Samford School of the Arts offers three in-person audition weekend options for undergraduate students. Each weekend includes an optional Friday experience, where students and families can tour the campus and arts facilities, enjoy a meal with current students and faculty and attend a performance.

Saturday Auditions

Audition check-in runs from 7:30–8 a.m. on Saturday. Students will receive their individual audition appointment times at check-in. The audition day will conclude no later than 3:30 p.m.

In addition to the audition itself, there is a robust schedule for students and families including panels on financial aid, faculty insight and student life. Our goal is for you to leave the weekend with a full picture of what it’s like to study in the School of the Arts at Samford. A light continental breakfast and lunch in the Samford Caf is provided.

Students are required to submit a headshot, resume, video and/or portfolio and PDF sheet music (if applicable) ten days prior to their audition. This material is NOT a “pre-screen” with a cut. All students who request an in-person audition and have been academically admitted to the university and completed their Theatre & Dance application will be granted one.

Audition Dates

• Audition Weekend I: 20-21, 2026
• Audition Weekend II: 5-6, 2027
• Audition Weekend III: 19-20, 2027

It is dramatically preferred that you audition in-person on one of the three scheduled audition weekends, but we understand that is not possible for all families. If none of these dates work for you, you may request a non-traditional audition. From there, we will work with you to schedule an alternate in-person or virtual audition date.

Apply to the University

Apply for admission to the university and declare a major housed within the Department of Theatre and Dance on your application. Your university application will give you access to a Samford-specific “Application Status Page.” Only when you submit the university application will you gain access to the theatre and dance application, which can be found under the program applications tab.

Apply to Theatre and Dance

Submit the theatre and dance application through your Samford-specific “Application Status Page.” Then, you will select an audition date or request a non-traditional audition. You may submit your application and reserve your audition slot prior to uploading your supporting materials, but all materials are due no later than ten days prior to your audition.

All theatre and dance applicants are required to provide an artistic resume and headshot as part of the application process.

Complete an Audition and Interview

Attend your audition and interview date. Live, in-person auditions are dramatically preferable. Virtual auditions and alternate audition dates will be accepted in a limited capacity.

Samford Theatre will be attending the College Audition Project in St. Louis, MO and may be at additional unified auditions. Please email us to see if we will be at the unified audition you are planning to attend.

BFA Musical Theatre

Introductory videos should include:

Songs – Three pieces

• Each song should be a 60-90 second cut.
• One song should be a ballad, one song should be up-tempo, and one song should be the student’s choice of tempo.
• One song should be from a musical written prior to 1970, one song should be from a musical written after 1970 and one song should be an Italian Art Song.
• Applicants must sing to live or recorded piano accompaniment. No “a cappella” singing.

Monologues – Two pieces

• Each monologue file should be 60-90 seconds in length.
• Monologues must be from a published play.
• One Contemporary (written after 1900).
• One Classical (written pre-1900).

Dance – Two videos 

• Dance media can be self-choreographed but must be a solo video of you. This can include a show, competition, or other performance so long as you are clearly featured on your own.
• All choreography must be performed to music; no “a cappella” dance media please.
• One 30-60 seconds of dance, in whatever dance discipline you are most comfortable with: jazz, ballet, modern, African, hip hop, lyrical, or contemporary.
• One 30-60 seconds executing grand battements; pirouettes, chaine turns, sau de chat (to both sides).

Live Auditions

• Dance media can be self-choreographed but must be a solo video of you. This can include a show, competition, or other performance so long as you are clearly featured on your own.
• All choreography must be performed to music; no “a cappella” dance media please.
• One 30-60 seconds of dance, in whatever dance discipline you are most comfortable with: jazz, ballet, modern, African, hip hop, lyrical, or contemporary.
• One 30-60 seconds executing grand battements; pirouettes, chaine turns, sau de chat (to both sides).

BFA in Theatre for Youth

Introductory videos should include:

Monologues – Two pieces

• Each monologue file should be 60-90 seconds in length.
• Monologues must be from a published play.
• One Contemporary (written after 1900).
• One Classical (written pre-1900).

Songs – Three pieces (only required if pursuing voice intensive track)

• Each song should be a 60-90 second cut.
• One song should be a ballad, one song should be up-tempo, and one song should be the student’s choice of tempo.
• One song should be from a musical written prior to 1970, one song should be from a musical written after 1970 and one song should be an Italian Art Song.

Dance – Two videos (only required if pursuing dance intensive track)

Dance media can be self-choreographed but must be a solo video of you. This can include a show, competition,or other performance so long as you are clearly featured on your own.

• All choreography must be performed to music; no “a cappella” dance media please.
• One 30-60 seconds of dance in whatever dance discipline you are most comfortable with: jazz, ballet, modern, African, hip hop, lyrical, or contemporary.
• One 30-60 seconds executing grand battements; pirouettes, chaine turns, sau de chat (to both sides).

Recommendation Letter

Live Auditions

Be prepared to discuss your desire to pursue theatre for youth, your background working with children or alternatively abled communities and be directed by faculty on one of your monologues.

If pursuing the vocal intensive track, applicants will be asked to perform 60-90 second cuts of the three songs they submitted via video and will be accompanied live by a collaborative pianist provided by Samford University. Students will be given rehearsal time with their pianist prior to their audition. Be prepared for a vocal and musical assessment through tonal memory exercises, range check and sight reading.

If pursuing the dance intensive track, the dance call will consist of a ballet bar warm up and a musical theatre jazz combination taught live.

BA in Theatre: Acting and Directing

Introductory videos should include:

Monologues – Two pieces

• Each monologue file should be 60-90 seconds in length.
• Monologues must be from a published play.
• One Contemporary (written after 1900).
• One Classical (written pre-1900).

Live Auditions

Be prepared to discuss your desire to pursue acting and be directed by faculty on one of your monologues.

BA in Theatre: Production Design & Tech

Applicants must upload a PDF or PPTX demonstrating work in areas of lighting, costuming, scenic design, sound design, marketing and stage management as a required part of the application.

Applicants will participate in an interview with production design and technology faculty at the audition weekend. Be prepared to discuss your design process, strategy, and experience. Be prepared to discuss why you want to study production design and technology.

BA in Dance

Applicants will be asked to upload their dance resume and a headshot.

Students who wish to be considered for the Samford Dance Company should also submit a video of them in performance demonstrating either ballet or modern technique. If there are other dancers in the video with you, please indicate which dancer you are.

The live audition will consist of a 90-minute ballet class immediately followed by a 90-minute moder class. There will be a group interview at the conclusion of class.

Each piece should be filmed/uploaded as a separate piece of media. No continuous videos.

Slating

• There should not be a separate “slate” video. Slates should occur at the beginning of each piece.
• The proper slate for a monologue is to speak your name, the title of the play and the playwright.
• The proper slate for a song is to speak your name, the song title, and the title of the show in which it appears.

Songs

• Applicants must sing to live or recorded piano accompaniment. No “a cappella” singing.
• Songs should be filmed in a 3/4 shot which means the top of the head to the knees should be visible in the frame.

Monologues

• Contemporary monologues should be filmed in a “close-up” shot which means the top of the head to the chest should be visible in the frame.
• Classical monologues should be filmed in a “full body” shot which means the top of the head to the feet on the floor should be visible in the frame. Only perform Shakespeare if you feel comfortable doing so.

Dance

• The full body of the dancer should always be in the frame.

Schedule a Campus Visit

The Office of Admission offers on campus visit options most weekdays and some Saturdays. If you would like to schedule an appointment with faculty, staff, current students or sit in on a class within the Department of Theatre and Dance while visiting campus, we recommend scheduling a visit between Monday and Thursday. You may request personalized academic appointments when scheduling your visit.

See a Show

The 2026-27 Theatre Season

View the School of the Arts Events Calendar

When will I find out if I am admitted to the Department of Theatre and Dance?

Theatre admission decisions are sent in early December, early March and on a rolling basis after that. Students will receive their theatre and dance admissions decision via email. Note that admission to Samford’s Department of Theatre and Dance is contingent upon successful academic admission to Samford University, and you will not be admitted or receive scholarship to the Department of Theatre and Dance until you have been officially admitted to Samford University academically. Students are encouraged to submit their university application prior to November if you are wishing to attend our earliest audition date.

To view the general admissions timeline please visit the admission webpage

How many students do you accept each year?

The number of students entering the Department of Theatre and Dance is completely dependent upon our applicant pool.

What kind of scholarships are available?

When you apply to theatre and dance and complete an audition and/or interview, you will be simultaneously evaluated for admission and scholarship. Arts scholarships will appear in addition to merit scholarships you receive from the Office of Admission and other scholarship programs on campus.

What if I do not know what major to select on my application?

If you are thinking about double majoring, select the major within the Department of Theatre and Dance on your application to progress through the admission and scholarship process. Should you declare a double on the university application, you may miss valuable information about audition dates, deadlines and more.

For more answers to questions about the admission process, theatre programs and scholarships, email us or call 205-726-4111.