American Conservatory Theater

San Francisco, CA

University Website:  www.act-sf.org/
Apply Online:  https://americanconservatorytheater.submittable.com/submit/254f80ab-20ef-48af-af72-b280e2fc4235/2018-2019-m-f-a-certificate-program-application-form

American Conservatory Theater (A.C.T.) is a large non-profit theater company in San Francisco, California, that offers both classical and contemporary theater productions. A.C.T. was founded in 1965 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in conjunction with the Pittsburgh Playhouse and Carnegie Mellon University by theatre and opera director William Ball. By invitation from San Francisco philanthropists and officials, Ball relocated the company to San Francisco and astonished the theatre world by presenting twenty-seven fully staged productions in rotating repertory, in two different theatres, the Geary and the Marine's Memorial Theatre, during the first 40-week season. San Francisco Chronicle critic Paine Knickerbocker acclaimed Ball's opening performance of Molière's Tartuffe as "a screaming, bellowing unbelievable triumph."

A.C.T.'s original twenty-seven member acting company featured the talents of René Auberjonois, Peter Donat, Richard Dysart, Michael Learned, Ruth Kobart, Paul Shenar, Charles Siebert, Ken Ruta, and Kitty Winn among many others. Ball's mid-1970s productions of Shakespeare's Taming of the Shrew, starring Marc Singer, and Rostand's Cyrano de Bergerac, starring Peter Donat and Marsha Mason were televised by PBS and are available on video.

In the mid-1980s Ball, suffering from exhaustion and under accusations of financial mismanagement, was forced to relinquish his post as artistic director. He was succeeded by A.C.T. founding member and stage director Edward Hastings, who revived the company's fortunes until the Geary Theatre was severely damaged by the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake. The company continued performing in a variety of San Francisco venues while laying the groundwork for its restoration.

Since 1992, Carey Perloff has served as A.C.T.'s Artistic Director. A.C.T. is now financially secure and has achieved continued acclaim for its work. In 2007, A.C.T. released a cast album of Perloff's production of the Bertolt Brecht and Kurt Weill musical Happy End, produced and mixed by Lucas Arts studios. It includes the full score and is the first English language recording of this musical.

A.C.T.'s founder's vision was for it to be both a theater company and acting school. The conservatory currently offers a wide range of classes and is accredited to grant Master of Fine Arts degrees for actors. Its MFA program is extremely competitive, admitting only eight students per year among hundreds who audition. It was ranked by U.S. News & World Report as one of the top five actor training programs in the U.S., along with schools like Carnegie Mellon, Juilliard, Yale, and NYU. The current director of the conservatory is Melissa Smith. Among the many notable alumni of the MFA program are Denzel Washington, Annette Bening, Benjamin Bratt, Carlos Bernard, Amy Irving, Wynn Harmon, Elizabeth Banks, Anna Belknap, Dileep Rao, Marsha Mason, Danny Glover, Isiah Whitlock, Jr., Tom O'Brien, Anna Deavere Smith, Omar Metwally, Steven W. Bailey, and Anika Noni Rose. In addition to the MFA program, ACT offers training through the Studio A.C.T., the Summer Training Congress, and Young Conservatory programs. Alumni of these programs include Nicolas Cage, Teri Hatcher, Milo Ventimiglia, Winona Ryder, Camryn Manheim, Darren Criss, and Chris Pine.

A.C.T.'s home in San Francisco is the eponymous American Conservatory Theater, previously known as the Columbia Theater and then the Geary Theater until being renamed in September 2006. The American Conservatory Theater was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on May 27, 1975.

The first person to be given the title sound designer in regional theatre was Dan Dugan at A.C.T. in the late 1960s. The term Sound Design was introduced to the film world when Francis Ford Coppola directed (and for which his father, Carmine Coppola, arranged the music and Charlie Richmond was the sound designer) a production of Private Lives at A.C.T., while the final cut of the film The Godfather was being edited in 1972.

* Description and images provided by Wikipedia under CC-BY-SA 3.0 license .

American Conservatory Theater College Scholarships

Bullet name award deadline Link
 

Vivienne Camp Scholarship

Jewish Family and Children's Services

Up to $4,350 Varies See Details

Description

The Vivienne Camp Scholarship is awarded to two young Jewish men and two young Jewish women for college or vocational studies at a postsecondary California institution. You must reside in Marin, San Francisco, San Mateo or Sonoma counties in California. You must also demonstrate academic achievement and financial need. Deadlines vary;...

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Vivienne Camp Scholarship

Jewish Family and Children's Services

award

Up to $4,350

deadline

Varies
See Details

Description

The Vivienne Camp Scholarship is awarded to two young Jewish men and two young Jewish women for college or vocational studies at a postsecondary California institution. You must reside in Marin, San Francisco, San Mateo or Sonoma counties in California. You must also demonstrate academic achievement and financial need. Deadlines vary;...

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Sacramento Republic FC Indigenous Future Leaders Scholarship

Sacramento Republic FC

$1,000 May 02, 2025 See Details

Description

The Sacramento Republic FC Indigenous Future Leaders Scholarship is available to Native American high school senior students who intend to enroll in a four-year college, university, or a California Community College. Currently enrolled California community college students are eligible as well. To be considered for this award, you must live in...

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Sacramento Republic FC Indigenous Future Leaders Scholarship

Sacramento Republic FC

award

$1,000

deadline

May 02, 2025
See Details

Description

The Sacramento Republic FC Indigenous Future Leaders Scholarship is available to Native American high school senior students who intend to enroll in a four-year college, university, or a California Community College. Currently enrolled California community college students are eligible as well. To be considered for this award, you must live in...

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KASF Western Region Scholarship

Korean American Scholarship Foundation

Up to $5,000 June 30, 2025 See Details

Description

The KASF Western Region Scholarship is available to high school seniors and undergraduate and graduate students who are of Korean heritage. You must have a minimum GPA of 3.0 and attend school in Alaska, Arizona, California, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, or Washington to be eligible for this award.

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KASF Western Region Scholarship

Korean American Scholarship Foundation

award

Up to $5,000

deadline

June 30, 2025
See Details

Description

The KASF Western Region Scholarship is available to high school seniors and undergraduate and graduate students who are of Korean heritage. You must have a minimum GPA of 3.0 and attend school in Alaska, Arizona, California, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, or Washington to be eligible for this award.

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CCNMA Latino Journalists of California Scholarship

California Chicano News Media Association

Up to $1,000 October 20, 2025 See Details

Description

The CCNMA Latino Journalists of California Scholarship is available to Latino students who reside or attend school in California. You must be pursuing a degree in journalism to be eligible for this award.

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CCNMA Latino Journalists of California Scholarship

California Chicano News Media Association

award

Up to $1,000

deadline

October 20, 2025
See Details

Description

The CCNMA Latino Journalists of California Scholarship is available to Latino students who reside or attend school in California. You must be pursuing a degree in journalism to be eligible for this award.

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Directing Change Student Film Contest

Each Mind Matters

Up to $1,000 Varies See Details

Description

The Directing Change Student Film Contest is open to students between the ages of 12 and 25 in California. You must submit a film of no more than 60 seconds related to mental health and / or suicide prevention to be considered for this award. Up to 10 students or youth may be listed on the entry form, however there is no limit on the number of...

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Directing Change Student Film Contest

Each Mind Matters

award

Up to $1,000

deadline

Varies
See Details

Description

The Directing Change Student Film Contest is open to students between the ages of 12 and 25 in California. You must submit a film of no more than 60 seconds related to mental health and / or suicide prevention to be considered for this award. Up to 10 students or youth may be listed on the entry form, however there is no limit on the number of...

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Western Undergraduate Exchange Program

Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education

Varies Varies See Details

Description

The Western Undergraduate Exchange Program is open to students residing in WICHE states who wish to attend a participating school outside of their state of residence. Participating states include: Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oregon, South Dakota, Utah, Washington, Wyoming, and...

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Western Undergraduate Exchange Program

Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education

award

Varies

deadline

Varies
See Details

Description

The Western Undergraduate Exchange Program is open to students residing in WICHE states who wish to attend a participating school outside of their state of residence. Participating states include: Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oregon, South Dakota, Utah, Washington, Wyoming, and...

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Veterans Dependents Educational Assistance Program

California Department of Veterans Affairs

Varies Varies See Details

Description

The Veterans Dependents Educational Assistance Program is open to the spouses, children or unmarried surviving spouses of a California veteran who was service-connected disabled or who has died of service-related causes. The veteran must have served during a "qualifying war period." This fee waiver must be used at any State of CA Community...

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Veterans Dependents Educational Assistance Program

California Department of Veterans Affairs

award

Varies

deadline

Varies
See Details

Description

The Veterans Dependents Educational Assistance Program is open to the spouses, children or unmarried surviving spouses of a California veteran who was service-connected disabled or who has died of service-related causes. The veteran must have served during a "qualifying war period." This fee waiver must be used at any State of CA Community...

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Intel PhD Fellowship Program

Intel Foundation

Varies Varies See Details

Description

The Intel PhD Fellowship Program is open to PhD candidates at select U.S. universities who are working in fields related to Intel's business and research interests. The one - year fellowship includes a cash award, equipment with Intel architecture, an Intel mentor, and the opportunity to conduct research or an internship at Intel.

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Intel PhD Fellowship Program

Intel Foundation

award

Varies

deadline

Varies
See Details

Description

The Intel PhD Fellowship Program is open to PhD candidates at select U.S. universities who are working in fields related to Intel's business and research interests. The one - year fellowship includes a cash award, equipment with Intel architecture, an Intel mentor, and the opportunity to conduct research or an internship at Intel.

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Fiat Lux Scholarship

University of California, Berkeley

Varies Varies See Details

Description

The Fiat Lux Scholarship is available to freshmen who graduated from one of the partner high schools and who attended a partner high school in California for at least three years enrolled to attend UCLA. You must be from an underrepresented population or first-generation college students, U.S. citizens or eligible noncitizens (California Dream...

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Fiat Lux Scholarship

University of California, Berkeley

award

Varies

deadline

Varies
See Details

Description

The Fiat Lux Scholarship is available to freshmen who graduated from one of the partner high schools and who attended a partner high school in California for at least three years enrolled to attend UCLA. You must be from an underrepresented population or first-generation college students, U.S. citizens or eligible noncitizens (California Dream...

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Past Department Presidents' Junior Scholarship Award - American Legion

American Legion Auxiliary - Department of California

Varies March 16, 2026 See Details

Description

The Past Department Presidents' Junior Scholarship Award is available to California students who have consecutive membership as a Junior for three years and are current with membership in the American Legion Auxiliary. You must be a child, grandchild, or great grandchild of an Air Forces veteran. You must also currently be in high school and...

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Past Department Presidents' Junior Scholarship Award - American Legion

American Legion Auxiliary - Department of California

award

Varies

deadline

March 16, 2026
See Details

Description

The Past Department Presidents' Junior Scholarship Award is available to California students who have consecutive membership as a Junior for three years and are current with membership in the American Legion Auxiliary. You must be a child, grandchild, or great grandchild of an Air Forces veteran. You must also currently be in high school and...

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