Division of Performing Arts
The Division of Performing Arts was founded on the belief that the role of the artist is to give beauty back to God and the world.
As a DeSales Performing Arts major, you'll become part of a tradition of independently thinking artists. Seasoned, talented faculty will guide you through rigorous training as you:
- develop discipline in your creative and inspired storytelling
- learn at masterclasses taught by guest artists who are at the top of their fields
- gain hands-on experience using the most up-to-date equipment
- pursue exciting internship opportunities to earn valuable work experience.
These are just some of the reasons DeSales excels in the performing arts. We love what we do, and we love doing our part to make the world a better place by bringing beauty back to God and His world.
Programs
Our Bachelor of Arts degrees provide flexibility in your career objectives. You can pursue a double major, study abroad, and find internships in your chosen area of study.
Performing Arts students interact with one another creatively in productions and in classes. Dancers take acting classes, TV/Film students shoot dance on film, theatre majors take TV/Film classes to learn how to use camera equipment. There is a pronounced artistic synergy between the three majors which makes for very exciting artistic collaboration.
Performing Arts Scholarships and Auditions
It was a joy working with the acting students of DeSales University ... I could see and hear the student’s passion for their craft and their eagerness to get out into the world and share it. I wish them all the best and I hope to meet up with some of them on set someday.”
— Lawrence Gilliard Jr., Actor (The Wire, Gangs of New York, The Deuce)
Act 1 Productions
Act 1 is DeSales University’s highly-acclaimed performing arts company and features professional-caliber productions in Dance, Theatre and TV/Film.
Each year we welcome another group of eager young actors, designers, dancers, and filmmakers all drawn to DeSales to hone their craft and create art that will inspire and entertain. We offer enchanting and provocative stories that will — with the mere rise of a curtain — unlock the limitlessness of your imagination.
Salesian Visiting Artist to host events at DeSales University
Bro. Mickey McGrath, OSFS, visiting artist for the Salesian Center for Faith & Culture at DeSales University will be bringing his artistry to our campus again this spring with two new events. He will be educating, illuminating, and inspiring all of us with new insights into the Salesian heart and spirit.
Join us on Tuesday, April 30 at 7 pm in the Gambet Center Auditorium, on the campus in Center Valley, for Salesian Peace. During this event we will discover new and creative ways to pray and find inner peace through art, poetry, and music. No registration is required. This event is free and open to the public.
Then, on Saturday, May 11, from 10 am to 2 pm, in the DeSales University Center on the campus in Center Valley, we welcome Bro. Mickey as he leads our second Salesian Retreat. You don’t have to be an artist to enjoy this creative day of contemplative prayer. This hands-on workshop teaches even non-artists how to create, color, and draw with crayons and markers. Lunch is provided! This retreat is free and open to the public but registration is required and can be done on line.
McGrath’s first formal art lessons were at the Moore College of Art in downtown Philadelphia. After high school, he majored in art at Moravian College in Bethlehem, Pa and later received an MFA in painting at the American University in Washington, DC. For eleven years McGrath was an associate professor of studio art and art history at De Sales University in Center Valley, before transitioning in 1994 to working full time as an artist.
Visit www.desales.edu/salesian and scroll to ‘Visiting Artist ‘for additional details. For more information about the upcoming event, contact the Salesian Center for Faith and Culture at 610-282-1100, ext. 1244 or Salesian @desales.edu.
DeSales University Film Festival
A celebration of the diverse range of genres and styles form the next generation of DeSales filmmakers.
March 23rd 2024 - 7:30 PM
Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival
A leading Shakespeare festival with an emerging national reputation for excellence, Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival (PSF) is a professional theatre company on the campus of DeSales University.
Each summer, PSF produces a season of Shakespeare and other classics, musical theatre, and children’s theatre.
About the Division
The Division of Performing Arts was founded on the belief that the role of the artist is to “give beauty back to God, beauty’s self and beauty’s giver” (Hopkins). We do so by giving beauty back to the world through Theatre, Dance, and TV/Film. We aspire to infuse the workforce in the entertainment industry with the most well-trained artists of the day.
We believe as the Greeks did, that the purpose of the arts is to reveal the truth of the world to ourselves in order that we can learn from each other’s good and not so good decisions. Therefore, we believe that art reveals the truth of mankind. And when the truth is revealed so is the beauty of mankind. And to that end, we encourage our students to dig down to find the truth of the story they want to tell through dance, theatre, and film to uplift humanity to make the world a better place.
