Scholarships for First Time Theatre Students
Theatre Program Recruiting Scholarships
Interested in scholarship support from the Department of Theatre & Dance? Our scholarships can be stacked on top of other WKU First-Year Freshmen Scholarships you might receive, up to the cost of attendance. We encourage everyone considering a major in our department to audition or interview for a scholarship.
Audition or Interview?
Which will it be, audition or interview? That depends on your area of interest. It’s up to you to decide which way you would like to apply for a scholarship:
- Audition: If you plan to focus your studies on acting or musical theatre, you should audition. This is true whether you plan to major in the BFA – Performing Arts: Acting, the BFA – Performing Arts: Musical Theatre, or the BA in Theatre. Details about the auditions are below.
- Interview: If you think you will be focusing your studies at WKU in things like stage management, lighting, sound, scenic design, costuming, directing, theatre in education, dramaturgy, or playwriting then you should interview for a scholarship. An interview may also the best choice if you plan to study all aspects of theatre or combine your studies in unique ways. This applies to those who plan to major in the BFA – Performing Arts: Theatre Design & Technology, the BFA – Performing Arts: Theatre, or the BA in Theatre. Details below.
So Many Ways to Audition / Interview
Attend our Theatre Scholarship Days: Saturday, November 23, 2024 or Saturday, February
22, 2025.
Theatre Scholarship Day serves as an opportunity for students to get to know our department,
including a tour of our theaters, workshops with faculty, a session for parents, and
lunch with current students. If they would like to be considered for a scholarship,
students may also opt to do a live audition or interview at this event. Whether or
not you plan to audition, it’s a great way to get to know us. Learn more and sign
up on our Theatre Scholarship Day Registration Form.
Audition or Interview at a Recruiting Event
We regularly attend recruiting events like the Governors School for the Arts/Youth
Performing Arts college and Career Day, the Southeastern Theatre Conference, and the
Kentucky Thespian Festival. If we see your audition or interview you at one of these
events, you can be in the running for a scholarship. Be sure to let us know you’re
interested in a scholarship by filling out this Please Consider Me for a Scholarship Form.
Schedule an Audition or Interview During a Campus Visit
Would you like to visit WKU and also audition or interview for a scholarship at the
same time? Just fill out this Schedule a Visit Form and let us know you’re interested in an audition or interview. We’ll work with you
to arrange the details.
Submit a Video Audition
We welcome your video audition anytime between now and February 22, 2025. This can
be for acting or musical theatre. Details about what to prepare for the audition are
below. The instructions about how to submit your video to us are also below.
Audition / Interview Details
Musical Theatre
In-Person
For an on-campus audition prepare:
- A monologue from a play, 30 to 90 seconds in length. It should be thoroughly memorized and well-rehearsed.
- Cuts from two songs, not to exceed four minutes in total. The songs should be two contrasting vocal styles. If possible, one should demonstrate contemporary/belt and the other should represent legit/golden age musical theatre style. For accompaniment you can bring a recorded track that can be played on a Bluetooth speaker. If you need us to arrange for live piano accompaniment, we may be able to do so with advance notice. If this is the case, please bring clearly marked sheet music in the correct key. We may also ask that you send a pdf of your music ahead of time. Do not sing a capella.
There will also be a short interview after your audition. Please bring a headshot and resume, if you have one.
Video Submission
Begin your audition video by telling us:
- Your name.
- Your current city, state, and high school.
- What do you think are your greatest strengths as a performer? Where do you hope to grow during your time at WKU?
- Why did you apply to WKU?
- One or two interesting facts about yourself.
Perform:
- A monologue from a play, 30 to 90 seconds in length. It should be thoroughly memorized and well-rehearsed.
- Cuts of two songs, not to exceed 4 minutes in total. accompanied by live piano or a track. Do not sing a capella. The songs should be two contrasting vocal styles. If possible, one should demonstrate contemporary/belt and the other should represent legit/golden age musical theatre style.
Suggestions for recording your video:
- Try to complete the recording without stopping the video at any time.
- If using a phone to record, the phone should be in landscape (horizontal) mode.
- Use a tripod to keep your camera still.
- Test the audio to ensure minimal background noise and that the sound quality represents you well.
- Test the lighting to ensure that we can see you well.
- The frame for the video should include all or most of your body but be close enough that we can see your facial expressions clearly.
Send us your video:
Upload your video to YouTube. In the dropdown menu, select “unlisted.” This keeps your video unsearchable but allows those who have the link to access it. Fill out the Video Audition Submission Form and include the link to your video in the form.
Acting
In-Person
For an on-campus audition prepare:
- A monologue from a play, between 30 seconds and two minutes in length. It should be thoroughly memorized and well-rehearsed.
There will also be a short interview after your audition. Please bring a headshot and resume if you have one.
Video Submission
Begin your audition video by telling us:
- Your name.
- Your current city, state, and high school.
- What do you think are your greatest strengths as a performer? Where do you hope to grow during your time at WKU?
- Why did you apply to WKU?
- One or two interesting facts about yourself.
Perform:
- A monologue from a play, between 30 seconds and two minutes in length. It should be thoroughly memorized and well-rehearsed.
Suggestions for recording your video:
- Try to complete the recording without stopping the video at any time.
- If using a phone to record, the phone should be in landscape (horizontal) mode.
- Use a tripod to keep your camera still.
- Test the audio to ensure minimal background noise and that the sound quality represents you well.
- Test the lighting to ensure that we can see you well.
- The frame for the video should include all or most of your body but be close enough that we can see your facial expressions clearly.
Send us your video:
Upload your video to YouTube. In the dropdown menu, select “unlisted.” This keeps your video unsearchable but allows those who have the link to access it. Fill out Video Audition Submission Form and include the link to your video in the form.
Theatre Design & Technology (costumes, sets, lights, sound, technical direction, and stage management)
On the day of the interview please bring a resume. Also bring examples of your work, if possible. This can be a formal portfolio (either electronic or in a binder) or other examples of your work such as production photos, light plots, sound plots, or a stage manager’s book.
Directing, Dramaturgy, Playwriting, Theatre in Education, or a General Interest in Theatre
On the day of the interview please bring a resume. You are also encouraged to bring examples of your work if you have them. Examples include scripts, a director’s book, dramaturgical research, production photos, or other materials.
What about auditioning for admission into the BFA program?
We do not require an audition prior to beginning the BFA – Performing Arts degree. These auditions are only for scholarship support. This is a little different from other BFA programs, we know. For a full explanation of why we choose to do it this way, go here.
Do I also have to apply to WKU to be considered for a scholarship?
WKU has a priority deadline for automatic consideration of academic scholarships of December 31st. Students not admitted by that date may still be offered academic scholarships, but that is not guaranteed. For these Theatre Recruiting Scholarships, we can be a little more flexible. We ask that you apply to WKU by February 15th, at the latest. We will begin making award decision after that date, and it is important for you to know that we can only offer these scholarships to student already admitted to WKU.
If we should see you at a recruiting event such as SETC after February 15th, we may still be able to consider you for a scholarship. That will depend on the funding we have available at that point, and your interest in WKU.
Anything else I need to do?
After being admitted to WKU, be sure to set up an account on TopDollar Scholarship Source. WKU transfers scholarship funds to students through this portal. If you don’t have an account, you can’t receive your scholarship.
Theatre & Dance Scholarship Funds
Awards will be made from two different funds:
Jerry E. Baker Foundation Scholarship Funds
These scholarships may range anywhere from $500 to several thousand dollars. The award amount is typically split between the fall semester and spring semester of your first year. To be eligible you must maintain full-time status and maintain a major in the area in which you received the award. There may be additional stipulations depending on your major. These are one-time awards, although you are welcome to apply in future years for Scholarships for Current Students.
The Potter College Creative Arts Scholarship Fund
These scholarships can range between $1,000 and several thousand dollars per year and are renewable for four years (8 semesters total). Terms for renewal include full-time status at WKU, a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or above, and declaring and making reasonable progress toward an approved arts major. Students awarded a Potter College Creative Arts Scholarship through the Department of Theatre & Dance must take at least 9 credit hours per academic year in the major in order to maintain reasonable progress in the degree. Transfer students are not eligible for this scholarship.
Potter College Creative Arts Scholarships are also awarded in other disciplines such as Art, Music, Film and Creative Writing. For more information on these scholarships go here.
For information about auditioning for our Dance Program, please visit our Dance Audition page.
Some of the links on this page may require additional software to view.