UCI Claire Trevor School of the Arts

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Irvine, CA
UCI Claire Trevor School of the Arts

A national leader in training artists and performers since 1965. Our Drama Department has the only Ph.D.

Originally known as the University of California, Irvine’s School of Fine Arts, the school's expansion of programs and focus over the years helped it evolved into the School of the Arts. In 2000, the School was named in honor of Academy Award-winning actress Claire Trevor and her involvement with the School and its students. The School delivers a superb developmental experience, combining superlat

ive artistic training with a top-ranked liberal arts education. It is home to the departments of Art, Dance, Drama, and Music, in addition to a program in Arts and Humanities. Undergraduate and graduate degree courses include extensive studio, workshop and performance experiences; theoretical and historical studies; and arts and technology practices. program in the country, run jointly with UC San Diego, and ranked in the Top 10 in the U.S. The Claire Trevor School of the Arts provides excellent facilities to support artistic development and after-class life, including four theatres, a concert hall, three art galleries, the Beall Center for Art + Technology, electronic music studios, cutting edge costume, lighting, and scenic design studios, a stage production shop, digital arts labs, and a video production studio. We are one of the only university campuses in the area to boast a Performance Capture Studio and a fully equipped Meyer Sound Lab. Our School of the Arts students regularly participate in choirs, instrumental ensembles, drama productions, dance performances and art exhibitions. Qualified students from other academic areas are also eligible to participate in many of these activities and are, in fact, encouraged to do so.

08/29/2026

We’re remembering Dolly Parton, whose music gave UCI Drama one of its most joyful productions. In November 2024, students brought her songs to life in 9 to 5: The Musical at the Irvine Barclay Theatre, directed and choreographed by Myrona DeLaney, with music direction by Sain Leyva, M.F.A. ’25; a story of workplace justice, friendship and resilience, with music and lyrics by the incomparable Dolly Parton and book by Patricia Resnick, the original screenwriter of the 1980 hit film.

Her influence on American music, storytelling and generations of artists is immeasurable. UCI Arts joins the world in honoring her legacy

08/28/2026

New Swan Takeover! The last week of performances is here. Performance and ticketing information is available at https://bit.ly/4xrJVH6.

Heriberto Cruz, Jr. is a rising third-year M.F.A. candidate from Hartford, CT. Heri has appeared in productions of Noises Off!, The Green Knight, and La Belle et la Bête at UC Irvine. Regionally, Heri has appeared in productions with the Resident Acting Company of NYC (Measure for Measure, The Tempest), Cape Cod Shakespeare Festival (Othello, As You Like It, Midsummer Night’s Dream) and Capital Classics Theatre (Water by the Spoonful, Taming of the Shrew). Heri also appeared in the award-winning short film I AM: Muslim/American for Long Wharf Theatre and alongside the late, great Emilio Delgado in the East Coast premiere of Quixote Nuevo.

Sophia Gilbert is a rising 4th-year B.F.A. student in music theatre at UC Irvine! Her UCI credits include Beth in Little Women, Countess Caylus in La Belle et La Bête, and Thea in Spring Awakening. New Swan has been an amazing learning experience and has allowed her to fall in love with Shakespeare in a new way. She thanks the entire cast, crew and creative team behind New Swan for a marvelous, wonderful summer.

08/27/2026

Samira Yamin, M.F.A. ’11, is a 2026 Guggenheim Fellow whose work is held in the permanent collections of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, the Rose Art Museum at Brandeis University and the Smart Museum at the University of Chicago. A recipient of grants from the Joan Mitchell Foundation, California Community Foundation, Harpo Foundation, and Foundation for Contemporary Arts, Samira’s practice takes the form of a sustained critique of the way images are used to narrate what she describes as "a nebulous Middle East" as a place of perpetual war.

On her time at UCI Arts, Samira reflects: “At UCI I was able to develop the full breadth of my creative practice, beyond simply form and content, but including ethics, politics and critical theory as well as the banal, practical aspects of art-making. Simply put, I got a complex, well-rounded education.”

Her advice to incoming students? "Build relationships, especially friendships. Life and career paths are winding, but friendships you can take wherever you go."

Thank you, Samira, for inspiring the next generation of UCI artists! 💙💛

Second image: Samira Yamin, (Fire) Smoke, Hand-cut TIME Magazine pages 2024, courtesy of the artist.

08/25/2026

Department of Drama alumna Jenn Colella, M.F.A. '02, is a Grammy Award-winning, Tony Award-nominated Broadway powerhouse who works across the stage and classroom. Colella has originated six principal roles on Broadway, including Captain Beverly Bass in Come From Away and Carrie Chapman Catt in Suffs, roles that have cemented her as one of the industry's most sought-after performers.

Colella has also built an extensive television career, guest-starring on numerous series including The Good Wife, Madam Secretary, FBI: Most Wanted and Evil. She currently plays Captain Alison Kershaw on Elsbeth on CBS, and also starred in the live-capture film of the Tony Award-winning musical Come From Away on Apple TV+. Alongside her performing career, Colella teaches acting at Columbia University and Pace University, and holds an honorary doctorate from Columbia College.

As part of Alumni Appreciation Month, Colella reflected on her time at UC Irvine Claire Trevor School of the Arts.

"My time at UCI Arts helped me build the foundation for a career rooted in curiosity, collaboration and authenticity,” she said. “The lessons I learned at UCI continue to inform not only the work I do on stage and in the classroom, but also the way I navigate an ever-evolving artistic life."

08/20/2026

Boróka Nagy, M.F.A. ’15, is an award-winning dancer and multimedia artist who is the founder and artistic director of Re:born Dance Interactive, a professional contemporary dance company based in Southern California. This September, Boróka will also be honored as a 2026 Emerging Arts Leader Award recipient by Arts Orange County!

During her time at the Claire Trevor School of the Arts, Boróka reflects: "UCI Arts gave me the space to fully immerse myself in creating and discovering my artistic voice. The mentorship, collaborative environment, lifelong artistic friendships, and creative process I developed at UCI continue to shape my professional path, where creating meaningful, community-centered experiences through dance remains at the heart of everything I do. "

Her advice to incoming students? "Create the work you're yearning to make, even if it doesn't fit neatly into a category. Some of the greatest inspiration you'll find at UCI comes from the artists creating alongside you."

Thank you, Bóroka, for carrying the UCI Arts spirit into the world and building communities through the power of dance.

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08/18/2026

Meet Taesung Hwang '24, B.A. in music, B.S. in computer science & engineering, and a minor in linguistics, who is living proof that the arts and technology go hand in hand. By day, he's a full-time software engineer. By night, he's composing music for the UCI Arts alumni-founded dance company, New Classics Ballet Theatre, and performing with the Amazon Symphony Orchestra, playing clarinet, oboe and percussion.

His time at UC Irvine Arts was filled with unforgettable cross-disciplinary experiences, from serving as an executive board member and photographer for Bare Bones Dance Theater, to lighting programming, to sound design for a choreography B.F.A. thesis.

"Explore as much as possible during your time here, even things that seem unfamiliar,” shared Taesung. “You never know which small activity, interaction, or connection will spark your next great adventure."

Thank you, Taesung, for showing what it means to combine passion with purpose!

08/13/2026

Before Saturday Night Live and A League of Their Own, Jon Lovitz ’79 was performing at UC Irvine Claire Trevor School of the Arts. In a new Wall Street Journal interview, the Department of Drama alumnus credits UC Irvine and his mentor, Professor William Needles, for impacting his comedic and theatrical instincts that launched his career. Read the full piece at https://bit.ly/4fTzBRF to see a photo of Lovitz performing in UCI's 1977 production of 12 Angry Men and check out his new project, Don’t Say Good Luck, out on Aug. 14!

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08/11/2026

What happens when four UC Irvine Dance graduates get together and refuse to let their passion stop at the stage?

Meet New Classics Ballet Theatre (NCBT), a Southern California ballet company on a mission to produce original, professional-caliber ballet. Founded by UC Irvine Department of Dance alums Katie O'Gara ’25, Lauren Steele ’25, Sterling Tu ’25 and Gabriella Padilla ’25, NCBT was born from a class project in Professor Molly Lynch's Arts Management course and grew into something truly extraordinary. Their debut original ballet, The Secret of the Old Clock, sold out three performances.

"The training, mentorship, values, and connections we received at UCI gave us the confidence and information to build something bigger than ourselves,” shared NCBT company members. This company would not exist without UCI."

NCBT encourages incoming students to develop meaningful connections with the classmates, professors, and creatives around them. Your UCI network can carry you further than you dream. And don't be afraid to take risks; your biggest growth moments often come right after a setback. 💙💛

.dance .raquel.padilla

08/05/2026

From the studios of UCI Arts to the boardrooms of global sustainability, Derek Sabori, Studio Art ’95, MBA ’02, is proof that creativity can take many different forms.

Now serving as Executive Director of Alumni Relations at UC Irvine, Derek’s career encompasses more than 25 years of professional experience across the apparel and footwear industry, including VP-level sustainability leadership at Volcom and founding his own corporate sustainability training program. But for him, it all started right here at UC Irvine.

"UCI Arts is where I found my tribe,” shared Derek Sabori. “It's where I learned to embrace my own creative nature and to appreciate the creative perspectives of others."

His advice to incoming Anteaters? Don't be afraid to pause and pivot. "That willingness to pause and pivot has always served me well — and I hope you'll let it serve you too," said Derek Sabori.

We are so proud to call Derek one of our arts alumni. Thank you for your incredible dedication to this university and our alumni community! 💙💛

08/03/2026

August is Alumni Appreciation Month at UC Irvine Claire Trevor School of the Arts!

This month, we're highlighting incredible artists, creators and visionaries who have shared part of their journeys at UCI Arts. 🎓

To our alumni, your journey is a testament to the power of an arts education. The impact you make stretches far beyond just the stage or studio, and into every corner of our communities, and we are so thrilled to highlight these many achievements.

Tag a UCI Arts alum you admire, share your story, or drop your graduation year below; let's celebrate together! 💙💛

Address

4000 Mesa Road
Irvine, CA
92617

Telephone

(949) 824-2787

Website

http://www.arts.uci.edu/

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