Welcome to Performing and Media Arts!
We are excited to welcome you to Cornell or welcome you back! All of us here in Performing and Media Arts (PMA) look forward to meeting you and helping you find opportunities to make your time in Ithaca more enriching, whether you are a budding performer, a seasoned auteur, an aspiring critic, or just a curious observer. Please use this page as a springboard to the wealth of opportunities available to you in the Schwartz Center!
Meet Associate Professor Samantha Noelle Sheppard, Department Chair
Latest Developments
Meet Associate Professor Jeffrey Palmer as he shares the latest exciting updates about PMA’s film and video production courses.
Transcript of Film Program Video
Meet PMA Dance Faculty Assistant Professor Juan Manuel Aldape Muñoz, and Assistant Professor of the Practice Danielle Russo
Schwartz Center Video Tour
Watch the video tour of the Schwartz Center for the Performing Arts, introduced by Katie Kim ’28. This video was created in collaboration with PMA 3571: Documentary Filmmaking.
Opportunities to Participate
Find out how you can become involved in PMA’s live and mediated work at a general information session, Projects & Participation Kick-off, on Wednesday, January 21 at 7:30 p.m. in the Kiplinger Theatre. You’ll meet directors and filmmakers who will describe their project and casting needs. There are many opportunities for behind-the-scenes work, too. PMA faculty will describe opportunities to work in the scenery/props shop, costume shop, electrics, and on backstage or film crews. There’s a place for everyone at PMA!
Missed our Spring 2026 Projects and Participation Kick-off? Watch the recorded session on PMA YouTube channel.
Start Your PMA Education
Whether you choose to major, minor or enroll in select classes, we provide opportunities for you to explore theatre, film, and dance as distinct art forms, and to combine these disciplines in exciting ways.
The departmental curriculum offers a robust selection of courses, from introductory to advanced levels and from creative and critical perspectives. Visit our Academics page for an overview of all the options, or jump right into the Minor or the Major.
Wondering where to start? We encourage you to consider these as options for your entry into PMA:
| 1410: Media Production Lab | 1610: Production Technology Lab |
| 2800: Introduction to Acting | 3550: Global Cinema and Media Studies |
| 3560: American Cinema Since 1968 | 3632: Production Design for Film TV and Media |
See all PMA courses for the Spring 2026 semester: https://pma.cornell.edu/courses
Read the PMA Undergraduate Guide
Upcoming Productions and Events
Acting for the Camera Workshops
Former PMA Faculty Carolyn Michelle Smith returns to Cornell to offer two on-camera workshops for student actors.
Workshop #1: Building the Solo Scene On-Camera; Thursday, March 12, 4:45-6:45 pm, Black Box Theatre; Open to all students currently or previously enrolled in PMA 2800 and above
Workshop #2: On-Camera Audition Technique; Friday, March 13, 3:00-5:00 pm, SB10 Dance Theatre; Open to all students who have completed PMA 2800, as well as students currently/formerly enrolled in PMA 3800 and above
Please register using this link: https://forms.gle/2bFC9LDrAVL6tDyc8. Important additional information will be provided in advance of the workshop.
Professional Directions: Expand Your Scope: Working as a Creative in Entertainment with Carolyn Michelle Smith
Friday, March 13, 12:30pm - 1:30pm, Room 220
Open to all Cornell students. Lunch will be provided. RSVP to pma@cornell.edu by Wednesday, March 11
During this conversation, acclaimed actress, producer, and educator Carolyn Michelle Smith will discuss building a sustainable and empowered career in entertainment.
PENUMBRA: 2026 ANNUAL SPRING DANCE PRESENTING SERIES
Friday, March 20, 7:30pm, Get Free Tickets
Saturday, March 21, 7:30pm, Get Free Tickets
Flex Theatre
PENUMBRA presents two ensemble dance works that delve into the shadow self and the tensions between impulse, restraint, and the ego. Layers surface and recede as dancers move through the many selves they carry—some revealed, others concealed, held close or kept sacred as acts of survival during an era marked by fear, surveillance, and uncertainty.
See our complete line-up of productions and events for this semester.
Cornell Cinema
Established in 1970 as a university film society, Cornell Cinema is a celebrated and long-standing film exhibition program located on the campus of Cornell University in Ithaca, New York. Each semester, we present a wide variety of films, including Hollywood films, documentaries, silent films, international, art-house, and experimental media work, cult classics, and other repertory titles. We also offer regular opportunities for audiences to discuss films and the relevant social, political, and artistic questions they raise in conversation with filmmakers, scholars, community leaders, and cinema staff.
Student Groups at PMA
Helpful Department Contacts
Director of Undergraduate Studies: David Feldshuh - PMA-DUS@cornell.edu
Undergraduate Field Assistant: Donna Miller - dm246@cornell.edu
