Local auditions

• The Elgin Cultural Arts Commission seeks artists to participate in the second annual Alley of Art show (part of "Walkabout: Theatre On Your Feet," on three Saturdays in August). The deadline has been extended to Friday, July 31. E-mail elginarts@gmail.com.

• The Fox Valley Academy of Music Performance has its final auditions for the 2009-10 season of the Fox Valley Youth Symphony Orchestras between Sunday, Aug. 2, to Saturday, Aug. 22. All auditions are by appointment only. Visit fvyso.org or call (630) 879-8018 for more information.

• Wheaton Drama has auditions for the four-person musical revue "I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change" at 7 p.m. Sunday and Monday, Aug. 2-3, at Playhouse 111, 111 N. Hale St., Wheaton. Visit wheatondrama.org for more information.

• Riverview Theatre Company has auditions for the mystery "The Woman in Black" at 7 p.m. Monday and Tuesday, Aug. 3-4, at Memorial Hall Civic Theatre, 10308 Main St., Richmond. Call (815) 354-7796 to arrange an audition time or visit riverviewtheatre.org for more information.

• The St. Charles Singers has auditions for all of its sections from 6 to 9 p.m. Tuesday and Wednesday, Aug. 4-5, at Baker Memorial United Methodist Church, 307 Cedar Ave., St. Charles. Visit stcharlessingers.com or call (630) 584-4251 for more information.

• Darkhouse Entertainment seeks creative and motivated performers for its two haunted house attractions for the Halloween season. A "Slaughterhouse Circus" theme attraction (based upon the 1918 Hagenbeck-Wallace circus train accident) is set for a run in Forest Park, while a "Vampyre Feast" will be in Cicero. Visit murdermansion.org for more information, or call (708) 574-8179.

• Overshadowed Theatrical Productions has auditions for the musical "Sunday in Manhattan" from 10 a.m. to noon Saturday, Aug. 8, at Itasca Baptist Church, 210 S. Walnut St., Itasca. Visit overshadowedproductions.com or call (630) 250-7518 for more information.

• Grove Players has auditions for the musical "Man of La Mancha" from 2 to 5 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 9, and 7 to 9:30 p.m. on Monday, Aug. 10, at St. Andrew's Episcopal Church, 1125 Franklin St., Downers Grove. An accompanist is provided for those auditioning. Cold reading from the script is also part of auditions. Visit groveplayers.org for more information.

• Highland Park Players has auditions for their October production of "The Wizard of Oz" from 7 to 10 p.m. Monday and Tuesday, Aug. 10-11, at West Ridge Community Center, 636 Ridge Road, Highland Park. Children and adults are encouraged to audition. Call (847) 604-4771 or visit highlandparkplayers.com for more information.

• Finnish metal band Sonata Arctica has a contest for fans to design the cover artwork for a promotional European single to the track "Flag in the Ground" from the upcoming album "The Days of Grays." The contest deadline is Monday, Aug. 10. Visit sonataarctica.info for contest rules and more information.

• The American Public Transportation Association's "Dump the Pump" user-generated video submission contest runs through Thursday, Aug. 13. Go to publictransportation.org/takesusthere/contest.html for more information.

• Biodiversity Project's Great Lakes Forever program is teaming up with Budweiser to sponsor a photography contest for images capturing the majesty of the Great Lakes region. The contest runs until Friday, Aug. 14. Visit greatlakesforever.org for more information.

• Ballet Legere has auditions for its 25th anniversary production of Tchaikovsky's "The Nutcracker Ballet," which features a full orchestra. Enter on Lathrop Avenue at Roosevelt Middle School, 7560 Oak Ave., River Forest, on Saturday, Aug. 15. Dancers must bring a photo and audition at set times. Girls under 45 inches tall audition at 8:30 a.m.; girls 46 to 48 inches audition at 9:30 a.m.; girls 49 to 52 inches audition at 10:30 a.m.; girls 53 to 57 inches audition at 11:30 a.m.; girls 58 and 61 inches audition at 1 p.m.; boys between the ages of 5 and 12 audition at 2:30 p.m.; and teenage or adult male and female dancers wanting pointe and nonpointe roles should audition at 3 p.m. Call (773) 237-1874 for more information.

• Schaumburg Dance Ensemble has auditions for Tchaikovsky's ballet "The Nutcracker" in August at the Prairie Center for the Arts, 201 Schaumburg Court, Schaumburg. Kids auditions are Saturday, Aug. 15, with ages 8 and 9 from 8:30 to 10:45 a.m. (minimum of one year classical ballet training); ages 10 to 11 from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. (two years minimum of ballet training); ages 12 to 13 from 1:45 to 3:15 p.m. (three years minimum ballet training), and boys ages 7 to 13 from 3:30 p.m. to 4:15 p.m. (no dance training required). Auditions for ages 13 to adult are from 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 22. Salaried dance positions for soloists and more are from 1:30 to 4 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 23. Call (847) 398-6176 for an audition appointment, or for more information.

• Green Man Theatre has auditions for Christina Calvit's stage adaptation of Jane Austen's "Pride and Prejudice" at 1 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 16, and 7 p.m. Monday and Tuesday, Aug. 17-18, at the First United Methodist Church, 232 S. York Road, Elmhurst. Call (630) 464-2646 or visit greenmantheatre.com for more information.

• The FAME National Talent Search seeks singers, dancers, musicians and performers to audition from 9 a.m. to noon Saturday, Aug. 22, at Six Flags Great America in Gurnee (park admission is required to audition). Of the 400 qualifying acts competing, up to 10 will be chosen to advance to the semifinals on Sunday, Aug. 23. Those auditioning must be at least 14 years old and groups must be limited to eight total performers. Visit myspace.com/fame or generationfame.com for more information on requirements for the contest, which includes singing, dancing and another talent.

• State Street Dance Studio has auditions for "The Nutcracker" on Sunday, Aug. 23, at 9 N. Fourth St., Geneva. Kids ages 5-6 audition at 11 a.m.; kids ages 7 to 8 audition at noon; kids ages 9 to 11 audition at 1 p.m.; kids ages 12 and up audition at 2 p.m. and adults audition at 3 p.m. Call (630) 232-0444 to preregister. Visit statestreetdancestudio.com for more information.

• The Palatine Children's Chorus has auditions for children who will be 8 and older when the fall season begins on Monday, Aug. 31. Auditions are on Thursday, Aug. 27, and by appointment in room 1B of the Community Center, 250 E. Wood St., Palatine. Call (847) 705-5123, ext. 237, for more information.

• The Lake County Forest Preserves has an "Animal Architects Photography Contest" to accompany a forthcoming exhibition at the Lake County Discovery Museum. Entries by Lake County photographers of all ages are accepted until Monday, Aug. 31, via the Flickr photo sharing Web site at flickr.com/groups/animalarchitects. Call (847) 968-3400 or visit LCFPD.org/PhotoContest for more information on contest rules.

• Lake County artists are invited to sell their artwork at the juried 19th Holiday Art Sale at the College of Lake County from Saturday through Tuesday, Nov. 21-24. Cost is $15 for the jury fee and $15 per table upon acceptance. The deadline is Tuesday, Sept. 8, and artists must be 18 or older. Call (847) 543-2405 or visit gallery.clcillinois.edu for more information.

• Visitors to Moraine Hill's Nature Center, 1510 S. River Road, McHenry, are requested to vote for their favorite entries in the 12th annual Nature Photo Contest. Call (815) 385-1624 for more information

• The 29th annual Carey Rose Winski Dance Scholarship Competition is at 11 a.m. Sunday, Oct. 4, at the Lou Conte Dance Studio, 1147 W. Jackson Blvd., Chicago. The competition is open to any U.S. dancer between the ages of 13 and 18. Competitors participate in a one-hour classical warmup class and perform two three-minute solos in classical ballet and a modern style (no tap). For more information, write to the Carey Rose Winski Memorial Foundation Inc., 69 Woodley Road, Winnetka, IL. 60093.

• The 13th Annual Scotch Brand Most Gifted Wrapper Contest seeks entrants for its contest held on Friday, Dec. 4, in New York City at Rockefeller Center. Visit ScotchBrand.com for more information and a set of rules and requirements.