Our program is designed for acting students to pursue career paths as unique as them and is dedicated to the training of exceptional actors who are ready to use their skills to impact culture for Christ. With the Bachelor of Science in Communications Media with emphasis in Acting, students are able to venture out into careers within theatre, television, film, and beyond.
Become a well-rounded performing artist with a foundation in performing techniques, voice, speech, movement, character development, and the business of acting.
Acting I: Foundations
Acting II: Action and Text
Acting III: Character Building and Development
Scene Study
Voice and Speech
Movement for the Actor
Acting Practicum I
(or mix and match between them)
Prepare for a career in film and television acting, with courses on cold reading, screen acting techniques, voice acting, film directing, and motion capture performance.
Screen Acting
Cold Reading
Screen Acting Lab I
Screen Acting Lab II
Motion Capture Performance
Voice Acting
Fundamentals of Production
Directing I
Directing II
Acting Practicum II
Sharpen your craft through regular stage performances, along with a deep study of playwrights such as William Shakespeare, Thornton Wilder, and Noel Coward.
Theatrical Production I
Theatrical Production II
Theatrical Production III
Theatrical Production IV
Playing Shakespeare I
Playing Shakespeare II
Shakespeare
High Style in Comedy
Ancient Greek Drama
Acting Practicum II
Prepare for a career in musical theatre with disciplined training in singing, dancing, and annual musical productions.
Musical Theatre Production I
Musical Theatre Production II
Musical Theatre Production III
Musical Theatre Production IV
Vocal Techniques I
Vocal Techniques II
Shakespeare
Dance Techniques I
Dance Techniques II
Ancient Greek Drama
Acting Practicum II
Impact culture for Christ and grow in faith and understanding through a rich sequence of Scripture based Theology courses and Philosophy courses.
Prepare for your career in acting with foundational skills in contract negotiation, marketing, career planning, and leadership.
Study the human condition by actively engaging in an exploration of art, literature, culture, politics, economics, and more.
Make audiences laugh, cry tears of joy and sorrow, and think deeply; make an impact by showing the human experience through productions that span genres and time. Each JPCatholic Theatre Productions season includes four shows performed at the historic Ritz Theater or our soundstage.
With small class sizes and mentorship, professors are able to provide individualized training. They bring decades of experience from varied backgrounds in theatre and film.
Lee Eskey
Professor and Chair of Acting
Monique Gaffney
Adjunct Professor of Acting
Rebecca Huber
Adjunct Faculty for Vocal Performance
Dr. Robert Giracello
Adjunct Professor of Music
Steven Kramp
Professor of Creative Writing and Chair of Humanities and Theology
Paul Rugg
Adjunct Professor of Acting
Kathryn Smith-McGlynn
Adjunct Professor of Acting
Making an ASL Film | Acting Thesis Project “Rose and Raven”
Backstage with “Pride and Prejudice”
Love What You Do | Acting Professor Evangeline Angie Bitsko
Prof. Rebecca Huber: Mastering Vocal Techniques | Faculty Spotlight
Margie Curran: Learning Virtue from Your Characters | Why We Create
Backstage with “Shrek the Musical”
Prof. Lee Eskey discusses the Acting program
Planning Fight Scenes with Codename Leto | Behind the Scenes
JJ Schindler: Revealing Beauty to Audiences | Why We Create
Class of 2022
“Connecting my humanity to the humanity of my character gives me the chance to explore different aspects of my own self. We all hold the power within ourselves to be a hero, or to be the villain; to be the loyal companion, or to be the traitor. With every character I play, I understand more about myself, and I understand more about the people around me. The more you know someone, the more you're able to love them. That's why I love acting.”
Class of 2023
“Acting classes, especially Acting 1-3, really drive home this understanding that being human, openly and wholeheartedly living the human experience, is what one needs in the quest for being a great artist. It is such a blessing to have the opportunity to work with supportive, capable artists from every major and emphasis. Such a plethora of said opportunities to act equates to the chance of continuously experimenting, failing, developing, and growing. Having the chance to be hands-on (whether it be in class, in productions, or on film shoots) is immensely valuable, and has pushed me to be involved; practice makes progress. Like the faith, it is an encouragement to strive for greatness.”
Junior Acting Student
“Studying here at JPCatholic has been absolutely life-changing. Since coming here I have grown in my faith, made life-long friendships, done Californian things like riding a longboard, and have had incredible opportunities to act on film sets and in theatre productions. Acting is defined as 'living truthfully under imaginary circumstances'. The acting program here incorporates Theology of the Body so that we may pursue truth, beauty, and goodness through and awith our acting. Professor Eskey and Katelyn Slater are wonderful professors who dedicate so much of their time to helping us students grow as actors and as people. Every quarter there are opportunities to act, whether it be in one of the quarterly stage productions or on film sets. Studying the craft of acting here at JPCatholic has been a 12/10 experience; I couldn’t recommend it enough!”