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Theatre Department Audition Requirements
Theatre Arts (Acting, Theatre Design/Theatre Technology or Musical Theatre)
Audition Procedures
Time: Approximately Three Hours.
The HSPVA Theatre department auditions students in one of three focus areas: Acting, Theatre Design/Theatre Technology or Musical Theatre. The audition consists of the following items.
All Applicants
- Under the leadership of a theatre teacher, the student will take a theatre class with other applicants. The class will include a physical and vocal warm-up followed by improvisational, imagination and team building activities.
- During the audition process the student will take a drawing (visual arts) exercise that checks the applicant's ability to find creative and theatrical solutions to given problems. There will also be a playwriting exercise during Callback auditions.
- Following the prepared performances, a personal interview may be required if the student will not be an entering Freshman.
Since the work is very physical, the applicant should dress in clothing that allows free movement: full length pants that are not tight, T-shirts, shirts or blouses without logos or graphics and close toed, flat shoes. Please, no dresses.
Applicants who sing should be prepared to sing a few bars unaccompanied and spend individual time with a musical director to determine their range and skills.
Acting and Musical Theatre
After the class, the applicants in ACTING and MUSICAL THEATRE will perform TWO PREPARED and MEMORIZED monologues from PUBLISHED PLAYS. The length of each piece should be about 60 seconds. Applicants may be stopped before they finish each piece. The monologues (suitable to their age and experience) should show the actor's range and flexibility. Modern material is preferable to classical material. An applicant who sings should be prepared to sing a few bars unaccompanied.
Musical Theatre Only
Applicants for the MUSICAL THEATRE focus are required to prepare a song from a published Musical to be performed without accompaniment. NO pop or church songs. Students will be asked to match pitch and will be checked for vocal range.
Technical Theatre/Design
Applicants in TECHNICAL THEATRE / DESIGN will be required to perform ONE PREPARED and MEMORIZED monologue from a PUBLISHED PLAY. The length of each piece should be about 60 seconds. Applicants may be stopped before they finish the piece. The monologue should be suitable to their age and experience. An interview will be a part of the process.
- A technical theatre resumé
- A portfolio of design (drawings, paintings, photographs of sets, costumes, props or other subjects).
- A scrapbook of programs, photos, reviews of theatre work done.
Tips for Auditioning,
HSPVA Theatre Department
Prepare your two monologues CAREFULLY. They should be from two different published plays. Your work should show that you can perform and feel very differently from one monologue to the other. One may be sad and the other funny. Or, one may by a quiet character and the other louder. Remember that we want to see the RANGE of what you can do.
As you perform your piece, you should see the person you are talking to in your imagination. Know who you are talking to and why you are talking to them.
Choose only from plays written within the last 40 years, (no classical, no Shakespeare) and choose a character that you could be cast to play. That person would be close to your age and life experiences.
Get help with your preparation. Ask your school drama teacher or a local community theatre for help finding someone to coach your work. To avoid conflicts of interest, our department will not recommend specific coaches. However, we hope you will talk to students already in our department. They would be very helpful as coaches.
- Audition Do's and Don'ts (.pdf)