Five $1000 scholarships for Alabama students (either high school seniors or community college students) planning to enter a four-year Alabama college or university, majoring in Drama or Theatre, will be awarded.

Three scholarships will be awarded in performance (acting/musical theatre) including the Patricia Putman Performing Scholarship in honor of the past executive director of ACT. Two scholarships will be awarded to technical theatre/design applicants including the new Mary Nell Sloan Endowed Technical Theatre scholarship, presented in memory of the late Mary Nell Sloan, an active participant in Trumbauer, by the Jordan Groben family.

The awards are announced at the Trumbauer Awards Ceremony in December and distributed when the student registers with an accredited undergraduate college or university within Alabama with the intention of majoring in theatre.

Applications will be evaluated on artistic merit and quality of work. Applicants must have a minimum GPA of 2.5.

Application Checklist

• Completed application form
• Headshot
• Theatre resume
• Verified GPA
• Audition fee ($10)
• Video (ONLY if not attending the Trumbauer festival in person)

Please have all these things collected and ready before you begin your application. They will be uploaded as you complete and submit your application. Remember that the deadline is Friday, November 6 at 5 p.m. CST.

Adjudication

In addition to the ACT panel of judges who make the scholarship award selections, the college and university representatives will be invited to view your audition or presentation. Live performance auditions and technical/design presentations are viewed by scholarship judges and college representatives only; they are closed to all others. Colleges/universities may call you back to visit their booth at the college fair to speak with you further about opportunities in their theatre programs (make sure your check the call-back board!), or they reach out to you directly via email.

Guidelines 

Guidelines are provided on the following pages for acting/musical theatre auditions and technical theatre/design presentations. Please read and follow the instructions carefully, as there are some  important changes for this year. Generally, all guidelines apply whether you are auditioning or presenting in person or virtually. Specific extra instructions are supplied for virtual auditions and
presentations.

You may submit yourself for both acting/musical theatre auditions and technical theatre/design presentations if you wish.

Acting/Musical Theatre Audition Guidelines

Generally, all guidelines below apply whether you are auditioning in person or virtually. Specific,
extra instructions are supplied for virtual auditions.

Your entire audition may not exceed 90 seconds. You should slate at the top of your
audition. This should include: 1) your name; 2) play and playwright of your monologue(s);
and 3) title of song and show/musical (if including a musical selection). Your slate of name
and selection do NOT count toward the 90-second limit.
You may present:
• One monologue -OR-
• Two contrasting monologues -OR-
• One monologue and one musical selection (we suggest a 16–bar cut of a ballad or 32-
bar cut of an up-tempo piece)

Important Notes:
• Monologues must be from published plays, NOT movies or television shows.
• Songs must be from published musicals, NOT general selections from the radio/streaming
channels or other non-theatrical media.

• Mark your sheet music clearly with where you want the accompanist to START and STOP.
  Cross out any areas of the music that you are skipping.
• Bring your printed sheet music either in a 3-ring binder OR taped together at the seams so
  it lays flat. Do not bring loose, unbound sheets of paper.

NEW THIS YEAR: We will provide a live accompanist at Trumbauer for ALL auditionees. We are no longer offering the option of bringing a pre-recorded music track. A cappella auditions are also NOT allowed.

Our goal is to provide actors the opportunity to practice this industry-standard skill in a low-pressure environment. To help make the process of  auditioning with a live accompanist easy and
accessible, especially for those who may not have done it before, ACT will be offering several helpful resources to auditionees (see below).

AUDITION DAY
ACT will host an optional practice session AT the Trumbauer festival before auditions begin
(location and time TBD) both for those who sing and those who will perform monologues only.
During this session, you will:
• Receive tips for a successful audition
• Have the opportunity to practice singing through your song with the accompanist
• Have the opportunity to practice your monologue with an acting coach.

For those who sing, you will have an opportunity right before you begin (in the audition room) to
speak to the accompanist about the tempo of your song, whether you will sing before or after
your monologue, and anything else you want to quickly discuss.

TIP: We want to see the authentic you. Preferably, select works for an age-appropriate
character that does not require a dialect. Choose material that allows
you to connect emotionally. Make bold choices!

If submitting an ONLINE audition:
• Your audition should be recorded with good lighting (we suggest a ring light) and a nondistracting
background.
• Wear neutral clothing (no costumes).
• We should see you from at least your waist up.
• Be memorized.
• Look at the camera to engage with your audience.
• The audition should be from one take and not edited, as if you were performing it live
and in person.
• A clip from a show that you have been in, performance reel, commercial clip, or
professionally edited studio tape is NOT allowed.

Technical Theatre/Design Presentations

Generally, all guidelines below apply whether you are auditioning or presenting in person or virtually. Specific extra instructions are supplied for virtual auditions and presentations.

You should present a portfolio that features one or more original, self-made technical or design project(s). Examples: A costume design, a set design model, a make-up design, a prop design or build, videos or photos of a lighting project, videos or audio recordings of a sound project, a stage manager’s prompt book, paintings, sculptures, etc.) At the festival, you will be provided a table to display your work. You may use pieces submitted in the Trumbauer Individual Technical Events.

If your project is visual in nature, include multiple photos of the project. Each shot should feature different aspects of your project, so that the collection of photos covers the entire piece. Alternatively (and if available, practical, and applicable), you may bring your piece to the festival to show in person. If your project is auditory in nature, include a way for us to clearly hear the sound (video or audio recordings).

Possible things to discuss in your presentation:

• Context of the project (part of production, class project, etc.)
• Materials and techniques used to create/build/administrate the project
• Design concept and process
• Technical build process (for projects that are not your own design)
• Stage management process and resources developed

 Tip: We want to know what you are interested in as a theatremaker and artist. Be sure to include work that shows us who you are and the kind of artwork and theatre that excites you!

If submitting an ONLINE presentation:
• Your presentation should be recorded with good lighting (we suggest a ring light) and a
non-distracting background.
• Wear business casual clothing.
• We should see you from at least your waist up.
• Take some time to look at the camera to engage with your audience.
• The presentation can be slightly edited to include media such as photos, videos, or
sound recordings.
• Recorded slide shows are acceptable for this submission.