Explore Our Theater Community
February 20 - 21, 2026
Scholarship Audition Weekend (SAW) at St. Edward’s University is your chance to experience life as a theater major on the Hilltop.
Designed for accepted high school seniors and prospective juniors, this immersive weekend invites you and your family to visit our studios, costume and scenic shops, the Mary Moody Northen Theatre, and our beautiful campus. During SAW you'll discover what makes the Department of Performing Arts a vibrant, collaborative, and hands-on learning community. You’ll meet our faculty, connect with current students, and alumni, participate in classes and workshops, and see firsthand the caliber of work we create onstage and behind the scenes.
More than just a scholarship audition, SAW is a full-weekend experience. Departmental scholarship consideration is based not only on your audition or portfolio presentation, but also on your engagement, curiosity, and participation throughout the weekend. From faculty-led workshops and student Q&As to attending our production of Urinetown: the Musical at the Mary Moody Northen Theatre, SAW is your opportunity to show us who you are as an artist and to decide if St. Edward’s is your future creative home.
What to Expect at Scholarship Audition Weekend
Step 1: Apply to and Be Accepted by St. Edward’s University
To participate in Scholarship Audition Weekend, students must first apply to St. Edward’s University and be admitted. All admission applications and supporting materials must be received by February 1.
Step 2: Register for Scholarship Audition Weekend
Once accepted to St. Edward’s University, students must register separately for Scholarship Audition Weekend. Registration must be completed by February 13.
To request the SAW registration link, please email Scholarship Audition Weekend
Friday, February 20, 2026
- Check-in & Light Breakfast
Registration opens with light breakfast provided. - Welcome & Opening Session
Meet faculty and staff and learn what to expect during Scholarship Audition Weekend. - Tour of Departmental Facilities
Tour our theater, scenic and costume shops, and studios, and get an overview of the department. - Attend a Theatre Class
Sit in on a class to experience our hands-on, collaborative learning environment. - Parents Only FAQ Session
Parents and families meet with faculty, staff, and current students, to learn more about the department and student outcomes. - Lunch with Current Theatre Majors
Enjoy lunch and ask current theater majors about classes, productions, campus life, and student experiences. - Required Faculty Workshops (Attend Two)
Faculty-led workshops are a required part of Scholarship Audition Weekend and play an important role in matching students to programs. Students should be prepared to participate fully. - Audition & Portfolio Presentations
Individual audition and portfolio presentation times will be scheduled following SAW registration. - Dinner with the SEU Theatre Community
Join faculty, staff, alumni, current students, and campus administrators for dinner and conversation. - Evening Performance & Talkback
Attend Urinetown: The Musical at the Mary Moody Northen Theatre, followed by a talkback with guest artists, performers, and the production team. Registered SAW attendees will receive one complimentary ticket to the Friday, Feb. 20th performance. Guests accompanying attendees should purchase additional tickets online from the MMNT Box Office.
Saturday, February 21, 2026
- Audition & Portfolio Presentations
Individual audition and portfolio presentation times will be scheduled following SAW registration.
Performance Students
Performance students should prepare two contrasting monologues with a combined time of no more than three minutes.
Students who wish to sing may instead prepare one monologue and 32 bars of one song, with your total presentation not exceeding three minutes. An accompanist will be provided for vocal auditions. Sheet Music Requirement for Vocal Auditions:
All sheet music must be clearly marked, double-sided, and placed in a three-hole-punched binder for the accompanist.
Design, Technical, and Stage Management Students
Design/Tech and Stage Management students will present a portfolios highlighting their work and experience.
Monologues are not required, but students may presented one if they wish.
Portfolio presentations should be no longer than five minutes allowing time for faculty and staff questions.
All Registered SAW Students
All registered seniors are required to submit:
A recent headshot or photo
A theatrical résumé
A one-page statement of artistic goals
An optional letter of support from a theater teacher.
Eligibility Notes
Current high-school juniors are welcome and encouraged to attend SAW, however juniors are not eligible to audition for departmental scholarships, but will be eligible to submit for scholarship money during the fall of their senior year.
Choose material that highlights your strengths and reflects who you are as an artist. Faculty are interested not only in polish, but in preparation, storytelling, and your ability to take direction.
Participation Required for Scholarship Consideration
Students must participate in Scholarship Audition Weekend to be considered for Department of Performing Arts scholarship awards.
Majoring in Theatre Arts
Any student accepted to St. Edward’s University may declare a major in Theatre Arts, regardless of attendance at Scholarship Audition Weekend. However, students must major in Theatre Arts to receive theatre-specific scholarships.
BFA in Acting Auditions
Scholarship Audition Weekend is not an audition for the BFA in Acting program. Students interested in the BFA in Acting will audition during the second semester of their first year at St. Edward’s University.
Scholarship Notification
All students will be notified of their scholarship award status by mid-March.
Why Study Theater at St. Edward's University
The Department of Performing Arts at St. Edward’s University offers a rigorous, hands-on theatre education rooted in collaboration, mentorship, and professional practice. Students pursue a BFA in Acting or a BA in Theatre Arts, gaining experience in the classroom and through fully produced productions while working alongside accomplished faculty and professional guest artists. Our program values every facet of theatre-making and challenges students to develop their voices as storytellers, collaborators, and creative leaders.
BA students may specialize in Theatre Design & Technology, Theatre Management, or Emerging Forms, and students may also pursue minors in Musical Theatre or Theatre Education. The Department of Performing Arts is home to the Mary Moody Northen Theatre, a professional producing theatre that welcomes more that 5,000 patrons each year and is the only university theatre in the country to produce a full season under agreement with Actors’ Equity Association, the professional union for actors and stage managers. Faculty members hold graduate degrees from institutions such as NYU, Yale School of Drama, Carnegie Mellon, and The University of Texas, with professional credits spanning major regional theaters, opera companies, film, and television.
Our alumni have gone on to win Tony Awards, work onstage and behind the scenes at leading LORT theaters, appear in film and television, and build successful careers as performers, designers, stage managers, educators, technical directors, and arts administrators. At St. Edward’s, students don’t just study theatre, they practice it at a professional level.