BFA in Acting Auditions

A female student actor performing on stage in a U-M-B-C Theatre production of Rhinoceros by Eugene Ionesco. She is gasping and has a bread basket and cat puppet in her hands, with rollers in her hair.
Rhinoceros by Eugene Ionesco. Spring 2016. Photo by Marlayna Demond ’11.

About Our BFA in Acting Program

The Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) in Acting is a degree option for students interested in an intensive performance program leading to the pursuit of graduate study and/or careers in professional acting. These students immerse themselves in advanced technique in acting, voice, and movement courses, and learn the application of these skills to characterization in a wide range of productions in which they perform.

Admission to the BFA in Acting major is by audition and interview only. Read more about UMBC Theatre’s BFA in Acting Program here.

Scheduling an Audition

  1. Start by applying to UMBC – read more about that process on our How to Apply page.
    1. Students cannot be admitted to the BFA in Acting Major without acceptance to UMBC by the Office of Undergraduate Admissions. However, as long as we have an application on file, students can begin the audition process.
  2. After you have begun or submitted your application, sign up for an audition and interview via the links below.
    1. We strongly encourage you to attend our in person, on campus auditions. Audition videos will not be accepted.
    2. If you are applying for the Linehan Artist Scholars Program, you will need to audition on the Linehan specific audition day indicated below. We encourage all incoming freshmen to apply; this opportunity is not available for transfer students.
    3. Current UMBC students who wish to enter the BFA from another department must audition before or during their first year of study. We advise students changing majors to FIRST email theatre@umbc.edu so that we may establish the smoothest transition possible for you.
  3. Once you reserve a time slot, you will receive a confirmation email with details about how to proceed.

2026 – 2027 BFA in Acting Audition Dates

    • For Fall 2026 Entry (in-person, on campus): Sunday, August 16th, 2026, beginning at 10am.
      • Please select an audition time slot here.
    • For Spring 2027 Entry (virtual, Zoom): Saturday, November 21, 2026, beginning at 10am.
      • This audition is intended for transfer students beginning in the spring semester, who cannot make the January date. We strongly encourage you to audition in person if possible.
      • Please select an audition time slot here: SIGN UP TBA.
    • For Spring 2027 or Fall 2027 Entry, including Linehan Applicants (in-person, on campus): Saturday, January 16th, 2027, beginning at 10am.
      • Please select an audition time slot here: SIGN UP TBA.
    • For Fall 2027 Entry (in-person, on campus): August 2027, date TBA.
        • Please select an audition time slot here: SIGN UP TBA.

What to Prepare

BFA and Linehan Acting Audition Requirements:

  • Prepare one 45–90 second monologue from a published work (play, film, novel, or other published text).

Choose a piece that feels authentic and appropriate to you and that you’re excited to perform. As you select your monologue, we encourage you to consider your own identity (including race, age, gender, and other aspects of your lived experience) and how the character expresses their identity. We’re most interested in seeing work that you can connect to honestly and speak through with clarity, confidence, and authenticity.

More information about Linehan, including portfolio review requirements, can be found here.

Immediately following your audition, you may complete a brief interview with the faculty.

Interview Questions

After your monologue, the faculty may ask you the following questions. There’s no need to prepare scripted answers; the purpose of this interview is to get to know your interests as a theatre artist. It’s meant to be casual, and an opportunity to get to know you better!

  1. Why are you interested in the UMBC Department of Theatre?
  2. Choose one of your recent roles/performances OR production/class experiences.  What did you learn about yourself both as an artist and as a person from working on this process?
  3. In addition to acting/performance OR design/production/stage management, what are your other academic and artistic areas of interest?
  4. When you see yourself working in your craft, where is that?
  5. What other colleges are you looking at?

Need Help?

We are always happy to answer your questions.

  • For questions about auditioning for UMBC Theatre, please contact the Theatre Office (theatre@umbc.edu).
  • For questions about the BFA program, please contact Professor Gerrad Alex Taylor, Head of BFA Acting (gtaylor@umbc.edu).
  • For questions related to Admissions, please contact our Visual and Performing Arts Admissions Coordinator, Hana Albrecht (halbrecht@umbc.edu).