Acting Scholarship
Acting Scholarship for Fine Arts (Theatre) Students
The School of Fine and Performing Arts is happy to announce upcoming auditions for one of the most unusual scholarship programs in the county. This scholarship awards two high school seniors full tuition for four years in exchange for involvement in three major productions each year.
Our 2008-2009 productions are:
- Cabaret
- The Pillowman
- Come Back to the Five and Dime, Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean
Winners may declare any major. (See “Terms of Scholarship” below.)
APPLICATION INFORMATION
Students must:
- Apply and be accepted for admission to Rider University
- Apply, separately, for the scholarship to the School of Fine and Performing Arts.
Only applicants accepted by Rider University will be allowed to audition.
For information about applying for admission to the University, please visit the Office of Admission.
To apply for the Acting Scholarship:
- Send a resume. Include your legal name, home address, phone number, email address, high school name, and high school phone number.
- Submit two letters of recommendation.
- Mail your materials to: Rider University – Acting Scholarship, School of Fine and Performing Arts, 2083 Lawrenceville Road, Lawrenceville, NJ 08648
You may also submit your materials via fax to the School of Fine and Performing Arts at (609) 896-5232.
Applicants will be notified of an audition time by February 20, 2009.
TERMS OF THE SCHOLARSHIP
- A student attending Rider University under this scholarship must either major in Fine Arts with a concentration in Theater or may choose to study an major of their choice and minor in Fine Arts (Theater).
- The recipient must audition for three major theater productions each production year and accept the assignments offered by the directors.
- The recipient must maintain full-time enrollment status and maintain a minimum 2.5 cumulative GPA.
- Annual renewal is subject to review by the faculty.
AUDITION INFORMATION
- Auditions will be held on Saturday, March 7, 2009.
- Only applicants accepted to Rider University will be permitted to audition.
- You must prepare a 3 minute audition.
- A serious monologue (1 ½ minutes) and a humorous monologue (1 ½ minutes) OR
- A monologue (1 ½ minutes) and a song (1 ½ minutes) - A cassette tape player, CD player, and a piano will be available for your use. Applicants must bring their own recorded accompaniment or pianist.
- Monologues should be chosen from published, dramatic works. Stand-up comedy and original works are less useful to us in evaluating your skills.
- Accents and eccentric characterizations are acceptable but at least one piece should be spoken in your native accent and involve a character similar to yourself.
- Callbacks, if necessary, will take place on Saturday, March 14, 2009.
If you choose a monologue from a book of monologues, get a copy of the entire script and study it as part of your preparation.
Please avoid the following songs:
- “Corner of the Sky”
- “Memory”
- “She Loves Me”
- “Day by Day”
- Any songs from Guys and Dolls
- Any songs from The Fantasticks
- Any songs from Jekyll & Hyde
Please avoid monologues from:
- Biloxi Blues
- Brighton Beach Memoirs
- The Fantasticks
- Key Exchange
- Father’s Day
- Star Spangled Girl
- Slow Dance on the Killing Ground
- Loss of Roses
- Boys Life
- Bee Bee Fenstermaker
- Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead
- Any monologue that is overtly graphic or uses extreme profanity
POST AUDITION INFORMATION
- Applicants will be notified of a decision by March 25, 2009. Two recipients, plus alternates, will be chosen.
- Recipients must notify Rider University, in writing, or their decision to accept or decline the scholarship no later than March 31, 2009.
For questions or information about the Acting Scholarship, please contact:
Rider University
School of Fine and Performing Arts
2083 Lawrenceville Road
Lawrenceville, NJ 08648
Phone: (609) 896-5168
Fax: (609) 896-5232
Email: luckl@rider.edu
