Applying is easy. Everything you need to know is right here.
Just follow the steps below to find out how!

Applying to the Program

There is no special application process for majoring in theatre or dance. All you have to do is apply for and be admitted as a Casper College student. Here are the requirements briefly:

• Casper College admits any graduate of a Wyoming high school or any graduate of an accredited high school from another state who has attained a 2.0 grade point average.
• A high school transcript is required.
• Applicants must provide an ACT test score.
• There is no application fee.

For more information visit the website of the Office of Admissions >>

Applying to the Program

Office of Admissions

Tuition & Fees

Financial Aid

Office of Financial Aid

Department Scholarships

Requirements

Applying for the Activity Award

Reapplying for the Activity Award

Work Study

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Tuition & Fees

Casper College benefits greatly from Wyoming's tax base, which includes the extractive minerals industry: oil, gas, coal and trona. Because of that tax support, tuition here is the lowest in the western United States. The Western Undergraduate Exchange (WUE) program decreases the tuition of many out-of-state students.

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Tuition and fees per year

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Room and board* 

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Books and supplies (est.) 

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Total 

Financial Aid

Financial assistance comes in several forms and potentially from many sources. Seventy-five percent of Casper College students receive some form of financial assistance, including scholarships, grants and loans. In addition to aid you may be granted by Casper College, the Department of Theatre and Dance offers substantial scholarships to approximately fifty students each year. Ask your high school counselor about the Casper College Honor Scholarship and other major scholarships that are available to our students.

In order to qualify for any financial aid provided by Casper College you must fill out your Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Apply for scholarships early; priority deadline at Casper College is February 1.

For more information visit the website of the Office of Financial Aid >>

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Department Scholarships
The Activity Award

These awards are made available to students so that there will be a talent pool for productions staged by the Department of Theatre and Dance.   Recipients of the activity awards in theatre and dance form the core of the theatre and dance program at Casper College. In 2006-07 approximately 55 theatre and dance students attended Casper College on scholarship.

Activity Awards in the Department of Theatre and Dance are available to students in the following areas:

• Theatre Performance
• Technical Theatre
• Dance Performance
• Musical Theatre (This Award is shared with the Department of Music)
• Theatre education students will receive either a theatre performance or technical theatre scholarship in preparation for transfer to a theatre education institution.

These awards are made so that students will be able to complete the first two years of their college education at Casper College and participate in the theatre and dance production program.

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Requirements

Students receiving activity scholarships should expect to be heavily involved in production and should expect to perform more than the minimum standard. This expectation and involvement will be a factor in faculty decision of whether to continue a student’s scholarship. Scholarship students form the core of the production program of the Department of Theatre and Dance as stated above.

In order to receive and maintain an Activity Award in Theatre and Dance, students must meet the requirements of both the department of Theatre and Dance, as well as the general requirements for Casper College.

1. Activity Award recipients are required to participate actively in departmental programs and productions.

   Theatre Performance and Technical Theatre Award recipients are expected to participate in a minimum of three productions each academic year

   Musical Theatre Award recipients are required in their first year to participate in the fall musical and two other productions. In year two the musical theatre student is expected to participate in the fall musical, one other production, and one music ensemble.

   Dance award recipients are required to participate in the fall musical, one other production, and the Flight Dance Concert. All dance Activity Award recipients are required to enroll in Flight dance class.

   In order to maximize the educational benefit from this program, students must make themselves available for all shows in the theatre and dance production season each year by auditioning or filling out a technical participation form at each audition. Students should be prepared to accept the positions awarded them as a result of the audition/technical selection process. If there are compelling reasons for not participating in the required productions, a recipient is required to write a letter requesting release from the specific event. This request must be submitted to the supervisor of the recipient’s area no later than two weeks prior to auditions.

2. All activity award recipients are required to enroll in at least one class in the Department of Theatre and Dance per semester. This requirement is not met by THEA 1500, 2050, 2210 or the acting company.
   
3. Activity award recipients are required to participate in all departmental student meetings.
   
4. Activity award recipients are required to receive a high school diploma or GED certificate by July 31 of the year in which the student intends to enroll and receive the scholarship.
   
5. For the first-year freshmen, scholarship offers may be made only to those students who have achieved:

   a) a cumulative high school GPA of 2.0 or better;
   b) a composite GED score of 50 or better; or
   c) have met the national standards for their specific activity.

6. For students who are continuing at Casper College or transferring to Casper College, scholarship offers may be made only to those who have:

   a) earned a 2.0 cumulative grade point average; or
   b) met the national eligibility standards for their specific activity.

7. Unless national eligibility standards state otherwise, each student who is awarded a scholarship for both fall and spring semesters must earn a GPA of at least 2.0 during the fall semester to be eligible to receive the scholarship in the spring semester and successfully pass a minimum of 12 credit hours.
   
8. Grade Point Average and credit hour standards will be monitored by the Financial Aid Office after each semester has concluded and official grades have been posted.

Casper College also maintains the following eligibility requirements for recipients of Activity Awards:

• Recipients of activity scholarships must be full-time Casper College degree-seeking students.
• Scholarship offers can be made only to those students who have received their high school diplomas or GED.

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Applying for an Activity Award Scholarship

[Insert paragraph about the recruiting schedule and procedures for auditioning/interviewing on campus]

The following types of auditions may be combined in any way the student wishes: i.e., two scenes or one scene and one song or one scene and technical portfolio, or one scene and one dance, or dance or portfolio only, etc.

Acting
For the audition, each student should prepare 2 short and contrasting monologues (comic/serious, modern/period, etc.) with a combined total time of about 2-3 minutes.

Musical Theatre
For the audition each student should prepare 16-32 bars of a musical theatre song and a 1-minute monologue. The monologue may be of any type.

Technical
Those interested in technical theatre and design should prepare a portfolio of pictures of sets/props/lights that they have been responsible for, renderings of costumes, sets, props, lighting plots, etc., and should be prepared to present this material to the staff. Presentation is limited to 4-6 minutes.

Dance
Dancers should prepare a 1-1 ½ dance piece demonstrating the area of their strength for the audition.

Auditioning students will be able to talk with the faculty following their audition/presentation.

Actors and dancers should dress fairly neutral, so that it is easy for the directors to imagine them in any possible role. The clothing should be loose enough to move in, but not so loose that it disguises the actor’s body silhouette.

If you have questions about this, please contact any member of the faculty.

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Still Not Sure What To Do?

Here are some more suggestions for preparing for your audition/interview

Acting

• Your selections must be memorized.
  
• Contrasting means of different types and/or periods of character (not necessarily comedy and drama).
  
• The characters in your selections should be within 10 years of your own age.
  
• You should have done some character analysis of the characters in your selection(s). For example, if you have not read the play you can not present an effective character.
  
• In your introduction simply state your name and the character names and play titles. It is not necessary to state the playwright.
  
• Rehearse your introduction as well as your selections. Make the introduction as interesting as the selections.
  
• Avoid using props and/or furniture. You may use a single chair.
  
• Be careful of full profile or full front body positions. Angles are usually more interesting.

Musical Theatre

• Choose a musical theatre song that shows your vocal range.
  
• Be memorized.
  
• Have a copy of the song for an accompanist or bring a CD or tape of your accompaniment.
  
• Do not sing without accompaniment unless asked.
  
• Keep it short. 16-32 bars really are enough.
  
• Perform piece in character with the show in mind.
  
• Do not use choreography –however, character movement is fine.

Dance

• Show a variety of choreography in your selection, including extensions, jumps and turns.
  
• Choreograph your audition to reflect the piece of music you have chosen. Express the music in your choreography.
  
• Avoid using props.
  
• Any style of dance may be used in the audition.

Technical

• Speak with a member of the technical faculty about what to present in your technical audition.
  
• Limit your presentation to 4-6 minutes.
  
• Include examples of drawings, paintings, and work from other art classes.
  
• Also include photographs of finished work in theatre such as props, scenery, costumes, etc.

Preparing Your Theatre Resume

• Have enough copies of your resume for all those listening to your audition. Prepare at least 10 copies so you will have enough.
  
• On your resume list most recent work first in order to your oldest.
  
• List the title of the production, the character, the school and the director, neatly arranged in blocked columns.
  
• List three references with contact information. Remember to ask references if you can list them.
  
• List special skills only if you have real proficiency (this would include musical instruments, fencing, stage fighting, dialects, horseback riding, etc.)
  
• List courses or workshops only if they helped you to achieve significant proficiency in the material taught.
  
• Double check for spelling and grammar errors.
  
• Technicians should include skills in AutoCAD or Vectorworks, as well as carpentry, welding, electronics, sound/lights.
  
• Dancers should indicate training in different styles.

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Reapplying for an Activity Award

The theatre and dance faculty will schedule auditions/interviews for continuing students near the end of each spring semester. Students must indicate their desire to be granted an activity award for the following year by signing up for an audition/interview time. In order to be considered for renewal, students must audition/present portfolio/ interview.

The Department of Theatre and Dance will not grant activity awards for more than four (4) semesters of productions with the Department of Theatre and Dance.

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Work Study Positions

The Department of Theatre and Dance hires 10 students at 10-hours per week. These students fill the following positions:

• Scene Shop (4)
• Costume Shop (3)
• Box Office (3)

Some of these positions are filled with continuing students, but about half are filled by incoming freshmen. Interested persons should contact Sean McIntosh or Douglas Garland (costume shop), or Arlis Handeland (box office). The box office positions are given to those students who can most readily work during the time that the box office is open to the public (Monday-Friday 10:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m.).

In addition to the standard work-study program, additional students who qualify under the Federal Student Aid Program are employed each year. If you need a job, be sure to apply at the Casper College Career Placement Center, as the Department of Theatre and Dance cannot hire everyone who wants to work and applying through the placement center office is an institutional requirement. For more information about these or any funded positions on campus contact the Financial Aid office at (307) 268-2510 or the Career Placement Center at (307) 268-2662.

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