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In an industry that is constantly changing, especially post-pandemic, we aim to adapt and prepare our students for long-term success. In studying consistencies in casting and industry standards, we have noticed a considerable movement towards remote, virtual audition processes, rendering in-person, one-time opportunities such as showcases negligible when calculating their propensity to further one’s career. However, our students see great success in the promotion of their voice reels, graduating not only with a tangible representation of their skills that can be sent to industry professionals time and time again, but also with the knowledge of how to continue following and updating their practices to keep current with what is expected of actors in this field. Graduated students have secured agents, casting opportunities, managers, and professional relationships through the quality and nature of their voice reels, and for this reason we aim to continue equipping our seniors with the tools they need to succeed as reflected by the current state of the industry.

Situated between two prolific artistic cities, Austin and San Antonio, Texas State students have limitless opportunities to perform beyond the boundaries of campus. Many students graduate either with a membership to or points toward joining the Actors’ Equity Association, as well as significant professional credits that span a variety of mediums. As a school with a reputation for excellence across artistic disciplines, we strive to facilitate relationships beyond the opportunities students incur for themselves, such as our partnership with the Penfold Theatre in Austin, where students are frequently cast and employed in technical positions.

Actors’ Lab is the bi-monthly meeting of the entire BFA Acting Company and its faculty. During this time, not only are relationships made and our familial culture cemented, but students are given the opportunity to learn in an extended environment, watching those in different classes work, or hearing different perspectives on new information. Actors’ Lab traditionally consists of scenework performed by students of different classes and critiqued by faculty members, guest speakers (including but not limited to Devere Rogers, Monica Raymund, Colbie Minifie, and Nick Ortiz) masterclasses and workshops (previous Actors’ Labs have covered commercial auditioning, script analysis, improvisation, and more), and mock auditions.

In an effort to ensure you are being trained in a manner that best fits your strengths and weaknesses, we keep our classes small, accepting roughly 14 students every year. We have found smaller class sizes creates the atmosphere of community and unwavering support among Company members of which we are proud, and allows our faculty to interact with students on a more personal basis.

Please read all instructions listed here. If you like, you MAY perform the same pieces as you did in your prescreen, but you are not required to do so. Please note that you may be asked to perform additional pieces, or you may be asked to adjust your monologue in a new (perhaps absurd) way, such as delivering the piece as if you were a character from your favorite comedy show. It is also possible that the faculty will not wish to see you change anything, and that is ok! If you are using material from a play or film, please ensure you have read the scripts that your pieces are from, and have a concept of the character you are playing and what they are going through. Above all, be ready to play and have fun! We are excited to see the work you are excited to perform.

In the fall semester of their freshman BFA Acting freshmen are NOT eligible for casting in the Texas State season. However, they MAY audition for student projects, such as short films, student-directed plays, and class projects. First-semester freshmen are also eligible for casting in the Black and Latino Playwrights Celebration. Beginning the spring semester of their freshman year and extending through the rest of their time at Texas State, students may be cast in any show in the Texas State season. Acting students may audition for musicals, and vice versa.

The summer before their junior year, students travel to the Oregon Shakespeare Festival for two weeks. While this is not technically a trip “abroad”, we are proud of our long-lasting connections to this prolific festival, affording our students the unique chance to see many shows during our time there, take classes, and meet with the professionals involved in the festival. 

The summer before their senior year, students travel to England for three weeks, studying Shakespeare with the Royal Shakespeare Company in Stratford-upon-Avon before traveling to London, where students take additional masterclasses, perform on the Globe stage, and see much theatre on the West End.

Yes, students may double major and/or minor in additional disciplines as BFA Acting students. Although adding areas of study may be difficult on account of the rigorous nature of BFA Acting coursework, we encourage our students to broaden their horizons and experience the learning that interests them. Therefore, yes, for the committed student, additional majors and minors are more than possible.