Chris Andersson

“Find something you’d be
willing to do for free.

Then find someone to
pay you for it.”

Career advice from my grandfather to a little me. I pass it on to you.

A quick hello!

And a free video…

Greetings! I'm Chris. 

I was the Director of Admissions for the Drama department at NYU Tisch School of the Arts for 12 years and am now an independent educational consultant who advises students who want to pursue an education in theatre, film or dramatic writing. I provide guidance for applying to undergraduate, graduate and summer high school programs in the U.S., the U.K., Canada, Europe, Australia and New Zealand. To serve young artists in the best way possible, I founded Nothing But Drama in 2014.

Why me?

Students and families come to me for my expertise gained from 25 years in higher education administration, working exclusively with theatre students. I serve on the Board of Directors of the Independent Educational Consultants Association (IECA), for which I am also Chair of the DEI committee and Co-Founder of the LGBTQIA+ & Allies affinity group. I am also a member of the National Association of College Admissions Counselors (NACAC), the Higher Education Consultants Association (HECA), the International Association of College Admissions Counselors (International ACAC) and a former member of both Actors Equity Association (AEA) and the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (AFTRA). I completed the UC Irvine Certificate in Independent College Consulting for which I received a Student Achievement Award at graduation and later a Distinguished Alumni Award from UCI’s Alumni Association, representing the Division of Continuing Education. I have a B.A. in Theatre & Dance and an M.A. in English: Writing, Rhetoric & Media Arts, both from Trinity College in Hartford, CT.

My Career

While pursuing a career performing onstage throughout New York City, I became the Administrative Director of the Trinity College/La MaMa Performing Arts Program. I taught on the faculty of Trinity's Theatre & Dance department and for the Hartford chapter of the I Have a Dream program. After 11 years running Trinity/La MaMa, I became the Director of Recruitment for the Eugene O'Neill Theatre Center in Waterford, CT. Immediately following the O'Neill, I moved to the Drama department at NYU Tisch School of the Arts to oversee their artistic review process for 3,000 applicants annually.

In my role as designer, producer and host of the audition process for the largest undergraduate theatre department in the world, I welcomed 25,000 young theatre artists to their artistic reviews in my time at NYU. I auditioned thousands of applicants myself and served as an academic advisor for hundreds of students once they joined the department. I enjoyed watching them develop as artists and take great pride in their successes in the field as they become the future of this art form.

I am currently President of the Board of The Other Side of Silence (TOSOS), New York City’s oldest and longest producing professional LGBTQIA+ theatre company. The company is dedicated to preserving the theatrical heritage of the LGBTQIA+ community through the development of new plays by emerging artists as well as revivals of established works. (Read my article about the history of TOSOS!) I also serve on the Board of Mare Nostrum Elements (MNE), which is dedicated to the expression of human emotion through dance, theatre and movement. Not only does MNE provide artistic programming for children at underserved elementary schools here in New York City, but it produces an annual Emerging Choreographer Series which invites young dancemakers from around the world into a comprehensive weeks-long mentorship program.

I am a member of Film Independent, whose mission is to champion creative independence in visual storytelling and support a community of artists who embody diversity, innovation and uniqueness of vision. I am also a member of NewFest, which produces New York’s LGBTQIA+ Film Festival and ensures that stories of LGBTQIA+ people are created, shared and protected.

Along with theatre, film and education, I am passionate about music, art, language, architecture, New York City history, nature, and exploring this amazing planet.

All gender identities and sexual orientations are welcome here.

Banner photo of New Zealand lighthouse by Chris Andersson. Portrait photo by The Booth.