Prescreen & Audition Outfit Guide: What to Wear

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Think about what you would wear on one of these occasions:

• A first date
• The first day of school
• Going to meet a pet you might adopt

Wear what you love and what feels like you.

Wait, why “going to meet a pet”? Because you need to be able to move comfortably in the clothes you’re wearing. If you’re bending down to pet a cat or sitting on the floor, you need to be able to do it without constantly readjusting yourself. The same goes for acting and singing. (Barry, our new Chief Cat Officer, approves.)

Personality

You’re a human being, telling human stories. Allow your humanity to come through your clothing choices. Schools want to get to know you. And yes, the student in the duck cardigan got a Carnegie Mellon callback while wearing ducks.

Jeans

Yes, you can wear jeans. Be yourself!

If a school says, “I thought she was so great. What amazing potential! But she wore jeans, so I can’t call her back,” do you want to spend four years there?

Jewelry

Yes, you can absolutely wear jewelry.

• Make sure it doesn’t catch the light and sparkle too much.
• Let it complement your outfit.
• If it jingles and jangles, take it off. We want to hear your voice, not “clang clang clang go the bracelets.”

Black

Black can be very smart and chic, but there are so many more colors out there! If you choose to wear black, look for texture, choose an interesting neckline, or accessorize. The students in the slides made black work with:

• An off-the-shoulder neckline
• A bow, ribbed texture, camo underneath, and a v-neck with necklaces
• Necklaces and a cheetah-print sweater for contrast
• A square neckline and a blue necklace for a pop of color
• A cropped mock neckline and a necklace for contrast
• A mock neck
• A necklace and a pop of white underneath
• Lace

Pro tips

• Wear colors that make your eyes pop.
• Stay away from neon, crazy contrasting patterns, lots of text, and anything that will distract from you rather than enhance you.
• Don’t try to dress for anyone but yourself.
• Does it have to be solid? No! Just not distracting. Make sure it’s you wearing the clothes, not the clothes wearing you.
• Do a test in front of the lights to make sure nothing is see-through.

Should I wear the same thing in every video?

It’s up to you! Sometimes you’ll love yourself in a top one day, and another day you won’t think it’s working. That’s OK. Wear something else that day.

Some actors choose to wear different outfits for different characters. If you go this route, think of your clothes as giving a small flavor of the character. Do not dress as the character or wear a costume.

Each person watching your prescreens is going to have an opinion about what they like to see. You can’t please everyone, so do what makes you comfortable.

Should I wear the same clothes for my prescreens and live auditions?

Same answer! If you’re wearing something very distinctive in your prescreens and feel that you’re very memorable in that outfit, go for it. But it’s also not going to “count against you” if you wear something different.

Who’s who

The students on the final slide, row by row:

• First row: Lydia, Shenandoah BFA Musical Theatre; Arman, CalArts BFA Acting; Aaron, USC BFA Acting; Jahlil, University of Michigan BFA Acting; Grace, Syracuse BFA Acting; Sophie, Penn State BFA Acting
• Second row: Sitina, Point Park BFA Musical Theatre; Hannah, Penn State BFA Acting; Gabriella, Russell Sage BFA Musical Theatre; Lauren Reese, University of Michigan BFA Acting; Jocelyn, NYU BFA Acting; Jack, no school, Spring Awakening
• Third row: Emma, Wagner BA Musical Theatre; Beckett, JMU BA Musical Theatre; Lauren, NYU BFA Musical Theatre; Addison, Syracuse BFA Musical Theatre; Mauro, Boston Conservatory BFA Musical Theatre; Grace, Otterbein BFA Acting
• Fourth row: Hadley, BYU BFA Musical Theatre; Gabriella, Ithaca BFA Musical Theatre; Lilli, JMU BA Musical Theatre; Charlotte, Emerson BFA Musical Theatre; Lydia, Rider BFA Musical Theatre; Cate, Chapman BFA Acting
• Fifth row: Gabriella, Shenandoah BFA Acting; Megan, Penn State BA Theatre; Robyn, Syracuse BFA Acting; Eliana, UC Irvine; Krishnan, UCLA

Outfit sorted? Make sure it reads on camera. Our guide to filming prescreens at home covers lighting, backdrops, and why you want contrast between what you wear and what’s behind you. Then browse programs to see each school’s prescreen requirements in one place, and if you’re filming musical theatre, start with our Musical Theater Common Prescreen guide.