Welcome to The TGI Experience
Theatre Gap Initiative is a vital first step for producing America’s next generation of Black and Brown actors, musicians, playwrights, and directors. High school graduates accepted to TGI in their gap year will receive intensive preparation for successfully applying to Bachelor of Fine Arts programs. You will receive specific and rigorous training in Acting, Dance and Voice as well as offer guidance through the entire process of applying to college professional training programs (program applications, FAFSA, headshots, resumes, prescreens, auditions, acceptance and scholarship applications).
The Confrere
TGI is seeking 24 students to study from August to March. TGI students will meet Monday-Friday from 8 AM to 2:30 PM for classroom, dance, and theatre instruction. In January and February, students will attend National Unified Auditions, the cooperative, simultaneous auditions and interviews by the nation’s BFA theatre programs that take place in New York, Chicago, and Los Angeles. In March, students will perform an end-of-program Showcase. The Theatre Gap Initiative curriculum involves the months-long development of each student’s Tool Kit and Book.
Eligibility
With an intentional focus on Black, Indigenous, and People of Color as well as students from economically challenged backgrounds interested in Acting and Musical Theatre Bachelor of Fine Arts Programs, the Theatre Gap Initiative is open to:
-High school graduates with at least a 2.75 GPA taking a year off before applying or reapplying for college admission.
-College students on leave who intend to either return to or reapply for college programs.
How to Apply
Theatre Gap Initiative is partnered with Acceptd as the audition platform. Please click here to apply online.
Audition requirements
-Video recording of two (2) songs and one (1) monologue
-Submit recent photographs and a resume of pertinent training and performance experience.
-One letter of recommendation from an Arts educator or director
-Statement of Artistic purpose (maximum length 250 words)
Artistic Curriculum
Actor's Toolkit
The Actor’s Tool Kit includes readings and exercises that develop facility with acting techniques and the skills required of professional performers:
*Character Creating & Building based on the teachings of Uta Hagen and others
*Communication based on the teachings of Sanford Meisner and others
*Movement based on the teachings of Anne Bogart and others
*Improvisation
*Acting for the Camera
*Cold Readings
*Public Speaking
*Music Theory
Actor's Book- Acting
The Actor’s Book is an actual book of music and acting material the artist can offer in any audition situation. The Book includes: Musical Theatre – character research and scene work to act through a song.
Acting Monologues - character research and scene work in each of these types, in the actor’s range (one Serious + One Serio-Comic + One Comic for each category).
*Classic (Shakespeare)
*American Golden Age (Wilder, Simon, Miller, Williams, Hansberry)
*European (Ibsen, Shaw, Brecht, Ionesco, Chekov)
*Contemporary
*Current
*August Wilson
*Ethnic/Identity – this is a wildcard monologue that speaks to the actor’s identity and passions
Acting Duet- character research and scene work to prepare partner scenes in each of these types, in the actor’s range (one Serious + One Comic for each category).
*Classic (Shakespeare)
*Ethnic/Identity – this is a wildcard monologue that speaks to the actor’s identity and passions
Actor's Book- Music
The student prepares one piece of each of these types, in the actor’s range, as well as one piece each for a lead and for an ensemble player (one Up-Tempo + One Ballad + One Comic in each category).
For each song, the student prepares the full song + 32-bar long-cut + 16-bar short cut.
*Classic Broadway (Pre-Oklahoma)
*Golden Era of Broadway (Oklahoma to Fiddler)
*Contemporary (1970 – 2000)
*Current (2000 – 2020 with an emphasis on 20teens forward)
*Stephen Sondheim
*Pop/R&B - character research and scene work to act through one song in each of these types, in the actor’s range (one Mid-tempo + One Ballad in each category).
*50s-60s (Early R&B/soul Motown Staxx, Atlantic)
*70s-80s