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How to Audition/Interview

All prospective Performing Arts students must submit an Application for Admission to the Office of Undergraduate Admissions before beginning the audition or interview process.  Your application does not need to be complete with transcripts, letters of recommendation, essay, etc., to begin Step 1 of the process below.

The Application for Admission to the University must be submitted by JAN. 15, 2013 to be eligible for Fall 2013 admission. No applications to Performing Arts will be accepted after this date.  Prospective Performing Arts students are highly encouraged to apply early – waiting until January 15th could jeopardize the availability of an audition date.

When applying to Pace University, you must list one of the following majors on your application or you will not receive access to information about auditioning:

• Acting (BFA) – major code ATG;
• Musical Theater (BFA) – major code MTR;
• Commercial Dance (BFA) – major code CDN;
• Directing (BA) – major code DIR;
• Theater Arts-Acting (BA) – major code THA;
• Theater Arts-Design & Production for Theater, Television and Film (BA) – major code THA

DO NOT LIST YOUR MAJOR AS “FINE ARTS” – This is an ART major.

No one will be admitted to any program in the Performing Arts Department without completing the audition/interview process outlined below.

Step 1: Upload your Audition/Portfolio Materials (Audition 1)

Once you have applied for academic admission to Pace, you will be granted access to upload and submit your audition/portfolio materials to Acceptd. Acceptd is a new digital platform that Pace will use as an initial screening process for the Performing Arts Department. All students are required to upload the required materials, per the program(s) of interest. Digital requirements are outlined on the Acceptd website for each program.

Students will be allowed to submit materials to as many programs as they wish. Once prospective students have submitted materials for a specific program, they will not be permitted to resubmit; only one submission through Acceptd for each program will be allowed.

Our faculty will review each digital submission and issue callbacks to those students we wish to attend either an on-campus or regional audition or interview. Students will be notified via email of their callback on a rolling basis and have the option of auditioning or interviewing for any or all of the programs for which callbacks were received. Please be advised that multiple callbacks may ask that you attend more than one audition or interview. Once a callback has been granted, you will be sent the Audition/Interview Request Form; please remit this form back to our office in a timely manner in order to secure your requested audition or interview date(s).

To view audition or portfolio requirements for this portion of the audition, or to get started on your upload, please click on the link below and choose your intended major.

Step 2: Schedule your On-Campus or Regional Audition/Interview (Audition 2):

NOTE to Current Pace Students and Transfers: We will not be auditioning students for Spring 2013 admission to Performing Arts.  If you are a current student interested in interviewing for the Design & Production for Theater, Film and Television, we will conduct interviews throughout the Fall 2012 semester.  Please contact the Performing Arts Department at (212) 346-1883 to schedule an interview.

Those interested in auditioning for Fall 2013 and who have received a callback from the digital submission may schedule an audition or interview with Performing Arts.  We encourage applicants to schedule early in order to secure a spot. The Audition/Interview Request Form must be submitted with two weeks of the date of your callback in order to secure an in-person audition.

THEATER AUDITIONS

Degrees: Acting (BFA), Musical Theater (BFA), Theater Arts (BA) – Acting, Directing

NYC, ON-CAMPUS AUDITIONS:

• Saturday, January 26, 9:00AM-6:30PM
• Saturday, February 2, 9:00AM-6:30PM
• Sunday, February 3, 9:00AM-6:30PM
• Friday, February 22, 9:00AM-12:00PM (Musical Theater only)
• Saturday, February 23, 9:00AM-6:30PM
• Saturday, March 2, 9:00AM-6:30PM

CHICAGO, IL, THEATER AUDITIONS:

• Tuesday, February 5, 10:00AM-6:00PM   (No Musical Theater auditions in Chicago)
• Wednesday, February 6, 10:00AM-6:00PM   (No Musical Theater auditions in Chicago)

LOS ANGELES, CA, THEATER AUDITIONS:

• Saturday, February 9, 10:00AM-6:00PM
• Sunday, February 10, 10:00AM-6:00PM

COMMERCIAL DANCE AUDITIONS

Degree: Commercial Dance (BFA)

NYC, ON-CAMPUS AUDITIONS:

• Saturday, December 15, 9:00AM-6:30PM
• Saturday, January 26, 9:00AM-6:30PM
• Saturday, February 23, 9:00AM-6:30PM
• Saturday, March 2, 9:00AM-6:30PM

LOS ANGELES, CA, DANCE AUDITIONS:

• Saturday, January 19, 10:00AM-6:00PM

CHICAGO, IL, THEATER AUDITIONS:

• Saturday, March 9, 10:00AM-6:00PM

DESIGN & PRODUCTION FOR THEATER, TELEVISION AND FILM INTERVIEWS

Degree: Theater Arts – Design & Technical Production (BA)

NYC, ON-CAMPUS INTERVIEWS:

• Friday, January 25, 12pm-6:30PM
• Saturday, February 2, 9:00AM-3:30PM
  
• Friday, February 15, 12pm-6:30PM

CHICAGO, IL, THEATER INTERVIEWS:

• Tuesday, February 5, 10:00AM-6:00PM

LOS ANGELES, CA, THEATER INTERVIEWS:

• Saturday, February 9, 10:00AM-6:00PM

Those interested in Design & Production for Theater, Television and Film will submit their portfolio through Acceptd (see above).  Once your required materials have been submitted through Acceptd and reviewed by our faculty, you will be contacted to set up a phone or in-person interview. See notes below on preparing a portfolio.

Application Guidelines

Admission to any program (BFA and BA) in the Performing Arts Department is contingent upon academic acceptance to the University.  As a professional training program, we also require each applicant to audition or present a portfolio.

The purpose of this process is to assess the level of theater training, experience, and technical ability of prospective students.  Since much of this has been extracurricular activity or private study, it will not appear on an academic transcript.  We also look for students who can be part of a close knit collaborative group over the four years of study.  Our thorough audition and interview processes allow our dedicated faculty to make informed and careful decisions about acceptance to our programs.

All decisions on acceptance into Performing Arts majors will be made by the end of March; we attempt to have our incoming class in place by April 15.

Requirements For All Applicants

All prospective students to Performing Arts must upload the following materials to their profile on Acceptd.  In addition, all students auditioning for performance programs must bring a headshot and resume with them to their second, in-person audition.

• Resume – This is a chronological listing of the shows you have worked on and the kind of theatrical training you have had. Each entry should list: the title of the play, the role or job you worked on, where and when the show was presented and the director or person in charge.
• Headshot or photo (not required for Design & Production) – Please bring this with you to your audition.

A $50.00 non-refundable audition fee will be collected by Acceptd when uploading your digital materials.  In addition, Acceptd will charge a one-time fee of $25.00 to apply for programs at Pace.

No fee will be collected by Pace University, so please do not send audition fees to Performing Arts.

Acting (BFA)

All applicants must first upload the required materials here. If a callback has been issued, the second audition will require you to attend one of our on-campus or regional auditions (details below).

Applicants should prepare two contemporary, contrasting monologues from published full-length plays. Each monologue should not exceed 90 seconds. The applicant will only be asked to present one monologue. The selections must be memorized and performed without a prompter or referring to the script. The monologue should be age appropriate.

At check-in you will be assigned a basic scene and scene partner. A time will be assigned for you to perform your scene. This scene does not need to be memorized.

You may be asked to participate in a movement callback. Please bring appropriate clothing for this portion of the audition. You will be given time to change. Callback sheets will be posted periodically with the names of those selected for the movement audition. Not everyone will be called back for this portion of the audition.

Musical Theater (BFA)

All applicants must first upload the required materials here.  If a callback has been issued, the second audition will require you to attend one of our on-campus or regional auditions (details below).

Songs/Monologues
Please prepare two contrasting 32-bar song selections.  Contrasting could mean a difference in style and/or vocal range.  Please prepare one contemporary monologue under 90 seconds.  You will only present your monologue if asked.

Dance
You will be asked to participate in a dance audition run by our dance faculty.  Please dress in dance attire for this portion and bring your tap, jazz and ballet shoes.  If you don’t have all of these shoes, don’t worry — we only ask that you can move well in the shoes you bring.

Music
You will be asked to participate in a 20-minute music placement test.  This test is merely to determine your level of music fundamentals and has no weight in the audition result.

Preparation notes:

1. You will have an accompanist.
2. Have your songs in a binder – not in a book or loose leaf.
3. Your accompanist will not change keys or play from a lead sheet.
4. No acapella singing.

We suggest that you choose material that will best show us YOU. Not how high you sing or how loud you belt – but what you are made of. Find material that speaks to you. We strive to nurture your individuality and what makes you unique, so show us who you are!

Acting-International Performance Ensemble (BA)

All applicants must first upload the required materials here.  If a callback has been issued, the second audition will require you to attend one of our on-campus or regional auditions (details below).

Applicants should prepare two contrasting monologues from published full-length plays, not to exceed 3 minutes TOTAL.  The applicant may only be asked to present 1 monologue.  These monologues should demonstrate your range and show contrast (e.g., comic/serious; contrasting character types; or stylized/realistic).  The selections must be memorized and performed without a prompter or referring to the script.  You may be asked how this “moment” fits into the play as a whole.  Applicants will also be asked to participate in a movement component of the audition.

Commercial Dance (BFA)

All applicants must first upload the required materials here.  If a callback has been issued, the second audition will require you to attend one of our on-campus or regional auditions (details below).

The Commercial Dance Audition will be comprised of the following:

1. 1hour ballet class (Men: black tights, white t-shirt, ballet slippers. Women: any color leotard, pink tights, ballet slippers.)
2. 1hour jazz class (All: leotard tights or jazz pants, and jazz shoes.)
3. 1hour tap/hip hop class (All: appropriate shoes required).

Students will be adjudicated for the program by the dance faculty. Our faculty will examine each student’s dance placement, technique and performance quality.

Directing-International Performance Ensemble (BA)

All applicants must first upload the required materials here.  If a callback has been issued, the second audition will require you to attend one of our on-campus or regional auditions (details below).

Applicants should prepare one monologue, under 90 seconds from a published full-length play. All applicants must also prepare and be ready to discuss his/her vision on ONE of the following plays:

• Romeo and Juliet by Shakespeare
• The Seagull by Chekhov
• A Doll’s House by Ibsen

The discussion will focus on your approach to the production, your staging and design ideas, and the way you will be working with the actors during rehearsals.  Your emphasis should clearly impart your artistic vision and focus less on the plot of the play.  You may also want to discuss the type of theater in which the production will take place and the specific audience who will be seeing it.

Candidates living abroad are interviewed in person when circumstances allow; otherwise, they are interviewed by phone or Skype.

Design & Production for Theater, Television and Film (BA)

All applicants must first upload the required materials here.  Applicants considered for the program will then be asked to complete a phone or in-person interview with our faculty.

Notes on Preparing a Portfolio:

Your portfolio is a representation of how you think. We want to see your artistic and theatrical ability and/or examples of your production experiences. Don’t show only your theatre or design work! Please include examples of graphic design, drawing, clothing, 2D and 3D design work, computer illustration, video and/or sound compositions. Prior experience in design and production is NOT required for admission, an eager and insightful mind is.

A portfolio for application could include:

• Artwork, drawings, sketches, paintings, sculptures, photography, graphic or interactive designs (posters, cartoons, websites, etc) figure drawing, collage, art and design projects, or ceramics of any kind and in any medium/media, or photos of these.
• Photographs of realized productions you were involved with including scenery, lighting cues, costumes, make-up, etc. Please note CLEARLY your involvement with any collaborative or assisting work. Misrepresenting your role in a project will be grounds for immediate disqualification.
• Paperwork (including cue sheets, rehearsal reports, budgets. etc) that relate to your production experience
• Recordings, compositions or video work you have created

For your actual interview, you may present a paper or digital portfolio. Avoid excessive use of matting, “fancy” fonts and other eye-wash that might be distracting from your ideas. Do include rough and process sketches that show how you think and how you see. Have an advisor or friend take a look at your book and give you some feedback before submitting.

What is most important is to put your BEST work first. Your portfolio should not exceed 20 pages.

Additional Writing Sample:

Applicants interested in pursuing stage management or focusing on production (not design) SHOULD include a short (max. 2 pages) writing sample that showcases your communication skills. All applicants MAY wish to include an additional writing sample. You may choose to write on one of the following subjects. Focus on clarity, insight, grammer and brevity!

• A performance (play, movie, etc…) that made you understand the world in a new way
• An experience you’ve had outside of the theater (or the art-world) was theatrical
• A problem you’ve had when working collaboratively that taught you something about group dynamics and behavior.

Requirements For Current Students

Current Pace students – both Performing Arts majors and non-majors seeking admission to a specific program – must audition on campus on the designated audition or interview date.  For Fall 2013, this date is March 2nd, 2013.  Current students are NOT required to submit materials through Acceptd.  Students may audition for Performing Arts programs a maximum of two times; if you have already auditioned once (for any program), this audition will be your final audition for any program in the department.

Entry into the program in Design and Production is done on a rolling basis. Contact program director, Luke Hegel-Cantarella lcantarella@pace.edu to schedule an interview.

To schedule an audition for Fall 2013 please call Performing Arts Recruitment at (212) 346-1883 or email performingarts@pace.edu.

Questions?

Wayne Petro, Recruitment Coordinator & Incoming Advisor, wpetro@pace.edu

If you have questions regarding the University admission process, please contact the Office of Undergraduate Admission at (212) 346-1323 or via email at ugnyc@pace.edu.