The O'Neill National Theater Institute

The O'Neill National Theater Institute is a unique and highly intensive experience. We will challenge you to develop your actor's instrument - body, voice, imagination and discipline - every day. We will provoke you to see and create theater in new ways. Our programs present extraordinary opportunities for theater training not otherwise available to liberal arts undergraduates. We seek students who are serious.

NTI offers a rigorous, conservatory-based approach to theater training. Students are immersed in a diverse curriculum of theater specialties and disciplines taught by working professionals and master teaching artists. Coursework is rooted in five primary elements: Acting, Directing, Playwriting, Movement & Voice, and Design.

The fourteen-week program is offered twice a year, in the fall and spring. Classes are held seven days a week, including morning warm-ups, daytime and evening classes as well as special events. This challenging curriculum is enhanced by special workshops, guest artists, and theater trips.

The continuing arc of classes during the semester is suspended for a two-week period of intensive exploration. Either by traveling internationally or inviting a major company to the O'Neill Center, students are deeply exposed to a method of training and a cultural world. NTI has visited Stratford-upon-Avon to work with Royal Shakespeare Company artists and see performances, St. Petersburg, Russia to train at the St. Petersburg Theater Arts Academy, or Moscow to work at the Moscow Art Theater. At the O'Neill Center the NTI students have worked with Elizabeth LeCompte and the world-renowned Wooster Group, and Anne Bogart's SITI Company, premier practitioners of Suzuki Training and Viewpoints work.

There is a three-day mid-semester break. The program culminates in a public presentation of a final project.

NTI Artistic Director
Michael Cadman

Semester Dates
NTI Spring 2008 - January 27 through May 4, 2008
Application Deadline: October 20, 2007

NTI Fall 2008 - September 7 through December 14, 2008
Application Deadline: March 20, 2008

NTI Spring 2009 - January 25 through May 3, 2009
Application Deadline: October 20, 2009

NTI Fall 2009 - September 6 through December 13, 2009
Application Deadline: March 20, 2009

Location
O'Neill Theater Center, Waterford, Connecticut.
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Daily Schedule
Classes begin six days a week with morning warm-up at 7:30am.
Classes end at 10:00pm.
Classes meet seven days a week.

Application Deadlines
Admission to NTI is competitive; applicants are encouraged to apply well in advance of the deadlines. All applications for the spring semester must be received by October 20. All applications for the fall semester must be received by March 20.

Accreditation
The National Theater Institute is fully accredited through Connecticut College. One semester of academic credit is awarded to undergraduates who successfully complete the program. Acting, Directing, Design, Movement and Voice, and Playwriting courses are assigned a value of four credit hours each. Students usually receive twenty hours of credit. At the end of the NTI semester, grades are transferred to Connecticut College where they are put on an official transcript and forwarded to the student's college or university registrar, if requested.

Admission
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 determination to complete the program in a conscientious manner. Special attention is paid to the letters of evaluation.

Interviews
All NTI applicants must be interviewed. Interviews are scheduled upon our receipt of all application materials. You should plan to spend at least a half day when you visit the O'Neill Center, which will allow time for an interview, a tour and a class visit. While it is most desirable to have the interview in person, distance and expense may necessitate a telephone interview. Directions to NTI.

Required Fees
These fees are effective as of February 1, 2008
Tuition $12,400
(includes $900 non-refundable reservation deposit)
Room and Board $5,600
(meals served 7 days a week)
Travel and Culture $900
Total Comprehensive Fee: $18,900
In addition to the Comprehensive Fee all students must remit a $75 security deposit prior to their arrival at the O'Neill Center.

Payment Policy
An $900 non-refundable deposit must be paid within 14 days of receipt of the notification of acceptance or the position will not be held for the student. This deposit is subtracted from the tuition charge above. The remainder of the comprehensive fee is due according to the date on your enrollment agreement.

Financial Aid
Financial aid is limited. Therefore, applicants should determine whether their existing loans, grants, and scholarships can be applied to the National Theater Institute. In most instances they can be transferred because of our accreditation through Connecticut College. Connecticut College is accredited by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges. Please telephone the NTI office at (860) 443-7139 if you have financial aid questions.

Affirmative Action
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 race, sex, color, 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 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.