Eva Patton

Eva Patton (she/her) currently teaches BFA Acting I, Masterclass, and One-Person Show for Ball State’s Department of Theatre and Dance. In 2023 and 2021, she was a finalist for the University Outstanding Teaching Award, and in 2019, a finalist for the Excellence in Teaching Award. In Fall 2022, she performed in the American Lives Theatre Production of The Lifespan of a Fact at the Phoenix Cultural Center in Indianapolis. Eva has directed and performed in numerous productions for Ball State’s production season; favorites include performing in Jennifer Blackmer’s play Borrowed Babies directed by Karen Kessler, and directing the production of the new musical Mad World by Cristian Guerrero, Chandler Patton, and Steven Schmidt which was honored with seven national awards from the Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival including Distinguished Director of a Musical, and Outstanding Production of a New or Devised Work. In 2016, Eva was honored with the College of Fine Arts Dean’s Creative Endeavor Award for outstanding professional work in her field. She was the founding faculty advisor for the student group ETA (Ethnic Theatre Alliance), now Artists for Inclusivity. As the departmental recruitment administrator, Eva helps direct recruitment efforts, and travels nationally to audition students for the Department of Theatre and Dance.

Prior to Ball State, Eva served for twenty years on the full-time acting faculty for the Fordham University Theatre Program in New York City, where she was also the theatre program manager. During that time, she acted in many productions in New York including her one-woman show Seen/Unseen at The Wild Project; Jean Harlow in The Beard at La MaMa, E.T.C.; The Mercy Swing at Cherry Lane Theatre/NY Fringe; Kraken at Walkerspace; and Man Made for the Ohio Theatre Ice Factory Festival. Eva has been a frequent participant in the development of new plays for theatres such as New York Theater Workshop, The Lark, Soho Rep, New Dramatists, and the Phoenix Theatre in Indianapolis. Other work includes an appearance on Saturday Night Live and the audiobook recording for singer/songwriter/poet Patti Smith’s book Woolgathering. As a playwright, Eva was awarded an Edward F. Albee Foundation fellowship/residency. She holds a BA degree from Hanover College, an MFA degree in acting from the FSU/Asolo Conservatory, and is a member of Actors’ Equity Association.

 

Additional Information:
Teaching areas: Acting
Tenure Track
Date of Hire: August 2012