Typically either before or after an audition, the panel you’re performing for will tell you to sit down and ask you a few questions. These questions are meant to get to know you and your personality and see if you’re a person that these faculty members want to be spending the next four years with. 

Interviews can seem incredibly intimidating, but once you get a few under your belt, they become incredibly easy because most schools ask the same questions. It’s always good to have your responses prepared already so you don’t have to scramble and stress yourself out in the moment. Here are some examples of questions that you can practice with before you go into that room, the bolded ones are the ones that most panels, if not all, will as you: 

• What was the biggest challenge you have had to face during high school and how did you overcome it? What has been the most significant personal challenge you have ever faced?

• How would you use your talents at our university?

• If you had to do a TedTalks what would it be on?

• What are your professional/career goals? (OR) Where do you see yourself in 5 years? 

• Why do you want to study at ___? 

• What was the last show you saw that you loved? Why did you like it? 

• What was the last show you saw that you disliked, why? 

• Who are actors you admire and why? 

• Last play you read? What did you like or dislike about it?

• What do you like to do outside of theatre? 

Now if someone asks you a question during an interview that you don’t have a proper answer to in the moment, never be afraid to think for a second or say “I’m not sure/I don’t know.” This just shows that you’re human! And that’s really what they want to see, they don’t want to see an audition robot who does everything perfectly, they want to see a human who has flaws yet seems like someone fun to work with for four years. Never be afraid to make mistakes. 

Also during auditions, at the very end of the interview, the panel will ask you if you have any questions for them. This is a great chance to get information about the school from the horse’s mouth and show them that you’re interested in their program. Usually, if you have 2-3 questions cued up that you ask at your auditions you’ll be totally fine. The questions I used are:

“What traditions or rituals do you have on campus?” 

“If you had to describe the student body of the program in a few words, what would they be?” 

"I'm from California, so what should I prepare for the weather to be like there? Should I be worried?" (this is a good one for schools in colder climates, it really works to get the panelists laughing)

“I see that you have [topic] classes as part of your major, what are those like?” 

• I’m a writer, so usually if a program I auditioned for had a class on playwriting, I would ask about that, but you could also ask about dance classes, stage combat, or anything you’re interested in