About us

For nearly 50 years, Back Stage has been the most trusted place for actors to find performing arts and casting information.

Started in December 1960 by Ira Eaker and Allen Zwerdling, Back Stage quickly became required reading for every young actor who came to New York to cut their teeth. The newspaper's then blue-and-red logo became as synonymous with NYC actors as a class at The Actors Studio.

A Los Angeles edition, Back Stage West, was launched in 1994, and BackStage.com came to life in 1997. Then, in late 2008, the two regional newspapers were synthesized into a single national edition, now known simply as Back Stage, which is sold across the United States and Canada.

Today, the Back Stage brand signifies something greater than simply a newspaper and a website: Back Stage is a place where actors, singers and dancers can connect with the greater performing arts community.

More importantly, Back Stage is where performers can get all the information they need to succeed in the entertainment business. Actors browse through our weekly newspaper, checking updated production listings or reading our periodic spotlights on photography, college programs, acting schools and coaches. Or they check our many interactive online features, from news, reviews, and advice columns to a vibrant message board, weblogs, video, and much more.

And, of course, actors browse through our casting notices.

Back Stage takes pride in having the most up-to-date technology, whether you are creating a multimedia resume or viewing casting notices. Upload your resume, post photos, upload a reel -- all can be done with the touch of a button.

But none of that technology means anything without the job listings. And we have the best notices in the business.

Back Stage publishes between 800 to 1,000 top audition notices each week for every type of performance: film, stage, TV, commercials, multimedia, dance, voiceovers, singing, and more. Included are opportunities for both adults and children. Plus, we offer ads seeking people in related fields, such as stage/film crews, models, musicians, and writers.

Besides performance hubs New York City and Los Angeles, we publish notices for dozens of other cities across the United States and Canada, including Chicago, San Francisco, Boston, Miami, Philadelphia, Denver, Seattle, Vancouver and many more. Simply search by state or province and job type to see what's available in your area.

Note: You do NOT need to be a subscriber to search our listings. To view complete notices, however, requires a Back Stage online subscription.

Actors are, unfortunately, highly vulnerable to all kinds of sleazy operators and scam artists. Back Stage takes particular pride in trying to prevent that.

We offer every actor our unique Back Stage Casting Pledge: We check out all casting notices before we publish them.

We never simply publish a casting notice as submitted. We ask questions, check references, and refuse to publish calls that seem less than reputable. No other publication takes the steps we do to protect actors.

For instance, we ask production companies to indicate if roles are paid or not; if any roles require nudity; are they seeking union or nonunion actors (and if it's union, under which contract); and so forth. We refuse to publish casting calls for pornography, or for projects that ask for exorbitant fees or purchases. (If modest fees are required, we'll include exactly what's expected in the casting notice.)

You should never go into an audition wondering if the person behind that door will try to take your money -- or worse.

However, we're not perfect. Despite our best efforts, con artists and creeps occasionally fool us. But we take your complaints seriously. If someone is proven to be a scammer or deliberately misleading in their ads, we never allow that person to advertise with us again. Ever. That's a promise.

We want to empower actors by supplying the most complete information possible about a project, so you know exactly what to expect at an audition before you attend. Then, if you are told something completely different, contact us immediately at castinghelp@backstage.com and we'll investigate.

Back Stage is working hard to be an actor's most trusted daily resource. Subscribe today!

Back Stage is owned by The Nielsen Company, whose other entertainment and media publications includes The Hollywood Reporter, Billboard, Adweek, Mediaweek, and Ross Reports. Nielsen also owns media measurement company Nielsen Media Research. For more information on The Nielsen Company, visit www.nielsen.com.

VP, General Manager: Jeffrey Black
National Editor-in-Chief: Jamie Painter Young
National Casting Editor: Luke Crowe

Executive Editor (NY): David Sheward
Executive Editor (LA): Dany Margolies
National Film & TV Editor: Jenelle Riley
Columns/NY Theatre Reviews Editor: Erik Haagensen
News Editor: Daniel Holloway
Film & TV Writer: Sarah Kuhn
Features Writer: Simi Horwitz
Theatre Writer & Critic (LA): Les Spindle
Copy Chief: Janelle Tipton
Senior Copy Editor: David Fairhurst
Research Editor: Laura A. Butler
Research and Casting Editor: Jessica Gardner
Editor-at-Large: Sherry Eaker

Manager, Casting Development, West Coast: Thom Klohn
Casting Editor (LA): Cassie Carpenter
Assistant Casting Editors (LA): Sarah McKinley Oakes
Assistant Casting Editors (NY): Andrew Valvano, Sri Gordon, Daniel Lehman, Brooks Sherman, Anna Bengel

General Manager, Online: Alex Boyce
Managing Online Editor: Tom Penketh

Advertising Manager (NY): Allen Buhl
Sr. Account Executive (NY): Gerry Sankner
Sr. Account Executive (LA): Richard H. Johnston
Advertising Sales Supervisor (LA): Rick Tyberg
Account Executive (NY): Elissa Blau
Account Executive (LA): Joseph Malone
Sales Analyst: Maria Francis

Brand Manager: Michelle Zern
Marketing Coordinator: Heroika Muljadi
Graphic Designer: Larry Johnson

Art Director: Eric Hernandez (LA)
Production Manager: Shenaya Archer (LA)
Graphic Production Artist: William Scalia (LA), Jessica Farley, Gene Williams (NY)
Production Assistant: Joe Garcia (LA)

SVP, Entertainment Group: Gerry Byrne
VP, Chief Operations: Howard Appelbaum
Distribution Director: Louis Bradfield
Group Audience Marketing Director: Neil Eisenberg
Associate Director, Human Resources: Sara Rogers
Director of Finance & Operations: Rebecca Eacret