DePaul University’s undergraduate theater program was named one of the top in the country by Elaina Loveland in “Creative Colleges,” her national college guidebook. “The number of disciplines within the department and the size and selectivity were taken into account, as was the availability of artistic scholarships,” explains Loveland of DePaul’s distinction. “They also have a playwriting festival for BFA students, which is pretty rare among programs.” Loveland profiled what she believes to be the top 200 schools in the creative arts, but did not rank them, because “you can’t quantify this kind of data. It’s based on talent.” John Culbert, dean of DePaul’s Theatre School, is thrilled. “I think it means a couple of different things that are more tangible than dollars,” he says. “There’s recognition that the work the Theatre School does is important—and to be recognized in that framework is one of our goals, so it’s wonderful to be recognized for what you set out to do.”
