The Musical Theater Common Prescreen: What You Need to Know

Written By Guest User

If you’re a high school theatre student starting the college audition process, you’ll quickly find that there are countless requirements to keep track of for all of the schools you’re applying to. From application deadlines to audition dates, it’s easy to get overwhelmed. And one of the most important—and tricky—parts is completing all of your prescreens.

Fortunately, our partners at Acceptd teamed up with Paper Mill Playhouse a few years ago to develop the Musical Theater Common Prescreen (MTCP), which is specifically designed to make your life easier as a college theatre applicant. In this guide, you’ll learn everything you need to know about the MTCP, including:

  • What is the Musical Theater Common Prescreen?

  • Which schools use the MTCP?

  • 2024-2025 MTCP Criteria & Tips

  • How My College Audition Can Help With the MTCP

Before we dive into the criteria, let’s start with a quick look at what the MTCP is and whether it’s applicable to you based on what colleges you have your sights set on.

What is the Musical Theater Common Prescreen?

The Musical Theater Common Prescreen (MTCP) is an agreed-upon set of criteria for the  prescreen videos students send to college musical theatre programs during the application process. Acceptd and Paper Mill Playhouse developed these guidelines with input from faculty of more than 40 performing arts departments across the country. The purpose of the MTCP is to streamline prescreen creation for applicants and review for institutions, as well as make prescreens more inclusive and accessible for students.

Which schools use the MTCP?

The following list of MTCP participating institutions for the 2024-2025 audition cycle isn’t exhaustive—check Acceptd for a full, up-to-date list.

As of September 2024, the schools participating in the 2024-2025 Musical Theater Common Prescreen are:

Be aware that each school you apply to may use the MTCP guidelines differently (e.g., choosing whether certain elements are mandatory or optional). They also likely have unique requirements for live auditions and various deadlines for each element of the application and audition process that you'll need to stay on top of to succeed.

2024-2025 MTCP Criteria

If you’re applying to any of the musical theatre programs on the above list, read on for the full list of MTCP requirements (remembering that each school may apply them differently), as well as some tips to help you get started.

General

  • Film and upload each piece as a separate media file.

  • Use any standard recording device available to you (smartphone, tablet, etc.), and place the camera at eye level while filming.

  • Film against a solid-colored wall, or choose another background that doesn’t steal focus from your performance.

  • Ensure your space is well-lit and that lighting sources (lamps, windows, etc.) are behind the camera or to the side rather than behind you so they don’t cast shadows over you.

  • When using pre-recorded music, place the speaker closer to you than the camera so the accompaniment and your voice sound balanced on the tape.

  • Record ONE “slate” video in which you state your name (mandatory) and pronouns (optional)—no need to slate performance videos.

  • For slate, song, and monologue videos, you should be visible from the waist up in the shot. For dance videos, frame the shot so it shows the top of your head to the floor.

  • Label each video file with the piece you’re performing, the show or playwright, and your name (e.g. Twelfth Night – William Shakespeare – Jane Smith).

  • All performance videos should be 60-90 seconds long.

Songs

Each school will select one of the following three options:

  • Option A: One song in any genre written before 1970 and one song in any genre written after 1970 that contrasts the style of the first (e.g., fast vs. slow, dramatic vs. comedic, belt vs. head/falsetto mix).

  • Option B: One musical theatre song from any time period and one song in any genre from any time period that contrasts the style of the first.

  • Option C: The school allows applicants to select either Option A or Option B.

For your accompaniment, you can either work with a live accompanist, find an instrumental track on YouTube or another online program (like My College Audition’s music tracks!), or use an app like Harmony Helper that generates piano tracks based on uploaded sheet music.

Monologues

Each school will select one of the following three options:

  • Option A: One monologue from a published play or by a professional writer (someone whose plays have been produced but not necessarily professionally published).

  • Option B: One contemporary monologue (written after 1950) from a published play or by a professional writer and one classical monologue (written before 1950 and/or containing heightened language) from a published play or by a professional writer.

  • Option C: No monologue required.

For best results, try to choose monologues that:

  • Are age appropriate (i.e., the character you’re portraying is within 5-10 years of your actual age).

  • Feel authentic to your background and lived experience.

  • Are active (i.e., take place in real time and put you in communication with an imaginary scene partner) rather than story-like.

  • Don’t rely on extreme emotions to be believable.

Dance

Each school will select one of the following three options:

  • Option A: 60-90 seconds of solo dance in any style or discipline you feel confident in and that highlights your strengths (including styles beyond American and Euro-western disciplines). Include at least one turn, one jump, and one kick.

  • Option B: 60-90 seconds of solo dance in any style or discipline you feel confident in and that highlights your strengths.

  • Option C: No dance required.

Your dance sample can be a video from a recent show or competition, as long as you’re the only person in the frame. It can be self-choreographed or choreographed by someone else, as long as it consists of steps and movement that you’re familiar with and can execute well. 

If you need help with choreography, a few MTCP schools (Abilene Christian University, Emerson College, Nazareth University, and Texas State University) have put together dance combo video resources. You can perform and submit any of these combos for any program that requires a dance prescreen.

Ballet

Each school will select one of the following three options:

  • Option A: Perform a brief series of plié, tendu, and grand battement; pirouettes en déhors (to both sides); and one or more grand jeté across the floor.

  • Option B: Ballet optional.

  • Option C: No ballet required.

Wild Card (Optional)

If you submit a wild card video, use it to show your personality or share something unique about you. Some ideas that schools have received well in previous years include:

  • Singing a pop song

  • Performing an original song or poem

  • Creating an original comedy sketch

  • Playing an instrument

  • Showcasing an additional dance style

  • Performing in a language other than English that you speak fluently

  • Making a how-to video about a hobby or interest outside of theatre

How My College Audition Can Help With the MTCP

At My College Audition, we offer personalized coaching for the full college performing arts audition journey—including prescreens! Some opportunities you can take advantage of as you complete your prescreens for MTCP participating schools include:

  • Musical theatre & acting coaching: Work one-on-one with an MCA expert to select and rehearse materials for your prescreens.

  • Confidence coaching: Learn strategies to manage stress, handle setbacks, work through internal blocks, and more so you can perform to your fullest potential.

  • Prescreen reviews: Send in up to three prescreen videos per submission and receive detailed written feedback from an MCA coach.

  • Prescreen filming & headshot clinics: Registered MCA students can book discounted headshot sessions and prescreen filming clinics that include studio-quality audio and video production, live coaching, and professionally edited, submission-ready videos.

Plus, our coaches are here for you from the beginning of the application process to the moment you make your final college decision. But don’t just take our word for it—check out our Testimonials page to learn how real students across the country have benefited from MCA coaching!

Final Thoughts

The sooner you can get started on your college application and audition journey, the better prepared you’ll be. Being familiar with the MTCP guidelines is the first step—from there, focus on choosing materials that highlight your strengths, finding the right resources to help you prepare, and (of course) practicing!

For more tips and tricks of prescreens, check out these resources:

Guest User
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