Illinois Theatre

Undergraduate Admissions to the Department of Theatre require that students are found academically eligible by the Office of Admissions and Records (based on grades, test scores, class ranking, etc.,) and then students must be selected based on talent in theatre. The later criteria is determined through an audition (for actors) or a portfolio review (for designers, stage managers, or those applying for Theatre Studies). All students will also be interviewed individually. The Department of Theatre admits a class of approximately 40 students each year.

Application Process for Undergraduate Studies in Theatre
1. Apply as early as possible to the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Freshman application deadline is January 2. Transfer applications should be made by March 12. Go to the following web site to print an application:
www.oar.uiuc.edu/prospective/ugrad/apply.html

For additional information, you may also contact:

Office of Admissions

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

901 West Illinois Street 

Urbana, IL 61801 

Phone: 217-333-0302

2. Freshman applicants should select the “Theatre Foundations-FAA” curriculum (Code: KR4080N).

3. The Office of Admissions will notify you whether or not you are academically eligible to proceed to the second step for admission into the Department of Theatre: audition, portfolio review, and interviews.

 You will also be asked to indicate which particular concentration in our Theatre program you plan to pursue:
a. BFA Professional Acting Program 

b. BFA Design, Technology, and Management Program, or 

c. BFA Theatre Studies (directing and dramaturgy, playwriting and adaptation, theatre for youth, social issues theatre, and theatre history and criticism)

4. At the same time, you should select the date you would choose to present an audition or portfolio review. Several Audition/Portfolio Review Days are held on Saturdays at the University, or in Chicago. The dates for auditions/portfolio reviews for Fall 2008 BFA admission are:
Urbana/Champaign:
November 8, 2008
February 14, 2009
March 7, 2009
Chicago:
February 3, 2009
February 4, 2009
Priority for spaces in the Department of Theatre will be given to those applicants who are academically eligible and who interview and audition early. Because several preadmission workshops are scheduled in the spring and because additional time is required to process Theatre applications, applicants who are denied admission on the basis of their interview and audition or portfolio review may not be able to find spaces available in alternative programs or departments at the University of Illinois by the time of notification.

5. After the faculty reviews your audition and/or interview and the status of your application to the University, the Department will notify the Office of Admissions (OAR) and Records of our recommendation.
 OAR will post admission decisions as indicated on their website.

6. If you are accepted, contact the Department to reserve your place in the entering BFA class. If you do not contact the department by May 1, you will not be guaranteed a place.
If there are special circumstances that prevent you from following this process, you should contact the Department.

 

Auditions for the Professional Acting Program

You will present two contrasting monologues which best represent your experience and abilities as an actor. Each monologue should be two minutes or less. The monologues should be selected from different plays and each should be a speech of one character only, not several different characters speaking to each other. If you wish to sing, you may also present a song no more than one minute in length. For this song you should bring a recorded accompaniment and the means to play it.

Choose monologues similar to your own age and experience. Contemporary characters without dialects are best. If you feel comfortable presenting material from Shakespeare or another classical playwright, you are welcome to do so, but one selection should be from a contemporary text.

Please bring a photograph of yourself and a resume with a list of your theatre experiences, educational background, and other appropriate interests, such as hobbies, special skills, and employment history. A simple listing with this information and your name and address will be sufficient.

Portfolio Review and Interview for the Design, Technology, and Management Program

If design, technology, or stage management is your primary interest, please bring a portfolio showing examples of the work you have done. When you come to the interview, you do not need to have made a decision about which specific design or technology area is your primary interest. This portfolio can show your range of interests.

If you are interested in design, the portfolio might include sketches, drawings, or drafting; photos of costumes, scenery, or properties you have built or helped to prepare; publicity material; or art projects or photography from your art classes.

Those more interested in technology can include any of the previously mentioned material they have available. Other related information such as forms, schedules, or drawings made on a computer are also helpful.

Stage managers might present prompt scripts or other material related to their work.

The faculty recognizes that many students have not been able to document extensively their experience and encourages students with strong interest in these areas to come to the interview with the material they have available. Passion, commitment, intelligence, and imagination can be as important as extensive experience.

The portfolio should include a resume listing your theatrical experience and educational background. Special skills, hobbies, employment history, awards, and other relevant information can also be included.

Portfolio/Interview for the Theatre Studies Program

For Theatre Studies applicants, an interview is required at which time you should bring a writing portfolio that includes (1) a resume of your theatre experience and (2) a short essay on theatre or other short, written creative work. The interview will focus on your commitment to exploring a variety of subjects within theatre and, if you have a specific area of interest, a discussion of your experience and potential in that area. Students interviewing for the Theatre Studies program are expected to have strong academic records and a desire to study and participate in the total theatre experience.

Transfer Students

Students at other colleges and universities wishing to transfer to the University of Illinois Theatre program should follow the application process listed above. Transfer applicants must have a pre-transfer grade-point average in transferable courses of 2.25 (A = 4.0) and must also be selected based on talent exhibited in the audition/portfolio review. Students already enrolled in other departments on the Urbana-Champaign campus should contact the Department of Theatre directly to schedule an appointment at one of the audition/portfolio review sessions.

Because of the intensive nature of the BFA Theatre degree at Illinois, students desiring to transfer should be aware that, while many of their previous college courses may transfer, completing the sequential theatre curriculum at Illinois may extend their total college careers by at least one year. Although many credits may be transferable, many previous theatre credits do not fulfill specific BFA requirements in the Department of Theatre at UIUC.