Performance Core Audition Resources
Your College Curtain Call Awaits.
Audition Preparation Resource
Preparing for college auditions in musical theatre, acting, or dance is about more than just rehearsing — it’s about finding the right materials and presenting your best self. Below, you’ll find links to widely used sources for sheet music, monologues, and dance preparation tips, along with guidance on common prescreen requirements, and how to capture a standout headshot. Don’t forget to visit our Freebies Page for a downloadable Audition Organization spreadsheet and Performance Resume template to keep you organized and showcase your experience. These performance core resources are here to help you navigate the process with clarity, build confidence, and walk into every audition with purpose and poise. Your College Curtain Call Awaits.
The Prescreen
For common prescreen requirements:
For tips on creating a successful prescreen:
The Wildcard! Here’s your chance to show us more about you! Share an unrelated talent, tell a story, play some music, show off your passion, or even make a how-to video — whatever feels right. The sky’s the limit!
Audition Resources to Help You Shine
SING IT
Need sheet music for your songs?
ACT IT
Need a monologue?*
DANCE IT
Need dance audition tips?
*In an effort to help auditioners succeed, many schools share advice on choosing monologues. This guidance can include making sure you feel connected to an age-appropriate piece, steering clear of overused or especially challenging monologues, and even providing a list of “do not use” selections. Whatever the case, always double-check each school’s specific guidelines before making your final choice.
📸 The Headshot
Introduction: A headshot is often the first impression you make in the audition process — whether you’re applying to college theatre programs, exploring musical theatre, or considering work in film. This single image gives casting teams a chance to connect your name with a face. For students navigating college auditions, it just needs to feel like you.
📌 What to Consider in a Theatre Headshot
1. Authenticity and Personality
Your headshot should reflect who you are – not a glamorized or heavily edited version. College programs want to see the same person in your headshot as they will meet in the audition room. It’s important that your energy, personality, and presence come through naturally in the photo.
2. Backgrounds
Simple backgrounds work best. Softly blurred, neutral colors like gray, white, or black help keep the focus on you. While outdoor headshots can offer a natural feel, the setting should never distract from your face. For film-oriented headshots, darker or moodier backgrounds are sometimes used to create a more cinematic tone.
3. Lighting and Focus
Clear, even lighting is key. Natural light or soft studio lighting can help avoid harsh shadows and allow your features to be seen clearly. The goal is to keep your face well-lit and in sharp focus – allowing casting teams to see you as you are, without distraction.
4. Expression and Connection
Your expression matters just as much as your pose. For college auditions, a neutral, approachable expression is often most effective. You want to appear present, grounded, and connected to the camera – as if you’re in conversation, not simply posing. In film headshots, a range of expressions may be useful depending on the type of roles you’re pursuing.
5. Wardrobe and Style
Wear clothing that reflects your personality but doesn’t draw attention away from your face. Solid, neutral tones usually work best. Avoid patterns, logos, or anything that might distract. For musical theatre students, a pop of color might be appropriate if it feels true to your style – just remember that subtlety often goes further than boldness.
🧭 Additional Support
If you’re working with a coach or theatre educator, they may offer additional advice on photographer selection, school-specific headshot preferences, or small adjustments based on your audition goals. Many programs aren’t looking for perfection – they’re looking for potential. Your headshot should reflect that: clear, confident, and ready to grow.
Below, click on Organize Now for a FREE customizable Audition Organization Template brought to you by CollegeMe. Click on What to Wear for audition wardrobe tips and Learn More to find out what makes a good headshot from CollegeMe.
🎬 The Performance Resume
Introduction: Your resume should be one page, easy to read, and tailored to reflect your strengths and experience level. Your headshot is often asked to be attached to the back.
🎭 What is a Performance Resume
A performance resume is not the same as a typical academic or job resume. While an educational resume emphasizes GPA, coursework, and traditional job experience, a performing arts resume is tailored to showcase your artistic training, performance history, and specialized skills. It highlights what casting teams, college programs, or audition panels need to see: your roles, vocal range, dance styles, and creative strengths — all presented in a format that’s clear, focused, and industry-standard. Whether you’re applying for musical theatre programs or professional gigs, this resume becomes a snapshot of your artistic journey.
✏️ What to Include
1. Name & Contact Info
At the top of your resume, include your full name, email, phone number, and a website or digital portfolio if available. For dancers, height is often included. For actors, vocal range (e.g., soprano, baritone) is helpful.
2. Experience
Organize this section based on your discipline:
- Actors – Group by type: stage, film, or TV. Include your role, the name of the production, the producing company or school, and the director’s name.
- Dancers – You might list performance experience by style (ballet, jazz, contemporary). Include the piece, choreographer, and venue or studio where it was performed.
Be honest about your experience — it’s fine to include school shows, understudy roles, and workshop pieces. You don’t need to make something sound professional if it wasn’t. List roles by importance, not by date. Transparency builds trust.
3. Awards & Honors (optional)
Here you will list any performance-based awards, festival or competition wins, school or local recognitions, national or regional honors, and/or scholarships awarded based on talent.
4. Education & Training
List your school, major, and expected graduation year (only for college). Underneath, you can add relevant training such as private lessons, summer intensives, acting workshops, or special classes in voice, movement, stage combat, or styles like hip-hop or Shakespeare. If you’ve worked with notable teachers, include their names.
5. Special Skills
This is where you can list things that might come up in an audition: accents, juggling, tumbling, dialects, singing while dancing, or musical instruments. Dancers can include specific technical skills or styles, like pointe work, partnering, or tap. Humor is okay here if it reflects your personality and is still audition-appropriate.
✅ Final Thoughts
- Always list your most recent and relevant credits near the top.
- Be honest about roles, even if they were ensemble or backstage.
- There’s no need to pad or exaggerate — casting directors and college faculty are looking for authenticity and potential, not perfection.
- If you’re unsure how to format your resume, check with your theatre teacher, audition coach, or school guidance counselor — or use templates from trusted theatre or dance training sites.
Below, click Download Now for a FREE customizable Performance Resume template brought to you by CollegeMe, More Samples for insights from Northwestern, and Dance Sample for dance specific resumes from Backstage.
Behind the Curtain: A Quick Note
The song lists, monologue suggestions, and dance materials linked on this page are here to help you prep, plan, and feel more confident in your prescreen or audition journey. Everything was chosen with care — but we’re not affiliated with any of the sites or creators, and we don’t receive compensation for sharing them.
These links are meant purely for exploration and inspiration. So browse boldly, ask questions, and always double-check the official audition requirements for your program.
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