What to Expect on Audition Day

Congratulations on taking the next step in applying to the School of Theatre Arts at Illinois Wesleyan University. We are delighted to get to know you more through our audition process! Below is some important information about additional items to prepare and what to expect leading up to your day on our campus.

 

Getting to Campus

There are several area hotels within a 15 minute drive from campus . We are approximately 5-10 minutes from Amtrak (Lincoln Service) and 10-15 minutes from the Central Illinois Regional Airport. Uber and Lyft are available in Bloomington-Normal, but may not be as reliable as in a major city. Connect Transit bus lines run near campus connecting us to downtown Bloomington and Uptown Normal. Feel free to reach out if you need any advice arranging travel or getting around town.

On your audition day, please arrive at Presser Hall for check-in between 8 and 8:30 a.m . Presser Hall is located at 1210 N. Park St. The main entrance faces the quad just inside the Phoenix Gates, up a flight of stairs. If you need an accessible entrance, please enter off Park St. Feel free to contact theatre@iwu.edu if you have concerns about access to the spaces we will be visiting on audition days.

Ample parking is located off of Park St. south of Graham St.

Click here to view an interactive campus map

 

What to Expect

After check-in, there will be a greeting from Jean Kerr, Director of the School of Theatre Arts, and Kasey Evans, Dean of Admissions. We will then divide up by applicant major.

• BA Theatre Arts applicants will complete a faculty interview.
• Acting applicants will participate in an individual acting audition and faculty interview.
• Music Theatre applicants will participate in a group dance call, followed by individual voice and acting auditions and a faculty interview.
• Theatre Design & Technology applicants will interview with faculty and complete a portfolio review.

In addition to auditioning, we will provide campus tours. Our student ambassadors will be on hand throughout the day to support you through the process!

We will provide a light continental breakfast during check-in plus lunch in our dining hall for all students and family members. You are encouraged to let us know about critical dietary and/or health/medical needs via email: theatre@iwu.edu

All prospective students and guests are welcome to join us for the campus tour and tour of our theatre spaces. We will provide a touch down space for students and guardians during downtime. Or, we encourage families to explore Bloomington-Normal!

The day should finish up by approximately 6:00pm, if not sooner.

What to Bring

Music Theatre applicants should bring the following:

• Physical (paper copies) of your headshot and theatre resume.
• For the dance call: Form-fitting, solid-colored clothing that will permit freedom of movement with supportive undergarments. Please bring ballet or jazz shoes if you have them. Hair should be secured out of your face.
• Vocal audition: Please bring legible sheet music that is clearly marked where to begin and end for our accompanist.

Acting applicants should bring a physical (paper) copy of their headshot and resume.

Theatre Design & Technology applicants should bring any physical objects or artifacts such as textiles, drawings or sculptures/props that are best viewed in person. This is optional and presenting a digital portfolio/website is perfectly acceptable.

BA Theatre Arts Applicants who have not submitted materials for scholarship consideration are encouraged to bring materials that best demonstrate their artistry and creativity. These items may also be uploaded to your Acceptd application by sending a message to Laura Dolan on the Acceptd platform.

What to Prepare Ahead of Time

Expand the box aligning with your degree program to view additional items that are due before audition day. All forms must be submitted by Wednesday night, prior to your audition day.