Acting and Directing Alumni Stories

“I decided to come to CalArts for a unique program and experience. I had researched and auditioned for other acting programs, but found them to be quite singular in their teachings and thinking. What I found at CalArts was an openness and a curiosity that really interested me. Acting is a constant process of discovery, both internal and external, and CalArts really embodied that. It was the obvious choice.

CalArts’ focus on professionalism definitely prepared me for the industry once I graduated. I had always possessed a good work ethic, but the program really expanded what I was capable of handling. I fondly remember having to memorize two Shakespearean sonnets, doing transcriptions of separate monologues which I would then have to perform fully memorized, and all of this happening while I had evening rehearsals for my first CalArts show. People who have 9-5 desk jobs enjoy the luxury of set hours and work loads. Artists never receive that. You are on call every day, and if a quick turnaround tape comes in, you gotta have it done on time. If you need to drive all the way across town for a commercial audition and then all the way back across town for a theater callback, you have to make it work somehow.

If you want a place that’s going to really challenge you in every way, if you want a school experience that’s going to throw you some curveballs and keep you on your toes, then I would encourage you to choose CalArts.”

“When I decided to go to CalArts, it was because of an overwhelming feeling of “this is my home.” The ability to create and train in multiple disciplines at once was very attractive to me. Knowing that the faculty would support me pursuing other artistic practices outside of my metier was a huge selling point.

So many experiences stood out! The CNP Adrienne Kennedy world premiere, CNP guest artist residencies, writing and putting up dance shows in the Lund and Main Gallery, creating films on the permanent set … the list goes on forever!

You never really know what you’re going to walk into on campus. At any given time, art of any kind could be happening, and the rules are pretty endless on what that could be. At one Gallery Night, there was a mud wrestling ring in the Main Gallery. The joy that people brought was unmatched.

Since graduation I have been auditioning and performing nonstop! CalArts prepared me by constantly pushing me to dive deeper into the unknown and encouraging me to embrace the uncertainty of being present and bold in my explorations.”

“I never felt like I was only an actor. I wanted to write, direct, and collaborate, but I felt I could not do that in other graduate drama schools. I came with experience working in the professional world and felt CalArts could be a place to expand my artistry. 

Coming from Europe, being in an American school was an interesting mix of culture shocks and great surprises. My experience at CalArts was filled with constant creation, which the “real world” doesn’t always nurture and allow. There is a cool atmosphere of people sharing their work and work in progress, connecting with artists from all the different schools. One of my favorite experiences was Augustine Machine, a CalArts Center for New Performance project directed by Travis Preston. We went to Paris and collaborated with students from the Conservatoire National Supérieur d’Art Dramatique, and had an amazing platform to work in a professional setting. 

The strike hit hard my graduating year, but  I was able to get an Equity card because of the CNP project, and showreel footage from my Acting for Camera, Showcase, and Voice Over classes. I got cast in a new video game project, and will be the first Croatian woman to be a lead in a major video game franchise. That job secured me amazing theatrical representation, and I have been auditioning for film and TV ever since. 

CalArts actors are a different species. You can throw anything at us, and we will be able to make something out of it. CalArts has built my confidence and resilience in what I can offer the world.”

“CalArts is a haven for experimentation and innovation, a perfect match for my artistic practice. I was at a crossroads in my career as a director, eager to work on a grander scale and dedicate time to exploring the questions that drive my work. CalArts offered the ideal environment for this sort of inquiry and artistic evolution. I was also very impressed by the faculty, each a luminary in their field, deeply invested in nurturing individual visions and impulses and this solidified my decision. Add to that the presence of other artistic disciplines within the institute (music, dance, art, film, critical studies, etc.), which creates a fertile ground for cross-pollination of ideas and collaborations to flourish.

My three-year journey as an MFA Directing student in the School of Theater was filled with unforgettable moments and projects. One that truly stands out is Here Be Sirens, a contemporary opera I directed. It was an extraordinary collaboration with students from across the institute: three sopranos and a music director from the School of Music, designers, a producer, a stage manager, and myself from the School of Theater, along with an artist from the School of Art who crafted a mesmerizing kinetic, robotic sculpture that roamed the stage during the performance. I also added an ensemble of 20 sailors from the School of Theater to amplify the theme of desire. Together, we forged an edgy, monumental, and imaginative production.

During my final year, I taught Institute Directing, a class open to any CalArts student curious about the art of directing. The first assignment was to create a 3-minute piece based on an image. I vividly recall Pablo de Larrañaga, a student in the class, distributing diffraction glasses to everyone, plunging the room into darkness, and then transforming the classroom into an otherworldly, hallucinatory space pulsating with fog, lights, and lasers. It was an unexpected and breathtaking display of creativity.

A few weeks post-graduation, I was fortunate to secure a FutureNow Directing Fellowship with the Drama League in New York and The Hangar Theater in Ithaca. Following that, I embarked on an Artist-in-Residence position at Lehigh University’s Performing Arts Department. Now, I’ll be transitioning to Emory University in Atlanta to assume an assistant professor position in their theater department. CalArts was instrumental in this journey, professionalizing my practice in a way that opened incredible doors and opportunities.

CalArts is a truly extraordinary place that will nurture your imagination and artistic practice. Here, you will encounter fellow inquisitive artists who will become lifelong collaborators. It’s crucial, especially at the MFA level, to have clear goals, projects you aspire to develop during your time at CalArts, and a set of questions that you yearn to explore.”