Scholarships

The 2020 - 21 University of Puget Sound Theatre Scholarship 

Scholarship applications for the 2020-2021 academic year are due by January 15, 2020 for incoming students and March 25, 2020 for continuing students. Notification of awards will be made in mid-March of 2019 for incoming students, in April for continuing students. 

Scholarships are available for new and continuing students. We present awards based on our perception of students' ability to contribute to the Theatre Arts program as well-rounded students of theater.

Incoming Students (Freshman and Transfer)

The department offers scholarships to encourage talented and hard working students to participate in theater at Puget Sound. We are most interested in students who are seeking a well rounded liberal arts education and a thorough background in all aspects of theater, particularly students who can participate in theatrical activity while also maintaining excellent grade point averages. We offer a one time award of $1,000 to $1,500 to exceptional incoming students. Continuing sophomore, junior, and senior students are eligible to apply for Course Assistant scholarships for our acting and core classes and Production Support scholarships in costume, dramaturgy, house management/outreach, lighting, research, stage management, sound or props. In addition to these, we also offer a limited number of scholarships to sophomores, juniors, and seniors for exceptional academic achievement and outstanding contributions to the theater program.

TO APPLY FOR AN INCOMING STUDENT AWARD INCLUDE THE FOLLOWING ITEMS in THE ONLINE APPLICATION
  1. A ONE page resume detailing your theatrical experience. Be sure to include your name and address and phone number.
  2. A ONE page letter describing your intentions for studying theater here at Puget Sound - whether you intend to major, minor, or simply participate in co-curricular productions. Also discuss your reasons for coming to a strong liberal arts university instead of one which offers specialized "theater only" training. In this letter, indicate whether you have applied and been accepted to the university. Only those who have a University of Puget Sound application on file may be considered for the scholarship, and and only those who have officially been admitted can be offered theater scholarships.
  3. A photo (face only).
  4. ONE letter of recommendation from a teacher or director who can comment on your talent, work ethic, discipline, and ability to maintain good grades while doing theater work.
ACTING EMPHASIS: VIDEO AUDITION REQUIRED: HOW TO APPLY

In addition to the four items listed above, a video is required for acting emphasis applications. We accept videos via YouTube, Vimeo, or other sharing sites. Prepare one monologue of no more than three minutes. The selection must be from a REALISTIC published play in the twentieth century and may be comic or serious. If you would like, you may also prepare a song of no more than two minutes (optional). Please note that we are not interested in a video of the applicant in school/community productions, etc. You must follow the guidelines listed above. This allows for consistency among the auditioners. The URL to your video must be submitted along with your application by January 15, 2020.

PRODUCTION EMPHASIS: HOW TO APPLY

There is no audition video required for those students primarily interested in production areas such as scenery, costumes, dramaturgy, lights, props, sound or stage management. Simply send us items 1 through 4 and add a paragraph to your letter which describes your major contributions to theater production areas. No audition tape is needed for this area of emphasis. Due date, January 15, 2020. It is particularly important for your letter of recommendation to detail your theater work in production areas.

For further information: Please send us an email, or call the Theatre Arts Office Coordinator at 253.879.3330.

Continuing Students

Scholarship applications for continuing students are due no later than March 25, 2020.

You can download the form here: Application Forms for Theatre Arts Scholarships.

Applications are accepted in the spring for opportunities include two major categories: 1. course assistants (acting pedagogues, core pedagogues); 2. production (dramaturgy intern, house manager, lighting management, props management, research intern, scene painting, sound management, stage management, wardrobe management). Read the "Scholarship Descriptions and Responsibilities" prior to application. Each scholarship will carry an award of up to $750 per semester and is contingent upon full time enrollment on the main campus. Special arrangements may be made for students enrolled for one semester in an approved study abroad program. There may be additional awards that may be less than $750 per semester, but you will be advised of the award amount before being asked to accept.

COURSE ASSISTANT SCHOLARSHIPS

ACTING PEDAGOGUES

The purpose of the pedagogue is to serve as an acting coach and role model in THTR 200, 215, 300, and 310

Responsibilities:

  1. To attend class and serve as a role model by participating in exercises, games, and demonstrations.
  2. To coach scenes outside of class time, normally meeting with each group of scene partners once before an in-class performance.
CORE PEDAGOGUES

Core Pegagogues provide demonstration scenes, lead acting exercises, and facilitate scene work for the THTR 275 (Theatrical Experience) or First Year Seminars for the Fall and/or Spring semesters. Please see full description in "Scholarship Descriptions and Responsibilities." Please check your schedule, and on your application note any potential conflicts with the course schedule on Cascade.

Requirements for Acting and Core Pedagogues:

  1. THTR 110.
  2. 2.5 cumulative G.P.A. or better.
  3. A statement that assures us that you will work your schedule around your assigned class. Be advised that you cannot ask to get out of another professor's class in order to perform your responsibilities for the class to which you are assigned. Furthermore, this represents a significant time commitment both in and out of class (45-50 hrs. per semester). You should not apply if you anticipate being too busy to complete the assignment.

PRODUCTION SCHOLARSHIPS

Each scholarship listed below will carry an award of up to $1,500 and is contingent upon full time enrollment on the main campus. Special arrangements may be made for students enrolled for one semester in an approved study abroad program. The number and type of the awards may vary from year to year and some partial awards may be made depending on the applicant pool.

  • Dramaturgy Scholar
  • House Management/Community Outreach
  • Lighting Management
  • Props Management
  • Research Intern
  • Scene Shop
  • Sound Management
  • Stage Management
  • Wardrobe Management

Responsibilities: The nature of the responsibilities for each position will vary by the type of scholarship but the following generalizations apply to all production support scholarships.

  1. The Manager takes responsibility for organizing and maintaining the space (costume shop, paint area, props room). Maintains an accurate inventory. Helps maintain equipment. Trains people unfamiliar with the procedures of a job or the technical skills required of a job.
  2. The Dramaturgy Intern assumes similar responsibilities for the areas of production and educational dramaturgy. Pre-requisite: at least one theatre history/world theatre class or significant dramaturgical experience.
  3. Production support scholarship recipients maintain some regular hours each week and report directly to the Director of Theatre Production or an appropriate faculty supervisor.

Clarification: Scholarship recipients do not do all the work on all the shows. It is envisioned, for example, that the "stage management" recipient might stage manage one faculty directed show and then help train the SM for another show. Props management will maintain the props room, serve as coordinator for one show, and perhaps assist the props master for another show. Scholarship recipients may also act in shows. When this occurs, adjustments in expectations will occur, and must be approved by the Director of Theatre.

Requirements:

  1. 2.5 cumulative grade average or better.
  2. Full time enrollment on the main campus. Special arrangements may be made for students enrolled for one semester in an approved study abroad program.

Application forms for Theatre Scholarships for continuing students are due no later than March 25, 2020.