Applications for the 2026-2027 academic year are now open. The deadline to apply is February 1, 2026. In person Auditions and Interviews for incoming students will be held February 16, 2026.
Each year we award thousands of dollars in scholarships to our talented, hard-working Theatre and Film majors. Scholarships are awarded through an audition and/or portfolio review process.
Scholarships are only available for students with a major in Theatre or Film and are not automatically renewed, you must reapply each year. Please read below for application instructions and requirements.
Applying for Theatre and Film Scholarships
All scholarship applications begin on JaxApp linked below.
Our scholarships require certain materials to be submitted with your JaxApp application, see requirements below for your specific area.
In person Scholarship Auditions and Interviews for incoming Students will be held on campus on February 16, 2026.
If you are unable to attend in person auditions, please email us theatrefilm@jsu.edu to receive information regarding online auditions or interviews.
In person Scholarship Auditions and Interviews for current JAX STATE students will be held on campus on a date TBD, monitor your school email for details.
Look below to see what you should prepare for your application depending on your area of interest: Theatre Performance, Theatre Production, or Film.
If you have questions about any aspect of the audition process or what materials to prepare, please don't be shy. Email us at theatrefilm@jsu.edu with any questions at all. Remember, we are rooting for you to succeed!
What to Prepare
New Student Applicants for Performance
If you are attending Jax State for the first time in Fall 2026 you will prepare:
A current resume uploaded as a pdf with your JaxApp submission.
If possible, a current headshot uploaded as a pdf with your JaxApp submission. If the student applicant does not have a headshot, a picture will be taken for them at the Interview/Audition.
During your in-person Scholarship Interview/Audition, you will need to present to the panel of faculty:
Audition Monologues
Two contrasting monologues (either one dramatic/one comedic OR one contemporary/one classical). The total time for the slate and the two monologues must not exceed 3 minutes.
In addition to the two monologues, you also have the option of performing 16-32 bars of a musical theatre song if you so desire. Please note that your song should be prepared a cappella OR that you bring and play your own track on your own device.
A 3–4-minute personal introduction that:
Introduces who you are and where you are from
Summarizes the experience you have as a performer
Highlights what you are most excited about as an incoming member of the department
Features your goals in joining the department
If you have any questions about Performance auditions or what to prepare, please email Dr. Michael Boynton ( mboynton@jsu.edu ) , and he will be happy to assist you.
Returning Student Applicants for Performance
If you are currently attending Jax State, you will prepare the following:
A current theatrical resume uploaded as a pdf with your JaxApp submission.
A current headshot uploaded as a pdf with your JaxApp submission.
During your in-person Scholarship Interview/Audition, you will need to present to the panel of faculty:
Audition Monologues
Two contrasting monologues (either one dramatic/one comedic OR one contemporary/one classical). The total time for the slate and the two monologues must not exceed 3 minutes. It is highly encouraged that every year, the applicant performs two different monologues than previous years.
In addition to the two monologues, you also have the option of performing 16-32 bars of a musical theatre song if you so desire. Please note that your song should be prepared a cappella OR that you bring and play your own track on your own device.
A 3–4-minute personal response that:
Introduces your area of interest and your current year
Briefly summarizes the projects you have worked on in your time in the department
Comments on your artistic growth in your chosen area
Connects your work in the department to your overall goals
If you have any questions about Performance auditions or what to prepare, please email Dr. Michael Boynton ( mboynton@jsu.edu ), and he will be happy to assist you.
New Student Applicants for Theatre Production
If you will be attending Jax State for the first time in Fall 2026 you will prepare:
A current theatrical resume uploaded as a pdf with your JaxApp submission.
A copy of your current theatrical portfolio. The portfolio should contain images and/or documentation of any design or technical work you have completed, along with show titles, an indication of what work in the images was yours, and the theatre in which the work was produced. You may also include additional artwork or creative work you have completed which is related to theatre. The portfolio should be uploaded as either a PowerPoint slide show or as a pdf. No other filetypes will be accepted.
During your in-person Scholarship Interview/Audition, you will need to present to the panel of faculty:
A short presentation of your current portfolio
A 3–4-minute personal response that:
Introduces who you are and where you are from
Discusses the experience you have in production
Highlights what you are most excited about as an incoming member of the department
Features your goals in joining the department
If you have any questions about your portfolio or what to present emailRandy Blades (rblades@jsu.edu), and he will be happy to assist you!
Returning Student Applicants
If you are currently attending Jax State, you will prepare the following:
A current theatrical resume uploaded as a pdf with your JaxApp submission.
A copy of your current theatrical portfolio. The portfolio should contain images and/or documentation of any design or technical work you have completed, along with show titles, an indication of what work in the images was yours, and the theatre in which the work was produced. You may also include additional artwork or creative work you have completed which is related to theatre. The portfolio should be uploaded as either a PowerPoint slide show or as a pdf. No other filetypes will be accepted.
During your in-person scholarship interview, you will need to present to the faculty panel:
A 3–4-minute personal response that:
Introduces your area of interest and your current year
Briefly summarizes the projects you have worked on in your time in the department
Comments on your artistic growth in your chosen area
Connects your work in the department to your overall goals
If you have any questions about your portfolio or what to present emailRandy Blades (rblades@jsu.edu), and he will be happy to assist you!
New Student Applicants in Film
If you will be attending Jax State for the first time in Fall 2026, you will prepare:
A Current Resume uploaded as a pdf with your JaxApp submission.
Upload at least one of the following items with your JaxApp submission.
A 3-page minimum original script uploaded as a pdf with your JaxApp submission
A 3-minute original short film which showcases your work, (you may submit a link to YouTube or Vimeo, please note it is your responsibility to enable the proper settings to allow access)
A production reel or a video portfolio of your film work (you may submit a link to YouTube or Vimeo, please note it is your responsibility to enable the proper settings to allow access)
During your in-person scholarship interview, you will need to present to the faculty panel a 3–4-minute personal introduction that:
Introduces who you are and where you are from
Discusses the experience you have in film
Highlights your work on the project(s) you submitted
Discusses what you are most excited about as an incoming member of the department
Features your goals in joining the department
Film (Returning Student Applicants)
If you are currently attending Jax State, you will prepare the following:
A Current Resume uploaded as a pdf with your JaxApp submission.
A Portfolio or compilation reel that features your top 3-4 projects linked via YouTube or Vimeo with your JaxApp submission
During your in-person scholarship interview, you will need to present to the faculty panel:
A 3–4-minute personal response that:
Introduces your area of interest and your current year
Briefly summarizes the projects featured in your submission
Comments on your artistic growth in your chosen area
Connects your work to your overall goals
If you have any questions about the Film application and/or what to prepare please emailDr. Anwar Jamison (anwarjamison@jsu.edu), and he will be happy to assist you!
Application
Once you are on the scholarship page, ClickCompetitive Scholarships and then search for eitherTheatre orFilmfor the link to the application.
We also administer the Jan Rhodes, Larry Miles, Majorie Dixon Wilson Collins Annual Scholarship, and Robert Thompson Memorial scholarships, look at the descriptions to see if you qualify for those.
Once awarded a theatre scholarship, students are expected to:
Contribute significantly (either on or backstage) to each production during the academic year.
Have and maintain a grade point average of 2.5 per term, 2.5 overall, and 3.0 in THR courses.
Remain enrolled in at least one Theatre course per term.
Remain a full-time (12-hour load minimum) JSU student with a Major in Theatre.
Film Scholarship Requirements
Once awarded a film scholarship, students are expected to:
Successfully complete any assigned duties for departmental film projects. This may include crew, artistic, and/or production positions as assigned for the annual Department Film, assisting in creation of other film projects for the department, or completing postproduction or scheduled weekly hours assisting in the operation of the Film studio (equipment and storage management, lab monitoring, etc.). Specific assignments are arranged with the Film faculty near the beginning of the Fall and Spring semesters.
Have and maintain an overall grade point average of 2.5 per term and an overall GPA of 3.0 in all FLM courses
Remain enrolled in at least one FLM course per term.
Maintain full time student status (minimum 12 hours per semester) with a Major in Film.
