College and Thespian Scholarship Auditions

The Iowa Thespian Festival offers students an outstanding opportunity to pave the road to their future. At the Festival, all students will have time to meet with colleges and universities.  Graduating Thespians have the opportunity to earn a Thespian scholarship and/or college scholarship to apply toward college tuition. Up to three $1,000 Iowa Thespian scholarships may be awarded to students who plan to major or minor in the communicative arts (theatre, film, radio & television, broadcasting, music, or dance) and/or an education major in one of said fields.

At Festival, we have combined the annual Thespian scholarship and college auditions. Therefore, ONE AUDITION WILL PROVIDE YOU MANY SCHOLARSHIP OPPORTUNITIES!

REGISTRATION PROCESS
Step 1. Troupe Directors MUST register students for the scholarship auditions through the festival registration system. The cost for a scholarship audition is $20, which will be included in your school's invoice.

Step 2. Scholarship candidates should look through the scholarship audition information carefully for all audition details.  

Step 3. Students MUST submit their scholarship documents (resume, headshot, Troupe Director Recommendation) via the online form below. These are required and must be submitted prior to your student being scheduled for an audition.  

Step 4. Practice, practice, practice! The best way to prepare is to have candidates and troupe directors work together in rehearsing for the audition.  

Step 5. An audition schedule will be posted on the Iowa Thespians website and shared with troupe directors prior to Festival. Check out this schedule and be sure to arrive to your audition time EARLY.  

​Step 6.  Scholarship candidates MUST attend the “College Meet and Greet” activity on the Friday night of Festival. The meet and greet will give students the opportunity to talk with all of the college representatives that are attending Festival.  This is a required activity for the student to qualify for scholarship awards.  If a candidate has a conflict, contact Christina Myatt (center.stagepaa@gmail.com) before Festival.

​Please remember: a scholarship candidate is not fully registered for Festival until they have submitted all documents AND been registered by their Troupe Director through the online registration system. Incomplete submissions will not be scheduled.

To receive the Thespian scholarship, students must have been inducted into the International Thespian Society by October 15 of their senior year. Applications are only considered complete if the Troupe Director has completed the online registration AND the student has completed the scholarship registration by the registration deadline (October 15, 2019). * Only 2020 graduates are eligible to audition for the College and Thespian Scholarships.

For the Thespian scholarship, applicants MUST select which of the scholarships she/he is applying for: PERFORMANCE, TECHNICAL, or THEATRE EDUCATOR

AUDITION MATERIALS
​The following forms should be uploaded with your online registration form below.

• Resume (uploaded by STUDENT)
• Headshot (uploaded by STUDENT)
• Troupe Director Recommendation Form (submitted by TROUPE DIRECTOR)

If you would like assistance in creating your resume, click on the sample below.

• Performance Scholarship Resume Sample
• Technical Theatre Scholarship Resume Sample
• Theatre Educator Scholarship Resume Sample

AUDITION SCHEDULE
Students who have completed the registration process will be scheduled an audition time on Saturday morning of festival. Following the initial auditions, the Thespian Scholarship Selection Committee will post a callback list. Callbacks for the Thespian Scholarships will be held on Saturday afternoon. The Thespian Scholarships will be announced during closing ceremonies in the GBPAC. College representatives may ask to see candidates a second time. These meetings should happen throughout Saturday afternoon of Festival. Colleges may or may not announce scholarship recipients during the closing ceremonies on Saturday evening.

The audition schedule will be posted online and shared with Troupe Directors before festival.

AUDITION TIPS

• Download this handy audition information sheet for your scholarship candidates: How To Prepare for Scholarship Auditions
• Be prepared and arrive early!  Arrive at your audition session at least 10 minutes early.
• Make a good impression by dressing professionally and being prepared.
• Be prepared with any presentation aids for technical presentations.
• All auditions must be solo presentations or performances.  (Another individual may assist by beginning a music track, if necessary).
• When preparing monologues, consider avoiding selections with dialects/accents.
• Practice, practice, practice!  The more prepared you are, the more successful you will be!

PERFORMANCE AUDITION GUIDELINES

• Applicants will be given a 90 second time limit for performance auditions. 
• All performances must be solo presentations. 
• Begin with an introduction (name; school; name of selections). Time begins when the introduction ends.
• Time will be called if you exceed the 90 second time limit. 
• You will not receive written or oral critiques from the college representatives or the Thespian Scholarship Selection Committee.

Students should showcase their best 90 seconds of performance. This could be one monologue or song, two contrasting monologues or songs, or one song and one monologue. The performance area will be approximately 5’x5’. No special lighting will be available. One straight back chair will be provided. You may not use additional set pieces or hand props. Costumes are not permitted.

Musical auditions must include pre-recorded accompaniment (NO LIVE INSTRUMENTATION WILL BE ALLOWED). You may have one person (student or adult) play the music for your performance. To help ensure your accompaniment track will work, please bring your own device/speakers for your music!

There will NOT be a question and answer session during the initial performance audition. However, if you receive a callback for the Iowa Thespian Scholarship, each performer will re-perform AND have a brief question/answer session with the Selection Committee.

TECHNICAL PRESENTATION GUIDELINES

• Applicants will be given a three-minute time limit on technical auditions. 
• Begin with an introduction (name and school). Time begins when the introduction ends.
• Time will be called if you exceed the three-minute time limit.
• Please prepare a presentation showcasing your technical expertise and portfolio
• Students must provide their own presentation aides and/or laptop. Power outlets are available. 
• Poster boards, photos, or other exhibition materials are encouraged.

Each student auditioning in the area of technical theatre MUST prepare a portfolio that illustrates his or her expertise in technical theatre. Recommended content includes renderings, sketches, models, and/or illustrations of scenic or costume designs, light plots, drafting, blueprints, and or photographs of design work. If you are interested in stage management, publicity, or theatre administration, include production journals, prompt books, or marketing materials in your portfolio.

There will NOT be a question and answer session during the initial performance audition, however, if you receive a callback for the Iowa Thespian Scholarship, you will be asked to repeat your presentation AND have a brief question/answer session with the Selection Committee.

THEATRE EDUCATOR AUDITION GUIDELINES

• Applicants will be given a five-minute time limit on Theatre Educator auditions plus time for questions.
• Begin with an introduction (name and school). Time begins when the introduction ends.
• Time will be called if you exceed the five-minute time limit.
• Please prepare a presentation showcasing your desire to become a Theatre Educator which includes a combination of the following: present a lesson plan, present a portfolio outlining a variety of experiences and work in technical theatre (including documentation such as programs and photos), perform a monologue or musical theatre piece, produce a PowerPoint presentation and use it as part of an illustrated talk, assemble a foam core display board.
• Students must provide their own presentation aides, including laptops to show video or PowerPoint presentations. Power outlets are available in the audition room. 
• Poster boards, photos, or other exhibition materials are encouraged. 

Your presentation should be a concise explanation of your desire to be a Theatre Educator. The presentation may include a description of your past work and future goals.  Presentations should not be just a portfolio or performance audition.  

If you receive a callback for the Iowa Thespian Scholarship, you will be asked to repeat your presentation AND have a brief question/answer session with the Selection Committee.

If you have questions about scholarship auditions, please contact Christina Myatt at center.stagepaa@gmail.com

Festival Quick Links

> All-State Cabaret
> College/Thespian Scholarship Auditions
​> Contact Information 
> Individual Events
> Registration Information
> State Thespian Officer Candidates
> Studio Theatre Performances
> Tech Challenge

If you are interested in participating in the College/Thespian Scholarship Auditions, fill out the online registration below by the festival registration deadline (October 15)

Troupe Directors MUST submit their Recommendation Form by the registration deadline: October 15, 2019. The link to this form can be found above.