The BFA in Musical Theatre is designed to provide outstanding pre-professional training within a liberal arts education. This interdisciplinary option requires course work in dance, music and theatre. In addition, all musical theatre students complete a strong core of liberal arts courses. Our faculty members provide students with rigorous and diverse training in the areas of singing/musicianship, dancing, and acting. Students are evaluated each semester through vocal and performance juries and rigorous classroom experiences. Our undergraduate-only program allows students numerous opportunities to perform and learn experientially. Our low student-to-faculty ratio allows for the personal development of each artist as an individual. Students receive hands-on advising and mentoring from a faculty of working professionals with real-world experience. Our distinguished guest faculty includes Tony Award-winner Sutton Foster who teaches a course in cabaret via Skype to all musical theatre seniors. All seniors have the opportunity to audition for professional casting directors who cast and direct our New York and Chicago Senior Showcases, and our L.A. Experience. We are dedicated to introducing our students to new works, having created the Discovery New Musical Theatre Festival, a unique and nationally recognized festival providing a stepping stone for new writers to move their work forward, with workshops and readings featuring our students.

Muncie, IN

Liberal Arts

B.F.A. in Musical Theatre

Large (>25k Students)

20K-30K

Prepare two 16-bar song selections contrasting in style that demonstrate your range and versatility:

• Select songs from musicals or operettas (vs. foreign language classical repertoire, etc.)
• Select a song sung by a character within 5-10 years of your playable age range.
• Songs must be no longer than 16 measures in length- ballad OR up-tempo. Every attempt should be made for selections to have as much contrast in style and character as is possible to provide adjudicators a sense of your abilities.

Songs from the following musicals/composers are considered either iconic and/or utilized too often, therefore we advise against using them in the audition process:

• “Les Miserables”
• “Wicked”
• “Rent”
• “Aida”
• “Jekyll and Hyde”
• the works of Andrew Lloyd Webber
• the works of Stephen Sondheim

One contemporary monologue that is one-minute in length (maximum)

• You may be asked for a second monologue. If so, your monologues should contrast: differences in tone, language styles, and character (i.e. characters who may speak differently, move differently, and/or have a different set of values). If you feel comfortable with a classical piece, you may choose to do one.
• Choose monologues that are well written and from published plays. Avoid monologues from movies, monologue books (unless you have read the play), musicals and the internet.
• Choose characters that are within five years of your playable age range.
• Do not choose monologues that require accents, eccentric characterizations, props or costumes
• Portray one character per monologue. Avoid material that is overly sexual, violent, or offensive (i.e. there are a number of monologues about suicide, rape, and abortion; we advise against using those.)
• Avoid climactic material that requires great depth or intensity of emotions. There is not enough time to achieve these emotional peaks effectively and honestly.
• Finally, choose material that you connect with and love.

The dance audition will run in the following order and be taught as a class:

• You will be taught several ballet barre exercises and/or combinations.
• You will be taught a jazz progression and/or combination.
• If you wish to be considered for advanced placement in tap, you may also complete a tap combination, but please note that this portion of the audition is optional and for placement purposes only.

• Saturday, November 4, 2017 – on campus
• Saturday, January 20, 2018 – New York Unifieds
• Sunday, January 21, 2018 – New York Unifieds
• Saturday, February 3, 2018 – on campus
• Monday, February 5, 2018 – Chicago Unifieds
• Tuesday, February 6, 2018 – Chicago Unifieds
• Wednesday, February 7, 2018 – Chicago Unifieds
• Thursday, February 8, 2018 – Chicago Unifieds
• Saturday, February 10, 2018 – Los Angeles Unifieds
• Saturday, February 24, 2018 – on campus

Yes – from $500 up to half tuition waivers. The Department awards 7-10 Presidential Scholarships in the Arts. These awards are half tuition waivers for either in-state or out-of-state students. Presidential Scholarships in the Arts are offered to those students with strong academic credentials and superior talent in their given area.

72-80 (Incoming class of 18-20)

Yes, in second semester.

Yes, as long as academic and school production work is not affected.

Department of Theatre and Dance, Arts and Communications
Building Room AC 306
Ball State University Muncie, IN 47306
Phone: 765-285-8740
Fax: 765-285-4030
Email: theatrestu@bsu.edu

Contact Andrea Sadler at 765-285-8740 for more information regarding digital auditions.