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Theatre FAQ

In addition to the application, interview, resume, and essay, all scholarship candidates must choose one or more of the following scholarship requirements:

• Performance Studies or Musical Theatre concentration: monologue
• Technical or Design concentration: portfolio
• Theatre Management concentration: monlogue, portfolio, and/or research paper
• Undecided: research paper

Audition Monologue

1. Prepare two contemporary monologues no longer than two minutes each (one may be a musical theatre song).
2. Monologues should be chosen from published plays, not from the internet or self-authored.
3. The monologues should have contrasting characters; different attitudes as well as objectives.
4. Monologues should have some form of conflict or problem to solve.
5. Pay close attention to what each character wants and who they are talking to.
6. Pick a point straight ahead of you on which to focus the delivery of your monologue (this is your imaginary scene partner).
7. Monologues should be age appropriate (the character should be your age, plus or minus a few years).
8. Do not speak in a dialect or with an accent.
9. Introduce yourself and state where your monologues were found. You DO NOT need to explain them.
10. A chair will be provided.
11. Do not use props or costumes.
12. If singing, please bring piano music for an accompanist.

Technical/Design Portfolio

1. Prepare a chronological visual representation of your technical and/or design work.
2. Portfolios may contain such items as prompt books, programs, pictures, ground plans, renderings (costumes or sets), plots (lighting or costumes), and related paperwork (schedules, lists, charts, etc.).
3. Candidates should be prepared to orally present the portfolio and talk through the processes in which the candidate was engaged.
4. Portfolios should be well organized and have a professional look, as opposed to a "cute" scrapbook format.

Research Paper

1. Candidates should write a 5-6 page theatre research paper discussing a particular area of interest.
2. Research papers should include a bibliography of at least five non-internet sources.
3. Papers should be type-written, double spaced, with one-inch margins.
4. Remember, any ideas that are not your own should be cited throughout the paper to avoid plagiarism, including internet sources.

Judy Myers, M.F.A.
Chair, Theatre & Dance Department
Saint Mary's University of Minnesota
700 Terrace Heights #1458
Winona, MN 55987-1399
(800) 635-5987, Ext. 6686
jmyers@smumn.edu