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The Facilities
Wayne State University
Detroit
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Frequently Asked Questions
The entire Hilberry Company is composed of fifty graduate students. The acting company
has twenty members, usually six women and fourteen men, but this may vary. This gender
ratio results from the casting requirements of classic plays, which comprise the nucleus of the
Hilberry season.
Producing six or seven performances a week and maintaining an active repertory of five or six
plays requires a tremendous amount of stamina, discipline, initiative and responsibility. The
Hilberry experience is designed to give students an opportunity to test their commitment to a
life’s work in theatre.
Plays are chosen by a committee of the faculty and based on: the range of the classic repertoire;
the needs of the school matinee program; a balance of periods, styles and forms; a distribution
of playwrights and cultures; and the needs of the company. Students are also asked to make
suggestions and audiences are canvassed for plays they would like to see in the season.
Actors audition for each production every season – no roles are guaranteed. Non-traditional
casting is the policy of the department in all of its production venues on both the undergraduate
and graduate levels.
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 Hilberry actors usually are involved in almost every show. Responsibilities vary from leads to
minor or supporting roles, depending on the season. One of the major strengths of repertory
training for actors is the variety of roles available. Some seasons may include designated
“paired plays,” however, which attempt to ensure equitable distribution of major parts.
Designers will have significant design opportunities beginning in their first year. Stage
management of the Hilberry shows is shared among the three stage management students.
The management, business and public relations for WSU’s 17 shows are shared among the
nine theatre management students.
Hilberry actors come from diverse training backgrounds and many have substantial previous
stage experience. Therefore, instruction does not attempt to favor any one particular method,
but involves a variety of tried and tested principles depending on the strengths and weaknesses
of each individual actor. Emphasis is placed upon identifying and dealing with the major
factors that promote or inhibit actualization of the student’s full potential as an actor.
The Hilberry does not operate under any union agreements. Actors, designers and managers
who are members of unions should seek special permission to become a member of the
company.
 The intensity and complexity of the Hilberry weekly schedule makes it difficult to program
additional subjects of instruction. Workshops in various additional subjects occasionally are
offered by visiting artists or teachers, but such classes normally are not part of the Hilberry
curriculum.
It is the Hilberry philosophy that student actors need the opportunity to play the great
characters of dramatic literature in order to develop artistically. Sustaining leading roles for
many months is a part of the training necessary for any actor, so the Hilberry does not hire
professional guest actors. The complexity of the repertory rehearsal normally is not conducive
to guest direction, because directors must be present throughout the run of their show for
brush-up rehearsals and other concerns. However, under certain circumstances, a guest director
who is able to meet the scheduling needs of the Hilberry may be used.
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The operating principle of the Hilberry Company is “learning by doing.” Classroom and
studio instruction are intended as extensions of production work. Practically speaking, the
graduate program functions as a working repertory theatre with a supplementary training
program. For most programs, approximately one-third of the credit hours are in practical
production work with the Hilberry or Bonstelle Theatres, one-third in specialized classes, and
one-third in academic classes such as dramatic literature, history, and criticism.
 Except for theatre managers and stage managers, whose programs require them, outside classes
normally are not practical. However, occasional outside classes are possible under certain
circumstances, depending on a student’s individual schedule and initiative, and with the
permission of the student’s advisor.
Theatre management, stage management and design students may occasionally have
opportunities to teach undergraduate courses or units in their specialties. Owing to the
complexity of the performance and instructional schedule, however, acting students do not
ordinarily have the opportunity to teach.
Each MFA student is assessed by the faculty annually before permission is granted to continue
in any of the programs. The first year is always considered a probationary period, but
assessments take place every semester throughout the student’s matriculation. Retention is
based on individual growth, professional discipline and deportment, potential for a
professional career, significant positive contribution to the welfare of the company, and
maintenance of academic standards.
Out-of-town showcases are impractical because of the intensity and complexity of the
production schedule. The department ordinarily invites publicists, managing directors, agents,
casting directors, and others with decision-making responsibilities in the profession to offer
workshops and general employment advice for graduating students. The department also
has alumni networks in Chicago and New York to aid graduates who move to those cities.
Alumni also make frequent visits to campus to offer workshops, lead seminars and advise
students.
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