When applying to the Jordan College of the Arts, students are required to follow the standard application process outlined on the Office of Admission website. Please note that students who wish to double major with Theatre must choose “Theatre” as their primary major on their academic application in order to receive the supplemental Theatre application and information.

Additionally, Theatre students are required to complete or submit:

• A supplemental Theatre questionnaire that includes:
  • A headshot
  • A theatre resume
• An audition or, for technical theatre applicants, portfolio review.  Please note: The application cannot be considered complete until an audition or portfolio review date has been selected.

Information on these additional requirements is emailed to prospective students after their Common App is submitted.

Admission Deadlines

November 1: Early Action Deadline

February 1: Regular Decision Deadline

Get Started

Begin your application by visiting the Office of Admission website.

Financial assistance may come from several different sources. Butler offers two types of scholarships that are awarded as part of the application and audition process.

Academic scholarships are offered to student who demonstrate a strong record of academic excellence in high school.
Jordan College of the Arts Awards may be awarded to students who display promise in the performing arts.

Jordan College of the Arts Awards for Theatre

All audition/portfolio reviews completed by February 26, 2027 are considered for a Jordan College of the Arts Award. JCA Awards are recommended and determined by the theatre faculty and are based on the applicant’s audition or portfolio review.

Butler also offers additional types of scholarships that require a separate application and interview. We also accept scholarships from outside sources. Please visit the Office of Financial Aid website to learn more about financial aid options and other scholarship opportunities for incoming students.

On-Campus Dates

We are excited to welcome you to campus for in-person auditions and portfolio reviews!  The audition/portfolio review dates for fall 2026 admission are:

• Friday, November 6, 2026
• Friday, January 29, 2027
• Friday, February 12, 2027
• Friday, February 26, 2027

Plan to spend the day with us on your audition date.  We have events throughout the day that will give you a good sense of life as a Butler Theatre major. In addition to your audition or portfolio review, you’ll meet current students and faculty, take a couple of mock classes, have lunch with some alumni (via Zoom), and be able to connect with both the Admission and Financial Aid offices if you’d like. Your audition or portfolio review will be scheduled in the afternoon and is a 20-minute appointment with our faculty that includes a conversation about your theatre experience and goals as well as your actual audition or portfolio review.

Regional Dates

• December 11 – 13, 2025 – at Colorado’s ThesCon
• January 24 & 25, 2026 – at NYC Unified Auditions
• February 2 – 5, 2026 – at Chicago Unified Auditions
• February 7, 2026 – at Los Angeles Unified Auditions

Butler Theatre will have representatives at each of the events listed above and you are able to choose one of them as your official audition date as part of the application process.

Please contact the JCA Admissions office with any questions at jcaadmissions@butler.edu or 317-940-9656.

Acting applicants will complete a Performance Audition (monologue). Technical theatre and stage management applicants will complete a Portfolio Review. See requirements for each audition type below.

Performance Audition (for Acting applicants)

• Content requirement: One monologue from a full-length published play either classical or contemporary.
• Length: Less than two minutes.
• Attire: No requirement, please wear appropriate clothing that is comfortable for you.

Portfolio Review (for tech theatre/design/stage management)

• Content requirement: Resume and Portfolio (tips below)
• Attire: No requirement, please dress comfortably and in a way you feel represents you well; there will be movement in the morning sample Theatre classes.

Monologue Prep

• Choose a monologue that you enjoy preparing and presenting.
• Choose material that is within your range of life and stage experience. Parts which call for extremes of accent, age, or occupation should be avoided. 
• When possible, read the whole play from which you are taking your monologue; by doing this you will gain deeper insight into the character and their situation.
• Ask for help from teachers or friends with theatre experience.

What to expect during the audition

The morning of the audition day will be an “inside look” into the Theatre department with welcome sessions, tours with current majors, sample classes, and time for lunch. Auditions and portfolio reviews will begin after lunch. We’ll remind you to relax, breathe, and enjoy all aspects of the day including your opportunity to perform.

When it is your audition time:

1. You will be invited into the audition room by a Theatre faculty member.
2. Begin your audition by introducing yourself, stating your name. Then introduce your monologue including the name of your character and the play. For example, “Hello, I’m Jane Smith. I’ll be performing Nora from ‘A Doll’s House’.” After your introduction, pause before you begin the piece.
3. Get in position for your performance; you may stand or sit for your audition. Relax and breathe.
4. Begin your presentation. Do not direct your monologue directly at the faculty or make direct eye contact with them during your piece. Instead, place the person you are talking to in the monologue on one side or the other and beyond the faculty. It is often helpful to “cast” the person you are speaking to in the monologue and place them at a spot beyond the faculty.
5. Enjoy yourself and don’t rush the ending! When your piece is finished, pause for a moment to let the piece ‘finish’ and then make eye contact with the faculty who will ask you to take a seat for the interview portion of the audition. This will indicate to the faculty that your piece is complete. Do not finish your audition by saying “scene”. It is not expected, but you are welcome to say “thank you”. 
6. After your monologue, you will chat with the faculty. The whole experience will take about 20 minutes.

Resume Prep

With assistance from a mentor (theatre or art teacher, guidance counselor, or similar) create a resume including your:

• Name
• Contact information
• Career identification or goal
• List of roles on productions at school/in the community, relevant coursework or workshops you’ve completed, any awards or honors you’ve received, and/or relevant skills (ex. Sewing, proficiency in Photoshop, use of power tools, secondary languages, ability to read music, etc.)

Portfolio Prep

Your portfolio is a visual expression of the items you included on your resume; it is a tool to show us how you think about your work and what you’ve done well. Everyone’s portfolio will look different, we want to see a few samples of your best work, not everything you’ve ever done. A typical portfolio includes some (not all) of the items listed below:

• Cover page with your name and table of contents (everyone should do this)
• Design work on productions, including:
  • A brief (2-3 sentence) concept statement explaining the design goal or production concept (use professional theatre program notes as a model)
  • Research that inspired the direction of your work
  • Drawings or paintings of your design choices
  • Photo of finished work
• Project(s) you are proud of from related coursework or workshops, showing:
  • Idea or goal of the assignment either as a title or a sentence.
  • The process, if important. For example: a before and after photo of a redesigned garment is appropriate, but the first draft of a program is not necessary.
  • The final product.
  • Art samples such as fashion design, photography, painting, digital work, wood working, sewing projects, etc.
  • Reviews of your productions or exhibitions, but only if they specifically address your work.
  • Prompt book (or pages from it) and supporting documents such as magic sheet, props list, preset checklist, schedules, or other organizational material you created and were responsible for (especially for Stage Management students).
  • Program, poster design, press release, front of house forms (especially useful for Arts Administration applicants).