How do I begin holding auditions if I have no money?

Question

I may have a place but the cost to use the building is in the air right now.But how do I run a smoth organized audition.Do I hold it for a certain number of days and what do I need to do to get the word out so I can have many people even out of state come to audition.I am looking for poets,singers, and dancers and I am looking for a certain number of people, as well as assistants to help me with the auditions and other things.

Answer 1

Usually, our auditions are for only one day.... an email is sent out to many people, and they are advertised....If you can't get a building because it costs too much money ask a local school or church if you may use their property for community theater (or whatever you are planning on doing...) Ask for a volunteer or apprentice to help you with the auditions and final works. good luck!

Answer 2

Certainly a daunting challenge with "NO MONEY" and so far it sounds like you aren't nearly ready to cast anything. Define "Up In The Air"???

   I mean no offense at all, but this one is a "tongue biter".

  Without a venue, what might you expect, IF you happened to cast people even in your garage? What effect might your failure have on them, if/when/after you cast everyone?

  You might assume that auditioning can be dictated by time and dollars, some schedule limits for any production issues as well. Certainly unless this is stated as a Volunteer situation, you can hardly expect anyone to put up $$$ to travel for an iffy situation.

   You state the # of people is set, that will be ONE of your first guides to auditioning. YOU have to make determinations based on some skill level for knowing talent and what will suit the production, and again, that can't last for an indefinite time period. The time period might also depend on your soliciting the parts, and the number of responses. You should probably have SCREENERS doing initial interviews. This isn't at all like IDOL auditions, but you should envision that it could get out of control.

   Getting those Out Of State people will depend on some expense also. Posting ads in trades papers, Craigslist.com, etc. AGAIN, to solicit those people has to also OFFER them something. With all due respect, if I lived 3000 miles distant, read your solicitation, and was interested, that interest would have to be generated by some benefit to ME.

   A staff can be local, but you don't state any affiliation with a genre, any Union or organizations such as SAG, AFTRA, EQUITY, etc.

   Backing up a bit,,,Auditioning. YOU determine the number of days, or hours in a day to conduct auditions, based in part on all the above suggestions,,, Number of responses, securing a staff, venue, time limits,and probably dollars.

   I'm starting to ramble and even I know I'm redundant, so I wish you well.