Our Origin Story

Established during Canada’s mega-musical revolution in the 1990s, the Randolph College for the Performing Arts was the country’s first post-secondary educational institution to offer multi-disciplinary “Triple Threat” training to aspiring professional performers. 

Responding to a Call

During the 1960s and ’70s, the Canadian theatre industry experienced tremendous growth, which further extended in the ‘80s to the musical theatre industry. Toronto produced spectacular versions of Les Misérables, Phantom of the Opera, Miss Saigon, Showboat, Kiss of the Spider Woman, Tommy and Crazy for You. Theatres were built to premiere Broadway-bound productions like Ragtime. Musicals like Cabaret and Hair played at the Stratford Festival and Canadian Stage, respectively.

Demand rose for performers who could act, sing, and dance with equal proficiency. However, despite the existence of schools in Canada that provide training for individuals aspiring to a career as a performer, “few have a curriculum that is industry-based and a supporting structure that meets the needs of students.” (KPMG) Under advisement from a committee of leaders in the musical theatre industry, RCPA founder George Randolph formulated a strategic plan for a professional training institution with a curriculum that could respond quickly to the industry’s needs and prepare multi-disciplinary performers – “Triple Threats” – who could meet the demands of careers on stage and screen, thrive in the dynamic life in the arts, and be situated in the industry’s Canadian hub, Toronto.

The Randolph School of the Arts opened its doors in 1992, offering equal training in acting for stage, dance, and vocal.

Evolution of a Program

Over the years, the curriculum was honed and refined. As an independent entity, RCPA could adapt quickly to fit the needs of the ever-changing industry. But what always guided the curriculum was a passion for excellence, a daring for innovation, and a commitment to teaching and learning that serves the whole artist.

Registered as a career college under the Ontario Career Colleges Act of 2005, RCPA continued to expand its offerings and reached several key milestones, including:

  • offering film acting as part of the core curriculum;

  • becoming a designated Ontario Career College in 2012;

  • commemorating its 25th Anniversary in 2017 with a name change to Randolph College for the Performing Arts to reflect the calibre of training offered;

  • investing in new musical theatre creation as part of the curriculum in 2018;

  • being the first theatre program in Canada to offer intimacy training as a standard part of its curriculum;

  • and inking its first Academic Pathway Agreement in 2019 to allow RCPA graduates to augment their practical training in the arts and complete a BMus in Community Music or Self-Directed Studies with an additional two years of study at Wilfrid Laurier University after earning admission to the WLU programs through the normal audition procedures.

Continued Innovation

Today, RCPA is dedicated not only to providing what the industry demands, but also assessing and investing in what the industry needs to evolve. To this end, the program encourages the agency of each artist, to reflect on their own experiences and stories, and listen to others, celebrating and supporting individual choices of expression.

The program also strives to engage with the most current theatrical and pedagogical practices, and contribute to and lead the practices of the future. RCPA adamantly undertakes the opportunity—and responsibility—to refuse to be boxed in by traditional practices, values and training and instead dismantle that box and use it to rebuild a stage to raise up new voices, innovative visions, and brave ideas.

What We Stand For

Our Vision: We are a brave and inspiring community, nurturing the artist within.

Our Values:

Joy

Whether spontaneous or intentional, joy is at the heart of everything we do. We cultivate joy in our work, our craft, our relationships and our community. Admiration, celebration, inspiration – they’re all part of joy.

Excellence

We strive for excellence in our craft, our commitments and our collaborations. We dare to be remarkable, learning from our challenges and sharing our very best selves with the world in everything we do. We do our best to bring out the best in those around us, and we honour the journey.

Integrity

If joy is our heart, integrity is our backbone. We prize honesty, transparency, and clarity – striving to be impeccable with our word. We create environments where respect, inclusion and accountability are baked right in. When we stumble, we learn and do better.

Innovation

We challenge the conventional and are willing to take risks in our quest for the best. We’re open-minded, curious, adaptable, and vulnerable, all at the same time – the future is ours!

Empowerment

We encourage and uphold the agency in us all, lifting others as we rise. We trust that each of us is capable and committed, and we help every individual realize their unique goals, talents, and potential. We are all-powerful, and we can change the world for the better.