B.A. Theatre Arts, Emphasis in Performance

Cal State Application Deadline is December 1

Acceptd Application Deadline is December 30

Prospective students wishing to major in Theatre Arts (Performance) or Musical Theatre must audition. Students who wish to apply to SDSU with a General Theatre Arts emphasis are not required to audition. For SDSU, your Acceptd application takes the place of a live audition. There are no live auditions offered at SDSU.

For prospective performance majors, the application is a two-step process:

• First, you need to apply to SDSU using the Cal State Apply application during the SDSU filing period between October 1- December 1. At the time of the application, select your Pre-Major as Theatre Arts – Performance (662595). Visit the Office of Admissions website for information about applying to the school.
• There is a non-refundable filing fee of $70 that must be paid at the time of your SDSU application.
• Next, you need to upload your audition through the Acceptd audition website platform between October 1- December 30. Choose “OPTION #1: BA Theatre Arts (Performance) only.” There you will be asked to upload the following:
• Resume
• Headshot
• An introduction “SLATE” video
• One contemporary monologue
• One classical or heightened language monologue
•   There is a non-refundable application fee of $35 that must be paid at the time of your Acceptd audition upload. If the $35 application fee is burdensome, there is a limited amount of scholarship assistance to help defray this cost. Please contact Adrian Alita for more information at [email protected].

If you want to be considered for both the BA Musical Theatre and the BA Theatre Arts (Performance) majors, the application is similar:

• First, you need to apply to SDSU using the Cal State Apply application during the SDSU filing period between October 1- December 1. At the time of the application, select your Pre-Major as Theatre Arts – Performance (662595). Visit the Office of Admissions website for information about applying to the school.
• There is a non-refundable filing fee of $70 that must be paid at the time of your SDSU application.
• Next, you need to upload your audition through the Acceptd audition website platform between October 1- December 30. Choose “OPTION #3: Both BA Theatre Arts (Performance) and BA Musical Theatre.” There you will be asked to upload the following:
• Resume
• Headshot
• An introduction “SLATE” video
• Two contrasting songs (for song requirements see BA Musical Theatre – How to Apply)
• One contemporary monologue
• One classical or heightened language monologue

• There is a non-refundable application fee of $35 that must be paid at the time of your Acceptd audition upload. If the $35 application fee is burdensome, there is a limited amount of scholarship assistance to help defray this cost. Please contact Robert Meffe for more information at [email protected].

Prescreen Introduction "SLATE" Video

• Record one introduction "slate" video stating your name. If you would like to include your pronouns, state them as well. Please speak loudly (project your voice) and clearly (articulate) directly at the camera. This is an opportunity for the auditors to get a sense of your personality and to learn the pronunciation of your name.
• There is no need to slate your individual performance videos & pieces. Instead, clearly label each video with your name and the title of the piece you are performing (see more details below).
• This slate video should be no longer than 10 seconds.

Monologue Requirements

• One monologue from a published play or written by a professional writer. (A professional writer is someone whose plays have been produced, but may not have been professionally published.)
• One classical monologue (typically written before 1950) from a published play or written by a professional writer. Classical monologues should have heightened language. (Heightened language often has poetic elements as found in Shakespeare. However, it may also include Molière, Christopher Marlowe, Thomas Middleton, Thomas Kyd, Aristophanes, August Wilson, Tony Kushner, Suzan-Lori Parks, Mike Bartlett, George the Poet, Andrea Gibson, or contemporary adaptations of classical plays that still utilize heightened language.)

Monologue Tips

Active monologues are often better for auditions; an active monologue takes place in real time and focuses on what you want and puts you in direct communication with an imaginary scene partner. This is often more successful in an audition situation than pieces that are a story or remembrance. Additionally, it can be helpful to avoid monologues that rely on extreme emotions, as it can be hard to believably justify those responses in a short piece.

Labeling Guidelines for All Videos

Label each video file with the piece you are performing, the show or playwright, and your first & last name.

• Title of Song – Musical/Show – Your First & Last Name
• Title of Play – Playwright – Your First & Last Name

Examples:

• Slate – Pat Smith
• Your Daddy’s Son – Ragtime – Pat Smith
• Much Ado About Nothing – William Shakespeare – Pat Smith
  
  

Framing for Slates, Songs, and Monologues

• Camera framing is simply the placement and position of the actor in the shot. We recommend a waist up frame so we can see your face and hear you clearly.

Filming tips

• Solid-colored walls are ideal, but any background that does not steal the focus from your performance is desired.
• Before filming, do a trial run to test both your audio & visual presentation. Watch your video back to ensure everything looks AND sounds okay.

 Time Guidelines for All Performance Videos

• All song and monologue videos are recommended to be between 60-90 seconds each. 

Timeline

• December 1 – deadline to submit CalState Apply application
• December 30 – deadline to submit Acceptd audition
• Mid-February – faculty will make recommendation to admissions
• Mid-March – admissions will notify students of acceptance
• May 1- deadline to enroll

If you are denied admission based on your performance audition, you cannot apply to SDSU again until the following academic year.

For questions about the audition process, please contact:

Adrian Alita

Associate ProfessorTheatre[email protected]619-594-0419 DA 212

For more information contact the Academic Advisor:

Stephanie Garibo Alday

Undergraduate Academic Advisor[email protected]DA 204B

Back to Top

The Theatre Arts major is an impacted program. Students are admitted as Musical Theatre pre-majors, and must complete the following requirements before advancing into the major:

Students must satisfy the following requirements before advancing from pre-major into the major:

• Performance majors are required to participate in Musical Theatre Auditions each semester, attend callbacks, and perform as cast in Department productions
• THEA 111, 120, 130, 231, and 240 must be completed with a grade of C or higher
• THEA 111, 130, and 332 must be completed with a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher
• Check for prerequisites: You must have completed the prerequisites for the course for which you are registering

For additional curriculum details, please consult the following:
University Catalog.

Back to Top