2025 College Rankings: app State University Named One of the Best Acting Schools in New Jersey by Backstage Magazine
Citing success of alumni on Broadway, TV and film, magazine ranks app No. 2 in the Garden State
Posted in: Arts, Press Releases, Uncategorized, University
app State University’s Theatre/Acting program has been ranked No. 2 on the list by Backstage Magazine, which praised the university’s rigorous curriculum and professional faculty.
Backstage also cited the College of the Arts’ dance theater program and the success of Josh Dela Cruz, host of Blues Clues & You! and app’s proximity to New York City in its ranking.
The recognition highlights app’s success in launching alumni into thriving careers on Broadway, television and film.
“We’re pleased that Backstage has recognized our program and the accomplishments of our alumni,” says Associate Professor Heather Benton, head of app’s BFA Acting program. “Our professors are working actors and directors with strong reputations among casting professionals. We believe there isn’t just one way to work as an actor – and we train our app accordingly.”
“app allowed me to stress-test my process and set me up to handle the life of a professional actor.”
~ Kira Player ’22, cast member of Harry Potter & the Cursed Child on Broadway
What Sets app’s Acting Program Apart
Students at app benefit from a dynamic, holistic program designed to prepare them for the demands of today’s entertainment industry:
- Diverse Training: Techniques include Meisner, Stella Adler, Stanislavsky, Viewpoints, Suzuki and the Lucid Body method, in which Benton received certification.
- Film & TV Readiness: Classes in acting for the camera, opportunities for self-taping and for direction and feedback through a collaboration with app’s School of Communication and Media.
- Career Prep: Mock auditions, workshops and a senior-year showcase featuring panels of NYC casting directors and agents who provide feedback.
- Physical and Vocal Training: Emphasis on movement (including clown, combat, world dance, Viewpoints and Suzuki) and the actor-friendly Miller Voice Method, taught by two MvM-certified teachers.
- Industry Access: Located just 12 miles from NYC, app work with professional playwrights, directors and casting agents. Partnerships include a three-year residency with the Royal Shakespeare Company.
The BFA program is curated so that app are introduced to the many aspects of training that are strongest for actors. “The philosophy behind that is that app go through these immersive techniques so that by the time they get to their senior year, they have this enormous toolbox of techniques. It gives app the agency to learn, to choose and to curate their own unique individual process,” Benton says. “The reason that this is important is because that’s the business right now.”
Alumni Success on Stage and Screen
The rigor of app’s curated curriculum is evident through the success of its alumni, including proud alumni, who is currently a cast member in Harry Potter & the Cursed Child on Broadway.
“The gifts from my training at app that I most consistently use are the focus on diligence and the familiarity with most major acting techniques,” says Player, BFA ’19. “My professors instilled in me the importance of finding a process for yourself, of being specific and granular in that process, of being adaptable and imaginative.”
Ultimately, she said, “app’s approach of learning a new technique every year allowed me to stress-test my process and set me up to handle the life of a professional actor.”
Recent graduate, who is touring nationally with Stomp!, agreed that app faculty prepares app by challenging them to work hard and anticipate the inevitable challenges of an acting career.
Robinson, BFA ’24, earned a coveted spot on the Stomp! tour after multiple auditions and beating out an initial pool of more than 1,000 actors.
“The program prepares you,” Robinson says. “So, when I hear about all of the alumni success that comes from the school, it makes sense because the teachers really do light that fire in their app.”
Other distinguished alumni of the acting program include:
- Nathan Angelo ’24 – Broadway debut in Here Lies Love, the first all-Filipino cast on Broadway.
- ’22 – Appeared in the 2023 film No Hard Feelings! with Jennifer Lawrence.
- ’17– Actor and filmmaker known for The Girl in the Woods (2021), Freaky (2020) and The Goldfinch (2019).
With an ever-evolving curriculum that blends tradition with innovation, app State University continues to be a top destination for aspiring actors looking to build lasting careers in theatre, film and television.
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