Professional Directions with Rachel Raimist, Ph.D.: Journeywoman Tales Inside and Out of Hollywood from a TV Director with a Ph.D.
Thursday, October 15, 5:00 pm - 6:00 pm, Schwartz 220
Rachel Raimist, Ph.D. is a tenured professor, a documentarian, a television director and so much more. Join us for a conversation with Dr. Raimist as she shares how she got her start, reconnected with Hollywood after working in academia for nearly a decade, and becoming a lauded advocate for women in her industry.
Cornell in Los Angeles: Info Sessions
Thursday, Oct. 22, 5:30 pm, Schwartz 220
Wednesday, Nov. 11, 5:30 pm, Zoom
Cornell in Los Angeles is a new study away semester open to all Cornell undergraduate students! Spend the Spring 2028 semester in the global entertainment capital, earning Cornell class credits and having signature L.A. experiences offered by the Department of Performing and Media Arts! Join PMA for one of the information sessions to find out more about the program and the applications details. Applications will be accepted in Spring 2027.
Shakespeare's Twelfth Night
Adapted and Directed by David Feldshuh
Friday, October 23, 7:30pm
Saturday, October 24, 7:30pm
Friday, October 30, 7:30pm
Saturday, October 31, 2:00pm & 7:30pm
Kiplinger Theatre, GET FREE TICKETS
Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night meets the intoxicating madness of music from the Roaring 1920s Jazz Age in a production adapted and directed by David Feldshuh for Cornell’s Department of Performing and Media Arts. Twelfth Night features a cast of twenty-two including fourteen actors, a singing chorus, dancers, and the onstage presence of professional jazz musician, Mike Carbone, on the saxophone and flute.
The Terror and the Time and In the Sky's Wild Noise I Victor Jara Collective - Film Screening and Discussion
Monday, October 26, 4:45pm, Film Forum
In the 50th anniversary year of the Victor Jara Collective's formation, the Anthropology Department will present newly restored versions of The Terror and the Time and In the Sky's Wild Noise, followed by a conversation.
Co-sponsored by the Institute for Comparative Modernities; the Latin American and Caribbean Studies Program; the Department of Performing and Media Arts; the Public History Initiative; the Africana Studies and Research Center; the Asian American Studies Program; Cornell Media Studies; the Nazaara Media Lab; the Department of Comparative Literature, and Cornell Cinema.
Call for Singers
Monday, October 26, 7:30pm, Kiplinger Theatre
The Department of Performing & Media Arts is seeking a talented woman or non-binary vocalist to join an innovative and thought-provoking UK dance theatre production titled “Suitcases," by Hit The Ground Running Dance Theatre Company.
Learn more about audition details.
Dance Workshop with Michael Heatley, Artistic Director of Hit the Ground Running Dance Theatre Company
Tuesday, October 27, 7pm - 11pm, Dance Studio Theatre (SB10)
This dynamic session will explore the powerful connection between movement and human relationships, encouraging participants to delve into expressive storytelling through dance. All levels of experience are welcome.
Professional Directions with Henry Russell Bergstein '98: Finding Types: The Work of Casting Directors
Thursday, November 5, 5:00 pm - 6:00 pm, Schwartz 220
Join us for a conversation with casting director and Cornell alum Henry Russell Bergstein ‘98 as he shares his story of breaking into the business of casting as he continuously navigates the ebbs and flows of a volatile Hollywood. During our time together, Bergstein will also offer advice for aspiring media makers, actors, and casting directors-in-training.
PMA Studios 2027: Call for Actors
Auditions open on Monday, Nov. 9 & Auditions close on Friday, Nov. 20
Actors wishing to audition for PMA Studios for speaking or background roles, please upload one 3-minute contemporary dramatic monologue and one contemporary Comedic monologue of your choosing. The video submission link will be available on Monday, November 9, at 9am.
Chats with the Chair
Thursday, November 12, 12pm-1pm, Schwartz 220
"Chats with the Chair" invites PMA majors, minors, and those interested in the department to join the chair for food and fellowship. Come learn more about the department, give feedback, and talk about everything performing and media arts at Cornell and beyond! Lunch provided!
RSVP by November 10 to pma@cornell.edu.
Professional Directions with Maureen "Mo" Ryan: True Stories from a TV Critic about her Bouts with Hollywood
Thursday, November 12, 5:00 pm - 6:00 pm, Schwartz 220
Join us for a conversation with Vanity Fair contributing editor Maureen "Mo" Ryan and author of New York Times bestseller Burn it Down: Power, Complicity, and a Call for Change in Hollywood as she describes breaking into the entertainment journalism beat and finding success telling the stories whispered about in Hollywood so that accountability can be found and change made.
Annual Dance Presenting Series
Friday, November 20, 7:30pm
Saturday, November 21, 7:30pm
Flex Theatre
Experience an evening of original dance and movement performed by Cornell students in collaboration with PMA faculty and acclaimed guest artist Jie-Hung Connie Shiau, showcasing original choreography developed through PMA 1611: Rehearsal & Performance.
Student Film Screening
Wednesday, December 9, 5pm
Kiplinger Theatre
Student Documentary Film Screening
Thursday, December 10, 5pm
Kiplinger Theatre
Past Events
PMA Open House
Friday, August 21, 10am - 12pm, Schwartz Center for the Performing Arts
Come explore the possibilities in the Schwartz Center, where film, theatre, dance and media studies intersect in exciting ways. Meet the passionate faculty, talented students, and dedicated staff from the Department of Performing and Media Arts.
Everyone is welcome to attend this Open House, so bring your curiosity and enthusiasm. We look forward to seeing you there!
Projects & Participation Kick-off
Wednesday, August 26, 5:30pm, Kiplinger Theatre
Join us for a general information session where you can explore various ways to participate in PMA's live and mediated productions. Meet faculty and student directors who will share insights about their projects and casting requirements.
Missed our Fall 2026 Projects and Participation Kick-off? Watch the recorded session on PMA YouTube channel.
Festival 24
Saturday, August 29, 7:30pm, Flex Theatre
Festival 24 features an array of plays written, directed, rehearsed, and performed by students in just 24 hours! Free and open to the public. Tickets are not required.
A Special Screening of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (2022)
Wednesday, September 9, 6pm, Cornell Cinema
Introduction by acclaimed actress and Cornell alum Dominique Thorne '19
2026 Heermans-McCalmon Distinguished Guest Artist
Free and open to the public
Acting Master Class with Dominique Thorne '19
Thursday, September 10, 1:15pm - 2:45pm, Black Box Theatre (SB 21)
Participant spots have been filled, but students are welcome to observe the class.
PMA Presents: An Evening with Dominique Thorne '19
2026 Heermans-McCalmon Distinguished Guest Artist
Thursday, September 10, 7pm, Kiplinger Theatre
GET FREE TICKETS
Join us for a screening of Ironheart, episode 3, "We in Danger, Girl" followed by a conversation with Dominique Thorne, moderated by PMA Chair, Professor Samantha N. Sheppard.
A Special Screening of Power Alley (Levante)
Tuesday, September 15, 7:00 pm, Film Forum
A selection of the 2023 Cannes Film Festival's Semaine de la Critique, Power Alley (Levante) is a gripping Brazilian drama that weaves a tale of personal struggle and societal challenges.
Free and open to the public. No tickets required.
Hosted by Professor Sara Warner (PMA) and Sue Perlgut (Cinemapolis Board).
In partnership with the 4th Annual Ithaca Reproductive Rights Film Festival and co-sponsored by PMA, Cornell Cinema, FGSS Studies Program, and LGBT Studies Program.
Professional Directions: Q&A with Television Writer Jeff Drayer '93
Wednesday, September 23, 4:30pm - 5:15pm, Schwartz 220
Free and open to the public. Register HERE
Jeff Drayer (A&S '93) is a television writer and producer, having worked on Chicago Fire, Chicago Med, and Royal Pains. He is a former doctor and the author of the essay collection The Cost-Effective Use of Leeches and Other Musings of a Medical School Survivor.
Dance Guest Artist Miguel Angel Guzmán to Perform "DYNAMIC" by Deborah Hay
Wednesday, September 23, 7:00pm, Dance Studio Theatre (SB10)
Free and open to the public. Tickets are not required.
Internationally renowned dancer and performer Miguel Angel Guzmán will perform "Dynamic" by iconic choreographer Deborah Hay, which was bestowed upon him when selected as one of twenty dancers from across the globe for Hay’s prestigious and final Solo Performance Commissioning Project in 2012.
Professional Directions: A Conversation with Dancer & Performer Miguel Angel Guzmán
Thursday, September 24, 10:00 am, Schwartz 220
Free and open to the public.
Miguel Angel Guzmán will share his journey as a leading international freelance artist. Coffee and bagels provided.
Chats with the Chair
Thursday, September 24, 12pm-1pm, Schwartz 220
"Chats with the Chair" invites PMA majors, minors, and those interested in the department to join the chair for food and fellowship. Come learn more about the department, give feedback, and talk about everything performing and media arts at Cornell and beyond! Lunch provided!
RSVP by September 22 to pma@cornell.edu.
CNY Working Group Workshop with Artist Connie Shiau
Conjuring Memory, Reclamation & Community: How We Rewrite Our Narratives
Sunday, September 27, 11:00am - 3:00pm, Studio 320
Lunch will be provided. RSVP to prof. Danielle Russo (drusso@cornell.edu) by Sept. 24
The methodologies of award-winning dancer and choreographer Jie-Hung Connie Shiau center on revealing the unseen geographic of the body—those internal spaces where memory, emotion, and instinct are stored, shielded, or released in the on-going act of self-preservation. Co-sponsored by the Central New York Humanities Corridor. Hosted by Danielle Russo, Assistant Professor of the Practice.
Professional Directions: A Conversation with Dancer & Choreographer Jie-Hung Connie Shiau
Monday, September 28, 10:00 am, Schwartz 220
Free and open to the public.
The decision to become a dancer, a choreographer, and a teacher is the beginning of uncovering the multidimensionality of self. A journey of trust, play, grit, doubt, the unknown, and be-ing.
Master Class: Staging Shakespeare with Catherine Weidner
Monday, October 5, 10:00 am - 12:00 pm, Black Box Theatre (SB21)
CNY Humanities Working Group MP4: Practice-Based Research invites pedagogues, critical practitioners, researchers, and scholars to attend Master Class with Catherine Weidner, author of Acting Heightened Text: The Basics.
Professional Directions with Luke Pebler: Conversations with a Working Editor of ABC's High Potential and Where'd You Go, Bernadette
Thursday, October 8, 5:00 pm - 6:00 pm, Schwartz 220
Join us for a conversation with film and television editor Luke Pebler as he tells us how he got his start and offers advice and stories for those interesting in breaking into the creative parts of Hollywood.