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?
Voice: Linklater, Fitzmaurice, Lessac, Dialects
Acting: Stanislavski based – Meisner, Hagan
Movement: Laban, Alexander, Period Movement, Stage Combat
More 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 playwrighting, 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.
News

4 Theatre UCF Alumni Seen on the Big Screen
August 02, 2021 Meet a few of the Theatre UCF alumni that you may have seen performing in some of your favorite television shows and films.

Theatre UCF’s 2021–22 season explores contemporary American theatre
June 09, 2021 Theatre UCF explores the question “what does it mean to be an American?” in a season of works by contemporary American playwrights that tackle experiences from the complexities of adolescence to the ups and downs of adulthood, from losing everything to finding the love of your life.

Pegasus PlayLab returns with virtual and outdoor plays
April 23, 2021 This summer, Theatre UCF’s Pegasus PlayLab returns in virtual and outdoor formats. Pegasus PlayLab is a festival at the University of Central Florida dedicated to developing plays by emerging playwrights from around the country. Each summer, audiences are invited to hear staged readings and experience full productions and workshops of...
Notes
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.
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