Young actors learn the foundational skills needed to pursue careers on stage, screen, and television.
Over the span of two years, Residential High School actors test their growing craft in a series of ever-increasing challenges including scene presentations, rehearsal projects, cabarets, dance demonstrations, and main stage productions. The focus is on developing sound values and techniques that form the entire student—voice, physical instrument, intellect, creative spirit—as well as the basis of a life-long pursuit of excellence.
Led by professional artists and performers, the Drama program is built on a conservatory model and provides training in the following areas:
Acting | Dance | Movement | Performance | Shakespeare | Singing | Speech |Stage Combat | Theatre History | Voice
Seniors participate in the Unified Theatre Auditions in New York and Chicago, where they audition for the foremost colleges and conservatories in America.
Student Achievements
- 10 Drama students have been Theatre Finalists in the prestigious National YoungArts Competition, including a United States Presidential Scholar in the Arts Award Winner.
- 13 Drama students have been awarded scholarships to the famed Juilliard Drama Division.
- 9 Drama graduates have appeared on Broadway stages since 2010 and have received three Tony nominations, including one Tony Winner for Best Lead Actress in a Musical.
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3 Drama students have received the Carnegie Mellon Presidential Scholar's Award—the Theatre Division's highest honor—while 2 Drama students were awarded the Kenan scholarship (four-year full scholarship) to the University of North Carolina School of the Arts...in the same year.
When To Apply By Grade
Drama students apply for the Residential High School program in the 10th grade to attend in the 11th and 12th grades. Learn more about the application and audition process below.
Our alumni have landed lead or supporting roles in...
Application
The online application is now available!
All Residential High School applicants must–
- Satisfy requirements for legal residency in South Carolina
- Have a 2.5 cumulative grade point average or higher
- Possess a high level of commitment, motivation, and maturity
If you already have an account from a previous year, then you can login using the same login credentials. If this is your first time applying, then you’ll need to create an account in our online application system. The application has several different components, and you don’t have to complete it in one sitting. Once you create an account, you can pick up where you left off at any time.
Candidates may apply for up to two art areas, but may attend in only one.
Here’s what you’ll need to complete the online application.
- Photo
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A passport-style photo of yourself from the shoulders up. This will be used as your student ID photo if you are accepted.
- Teacher Recommendations
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Complete a short online form within the application that will let us request grades and attendance and send the appropriate recommendation forms to your teachers while you continue to work on your application. You’ll need names and email addresses for:
- Student Record Form (usually completed by guidance counselor)
- Arts Teacher Recommendation
- Academic Teacher Recommendation
- Homeschool Recommendation (if applicable)
- Arts Experience
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You will list classes/training/experiences you may have had in the past two years. Limited experience is not detrimental to your candidacy.
- Essential Questions for All Monologues
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You will answer a list of questions for one of your monologues. While you will only submit one set of answers as part of the application, we encourage you to do this work for all monologues, always. The list of Essential Questions can be accessed using the link below, but final answers must be submitted using the link on the application.
- Headshot
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A headshot (head and shoulders) in black and white or color
- Parent/Guardian Contact Information
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General contact information for the individuals who have legal custody.
Once you have submitted the application, you can login to your account at any time to view the application checklist. When all required application materials are received, you will receive an email confirming your audition. Audition locations fill up quickly, so please submit your completed application as early as possible.
The Admissions Office will notify you if information is missing from your application. Incomplete applications cannot be processed.
Audition
For the audition, please prepare two monologues and one song. During the audition, you will be asked to start by performing one monologue and a song. You may be asked to present a second monologue if a fuller picture of your potential is required.
- Two Contrasting Monologues
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Select two contrasting monologues from modern playwrights (after 1940) that are 1-2 minutes long and reflect your age, experience, and understanding. This should be material you connect with personally.
Check out the list of modern/contemporary plays (published after 1940) below. These plays contain one or more monologues suitable for audition purposes, though some may need to be cut together or edited somewhat. You may use the list as a guide, or choose material not on the list by written by established professional playwrights.
If you have difficulty finding material, note that the modern classics listed below with an * should be easy to find in many school and local libraries.
For Women
The Red Coat, John Patrick Shanley
A Raisin in the Sun, Lorraine Hansberry *
The Piano Lesson, August Wilson *
Jitney, August Wilson
Crimes of the Heart, Beth Henley
The Glass Menagerie, Tennessee Williams *
I Oughta Be in Pictures, Neil Simon
Barefoot in the Park, Neil Simon
Collected Stories, Donald Marguiles
Sight Unseen, Donald Marguiles
A Young Lady of Property, Horton Foote
A View from the Bridge, Arthur Miller *
All My Sons, Arthur Miller *
Eleemosynary, Lee Blessing
Sally’s Gone, She Left Her Name, Russell Davis
You Can’t Take it With You, Kauffman and Hart *
Picnic, William Inge *
Inherit the Wind, Jerome Lawrence and Robert Edwin LeeFor Men
Biloxi Blues, Neil Simon
Death of a Salesman, Arthur Miller *
A View from the Bridge, Arthur Miller *
The Crucible, Arthur Miller *
The Glass Menagerie, Tennessee Williams *
The Dark at the Top of the Stairs, William Inge *
Picnic, William Inge *
Bus Stop, William Inge *
The Piano Lesson, August Wilson *
Jitney, August Wilson
A Raisin in the Sun, Lorraine Hansberry *
In a Northern Landscape, Timothy Mason
Conversations with My Father, Herb Gardner
Sally’s Porch, Russell Davis
The Red Coat, John Patrick Shanley
Rabbit Hole, David Lindsay Abaire
Proof, David Auburn
Catfish Moon, Laddy Sartin
Master Harold…and the Boys, Athol Fugard - Monologue Tips
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- Read the ENTIRE PLAY from which each monologue is taken, so that you understand what’s happening, where you are, who you are talking to, and why you are talking to them. We may want to talk to you about the play or coach your monologue.
- Prepare and fully memorize your monologues well in advance of your audition so that you are confident and can engage your talent and imagination. This takes many hours.
- Avoid plays written expressly for high schoolers or internet-only sources, as well as accents or characters far from your age and understanding.
- One Song
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Memorize a short selection from a song – preferably 16 bars. Be prepared to sing this selection without accompaniment.
- Interview
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A panel of theatre professionals will conduct a personal interview with you following the performance component of your audition.
- What to Wear
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A drama audition and/or callback can be a very active experience. Please dress appropriately for the audition in neat attire (no torn jeans, flip-flops, or t-shirts) that is comfortable and allows you to move.
- Callback Auditions
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The callback audition is an opportunity for Drama faculty to become better acquainted with the work of selected applicants for the Residential High School Drama program.
- Not every student who auditions will be invited for a callback.
- Being invited for a callback audition is not an indicator of acceptance or non-acceptance to the Drama program.
- Callback auditions will take place on Saturday, February 29, 2020.
- Applicants will be notified about callbacks via email approximately one week prior to the callback auditions.
Important Dates
Application Deadlines
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November 30, 2019 - Deadline for application fee waiver.
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January 8, 2020 - Final application deadline.
Teacher recommendations must also be submitted by the above deadlines in order for your application to be considered complete.
Audition Dates
- Saturday, February 1, 2020 - Midlands - Columbia College
- Saturday, February 8, 2020 - Lowcountry - College of Charleston
- Saturday, February 22, 2020 - Upstate - SCGSAH
Admission Decision Notification
Applicants will be notified of decisions via email by April 1. Decisions will not be given over the phone.
Fees
Application Fee: $50 for all applications submitted after November 30. For those in need of financial assistance, the Application Fee Waiver on the Submission Confirmation page of the application can be submitted instead of this fee.
Tuition: Free
Residence Hall Fee: $150, non-refundable residence hall fee
Meal Plan: $3,450 annual food services fee paid directly to Aramark Food Services. Payment plans are available.
Financial aid is available for residents of South Carolina with validated financial need.