Seniors in TCU’s theatre program will have five opportunities this spring to gain exposure to industry professionals.
The annual senior showcase in Fort Worth and New York City will highlight the work of the 27 seniors graduating this spring.
Photos from Theatre TCU’s 2025 Senior Showcase. (Photo courtesy of theatretcu Instagram)
“Showcase helps get our students in front of as many industry professionals as possible,” Penny Maas, a theatre professor, said. “On top of the five showcases of their talents, they also do five workshops with top casting directors from NYC, LA and Atlanta.”
DFW industry professionals are invited to the first performance scheduled for March 10 at PepsiCo Recital Hall, Maas said.
Afterward, students will travel to New York for two showcases scheduled for March 19 at Open Jar Studios in New York City.
A closed showcase is set for earlier in the day for a variety of agents. TCU alums are expected at an evening showcase.
Students will perform a fourth showcase at 54 Below, a famous cabaret club. Plans call for students and alumni to have the opportunity to sing duets and trios, with a video showcase being released at the end of March.
Performance time is limited to two minutes per person for the showcase. Ethan Hyatt, a senior BFA in theatre with an emphasis in musical theatre, and Sam Illum, a senior BFA in musical theatre, combined their time to perform one duet and one scene together.
Theatre TCU’s graduating senior class headshots. (Photo courtesy of theatretcu Instagram)
The showcase is put together in a year-long class taken by BFA acting and musical theatre students in their senior year.
The fall semester of the course focuses on a video showcase, targeting film and television work. In the spring, students bring songs, monologues and scenes to class, where professors help them decide what pieces highlight their talents best, Maas said.
As a result of the showcases, dozens of students have signed with talent agents, booked cruises and been invited to audition for theatre companies, she said.
A majority of the seniors participating in the showcase, like Hyatt, have plans to move to New York after graduation.
“I think it’s true that New York is the place to be if you want to be in new works and such,” Hyatt said. “I’m open to going wherever the work requires me to go, but New York is the hub for theatre.”
Many seniors in the showcase already have a diverse portfolio of experience located on their websites that highlight their experience and have aspirations for where their work will take them.
Students such as Hyatt and Madeline Carter, a senior BFA in theatre with an emphasis in musical theatre, found their passion for theatre as children and began booking roles in shows, such as “The Sound of Music,” at a young age.
“My dream show is something that has not been written yet,” Hyatt said. “My goal is to originate a role on Broadway, and I stand by that.”