Selectivity - Admission to the University of Evansville Department of Theatre is selective, accepting students who have the academic credentials and creative talent necessary to succeed. With limited freshman admission, students benefit from small class sizes and opportunities to participate in many productions. First-year and transfer students seeking admission to the Department of Theatre must make formal application to the University of Evansville, pay a nominal fee, and audition and interview with members of the department faculty.

Auditions and interviews determine the student’s experience and potential for success in a theatre-related career. Theatre faculty members travel to Colorado, Kentucky, Texas, New York, Chicago, Las Vegas, Atlanta, San Francisco, and Los Angeles to hold auditions and interviews. In addition, several on-campus audition dates are planned each year. Currently, faculty members see approximately 1,500 auditions, receive over 350 applications, and accept approximately 40 first-year students into the department.

Auditions and interviews should include one or more of the following approaches:

Auditions – Actors should prepare a memorized two or three minute monologue from a contemporary play, 20-30 lines from a play by William Shakespeare, and one verse from a Broadway musical.

Portfolio Review – Stage managers, designers and technicians should present examples of work in the form of photographs and drawings of productions on which the student has worked. Examples of related skills (sewing, woodworking, drawing, etc.) are also helpful. Students interested in theatre management should present a comprehensive résumé, writing samples and photographs or examples of completed projects.

Interviews – All prospective students will interview with members of the faculty to assess skills and interests. Interviews allow students to talk with a faculty member in an informal manner and discover what the University of Evansville and the student have to offer each other.