Acting schools require applicants to audition to demonstrate their acting ability.
Applicants to acting school, whether a drama program at a university or an acting conservatory, will need to meet specific requirements for admissions. Typically, these include an audition and submission of supporting documentation, such as resumes and academic transcripts.
Audition
Auditions are required for acting school applicants. An audition gives an admissions committee the opportunity to assess a candidate's dramatic ability. At the American Academy of Dramatic Arts, acting applicants are required to perform two monologues from memory (one comedy, one drama). Drama school applicants at Yale University perform two selections, from one of Shakespeare's plays and from a modern play. Applicants are sometimes asked to do a cold reading, i.e., reading a script without rehearsing it beforehand.
Interview
Acting school applicants can expect to conduct an in-person interview, which are usually done as part of the audition process. Interviews afford applicants a chance to tell admissions committees why they want to attend acting school and discuss their background in theater and/or film. Yale's School of Drama interviews applicants during each of the two rounds of auditions.
Submit Transcripts and Resume
Along with completing auditions and interviews, acting applicants are required to submit several forms of supporting documentation to their school of choice. This documentation includes the applicants' resume, as well as academic transcripts from high school or college, depending on whether a candidate is applying for undergraduate or graduate study.
Provide Letters of Recommendation
Letters of recommendation are another important part of the acting school application. A personal reference letter would come from a teacher or employer who is familiar with the applicant. The person providing the personal letter of recommendation does not have to come from a theater background. For the professional reference, acting schools require a letter from a director, drama teacher or theater professional who the applicant has worked with directly and can speak to the applicant's potential as an actor.
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