Theatre Gap Initiative

Welcome to the Theatre Gap Initiative Experience

The Theatre Gap Initiative seeks to promote and advance Black, Indigenous, and People of Color for placement in well-respected Bachelor of Fine Arts programs in the art of Theatre and Musical Theatre through rigorous training and a transformative experience. TGI has been tremendously successful in helping students gain multiple acceptances into collegiate programs due to our holistic approach to the audition process. Just so you know, while there is a particular focus on communities of color, students of ALL races and ethnicities are encouraged to apply.

Under the direction of Tony Award-winning theatre educator Corey Mitchell, TGI is a catalyst for increased inclusivity and visibility of traditionally marginalized performers in collegiate and professional theatre. TGI will admit up to 24 students in their gap year to study from August to March. We will assist with the entire college admission process into BFA and Conservatory programs, including applications, FAFSA forms, resume writing, new headshots, the pre-screen process, auditions, interviews, college selection, and scholarship applications.

The TGI Confrère will meet in person Monday through Friday from 9 AM to 2:30 PM for classroom, dance, vocal, and acting instruction. Students will receive additional instruction, guidance from college counselors, and one-to-one mentorship from college professors nationwide.

In addition to our regular classes, TGI frequently hosts masterclasses and special events (such as mock auditions) to help fully prepare our students for the process.

In addition to virtual and live auditions, the Confrere will attend the College Audition Project [CAP] Auditions in St. Louis and the National Unified Auditions in NYC.  “Unifieds” are the cooperative, simultaneous auditions and interviews by some of the nation’s most recognizable BFA theatre programs in New York, Chicago, and Los Angeles. In March, students will perform an end-of-program Showcase. The Theatre Gap Initiative curriculum involves the months-long development of each student’s Tool Kit (skillset) and Book (performance material).

Eligibility

High school graduates with at least a 2.5 GPA take a year off before applying or reapplying for college admission.

College students on leave who intend to either return to or reapply for college programs

TGI Curriculum

The Theatre Gap Initiative curriculum involves the months-long development of each student’s Tool Kit and Book. Weekly instructions will consist of group training and one-on-one instruction, and each student will be paired with a college professor (virtually) to serve as their mentor. The instructors will be a mix of TGI teaching artists, master class presenters, and Central Piedmont Community College educators.

The Actor’s Tool Kit includes readings and exercises that develop facility with acting techniques and the skills required of professional performers:

• Character Creating & Building, based on the teachings of Uta Hagen and others
• Communication, based on the teachings of Sanford Meisner and others
• Movement, based on the teachings of Anne Bogart and others
• Improvisation
• Cold Readings
• Acting for the Camera (acting track)
• Public Speaking
• Music Theory

The Actor’s Book is an actual book of music and acting material the artist can offer in any audition situation. The Book includes:

Musical Theatre – character research and scene work to act through a song. The student prepares one piece of each of these types in the actor’s range, one for a lead and an ensemble player (one Up-Tempo + One Ballad + One Comic in each category). The student prepares the whole song for each song + 32-bar long-cut + 16-bar short-cut.

• Classic Broadway (Pre-Oklahoma)
• Golden Era of Broadway (Oklahoma to Fiddler)
• Contemporary (1970 – 2000)

Acting Monologues - character research and scene work in each type, in the actor’s range (one Serious + One Serio-Comic + One Comic for each category).

• Classic (Shakespeare)
• American Golden Age (Thornton Wilder, Neil Simon, Arthur Miller, Tennessee Williams, Lorraine Hansberry, etc.)
• European (Ibsen, Shaw, Brecht, Ionesco, Chekov)
• Contemporary
• Current

Acting Duets - character research and scene work to prepare partner scenes for each type in the actor’s range (one Serious + One Comic for each category).

• Classic (Shakespeare)
• Contemporary

Dance and Movement - students will receive rigorous training in both dance and movement for the actor. Styles of dance will include:

• Jazz
• Ballet
• Character/Musical Theatre
• Alexander Technique
• Viewpoints
• Laban Movement Analysis

Housing and transportation are available for students who are not in the immediate vicinity. Students live in apartments adjacent to the campus of the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. Therefore, students from across the country are encouraged to apply. Unfortunately, TGI has not yet been able to accommodate international students. A resident assistant exclusively for TGI also lives in the apartment complex. Students have a private bedroom and bathroom. Theatre Gap also provides a supplement to help with the rental costs for students who need it.

Audition Requirements- this is NOT a high-pressure application:

• Students with a focus on musical theatre, please submit video recordings of two (2) songs and one (1) monologue
• Students with a focus on acting (stage or camera), please submit video recordings of one (1) song and two (2) monologues
• Each element, songs and monologues, should be approximately 60-90 seconds long
• Submit recent photographs and a resume of pertinent training and performance experience
• One letter of recommendation from an Arts educator or director
• Statement of Artistic purpose (maximum length 250 words)

Program cost:

There are no application fees.

The cost for TGI Confrère is $7200. This cost covers CPCC tuition, trips to the CAP Auditions in St. Louis, and TGI classes & programming. Students will also attend the National Unified Auditions (NYC or Chicago) for the spring semester. There are partial scholarships available for students who demonstrate a financial need.

The application deadline is JUNE 15, 2024

Limited need-based financial aid for tuition is also available.

Thank you. We look forward to seeing you!

Questions? Please get in touch with info@theatregap.org

To learn more about the Theatre Gap Initiative, visit www.theatregap.org

If you have technical issues, please visit our Acceptd Support Help Desk.