Performance Opportunities
Mainstage Productions
Wake Forest Theatre produces four Mainstage shows every year. All Wake Forest students—and often even community members—are eligible to audition for our Mainstage season of plays. From first year students to graduate students, auditioners need not be Theatre majors or minors, or have taken or be registered for a Theatre class to join us onstage. We welcome all to audition. Audition formats vary from show to show, but often include cold readings of sides. Specific audition information can be found here.
Anthony Aston Players
Anthony Aston Players (AAP) is a student organization dedicated to the promotion of theatre arts at Wake Forest University. Anthony Aston Players functions as a service organization to the University Theatre and provides students with opportunities to develop skills and to participate in the production of theatre. AAP also promotes high standards of theatre arts by recognizing outstanding work and dedication in the Wake Forest University Theatre.
Anthony Aston undertakes a number of projects during the year. These include providing concessions for University Theatre productions, participating in campus wide service and charitable events such as Project Pumpkin and Hit the Bricks, presenting staged readings and scenes through the Rep Hour program, producing one act and full length plays in the Ring Theatre, Haunted Tunnels at Halloween, a sketch comedy show each semester, and among other events.
In addition AAP organizes several social events during the year, including the annual Theatre Awards Banquet at the end of the school year.
AAP meets (in conjunction with the Department of Theatre and Dance weekly meeting) every Monday at 4:00 pm in the Ring Theatre. All interested students are invited to attend.
The Wake Forest University Dance Company
The Wake Forest University Dance Company is made up of an average of 50 dancers that represent a variety of dance backgrounds including ballet, jazz, modern dance, tap, and hip-hop. The Dance Co. produces two concerts a year: one in the fall and one in the spring.
The Fall Concert features pieces choreographed by world-renowned guest choreographers and faculty members. Recent past guest choreographers include Helen Simoneau, Warren Conover, Juel Lane, The Spring Concert features student choreography. This allows for quite a bit of variety in choreography and style of dance. Pieces from the 2011 Spring Concert included tap, jazz, Bollywood, ballet and contemporary.
The WFU Dance Company is an audition-only dance company. Dancers audition in the beginning of the fall semester. If a dancer is cast in the Fall Concert, that dancer is a company member for the year. Auditions for the spring concert take place in the beginning of the spring semester and each company member is cast.
In the words of the company members, the Dance Company is like a family. We are hard-working people that thoroughly enjoy dancing, learning, and performing together in the supportive environment that the dance program and faculty have created.
Other Wake Forest University student performance organizations have included:
Lilting Banshees, Wake Forest University’s Funniest and Only Sketch Comedy Troupe Since 1993.
Bi Moo Chinese Theatre group, founded in 2020, is an organization at Wake Forest that strives to create a platform for Mandarin theatre. The theatre group is dedicated to bringing this Chinese production, the casts and crew hope that they could call more attention to the diverse culture, voices and expressions in this community.
Lost in Translation, is a dance team devoted to the representation of street dance culture through choreographed dances to popular music. Join if you are interested in K-pop, hip-hop, jazz, urban, locking, popping…
Momentum Crew, hip-hop and urban dance student organization. While their focus is in urban dance styles, they embrace all styles of dance from hip-hop to contemporary to jazz and beyond! They operate as both a competitive and showcase performance crew. Their number one focus is the Momentum family, supporting, encouraging, and challenging members and alumni to be the best dancers, students, and people they can be! They hold auditions early every fall semester, no previous dance experience required.
Wakeville is a student-led, interdisciplinary arts festival at Wake Forest with a focus on sustainability. There will be many creative offerings in and around Scales Fine Arts Center and Davis Field, including music, dance, theater, visual art, film, comedy and more. Wakeville will shine a spotlight on our vibrant campus arts community and showcase the entrepreneurial spirit of our creative and committed students.
Musical Theatre Dance Club
Ballroom Dance Club