The National Theater Institute started at the Eugene O’Neill Theater Center in 1970 with the mission of training young theater artists through an
intensive conservatory curriculum taught by professional artists and master teachers from the U.S. and abroad.
NTI has nurtured the careers of almost 1,000 theater artists, including: award-winning actors Jennifer Garner (Juno, Alias), John Krasinski (The Office), Josh Radnor (How I Met Your Mother) and Jeremy Piven (Entourage);
directors Jeremy B. Cohen (Hartford Stage), Erica Schmidt (Playwrights
Horizons) and Rebecca Taichman (Woolly Mammoth Theater); playwright Adam
Bock (The Receptionist); and producers Susan Booth (Artistic Director, Alliance Theatre) and Barry Grove (Executive Producer, Manhattan Theatre Club).
At NTI you have one semester – fourteen weeks – to
delve deeply into the craft of theater. Seven days a week, from sun up
to sun down, you train as an ensemble with working professionals who
challenge you on every level to develop your instrument, expand your
artistic horizons, and be a malleable artist that is truly present in
the moment.
NTI is a kind of crucible. Through the intensity of
the regimen, the rigor of the classes, and the creative pressure of the
collaborative process, you strengthen your craft and theatrical
vision. You enter as a student; you emerge later on as a better artist.
ARTISTIC DIRECTOR, NTI
Jeff Janisheski
24/7 TRAINING
This fourteen-week study away program is offered twice a
year, in the FALL and SPRING, at the O’Neill in Waterford, CT. Classes
are held seven days a week from 9AM to 10PM with a 7:30AM warm-up six
days a week. This challenging curriculum is enhanced by special
workshops, guest artists, and theater trips. The semester culminates in
a public presentation of a final project. One semester of academic
credit is awarded to undergraduates who successfully complete the
program. Connecticut College is the college of record for NTI.
This rigorous, conservatory-based approach to theater
training exposes students to a broad range of theater styles and
techniques. Coursework is rooted in five primary elements: Acting, Directing, Playwriting, Design and Movement & Voice.
TWO WEEKS TRAVEL
Two weeks of the semester are either spent abroad or in
New York City. Students train, see theater and also visit museums and
cultural sites. In the past NTI students have traveled: to London and
Stratford-upon-Avon to study with members of the Royal Shakespeare
Company; to Russia to train with master teachers from the Moscow Art
Theater School, the Vakhtangov School and the St. Petersburg Theater
Arts Academy; and to New York City to work with the Wooster Group and
Anne Bogart’s SITI Company.
SEMESTER DATES & APPLICATION DEADLINES
Admission to NTI is competitive; applicants are encouraged to apply well in advance of the deadlines.
| NTI Fall 2011 |
|
September 11 through December 18, 2011
Application Deadline: March 20, 2011 |
OFFICIAL TRANSCRIPT
20 credit hours or 5 course credits. Connecticut College
is the college of record for The National Theater Institute .
One semester of academic credit is awarded to
undergraduates who successfully complete the program. Acting, Directing,
Playwriting, Movement & Voice, and Design courses are each
assigned a value of four credit hours each. At the end of the NTI
semester, grades are reported to Connecticut College where they are put
on an official transcript and forwarded to the student's college or
university registrar upon request.
LOCATION
O'Neill Theater Center, Waterford, Connecticut.
Get directions
PROGRAM FEES
These fees are effective as of August 15, 2010
FALL 2011 SEMESTER
Tuition: $13,400 (includes $900 non-refundable reservation deposit)
Room & Board: $6,000 (meals served 7 days a week)
Travel & Culture: $1,100
Total Comprehensive Fee: $20,500
In addition to the Comprehensive Fee all students
must remit a $100 key/security deposit prior to their arrival at the
O'Neill Center.
Dates of the program and fees are subject to change.
PAYMENT POLICY
Once you have received notification of acceptance into
NTI, a $900 non-refundable deposit must be paid within 14 days or your
position will not be held. This deposit is deductible from your total
tuition charge. Payment of the remainder of your comprehensive fee will
be arranged upon acceptance.
FINANCIAL AID
Check with your school’s financial aid office to
determine whether your existing loans, grants and scholarships can be
applied to the National Theater Institute programs. In many instances
they can be transferred. Connecticut College is accredited by the New
England Association of Schools and Colleges. NTI has a limited and
need-based scholarship program. Please telephone the NTI office at
(860) 443-7139 if you have financial aid questions.
REFUND POLICY: [click here]
NON-DISCRIMINATION POLICY
The O'Neill Theater Center affirmatively seeks to
attract to its faculty, staff and student body persons of diverse
backgrounds and, pursuant to this policy, no applicant for admission or
applicant for employment is discriminated against because of age, race,
gender, sexual orientation, religious beliefs, national or ethnic
origin.
MEDICAL INSURANCE
The O'Neill Theater Center assumes no medical expenses
for its students. All students must have medical insurance coverage
either through their parents, their personal insurance, or from their
college or university.
LIBRARY FACILITIES
The library contains an extensive collection of plays
and theater literature. Students may also use the services of
Connecticut College's Shain Library.
THE EUGENE O’NEILL THEATER CENTER
Preston Whiteway, Executive Director
The Eugene O’Neill Theater Center is a beautiful
90-acre estate overlooking the Long Island Sound in Waterford,
Connecticut. Since 1964 the O’Neill has been a major force in the
development of theater in America. Some of the artists who have created
work here include: playwrights Edward Albee, Kia Corthron, Christopher
Durang, John Guare, Adam Rapp, Paula Vogel and August Wilson;
directors Michael Greif, Moisés Kaufman, Harold Prince and Lloyd
Richards; and actors Michael Douglas, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Kevin
Kline, Sarah Jessica Parker and Meryl Streep. Avenue Q, In The Heights and [title of show] are current examples of the many O’Neill shows that have gone to Broadway.
NTI CORE COURSES
ACTING
Students are trained in a wide range of acting techniques and styles
by core instructors and visiting artists. Classes concentrate on
improving your craft as an actor and on strengthening your intelligence
and imagination as an artist. In-depth scene study covers a variety of
plays and periods: from Shakespeare to Sam Shepard; Molière to Arthur
Miller; and Chekhov to Charles L. Mee. Guest artists teach specific
workshops in improvisation, ensemble-generated theater, auditioning, and
acting for the camera. In addition to the Acting classes, students
act in the Directing classes, during Playwrights Week, and in special
projects. The acting teachers are working professionals, and as such
bring an immediacy and vibrancy to their work with the students. They
seek to be supportive and demanding; and the sharing of their life
experiences in the profession is a crucial aspect of the NTI program.
DIRECTING
All students direct scenes and short performance pieces during the
semester. You learn not only the basic skills of directing through
table-work and practical exercises, you also practice being a confident
artistic leader that is adaptable to the needs of the script, the
space and the actors in the room. Although the emphasis is on students
directing scenes from classic and contemporary plays, you also direct
found texts, group-generated plays and choreographic scores. During the
semester, several guest directors come to lead intensive Directing
Labs and present you with different perspectives to the directing
process. You also direct your peers during Playwrights Week, in which
fifteen one-act plays are staged.
PLAYWRITING
Through a variety of projects reflecting the range of contemporary
theater, students develop skills as playwrights and play-listeners. The
work of the class is active listening as each week's assignment is
read aloud and discussed by the group. Assignments range from
kitchen-sink American realism, to abstract themes, to radio plays and
musicals. The course culminates in Playwrights Week, dedicated to
readings and staged readings of student plays.
DESIGN
A class celebrating the power of visual theater through exploration
of a classical and a contemporary play. Core texts include The Bacchae, Medea and Long Day's Journey into Night.
Students are encouraged to explore the individual perceptions and
interpretations of text in physical form and challenged to find clear
ways to communicate visually. A practical lab is provided in
conjunction with the class to develop visual presentation skills. The
goal is to encourage the students to see themselves in relationship to
physical space and objects. The instructor guides the students in
shaping this awareness to theatrical purpose, and to visually
communicate their intentions. Through the exploration of specific
texts, the student will create a place in which the play can happen,
and methods will evolve to physically communicate ideas. In addition to
coursework, Playwrights Week and the Final Project are two major
opportunities for students to work on design elements.
MOVEMENT & VOICE
This course covers both vocal technique and production, along with
dance and movement techniques for the actor. Movement classes include:
Tai Chi, Droznin Russian movement, Biomechanics, yoga, improvisation,
modern dance, African dance and stage combat. Voice classes include:
Linklater method, speech, dialect work and singing in both group
classes and individual lessons.
PROJECTS & PERFORMANCES
PLAYWRIGHTS WEEK
Noted for being extremely intensive and creatively challenging, this
week-long project is dedicated to the development, reading and staging
of up to fifteen new 30-minute plays created by students during the NTI
semester. Professional playwrights, directors, or actors are invited
to respond to these staged readings.
FINAL PROJECT
Each semester ends with an ensemble project which allows students to
participate in all areas of the production, including acting, directing,
writing, design and choreography. The material is compiled, collaged
and adapted from a wide range of plays, novels and poems. Past Final
Projects have been based on Shakespeare?s Romeo & Juliet, Sophocles? Antigone, Homer?s The Odyssey, Dante's Inferno and Marjane Satrapi?s Persepolis. The project is selected specifically for each class. This work-in-progress has two performances, open to the public.
WORKSHOPS
VIEWPOINTS
A movement-oriented workshop to build the strength of the ensemble
and heighten each performer’s awareness of basic elements of time and
space.
MASK
Improvisational storytelling and mask-making; Balinese Mask and the
acting techniques of the great Russian actor, Michael Chekhov; and Lecoq
neutral mask.
BUSINESS OF THE BUSINESS
Agents who cast for television, theater and film provide students with
first-hand information about networking, auditioning, resume writing
and the realities of the business.
PRODUCING FOR THEATER
Students will be introduced to the fundamentals of producing for
non-profit and commercial theater, and the various fundraising and
marketing strategies successful organizations employ. Emphasis will be
placed on new companies.
BUTOH DANCE
An exploration of this expressionistic and imagistic form of dance
from Japan which builds strength in the lower body while also
developing a lighter and looser physicality.
When selecting students we look for a proven ability to handle the
demands of disciplined theater work and to be a positive and
contributing member of an ensemble. Applicants must demonstrate a clear
understanding of the opportunities and challenges of an intensive
semester of study at the O'Neill or Moscow, and a determination to
complete the chosen program in a conscientious manner. Special attention
is paid to the required letters of evaluation. (For MATS, Russian
language experience is not required.) All applicants are welcome, including post-graduates.
Finalists for each program will be notified by phone and/or an email to schedule a campus or phone interview.
Directions to NTI
Completed Application Packages Should Include:
- Signed and dated NTI Application Form (more information)
- 8x10 headshot and a theater resume
- Official college transcript(s). These may be
included in your application package or sent directly to us by your
college(s) to the National Theater Institute
- An essay describing in approximately 500 words your
aspirations in theater, and how you believe a semester at your desired
National Theater Institute program can help you fulfill them. For MATS,
note any experience with Russian language and culture. For Advanced
Directing or Playwriting, please submit samples of your work (scripts,
portfolio, photos, DVDs). For Theatermakers, please address your
experience in or commitment to the discipline you want to focus on:
acting, directing or playwriting.
- Two (2) letters of evaluation from teachers or
qualified professionals familiar with your theater work. These may be
included in your application package or sent directly to us by the
evaluator. Please use the Evaluator Form PDF (more information)
- $40.00 USD application fee, payable by check or money order only. Please make checks payable to "Eugene O'Neill Theater Center."
Mail Application and Materials to:
NATIONAL THEATER INSTITUTE
Eugene O'Neill Theater Center
305 Great Neck Road
Waterford, CT 06385
When all application materials are received, you will be notified by phone and/or e-mail that your file is complete.
Details Regarding the NTI Application Form (download NTI Application Form, PDF)
NTI applicants should apply using the Application Form
for National Theater Institute Programs. Be sure to mark the
appropriate sections for the National Theater Institute Semester. The
forms can be printed out before being filled out, signed, and mailed.
All information included on this website regarding applying to the
National Theater Institute Semester is included on the form for your
convenience. Adobe Reader® 7.0 is required. If you have questions or
difficulty using these forms, please feel free to call or e-mail the
National Theater Institute offices at (860) 443-7139 or nti@theONEILL.org.
Details Regarding the Evaluator Form (download Evaluator Form, PDF, 128k)
It is required that each applicant submit two letters of
evaluation from teachers or qualified professionals familiar with the
applicant's theater work. Each letter should be completed using the Evaluator Form PDF. This evaluator form may be included with the application package, mailed directly to us by the evaluator.