Saturday & Sunday, February 3-4, 2024
Berkeley, CA
About
TBA's 2024 General Auditions will bring together casting professionals, artistic directors, and over 200 local actors for a weekend of Bay Area talent. This time we'll be at Berkeley Repertory Theatre in Peet’s Theatre.
These companies will be auditing the 2024 General Auditions (Updated Daily!): African-American Shakespeare Comapny, American Conservatory Theater, Berkeley Playhouse, Berkeley Repertory Theatre, Boxcar Theatre, The Casting Collective, Cast Images, Center REP, The Chikahan Company, Claire Ganem, Crescent Moon Theatre Productions, Crowded Fire Theater, Cutting Ball Theater, Daphne White, The Eel Musical, EnActe Arts, Foothill College Theatre Arts Department, Fuse Theatre, Grabmeier and Jost, Griot Theater Company, Guinea Pig Theater Company, Half Moon Bay Shakespeare Company, Hillbarn Theatre, Juliet Green, Kaiser Permanente Educational Theatre, Kunoichi Productions, Las Positas College, Left Coast Theatre Co., Lorraine Hansberry Theatre, Marin Shakespeare Company, Marin Theatre Company, Novato Theater Company, Pacific Repertory Theatre, Pinole Community Players, Play Cafe, Plethos Productions, Ross Valley Players, San Francisco Bay Area Theatre Company (SFBATCO), San Francisco Shakespeare Festival, SF Mime Troupe, The Shotgun Players, Sixth Line Studios, SPARC Theater, TASC LLC, Theatre Rhinoceros, Theatre of Yugen, TheatreWorks Silicon Valley, Town Hall Theatre Company, Western Stage, Word for Word/Z Space, WYALD
Get Involved
Auditors
See auditions from over 200 local actors! We’ll handle the logistics.
About Auditing
General registration gets you two auditor seats for the full weekend of General Auditions. Expand your network with over 200 local actors, plus artistic directors and casting professionals from around the Bay. You'll come away with a convenient digital contact book with key details about the actors auditioning.
Can't attend both days? Single-day registration is also available.
Want to bring more than 2 people from your company? Add on extra auditor seats for only $40 each.
Actor Selection
TBA is thrilled this year to work with The Casting Collective, a local team of experienced casting directors, for the 2024 General Auditions. Auditioning actors will be selected based on several factors, representing a breadth of special skills, experience, and training, as well as casting type. The selection process will be weighted toward casting types and skills in demand, based on auditor feedback and survey data.
A note for BAT/LORT Theatres: while the 2024 Generals will not fulfill one of your annual AEA audition requirements, both AEA and non-AEA actors will be auditioning. More details below for the changes to AEA actor auditions.
Cost and Discounts
Log-in at checkout to apply your discounts. Not yet a company member? Check out all the company member benefits.
Full Weekend
General Admission
$175
Discount for TBA Company Members
$135
Additional Discount for Small Budget Companies* & Individual Premium Members
$95
Single Day
General Admission
$90
Discount for TBA Company Members
$70
Additional Discount for Small Budget Companies* & Individual Premium Members
$50
Registration comes with two auditor seats for your company, and you can add on more auditors for $40 per person.
* for the purposes of event registration, TBA defines a small company as having an annual budget of $300k or below
Early Bird Discount
Register by December 31, 2023 for 10% off auditor registration.
The Sooner, The Better
Once you register, we'll list your company at the top of this page, letting actors know you're looking to cast local talent at this event.
Questions?
Email Programs Officer Melissa Hillman at Melissa@TheatreBayArea.org
Sponsor or Advertise
Reach theatre professionals while supporting this vital community program.
Sponsorships
We are seeking sponsors to help support this event. If your organization is interested in partnering with TBA, reach out to executive director Sean Fenton at Sean@TheatreBayArea.org.
Advertising
The 2024 General Auditions will bring together over 200 local actors, plus dozens of directors, artistic directors, and casting professionals. Our affordable ad options help support this highly anticipated event, while connecting these talented creatives with professional services and opportunities. Like all TBA advertising, Company and Associate members get a 30% discount.
Tabling
As actors exit the auditions, the lobby space will be an opportunity to chat with tabling vendors. Want to reach performers with services like headshot photography or voice lessons? Looking to amplify your reach with teaching artist opportunities? Tables are available in half or full size on one or both days and includes print ad space.
Print Ads
Each actor and auditor of the event will receive a folder jam-packed with relevant information — share your events, services, and opportunities with the professional performer community. Full page ads are 8.5x11in and half pages are 8.5x5.5in.
How To
After purchasing your Generals advertising, TBA staff will reach out within 1 business day with next steps.
Questions?
Email Marketing & Communications Officer Art Quiñones at Art@TheatreBayArea.org
Actors
Thank you to all who applied!
About the Selection Process (added January 18, 2024)
We’ve received a lot of questions about the General Auditions selection process since notifications went out on Tuesday. We wanted to support a more transparent process by sharing the following details with you:
We received over 550 applications and after expanding the audition days by 1/2 an hour from previous years, we’re able to accommodate only 264 actors.
On “resetting the clock” for guaranteed audition slots: We decided to “reset the clock” because it’s been four years since TBA has last held in-person General Auditions and because we introduced a new selection process in partnership with The Casting Collective (see below). What that means: Going forward, if you apply two years in a row to the General Auditions and are not selected, we will guarantee you a slot in the third year. If you apply in both 2024 and 2025 and do not get a slot, you will be guaranteed a slot in 2026.
On selection criteria: Prior to evaluating the applicants, TBA member companies were surveyed regarding their casting priorities for the upcoming season. We asked for details on "type" and "skills" referring to playable ethnicities, genders, and ages but also special skills like physical theatre, voice type, dance, languages spoken, stage combat training, and more. We worked with The Casting Collective to select applicants based on these casting priorities.
We are always working to make TBA’s programming more equitable, and we genuinely value your community feedback. Please reach out to our Programs Officer Melissa Hillman at Melissa@TheatreBayArea.org with any questions.
Deadline
Applications are now closed, thank you to all who applied! Check your spam folder if you have not received your notification email.
Eligibility
Applications are open to all TBA Individual Members: including Premium, Free, and individual users on a Company's membership. There is no cost to apply or audition, though audition slots are limited.
TBA General Auditions are open to both AEA and non-AEA actors. More details for AEA actors below.
In Partnership with The Casting Collective
TBA is thrilled this year to work with The Casting Collective, a local team of experienced casting directors, for the 2024 General Auditions. Actors will apply through a form managed by The Casting Collective. All applicants will be added to their comprehensive casting database, which is used to cast shows across the region.
Selection Process
Several factors will be considered when offering audition slots. These include special skills, experience, and training, as well as casting type. The selection process will be weighted toward casting types and skills in-demand for the auditors’ upcoming seasons.
Questions?
Check out the FAQ at the bottom of this page. Still need assistance? Email Programs Officer Melissa Hillman at Melissa@TheatreBayArea.org
FAQ for Actors
When will I know if I get a slot?
Actors will be contacted in mid-January. Anyone who doesn't receive a slot will still be added to The Casting Collective database, and we will be sharing your Talent Bank profile with the auditors, so be sure to update it with your most recent information.
Before the pandemic, I applied for TBA Generals twice and never got a slot. Am I guaranteed a slot now?
Because it’s been four years since TBA has held in-person General Auditions, and because we are now partnering with Casting Collective on a new application process, we are “resetting the clock.” If you apply in both 2024 and 2025 and do not get a slot, you will be guaranteed a slot in 2026.
I got a slot, but now I can’t make it. Can I change my slot to a different day or time?
After actors are notified, you will have a week to request a different slot. We will do our best to accommodate everyone, but due to the complex nature of scheduling over 200 actors, we cannot guarantee that all requests will be accommodated.
Which companies will be there?
As auditors purchase access, we will list them on the General Auditions page on our website.
I’m an AEA actor. Aren’t you required by AEA to guarantee me a slot and give me a 3-minute audition slot?
TBA is not a theatre-producing organization and does not have an agreement with AEA, so our auditions are not bound by AEA audition guidelines. See the section on AEA auditions below for full details about the changes for this year.
Details for AEA Actors and Theatres
Auditions for AEA actors will be different than in the past.
Why has it changed?
Previously, Actors' Equity Association allowed BAT and LORT theatres in the Bay Area to fulfill one of their annual AEA audition requirements with TBA’s General Auditions. This required TBA General Auditions to meet specific criteria for AEA actors, like guaranteed audition slots and longer audition slots. Since AEA no longer allows BAT and LORT theatres to use TBA General Auditions as one of their required annual AEA auditions, the 2024 TBA General Auditions will not have an all-AEA day, and all actors, regardless of union status, will apply and audition under the same rules and guidelines.
What will be different this year?
There are a few key changes. All auditioners, regardless of union status, will have a 2-minute slot to audition. Not all AEA applicants will be guaranteed an audition slot. While we won’t have an entire day dedicated to AEA auditions, we will do our best to schedule AEA auditions close together for the convenience of the auditors. This also means actors should expect to see other actors audition and be seen by other actors during their audition.
For theatres looking to cast AEA actors
While the 2024 General Auditions will not fill the BAT and LORT requirement for their annual AEA auditions, AEA actors and theatres with AEA contracts are enthusiastically welcome to participate in the Generals.