"The Hostage"

The School of Drama at the North Carolina School of the Arts trains talented young men and women to be exciting, versatile and accomplished professionals. The school emphasizes classical values in its training process to meet a well-recognized demand for actors to be technically skilled and, at the same time, creatively inspired. This vital combination of talent and skill is developed and refined by a highly qualified professional faculty through close, personal attention to their students' growth.

Are you looking for more information about the North Carolina School of the Arts from the Prague Quadrennial? Visit the Design & Production website.

Jim Lauderdale (class of 1979) was a guest on “Late Night With Conan O’Brien” on NBC on Feb. 18, performing a song from his album “Honey Songs.”  On Feb. 10, Lauderdale won the Grammy Award for Best Bluegrass Album  for “The Bluegrass Diaries,” his second Grammy in the category.  His first was in 2002, with “Lost in the Lonesome Pines,” a collaboration with Ralph Stanley and the Clinch Mountain Boys.
                                     
Anna Camp (class of 2004) joins Morgan Freeman, Frances McDormand and Peter Gallagher in the Broadway revival of Clifford Odets' “The Country Girl” directed by legendary Mike Nichols. Performances being on April 3, opening April 27 at the Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre. See:
http://www.playbill.com/news/print.asp?id=114786

Travis Smith (class of 2000) will be playing the lead role of Lenny in John Steinbeck's “Of Mice and Men” at the New American Shakespeare Tavern in Atlanta, Ga., March 14 through April 6. See: http://www.shakespearetavern.com/coming_up.htm

Chandler Parker (class of 2002) plays a featured role in the feature film BE KIND REWIND opposite Jack Black, Danny Glover, Mos Def and Mia Farrow. The film, opening in movie theatres on Feb. 22, is being distributed throughout the country and internationally by New Line Cinema. See: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0662122/

Will Connell (class of 2005) is in the off-Broadway production of “The Maddening Truth” presented by the Keen Company at the Clurman Theatre on Theatre Row through Feb. 23. See: http://www.keencompany.org/

The Two River Theater Company in Red Bank, N.J. presents “Macbeth” in collaboration with the Folger Shakespeare Theatre of Washington, D.C. This production is conceived and co-directed by celebrated magician Teller (of Penn & Teller). Assistant director is Jeremy Skidmore (directing program, class of 2000) and fight director is Dale Girard (NCSA School of Drama faculty). Joe Isenberg (class of 2006) plays Angus and is fight captain, and Cooper D'Abrose (class of 2006) plays Young Siward and Sergeant. “Macbeth” plays Two River through Feb. 17 and the Folger, Feb. 28 through April 6. See: http://www.trtc.org/pages/1season/Underpants.html

Will Rogers (class of 2004), who was seen at Salt Lake City's Pioneer Theatre Company in David Hare's “The Vertical Hour” through Jan. 26, has returned to New York to begin rehearsals for the premiere of Liz Flahive's “From Up Here” for The Manhattan Theatre Club.  Rogers will appear opposite Tony Award-winning actress Julie White. Previews begin at N.Y. City Center Stage 1 on March 27, opening on April 16. See: http://www.playbill.com/news/article/114379.html and http://www.pioneertheatre.org/season/Verticalhour_cast.html

Rebecca Naomi Jones (class of 2003) made her Broadway debut in the rock musical “Passing Strange,” which opened at The Belasco Theatre on Feb. 8.  “Passing Strange” was a hit at the Joseph Papp Public Theatre this past summer and moves to Broadway with its original cast. See: http://www.negroproblem.com/passing/pages/rebecca2.html

Michael Anderson (class of 2006) just completed a run of Larry Shue's “The Foreigner” playing the dim-witted Ellard Sims at Salt Lake City's Pioneer Theatre Company. See: http://www.pioneertheatre.org/season/Foreigner_cast.html

Christy Pusz (class of 2001) joins Linda Lavin, Jayne Houdyshell and Peter Bartlett in Paul Rudnick's “The New Century” at the Lincoln Center Theater Company. It plays the Mitzi E. Newhouse Theater March 20 through June 15 and is directed by longtime NCSA friend and guest artist Nicholas Martin, artistic director of the Williamstown Theatre Festival. See: http://www.lct.org/calendar/event_detail.cfm?ID_event=52002817

Nicole Hodges (class of 2007) made her daytime debut on ABC’s “All My Children” as a young battered wife on Feb. 7. 

Jennifer Ferrin (class of 2003) opened in January on Broadway in the Roundabout Theatre's “The 39 Steps” at the American Airlines Theatre, 227 W. 42nd Street, to rave reviews. See: http://theater2.nytimes.com/2008/01/16/theater/reviews/16steps.html?ref=theater

Michael Jean Dozier (class of 2007) played the title role of Rosencrantz and Paul David Story (class of 2005) is Hamlet in Tom Stoppard's "Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead" at Baltimore Center Stage, Feb. 1 thru March 9. See: http://www.centerstage.org/production.php?prodID=36

Benim Forster (aka Barry Stein) (class of 1995) recently appeared on “Law & Order.”

Drama alumna Mary-Louise Parker (class of 1986) was nominated for a 2008 Screen Actors Guild Award and a Golden Globe for her portrayal of Nancy Botwin in "Weeds" on Showtime.

Billy Magnussen (class of 2007) joined the cast of “As the World Turns” as series regular Casey Robert Hughes (debut on Jan. 29) after making his Broadway debut in "The Ritz" directed by Joe Mantello (class of 1984) this past fall. See: http://www.soapcentral.com/atwt/whoswho/casey.php and http://www.buddytv.com/articles/as-the-world-turns/billy-magnussen-joins-as-the-w-14246.aspx

Cinny Strickland (class of 1987) was featured in "Beautiful Star: An Appalachian Nativity" at the award-winning Triad Stage in Greensboro, N.C. Written and directed by Triad Stage Artistic Director Preston Lane (class of 1992), this critically acclaimed holiday offering featured music by folk musician-performer Laurelyn Dossett. Playing to sold out houses for the second year in a row, “Beautiful Star” features Strickland as Vestina Ledbetter, who originated the role in its world premiere last year. See: http://www.triadstage.org/beautifulstar/who.php

Joe Mantello (class of 1984) will direct “9 to 5,” Dolly Parton’s stage adaptation of the 1980 feature film in which she co-starred with Jane Fonda and Lilly Tomlin, at the Ahmanson Theatre in Los Angeles. Performances begin in September 2008. See: http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5jl2XSHiQGEbliXJvtFnavh4PaSNgD8SUIFS03

Andrew Pastides (class of 2006) is playing Danny Saunders in Chaim Potok's "The Chosen" at the Cleveland Playhouse through Nov. 25. See: http://www.clevelandplayhouse.com/thechosen_cast.asp?eventID=3

Read about all of our other alumni news!