After the close of the initial application process for all of the programs at the end of January, Technical Arts applicants will receive detailed instructions from NTS for the next steps of the evaluation of their candidacy.

Following steps will include:

Submission of a letter of intent, describing why you want to learn in this program, and what living and training in theatre in Montréal means to you.

Following steps also include:

A 30-minute interview, preferably in person, to be held with the Program Director in March.  After this interview, the Program Director may contact your two references who can speak to your readiness for the program.

Submission of a “This is Me” project, in the medium of your choice, which offers a glimpse into how you think and what inspires you.  Candidates would have two weeks after the interview to submit this project.

After the close of the initial application process for all of the programs at the end of January, Production/Design applicants will receive detailed instructions from NTS for the next steps of the evaluation of their candidacy.

Following steps will include:

Submission of a letter of intent, describing why you want to learn in this program, and what living and training in theatre in Montréal means to you.

Submission of a portfolio of your work, relevant to your experiences in your chosen disciplines, or any other technical or artistic activity (hobbies, interests, achievements, work outside of theatre).

Following steps also include:

A 30-minute interview, preferably in person, to be held with the Program Director in March.  After this interview, the Program Director will contact your two references who can speak to your readiness for the program.

A small project involving the writing of a production concept for a specific play chosen by the School. Candidates would have one month after the interview to prepare and submit this project.

Candidates to the Set and Costume Design program have one month to complete an artistic project, for which they will receive specific instructions from NTS after January 31. Following this step, selected candidates are invited to an interview, during which they will be asked to present a portfolio of recent art or theatrical work.

Applicants to the Acting program must audition.

For the first audition, candidates are asked to prepare two short monologues, not exceeding two minutes each. One monologue must come from a list of classical repertory provided by the school. The other must be a modern theatre monologue of the candidate’s choice.

After the initial round of auditions, a number of candidates are then selected for a multi-day callback workshop at NTS in May.  Attendance in person at the callback workshop is obligatory.  The final selection of the Acting cohort will follow this workshop.

Initial auditions happen across Canada in late February and early March.  On the Initial Application for Admisssions form, Acting candidates will be asked to select the city in which they plan to audition.

Consult our list of monologues

The Directing Program accepts applications every two years. The next intake will take place between October 1, 2027 and January 31, 2028 for admission to the 2028/2029 school year. 

In your initial application, you must attach your CV and a letter of intent that answers the following questions:

Why do you want to study directing at the National Theater School of Canada?
What experience or training do you have in theater and the art of directing?

Once your complete application has been received, the Registrar will send you information about the next steps in the selection process for Directing.

Every Playwriting application must be accompanied by two original, solo-authored plays of at least 20 pages each, a completed online questionnaire and a theatre résumé.

All of these documents should be attached to the Initial Admissions Application, due January 31.

Several candidates will be invited to an interview before the final selection is made.

Yes. Candidates must be at least 18 years old as of December 31 of the year of entry at NTS (i.e. you turn 18 before December 31st, 2027). 

Yes, absolutely. Candidates must then: 

• Fill in a different online form for each program 
• Each subsequent application fee is discounted by 50% when applying to more than one program.

No. All courses are obligatory; students must complete their entire program of study regardless of their chosen discipline or previous studies. The School does not grant course equivalencies, exemptions or substitutions. Only one status is recognized, that of full-time student. 

No. There are no academic prerequisites for any of NTS’s programs. Regardless of your level of experience, if you’re passionate about theatre and motivated to take on an intense three-year training program, it’s worth applying!

The selection process for all programs runs from February to May. At each stage of the process, candidates are notified in advance of the date and location of their interview or audition, and of the status of their application. 

The final results will be officially announced in May.