Pursuing a career in the performing arts has traditionally been looked down upon. One of the main reasons for this being that the entrance alone can cost a fortune with few job prospects after gaining the education side. However, two major institutions have made ground breaking differences for those who want to pursue the dramatic arts. Having performing arts become free in higher education can make all the difference when starting out in the entertainment industry.

Two years ago, Yale University allowed people to attend their drama school tuition free thanks to a generous gift of about $150 million from David Geffen. David Geffen is a well known entertainment executive with some of his most famous work being Little Shop of Horrors (released 1986), Interview with the Vampire (released 1994) and was the co-founder of DreamWorks SKG. Yale appreciated the gift so much that the university renamed its school of drama after David Geffen (it is now David Geffen School of Drama at Yale University). The gift is also the largest donation on record in the history of American theatre.

“David Geffen’s transformative gift will have a ripple effect in our community and around the world,”  said Peter Salovey, President of Yale University

When asked why he was giving such a large sum to the school, David Geffen simply stated:

“Removing the tuition barrier will allow an even greater diversity of talented people to develop and hone their skills in front of, on, and behind Yale’s stages.”

President Peter Salovey was correct in that the donation has had ripple effects as they are now not the only institute of higher education to offer free tuition to study the dramatic arts.

University of Southern California has a long seated reputation in the entertainment industry. The school’s film professors even unionised earlier this year to help protect their employment at the university. Now, USC School of Dramatic Arts is offering free tuition for its students who are attending their Masters in Fine Arts program. 

The Dean of USC of Dramatic Arts stated:

“Removing the tuition burden for the MFA acting and writing programs is an important investment in the future of storytelling and the performing arts.” – Dr. Emily Roxworthy

The university was given the funds for scholarships for this program due to donors and benefactors as well as the leadership on the Board of Councilors for the school itself. The program serves about 35 students. While it’s not the massive number that Yale will be aiding in the performing arts, it’s a step in the right direction for higher education in performing arts. The students whom are in the program will receive financial assistance as well as full-tuition coverage with the scholarship.

Finally, the performing arts are becoming affordable to get a foot in the door through education. While it’s not likely that this will be common practice across the nation, or the world, for quite some time, it’s wonderful to see universities that have had larger than life names attend them make an effort to help others come through their doors.

All images are courtesy of Istock Photos.

Drew Janine

Live Sound Engineer -EUROPE

Janine has always been a part of music and performing. The first show that inspired her to go into theatre was the Velveteen Rabbit which she saw as a child, and Drew works to keep that magic alive as working behind the scenes in theatre as a live sound engineer. When Drew was accepted into an internship program for audio engineering at a recording studio, she jumped at the opportunity. That was at the start of 2020 and so much has happened since then, both in her career and in the world. Since then, Drew has taken several opportunities to work at recording studios, concerts, festivals, and even large theatres while spending time on tour across the North American continent and Europe. Drew’s favourite by far though has been the chance to work on Broadway and West End shows, as this was a dream come true. Drew is honoured to get to share these experiences from being inside the entertainment industry and hopes to inspire others to continue working in theatre.

Editor's Note: At StageLync, an international platform for the performing arts, we celebrate the diversity of our writers' backgrounds. We recognize and support their choice to use either American or British English in their articles, respecting their individual preferences and origins. This policy allows us to embrace a wide range of linguistic expressions, enriching our content and reflecting the global nature of our community.

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