Irene Ryan Scholarship Auditions
Irene Ryan Acting Scholarship Auditions
The Irene Ryan Acting Scholarships provide recognition, honor, and financial assistance to outstanding student performers wishing to pursue further education. The Irene Ryan Foundation awards sixteen regional and two national scholarships annually. One nominee and partner from every region will be invited to the national festival and the nominee will receive a $500 scholarship. The runner-up in each region will receive a $500 scholarship but will not attend the national festival to audition for the national scholarship.
Students and coaches are encouraged to consult their regional chair or regional Irene Ryan Acting Scholarship Auditions Coordinator for information on other regional awards. The Irene Ryan Acting Scholarships are, indeed, scholarships; so the Foundation disburses the award through a school designated by the winner, to pay tuition and fees for further education, not necessarily limited to theatre arts.
What’s New? Changes for Conference 58
The following changes have been enacted for Conference 58 (2026).
- All rounds of the Ryans will be held in person at the regional conferences.
- All three rounds will be the same with a total package of 4 minutes to present one monologue and one scene.
- Self-submissions are still allowed and there will be no difference between nominations and self-submissions. In order to be guaranteed that your nomination or submission is seen you must complete the region-specific entry process by the date established in each region. Individual regions may elect to enact a maximum number on entries that will be clearly communicated before submission deadlines.
- Ryan participants will still be able to partner with one other Ryan participant and must use a different scene for each package.
How to Participate
- Schools receive two nominations for an Associate Production and three nominations for a Participating Productions.
- Self-nominations in each Region will be allowed and encouraged.
Who Is Eligible?
Only those performers who are bona fide students during the festival year are eligible. For the purpose of the scholarship auditions, a bona fide student is:
- An undergraduate student* registered for at least six semester or equivalent quarter hours;
- A graduate student* registered for at least three semester or equivalent quarter hours;
- Or a continuing part-time student* enrolled in a regular degree or certificate program.
*Undergraduate, graduate, and continuing part-time students must be matriculating and pursuing a degree at the time of the KCACTF official response. The chair of the theatre department (or their delegate) must verify the candidate and partner’s bona fide student status.
All scene partners must have been a bona fide student at the time of the initial KCACTF response or during the term in which the regional festival occurs (confirmed in writing as outlined above). Nominees and their partners need not be students at the same institution.
Questions
If I’m in Region 7 and I am a Nominee, who should I contact with questions?
Jason Pasqua @ jpasqua@lccc.wy.edu
Irene Ryans Coordinator
Click here for the 2025-2026 Irene Ryan Scholarship Auditions details