Program Auditions and Interviews
All prospective students must audition &/or interview for scholarship consideration & acceptance into their program of interest.
To be accepted into the Dance program as a BA or BFA candidate & to be considered for scholarship opportunities, you must audition. (There is no audition requirement for the Dance minor).
To be accepted into the Musical Theatre program & to be considered for scholarship opportunities, you must audition.
Audition Information
Due to the safety of our prospective students, faculty, and staff, our Fall Program Auditions will not take place in person. All program auditions will occur through video submission.
Due Date:
- TBA
Dance Call:
- TBA
Video Audition Requirements:
- Two contrasting 32 bar musical theatre songs
- One short, memorized monologue.
- Favorite dance combination
Video Audition Package:
- YouTube link(s) of your video audition (Upload your audition videos to your YouTube channel, set the privacy to "Unlisted".)
- Headshot
- Resume
Video Audition Submission:
- Email your Video Audition Package to Amy Baker Schwiethale (amy.baker@wichita.edu)
Audition Decisions:
- February 12th - all prospective Musical Theatre Majors will find out if they have been accepted into the program or put on our waitlist.
Program Waitlist:
- We accept 20 prospective students. As those 20 students respond and let us know their college decisions, students on the wait list will be contacted about their potential spot in the Musical Theatre program.
Audition and/or interview for scholarship consideration in the Theatre program which includes theatre generalist (BA), theatre performance (BFA) and design & technical theatre (BFA). Students interested in the BFA in Theatre Performance program must audition for acceptance.
Scholarship/Program Audition & Interview Information
Due to the safety of our prospective students, faculty, and staff, we are holding our auditions & interviews virtually this year.
Interviews:
- Held throughout the Spring '21 semester
- Audition & interview are required for the BFA Theatre Program
- Interview & portfolio are recommended for the BFA in Design & Technical Theatre Program
- Interview & audition or portfolio are required for Theatre Scholarship consideration
Due Date for Audition Packet:
- Email to Danette Baker (danette.baker@wichita.edu), Program Director of Theatre, at least 3 days prior to your Zoom interview
Due Date for Portfolio Packet:
- Email to Sarah Bussard (sarah.bussard@wichita.edu), Assistant Professor of Costume Design, at least 3 days prior to your Zoom interview
Procedure for all Areas of Interest:
- Schedule an Interview
- Email Danette Baker to schedule an interview & be sure to specify your program area of interest
- Zoom link for the interview will be sent once the interview date has been set
- If interested in Theatre scholarship consideration, fill out the Online Scholarship Application form. Scholarship applications may be accepted until March 1.
- Submit all applicable material
- BFA Theatre Performance
- Self-tape video audition (requirements listed below)
- Resume
- Headshot
- BFA Design & Technical Theatre
- Resume
- Portfolio if you have one (requirements listed below)
- BA in Theatre
- Resume
- Self-tape video audition, portfolio or other sample of your work is optional
- BFA Theatre Performance
Self-tape Video Audition Packet:
- YouTube link(s) of your video audition (Upload your audition videos to your YouTube channel, set the privacy to "Unlisted".)
- Headshot
- Resume
Self-tape Video Audition Requirements:
- Two contrasting monologues between 1 1/2 - 2 minutes in length each
- Total video audition not to exceed 5 minutes
- Use material from plays only, no movie monologues please
Specifications for Recording Self-tape Video Audition:
- It can be done using your phone
- Use a neutral background if possible (white, blue or gray wall is best) & eliminate cluttered backgrounds
- Record horizontally, not vertically
- Frame yourself in a medium shot - from waist height to slightly above your head
- State your full name & the pieces you are performing (title of play & playwright) at the beginning of your video
- Portfolio
- PDF file (no Word or Pages documents) or double-checked website link
- Resume
- Preferably one page
- Focused on your design/tech work (can include other work),
- Name, contact information & date, etc. should be clearly labeled on all materials/documents
Portfolio Development Suggestions:
- Use clean backgrounds (preferably a solid color like white or black) to let the art/photos speak for themselves
- Incorporate your personality in your portfolio so it tells about you as an artist/craftsman
- If you don't have a lot of theatre specific work, include sketches, sculpting, art/craft projects, building projects, etc. that you feel also shows who you are as an artist
- Present your work as professionally as possible by double checking for typos (We all make mistakes but try not to showcase them)
- Show the most important work first (additional work/experience can always be included but consider what the eyes will see/read first)
- Always use fonts that are easy to read
- Consider multimedia in addition to still photos
Theatre Program Areas of Interest:
- BFA in Theatre Performance
- Focuses specifically on the profession of acting
- BFA in Design & Technical Theatre
- Focuses specifically on the professions of design or backstage work
- BA in Theatre
- Geared toward students with a wide variety of talents & interests who wish to design their own path
- Suitable for interests not covered by the BFA's (such as stage management, Directing, Education)
- Could be combined with a double major or a minor in another field