Much like Las Vegas, the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) has grown by leaps and bounds. In particular, the fine arts college had humble beginnings: music, theatre, and art were the only departments, each run by one person in the early 1960s.
But things started changing significantly in the 80s.
Dance became part of the college of fine art in 1985. (It was part of physical education before that.) A film department was established in 1988 as an, interdisciplinary liberal arts degree. But about six years ago, it moved to the fine arts college, along with the college of architecture.
In 1989, Dr. Jeffrey Koep, who holds a PhD in Theatre, came to UNLV to be the Chair of the Theatre Department. Back then, there were about 80 theatre students.
By 1994, he became dean of the College of Fine Arts. He is a true theater person, and he's watched the theatre program blossom with the rest of the university. Now there are 200 undergraduates and 45 graduate students in theatre, and 26,000 total students at the university. UNLV is the 55th largest university in the nation out of more than 4,000 schools.
With an extensive background in acting, teaching and theatre education, Koep recognizes how his role has evolved over the years.
"As a dean, your first responsibility is overseeing all of the college's administration," he said.
But he loves to teach and tries to instruct at least one or two courses each year. "I don't have the time to dedicate to teaching a directing or performing class and it's essential to have teachers who have enough time to devote to the class."
However, he loves teaching graduate seminars on the connection of dramatic literature and events in history. He's also formed courses for the undergraduate honors program: "What is art?" and "Intro to Performance."
What They Offer
Undergraduate and graduate students will have a lot of opportunity to perform and create in the theatre department, as they are producing nine plays this season, a one-act festival and a ten-minute play festival.
MFA playwriting students contribute the one-act and 10-minute plays. Usually they will get one full-length play produced in the Black Box theatre before they graduate.
The campus has several performance spaces, most notable to theatre students are the Judy Bayley Theatre where the mainstage shows are perform, the Black Box theatre and the more intimate Paul Harris Theatre.
MFA Performance students are required to do two thesis roles, so the season will be picked with consideration of available talent and some roles will be cast before auditions.
There are currently 12 performance graduate students.
Directing students will direct a mainstage show before they graduate. This year, student Aaron Tuttle will direct the first show of the season, "Annie Get Your Gun."
Koep sees all of these performing opportunities as a huge advantage for undergrads, too. "If you're here for four years, there are numerous opportunities to experience performing and learn," he said.
With all of these shows and all of these roles, they sometimes need to audition in the community for other actors to fill these roles, too.
More mature readers may be interested to know that UNLV also offers a Senior Adult Theatre Program, which, as the UNLV web site explains, "offers special courses and practical experience for Theatre majors, senior adult students, and Gerontology students. Students of varying levels of ability, experience, and education are admitted and required to participate in all aspects of theatrical production. Orientations are held twice a year, and information may be obtained by contacting the Director of the Senior Adult Theatre Program through the Theatre office. Students age sixty-two and older may register for six free undergraduate credit hours per semester on a space available basis. Members of the Interdisciplinary Program in Gerontology may select a concentration in Senior Adult Theatre by combining an approved curriculum from both programs."
Getting In and Staying In
Dr. Koep explained that any undergraduates who meet minimum requirements will be accepted into the theatre program (For more information, go to https://ecoms.nevada.edu/app/index.html)
"We're a state institution. The undergrad degree is a BA (Bachelor of Arts). UNLV has an open door policy as long as a student maintains a passing GPA."
Although many universities have competitive undergraduate theatre programs that offer a BFA (Bachelor of Fine Arts) degree, which allows them to cut students from the program if they don't pass an audition, UNLV does it a bit differently.
"About four years ago, we decided that acting students must take Acting 1 & 2, but if they wish to go onto Acting 3 and beyond, they have to audition. It's kind of like the juries that music performance students have to pass at the end of their semesters," Koep explained.
But if an undergraduate doesn't pass his or her audition at UNLV, they can still get a BA in Theatre Arts, it just won't be considered a performance emphasis degree, Koep explained. Design students have to submit a portfolio of the work they've done through the semester in order to move on.
Graduate students face a different process. UNLV offers and MA (Master of Arts) degree, which is a one-year academic program that requires students complete 32 units and write a thesis.
"We've kept the MA because it's really helpful for teachers and sometimes for theatre administrators. It preps those who eventually want to get a PhD in theatre."
Master of Arts candidates must have a bachelor's degree and a 3.0 undergrad GPA. They may be required to take the GRE and submit a writing sample.
In 1988, MFA (Master of Fine Arts) majors were added in musical theatre, playwriting and design. Two years ago, they established a fourth MFA in directing. "The MFA is a terminal degree (the highest level you can achieve in that concentration), so our program is highly competitive and selective." The performance degree used to be strictly musical theatre but they've turned it into a general acting emphasis. Each of these is a 3-year program.
"We only audition and admit a new class of performance majors once every three years, simply because of resources. This is a national phenomenon, not unique to Nevada, because it's too tough to try to service three different years of students with limited faculty. This way, students get total concentration," Koep said.
Although Dr. Koep did not mention this, acceptance to the MFA program does not guarantee an MFA degree. In fact, some students are asked to leave the MFA performance program after 2 years of work toward the degree. This is rare, and they are not kicked out of school, but they are forced to write a thesis for an MA degree under these circumstances.
MFA Design students submit a portfolio. Fewer students apply for the design program, so they accept new students just about every year. "There are less people, but it's very competitive." By the same token, design students are the hardest for UNLV to hang onto because there are so many work opportunities for tech and design people in Las Vegas, Koep said.
For the playwriting program, potential students submit their plays, fiction or short stories. They accept a select few playwrights every other year. "For our playwriting students it's good to have third-year students act as mentors to first year students."
There are only three students in the new directing program so far. They go through a formal interview process for acceptance. "For directing, you want students who have been out there a bit, either as an actor or assistant director."
They take the same core classes as the rest of the graduate student, but they also get a lot of one on one apprenticing. In their first year, they'll direct one of the playwright's one-act plays.
Theatre in Vegas
Koep said the tech and design students have the best shot at great, lasting careers in theatre and entertainment in Las Vegas.
"Honestly it's tough for us to keep our design students because so many shows on the Strip want to pull them instantly. In Vegas, you can make a lot of money when you're young. We have people who work at Lance Burton, O, and many of the other shows in town."
It's far more difficult for playwrights to market themselves, both in and out of Vegas. It's a business once you graduate and even the small, non-profit theatres around the country are still running a business, struggling to stay afloat.
Koep acknowledged the obvious. "You don't need a degree to be an actor. I think the two tough areas are playwriting and performing."
However, just about every field under the sun is tough to break into. "Few walk out of any major with a guarantee of a job."
They have some success stories, too. Alumni Michael Bunin has been quite successful, doing national commercials while performing in theatre and doing stand-up comedy in L.A. For all of the nay-sayers out there who think that theater only thrives in New York, Chicago or LA, Koep makes a point.
"There is not doubt that New York is the theater capital and I've found some great plays off-Broadway. But there are plenty of actors and playwrights in New York and LA who aren't working. Being in one of those cities doesn't guarantee anything," he said.
Vegas gets a bad rap, he added.
"Las Vegas has fairly open arms to new theatres and shows. Even in the mainstream, "Mamma Mia" is doing so well at Mandalay Bay and that says a lot. With the population grown in Las Vegas, more locals are getting interested in theatre."
He pointed to several local theatres trying to make a go of it. In fact, another UNLV alumnus, Ernie Curcio, has established the Cockroach Theatre. (Another new company, Dramatists and Actors Meeting Now (DAMN), formed last summer by a man who had been involved in a similar group years earlier in Seattle.) Dr. Koep has tremendous respect for all of the community theatres and recognizes their importance. He encourages their audience to see other shows in the community as well.
Nevada Conservatory Theater
About three years ago, Nevada Conservatory Theatre was established at UNLV. It's there way of incorporating professional actors into their productions.
"I think it's a bold effort. It really started last year when they produced "Virginia Woolf" with two equity actors and two students," Koep said.
Perhaps he is just being modest. Two years ago, Koep stepped in as one of the cast professionals played Lenny in "Of Mice and Men," another Nevada Conservatory production.
"I think NCT could be a tremendous compliment to the program. Students get to work with professionals and make contacts," he said.
As for other open roles in these productions, Koep said they go with students first, but then they'll branch out into the community if they have needs that students may not meet, especially in terms of type and skill.
Koep said it helps students to network when they're young and he encourages students to take advantage of each opportunity they have. In other words, auditions for every show and go to every seminar. A few years ago, they had Matt Damon come speak to a packed room of writing and acting hopefuls in the Paul Harris Theater.
He has some wisdom about successful networking, too.
"It's a huge business, but it's a small business. Until you really make it please don't bad mouth anyone you work with, now matter how insignificant you think they are."
Aside from a degree, school can give you something incredibly valuable: confidence. A creative degree doesn't get you an acting or writing job, but Koep said "it does show that you had the perseverance to pursue and finish something."
To find out more about UNLV's Theatre Arts, go to www.unlv.edu