The following section contains information from our 2023 audition cycle. We’re keeping it here in case it’s helpful for folks interested in auditioning, but please note that some of it may change for our 2024 auditions.

GENERAL INFORMATION

What is the structure of the audition process?
Auditions happen in two phases:

1. First round (April 16 or 19): 10-minute by-appointment-only slot in which you’ll perform a short original piece within the Neo-Futurist aesthetic.

2. Callbacks (April 22 - 23): Callbacks will take the form of a weekend-long workshop during which you’ll produce new work both days. You’ll be there between 11:30am–4:30pm on Saturday, and for one 30-minute slot on Sunday.

What if I can’t make the callbacks?
We ask that auditionees anticipate attending both days of callbacks. If you cannot attend callback auditions, unfortunately we cannot consider you for 2023 auditions.

What if I can’t make the Round One auditions?

If you are unavailable on both Sunday, April 16 and Wednesday, April 19, you may submit a video audition for Round One, but only if you are unavailable for all Round One audition dates and times. Please email audition@sfneofuturists.com to learn more.

What should I prepare?
Auditionees are asked to prepare and memorize an original 2-minute piece within the Neo-Futurist aesthetic. The basics are:

1. You are who you are (i.e., we do not play characters) like this for instance, and this and this and this.

2. You are where you are (i.e., we do not pretend to be anywhere but the stage we’re on, or room we’re in) like this for instance or this

3. You are doing what you are doing (i.e., an empty cup is an empty cup)

For more on the Neo-Futurist aesthetic, check out this handout. You can also check out videos of plays in this YouTube playlist.

When you sign up to audition we’ll ask you to fill out a short questionnaire and to provide us with:

• A headshot. Don’t worry, it doesn’t need to be fancy—you can send us a selfie. When you audition, most of the current ensemble will be present, which means we’ll outnumber you by about 10. We want you to feel welcome, and to recognize you when you arrive.

• Two short writing samples. Again, it doesn’t have to be super formal. Plenty of Neo-Futurists had never written a “proper play” before auditioning; it could be a blog post, or a diary entry or an abstract for a dance piece. We just want to get as much of a picture of you as an artist as possible.

What else should I know about the auditions? 
We’ll run a tight ship, so arrive 10-15 minutes early.

If you are physically impaired or have specific access requirements, please let us know so we can properly accommodate you.

What are your COVID policies?
We are committed to the health and safety of our ensemble, audience members, and auditionees. All SF Neo-Futurist ensemble members are fully vaccinated and take weekly tests prior to any company activity (rehearsals, performances, and auditions).

Our COVID policies for auditions and callbacks are as follows:

• Round 1 Auditions: 10-minute slot per auditionee

  • Auditionees must show proof of vaccination.

  • Wearing masks is optional for all auditionees.

  • Neo-Futurists will take a rapid antigen test within one week of auditions.

• Callback Auditions: Weekend-long workshop

  • Callback auditionees and Neo-Futurists will take a rapid antigen test at the door on Saturday morning. (We will provide these tests for free.)

  • Wearing masks is optional for all auditionees.

What does it mean to be a Neo-Futurist?
So much, but here are a few nuggets:

• We are a small, weird ensemble of hard-working artists, a dedicated group of non-illusory theater & performance makers.

• We are proud to have created an ongoing, ever-changing performance every Friday and Saturday night, for 8 years and counting.

• We’re part of a tri-company of Neo-Futurists in Chicago and New York; a tradition of weekly, non-illusory performance that spans over 30 years.

Becoming an ensemble member of the San Francisco Neo-Futurists is a serious commitment. You will perform in The Infinite Wrench for 25+ weeks a year, with other gig opportunities as they arise. Our process embraces both solo working conditions as well as collaborative creation amongst the ensemble.

Performing in our weekly show means joining in a highly fulfilling, and rigorous, creative process. Every Friday and Saturday, we attempt to perform 30 short plays within an hour. After Saturday’s performance, we remove between 2–12 of the plays. On Tuesdays, we replace the plays through a proposal process and set to work rehearsing for that weekend’s performances. This means prolific writing, and constant memorization.

San Francisco Neo-Futurists also take on administrative roles to support the company, The Infinite Wrench, and other creative projects we devise. We meet once a month for both business and art discussion, and ensemble members are expected to contribute to both the administrative and creative development of the company.

FAQs

Q. I auditioned before, should I audition again?
Of course, but know that your status from previous auditions does not guarantee anything for the current auditions.

Q. How will commitment to this ensemble fit into my overall artistic life?
A.  The first year, you’ll be actively performing in The Infinite Wrench 25 weekends a year, in an average of 5-week blocks. Every ensemble member in a given week’s cast will write and propose new 2-minute plays for that week’s show. We have one weeknight rehearsal on Tuesdays to choose and prepare new plays, and have pre-performance rehearsals on Friday and Saturday evenings.

Q. So, will I have time outside of Neo-Futurism to pursue other artistic endeavors? 
We want to be and stay a group of working artists who do other projects, learn things, and bring those experiences back to enrich the ensemble and enrich our work. While your first year with the company is generally intense, long-time active Neos here and in cities across the country have varied careers in theater, writing, music, film, TV, and some even travel internationally to perform at festivals and other gigs, and the majority have full-time jobs.

Q. So I have to write every single week? 
At least every week that you’re in the show.

Q. I don’t have any performance training. I’m more of a dancer/writer/performance artist/musician/magician/puppet-maker… Should I audition? 
Absolutely. We believe that great Neo-Futurists come from a really wide variety of perspectives and backgrounds. If you feel compelled to make art, in a non-illusory format, then you should audition.

Q. Do I get paid to do this? 
Yes! We pay ourselves $175 per performance weekend, plus reimburse expenses (within reason) for props. There are sometimes additional opportunities to make money through gigs and teaching.

Q. What are you looking for? 
Artists who want to rise to the challenge of a weekly performance deadline. Creators that are willing to get down in the muck and pitch-in. Surprising performers who will show us an evolution of Neo-Futurism we haven’t considered yet.

Q. I don’t see anybody like me in your company, should I still audition? 
Hell yeah! If you come to the show and find yourself thinking, “There’s no one quite like me on that stage,” you’re right! We’d love for you to come out and audition.

Q.  What kind of administrative duties do Neos participate in? 
A. Being an active ensemble member means helping us shape the future of the San Francisco Neo-Futurists; this means participating in company decisions and events. This includes marketing, fundraising, planning gigs, teaching, and beyond. We fully encourage each other to invest time in projects or areas of personal interest so there are plenty of different ways to make your mark whilst also contributing to the administrative health of the company.

Q. Is this improv? 
No, no it’s not. Unless it’s this.

WHAT NEOS SAY ABOUT NEO-FUTURISM

Some thoughts on what it is to be a San Francisco Neo-Futurist from the ensemble:

Tonya: “To me, it's been an artistic gym, playground, outlet, inspiration, and community. The work of running the company is real, but we lean on one another. As a result, I've learned a ton about myself & applied better work-life boundaries.“

Topher: “My favorite part of being a Neo is the experience of ensembleship. I can’t emphasize enough how wonderful it is to get weekly feedback from fellow artists who get what I’m trying to do and whom I trust to be supportive and critically rigorous at the same time. And when I’m having a down week, I am newly inspired all over again by the work that other Neos bring in!”

Shaina: “What I love most about Neo-Futurism is the sense of play inherent in creating new work on a regular basis. I see us playing around in the ways that we: create (and recreate) experiences, examine (and reexamine) beliefs, design new ways to share recycled stories, and stare sidelong into the middle distance.”

Sam: “I was drawn to Neo-Futurism because it’s work that lets me express the full capacity of my self— the comedian, the visual artist, the ruminative, the regretful, the joyous, the fervent— all aspects of Me get considered and I get to hone those creative impulses into something transcendent for our ensemble and our audience. As a Neo-Futurist, I am accepted and celebrated.”

Benni: “Neo-Futurism has become my main creative outlet. It has challenged me to create original work on a consistent basis and allowed me the freedom to create across different forms, genres, and styles of performance. Also, being in a supportive ensemble of diverse but like-minded individuals has been a great support to my creative habit.” 

Margaret: "Making work for The Infinite Wrench is like getting on an art treadmill. It's sweaty and exhausting and it goes faster than seems entirely safe. But it works because the SF Neo-Futurist ensemble is an incredibly, warm, supportive, bold, brilliant, and committed group of people who are running right there with you."

Clare: “I can't imagine who I'd be right now without the Neo-Futurists! This ensemble has helped me find my voice as a writer and performer, and has also shaped who I am outside of Neo-Futurism: a friend, partner, teacher, trombonist, and overall human. Working with this ensemble has given me a community and safe space to play with my gender, exploring what my non-binary-ness means to and for me.”

jeb: “Being a Neo-Futurist is one of the few things that keeps me enjoying this corporeal form: its damp, squishy softness flouncing around in the dark, yearning and grasping for tethers to the Human Hive Mind. And the homies are pretty good too!”

Amy: Being a Neo-Futurist has totally changed my life for the better. The reason I’m still here after seven years is because I’m also surrounded by an ensemble of thoughtful, varied, and exquisitely smart collaborators whose work and feedback has helped my writing reach new heights.

Questions? Shoot us an email and we’ll be happy to get back to you.

audition@sfneofuturists.com