Welcome to PMA!

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

Transcript of Samantha Sheppard video

Transcript of David Feldshuh video

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

 

Transcript of Dance Faculty Video

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. 

Transcript of virtual tour video

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 Lab1610: Production Technology Lab
2100: Introduction to Performing and Media Arts2800: Introduction to Acting
3750: Global Theatre and Performance3571: 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 

See our complete line-up of productions and events for this semester. 

Fall 2025 Events

Cornell Cinema

Cornell Cinema Image

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.

Helpful Department Contacts

Director of Undergraduate Studies: David Feldshuh - PMA-DUS@cornell.edu

Undergraduate Field Assistant: Donna Miller - dm246@cornell.edu

See the full PMA Staff Directory

Staying in touch with PMA

Cornell Students - Join Us on Campus Groups

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Non-Cornell Students - Subscribe to the PMA Newsletter

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