATURDAY, APRIL 20 1PMTEXTBOOK by Jamie Olahdirected by  Tatiana Baccari 4PM EPIPHANY by Gretchen Suárez-Peñadirected by Kaycee Swierc 7PM MONSTROUS by elle thonidirected by Sam Pazos MONDAY, APRIL 22 6PM THE R WORD by Zoë Norman-Huntdirected by Izadorius ..read more

Faculty and students are bringing this epic story to life at Quantum Theatre, April 5–27. April 5, 2024 By Shannon Musgrave Quantum Theatre in Pittsburgh is known for taking its productions into the community, for pushing the artistic envelope, and for working with artists from Carnegie Mellon School of Drama. Its current production, “Scenes from an Execution” by Howard Barker, does all that and more. Andrew Smith (associate professor of acting) directs the production, which stars Lisa Velten Smith (assistant professor of voice) as Galactia, a rebel painter commissioned by the Doge to pai ..read more

March 25, 2024 The School of Drama is saddened to announce the death of friend and colleague Barbara Jo (Benz) Anderson (1935-2024). Professor Emerita of Costume Design and the former Bessie F. Anathan Professor of Design, she also served as Associate Dean of the College of Fine Arts under Martin Prekop. Barbara passed peacefully surrounded by family on Monday, March 18, 2024. Beloved by all who knew her, Barbara began teaching at Carnegie Mellon in 1968 one year after Carnegie Institute of Technology merged with Mellon Institute to form the university. She retired in the spring of 2013 afte ..read more

Susan Tsu will receive the 2024 Distinguished Achievement Award for Costume Design from USITT. February 9, 2024 By Shannon Musgrave Each year, the United States Institute for Theatre Technology (USITT) honors practitioners of theater design and technology who excel in their fields. This year, the 66th annual conference and stage expo will take place in Seattle, Washington, where five artists from the School of Drama will be recognized for their exemplary work. Professor Susan Tsu will receive the Distinguished Achievement Award for Costume Design. The Distinguished Achievement Awards honor ..read more

Christian Borle Wins Grammy for Best Musical Theater Album   Carnegie Mellon University School of Drama(opens in new window) alumnus Christian Borle (1995) and Master of Entertainment Industry Management(opens in new window) faculty member Michele Smith(opens in new window) were winners at the 66th Grammy Awards on Sunday, Feb. 4, 2024. Borle was part of the team that took home the award for Best Musical Theater Album, “Some Like It Hot.” His starring role as Joe/Josephine also earned him a 2023 Tony Award nomination. This marks Borle’s first Grammy win ..read more

Alumni Win 4 Creative Arts Emmy Awards   Four Carnegie Mellon University School of Drama alumni took home Emmy Awards at the Creative Arts ceremonies on Jan. 6 and 7. Typically presented in September, the awards were postponed due to the Writer’s Guild and Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists strikes.  Judith Light, who earned a bachelor of fine arts degree in Drama in 1970, won for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series for her role as Irene Smothers on Peacock’s “Poker Face.” This marks Light’s first Primetime Emmy win. She has two ..read more

Photo by E. Lieu Wolhardt. “I Think I’m Starting to Want to Be a Mother” by B Kleymeyer; Scenic Design by Yafei Hu; Costume Design by Izzy Kitch; Lighting Design by Zhegdao (Ernest) Wan; Media Design by Kolton Cotton; Pictured: Anya Edwards and Ted Guzman. MFA in Design for Theater & Live Arts Virtual Open House – Dec. 15 @ 12pm EST   Learn about CMU Drama’s MFA programs in Costume, Lighting, Scenic, Sound, and Video & Media Design. Join us on December 15 at 12pm EST for a virtual tour and information session. Click the button below to RSVP and receive a Zoom link. RSVP H ..read more

Standing, from left: Rachel D’Amboise, Hugh Hanson, Lindsay Barr, Kyle Haden, Pablo D. Antón, Clare Drobot, Samantha Pollack and Anne Mundell. Seated, from left: Leyla Davis, Sophia Macy and Alex Sheffield. December 5, 2023 By Shannon Musgrave CMU Drama Teams up with City Theatre Company for Miss Bennet: Christmas at Pemberley This holiday season at City Theatre Company on Pittsburgh’s South Side, audiences are invited to Pemberley – the famed estate from “Pride and Prejudice” where Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy and his new bride, Elizabeth Bennet Darcy, are hosting a Christmas to remember. T ..read more

November 15, 2023 By Gretchen Suárez-Peña, MFA Dramatic Writing Candidate  Rivka Rivera made rice rain in the Rauh. It’s an alliteration that tickles the tongue and sparks an image if you’re familiar with the black box theater inside Carnegie Mellon University’s (CMU) School of Drama (SOD) Purnell Center for the Arts. Yes, this past summer, buckets of raw rice fell from the grid ceiling of the Rauh, an idea born from scenic designer Michael Ruiz-del-Vizo. The falling grain was used to mimic the sound, look, feel, and symbolic intensity of a hurricane in a new play, “The Mourners,” writt ..read more

Alumni Profile: Nate Bertone   CMU alumnus Nate Bertone does it all as a director, designer and writer By Pamela Wigley Multi-talented Carnegie Mellon University alumnus Nate Bertone is one of those people who meets success in each area in which he works. As a designer and director, he has created for world premieres of new plays, musicals and ballets across the country, but right now, he is focusing on his personal writing projects, and for good reason. A 2016 graduate of the College of Fine Arts School of Drama with a bachelor’s degree in drama, Nate is grabbing the attentio ..read more