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
PMA Virtual Tour
PMA is located at the Schwartz Center for the Performing Arts. Take a virtual tour of PMA’s studios, theatres, and performance spaces.
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, August 27 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 Fall 2025 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 |
| 2100: Introduction to Performing and Media Arts | 2800: Introduction to Acting |
| 3750: Global Theatre and Performance | 3571: Documentary Filmmaking |
See all PMA courses for the Fall 2025 semester: https://pma.cornell.edu/courses
Read the PMA Undergraduate Guide
Upcoming Productions and Events
I WANT A COUNTRY
A Play by Andreas Flourakis, and Translated by Eleni Drivas
Directed by Samuel Buggeln, Artistic and Executive Director of The Cherry Arts
Friday, October 24, 7:30pm; Get Tickets
Saturday, October 25, 7:30pm; Get Tickets
Friday, October 31, 7:30pm; Get Tickets
Saturday, November 1, 2:00pm; Get Tickets
Saturday, November 1, 7:30pm; Get Tickets
Flex Theatre
Chats with the Chair
Thursday, November 6, Noon - 1pm, Room 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 4th to pma@cornell.edu.
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
