The legacy of the MFA Musical Theatre program at SDSU is both powerful and far-reaching. Since 1981, nearly 200 graduates have gone on to perform, teach, direct, produce, and create musical theatre around the world. Each year, we welcome a diverse cohort of artists who dedicate their time and talent to studying the history of the art form in order to shape its future.
This past academic year was especially exciting. In Fall 2024, we were thrilled to welcome renowned Director and Choreographer Josh Walden as a visiting professor. Josh brought tremendous energy and expertise to both our undergraduate and graduate students, and he directed a stunning production of A New Brain by William Finn. In Spring 2025, we celebrated six sold-out performances of Rent, directed by MFA candidate Courtney Corey, in our beautifully renovated Main Stage Theatre.
None of this would be possible without your support. Your generosity sustains this program and empowers the next generation of musical theatre artists. We are deeply grateful for your continued belief in our work.
Robert Mefe, MM Professor Head of MFA Musical Theatre Program
Propelling the SDSU Community Forward
Julia R. Brown New Musical Theatre Initiative Fund
The Julia R. Brown New Musical Theatre Initiative Fund fully supports the SDSU New Musical Initiative. At San Diego State, we are committed to fostering the creation of new works in musical theatre. Our objective is to nurture emerging musical theatre and provide our students with invaluable educational opportunities to work directly with top professionals in the feld.
To that end, we have created the SDSU New Musical Initiative, a two-year program in which MFA students rehearse and develop a new work of musical theatre through to full production. This process is guided by faculty director Stephen Brotebeck and faculty music director Robert Mefe, who also serves as head of the MFA Program.
A record-breaking number of over 300 submissions were reviewed, and the selection committee chose Tomorrow, the Island Dies by Ryan Scott Oliver. Mr. Oliver is a 2023 Kleban Prize winner, whom Entertainment Weekly hailed as “the future of Broadway … a major new voice in musical theatre.”
The Brown New Musical Theatre Initiative Fund will provide travel support for this New York-based artist, as well as funding for advertising, production support, and the creation of a professional video recording of the full production.
The establishment of the James Silberrad Brown Foundation Excellence in Musical Theatre Fund has been a lifeline for the MFA Musical Theatre Program. This fund supports the musical theatre archive, including the salaries of two MFA archive assistants, as well as production costs, advertising, and the acquisition of essential new technology.
One notable example of this technology is the purchase of professional audio equipment, including devices that allow pit orchestra musicians to receive a customized audio mix from the soundboard. Along with a new set of professional virtual drums, this equipment made its impactful debut in the April 2025 production of the rock musical Rent
James Silberrad Brown Foundation Excellence in Musical Theatre Fund
Thriving in the Aztec Experience
Anthony Methvin, Class of 2026
Class Level: Master's Candidate
College:
Professional Studies and Fine Arts
Major: Musical
Theatre
When someone asks me about the graduate musical theatre program at SDSU, I tell them it’s been the hardest and most rewarding thing I’ve ever done. As a mid-career theatre professional, stepping away for two years of graduate school was unexpected—but the universe opens doors when you're ready. This was my time.
I leave this program having refned my craft, clarifed my values as a creative leader, and strengthened my skills as a director, theatre maker, and educator. I’ve gained tools that will serve me for years to come. I’ve also discovered my role in shaping future artists and found family in a cohort I deeply love. We've shared unforgettable artistic experiences under the guidance of remarkable mentors.
None of this would’ve been possible without the generosity of my scholarship donors. This program has transformed me— not just as an artist, but as a person. I’m deeply grateful to those who believed in me and helped launch this next chapter of my life.
“
This program has transformed me—not just as an artist, but as a person.
Janeth Shayo, Class of 2026
Class Level: Master's Candidate College: Professional Studies and Fine Arts
Major: Musical Theatre
Within one year in the SDSU M.F.A. Musical Theatre Program, I’ve gained tools, skills, and a renewed mindset essential for my journey as a performer, instructor, and theatre community member. Rediscovering the arts through diverse lenses has helped me thrive alongside like-minded peers and understand the true responsibility of a theatre educator.
Courses in theatre history, writing, dance, directing, and script and score analysis have opened new avenues and career possibilities. In Robert Mefe’s theatre writing class, I created a peer-reviewed journal article exploring my Tanzanian roots and the potential to bridge Western musical theatre with Tanzanian performing arts. This work earned the President's Award at the 2025 SDSU S3 Research Symposium and continues to spark meaningful engagement.
I’m deeply grateful for the scholarships that made this all possible. As a young mother to a sick child, this program gave us peace and hope. It’s never too late to chase your dreams. I’m proud to be part of the SDSU M.F.A. Class of 2026.
“
I’m deeply grateful for the scholarships that made this all possible. As a young mother to a sick child, this program gave us peace and hope. It’s never too late to chase your dreams.
Celebrating Shared Success
Statistics of Interest
SDSU is home to the M.F.A. program in musical theatre. This graduate degree is one of only a handful in the country in which students learn the art of performing and teaching musical theatre. As an undergraduate performance major, you are taught not only by faculty but also mentored by professional actors pursuing their graduate degrees.
The M.F.A. in Musical Theatre admits new students every other year and is designed for professional performers seeking to transition into teaching and directing. The program is led by experienced professionals, including Professor Robert Mefe, head of musical theatre, who brings over two decades of Broadway experience.
Performing Arts District: SDSU's newly established Performing Arts District ofers state-of-the-art facilities, including multiple performance venues and rehearsal spaces, enhancing the educational experience for musical theatre students.
Recent Highlights
In 2024, SDSU launched a new Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) in Musical Theatre, making it one of the few undergraduate programs of its kind in California. The program is designed to provide comprehensive training in acting, voice, and dance, while also ofering students the fexibility to pursue interdisciplinary studies across the university. As of late 2024, 27 students had enrolled, refecting a growing interest in musical theatre education within the state.
SDSU’s Master of Fine Arts (M.F.A.) in Musical Theatre is a two-year, 60-unit program that combines rigorous performance training with academic study. The program admits new students every other year, with the next application period opening on October 1, 2025.
Next-Gen Artists
Debut
SDSU’s M.F.A. in Musical Theatre trains future educators and directors with Broadway-level mentorship and access to cutting-edge Performing Arts District facilities.
SDSU’s new B.A. in Musical Theatre launched in 2024, ofering top-tier acting, voice, and dance training—27 students enrolled in its inaugural year.
Faculty Achievements
Wilfred Paloma, M.F.A.
Title: Lecturer, Theatre College: Professional Studies and Fine Arts Achievement: Wilfred Paloma is a multi-hyphenate theatre artist practitioner and serves as the director of education & community engagement at Diversionary Theatre.
In addition to San Diego State University, Paloma is interdisciplinary faculty at the University of San Diego in the departments of theatre and music. He is an Actor’s Equity member and a graduate of the Meisner and Chekhov Integrated Acting Studio (MCIT). Education: M.F.A. in Musical Theatre, M.A. in Theatre Arts, and B.A. in Theatre Performance: Acting and Musical Theatre. Paloma is also an adjunct professor in the San Diego Community College District.
Paloma's teaching artistry and arts advocacy span a wide range of organizations. At La Jolla Playhouse, he has led arts education programs and projects in the areas of learning and engagement, which include the Young Performers Conservatory, POP Tour, and Honors Theatre Project—a partnership between San Diego Unifed High School District and La Jolla Playhouse. Paloma teaches musical theatre to adults at La Jolla Playhouse as part of the Spotlight On program. His work with Arts Education Connection (formerly Young Audiences San Diego) sharpened his pedagogical approach and passion for youth advocacy, specifcally connecting young people to career pathways in the arts. Paloma developed and led the Theatre Works Fellowship, serving high school students in Juvenile Court and Community Schools. He also led the construction and implementation of arts integration programs with school partners. Paloma also held an in-school residency at High Tech High (HTH) Point Loma in partnership with Arts Education Connection and the Fipps Foundation.
As the director of education & community engagement at Diversionary Theatre, Paloma is spearheading the development of new DocuDramas that seek to illuminate stories and experiences of the LGBTQIA+ community. The frst DocuDrama was developed at San Diego State University in 2023, entitled Intersections / Revolution: A Conversation on Queerness and Color. This was funded by a $10,000 grant awarded to Paloma as a Completion of Research and Creative Activity (CORE) Fellowship recipient.
Faculty Achievements
Jesca Prudencio, M.F.A.
Title: Associate Professor, Theatre and PSFA Diversity Council College: Professional Studies and Fine Arts
Achievement: Jesca Prudencio is a theater and flm director dedicated to developing new theatrical happenings that explore the tension and bridges between cultures.
She focuses on new plays, musicals, flm, and dance theater in Southern California, regionally, and internationally, with her signature blend of playful physicality, bold visuals, and heartfelt emotion. Favorite credits include Exotic Deadly: Or the MSG Play at The Old Globe (awarded Outstanding Director by the San Diego Critics Circle), Dot Dot Dot: A New Musical as a TheatreworksUSA national tour (performed at the White House in 2024), The Great Leap at Steppenwolf Theatre Company, Vietgone at San Diego Repertory Theatre (nominated for Outstanding Director by SDCC), and Calling: a dance with faith at the Tony Award–winning theater La MaMa ETC.
Prudencio's passion for experimentation in form has led her to generate work in immersive theatre, documentary theatre, and entertainment. Her 2019 production A&Q: a documentary theater performance shed light on people directly afected by the war on drugs in the Philippines, and her 2018 piece Nohing used dozens of stories and portraits of women and femme-identifying individuals to explore sexual assault in public spaces. She has been the creative director and choreographer for several projects at La Jolla Playhouse’s Without Walls Festival, including PDA, which explored the relationships of three real couples and how they love out loud, and Can We Now? Prudencio most recently created an original immersive party experience for Virgin Voyages Cruise Lines called We Fancy, which celebrates audience members for being exactly who they are, using royal dances and global beats from all over the world.
Prudencio is the recipient of several fellowships, including being the inaugural recipient of The Julie Taymor World Theater Fellowship, which supported her travels through Thailand, Japan, and the Philippines throughout 2017 as she researched and trained in traditional and contemporary forms of theater in each country. She was named a 2021 Woman to Watch on Broadway by the Broadway Women's Fund.
Prudencio is associate professor and head of directing at San Diego State University. She holds a B.F.A. in Drama from NYU Tisch and an M.F.A. in Directing from UC San Diego.
