Canadian and international candidates of all linguistic and cultural origins 17 years of age or older are welcome to apply.

How to audition for the BFA in Acting

At the graduate level, the Department offers two programs: the Master of Fine Arts (MFA) in directing degree is a two-year, practical training program. The Master of Arts (MA) in Theatre Theory and Dramaturgy, offers three options for completion: with written thesis (2 years), with research-creation project (2 years) and with a major research paper (1 year).

The Department’s fifteen or so professors, artists and technical staff have access to two facilities which include workshops (sets and costumes), rehearsal studios and three theatre spaces, including the almost centennial Academic Hall and the brand new LabO.

Visit the program page for more details.

Candidates of all linguistic and cultural origins 17 years of age or older are welcome to apply.

Application deadline:  April 1st, 2024

  1. Ottawa: at LabO, 60 Waller Street, Ottawa, ON. Mid-April 2024, date to be confirmed.
  2. Toronto: at the Théâtre français de Toronto, 21 College Street (College Subway Stop), 6th floor, room 610. Mid-April 2024, date to be confirmed.
  3. Sudbury: in Desjardins Studio at Place des arts (27 Larch Street). Mid-April 2024, date to be confirmed.
  4. Call backs: at LabO, 60 Waller Street, Ottawa, ON. Beginning of May 2024, date to be confirmed. See notes on call backs below.

The Department of Theatre prefers in-person auditions, however, Zoom auditions will be permitted for applicants living outside a 500 km radius of Ottawa-Gatineau, Toronto or Sudbury.

Northern Canada (Yukon, North-West Territories and Nunavut), Western Canada, Northern Ontario (Timmins, Kapuskasing, Timmins, Sault Ste. Marie, Thunder Bay...), certain regions of Québec (Abitibi-Témiscamingue, Bas-St-Laurent, Côte-Nord, Gaspésie, Saguenay-Lac-St-Jean), and all Atlantic Canada provinces. 

Hamilton, Kingston, London, Montréal, North Bay.

You must present two short pieces (less than 2 minutes). Choose two of the three options listed below.

  1. Candidates are invited to present one contemporary monologue of less than two minutes.
  2. The Department of Theatre has no requirements regarding the genre (dramatic or comedic).
  3. Monologues presented must be taken from a published play. Monologues taken from film scripts, web series or other scripts are not eligible.
  1.  Candidates are invited to present a monologue selected from a play by Shakespeare.
  2.  Contrasting with your contemporary monologue, if you selected that option.
  1. Prepare a two-minute original theatrical presentation.
  2. You may tell a story, write and perform an original monologue, sing a song you have written, create a very short play where you play all the characters, or any other form of original performance.
  3. Show us your creativity, originality and special skills.
  4. This piece must be rehearsed, structured and reproducible (no improvisation), and we may ask you to perform it more than once during the audition.

Candidates selected for a call back must attend in person. The Call back will take place in Ottawa, at the Department of Theatre’s LabO (60 Waller Street).  Date to be announced at a later date.

  1.  Candidates do not need to prepare anything new for the call backs, but may be asked to present their audition material again.
  2.  Candidates selected for a call back will be responsible for their own transportation and accommodation costs;
  3.  Applicants must provide a 300-word cover letter explaining their choice of occupation.

If you are already a student at the University of Ottawa, you do not have to re-apply to the university, but you must audition to be accepted into the program.

  1. Contact Jeannine Cameron ([email protected]) to obtain your audition slot. Mention the city where you want to audition (Ottawa, Toronto or Sudbury), whether you want to audition online (see conditions above) and the language of the audition. If you wish to audition in both languages, you will need to audition twice.
  2. Send a resume and a good quality photo (close-up of the face) in pdf format to Jeannine Cameron ([email protected])
  3. Once you have received your confirmation of acceptance following the call backs, you will need to request a change of study program via your uoZone account.
  1. Apply for admission via OUAC. Consult the following link for details Current Ontario High School Students (101) - Ontario Universities' Application Centre (ouac.on.ca) 
  2. Contact Jeannine Cameron ([email protected]) to obtain your audition slot. Mention the city where you want to audition (Ottawa or Toronto), whether you want to audition online (see conditions above) and the language of the audition. If you wish to audition in both languages, you will need to audition twice.
  3. Send a resumé and a good quality photo (close-up of the face) in pdf format to Jeannine Cameron ([email protected])
  4. Following the call-back, your audition result will be added to your student account and the Admissions Office will analyze your application according to the Faculty of Arts’ admission requirements. If your file is complete and meets the requirements, you will receive an official offer of admission.

For more information, contact the Director of Practical Programs: [email protected]

Department of Theatre – ISMENE
Credit: Marianne Duval