Texas Acting Schools Guide

Looking for Texas Acting Schools?

Start with these detailed listings of acting schools in Texas and and Texas theater colleges to get started.

They include a brief description of each acting program, performance and career opportunities, and how to apply.

There’s also links to acting schools in Dallas and Houston.

SAROFIM School of Fine Arts

Northwestern’s Theatre Department in Georgetown offers a BFA in Acting & Directing or Musical Theater.

Theatre classes include acting, voice, movement, alexander technique, theatre dance, acting styles, makeup, directing, playwriting, dramaturgy, stagecraft, stage design, stage management, theater history and theory.

Musical theater students also take a musical theater workshop, music and piano classes, as well as dance training (ballet, tap, jazz, modern dance).

Performance opportunities:

BFA students have to audition for all four theater department productions and participate as a crew member or performer each semester. They also appear in black box performances throughout the year.

Of all the acting schools in Texas, Southwestern University boasts 3 theaters (750 seat proscenium, thrust stage seating 325, and a 50-seat blackbox), plus costume and scene shops.

Career preparation:

This is one of the Texas acting schools that offers access to working professionals through an artist in residence program. BFA students can take master classes and sometimes perform with established guest artists.

NYC internship opportunities and seminars are available in the big apple through the New York Arts Program.

The Summer Arts London program gives students the opportunity to intern in a professional theater while taking courses and attending special events.

This Texas acting school also partners with a unique international theater training program in Bulgaria.

Degree: BFA in Acting and Directing, BFA in Musical Theater (you can also minor in Dance).

Financial Aid: Merit and need-based scholarships, awards, grants and work-study programs. Aspiring actors can audition for the $3,000 – $10,000 renewable annual theater scholarship .

What you’ll need to apply: University application form and fee, scholarship essay, test scores and transcripts, mid year report, counselor recommendation, picture, resume, interview and audition (2 contrasting monologues required).

Acceptance rate: Students are reviewed by a jury in their sophomore, junior and senior year.

Audition policy: Actors are required to audition at one of the major theater conferences to seek employment before graduating.

Website: www.southwestern.edu/departments/theatre/

University of Texas

This Austin college with one of the best film schools in Texas and media program nationwide also has a theatre and dance department where actors can get a Bachelor’s Degree or Masters.

Theatre classes for undergraduates include acting (improvisation, character analysis…), movement, theater studies, theater history, languages of the stage, visual arts, introduction to music, theatre design (costume, lights…) and technical theater.

MFA actors take advanced acting classes and train in movement, Pilates, speech, voice (Laban and the opportunity to work with acclaimed vocal coach Barney Hammond), dance, dialects, fencing, Shakespeare, Chekhov, film acting and directing.

Performance opportunities:

Undergraduate students take production labs throughout their studies.

Theatre majors can audition for all of the 8-10 departmental productions staged each year at one of the 3 theaters at this Texas acting school respectively seating 500, 200 and 150 people (there is also a performance studio, a costume shop and a paint and scene shop).

MFA actors can apply for a performance internship with Austin Shakespeare Theatre, an Equity theater.

Career preparation:

Acting students learn from guest artists that include acclaimed theater professionals and actors. They also have an opportunity to build relationships with fellow students in one of the best film schools in Texas.

This Texas acting school is in Austin, a city with a bustling theater scene and film community (the South by Southwest film festival is held here every year).

Graduate actors participate in a showcase in Los Angeles.

Degree: BA in Theater and Dance with Acting Emphasis, MFA in Acting.

Financial Aid:

This college offers a wide range of financial aid, including merit-based and need-based scholarships from the department of theater and dance, as well as acting scholarships for Texas acting students.

What you’ll need to apply:

For undergraduates: university application and fee, transcripts, test scores, and essays. No auditions are needed but resumes and letters of recommendations are encouraged.

MFA students can audition once every 3 years in Austin, Chicago, New York or San Francisco with a headshot and resume, 2 contrasting monologues and a song (optional). Actors asked to apply will need to provide a personal statement and letters of recommendation.

Acceptance rate: Only about 15 MFA students are accepted every 3 years.

Website: www.finearts.utexas.edu

Studio B Performing Arts Center

This is one of the Texas acting schools with a program for kids and teens. This TX acting school outside Dallas offers theater acting classes, drama camps and workshops and musical theater intensives for ages 5 and up year round.

In addtion, Studio B Performing Arts in Highland Village offers audition and performance opportunities for all ages as well as summer theater acting camps.

Studio B serves Highland Village, Flower Mound, Lewisville, The Colony, Lake Dallas, Corinth and surrounding areas.

Training includes musical theater, vocal training and improvisation.

Performance opportunities: Audition and performance opportunites all year for various musicals, dramas and comedies for all ages.

Career preparation:Students learn audition skills.

Tuition Fee: Varies (around $275 a month).

Financial Aid: Full and partial workshop opportunities available.

What you’ll need to apply: Register and audition.

Testimonials: Studio B has been named Best of Denton County and Best for Families. Studio B has been teaching the arts in Highland Village with professional instructors and directors for over 12 years.

Website: Studio B Performing Arts Center

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Browse our listings of Texas acting schools in Dallas and in Houston.

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