Faculty & Staff

Bernadette Cheyne (Theatre) Chair

Bernadette Cheyne has been engaged in the fine madness of theatre for over 40 years, beginning in her living room with impromptu show tune renditions for her less than enthusiastic siblings. She's now a professor in Theatre, Film & Dance, where she heads the acting program and regularly directs Department productions.

After undergraduate work at Northwestern University and the University of Alaska-Fairbanks, and an MFA in Acting from the University of Texas , Austin , she worked as an actor and director in numerous venues. Her greatest pleasure as an actor is finally to be old enough to play the mature character roles that she's been cast in since her 20s. As a teacher she brings enormous enthusiasm and energy to classroom and project work, emphasizing the excitement of creation, the joy and challenge of collaboration, and the discipline and craft essential to the art.

Cheyne is involved in professional organizations such as the Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival (KCACTF), the Irene Ryan Acting Scholarship Auditions, and the Redwood Curtain Theatre Consortium. In 2005-06, Bernadette directs Translations by Brian Friel in the fall, and plays the title role in Mother Courage and Her Children in the spring.