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Theatre and Dance Audition Information
UCM Theatre and Dance Visit Day (Auditions/Interviews):
The next on-campus audition and interviews will be Monday, Feb 19th, 2024
Follow these steps to apply to UCM Theatre and Dance:
- Apply for admission to UCM
- Complete the Theatre and Dance Admission Form; includes information on scholarship, auditions/interviews
- If you wish to be considered for a scholarship, please create an account in "Scholarship
Finder" by February 1st (note: you must first have been accepted to the university)
- Visit: https://ucmo.academicworks.com/
- In the top right corner, click "Sign Up"
- Enter your personal credentials as requested
- Click "Sign Up"
- Click here for information about Theatre and Dance auditions and interviews
- For more information, contact:
- BFA Performance: Jenise Cook · jenisecook@ucmo.edu
- BFA Musical Theatre: Ashley Miller-Scully · almiller@ucmo.edu
- BFA Design Technology: Spencer Musser · musser@ucmo.edu
- BA Theatre: Dr. Aaron Scully · ascully@ucmo.edu
- BSE Speech Communication & Theatre: Dr. Aaron Scully · ascully@ucmo.edu
- Please note: Incoming BA & BSE students are not required to audition/interview for acceptance into those programs, but are highly encouraged to attend the UCM Theatre & Dance Visit Day on Monday, February 19th to receive the same experience as incoming BFA students and to interview for Theatre & Dance scholarships. BA/BSE students are welcome to bring a resume/portfolio into their interview, but are not required. Please complete the Admission Form above, if you plan to attend the Theatre & Dance Visit Day.
BFA Theatre Performance Auditions
All students applying for our BFA Theatre Performance degree must audition for consideration. Upon acceptance by the UCM Office of Admissions, you should fill out the UCM Theatre & Dance Admission Form and contact our Performance advisor to schedule your interview. To ensure a strong and successful audition, please carefully read the guidelines below and bring the appropriate materials to the audition.
On the day of your audition please bring with you:
- An acting/theatre resume
- A photograph (we prefer headshots, but will accept any close-up)
- Two contrasting one-minute monologues (1 dramatic/1 comedic) from published plays (see the Audition/Interview FAQ section for assistance in finding appropriate materials and parameters.) All monologues must be memorized.
- Be prepared to answer questions for your interview that reflect on your answers provided on your Theatre & Dance Admission Form. We encourage you to bring questions to ask us as well!
- Please dress professionally for the audition
BFA Musical Theatre Auditions
All students applying for our BFA Musical Theatre degree must audition for consideration. Upon acceptance by the UCM Office of Admissions, you should fill out the UCM Theatre & Dance Admission Form and contact our Performance advisor to schedule your interview. To ensure a strong and successful audition, please carefully read the guidelines below and bring the appropriate materials to the audition.
On the day of your audition please bring with you:
- An acting/theatre resume
- A photograph (we prefer headshots, but will accept any close-up)
- Two contrasting one-minute monologues (1 dramatic/1 comedic) from published plays (see the Audition/Interview FAQ section for assistance in finding appropriate materials and parameters.) All monologues must be memorized.
- Two contrasting songs (1 uptempo/1 ballad). Each song should be 32 bars. You must bring your sheet music printed out and in a binder for our accompanist with your music marked appropriately. All songs must be memorized.
- Dance clothing: Any athletic attire that you can move freely in and that will show the line of your body. No jeans, no jewelry, no hats. Please bring jazz and/or tap shoes if you have them or be prepared to dance barefoot or in socks. The dance combination will be taught to you at the audition and you’ll perform it in small groups.
- Be prepared to answer questions for your interview that reflect on your answers provided on your Theatre & Dance Admission Form. We encourage you to bring questions to ask us as well!
- Please dress professionally for the audition
BFA - Theatre Design & Technology Interview
All students applying for our BFA Theatre Design & Technology must interview for consideration. Upon acceptance by the UCM Office of Admissions, you should fill out the UCM Theatre & Dance Admission Form and contact our Performance advisor to schedule your interview. To ensure a strong and successful interview, please carefully read the guidelines below and bring the appropriate materials for review.
For your interview, you should prepare a portfolio and be able to discuss your experiences, skills, and goals. Your portfolio should highlight your strengths as a designer and/or technician. Suggestions include:
- Photographs of past productions - Completed projects, as well as process shots, allow the interviewers to get a sense of your past experience, the quality of work you do, etc.
- Design or paperwork from productions - If you designed the costumes, the renderings should be included, along with the photo of the completed garments. If you were the head electrician or lighting designer, bring paperwork such as hang sheets and light plots. If you designed scenery, bring scale ground plans and photos of the build process if you have them.
- 3-D examples of reasonable size are fine - A model of the set, a costume or small prop is a fine example of your skills.
- Artwork - Sketches, drawings, paintings, and photography from art classes are great examples. While they may not be theatre specific, they do allow the interviewers to assess your artistic abilities and your “eye”.
- Include a resumé - Focused on your theatre experience, employment history, computer and artistic skills.
- Be prepared to answer questions for your interview that reflect on your answers provided on your Theatre & Dance Admission Form. We encourage you to bring questions to ask us as well!
- Please dress professionally for the interview
For all Prospective Students
Applicants have the option to audition digitally or at our in-person campus audition. Should you choose to come to our Audition Day on campus, the day will include the following components:
Check-In - Upon arrival on campus you will need to check in with the BFA Audition/Interview Coordinator at reception in the Highlander Theatre lobby.
Visit from UCM Office of Admissions/Campus Tour - a short presentation to discuss the benefits of UCM, Orientation, Housing options, and more, concluding with a campus tour.
Attend Classes – Sit in on classes to get a sense of the teaching style, subject matter, and the interaction between students and faculty.
Lunch either on your own or with students and faculty - this is a good time to change into your professional attire for your auditions/interviews
Tour of our Facilities - During your visit you will have an opportunity to tour our Theatre & Dance facilities and see the spaces in which you would be working in at UCM.
Q&A with students and faculty - This is a time for you and your parents to ask any questions about the program and receive responses from both the student and faculty. Our current students can share insight on what it's like to be a UCM student and they can answer many questions about student life, living in the residence halls, and campus experiences, clubs, organizations, Greek life, activities, etc...
Audition/Interview - After the Q&A, everyone will split up to head to their audition/interview room. BFA Theatre Performance will audition their monologues and do their individual interview with the faculty one at a time. BFA Musical Theatre will begin with a group dance audition and then perform their monologues/songs and interview individually for the faculty. All auditions are closed to other auditioners/parents and auditioners will wait in the hall until it is their turn to go in.
Attend a rehearsal - Your audition/interview wraps up the day, but students and parents are invited to attend an evening rehearsal of our current Mainstage production. We are also happy to provide complimentary tickets to any show throughout our season if you’d like to come back to campus to attend a show and see our work in action!
** Parents/guardians are encouraged to come to campus with you. While they will not
be able to attend your audition/ interview, they will be invited to participate in
our tours and the Q&A session where they will have the opportunity to have any questions
answered.
Video Auditions - While we always prefer in-person auditions, we do offer students the option to submit video auditions. These should be in a shareable format (YouTube links, Google Drive files, etc.) and uploaded into the UCM Theatre & Dance Admission Form. Each monologue or song should be a separate video. For dance auditions, please submit a 45-90 second dance audition video that includes turns, jumps, leaps, high kicks, and quick footwork. A separate video of any tap skills is appreciated if students have those skills. When recording your videos, please be aware of your sound, lighting and video quality. Film yourself at a distance to get your whole body in the frame for all clips as we need to see your physicality in your performances. After you’ve uploaded your videos and submitted the form, please contact either the BFA Theatre Performance Audition Coordinator, Jenise Cook (jenisecook@ucmo.edu) or the BFA Musical Theatre Audition Coordinator, Ashley Miller-Scully (almiller@ucmo.edu) to notify them of your submission videos to the specific program.
FAQs for BFA Theatre Performance & BFA Musical Theatre:
Will opting for a video audition hinder my chances of being accepted into a BFA program?
No. Video auditions carry the same weight as live auditions. While live auditions allow us to get to know our applicants, they do not allow applicants to get to know our campus, facilities, students, faculty and the overall UCM community. An on-campus audition allows for an immersive campus experience that better helps applicants make an informed decision on which school to attend.
When will I hear about my acceptance into the BFA program?
UCM Theatre & Dance works to give students a response within 2-3 weeks of your audition/interview. Students will receive a formal emailed letter from the Chair of Theatre & Dance. If a scholarship offer is made, students will be notified in their letter. We prefer students to accept these offers as quickly as possible through an emailed response. As is the case with many universities, UCM Theatre & Dance reserves the right to pull a scholarship if a student hasn’t accepted the offer by a set and given timeline. Scholarship offers may be rescinded after the official acceptance deadline.
Are there scholarships available?
Questions?
If you have questions regarding the audition/interview requirements and/or process, please contact Chair of Theatre & Dance, Ashley Miller-Scully at almiller@ucmo.edu or 660-543-8798.
