Katy ChapmanActing graduand Katy Chapman will receive an Art Apart grant from the National Theatre School.

Acting grad selected for national performance project

Graduating student Katy Chapman (BFA 2020) is among the recipients of the National Theatre School’s Art Apart grants, awarded to theatre artists-in-training and those who have recently completed theatre training programs. Her performance was selected from over 575 applicants.

Chapman will receive $750 and her work will be featured on the school’s website as a part of the online project.

One of the culminating projects for graduating BFA students is the Character Study, an opportunity to present a 20-minute solo piece written, directed, and performed by the student. These works are usually presented as a part of a two-day festival in April, but due to COVID-19, the performances moved online this year.

Chapman says her piece, Ex Utero, was inspired by her perception that society values pregnant women but not mothers.

“I struggled with what I wanted my character study to be for a long time, but I came across this condition called post-partum psychosis, and as I was exploring it I was quite shocked at what the first few months with a child can be like,” she says. “These women might have awful visions where they want to hurt themselves or their children, and they’re usually too scared to bring this up.”

The Art Apart performances are taking place on the National Theatre School’s website, with new artists added weekly. Chapman’s video will be available during the week of June 25.

—Kristen Siapas