MTV will hold an open casting call for “The Real World 17” Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Lulu’s Club Mardi Gras. The show invites anyone ages 18-24 who “wants millions of television viewers to know their name and who they are.”
Applicants will be asked to fill out a short questionnaire and discuss social and political issues in groups of 10. Typical questions include “How do you feel about gay marriage?” “What’s your stance on the war?” and “What is cheating in a relationship?”
Megan Sleeper, an associate casting director at Bunim-Murray, advised applicants not to “put on a show” and said the casting crew is interested in how people interact. “In every group, there’s always one person who shines,” she said.
Candidates are usually notified a few days after their interview if they have been chosen to be one of seven people who will live and work together for five months. Although Sleeper would not disclose the location of the upcoming series, she said that it is scheduled to air this fall after the end of the current installment, in Austin Texas. D.C. is one of 12 cities where Bunim-Murray will do casting, with average crowds ranging from 500 to 1,000 people at each location.
“‘The Real World’ is MTV’s longest-running show, and will continue until as long as the ratings keep going up,” Sleeper said. “We get such a great turn out at these auditions, and the show is just responding to public demand.”
Lulu’s Club Mardi Gras is located at 1217 22nd St. NW. Applicants should bring a recent photo (not to be returned) and photo ID.n
-Sacha Evans
