Student Blog: Manhattanville University's Theatre Program: An Interview with Vincent Mraz

I had the opportunity to sit down with Professor Vincent Mraz, Manhattanville University’s Clinical Assistant Professor and Head of Theater, to talk about his experiences in the theatre world, both in-and-out of Manhattanville, as well as ask him about advice for students who are pursuing a career in the arts. 

Question 1: Can you tell me a little bit about your theatre experience? Where did you go to school? 

I started in theatre in middle school doing my middle school drama club, and then from there, I studied in high school. I went to an arts magnet high school, the Educational Center for the Arts in New Haven, Connecticut. From there, I went on to study theatre at Emerson College (in Boston, Massachusetts). I lived in Chicago for a couple of years, making theatre out there. I went to the Second City and studied sketch comedy, then came back to the east coast and went to Sarah Lawerence for my graduate program. I’ve lived in New York since 2013 doing a bit of everything: acting, directing, writing, producing, and a lot of teaching. So, it’s been since I was in middle school, I guess, is when I started, really, probably elementary school pageants or something that I don’t really remember that much.  

Question 2: What made you want to work at Manhattanville? 

Well...I got invited to! I had a couple of colleagues who were working here, teaching different classes, and they asked me to sub in for a couple of classes they had to miss. And I just loved it. I didn’t really go to a small school; Emerson is in the heart of Boston, so we were smaller, but it was very much like a city environment. Sarah Lawerence was different because as a graduate student, I think I was pretty much in a dark theater all day long, from 9am to 9pm. So it wasn’t, you know, it’s not the same as an undergraduate college experience. I immediately really loved that Manhattanville had that kind of smaller vibe to it, that there were students, even within that one class, I felt like I could have more individual conversations with. I think I subbed for about a week and just felt like I could really get to know students pretty well. When they asked if I would come back and teach for a full semester as an adjunct, I felt really excited. It felt like the program was in the world of work that I make anyways, that it was interdisciplinary, there was devising of new work happening, and I just felt excited about the class offerings. The first thing I taught (at Manhattanville) was Intro to Acting for Non-Majors, which was cool because I was working with people who were not studying theatre at all.  

Q 3: What makes Manhattanville’s theatre program different from other universities? 

The size of the university and the size of our programs mean that we really get to know all of our students. I like that I can have more personal interactions with you all and find out what it is that you want to do in theatre. What’s the kind of career path you’re interested in, and then I can help you to get those opportunities while you’re here. I know at a lot of schools, you get your hands into different things, but I think because of our very busy season schedule and our wide variety of classes, I feel like by the end of your four years, it can be four years of what you want to do in theatre. It kind of reminds me of Sarah Lawerence in that way. That program is geared towards my individual self as an artist. What is it that I'm interested in making? Where do I see myself fitting into this bigger picture of theatre? I’m trying to bring some of that to use here and give you all the foundational stuff but also encourage you to think beyond college. What is the next step? How do you want to have theatre be a part of your life outside of this school?  

Question 4: What do you enjoy most about working at Manhattanville? Any favorite show experiences? Favorite class you have taught? Favorite memory? 

Oh, yeah, that’s a tough one! I’ve been here for so long already. The first show that comes to mind is The Birds – I did an adaptation of The Birds. We had a live bouzouki player come in and play the preshow, and our cast was out and dancing and teaching people how to Greek dance. It was also the first show I got to direct up in the (Reid) Castle. I think that was fun because working in a non-traditional space in this very evocative ballroom space, you as a director, you just get to play. You’re handed this incredible space and get to figure out what to do with it. I think one of my favorite classes was maybe our Intro to Theatre class last fall because it was a brand-new class, and the curriculum was rewritten so all of you were the test subjects. It was like, okay, what’s working? What are you responding to? How do I change things in the moment to make sure that you’re getting out of this; what you want to get out of it? Those situations feel like a dialogue between me and everyone in the program. That is when I feel most excited because that keeps things fresh and alive and useful for everybody, rather than me showing up and saying: I’ve taught this way for a hundred years and that’s the only way I’m going to teach it.  

Question 5: Do you have any advice for students who want to pursue a career in the arts? 

Oh, I’m sure I have plenty. The biggest advice I have is that if you go to school for it, take advantage of every opportunity you have. Milk the hell out of your college and educational career. When you get into the real world, the structure becomes harder. You have to be the one that’s really seeking out opportunities. You have to apply for grants, submit your plays, etc. You have to go to auditions. Theatre can very quickly become the back burner while you’re making your living, while you’re paying your rent, wherever it is you go. Take advantage of the time that you spend studying and use it for all that education is worth. Build that discipline of patience and time management because that’s one of the hardest things we don’t talk enough about. When you get it, you know, that first year out of college, it’s like, well, what do I do? How do I make this part of my life? And I know for mr, it’s a conscious effort to say, to look at my life, at least when I first got out of college. What do I want to be? What do I want to pursue? And how do I balance paying my rent and living my life making sure that is a part of the work that I do? In school, you have that built in because you’re going to classes, you’re going to rehearsals, and then outside of school, it’s kind of up to you. My advice is to be patient and do not discount having discipline for yourself. That’s the thing that keeps you in shape of not just auditioning, but networking. So much of this industry is based on talking with people and building connections, and saying: Oh, hey you work here, and I want to do that thing. Could we get coffee? Reach out, if nothing else, for the conversation. I think that’s how 90% of this work happens. So, patience and discipline and holding yourself accountable to, all right, did I submit for a job this week? Did I go and talk to somebody this week? What am I doing to support my artistic practice outside of an educational setting?  

Question 6: Is there anything else you would like to add that we have not talked about?  

If you’re somebody who wants to study theatre, you want the arts to be part of your life. That thing that, to me, I already said is, what makes this place (Manhattanville) special is that you can come and discover what kind of artist you are. There is room for, I think, as you’ve experienced, for a lot of different people in this program. Our goal is not to form you into one shape but to give you the space to discover what shape you might be. If you’re someone like you, like myself, who views your work in theatre as a holistic artistic approach, and you’re excited about doing a lot of different things in performing arts than I would say this is a great place to come and do that. 

Thank you Professor Vincent Mraz for taking the time to talk with me about all things regarding Manhattanville University theatre!