Audition Requirements 

BFA Entrance Auditions

BFA Acting, Devised/Physical Theatre and Musical Theatre - Fall 2027 Admission

Those wishing to pursue a BFA in Acting, Devised, or Musical Theatre must audition prior to entering the program and will be assessed in the areas of acting, voice, and movement.

The Prescreen Submission Link will be emailed to you once the following criteria are met:

• You have applied to CSUF through Cal State Apply. - OR - You currently attend CSUF, and have emailed Theatre Admissions that you are interested in auditioning to initiate your application.
• Your application has been processed by the Department of Theatre. It may take up to two weeks for the Department of Theatre to receive your Cal State Apply application. Once processed, you will start receiving emails from the Department of Theatre.

The Audition Sign-Up Link will be emailed to you once the following criteria are met:

• Prescreening requirements have been submitted and evaluated: Prescreening submission instructions will be emailed to applicants in areas requiring prescreening upon meeting the two criteria above. Results will be released beginning mid-December.

In-Person Callbacks (TBD)

NOTE: if you are invited to our in-person auditions, you only need to attend on ONE date corresponding to the area that called you back.

BFA in Acting

• One contemporary monologue (written after 1950) from a published play, 60-90 seconds in length.
• One shorter monologue using heightened language (such as a sonnet or classical monologue), roughly 60 seconds in length.

BFA in Devised Performance & Physical Theatre

• One contemporary monologue (written after 1950) from a published play, 60-90 seconds in length. Choose material that is happening in the present tense rather than “storytelling” material that is relaying something that happened in the past.
• One “Wild Card” video – Think of the “Wild Card” as an opportunity to share something unique about yourself. Something that helps us get a sense of the bigger picture of you as a person. This media clip can be ANYTHING you want (for example: a special or unique skill you have, an interesting story about yourself, an instrument you play, a clip from a short film you’ve made). Have fun with it!
  • Clips are to be no longer than 60 seconds
  • To help get you rolling, below are some examples that might spark some inspiration:
    • Performing your own stand-up comedy or Saturday Night Live-styled skit where you create a comedic character
    • Sharing a hobby or activity that means something to you
    • Playing an instrument
    • Making a “how-to” video demonstrating something you enjoy: baking, cooking, calligraphy, sports, martial arts, sewing, puppetry, photography, painting, illustrations.
    • Performing in a language other than English in which you are fluent
    • Singing or playing an original composition, song, or poem
    • If you are a dancer and want to show us a style you excel in: Tap, Hip Hop, Lyrical, Ballet, etc.

BFA in Musical Theatre

• One contemporary monologue (written after 1950) from a published play, 60-90 seconds in length.
• Two contrasting songs in any genre that best demonstrates your voice (pop, contemporary musical, golden age musical, etc.).
• One musical theater song from any time period.
• One song of your choice from any time period and in any style that best suits you (musical theater, pop, hip-hop, folk, rock, rap, soul, country, punk, etc.). This song should contrast the style of the first selection.

NOTE: Each song file should be 60-90 seconds.

Accompaniment: Students must sing to musical accompaniment, which could include live or pre-recorded accompaniment. No “a cappella” singing (without music).

Please include at least one turn, one jump and one kick (or other suitable rotation, elevation, and extension that works for your body). Show us your best version of dancing or moving. 

• Preferred: no barre work.
• CSUF prefers using a pirouette turn, if possible.
• Make sure you can execute all the choreography well. It is to your advantage to choose steps and movement that highlight your strengths instead of your areas of improvement.
• You may use recent videos of you from a show or concert, but it must just be you in the frame.
• Dance sample should be in whatever dance discipline you feel most confident. This may include, but is not limited to jazz, ballet, tap, modern, hip hop, lyrical, contemporary, or dance styles beyond American and Euro-western styles.
• Dance media can be “self-choreographed”, but it must be a solo video of you. This can include a show, competition, or other performance so long as you are clearly featured on your own.
• Please use steps, movement, and physical vocabulary that you are familiar with and can execute well. Fully move your body to the best of your ability.

To assist applicants with the dance prescreen, several institutions provided the following resource videos for applicants who do not have access to a choreographed combo for the prescreen process. You may submit this choreography (or a combination of it) to any of the schools you are applying to that ask for a dance prescreen.

This list will be updated as more institutions share resources.

• • • Abilene Christian University
    • Emerson College
    • Nazareth University
    • Texas State University
• OPTIONAL: One “Wild Card” video – Think of the wild card section as an opportunity to show your personality or share something about you. This media can be ANYTHING you want (a special skill, an interesting story about yourself, a passion speech, an instrument you play, etc). Submissions should be no more than 60 seconds.
  

Below is a list of ideas that have been successful in the past.

• • • Singing a pop song
    • Singing or playing an original composition/song/poem or choreographed dance.
    • Performing your own Saturday Night Live-styled skit where you create a comedic character
    • Sharing a hobby or activity that means something to you
    • Performing in a language other than English in which you are fluent
    • Playing an instrument
    • Making a “how-to” video on something you are good at, baking, calligraphy, gymnastics.
    • If you are a dancer and want to show us a different style you excel in: Tap, Hip Hop, Lyrical, Ballet, etc.

Labeling Guidelines

Title of Song – Musical/Show – Your First & Last Name

Title of Play – Playwright – Your First & Last Name

BFA in Design and Technical Production

• Please provide a  Statement of Intent  that is approximately two pages (500 words) in length. It could address some or all of the following questions:

  • What are your strengths and accomplishments so far?
  • Why do you feel passionate about working in design and technology?
  • What does your work look like?  What are the processes and materials used?
  • What do you hope to explore in the BFA program?
  • What are your goals for your future career?
  • What are some things that make you unique?
  • What else do you think it is important for us to know about you?

  The statement of intent should be submitted as a  single PDF  file.

• Prepare a  resume  that includes a complete list of your work in live and/or recorded entertainment. It should include titles of works, duties performed, locations of performances, and the names of supervisors and/or collaborators.

  • The statement of intent should be submitted as a  single PDF file.

    Below are some sample resumes that show industry-standard formatting.

    Credit List Format

    Employer List Format

• Please provide contact information for  two references  who can speak to your artistic and/or academic abilities.

  • Potential references include arts instructors, entertainment industry professionals, employers and mentors.  Please note that references cannot be current faculty members in the design and production area.

  • The listed references will receive a questionnaire which they will submit directly to the Department faculty.

• Applicants must submit a digital portfolio of their work in art, design and/or technology.  This can include both academic and professional work.  Submission requirements vary by concentration, but all should follow these guidelines:

  • Be  succinct  - show a few examples of your strongest work rather than showing the volume of work you have done.
  • Be  clear  - make sure all images, video and audio samples are high-quality and demonstrate your work clearly.
  • Be  organized  - make sure all submissions are clearly labeled and arranged in a way that is easy to navigate.

• Portfolios - Materials by Area of Focus

  • Costume 
    Images/Photos of Research, Renderings, Designs, Constructions, Productions and Material Samples of realized costume design projects, theoretical design projects, costume paperwork, etc.

  • Lighting/Video
    Photos of realized lighting and/or video projects, drafting samples, lighting paperwork, visual art, photography, electronics projects, etc.

  • Scenic
    Photos of realized work in scenic design, scenic painting, drafting &/or props fabrication, visual artwork consisting of drawing, sculpture, digital art.

  • Sound
    Samples of sound content - realized (including finalized cues, composed music, audio recordings) and unrealized (including class or personal sound art projects), paperwork and drafting samples, sheet music, conceptual or visual art, etc.

  • Stage Management
    Examples of stage management paperwork (daily calls, rehearsal/performance reports, contact sheets, etc) and assistant stage management paperwork (scene breakdown, costume plot, shift or run sheets, etc). Example of calling script.

  • Technical Direction
    Photos of realized projects, process photos, drafting samples, budgets, etc.

• File Formatting
  • All Submissions
    • All applicants must submit their portfolio as a single PDF document that is 20 megabytes or less.
  • Video Files
    • All video files must be embedded in the PDF document or linked via a cloud service such as DropBox or Google Drive. Please ensure that you set the file’s sharing settings to "public" or "Anyone with the link".
    • Videos can be embedded in YouTube or Vimeo. Please ensure that you set the file’s visibility/privacy settings to "public".
    • If you are linking to original files, you must use one of the following supported video formats: .mov or .mp4 compressed using H.264(preferred), Apple ProRes 422(LT/HQ), or H.265(HEVC)
  • Audio Files
    • All audio files must be embedded in the PDF document or linked via a cloud service such as DropBox or Google Drive.
    • Audio samples can be embedded in YouTube, Soundcloud, or Vimeo.  Please ensure that you set the file’s visibility/privacy settings to "public".
    • If you are linking to original files, you must use one of the following supported audio formats (listed in order from most preferred to least preferred): .wav, .aiff, .flac, .acc, .mp3, .ogg

Post-Baccalaureate + Graduate Requirements

Theatre Education (Single-Subject Credential Program in Theatre)

See the "Areas of Study" page for program information.

 Acting, Directing, and Design & Technical Production

MFA "Intent to Apply" application

MFA Frequently Asked Questions

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The MFA in Directing is also an alternate year program. Only one candidate is selected in this program. The next MFA directing candidate will begin study in Fall 2026, with selection beginning in Spring 2025. The MFA in Design and Production accepts a limited number of candidates each year. Selection for these programs is based on production books, portfolios and interviews. Design and Production faculty also attend the URTA National Unified Auditions and Interviews.

If you have not received email contact from the Department of Theatre or have any questions, please contact the Audition Coordinator at [email protected].

Please see the "Areas of Study" page for concentration-specific requirements, program structure/timing, and important information for transfer students.