Audition Information

To schedule an audition appointment email the Department of Theatre Arts at theatre@towson.edu or call 410-704-2792.

 

We advise prospective BFA candidates not to make your audition appointment until you have been accepted by the university.

Students who audition and are not initially invited into the BFA in Acting may attend Towson University and pursue another degree in the Department of Theatre Arts. Those students may also audition for the acting program again in their first year of study. 

 

Transfer Students and the BFA in Acting

Students transferring from other acting programs and who wish to pursue the BFA in Acting at Towson must be admitted to the university and must audition for the BFA in Acting. They can – if accepted into the BFA Acting – petition for advanced placement in the track. This decision will be made by the acting faculty evaluating the student’s audition. It should be noted that the BFA in Acting program will take a transfer student a minimum of three years (three fall and three spring semesters) to complete if a student transfers in all university Core credits. The program cannot be compressed further.

Transfer students who wish to be waived from the Theatre Arts Department core requirements based on credits earned at other institutions must meet with the department chairperson.

Students who wish to transfer from other institutions after the final audition date for the year or who wish to begin the BFA in Acting in mid-year should contact the Theatre Arts Department at 410-704-2792 to determine the best time to audition. If you wish to begin in the fall, it is best to apply and audition by the March audition date.

 

Audition Dates

Auditions for students who wish to join the BFA in Acting take place between December and March each year. Auditionees are required to be in attendance for the entirety of their scheduled slot. Audition dates for the Incoming class of 2020 are listed below.

• Saturday, December 7, 2019 10:00 AM - 2:00 PM (Recommended for Spring transfer students)
• Saturday, February 8, 2020 10:00 AM - 1:00 PM
• Saturday, February 22, 2020 10:00 AM - 1:00 PM
• Saturday, February 29, 2020 10:00 AM - 1:00 PM

Screening decisions will be made within two to three weeks of the final audition date and students will be notified via email and/or telephone. Offers/further contact cannot be made with students who have not been admitted to the university.

Please note: To meet the university deadline for recruitment scholarships, you must audition before Feb 22. Scholarships are not always available depending on budgets.

Call the Theatre Office at 410-704-2792 during business hours for an appointment.

 

The audition includes:

• A brief informational session with members of the acting faculty

• A brief warm-up with a senior acting student (please wear appropriate clothing)

• A series of group exercises with members of the acting faculty

• 10-MINUTE BREAK - Time to change into Audition/Interview Clothing

• Presentation of your prepared 60 to 90 second monologue

• A brief one-on-one interview with members of the acting faculty

You should expect to be at Towson for approximately two and a half hours.

Please Bring the Following With You

• A resume or a typed list of the plays you’ve been in and classes/workshops in theatre you have taken

• A recent photo of yourself that really looks like you

• A letter of reference from a faculty member or professional with whom you have studied or who knows your work as an actor

 

Regarding Appropriate Dress

For the group movement/improv section, please wear comfortable movement clothes – sweat pants or track pants and a short or long sleeve T-shirt long enough to be tucked into the waistband of your pants. Wear soft-soled shoes such as sneakers or jazz shoes. Please no shorts, tank tops or crop tops. Dance wear is acceptable but not necessary.

You will have a 10-minute break to change into your audition clothes after the group movement/improv section of the audition.

For your audition/interview, please wear professional but comfortable clothes, as you would dress to work at an upscale but conservative store. If it would work behind the jewelry counter at Macys or Nordstrom, it should be fine. Do not dress as the character from your monologue or wear any sort of costume. Also avoid shoes that make a lot of noise, since the floors in our studios are wooden dance floors.

 

Regarding Monologues

Time: Your monologue should be between 60 and 90 seconds long. You will be timed and you will be cut off at 90 seconds. We begin timing from the first word of your monologue, not from your introduction.

Choice of material: Choose material which you understand, enjoy and which touches something meaningful in you. You may choose any play from the Greeks up to the present day.

The best monologues are pieces in which your character is talking to another person who is there in the room with them, and in which your character wants something from that other person which is very important to them in that moment.

We ask that you read the entire play from which your monologue was taken.

 

We ask that you do not do any of the following:

• Do not do original (unpublished) work.

• Do not do a stand-up comedy routine or a piece that sounds like one.

• Do not do anything from a film; if you are doing a piece from a play which was made into a film, do not do an imitation of the actor in the film.

• Do not play a small child.

• Do not play a character with serious mental deficiencies.

• Do not play a character under the influence of mind-altering substances during the piece.

• Avoid straying too far from your own age – if you are 17, a character over 30 is most likely too far removed from you.

 

About the Audition

We believe there is more to an actor than audition skills, so our audition includes group movement and improvisational work and an interview. Don’t worry if you have never done improvisation before, or if you believe you are not “good” at it, or if you don’t think you “move well." We are simply looking at the way you connect to people you don’t know, the way you take instruction, and the way you approach learning new tasks. Video auditions are not accepted.

 

About the Interview

At Towson we are looking for well-rounded, well-read students. We are interested in your understanding of theatre as an art form, the books and people that have influenced your life, your involvement in your community, the things you are curious about, and the things you are passionate about.

We want to see who you are and what makes you tick. Be yourself. Think about things like why theatre is important to you and why the arts are important to the world. Tell us what you really think, not what you think we want to hear or what you think will sound impressive. You may be asked to discuss other interests you have, to discuss a recent play or movie you have seen, or to articulate your current set of goals for your life or career.

This is also the time to ask us a few questions which were not addressed in the informational session or which are very specific to your situation or interests.

Remember: This is also YOUR time to determine if Towson meets your needs and if you could be happy here.

 

Audition Location Information

Auditions are held in room 3058 in the Towson University Center for the Arts, located on Osler Drive between Cross Campus Drive and Stevenson Lane. There will be signs posted in the building guiding you to room 3058.

GPS/Mapquest: Fine Arts Dr. Towson MD 21258 (This address does not accept mail.)