Mississippi Theatre Association

Potential Applicants,

Welcome to the MTA Auditions Acceptd Platform. Students who wish to audition for colleges and universities should complete the online application. The MTA Auditions allow theatre students to audition for multiple colleges and universities at once.
To begin, choose START AN APPLICATION from the drop-down on the left. Applicants choosing Performance and Technical auditions should complete two separate applications.

College and University Performance Auditions 

Refer to the MTA Auditions & Scholarship Document for full audition guidelines.

• ACTING ONLY
  • Candidates who are acting ONLY will have 60 total seconds.
  • Candidates should choose one monologue from a published play.
  • Time starts at the beginning of the slate (Name and audition number – do not introduce the audition piece).
  • A timekeeper will call stop for auditions that go over.

• ACTING & SINGING
  • Candidates who are both acting AND singing will have 90 total seconds.
  • Candidates should choose one monologue from a published play and 16 bars (approximately) of a song from a musical, song cycle, or revue.

• Time starts at the beginning of the slate (Name and audition number only – do not introduce the audition pieces).
• A timekeeper will call stop for auditions that go over.

College and UniversityTech Interviews

Refer to the MTA Auditions & Scholarship Document for full interview guidelines.

• Technical interviews will be held in a “speed dating” style
  • Candidates will set up their portfolio and work samples on half of a folding table.
  • Candidates will have 60 seconds to introduce themselves and give an overview of their work to a College & University representative.
  • College & University representatives will have 60-90 seconds to ask questions about the candidate’s work.
  • A timekeeper will call time, and representatives will move to a new candidate. 
• Portfolios
  • Portfolios can be physical or digital (a personal hotspot is recommended if using a digital portfolio).
  • Candidates should provide work samples.

MTA Scholarship Auditions & Interviews

MTA 2025 will award one $500 scholarship to a deserving high-school senior who intends to major or minor in theatre (performance, technical, or design) at a Mississippi college or university. The award is presented during the Annual MTA Festival—deadline: December 20th.

Students wishing to apply for the MTA scholarship must register for the MTA auditions and complete the scholarship application on the Acceptd platform.

The one-time $500 scholarship will be paid directly to the college or university upon receipt of the student’s identification number. 

Scholarship recipients are required to take courses in a theatre-related program at a Mississippi college or university, and they are required to participate in the MTA Dream Team during their first year of college.

Scholarship applicants for acting and technical-related theatre majors must register for and participate in the college and university auditions at the MTA State Festival in January. This event is held on Thursday evening of the festival. Members of the scholarship committee will be there to observe. The top 5 applicants will go through an interview with the Scholarship Committee at MTA 2025. 

Refer to the MTA Auditions & Scholarship Document for full audition guidelines.

Performance Audition Resources

Looking for advice on how to nail your audition? We’ve got videos sharing insights from professional company representatives, school recruiters, and the Mississippi Theatre Association and South Eastern Theatre Conference auditions staff.

HELPFUL TIPS

• Rehearse and prepare the audition as if it is a full-length performance.
• Do not use props.
• Dress professionally.
• Do not wear distracting jewelry.
• Avoid pop songs for singing auditions.
  
  

College & University Theatre Professionals,

Planning is well underway for this year’s MTA Festival. This year the festival is scheduled to be held January 16 – 19, 2025 at the MSU Riley Center in Meridian.

College and University auditions will take place at the MTA State Festival on the evening of Thursday, January 16, 2025. College auditions provide high school juniors and seniors a unique opportunity to showcase their performance and technical skills. Seniors aspiring to study theatre at a Mississippi college can compete for MTA Scholarships. On the participant roster spreadsheet, indicate the students who will participate in the auditions. Participating students must complete the application by December 20, 2024.

Questions?
Audition Questions?  Please reach out to corysquires@prcc.edu
Membership Questions? Please email execdir@mississippitheatre.org
For technical questions regarding the Acceptd platform, please visit the Acceptd Help Desk.