Audition and Casting Policies

The Southern Virginia University theatre program offers students a variety of performance opportunities, including two main stage productions per semester, second stage workshop shows and a student-directed play festival. Casting is decided on the basis of ability and role appropriateness. Theatre productions are open to any Southern Virginia student who is enrolled for a minimum of three credit hours during the semester of the production. Preference is given to theatre majors and minors. The following rules apply to all official theatre program productions:

  1. All theatre majors are required to audition for all department productions until they have been cast in at least one show per semester. Students in the technical theatre emphasis will apply to the technical director for work on production crews, if not already assigned as part of a technical class.
  2. Any request for a release from auditioning must be delivered, in writing, to the theatre program coordinator prior to the first day of auditions. Only students with permission will be released from auditioning.
  3. Students who audition automatically agree to accept any role in which they are cast. The director of the show reserves the right to make any casting changes.
  4. Any student who withdraws from a production, other than for health reasons, will not be permitted to audition for any production under the auspices of the Southern Virginia theatre program for one academic year.
  5. Students who are on academic probation will not be allowed to participate in any aspect of the production process during that semester and will be barred from registering for practicum courses until the probation has been lifted.
  6. Once a student has been cast in a faculty show, he/she must obtain permission from the faculty director prior to accepting any other production commitment anywhere on campus.
  7. Students working on scenes or the one-acts in Directing I and Directing II may not use actors who have been cast in a faculty show if the two projects are rehearsing during the same time period. Student directors (and not student actors) must make the requests and only the faculty director can make exceptions.