VTA College & University Pre-Screens Auditions/Portfolio Review

Open to High School Juniors, Seniors, Transfer Students, and other Prospective College Attendees

Before Conference:

  • Teachers/Directors will register students during conference registration, indicating the number of students from their school participating. There is a $20 fee for each student auditioning.

  • Students will upload their audition/portfolio using a Google form submission. The submission portal is open. The submission deadline for online audition videos and digital portfolios is Thursday, October 9, 2026 by 11:59pm.

    • Audition Requirements

      • Acting- 60 second monologue

      • Musical Theatre- 90 seconds total with a combined monologue and song. You may split the 90 seconds however you wish.

      • The college and university reps will have access to your audition Youtube link and application after the deadline. They would be able to review your material multiple times if they would like to.

    • Design and Tech Requirements

      • Digital Portfolio, website of their work, or photos of their portfolio - 

      • The college and university reps will have access to your Portfolio, and application after the deadline. They would be able to review your material multiple times if they would like to.

  • College and University representatives will view your audition/portfolio materials and will contact students about next steps. Recruiting Institutions will be given access to submissions beginning Monday, October 12th. VTA will send out the callback list on Thursday, October 22nd at 12:00pm during the conference.

Junior/Senior Application can be accessed here: 2026 VTA Pre-Screen Application

At VTA Conference

  • Each college and university program will conduct in-person callback sessions for students. All callbacks will happen on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday from 1-5pm at the Conference. 

  • Recruiting institutions can offer an In-Person Callback session where acting professors can work and rehearse the monologues with the students. Students are expected to have their monologue ready to workshop with the professors. This will help acting professors to show their style of giving notes and it will provide meaningful “Callbacks” to the performers with tips for improvement.

  • On Friday, October 23 at 4pm, Design and Tech students should attend your in-person technical portfolio reviews with the Technical and Design Professors from undergraduate programs. Students are expected to have their portfolio ready to workshop with the professors. During this time, students will move through the room to get feedback on their portfolios and have a chance to talk to professors for your prospective universities.

Audition and Portfolio Guidelines

Students, we highly recommend that you reach out to your theatre teacher for assistance on the audition process. The information below will help with the specifics of the process and we hope that you and your teacher can work together to help put together a product that best showcases your talents.

Application

  • All students are required to fill out the Secondary School Audition Application form.* This digital application should be treated as a resume and it should be presented in a professional manner.

  • When completing the Performance and Technical experience, list your most recent accomplishments first.  

  • Please check your areas of interest. In the performance section, if you select Musical Theatre or Both,  you should sing at your audition.

  • You must include a recommending teacher name and contact email. Please confirm with your teacher that  you are submitting an application to the VTA Secondary Schools Auditions. We recommend that you work with your teacher on your audition and your application before submission.

*The application is a Google Form. You will not need to upload a traditional resume for this audition. 

Acting and Musical Theatre Guidelines

  1. For acting, you are allotted one minute for one monologue. This includes your introduction. The  representatives have indicated that they want a very simple introduction. “Hi, my name is ______” is all that they require. They want students to use their time performing for them instead. Students do not need  to introduce your piece or identify their high school.

  2. For musical theatre, you are allotted one minute and thirty seconds for one monologue and 16-32 bars of a  musical theatre song. This includes your introduction. You are required to use an accompanying track while you are singing. It is recommended to have someone else with you when you record to play the  music for you, whether through live or digital accompaniment.

The style of this audition should be very similar to if you were performing it live in the room with the representatives. Please make sure the camera is approximately six-ten feet away from you so the reps can see how you move during the monologue. Additionally, we are recommending that you film against a neutral background and consider the acoustics of the room that you are in. If possible, position a soft direct light or natural light in front of you and it’s best to position the camera at eye level or slightly higher. Please check for shadows on your face and adjust the light source as needed. Please pay attention to the sound quality and determine if you need to articulate your words more clearly or to speak more loudly.  

We highly recommend that students run their audition with their high school theatre teacher or acting coach prior to submission.

Performance Auditions, Youtube Upload Instructions

Please upload your video as an “Unlisted” Youtube video and share the link in your application.

An unlisted video is a different type of private video. "Unlisted" means that only people who know the link to  the video can view it. This will ensure that only the college professors will be able to see your performance.  An unlisted video will not appear in any of YouTube's public spaces (such as search results, your channel, or  the Browse page). Please make sure you choose, “Unlisted” rather than “Private.”

  • Sign into your YouTube Account. You may have to sign up for an account with a Gmail Address. Make  sure you are logged in. If you don't see your account avatar in the upper right corner, click "Sign In" and  enter your Google account information.  

  • You can also ask your theatre teacher to list the video for you with their school email address.

  • Click the Create a video button at the top of the screen. It looks like a video camera. In the drop-down  menu, click "Upload video.”

  • The video upload page should appear. Under "Select files to upload," click "Unlisted" and choose what  level of visibility you want for the video.

  • Don’t forget to click the Save Changes button.

  • While the video uploads, you can enter information like the name and description of the video. We are  recommending you use the title, “First Name Last Name, VTA Senior Audition 2025”

  • Click "Publish" to complete the process. You can publish the video while it's still uploading, or wait till the  upload is complete. Either way, the video won't appear online unless you click "Publish."

Digital Portfolios: Design, Technology, and Management Portfolios

All students should prepare a digital portfolio displaying their work. This digital portfolio should be uploaded as a .PDF to the link below. An online website portfolio link is also acceptable, please upload a copy of your technical theatre resume including the web address of your portfolio using the link below. Your portfolio should include a one-page technical theatre resume and should be included as the first page in your portfolio. Portfolio pages or “plates” should typically include multiple pictures composed on a single page and include notes, labels, and pertinent information (short phrases). Power Point, Word, and other such programs work well for creating visually interesting compositions on a uniform background. Portfolios should be saved as multi-page PDFs, as they are universally easier to read by Mac or PCs and retain your intended composition and formatting. You are presenting images and information that highlight your experience, and we recommend being selective and purposeful with your choices. 

For an overview of creating a great Tech Theatre Resume, check out this guide from USITT. Examples of Previous Submissions

We can help you to upload your video if you are having difficulty registering it on your account. Please contact us at auditions@vtasite.org and we can help you through the process. We will also be available at the meeting listed below if you would like to ask any specific questions about the audition process.

Audition & Portfolio Application