An audition/presentation is a required part of the UCA Theatre Scholarship for entering freshmen or transfer students.
If your primary focus is performance, please select one one-minute monologue that displays your range of skill. We prefer that they are dramatic, comedic, or something with Shakespearian language.
If your primary focus is design, technical, or stage management, you should bring your portfolio and possibly some examples of your work to the presentation.
We request that the auditions/presentations are completed two weeks prior to the application deadline. This is only one part of the scholarship. Please review the UCA Theatre Scholarship Requirements for more information.
Spring Semester 2025 applications are due November 14, 2024. (Applications opening soon)
Completed application and supporting documents are due on the second Thursday of November for the Spring semester and the second Thursday of April for the following Fall semester.
Please audition/present by the end of March for Fall Scholarships.
Please Schedule a campus visit to audition or present your portfolio with Joshua Gibby (gibbyj@uca.edu)
or at the Arkansas Thespian Festival.
Click here to view all scholarship opportunities and applications.
Break a leg!
Spring applications are due in November. Fall applications are due in April.
Contact Joshua Gibby at gibbyj@uca.edu to arrange a time that works for you and the UCA Theatre faculty.
What are we looking for in auditions and presentations?
Your audition or presentation will be scored on a rubric. The UCA Theatre faculty and staff will be looking at your preparation, material selection, material presentation, and personal presentation. Here are some tips that may help you gain a better understanding of what UCA Theatre is looking for.
PREPARATION: Have you put time and thought into your audition or presentation? Are you prepared to answer the questions the UCA Theatre faculty and staff may have? Audition: Memorize your lines and be sure to have a clear understanding of who your character is, what their circumstances are, and what the emotional relationship is to the person you are talking to in your piece. Allow yourself to sympathize and empathize with your character and live their dreams. We want to see you fight and struggle to get your imaginary partner to feel and do something that you need very badly. Presentation: All of your documents should be well organized and clearly labeled. We want to see that you took time to work on your presentation.
MATERIAL PRESENTATION: Have fun and be confident! Performance: Your introduction should include your name and the title and author of the play you took your monologue from. Take a short beat to focus on what you will be fighting for in your monologue. Pick a point at the back of the room where your imaginary partner will be – avoid using the auditors. At the end of your piece, hold your final moments for a few beats and then say “thank you”. Presentation: We are looking for insight of how you work so it is important for your portfolio to include text, illustrations, and/or images your process from start to finish, including tools you enjoy working with. Be selective. Include appropriate examples that provide content to your work. Feel free to bring some examples of your work to your audition.
MATERIAL SELECTION: Performance: Select a monologue from a play that you can connect with on a personal level and that is within your age range. Avoid material from movies and television as well as those requiring a dialect. We highly discourage material selected from online monologue sites. Whatever monologue you choose, it is imperative that you read the play it is from so you can make informed choices with your material. If you are only acting, please select one one-minute monologue. A chair will be provided if needed for your audition. The use of hand props is discouraged. If you would like to sing in addition to your monologue, please prepare sixteen bars of a song in addition to your monologue. You may sing a cappella or provide your own recorded music and device. Presentation: Do your best to show your full skillset in your portfolio. Consider what kinds of equipment can you use and what mediums you enjoy working in. What is your process? Be able to tell us about your strengths in your area that set you apart from your peers.
PERSONAL PRESENTATION: Dress comfortably and professionally. Be careful not to distract from your audition by wearing prints, bold patterns, super high heels, or big jewelry. Tie long hair back. Men – a solid-colored collared shirt and nice pants work well. Women – a shirt that covers the arms, nice pants, or a skirt with dark tights, and shoes with a one-inch heel or less work well.