The Illinois High School Theatre Festival includes a college/university audition session for high school juniors and seniors who are acting and design/technical students.  This event gives college and university representatives the opportunity to audition students from throughout the state, while allowing those students to demonstrate their skills to many institutions at a single time.  We hope that your institution will participate in the most valuable program.

The Festival Committee coordinates the administration of these auditions, including the sign-up and auditioning students, the monitoring and the running of the audition session, and the distribution of student resumes to college/university representatives.

Following auditions, colleges/universities interested in specific students may select those they wish to speak with or see further.

STUDENT AUDITION REQUIREMENTS & GUIDELINES

Students have been advised of the following

• The acting performance audition must not exceed two minutes, including introductions and transitions; all auditions will be timed.  Students should perform: a single monologue, or two short contrasting monologues, or a short monologue and 16 bars of a song.  Students should avoid character/age/dialect roles beyond their individual talents and age ranges.
• Technical interviews will be scheduled simultaneously with the acting auditions.  Students will display their work, give a two-minute presentation, and be present to answer specific questions form those college/university representatives interested in design/technical students.
• Eligibility is limited to Juniors or Seniors who plan to enter college in the school year 24-25 or 25-26 to study theatre.  Juniors are strongly encouraged to apply.

Participation Guidelines

• All colleges and universities intending to participate in the audition process must be an organizational member of the Illinois Theatre Association (ITA).
• All colleges an university that participate in the audition process must register as an exhibitor and have an exhibit booth.
  
• Only the two designated organizational representatives (one for acting and one for technical) may attend the college/university auditions.
• All colleges and universities intending to participate in the audition process must provide an exhibit (indicate on your exhibitor registration form if you wish to participate in auditions.)
• Additional representatives wishing to participate in the auditions must pay the $50 registration fee OR be a registered workshop leader.  Please see the late fees in exhibitor information section of the website.
• Please be aware that each college/university attending the auditions will be emailed an electronic file of student resumes.  No paper resumes will be handed out, though students are encouraged to bring copies for callbacks
• It is required that your bring your own laptop, smartphone, tablet, or other technology for use to Auditions.

Callbacks
Students will be emailed a list of those colleges wishing to see them.  It is the student's responsibility to visit college representatives who wish to see them on the exhibit floor.

If you have any questions concerning auditions/presentations, please contact the Associate Directors for Auditions:

Kim Freeman and Claire Drews-Matkovich

collegeauditions@ihstf.org