Acting
Bachelor of Fine Arts, Theatre
Most programs in the UCF School of Performing Arts require an audition or interview.
The Acting Track at UCF is a competitive program designed to prepare students for work in professional theatre, film and television. The program includes a specialized training process that includes a sequence of acting, voice and movement with highly skilled faculty members.
What performance opportunities will I have?
Acting students are required to audition for the Fall and Spring semester shows, made up of a diverse season of plays and musicals. They will also participate in a Sophomore Showcase with area talent agents and casting directors from which many students secure agents for film, television and commercial work.
There are many student-produced performance opportunities such as Project Spotlight as well as a new play festival during the summer called Pegasus PlayLab. Students may also at local theatres and venues if it does not interfere with classwork or Theatre UCF productions. Some of these include Orlando Shakes, Orlando REP, Mad Cow Theatre, Winter Park Playhouse, Garden Theatre, Walt Disney World and Universal Studios.
What techniques will I learn?
Acting: Stanislavski based – Meisner, Hagan
Movement: Laban, Alexander, Period Movement, Stage Combat
Opportunities to learn and grow
Students will become certified in various weaponry for stage combat and can train in singing and dancing with the musical theatre and dance faculty. Acting students often collaborate with the UCF Film and Television students as performers for their projects and work with the animation department to learn motion capture.
Each year, UCF present master classes with Broadway and regional theatre performers and producers, film actors and entertainment staff from Walt Disney World and Universal Entertainment. Students can also participate in the Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival Competition which include categories in playwriting, directing, dramaturgy, musical theatre and devising.
What are our acting alumni doing?
Acting alumni have been seen in recurring and guest starring television roles such as In the Dark, New Amsterdam, The Good Place, NCIS, S.W.A.T., God Friended Me, Westworld, Quantico, Coroner, Save Me, Bosch, Queen Sugar, David Makes Man and Grand Hotel.
Some have had directing jobs at Theatre Words USA National Tour, La MaMa, Asolo Theater, American Stage and more. Others have written for theatre and television with Francis Ford Coppola New Play Festival, Los Angeles Theatre Center, Davis Entertainment, Geffen Playhouse, Woolly Mammoth Theatre, Nashville Shakespeare Festival and more. Several have also done voice over work for shows and video games such as Avengers Assemble, American Dad, Star Wars Resistance and World of Warcraft.
Alumni have also been seen in national TV commercials, performing in Shakespeare companies, producing guerrilla companies and at theme parks.
Application Requirements
Students must apply and be accepted through both the UCF School of Performing Arts and UCF Undergraduate Admissions. It is encouraged to apply to both UCF Undergraduate Admissions and the UCF School of Performing Arts as early as possible. The school can provisionally accept students prior to being accepted by UCF Undergraduate Admissions but cannot offer official acceptance of study until students receive their UCF acceptance.
Schedule Your Audition
Students may audition for the program through:
- Acceptd (video submission)
- Live, on-campus audition on February 24, 2024
- Virtual-live audition on February 17, 2024
Note that for BFA Acting auditions, there are no callbacks after your Acceptd video audition submission or other auditions. Students may be admitted directly to the program from either the Acceptd video submission audition, the live on-campus audition or the virtual-live auditions.
Acceptd Auditions – Video Submission
The video audition submission for the B.F.A. Acting program is not a pre-screening audition. This differs from the Musical Theatre program audition process.
The BFA Acting video submission through Acceptd opens on September 25, 2023. Video submissions through Acceptd will close for this program on January 28, 2024, at 5:00 p.m.
Acceptd Audition Requirements
- 8×10 headshot (color)
- Résumé
- Please adhere to Acceptd video, file and image size restrictions.
- A brief video introduction. During your introduction, tell us a bit about yourself and then slate your material
- Two (2) contrasting monologues
- Please make sure that one of your monologues is filmed in a full-body shot and the other in a medium shot.
- Transcripts from prior colleges. Transcripts for all programs can be unofficial. For transfer credits to be officially evaluated for substitution you must submit official transcripts to UCF.
Virtual-Live Auditions
Request a Virtual-Live Audition
Saturday, February 17, 2024, 10:00 a.m. – 1 p.m. EST
Deadline to request audition and submit material for virtual-live audition is Monday February 12, 2024, at 5:00 p.m. EST
Virtual-Live Audition Requirements for Prospective BFA Acting Students
- Please go to Theatre UCF to the Request an Audition page and fill out the audition form.
- 8×10 Headshot (submit with your audition request)
- Résumé (submit with your audition request)
- You will be assigned a five (5) minute slot. Please perform two (2) contrasting monologues to total more than two (2) minutes in length. This will give us time during the five-minute slot to chat with you.
- Before you sign on for your audition, please make sure your camera is set up for eyeline looking up and out AND a frame that includes you from the hips up. Please do not wait until you are in the audition room to make these adjustments.
- Transcripts from prior colleges. Transcripts for all programs can be unofficial. For transfer credits to be officially evaluated for substitution you must submit official transcripts to the University.
Live, On-Campus Auditions at UCF
Request a Live Audition
Saturday, February 24, 2024, 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. EST
Deadline to request an audition for this date is Monday, February 19, 2024, at 5:00 p.m. EST.
Live, On-Campus Audition Requirements for Prospective BFA Acting Students
- Please go to Theatre UCF to the Request an Audition page and fill out the audition form.
- 8×10 Headshot (color)
- Résumé
- You will be assigned a five (5) minute slot. Please perform Two (2) contrasting monologues to total more than two (2) minutes in length. This will give us time during the five-minute slot to chat with you.
- Transcripts from prior colleges. Transcripts for all programs can be unofficial. For transfer credits to be officially evaluated for substitution you must submit official transcripts to UCF.
Audition Tips
- Be prepared.
- Be professional.
- Choose pieces that are age-appropriate.
- Take your time and do not rush through your pieces.
- Understand the language and the given circumstances of your monologue.
- Take adjustments with poise and focus.
- Have clear diction and good pronunciation.
- Breath — take time to breathe with strong, full breath support throughout your pieces.
- Have a clear, committed and appropriate physical choices for each monologue.
- Take time to speak with current students who are audition volunteers.
Separate UCF Admission
These items are separate from any items requested by UCF Admissions. Please submit these items prior to your audition. You may audition before completing your application to the University, but we do require that you have started the application process and strongly recommend that you submit your application to UCF prior to auditioning.
In most cases, applicants will be notified of their B.F.A. Acting acceptance status in March 2024; however, some students may be notified of their status after that time. If you have an urgent question about your audition, feel free to contact Be Boyd.
Don't wait to apply—apply now to UCF Undergraduate Admissions! Please remember that we cannot make you a full offer of admission until you've been accepted by the University.
We don’t want application fees to be a barrier. If you are submitting an application through AcceptD and need assistance, contact the coordinator for the program you are applying to for more information. For information about application fee waivers for UCF admissions, click here.
Contact
Alumni Highlights
Keston John ’06
Voice Actor, “She-Ra,” Netflix; Actor, “Avatar”
Stephen Rochet ’16
Performer, “Rock of Ages,” National Tour
Michael Wyatt Cox
Performer, “War Horse,” National Tour
David Blue ’01
Performer, “Ugly Betty,” “Stargate Universe”
Kraig Kelsey ’10
Chicago-Based Actor, Illinois Shakespeare Festival, Orlando Shakes, Texas Shakespeare Festival, The Great American Melodrama & Vaudeville, The National Theatre for Children, Pensacola Shakespeare Theatre, Gorilla Tango Theatre