cattle calls
Open group auditions
Cattle calls are open auditions where large numbers of performers show up hoping to be cast, often waiting in long lines for brief evaluations.
The term evokes livestock being herded and sorted—actors treated as interchangeable commodities rather than individuals.
She spent her first year in New York going to cattle calls.
The phrase extends to any mass screening process: job fairs, speed dating events, or other situations where many candidates compete for limited spots.
- actorsThose playing roles
- extrasAdditional items included
- performersThose who entertain audiences
- walk-on roleMinor nonspeaking part
- one shotSingle unrepeated attempt
audition · tryout · casting · big break · anonymity · selection bias · callback · casting director · talent agency · cold reading · screen test · competition · herding instinct · meat market · talents · show business · cultural critique · long lines
- try-outsauditions, callbacks, screen tests, talent searches, talent shows
- Talent Industrytalent agents, talent scouts, talent management, casting directors, agencies