Looking for a Cast98 Alternative? Auditions Are Only the First Act
Casting-first tools solve the audition crunch and then stop. If props, costumes, budget and stage-management paperwork are still in spreadsheets after casting closes, here is what to look for.
· By CueCall Team
Topics: cast98 alternative, auditions software, casting software, community theater, theatre production management, theater management software
If you are looking for a Cast98 alternative, the question underneath it is usually about scope: does your theatre need a tool for auditions, or a tool for the whole production? This guide draws that line honestly and shows where CueCall fits.
What Cast98 is good at
Cast98 focuses on the front end of a community theatre production: auditions and casting, conflict calendars, rehearsal scheduling, attendance, company communications and, in some setups, digital playbills. If auditions are your annual crisis — two hundred sign-ups, a wall of conflicts to reconcile, a whole company to keep informed — a casting-first platform is built for exactly that, and it is a real relief when it works.
Why companies look for an alternative
- The show is cast, and then the tool runs out. Auditions go smoothly and the rest of the production — props, costumes, set pieces, blocking, cues, budget, production paperwork — reverts to spreadsheets and group chats.
- Nothing tracks physical inventory. The costume you need for Scene 7 is in a storage unit, and there is no record of which, or whose, or whether it is due back.
- No budget visibility. The producer is reconciling receipts by hand at the end of the run.
- Stage management paperwork lives elsewhere. Rehearsal reports, blocking, cue sheets and readiness are still on paper or in a shared drive.
- Season-to-season continuity. Your people roster and your inventory should carry across productions rather than being rebuilt each time.
What to evaluate in an alternative
- Does casting flow into the production? When someone accepts a role, does the cast list, the scene assignment and the contact sheet all update — or do you re-type it?
- Is there real inventory management? Props, costumes and sets, with ownership and return tracking.
- Does the stage manager get anything? Blocking, cues, department-tagged notes, readiness by discipline.
- Can the whole company have accounts? Per-user pricing usually means only the production team does.
- Does it handle personal data properly? You are storing minors' contact details, emergency contacts and costume measurements. Field-level permissions matter.
How CueCall compares
CueCall handles auditions and casting — and then keeps going through to closing night.
The casting side
- Public audition sign-up pages you can share as a link, with no account needed to register.
- Registrant management including headshots, resumes and media such as song recordings.
- Audition sessions and scheduling, plus callbacks.
- Cast offers with accept and decline tracking, and automated reminders.
- Conflict and availability tracking that feeds the rehearsal calendar.
And then everything after it
- Scenes as the spine — people, props, costumes, notes, files and costs all attach to the scenes that use them, so nothing is entered twice.
- Stage management — blocking notation with movement and furniture diagrams, technical cue tracking, department-tagged notes, and readiness status per discipline.
- Inventory — props, costumes and set pieces with photos and owned/rented/borrowed status, shared across every production your company runs.
- Budget — budget lines and expenses, with inventory and rental costs flowing in automatically.
- Marketplace — rent costumes, props and set pieces from other theatre companies, with rented items flowing into your inventory, budget and return tracking.
Personal data is handled carefully
Community theatre records include minors' contact details, emergency contacts and costume measurements. In CueCall these are field-level permissions rather than an all-or-nothing setting: contact details, personal documents and measurements are visible only to roles entitled to see them, and everyone can always see their own.
Pricing
Two shows free for a full year each, with all features and unlimited users. $14.99 per year for each additional show, or $49 per year for unlimited shows. Per show rather than per user — which for a community theatre matters more than it sounds, because it means every cast member, crew member, parent and volunteer can have an account without changing the bill.
When a casting-only tool is still right
If auditions and company communications genuinely are the whole need — the rest of your production is already running smoothly on whatever you use — then a focused tool that does that one job well is a reasonable choice, and adding scope you will not use is not an upgrade.
Frequently asked questions
Can auditionees sign up without creating an account?
Yes. Audition sign-up pages are public links; registrants fill in the form and upload materials without an account.
Does our people roster carry between shows?
Yes. Theatre companies in CueCall share one people roster and one inventory pool across every production, so you are not rebuilding your database each season.
Can parents and volunteers have access?
Yes, with their own role-scoped dashboard, and at no extra cost since billing is per show.
Does CueCall do digital playbills or ticketing?
Ticketing, no — that is deliberately out of scope, and you should pair CueCall with a dedicated ticketing provider.
Run your next audition in it
Your first two shows are free for a full year each, with unlimited users — enough to run auditions and the production that follows before spending anything. Start free at cuecall.app.
Cast98 is described here according to its own public positioning as of August 2026. Features and pricing change — verify current details with the vendor before deciding.