Acting Emphasis

This page is for all first-year applicants applying to the Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Theatre with an emphasis in acting. Current Pepperdine students who wish to apply should contact the Fine Arts Recruitment Office.

For more information, please contact the Fine Arts Recruitment Office at 310.506.4111, or via email at fineartsrecruit@pepperdine.edu.

Application Requirements for Acting

All students applying for the Bachelor of Arts in Theatre with an emphasis in acting must complete the following:

The application for Seaver College
The Fine Arts supplemental application

A live audition, either in-person or virtual, is not required for those pursuing the acting emphasis, but is strongly encouraged.

All repertoire requirements for the live audition are the same as for the recorded video audition. You may use the same selections for both the recorded video audition and live audition if you wish, or you may choose different repertoire for the live audition that still fulfills the requirements.

Transfer applicants are strongly encouraged to review Pepperdine’s transfer policies and to contact the Office of Admissions at admissions@pepperdine.edu with further questions.

Supplemental Application Requirements for Acting

You will receive access to your Application Portal after submitting your CommonApp. If you selected a Fine Arts major in your CommonApp, your Portal will include the Fine Arts Application Form. Once you have submitted the Fine Arts Application Form, you will be able to submit your supplementary materials, including your recorded video auditions.

All students applying for the Bachelor of Arts in Theatre with an emphasis in acting must submit the following as part of their supplemental Fine Arts application:

Theatre Resume
Performance Portfolio
- Two contrasting monologues (review requirements below)
Two Fine Arts Letters of Recommendations

Monologue Requirements

Prepare two contrasting monologues - one contemporary and one classical - that total no more than 3 minutes together. The classical selection could include works from Shakespeare, Moliere, Shaw, or any of the Greek plays. All material must be memorized.

Application Deadlines

All required materials must be submitted by the listed deadline. Any application not completed by the listed deadline may be removed from consideration. For all current application deadlines, please visit this page.

Applicants experiencing hardship or extenuating circumstances due to natural disaster or public health concerns in their local area that may affect their ability to satisfy application requirements may contact the Fine Arts Recruitment Office at fineartsrecruitment@pepperdine.edu to explore possible accommodations. Though we cannot guarantee that accommodations/exceptions will be possible, applicants are encouraged to contact the Recruitment Office as soon as possible to allow the maximum amount of time to consider alternative options.

Recorded Video Guidelines

By the application deadline, all applicants pursuing the acting emphasis must upload their recorded audition materials through the Pepperdine Application Portal. Please read the following instructions carefully in preparation for your recorded materials.

The following guidelines should be observed for all submitted videos.

Please submit each piece of your video audition as an individual file. Record each of your selections in an unedited, uninterrupted take.
Recordings must have been made within the past 12 months and must meet the repertoire requirements set by each department.
We will not accept audio recordings in place of video recordings.
Be sure to review your entire recording for quality and completion before submitting! Applications that are incomplete will not be processed.

Acting requires the use of the whole body, so your video audition should include your whole body in the frame.

Please submit a short introduction in which you state your name, the recording date (or dates), and list the selections recorded.

For further guidance on how to best record your video audition, please consult the Virtual Audition Guidelines.

In-Person Audition Instructions

All students applying for the Bachelor of Arts in Theatre with an emphasis in acting are strongly encouraged to participate in a live audition, either virtually or in-person. Those participating in an in-person audition can expect the following.

Arrive at least 15 minutes prior to your audition time in order to check in. Practice rooms may be available upon request.

Please prepare to perform two monologues for the live audition. You may be asked to perform one or both monologues. All monologue requirements for the live audition are the same as for the recorded video audition. You may use the same selections for both the recorded video audition and live audition if you wish, or you may choose different pieces for the live audition that still fulfills the requirements.

After the performance portion, each applicant for the theatre program will participate in a brief interview with the theatre faculty.

Zoom Audition Instructions

If you are unable to participate in an in-person audition, you have the option to audition via Zoom. Applicants who audition virtually will be treated equitably to those who audition in-person. Those participating in a virtual live audition should observe the following instructions.

Log into the Zoom meeting 15 minutes prior to your audition time in order to check in. You will be kept in a waiting room, and a Fine Arts staff member will communicate with you via Zoom chat. If you need to communicate with Fine Arts staff, please call 310.506.4111.

A virtual audition requires adequate lighting, neutral background, strong wifi or ethernet connection as well as appropriate camera angle(s) and audio settings. We strongly encourage all applicants to test their video and audio settings independently prior to their audition. For further information, please reference our Virtual Audition Guidelines.