Auditions in New Orleans: How to Find Casting Calls and Start Acting in Louisiana

Where are New Orleans casting calls posted?

New Orleans productions use the same national platforms as everywhere else. Our Los Angeles guide explains how breakdowns, submissions and self-tapes work, and Actors Access vs. Backstage vs. Casting Networks compares the platforms. Locally, start with these:

• Coulon Casting: Coulon Casting describes itself as a full-service New Orleans casting company owned and operated by Elizabeth Coulon, CSA. It says it has supplied principal actors and background extras across the South since the state’s tax incentive began in 2002 and that it casts union and non-union talent for national, regional and local commercial campaigns. Its casting resume lists titles such as Five Nights at Freddy’s 2 and Imaginary. Its resources page tells actors and extras to keep profiles updated on MyCastingFile, Actors Access and Casting Networks. Its self-tape instructions ask you to slate your name, height and city and state, to name files by role, name, scene and take and to shoot horizontally. They add that a project’s own instructions come first.
• The state and the city: LED’s Crew & Talent page points productions to a statewide database, and Film New Orleans keeps a free resource directory of crew, vendors and locations. Both are built for hiring, and Film New Orleans describes its own job as attracting productions, issuing permits and supporting workforce training and local filmmakers, so do not send it your headshot.
• New Orleans Film Society: the organization behind the New Orleans Film Festival, which runs in person from October 22 to 27, 2026 and lists a filmmakers conference with free public events unless noted otherwise.
• Theaters: Le Petit Théâtre du Vieux Carré and The NOLA Project post how they cast, as the theater section below explains.

A subscription pays for a platform’s service, never for an audition. If a call asks you for money, read how to spot a fake casting call.

Can you work as a background actor in New Orleans?

Yes, and it is a practical way to learn how a set runs. Two routes to check:

• Central Casting lists an office at 800 Richard Street in New Orleans. Its support page says you must be legally authorized to work in the United States, that applicants in Louisiana complete Form I-9 and that their photos must meet its guidelines before they can work. It asks for a plain headshot and a full-body shot and says professional headshots cannot be used for background work because they are often retouched. Signing up is free, with no experience required.
• Coulon Casting sends extras to MyCastingFile, where a free Basic profile lets you apply for roles. A paid Pro tier exists but is optional.

Check your union status before you count on background days. SAG-AFTRA’s New Orleans Local says in its Q&A for background actors that Louisiana and Mississippi are not covered by any of the background zones in the contract for theatrical films and dramatic TV, so those days are generally not covered work, while commercials have a zone of 100 miles from the center of New Orleans. The Q&A is several years old, so confirm with the Local before you rely on it. Never pay to join a background list. Our guide on how to become a background actor covers sign-up, vouchers and what to expect on set.

How do theater auditions work in New Orleans?

Stage credits are a practical way to be seen by people who live where you do. Two companies explain how they cast:

• Le Petit Théâtre du Vieux Carré, on St. Peter Street, says it holds auditions for its entire season each June and schedules callbacks for individual productions afterward at each director’s discretion. A form on that page adds you to its casting notification list, so join before June.
• The NOLA Project, an ensemble theatre company, invites theatre artists of all experience levels to join its artist list to hear about auditions and casting calls.

Tip: Read each theater’s audition page before you go, because policies differ, and never pay to be seen.

Do you need to join SAG-AFTRA to work in Louisiana?

You can start without joining. The SAG-AFTRA New Orleans Local represents members in Louisiana and Mississippi, and our guides to union vs. non-union acting and how to join SAG-AFTRA explain the trade-offs.

Louisiana is a right-to-work state: R.S. 23:983 says no one can be required, as a condition of employment, to join a labor organization or to pay it dues, fees or other charges. That limits what an employer can demand. It does not turn off the union’s own rules for its members. Under Global Rule One, members generally may not work for employers that have not signed a SAG-AFTRA agreement, so once you join, assume the rule applies in Louisiana.

How do you find a legitimate agent in Louisiana?

The Association of Talent Agents’ state-by-state guide (May 2024) says no specific professional license is required for agents and managers in Louisiana. So do your own checks:

• Franchise: SAG-AFTRA members can work only with franchised agencies, and the union’s Franchised Agents List can be searched by Local.
• A starting list: Coulon Casting publishes a list of Louisiana and regional talent agencies. Treat it as a place to begin research, not as a recommendation, and run the same checks on every name.
• Track record: the Federal Trade Commission advises you to ask for a list of the actors an agency has placed, get references, search the company’s name with words like “scam” or “complaint” and get every promise in writing (FTC).
• Fees: the FTC says real agencies get paid when you get paid, so never pay an agency up front.

Our guide on how to get a talent agent has the full plan.

Where can you train in New Orleans?

Training is optional, but classes are where you meet scene partners and directors. Two places whose sites we checked:

• The Anthony Bean Community Theater and Acting School, founded in 2000, lists beginning, intermediate and advanced acting workshops, a monologue class, voice and movement and an improv class, and says all skill levels are welcome.
• Coulon Casting’s resources page lists local headshot photographers, taping services, acting classes and coaches. It is a list, not a seal of approval, so audit or ask for references before you pay anyone.

Tip: Audit or take a single workshop before you commit to a longer course, and walk away from any class that promises you an agent or a role.

What does a realistic first 90 days look like?

Budget a few hours every week: time to read calls and submit, time to record self-tapes when invitations arrive and one class or workshop session.

Keep going after day 90: auditioning is a habit you build.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need to live in New Orleans to get auditions there?

You can begin from anywhere, because many auditions start as self-tapes. Still, the film credit includes a 15% payroll credit for pay delivered directly to Louisiana residents, so living in the state can help, and you need legal authorization to work in the United States. Move when you have materials, momentum and a plan.

Is Louisiana still a good place to start acting after the slowdown?

It is an uneven market. The city’s reported production spending fell from $342 million in 2024 to $250 million in 2025, then stood at $200 million as of March 2026, and the state credit is still in place after the 2025 changes. Because the industry has had a rough few years, build credits in theater, commercials and independent film too. To compare markets, see our guide to auditions in Atlanta.

Do I need an agent to get auditions in New Orleans?

You can start without one. The platforms, MyCastingFile, Central Casting and the theater lists let you submit yourself, and Coulon Casting explains its self-tape rules online. A franchised agent can open more doors later, and because the Association of Talent Agents lists no specific license for agents in Louisiana, the checks above matter even more.

Can background work in Louisiana help me join SAG-AFTRA?

Usually not. Three days of background work under a SAG-AFTRA agreement is one route to eligibility, but the New Orleans Local says Louisiana is outside the background zones of the contract for theatrical films and dramatic TV, so those days are generally not covered work. Ask the Local before you plan around background days.

Do I have to pay to audition or to register in New Orleans?

Going to an audition does not cost anything. Central Casting says signing up is free, MyCastingFile has a free Basic profile and the FTC says that paying to get a job is always a sign of a scam. Platforms charge subscriptions for their own services, which are optional.

Reviewed in October 2026.