Arts agenda: Auditions March 26 and beyond

• Elgin OPERA has auditions for the Young Artist Program of the Third Community Outreach Summer Music Festival on Saturday, March 26. Auditions are by invitation only and will be held in the Kimball Theatre of Elgin Community College, 350 Park St., Elgin. Selected singers will be invited to prepare and perform in several productions including a fully staged opera production of “Così fan tutte,” opera scenes, recitals and concerts, and to take part in master classes. A $15 fee for the pianist is required at the time of the audition. The Festival runs from Saturday, June 4, to Sunday, July 17. Visit elginopera.org or call (847) 695-5014.

• Three Cat Education has auditions for a national premiere production of a new musical version of “Cinderella” from 2 to 4 p.m. Saturday, March 26, at the Skokie Theater, 7924 N. Lincoln Ave., Skokie. To schedule an audition, call (847) 461-3228 or visit threecatproductions.com.

• Von Heidecke's Chicago Festival Ballet has open call auditions for Prokofiev's ballet “Cinderella” on Saturday, March 26, at the von Heidecke Dance Center, 1239 S. Naper Blvd., Naperville. Dancers ages 6-12 audition from noon to 1 p.m.; ages 13 to professional dancers audition from 1 to 2 p.m. All dancers should arrive 30 minutes before their start time to register. Call (630) 527-1052 or visit chicagofestivalballet.com.

• Chicago Danztheatre Ensemble seeks actors and dancers to be a part of its upcoming performance of “Mirrors” based upon the poetry of Rumi. Auditions are from 3 to 4:30 p.m. Sunday, March 27, at the Hamlin Park Studio Theatre, 3035 N. Hoyne Ave., Chicago. To schedule an the audition, call Ellyzabeth Adler at (773) 486-8261.

• The Riverfront Playhouse holds auditions for “Golem: The Monster of Prague” at 7:30 p.m. Sunday and Monday, March 27-28, at 11-13 S. Water St., Aurora. For details, call the Riverfront Box Office at (630) 897-9496 or visit riverfrontplayhouse.com.

• Furniturelab hosts a table design competition to win a trip to the Home Design Expo in Las Vegas from May 18 to 20. The submission deadline is Thursday, March 31. Those interested in entering an eye-catching table design should visit furniturelab.com/HD2011.

• The Naperville Art League is now accepting applications for the 26th Annual Riverwalk Fine Art Fair, which is set for the weekend of Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 17-18. Artists interested in submitting their original work for sale must apply before Saturday, April 2, via zapplication.org. Call (630) 355-2530 or visit napervilleartleague.com for details on application fees and other information.

• The Fox Valley Rep Performing Arts Academy has auditions for area kids ages 6 to 19 to appear in upcoming tuition-based productions and classes at the Pheasant Run Resort, 4051 E. Main St., St. Charles. Kids ages 12 to 19 can audition for a summer production of the musical “Little Shop of Horrors” from 5 to 7 p.m. Sunday, April 3, and 5 to 7 p.m. Monday, April 4. For details on the Performing Arts Academy or for audition information, visit foxvalleyrep.org/education or call (630) 364-0550.

• Illinois artists are invited to submit applications to the Illinois State Museum Artisans Program. Folk and fine art forms are sought. Artists are required to submit an application, six to 10 digital images, an artist statement, a resume and a $25 application fee. The deadlines for 2011 are Monday, March 28, and Monday, Sept. 12. For details, visit www.museum.state.il.us/artisans.

• Young songwriters and writing teams working in any pop music genre are encouraged to apply for a no-fee program presented by the Johnny Mercer Foundation and the American Music Theatre Project at Northwestern University in Evanston this summer. The sixth annual Johnny Mercer Songwriters Project runs from Monday through Saturday, June 20-25. Applications must be postmarked by Saturday, April 9. To learn more, visit johnnymercerfoundation.com/intro.html.

• The Music Institute of Chicago has auditions for the Academy, an elite training program for gifted pre-college string players and pianists seeking professional careers, for the 2011-12 academic year. Auditions take place from noon to 5 p.m. Sunday, April 17, and 4 to 8 p.m. Friday, April 29, at the Thoresen Performance Center, 300 Green Bay Road, Winnetka. For details or to schedule an audition, call (847) 905-1500, ext. 122.

• Auditions for an American version of the hit U.K. singing competition “The X Factor” will be held Wednesday, April 27, at the Sears Centre Arena, 5333 Prairie Stone Parkway, Hoffman Estates. Required registration begins 6 a.m. Tuesday, April 26. Visit fox.com/thexfactor/registration for information.

• The Geneva Chamber of Commerce seeks entrants for the Granquist Music Competition, which is part of Illinois Swedish Days — A Midsommar Festival. The 41st Annual Music Competition is at 6 p.m. Saturday, June 25, at Geneva Community High School, 416 McKinley Ave., Geneva. Visit genevachamber.com/granquist to register or call (630) 232-6060.

• The Curt Teich Postcard Archives at the Lake County Discovery Museum seeks entries for its ninth biennial Postcard Art Competition and Exhibition. The juried competition examines the postcard as an art form and challenges artists ages 18 and older to create original works of art in a 4-by-6-inch size. Submission deadline is July 11. To download a prospectus and entry form or view past winners, visit lcfpd.org/pace or call (847) 968-3381.

• Applications are now available for filmmakers to enter the third annual Elgin Short Film Festival. Filmmakers are invited to submit their short films (20 minutes or less in length) for competition in the festival. The deadline to submit films is Wednesday, Aug. 17. For a complete list of rules and regulations and to download an application, go to hemmens.org/annualfilmfestival or call (847) 931-5900.