In a move that other universities — especially those with top-tier theater departments — are making, Temple has started its own professional repertory company, which will produce work apart from the academic year's roster. Instead, MFA students, who are already professional actors, will take the major roles during the Temple Reperory summertime season. A professional company on campus bolsters the theater program by giving undergrads additional entrée into their fields, and it provides another theater company for the larger community. "Having the opportunity to work alongside a professional is a trump card when it comes to recruiting," says Dan Kern, professor of theater at Temple, who heads Temple's acting program, has been Temple Rep's chief inspiration and is now its artistic director.