“The Real World” – MTV’s longest-running program – will be holding an open casting call for its 24th season Saturday, Oct. 24 at the Capital Ale House downtown.
On the show, cameras chronicle the lives of seven or eight young people who spend five months living and working together in a set city that varies from season to season. The show’s signature trait is that casters always try to choose a diverse group of contestants from as many separate walks of life as possible.
“More than anything else, we’re trying to find seven or eight people who are as different from one another as possible yet still have common ground,” said Damon Furberg, “The Real World’s” supervising casting director.
According to the casting press release, some of the people casters are looking for include someone who is physically challenged, someone struggling with weight issues, someone who was home-schooled, or someone who has been affected by a natural disaster.
For those who do show up to the Capital Ale House to try out, the audition process will intentionally be an informal affair so people can be relaxed and be themselves, said Furberg. Those trying out will meet in small groups with a casting director and might only be asked a few questions depending on time constraints. The people who audition will find out their fate approximately 24 hours after try outs.
This season’s location is still far from being determined because the auditioning process is done in advance of that decision. While there is nothing scientific about how the location is chosen, generally it is a world-renowned city that the show has not visited yet.
The show has received criticism in the past from some who accuse directors of selectively editing to stir interest and staging moments. While in the past some cast members have been upset at how they were portrayed on TV, the notion that producers selectively edit material is one that former Season 22, “The Real World: Cancun” contestant Bronne Bruzgo rejects.
“Pretty much everything that happened was just as you saw it,” Bruzgo said.