Freshman Applicants: Theatre

All of these requirements are submitted online through the VCUarts SlideRoom website. Requirements are listed by major in the table below with the appropriate SlideRoom link. 

Complete your callback session. Select your preferred date as part of the requirements in SlideRoom.

In-Person:

• Friday, December 3, 2021 (only in-person date for Spring 2022 applicants), from 12-6 pm
• Friday, December 3, 2021, from 12-6 pm
• Friday, January 21, 2022, from 12-6 pm
• Friday, January 28, 2022, from 12-6 pm
• Friday, February 4, 2022, from 12-6 pm
• Friday, February 11, 2022, from 12-6 pm

Applicants can expect to:

• Interview with faculty in their area of interest.
• Present their portfolio or appropriate audition pieces (details dependent on intended major).
• Tour theatre facilities.
• Talk with current students. 
• All students participate in a group general info and Q+A session.
• Performers participate in group warm-ups.
• parents are encouraged to attend, too. We continue with a parent Q+A session after applicants head off to auditions/interviews.

Virtual, for those whose distance or circumstances prevent them from attending in person:

• Friday, December 10, 2021 (only virtual date for Spring 2022 applicants), from 1-4 pm.
• Friday, December 10, 2021, from 1-4 pm.
• Friday February 18, 2022, from 1-4pm.

Applicants can expect to:

• Interview with faculty in their area of interest.
• Present their portfolio or appropriate audition pieces (details dependent on intended major).
• Talk with current students.
• All students participate in a group general info and Q+A session.

Submission link: Freshman Performing Arts – Theatre Performance

Requirements:

• Headshot or photo
• Theatrical resume
• Callback date selection
• Self-taped, prescreen audition ​
  • Maintain a positive attitude, dress professionally yet comfortably and, most importantly—have fun!
  • Prepare two contrasting (one comedic and one dramatic) one-minute monologues from published play scripts. Choose something in an appropriate age range that does not contain a dialect. Introduce the audition pieces by only the play’s author, title and the character’s name (background on the scene or plot is not necessary).
  • Record your audition in one sitting. In other words, we would like you to introduce the pieces and then perform them one after the other. No editing. It is recommended to capture your full body from head to toe.
  • We find that the following playwrights are generally overdone or are more difficult for high school seniors to deliver successfully: Mamet, O’Neill, Pinter, Shakespeare, Shepard and Williams.
  • You may substitute one of the monologues with a 16-bar song that suits your age, personality, and voice. Select a portion of the song that best showcases your ability and finishes the acting beat; avoid choosing 16 bars that end abruptly or mid-thought. Introduce the song title, author, and character name, just like the monologues. 

Submission link: Freshman Performing Arts – Theatre Technical Tracks

Requirements:

• Theatrical resume
• Callback date selection
• Portfolio of 12-16 images
  • Submit 12 to 16 images that show your promise as a theatre student. Present your strongest work and demonstrate your potential to develop a diverse set of skills and ideas. We prefer to see a diverse range of 2D and 3D media. This can include photographs of productions you have worked on, pieces you have built such as props or costumes as well as other works of 2D and 3D art.
  • Images may be submitted in the following formats: .JPEG, .PNG, .GIF, .TIF, .TIFF, .BMP, .TGA
  • Videos may be submitted in the following formats: .M4V, .MOV, .MP4, .WMV, .FLV, .ASF, .MPEG, .MPG, .MKV
  • All videos must be less than 3 minutes.

Submission link: Freshman Performing Arts – Theatre Stage Management

Requirements:

• Theatrical resume
• Callback date selection
• Example of stage management paperwork 
  • Your paperwork should demonstrate your organizational and management skills and might include things like prompt book pages, blocking notes, call sheets, rehearsal notes, communications, etc. to help demonstrate your stage management process.

Submission link: Freshman Performing Arts – Theatre Musical Theatre

Requirements:

• Headshot or photo
• Theatrical resume
• Callback date selection
• Self-taped, prescreen auditions
  • 1 contemporary (written after 1945) monologue from a published full-length play, under 90 seconds
  • 2 song selections, contrasting, each 60-90 seconds
  • 1 dance solo
  • 1 (optional) “wild card” video/media, which can be anything you want: a special skill, an interesting story about yourself, a passion speech, an instrument that you play, etc. “What do you want us to know about you?” and “What makes you unique?”

Submission link: Freshman Performing Arts – Theatre Bachelor of Arts

Requirements:

• Theatrical resume
• Callback date selection
• Statement of intent
  • In a paragraph or two, please tell us why you are interested in pursuing a BA degree in theatre. What are your goals? What do you hope to achieve?

Not sure how the Bachelor of Arts in Theatre differs from other majors, or if it’s the right choice for you? Check out our undergraduate FAQ’s here. There’s a section specifically about the BA! You can also view the Bachelor of Arts in Theatre curriculum here.