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Supplemental Audition/Portfolio Submissions

The UCI Drama Department has an optional audition/portfolio review process for all undergraduate applicants, including transfer students.

Each of the Department’s areas of focus (Acting, Design, Directing, Stage Management, Criticism & Theory, and Music Theatre) has its own separate audition or portfolio review process.

Auditions/Portfolios will be submitted digitally.  No in-person auditions or portfolio reviews will be conducted.

UCI Admissions will email all Drama applicants in November with instructions on how to submit the portfolio.

 

FAQ

  • Can an applicant submit an audition or portfolio to more than one program?
    • YES
  • Who will review the audition/portfolios?
    • UCI DRAMA FACULTY WILL REVIEW THE AUDITIONS AND PORTFOLIOS
  • Will submitting an audition to the Music Theatre Performance program get me into the Music Theatre BFA program?
    • NO.  ADMITTANCE TO THE MUSIC THEATRE BFA PROGRAM WILL TAKE PLACE THROUGH AUDITIONS ONCE YOU ARE ENROLLED AT UCI.
  • Will a strong portfolio or audition get me into UCI if I don’t otherwise meet the minimum academic requirements?
    • NO. STUDENTS MUST STILL BE ELIGIBLE FOR ADMISSION BASED ON ACADEMIC STANDARDS IN ORDER TO BE ADMITTED TO UCI.
  • What kind of material are faculty looking for in these auditions/portfolios?
    • FACULTY ARE LOOKING FOR SOPHISTICATION, TALENT, RANGE, AND CAPACITY FOR GROWTH.  THEY ARE NOT LOOKING FOR THE MOST WELL-PRODUCED VIDEO, BUT THEY DO WANT TO SEE YOUR BEST WORK.
  • Does my audition/portfolio have to only include work on plays or musicals?
    • NO!  YOU CAN INCLUDE ANY RELATED CREATIVE WORK, INCLUDING WORK IN ART, MUSIC, DANCE, LITERATURE, FILM, GAMES, DRAWING, COSPLAY, FASHION, PUPPETRY, ETC.
  • Do I have to have worked on a play to be eligible for admittance to the UCI Drama Department?
    • NO!  WE’RE LOOKING FOR CREATIVITY AND CAPACITY IN THESE FIELDS. WE CAN HELP YOU DEVELOP YOUR CRAFT ONCE YOU’RE HERE.

 

ACTING
Please submit the following:

  • Headshot & Resume
  • A one-page self-statement about who you are as a developing artist and what you hope to learn while at UCI.
  • A brief video intro (30 seconds to a minute) of yourself.
  • Two contrasting monologues for a total of 2 minutes

 

DESIGN
Design in Drama is all about telling stories using scenery, costumes, lights, and/or sound.  We seek creative students who are interested in and capable of expressing themselves in these media, regardless of whether or not they’ve done it in the theatre.  We invite you to submit examples of your creative work and a statement about who you are and what aspect of design you’re interested in.

The statement about yourself can take any form you choose, including essay, self-tape, song, etc.

The creative work can also take any form you like, including:

  • art class projects such as figure drawing, sculpture, pottery, photography
  • costume or fashion sketches
  • drafting and/or design paperwork
  • graffiti
  • hobbies projects or DIY projects
  • mixtapes
  • original music
  • photos of cosplay costumes you have made
  • photos of production/event designs
  • puppets
  • sewing projects
  • theatre designs

Because so much art is collaborative, please include a sentence or two with each submission outlining what your specific contribution was.

 

DIRECTING
The directing program provides opportunity to study with working professionals in a variety of areas, developing the basics of directing technique including focuses in conceptualization, theory, aesthetics, and collaboration with actors, designers, stage managers, and other artists. Advanced directing students can qualify for our Honors program, providing a more in-depth training. Honors in Directing students may participate in the directing studio classes with MFA Directing students and direct two full plays in the Director Class Project series.

The directing program seeks creative thinkers, eager to expand their abilities through practical work and academic studies. No experience in directing is necessary, but we are interested in students that are passionate about the field.

In order to be considered for the directing program, please submit the following for evaluation:

  • Three images that reflect the feeling of a play you would like to direct.  These images should not be photographs of a production, but rather paintings or photographs that inspire you and reflect the essence of your ideas about the play.
  • A statement about why directing your production of the play is important to you.   The statement can either be written (400-500 words) or a self-tape (3-5 minutes).

 

LITERATURE & CRITICISM
Critical Theatre Studies allows students to study the major questions underpinning theatrical performance, dramatic literature, and theatre history: Why do we perform? What does theatre do—politically, socially, personally? How does theatre not only reflect the world we live in, but offer the opportunity to imagine, and inhabit, new worlds? We seek students who are interested in scholarly investigations of these questions, through attentive practices of reading, watching, listening, and writing.

We invite you to submit a short essay (3-5 pages) that analyzes a dramatic text, a performance, or another cultural event that excites you. This can be something new, or you are welcome to submit an essay you’re especially proud of.

 

MUSIC THEATRE
Please submit the following: 

  • Headshot & Resume 
  • A one-page self-statement about who you are as a developing artist 
  • Two one-minute song cuts of contrasting musical styles
  • One one-minute contemporary monologue
  • A one-minute example of any or all of the following can be added to your video portfolio:
    • Dance
    • Tumbling
    • Piano, guitar, or any other instrumental proficiency you’d like to present.
    • Original work you’ve written/composed/designed (please include materials)

 

STAGE MANAGEMENT
For the following questions, please feel free to share any anecdotes or personal stories that will provide further insight on your answers.

  • Please describe what you think are the most important attributes of leadership and please describe how you implement those attributes to your own leadership style.
  • Please describe what you would consider effective pillars of communication and how has it affected the ways you engage your artistry. 
  • In moments of high stress or uncertainty, what techniques or approaches have you implemented in your daily life that have kept you grounded and how has that approach been implemented into your artistry?
  • Please describe what collaboration means to you and describe your artistic approach in your *area of interest*.

You may submit your answers in either written form (500 words maximum) or as a self-tape response.
If you have them available, you may also submit a copy of your resume and sample paperwork from your calling / prompt Script.

Undergraduate Programs