Karim Chebli, MFA - (2024)
Karim Chebli is a 2024 Theatre Arts MFA Graduate. Since graduating, Karim joined the Department of Theatre Arts at the University of Virginia for an academic year and then returned to Lebanon to serve as a Lecturer in Theatre at the University of the Holy Spirit Kaslik (USEK). Karim's specialties include performance pedagogy, devising and ethnotheatre, acting, directing, playwriting, and applied theatre. Karim's research and creative work focus on the intersections of theatre, education, and social inquiry. Alongside academic work, Karim remains actively engaged in professional theatre as a playwright, director, actor, and producer, with work staged in Beirut, Dubai, Paris, and Canada throughout 2026.
Why did you decide to go to graduate school?
I have always wanted to be an educator. The MFA offered a rare opportunity to learn while teaching, allowing me to develop both as an artist and as a theater pedagogue. I was drawn to the idea that teaching and creating are not separate pursuits; both involve helping people discover new ways of seeing the world. The program trained me to make theater while empowering others to do the same.
Why did you choose to pursue your degree at Pitt?
Pitt's MFA stood out because it refused to force a choice between performance and pedagogy. The program's hybrid structure allowed me to pursue both with equal rigor. As someone equally interested in creating theater and understanding how people learn, I found that combination difficult to resist.
How did the degree program help prepare you for your career?
From the outset, I was trained to think about teaching as the design of meaningful learning experiences. Beyond writing curricula and lesson plans, I learned how to create environments where students could take artistic risks and grow. At the same time, the program allowed me to write, direct, and stage original work, often in collaboration with students. That balance between theory and practice continues to shape everything I do.
What is your current position and what does it involve?
For perhaps the first time in my life, I am primarily focused on creating my own work. I write, stage, and produce original theater projects while continuing to teach as an adjunct educator. These days, much of my energy is devoted to developing new plays and bringing them from page to performance.
Thoughts and/or advice for current graduate students?
Learn every skill you can. I entered school thinking I would focus primarily on performance, but I left having worked on everything from set construction and costumes to writing, directing, and producing. The more parts of the creative process you understand, the more versatile you become. Besides, some of the most valuable lessons happen in the roles you never expected to take on.