DC Gets a Dose of the 'Real World' with Weekend Casting Call

At Town Tavern in Adams Morgan, senior casting director of MTV's  Real World, Megan Sleeper waited for the next set of hopefuls for the reality show's 27th season.  Only two hours into the casting call an estimated hundred people were already seen and about 300 more were expected. 

Sleeper isn't looking for the next outrageous cast member or someone who puts up a façade to be on the long-running show. Instead she is searching for someone who is comfortable in their own skin with passion and a little fire. 

"The person who has a strong passion for something always stands out. Most of the people who come in have a story to tell and they use their story to make a difference," Sleeper said. 

When the next set of hopefuls came in and sat around the table, Sleeper inquired about four things: name, age, birth place and the biggest misconceptions people have about you. 

While those who are auditioning engaged in conversation, the casting director watched how each person interacted with a group of people they don't know. 

Senior casting director, Damon Furberg said he never knows what to expect when they're out looking for the next cast. 

"We're always looking for the story we haven't told yet, the type of person we haven't had on the show yet. Someone who is a good storyteller. We're essentially looking for the next seven people who are completely different from each other," Furberg said. 

As the rain continued to fall, several people stood outside of Town Tavern with their hoods on and umbrellas up waiting to prove why they should be the next face the of MTV's  Real World.  

Javier Lamboy, a 22-year-old D.C. resident, was waiting in the rain to prove that he could be the next person to bring something new to the show that no one has seen before. 

"I can bring something entertaining to the show. My randomness and my personality is something different from everyone else's," Lamboy said. 

The casting call in D.C. was a bit more relaxed than some of the tapes sent in.  Megan Sleeper said she hadn't seen anything outrageous at Saturday's casting call but Furberg said he's seen some interesting tapes. 

"We always seem to get people in the bathtub or in the bathroom trying to show how different they are," Furberg said. 

Furberg said the District is always a ‘go to' city when selecting cast because they generally meet interesting people and a good group of college students in the area. 

Sade Prue, a 24-year old resident, came out to the casting call to offer a different perspective. "I've been through some things that I know others haven't. I want to be on the show explore new options and gain a new experience," she said. 

Heather Marter of Real World's 25th season in Las Vegas, said the experience is what she enjoyed most. 

"Being on the show was a unique experience that you can't really prepare for because you're living with complete strangers. From the show I gained outstanding friendships and after watching it-- I learned a lot from seeing myself," Marter said. 

According to Furberg, the show has relied consistently on the cast personalities and their stories. "It's like taking a snapshot of a particular phase in someone's life and I find that really interesting," he said. 

With the production crew just wrapping up the filming of season 26, the location of season 27 is still unknown.