Auditions

• College of Lake County invites local actors to audition for Paula Vogel's Pulitzer Prize-winning drama "How I Learned to Drive" at 6:30 p.m. Monday and Tuesday in the Studio Theatre of the Lumber Center for the Performing Arts, 19351 W. Washington St., Grayslake. Guest director Melissa Thompson seeks three women and two men for the cast. Those interested should prepare a two-minute contemporary monologue and be prepared to read from the play. Call (847) 543-2040 for more information.

• Noble Fool Theatricals Performing Arts Academy in St. Charles has non-paid internship positions available for students aged 16 and older for its upcoming youth theater production of "Oliver!" Applications are due Wednesday and can be downloaded at www.noblefool.org/education.

• Northwestern University's Department of Theatre is looking for nominees of local women who have overcome adversity in their personal lives and who have made a difference in the community. Those chosen by an advisory committee will be honored with a reception, a $100 gift certificate and four tickets to a performance of George C. Wolfe's play "Spunk" adapted by writings of author Zora Neale Hurston on Feb. 17. Nomination forms are found at www.tic.northwestern.edu/season.php and are due by Monday.

• Open auditions for the Performing Arts at Oakton production of Brett Neveu's "Drawing War" are from 6 to 9 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday at Oakton Community College, 1600 E. Golf Road, Des Plaines. Those interested should prepare a two-minute monologue that might tie into the play's conflict of a Midwestern family approaching the first anniversary of a tragic death. Call (847) 635-1901 for more information.

• Big Noise Theatre Company has auditions for the award-winning "Urinetown: The Musical" at 7 p.m. Feb. 18 and 19 at the Winnetka Community House, 620 Lincoln Ave., Winnetka. Those auditioning should prepare a humorous song and be dressed to dance. Call (708) 763-0056 for more information or visit www.bignoise.org.

• The Elmhurst Historical Society is collecting and displaying community photos for a "Picturing What Matters to You" display space. To contribute, send a non-returnable copy of a photograph (not larger than 8 by 10 inches) that reflects your values by Feb. 29 to 120 E. Park Ave., Elmhurst. Electronic JPEG or PDF can be e-mailed to nancy.himmes@elmhurst.org. Not all photos will be used. Call (630) 530-6874 for more information.

• Lyric Opera of Chicago is looking for supernumeraries to fill the stage of Robert Carsen's spare production of Tchaikovsky's opera "Eugene Onegin." To play servants, party guests and priests, 24 men are sought. Two women as servants and three boys and four girls aged eight to 12 to be party guests are also needed. Auditions are 6 p.m. Feb. 5. Call (312) 827-3538 for more information.

• George Williams College of Aurora University has auditions for Music by the Lake's production of Strauss' operetta "Die Fledermaus" in English. Times are 5 to 9 p.m. Wednesday at First Congregational Church, 1511 Church St., Wauwatosa, Wisc., from 2 to 6 p.m. Feb. 2 and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Feb. 3 at the Chicago College of the Performing Arts at Roosevelt University, 430 S. Michigan Ave., Room 730, Chicago. Call (262) 245-8581 to schedule an audition.

• The Illinois Humanities Council's upcoming deadline for major grant proposals of amounts up to $10,000 must be postmarked by Feb. 15. More information can be found at www.prairie.org/grants or by calling (312) 422-5580.

• Entrants are sought for The St. Patrick Day Parade Queen Contest. Those interested in being "Chicago's fairest Colleen" and her court of four to attend civic, neighborhood, parish and Irish events on behalf of the parade committee should call (312) 263-6612 or (312) 421-1010. Deadline for entry is Feb. 8.

• NightBlue Performing Arts Company has auditions for Stephen Sondheim's musical "Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street" in July at Chicago's Athenaeum Theatre. Auditions are by appointment Saturday in Studio Three at 2936 N. Southport Ave., Chicago, and in an open call from 10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Feb. 2. Another open call is in the evening Jan. 28 at 11976 Holly Court, Lemont. Those interested should prepare 16 bars of a humorous and a serious song, a one-minute character monologue and if you play an instrument, bring your best 32 bars to play. E-mail dave@nightbluetheater.com for more information.

NightBlue also has auditions for the jury room drama "Twelve Angry Men" to be performed on the South Side at 11976 Holly Court, Lemont, from 6:30 to 8 p.m. Monday and Tuesday. Those interested should prepare a two-minute dramatic monologue and to read from the script. E-mail dave@nightbluetheater.com for more information.

• Fox Country Players has auditions for Kaufman and Hart's 1936 Pulitzer Prize-winning comedy "You Can't Take it With You" from 4 to 6 p.m. Sunday and from 7 to 9 p.m. Monday at Plano High School, 704 W. Abe St., Plano. Those interested in auditioning will read from the script.

• Black Ensemble Theater in Chicago is looking for an actor who can sing like Teddy Pendergrass for a forth-coming production based upon the singer's life. Call (773) 769-0964 for audition information.

• Bowen Park also seeks actors for its touring "Spring Show for Young Audiences" production of "A Thousand Cranes" from 3 to 6 p.m. Feb. 3 and from 6 to 9 p.m. Feb. 4 at the Jack Benny Center for the Arts, 39 Jack Benny Dr., Waukegan. Prepare a one-minute monologue and be ready for cold reading from the script if auditioning. Call (847) 360-4740 to schedule an audition.

• The School of Performing Arts seeks young singers, dancers and actors for its spring performance workshop of Meredith Willson's 1951 musical "The Music Man." Auditions are by appointment only and from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday. Call (630) 717-6622 for more information.

• Oak Park Festival Theatre has auditions for a touring company to perform "Shakespeare: Scenes, Songs and Sonnets." Auditions are at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday and Wednesday at 1118 Westgate, Oak Park. Call (708) 445-4440 for more information.

• The Naperville Art League invites local artists to enter its 4th Annual Public Competition with the theme of "Close-Up." Awards are given with a Best-in-Show and winner in three different age categories. Call (630) 355-2530 or visit www.napervilleartleague.com for more information.

• The Albright Theatre Company has auditions for "The Outsiders," a play by Christopher Sergel based upon the book by S.E. Hinton, at 7:30 p.m. Feb. 17 and 18 at 100 N. Island Ave., Batavia. Auditions consist of cold readings from the script. Call (630) 406-8838 or visit www.albrighttheatre.com for more information.

• Noble Fool Theatricals Youth Ensemble has open auditions for Lionel Bart's musical "Oliver!" for youth ages 11-18 at the Pheasant Run Resort, 4051 E. Main St., St. Charles, from 5 to 9 p.m. Wednesday and 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Saturday. Those interested should prepare a one-minute monologue and a 16-bar song. Cockney and English accents are a plus. (630) 443-0438.

• The Lyric Opera of Chicago seeks adult and child supernumeraries and one non-singing comic actor for its revival of Rossini's "The Barber of Seville." Auditions are 5:30 p.m. Monday at the Civic Opera House, 20 N. Wacker Drive, Chicago. Call (312) 827-3538 for more information.

• The Frank Lloyd Wright Preservation Trust seeks volunteers. Winter training begins Feb. 2, and training classes are forming now. Call (708) 848-1976 or visit www.gowright.org for more information.

• Auditions to the general public for College of DuPage productions of David Auburn's Pulitzer Prize-winning drama "Proof" and the Tony Award-winning musical farce "A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum" are at 7 p.m. Friday and noon Saturday in the McAninch Arts Center, 425 Fawell Blvd., Glen Ellyn. Cold readings from the script are part of the "Proof" audition. Singing 32 bars from a song is required for the "Forum" audition. Call (630) 942-2137 for more information.

• As part of its 2009 celebration of the Abraham Lincoln bicentennial, Ravinia Festival is challenging composers to create new piano trios inspired by the words of the 16th president. Winning composers receive a $5,000 award along with multiple performances from their submitted work. A complete entry form with all the rules and regulations can be found at www.ravinia.org.

• Steppenwolf Theatre Company is accepting application for its 2008-2010 African-American Fellowship, a two-year professional development program for early and mid-career African-American arts administrators. Application deadline is March 15. Visit www.steppenwolf.org for more information.