New York Director Michael Unger has created a new professional networking website for performers, casting directors, and agents, auditionconnection.com
Stephen Schwartz (composer and lyricist of the Broadway hit, Wicked): “This is an amazingly useful idea. There have been many times I have needed a performer with a certain combination of skills and been frustrated in finding him or her. This site will blessedly alleviate that problem.”
Emily Mann (McCarter Theatre’s Artistic Director): “This site is brilliant! It's exactly what we all need. A director and casting director's dream come true.”
auditionconnection.com is a new online, searchable talent database created by New York-based director
Michael Unger, designed to connect professional performers in theater, opera, film and television with the nation's top casting directors, agents, directors and performing arts organizations. Mr. Unger’s directing credits include Kander and Ebb's The Happy Time at the
Signature Theatre in DC and The Rink starring
Leslie Uggams at the
Cape Playhouse,
A Christmas Carol at McCarter Theatre, Puccini's La rondine at Sarasota Opera, Pippin at the Depot Theatre, Crimes of the Heart at Theatre Aspen, the world premiere of The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, new musicals about Caligula, John Dillinger and
Charlie Chaplin and about 50 other productions around the country.
For one low price, self-managed online audition profiles allow Performing Members to post their resumes, bios, headshots, reviews and production photos, as well as their audition materials (songs, monologues and arias) in high-quality, streaming audio and video. Performers also will receive a dedicated homepage and can use auditionconnection.com as their own website. Performers must be 18 years or older to use the site.
auditionconnection.com is absolutely free for approved Theatres, Casting Directors, Agents, Artistic Directors, Producers, Directors, Musical Directors and Choreographers. The site saves time and money by allowing the casting community to search profiles by specifying a wide variety of criteria, including age range, union affiliation, audition region, ethnic background, performance experience, dance experience, performers with disabilities and more. Casting Members can also search special skills, roles on a resume, whether or not a performer has an agent, knows sign language or plays an instrument.
A Casting Member can print the headshot and resume of any performer with the click of one button. This will save money for performers on postage and printing as well as make the actor submission process more “green” by eliminating envelopes and reducing the number of headshots and resumes that are printed. Casting Members can also save their favorite performers to an unlimited project list and share that list with others on the production team.
Unger says, “I have attempted to include everything on this site that I would need to make an informed evaluation of a performer’s talent. Even though the main purpose of the site is to pre-screen (to decide who might be appropriate to bring in for an audition or callback) we have also had many performers cast directly from the site. Online casting is an inevitable wave of the future. We want to offer everyone the opportunity to be on the cutting edge of this exciting combination of creativity and technology.”
One of the unique features of auditionconnection.com is “Select Membership,” whereby Casting Members can search only the top level of talent in the database. Experts in each of the performing categories evaluate performers’ audition materials and decide if they have the skills to become Select Members.
auditionconnection.com also offers the “University Connection” with which Casting Members can find early-career artists by searching the performance showcases of universities and conservatory theatre programs. This is a valuable tool for agents who are looking to expand their client list and an invaluable resource for performers just finishing school.
The cost of becoming a Performing Member is only $10 per month or an entire year for $96. Special offers are available for a limited time. Again, auditionconnection.com is free to all Casting Members who must be approved as reputable industry professionals to gain access to the site. Many of the top casting directors and regional theatres in the country are current Casting Members. Testimonials are available on our website.
Visit
www.auditionconnection.com to learn more about this unique website and sign up today.
