We are writing to share an update regarding the Brown/Trinity MFA programs in acting and directing, for which new student admissions have been paused since 2023.

As you may know, in 2002, Brown University and Trinity Repertory Company partnered to create the MFA programs in acting and directing. This innovative collaboration has helped to launch some of the finest and most accomplished artists on the American theatre scene. As the field has evolved, leaders at Brown and Trinity Rep determined that our current training model needed to be re-examined to adapt to changing conditions. As a result, in 2023, Brown and Trinity announced a pause in admissions to the program to begin the process of re-examination.

Over the past 18 months, based on extensive analysis by and discussion among leaders at Brown and Trinity, and insights from a review of the programs by external experts, it has become clear that this important conversation needs a deeper examination as we try to understand the emerging needs of the field and the most effective education and training in a new context.

With that in mind, Brown University and Trinity Repertory Company have decided to indefinitely pause admissions for the Brown/Trinity MFA programs. While there may come a time in which we create and implement a new academic model for the programs, that will not come in the short term. The programs will continue to operate until June 2026, with two classes of students remaining enrolled through the conclusion of this academic year, and with one class of students for next academic year.

While leaders from both Brown and Trinity are fully committed to supporting all currently enrolled students through the culmination of their studies — and the programs will remain fully operational and supported while the two currently enrolled cohorts’ experiences are complete — we recognize that many people affiliated with the programs will be disappointed. Please know that this decision comes after a deep and thoughtful review. The leaders of both institutions see this as a natural and significant evolution of the relationship between Brown and Trinity, and we continue to be mutually committed to the performing arts and to one another, and poised to move forward on a path toward new partnership and collaboration.

Next Steps in the Brown / Trinity Relationship

To consider what the years ahead may look like, two groups of partners will help chart the shared  future for our organizations. At Brown, a new working group led by the faculty director of the Brown Arts Institute, Sydney Skybetter, will lead a process to envision the future of professional performing arts training in the context of a research university. This group will include leaders from Trinity Rep and the Brown Arts Institute, along with professionals working in the field, Brown faculty, Brown alumni and especially alumni of the Brown/Trinity programs. The working group will be charged with examining trends, convening discussions to explore the future of the live arts, and proposing professional development models through which Brown and Trinity Rep can partner.

Additionally, leaders at Trinity Rep will be working with members of the Brown faculty and administration to determine a path forward for our two institutions’ fiscal and facilities partnerships, and future community and university collaborations. We already work together on projects and initiatives well beyond our joint MFA programs, and we look forward to doing so in new and expanded ways in the years ahead.

Trinity Rep, Brown and the dedicated faculty and staff who have led the MFA programs in acting and directing continue to be deeply committed to supporting all students who are enrolled in the program and to considering new and innovative ways to educate artists and theatrical performers. This change in our partnership does not diminish that commitment. We look forward to collaborating with students, alumni, artists, teachers and others in reimagining the future of partnership for Brown and Trinity Rep.

Sincerely,

Jayna Brown

Chair of Theatre Arts and Performance Studies

Brown University

Curt Columbus

Artistic Director

Trinity Repertory Company

Francis J. Doyle III

Provost

Brown University

Katie Liberman

Executive Director

Trinity Repertory Company