Backstage Magazine Digital Edition: July 23, 2020

07.23.20

BACKSTAGE.COM

After giving the performance of the year,

Adrienne Warren is looking nowhere but up!

5+ Pages OF CASTING NOTICES

Cristin Milioti

makes a splash in “Palm Springs”

Sara Bareilles’

“Little Voice” will make you sing along

Cong ratula tions to MM C alu Adrie mna nne W arren featu ’09 red o n this issue ’s cover !

BA and BFA Programs in Theatre Arts

• Acting • Directing • Musical Theatre • Producing and Management • Theatre Design and Technology • Theatre History • Theatre and New Media • Writing for the Stage

Learn more at: www.mmm.edu Starlight Express | Directed by Richard Stafford | Susan Cook Photography

Marymount Manhattan College 221 East 71st Street New York, NY 10021 212.517.0400

Contents

vol. 61, no. 16 | 07.23.20

Cover Story

Just Try and Stop Her Though the 2020 Broadway season was cut short, it belonged to Adrienne Warren—and “Tina” was just a preview of what’s to come page 12

The Green Room 4 The industry calls on Congress for economic relief

6 This week’s roundup of who’s casting what starring whom

7 Christopher Meloni chats about his new Hulu show and early training

Advice 9 NOTE FROM THE CD

Songs in the spotlight

10 #IGOTCAST

Chloé Teresa Wilson

10 SECRET AGENT MAN Using the right words

Features 3 BACKSTAGE 5 WITH...

Cristin Milioti

8 MEET THE MAKER

Jessie Nelson, “Little Voice” creator and showrunner

9 THE ESSENTIALISTS

Ingrid Michaelson, singer-songwriter

11 IN THE ROOM WITH

Bernie Telsey, Katie Proctor, and Franklyn Warfield

17 SINGING FOR YOUR

REPRESENTATION Breaking down the steps musical theater actors should take to land an agent

24 ASK AN EXPERT

Craig Wallace on how to stay focused during a crying scene

Casting 18 New York Tristate 20 California 21 National/Regional Adrienne Warren photographed by Stephanie Diani on June 26 in NYC. All clothing by Alice + Olivia. Cover designed by Ian Robinson.

backstage.com

1

07.23.20 BACKSTAGE

Backstage was founded in 1960 by Ira Eaker and Allen Zwerdling

CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER

Joshua Ellstein

CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER

Michael Felman

CORPORATE CONTROLLER & VICE PRESIDENT, FINANCE

CHIEF TECHNOLOGY & PRODUCT OFFICER

James G. Reynolds

CHIEF MARKETING OFFICER

VICE PRESIDENT, CASTING

David Grossman

Luke Crowe

Michael Madia

Editorial

Art

Casting

Product

Advertising Sales

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

DESIGN DIRECTOR

MANAGING CASTING EDITOR

ENGINEERING MANAGER

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, MEDIA

MANAGING EDITOR

ART DIRECTOR

ACCOUNT MANAGER S

LEAD PRODUCT DESIGNER

Briana Rodriguez Benjamin Lindsay DIRECTOR OF CONTENT OPERATIONS

Allie White

SENIOR EDITOR, CASTING AND INDUSTRY NEWS

Elyse Roth

AWARDS EDITOR

Jack Smart U.K. EDITOR

Pete Martin SENIOR STAFF WRITER

Casey Mink

Ian Robinson

Margaret Ruling

Production PRODUCTION MANAGER

Mark Stinson

Social Media SOCIAL MEDIA SPECIALIST

Katie Minard

SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING ASSOCIATE

Alysa Cirelli

Customer Service

SENIOR COPY EDITOR

CUSTOMER SERVICE MANAGER

Brandy Colbert COPY EDITOR

Regan Hofmann EDITORIAL ASSISTANT

Franchesca Viaud

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

Alex Ates Marci Liroff Allie Volpe

EDITORIAL OFFICES

editorial@backstage.com

Elijah Cornell Jill Heller

Richard Burridge

CUSTOMER SERVICE ASSOCIATE

Stephanie Chung Anna Szatkowski Eric Thomas Ben Wasserman

Shishir Bankapur Jeff Lilley

ENGINEER LEAD

CASTING SPECIALISTS

ASSOCIATE EDITOR

Lisa Granshaw

Melinda Loewenstein

Victoria Beal Gabrielle Hamann Neill Kennedy Christina Kleppinger Christine McKenna-Tirella Hannah Williams CASTING EDITORS

Tom Achtemichuk QA MANAGER

Cassie Haffner SENIOR FULL STACK ENGINEER

Mike Lewis

FULL STACK ENGINEER

Elaina Crockett Riley Fee Daniel Gelb Lisa Hamil Effie Reich

Joe Zeleny

FRONT END ENGINEER

Neely Kartha

PLATFORM ENGINEER

Agata Neltz

REGIONAL CASTING EDITOR

PRODUCT DESIGNER

Byron Karlevics

Jan Cantor

RESEARCH EDITOR

Rebecca Welch

Advisers

Office Operations OFFICE EXPERIENCE + PEOPLE MANAGER

Jenny O’Donnell

Kasey Howe

MEDIA OPERATIONS

Samantha Sherlock

Marketing GROWTH MARKETING DIRECTOR

Ryan Remstad

PARTNERSHIP DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR

Ryann Thompson DESIGN MANAGER

Caitlin Watkins

CONVERSION RATE OPTIMIZATION MANAGER

Stanley Zuo

USER ACQUISITION MANAGER

Nikita Rubetskoy

COMMUNITY MANAGER

Liz Farris

Peter Rappaport

GROWTH MARKETING ASSOCIATE

Accounting

JUNIOR MARKETING DESIGNER

SENIOR ADVISER

STAFF ACCOUNTANT

Ben Carleton

Erica Whyte

Kailyn Ciancarelli

CASTING DEPARTMENT

casting@backstage.com

CUSTOMER SERVICE

917-725-6367 customers@backstage.com

DISPLAY ADVERTISING

advertising@backstage

PERMISSION

For one-time use of our content, as a full article, excerpt, or production prop, contact editorial@backstage.com

BACKSTAGE, vol. 61, no. 16 (ISSN#53635 USPS#39740) IS A WEEKLY PUBLICATION, WITH OCCASIONAL DOUBLE ISSUES IN MARCH, MAY, SEPTEMBER, FEBRUARY, JUNE, AUGUST AND DECEMBER AND ONE ISSUE PUBLISHED IN APRIL AND JULY (except the fourth week of December) by Backstage LLC, 45 Main St., Brooklyn, NY 11201, $3.99 per copy, $99 per year. Periodicals postage paid at Brooklyn, NY 11256 and additional mailing offices. Printed in USA. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Backstage, 45 Main St., Ste. 416, Brooklyn, NY 11201.Publication Mail Agreement No. 40031729. ©2017 Backstage LLC. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in any retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the publisher. Backstage LLC: Joshua Ellstein, Chief Executive Officer.

BACKSTAGE 07.23.20

2

backstage.com

Backstage 5 With...

Cristin Milioti

By Allie Volpe

After one year of studying acting at New York University, Cristin Milioti trusted her gut and dropped out, secured an agent, booked a small recurring role on “The Sopranos,” and cut her teeth on the New York stage, eventually booking top billing in the Tony Award–winning musical “Once.” Now adding to her screen credits, which include “How I Met Your Mother” and “Black Mirror,” she stars in Hulu’s “Palm Springs,” a trippy rom-com co-starring Andy Samberg.

What advice would you give your younger self? Sometimes I look back at my younger self and say, “I wish I had her confidence now.” The fact that I dropped out of college—I was following my gut. I remember thinking, This doesn’t feel right to me, I’m going to leave.

good at horseback riding, are you?” And without missing a beat, I was like, “Oh, yeah.” And I’m not at all. I’ve tried multiple times. I was like, “If I get it, I’ll learn.” I remember doing a commercial at one point for that HPV vaccine, Gardasil, directed by the director who did “Blue Valentine” [Derek Cianfrance]. They asked if I was good at yoga, and I had taken one yoga class in my life and I was like, “Yeah, I’m great at yoga.” And they were like, “Great, we’re going to film you doing yoga and talking about yoga like you’re a yoga teacher.” When I got there, it was so immediately clear I had no idea what I was doing, and I was completely cut out. [Laughs]

ILLUSTRATION: NATHAN ARIZONA/PHOTO: RON ADAR/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

How did you first get your SAG-AFTRA card? I want to say “The Sopranos” got me almost there, and maybe I did a commercial that got me to the actual membership. I wish I had a better memory. I remember getting that card and being immensely grateful and dumbstruck. It was a beautiful moment: I did it, I’m an actor!

What is your worst audition horror story? I had to mime eating someone’s chest once. It was a werewolf drama. There have definitely been ones where people have said terrible things. I remember a director saying once—I had worked so hard on something, and at the end of it he said, “Pretend you were actually this person and this was happening to you.” I’ve usually had a very good experience, but I think they sometimes forget you’re a human and you worked really hard on this and you’re not a piece of meat that walks through the door. The amount of rejection is really tough.

What performance should every actor see and why?

Frances McDormand in “Fargo,” Laura Dern in “Enlightened,” Uma Thurman in “Kill Bill,” Joan Cusack in “Addams Family Values,” Madeline Kahn in “Clue,” Catherine O’Hara in “Schitt’s Creek”—or anything Catherine O’Hara has ever done. Those are performances that really resonated with me growing up and even as an adult. They are so unabashedly brave and fearless, those performances, and they’re completely not vain at all, even if they’re playing a vain person. They are so mindblowingly imaginative and original and creative and can only be performed by those women.

What’s the wildest thing you’ve ever done to get a role?

For some role years ago, they were like, “You have to be really

“I just wanted to act all the time—I still do! I want to act all the time.”

backstage.com

3

07.23.20 BACKSTAGE

HAVE YOU BEEN CAST IN A PROJECT THROUGH A BACKSTAGE CASTING NOTICE? Share your story with us and you might be featured in an upcoming issue! Just tweet @Backstage using the hashtag #IGotCast and we’ll be in touch to hear your success story! @BACKSTAGE

FACEBOOK.COM/BACKSTAGE

@BACKSTAGECAST

Industry

Industry Calls on Congress for Relief

With near-universal unemployment still ongoing, elected officials have 3 weeks to pass legislation before their August recess

By Alex Ates

BACKSTAGE 07.23.20

now,” said Mary McColl, executive director of Actors’ Equity, the union for stage actors and managers.

Despite the release of reopening guidelines, most television and film shoots are still stagnant (though as of this writing, they had been given the go-ahead to resume in New York as part of the city’s Phase 4 of reopening). All Broadway productions, meanwhile, will be frozen until early 2021, at least.

In late March, with the momentum of rare bipartisan collaboration, both chambers of

4

backstage.com

ANUJAK JAIMOOK/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

THIS WEEK, LAWMAKERS ARE returning to Capitol Hill to negotiate the terms of a new economic relief bill.

Entertainment unions and trade organizations are desperately lobbying for congressional relief funding as the industry goes into its fifth month of near-universal unemployment because of COVID-19 shutdowns.

“The nature of this pandemic and the need for social distancing means that many of us in live arts will also be among the last to return to work, making it critical that Congress acts

Congress passed the $2.2 trillion CARES stimulus bill. The bill provided unprecedented protections for independent contractors (like actors), who are often excluded from staterun unemployment insurance.

In addition to sanctioning emergency funding to the National Endowment for the Arts, the March bill provided an additional $600 to weekly unemployment and a one-time $1,200 check.

Heralded at the time as a popular stimulus for Americans who were still shell-shocked by the shutdowns, the special unemployment funding will sunset at the end of July, while infections spike nationwide at record levels.

“The extra $600 per week in federal pandemic unemployment compensation has been a huge game-changer for me during this time of terrifying uncertainty,” wrote “Wicked” conductor Dan Micciche in a plea to Congress via the Broadway musicians’ union, the American

Federation of Musicians Local 802. “I’m praying to God that this crisis doesn’t totally have to drain my family’s life savings.”

Over two months ago, the Democratic-led House of Representatives passed the Heroes Act as a sequel to the CARES Act. While initially criticized for lacking “critical provisions to support the arts and entertainment sector” by Actors’ Equity in mid-May, labor unions are pressing the Republican-controlled Senate to pass the bill, which would continue the $600 weekly benefits along with health care protections.

Entertainment union members commonly earn health coverage relative to the number of weeks they work. The more weeks unemployed, the less health coverage one gets. The House’s Heroes Act offers a COBRA subsidy that would cover the insurance premiums of unemployed union members.

Such subsidies were last granted in 2009 during the Great Recession, which had an unemployment rate of 10%. In June of this year, the national unemployment rate was over 11%.

“The House has already taken action,” said McColl. “The Senate should move quickly to pass a COBRA subsidy so that no one in the arts and entertainment industries worries about losing their health care in the middle of a pandemic.”

While the entertainment industry has demonstrated reliable alliances with representatives in the House, including high-profile representative Adam Schiff, such partnerships have not been as evident in the Senate.

Congress has three weeks to vote before it takes an August break.

STARS AREN’T BORN, THEY’RE MADE

Hard-core training for Musical Theater performers who want to realize their potential as great actors.

Earn a college degree while working all day, every day on your craft.

Find out how at nycda.edu

@nyconservatory

he longs to be a part of may be found outside of the popular table. Casting the project is Telsey + Company, which will likely follow the model introduced on Broadway of having the entire cast—and band—made up of 13-year-olds. Production is being prepped for late summer or early fall in the United States.

‘13: The Musical’ Gets a New Life Onscreen Netflix is seeking young actors for the gig

By Rebecca Welch

STAY IN THE LOOP ON INDUStry and casting news with our write-up on who’s been slated for recent film and television roles!

Please note that shoot dates are subject to state and county restrictions and may change. Refer to Call Sheet for the latest updates and keep checking Backstage for

BACKSTAGE 07.23.20

“13: The Musical” While the country is cycling through lockdowns and mandates, the entertainment industry is looking for a light at the end of the tunnel. With the popularity of “Hamilton” on Disney+ and the excitement surrounding the film adaptations of “Dear Evan Hansen” and “West Side Story,” “13: The Musical” is now joining “The Prom” as part of Netflix’s onscreen musical bid. Originally a short-lived Broadway show,

6

TELEVISION

Let Your Favorite Actors Calm You

By Casey Mink

For the latest news, check out backstage.com/resources to find thousands of production listings, casting directors, acting classes, agents, and more!

READING THE ROOM, HBO MAX HAS ordered “A World of Calm,” a new series based on the popular Calm app. Having received a 10-episode order, the project will specifically use the app’s “Sleep Stories,” and has enlisted various big names to narrate each 30-minute installment: Mahershala Ali, Idris Elba, Lucy Liu, Oscar Isaac, and Keanu Reeves are among those who have signed on to lend their voices to the show, which will use “mesmeric imagery” in order to help audiences relax. An expected premiere date is not yet known.

backstage.com

MARGAUX QUAYLE CANNON

Get cast!

For more upcoming productions and casting news, visit backstage.com/news/casting

the latest news on project development during this time.

“13: The Musical” ran for 105 performances, giving us the professional debut of a pre-Nickelodeon Ariana Grande in 2008.

With music and lyrics by Jason Robert Brown (“The Last Five Years”) the project tells the story of a 13-year-old boy leaving the Big Apple to relocate with his family in small-town Indiana.

Struggling with his parents’ recent divorce and the complications of starting over in a new school, the once “cool kid” starts to realize that the clique

COURTESY ALL3MEDIA

What’s Casting

“The Flash” Super-speedy superhero the Flash is riling up the DC Comics fanbase with the announcement that it will join the collection of comic book film adaptations as a standalone feature. Based on the 2011 DC comic miniseries “Flashpoint,” “The Flash” will follow the man behind the mythic hero, Barry Allen, as he journeys to the past to prevent his mother’s murder.

When he returns to the future world, he realizes it has been forever changed by his actions.

Noting the chaos of the new future, he’s forced to reconsider his choices and whether they’re worth the consequences.

Warner Bros. Casting has assigned Ezra Miller to the lead role of Barry Allen, while Billy Crudup, Gal Gadot (as Wonder Woman), and Michael Keaton, reprising his role as Batman, will round out the hotly anticipated film from the DC world.

Production is set to start at the end of the year or beginning of 2021 in Atlanta and London.

into the upper echelons of the music biz.”

Christopher Meloni on “Maxxx”

Backstage Live

Taking it to the ‘Maxxx’

Christopher Meloni talks “The Handmaid’s Tale” + his new series coming to Hulu

By Paul Art Smith

The following Backstage Live was compiled by Backstage readers just like you! Follow us on Twitter (@Backstage) and Instagram (@backstagecast) to stay in the loop on upcoming interviews and to submit questions live on camera.

FILM

COURTESY ALL3MEDIA

MARGAUX QUAYLE CANNON

Evans + Gosling Team Up for BigBudget Thriller

By Casey Mink

backstage.com

BELOVED FOR HIS WORK ON genre classics like the long-running “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit,” “Oz,” and “True Blood,” Christopher Meloni has been bringing his stellar talents to screens big and small for years now. His recent string of performances on “Happy!,”

CHRIS EVANS AND RYAN GOSLING have both signed on for “The Gray Man,” an action-thriller film based on Mark Greaney’s 2009 novel of the same name that has already landed at Netflix. The project hails jointly from “Avengers: Endgame” directors Joe and Anthony Russo; the former penned the script and they both plan to direct. The project will mark a reunion between the team and Evans, who starred as Captain America in several of the brothers’ previous Marvel Cinematic Universe films.

“The Handmaid’s Tale,” and the upcoming one-two punch of “Maxxx” on July 28 and “Law & Order: Organized Crime” this fall are no exception. The Emmy nominee sat down to chat with Backstage on Instagram Live about his new stint with creator-star O-T Fagbenle on “Maxxx” (coming to Hulu this month), what he’s taken from his early-career Meisner training, and more.

“Maxxx” brought Meloni and Fagbenle back together after “Handmaid’s.”

“I just got this script out of left field. They wanted me for this show and it shoots in London and I said, ‘OK, I’m intrigued.’ O-T Fagbenle was the writer—he’s the guy who plays Elisabeth Moss’ husband on ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’—and, yeah, it was great. We did a lot of tweaking—everything was great on the page, but just did a little massaging on the edges— and we came up with this great character: Don Wild. In his mind, [he’s a] record producer extraordinaire and he’s going to try to reboot O-T’s career, back

7

Meloni was excited to explore a new aspect of “The Handmaid’s Tale” when he joined Season 3.

“I had always been a big fan of the show. I think it is one of the most cinematically [and] satisfyingly shot shows. I find it very atmospheric; I enjoy how they allow the story to breathe, the characters’ emotions to breathe. I was very looking forward to being part of that storytelling. I found Cmdr. Winslow, my character, cleanly written, so I felt as [if] there was a lot of varied ability to color outside of the lines as I saw fit. I felt I put some of those things in there. I thought it was a very interesting insight to the power structure, because you were always seeing this world through [June]’s eyes and then the attendant players to her— but then my character came in and it was like, what’s it like at the upper upper echelons?

The federal level of power in this dystopian world? I felt they hadn’t touched on that aspect of the story too deeply, so I was all in. I enjoyed doing it.”

Training with Sanford Meisner upon moving to New York City prepared him for his work today.

“What stuck in the Meisner [training] was the repetition, the hammering home of moment to moment, and I just think that, to me, has been a cornerstone. When things don’t feel right or they feel off, it’s usually you’re not going back to the very basics of the training of listening and answering, moment to moment. It’s not rocket science, but I think it is constantly a honing or working or being cognizant of that muscle that needs to be engaged and paid attention to.”

Want to hear more from Meloni? Watch our full Backstage Live interview below, and follow us on Instagram: @backstagecast.

07.23.20 BACKSTAGE

culture+

Spotlighting the people and projects you need to know

@BACKSTAGE

FACEBOOK.COM/BACKSTAGE

@BACKSTAGECAST

Meet the Maker

Jessie Nelson, “Little Voice” creator + showrunner

Colton Ryan and Brittany O’Grady on “Little Voice”

BACKSTAGE 07.23.20

it came to the small screen.

“We learned as we went, and we bit off a lot, very naively,” Nelson explains. “[In the pilot,] we had six dogs, two original songs, and four actors who are disabled—but I’m glad we were naive, because it was a big world to leap into.”

Unlike most traditional musicals, the singing on “Little Voice” is diegetic, meaning it is literally part of the plot, performed as live music and heard by the characters. For Nelson, who in addition to creating the series serves as its showrunner, executive producer, and frequent director, that meant taking particular care when it came to realistically furnishing the world. It also, of course, meant taking particular care with casting.

“The biggest challenge is

8

making sure the music and the musicality of the performers feel authentic,” Nelson says.

“That became the challenge in casting—finding people you really believed were musicians, that was enormously important to Sara. It took months. Because we were in New York, we were seeing a lot of Broadway performers. The particular gift of a Broadway performer, being able to play to the ninth balcony, is very different from someone who you would believe in a small club singing.”

But for eventual leading lady Brittany O’Grady, as well as the entire cast of largely unknowns, booking the job was when the real challenge began. Not only did they have to go through the already grueling motions of filming an episodic series on location in New York City, they

backstage.com

COURTESY APPLE TV+

“THE FUNNY THING ABOUT Sara and I is that we end up doing these things we’ve never done before together,” says Jessie Nelson. “We’d never written a Broadway show, and suddenly we were writing a Broadway show. We’d never done any TV before, and suddenly we were doing a TV show.”

That Sara would be Bareilles, with whom Nelson collaborated (to four-time Tony-nominated effect) on the 2016 musical “Waitress.” And that TV show would be “Little Voice,” Apple TV+’s new musical drama loosely based on the early years of Bareilles’ songwriting career, which premiered July 10. Though both women have had immense success in other realms—Nelson in screenwriting, Bareilles as a recording artist—neither knew much when

had to do so with the added feat of learning and performing original Sara Bareilles music—in front of Sara Bareilles.

“I’m sure they were scared shitless the first time they did it,” Nelson admits. “A lot of it was developing trust, knowing it didn’t have to be perfect, that you could do another take, that we’re all finding it together. Sara has such a huge vocal range, and her songs are really challenging musically. She really helped the actors get inside the song and [explained] why it was crafted the way it was.”

As anyone who has heard Bareilles’ music knows, it is all about emotional objective, and therein was the crux of Nelson’s work: helping her actors unearth the “why” in every note and lyric; to act inside of a song, rather than beside it.

“When I’m directing, I really look at: What is the intention of a scene and the intention of a line?” she explains. “Is she caught in her fear? Is she trying to be brave? Is she trying to push down a wall inside her? What are you trying to accomplish as an actor in this moment? And that really applies to the musical moments, too: Why is this song coming out of her at this point in time?”

While it did take some time at the start of production to hit every right note, the team eventually blended like a smooth melody all its own.

“Once you settle into the intent of a song and why it is the way it is musically, it unfolds very organically,” Nelson says. “With me directing and with Sara’s guidance, the actors just fell into the groove of the song.”

ILLUSTRATION: MARGAUX QUAYLE CANNON; MICHAELSON: SHERVIN LAINEZ

By Casey Mink

culture +

Spotlighting the people and projects you need to know

THE ESSENTIALISTS

INGRID MICHAELSON singer-songwriter

By Casey Mink

As the credits rolled on the final episode of Hulu’s “Little Fires Everywhere,” a familiar voice emanated: INGRID MICHAELSON’s. Here, the veteran singer-songwriter shares vocal health tips and songwriting advice.

Writing for “Little Fires” was fun homework.

“I’m really enjoying taking an outside story or concept and pushing it through my lens. I think, when I was younger and I was just, like, vomiting music—I was always heartbroken for absolutely no reason, mind you—it was so easy to just kind

Note From the CD

Songs in the Spotlight

of expel these songs.

And then the older you get, you’re like, I’ve already said that and I don’t want to say that again. How many times can I say I’m sad about this person who hurt my feelings? It’s been a real joy to have these almost homework assignments.”

Try this in a vocal health pinch.

“I definitely don’t drink on tour. I try to eat before a show and then not after the show, so that you have time to digest and food doesn’t kick up your esophagus.

I steam a lot. Sometimes in an emergency—and I wouldn’t say you should do this—I would take Advil, but that’s in case of emergency…. And just get good sleep. One of my bandmates and best friends is also a vocal coach, so she will kind of help me wake up my voice if I need it.

She’s a proponent of ‘speech-level singing’ and connecting, speaking to singing.”

By Marci Liroff

COURTESY APPLE TV+

ILLUSTRATION: MARGAUX QUAYLE CANNON; MICHAELSON: SHERVIN LAINEZ

IF YOU’VE EVER AUDITIONED for a musical project, you’ve probably wondered what a casting director looks for in a singer. I had the pleasure of speaking with “Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist” and “Glee” casting director Robert J. Ulrich (Ulrich/Dawson/Kritzer Casting) to talk about it all.

Give us an idea of your process when you are presented a project with a character who sings.

When people are just singing for me in my office, I may have them sing one song or six songs, depending on what I’m looking for and what I feel like. In a callback situation, I generally ask for two songs, usually one from the project and one not from the project. And I usually ask that the songs be different in tone and style. I always say that they should show off their voice and personality to the best of their ability. I usually request

backstage.com

16 bars, but I am never fanatic about that, and I always think it’s good to have some kind of button or end to the song.

Do you have them audition first with an acting scene and then do singing auditions or vice versa? I almost always leave that up to whatever the actor is most comfortable doing.

What kind of material works and what doesn’t? That’s a very difficult question to answer, because it’s specific to their ability, as well as what I’m looking for in the moment.

Not every single role requires a Broadway-level singer. Some roles, in fact, benefit from someone not having a big, trained voice. I’m someone who believes that almost everyone can sing to some degree, unless they are absolutely tone deaf. In musical theater, Henry Higgins in “My Fair Lady” and King Arthur in

“Camelot” don’t have to have the most beautiful voices, as those songs are almost spoken.

However, if you’re playing Kim or Chris in “Miss Saigon” or Elphaba or Glinda in “Wicked” or almost any role in “Dear Evan Hansen,” you have to be a spectacular singer. And, obviously, if you’re performing on Broadway, you have to be a skilled singer strictly from an endurance standpoint, whereas if you’re in a TV show where it’s prerecorded, it’s a kinder medium to the voice.

Should actors stay away from original material and stick with iconic songs? I do think that people should stay away from original material. In the same way that when someone is on “The Voice” or “American Idol,” the audience usually gets into it more when it’s a well-known

9

song. The same goes for producers. The only problem with a big iconic song is that you’d better sound good if you’re going to be singing Whitney Houston, Lady Gaga, Barbra Streisand, etc. Having said that, Chord Overstreet booked “Glee” with an original song because it was such a great song and he was so appealing singing it.

What if their singing is great but their acting isn’t? Which talent is more important?

It completely depends on the part. Generally, in TV, I believe acting wins out. And in theater, I think that acting is still usually as important as singing.

Want more?

Read the full interview at backstage.com/magazine

07.23.20 BACKSTAGE

culture +

Spotlighting the people and projects you need to know

Using the Right Words

BACKSTAGE 07.23.20

sour mood. It was my reaction.

It was my choice of language.

Using the word “hate” with such passion did me a lot of harm.

Words have power. They can shape our emotions and impact our behavior. This is important to understand if you’re an actor, because you’re constantly getting placed in stressful situations like auditions and meetings. And, according to neuroscience, your brain will believe anything you tell it.

I remember one time when I called a client with an audition

You’re an actor, right?

That means you’re a master of language, because you’re constantly creating characters from the written material you’re given.

10

Chloé Teresa Wilson

By Franchesca Viaud New York City– based actor CHLOÉ TERESA WILSON has this to say about living and working in the Big Apple: “There are so many opportunities for us here—get out there and grab them.”

A morning routine includes both coffee and Backstage.

“Backstage is the first step of my morning routine. One morning, I stumbled upon the project ‘Ablaze.’ After strongly connecting to the story and falling in love with its characters, I knew I had to apply right away.”

Find joy postgraduation.

“It was the perfect first job. It introduced me to other young artists who I’ll be able to collaborate with for the rest of my career. Not everyone gets to love their first job out of school, but thanks to Backstage, I got that chance!”

With Backstage, you know what you’re getting.

“I love how efficient and clear Backstage is.

I know exactly what I’m applying for [because] I can see all of the information I need at the click of a button. I mostly use the app so I can apply to projects on the go.”

TO SEE YOUR SUCCESS story in print, tweet @Backstage using thehashtag #IGotCast, or email us at igotcast@ backstage.com.

backstage.com

ILLUSTRATION: SPENCER ALEXANDER; WILSON: J. DEMETRIE PHOTOGRAPHY

A CLIENT RECENTLY CALLED me on a Saturday morning. It wasn’t an emergency. There was no crisis. The guy just wanted to follow up on an audition and he had forgotten to check in on Friday. I had to explain that my cell is like the Bat Phone: Commissioner Gordon only calls the Dark Knight if the Joker is out there creating mayhem. He never bothers Batman on a Saturday morning for something that can clearly wait.

My client got the point, apologized, and hung up. After a long sigh, I turned to my better half and said, “Man, I really hate that actor!” Then the two of us got on with our day.

Now, here’s the thing. I was on edge the whole weekend. And it wasn’t the call that put me in a

#IGOTCAST.

RAQUEL APARICIO

Secret Agent Man

for a character that was outside his comfort zone. The role was challenging, but I believed he could do it and the casting director was open to the idea.

After reading the sides, my client said, “I’ll go in, but I’m not right for this.” I have no doubt that he kept saying that to himself over and over until his brain accepted the statement as fact. Sure enough, he didn’t get the part.

I wonder what might have happened if he had changed his choice of words. Take a look at this evolution of language as it goes from self-defeating to self-empowering: “I’m not right for this.” > “I might be able to do it.” > “I would be amazing in this role!” Remember, your brain wants to believe what you tell it. If you keep saying things like “I’m never going to find an agent” or “Being an actor really sucks,” your brain will start to agree. And that is the beginning of your end.

So, be kind to yourself and use empowering language. I’m not asking you to be delusional, but I definitely want you to see the positive in every situation. It will improve your mood, others will pick up on that, and good things will happen.

Going back to the actor who woke me on a Saturday; I don’t hate him. He’s actually a decent guy. He just made a bad choice.

Unfortunately, my brain believed that I hated him, so for the next few days, I found myself making ugly jokes about him to my co-workers. It took me a while to switch up that wiring.

You’re an actor, right? That means you’re a master of language, because you’re constantly creating characters from the written material you’re given.

So why not put that much care into your choice of words on a regular basis? I am convinced that doing so will increase your odds of success!

culture +

Spotlighting the people and projects you need to know

In the Room With

Bernie Telsey, Katie Proctor, + Franklyn Warfield Industry pros weigh in on what to do—and what not to do—in a singing audition

By Elyse Roth

I need to see your connection to it, because once you break down the fourth wall, it is just you. How are you getting us engaged? Are you even looking at the people behind the table?

Are you engaging the audition panel as opposed to making it clear you’re living in a different world?” —Katie Proctor, RWS Entertainment

RAQUEL APARICIO

ILLUSTRATION: SPENCER ALEXANDER; WILSON: J. DEMETRIE PHOTOGRAPHY

WHEN YOU STEP INTO AN AUDITION, IT’S TIME FOR YOUR TRAINing to shine—and in musical theater auditions and others that require singing, that means showing your pipes off for all they’re worth. Over the years, we’ve spoken with casting vets of the medium to get their best tips for the room. Read on for the best bits from Bernie Telsey, Katie Proctor, and Franklyn Warfield—and head to backstage.com/ magazine for the full roundup!

Screen or stage, you have to show your voice’s strength.

“They’ve got to be able to sing, but it’s [about] understanding how to be intimate, as well.

Sometimes stage auditions are larger than life to fill a big room, and even though we still need that because it’s a musical, it’s [about] remembering you’ll be filmed and you need to be emotionally connected. The camera

backstage.com

is going to be right on your eyes, and your eyes don’t lie. I also think listening is big when auditioning for the camera, because so many times, the camera is on you when you’re not singing or speaking but just listening.

I tell young actors to remember to act and be present even in between your stuff, because the camera is on you.” —Bernie Telsey, Telsey + Company

You must connect to the material for a successful performance. “No matter what you’re auditioning for, you need to have a connection to the material. In that sense, it’s the same as the kind of things that maybe they’re being trained for; asking, “Who are you singing to?

What is it that you want? What is your emotional connection?”

No matter what you’re singing, if you don’t have a connection to it and you don’t ultimately have a reason for why you’re singing it, nothing’s going to come across and you’re not going to relate to the audience because you’re not relating to what you’re singing.

I need to see you having fun.

11

Singing louder isn’t necessarily better. “My ears are a little worn down by the yelling of singers lately. Everyone wants to go in and impress, right? I think a major pitfall of that is people sing louder. A lot of times, you’re in a gigantic room with not much soft material to absorb any sound, and I think you sound really good in your head, but it becomes off-putting to the panel. It’s so refreshing when somebody comes in and gives you a really nuanced 16-bar song that has a build to it, that has moments in which you can bring us into you. You don’t have to constantly be forcing material on us. That is the mark of a seasoned performer.

We really can get a sense of you and what you can do. You want to pack as much as you can into those 16 bars, and if it’s all one level, you didn’t really make a big impact on us. It’s so much easier to see and hear you when it has a build.” —Franklyn Warfield, RWS Entertainment

Want more?

Read the full interview at backstage.com/magazine

07.23.20 BACKSTAGE

Just Try and Stop Her Though the 2020 Broadway season was cut short, it belonged to Adrienne Warren— and “Tina” was just a preview of what’s to come

By Casey Mink Photographed by Stephanie Diani

ADRIENNE WARREN WON’T TAKE NO FOR an answer. She once had childhood dreams of becoming a professional basketball player that not even her full-grown, 5-foot-4 frame diminished. And as far as musical theater goes, “No one could tell me that I wasn’t a Jellicle cat,” she remembers, citing the wellworn “Cats” VHS she’d watch on loop.

Considering her already formidable Broadway résumé, it’s clear “no” has never been an option when faced with onstage challenges, either. From learning to flip and stand atop her co-star’s hands for cheerleading stunts in “Bring It On: The Musical” to executing Savion Glover’s dazzlingly complex choreography in “Shuffle Along” (a performance that notched her first Tony nomination), for Warren, it has never been a matter of “if” but “how?”

BACKSTAGE 07.23.20

“Every role I’ve gotten, I’ve been scared to death before getting into the rehearsal process, and because of that, I had no choice but to approach it athletically,” she says. “There’s not a single role in theater that I don’t approach from an athlete’s point of view.

That’s pertaining to my training for the role and the amount of practice I put in and the amount of work I put in and how I condition my body with nutrition. Every role I’ve had, I’ve been asked to do something I’ve never done before in my life.”

So when Tina Turner knocked, Warren, naturally, couldn’t say no. Bucking the recent biomusical trend in which the subject

12

is played by multiple actors at different points in their life, “Tina: The Tina Turner Musical” employed Warren to portray the ponying icon at every milestone and moment throughout her decades-long career.

Although the show was forced to suspend performances on March 12 due to the coronavirus pandemic, and this year’s Tony Awards have been postponed indefinitely, it can now be acknowledged with bird’s-eye clarity: Warren gave the performance of the 2019–20 Broadway season—and unequivocally ranks among the best of all previous seasons, too.

“I’m her fan and I didn’t want to see anybody imitating her onstage,” Warren says of creating a character who also happens to be one of the most famous people in the world.

“I’m not here for that. Also, impossible. I felt like if I was really going to do this and make backstage.com

it somewhat successful and not a gimmick, I needed to find her voice within my own voice, to find her moves within my body and not try to be a carbon copy of her. It was studying the way in which she attacks her consonants, the way in which she forms her vowels, specifically when she sings. All of those things became very informative for me, and I started there.”

In truth, she actually started several years earlier, though it was unbeknown to her at the time. “My manager called and said, ‘There’s a table read of this new show. Will you go get the script?’ ” she recalls. “She didn’t tell me anything else. So, I went to go get the script and I opened it and I saw what it was. And then I looked at them and I said, ‘Well, what role do you want me to read for?’ ”

As anyone who had the chance to see her in the title role—either in London, where she originated the part in 2018 and was subsequently nominated for an Olivier Award, or on Broadway, where she opened the show last November—can attest, there are reasons beyond sheer talent that Warren was suited to step into Turner’s strappy shoes. In addition to looking, singing, and dancing— oh, the dancing—the part, Warren has that “thing” that can’t be achieved through any amount of training, an intangible it factor that has always separated the great from the legendary.

The thought of coasting on charm, however, is anathema to someone like Warren, who, even over Zoom, is glowing like a candle on this late June morning. “We often are

afraid to dive deep into our weaknesses,” she says. “But we are doing ourselves a disservice by not leaning into our weaknesses, not taking the time to go to class anymore, not taking the time to say, ‘I haven’t been working very much on monologues,’ or ‘I haven’t been working on my singing.’ Go to class, nurture yourself, learn, build yourself up.

“No one wants to hear, ‘You’ve got work to do,’ because as soon as you do,” she adds, “that means you’ve actually got to go put in the work.”

Even before she began seriously pursuing acting, Warren was a categorical workhorse—sometimes to a fault. When she was growing up in Virginia, her parents were coaches and educators, and they instilled the perseverance she swears by today. “My dad has always said, ‘Everyone’s talented, but never let them outwork you,’ ” she says.

“And that’s been to my detriment, too. I work so hard sometimes, I kind of forget about everything else.”

Though up until that point, theater had been the back-seat hobby to her consuming focus on sports, she auditioned for and was accepted to the prestigious Governor’s School for the Arts—“like a ‘Fame’ school,” she says.

From there, it was game over. “I ended up just falling in love with theater, and I decided, ‘I’m going to do this as a career.’ ” The school had a rigorous training program, concentrating largely on singing and dancing. During assessment periods, Warren remembers, “I had to kick my face in 3-inch heels, I had to do a triple pirouette, I had to belt a high C.” By the time she graduated, she felt ready for Broadway. In reality, that was when the most seminal work of her career began. Attending Marymount Manhattan College, 25 blocks north of Broadway’s bright lights, Warren would spend the next four years honing the acting part of her performer’s toolkit.

“Going to Marymount was very exciting, because I was spending a lot of time on my acting. I would take dance classes every morning in Midtown and then I would go to school and be in class all night,” she says. “I would do whatever I could to kind of surround myself

“TINA: THE TINA TURNER MUSICAL”: MANUEL HARLAN

In “Tina: The Tina Turner Musical”

BACKSTAGE 07.23.20

14

backstage.com

“I’m really focusing on after this moment, because there’s only before this moment and after this moment. And I’m not going back to that.”

“TINA: THE TINA TURNER MUSICAL”: MANUEL HARLAN

with things I felt like I needed to work on.

Marymount was pivotal in my career, because it was a time when I got to actually work on something that I needed to strengthen, and that was my acting.”

Going to school in New York City gave Warren a head start in getting the lay of the frequently treacherous land of Broadway.

(She used her meager allowance to see Broadway shows for inspiration, including Chita Rivera’s final performance in “The Dancer’s Life.”) When she eventually graduated in 2009, she was hoping to go out for third-girl-from-the-left ensemble roles. But something else happened.

“Wait, why am I being pushed closer and closer to the center?” she asked herself. “Oh, because I spent four years on my acting when I already had my vocal training and my dancing. Oh, that’s why.”

She was prepared. She was so prepared, in fact, that when it came to auditioning, she had to consciously loosen her grasp on some of the training she’d received in order to parse material with openness and discover the places where it could be imbued with specificity.

“The best thing to do is find yourself within that material, because that’s what an audition really is,” she says. “On the other side of the table, they want to get a sense of who you are, not you sounding like Idina Menzel singing ‘Wicked,’ not you sounding like Ben Platt singing ‘Dear Evan Hansen,’ not you sounding like LaChanze singing ‘Once on This Island.’ Find the balance of knowing preparation is key so that when you walk into a room, you’re giving them every reason to say ‘yes,’ because you did the work already. You’re not waiting to get into the rehearsal room to start doing the work.”

Though she prides herself on her preparedness and work ethic, Warren isn’t immune to the pressures of auditioning or of the business in general. And while her footing grows surer every day, she wishes someone had told her early on that as a woman—particularly as a Black woman—you don’t have to conform or sound like anybody else to be accepted.

“We are often taught in school, if you are a woman of color, to sing harder, to sing higher, to be the highlight of the song, to do the riffs at the end of the song,” she says. “You don’t

have to do a million riffs if you’re a Black girl to be acknowledged as an incredible singer.

Sing with the gift the universe gave you and be honest and genuine about that.”

A desire to lift up her Black peers led Warren, along with some of her “Shuffle Along” castmates, to found the Broadway Advocacy Coalition in 2016. The group held a Broadway for Black Lives Matter event that same year, responding in part to the murder of Eric Garner at the hands of police.

Unfortunately, BAC’s work has only become more crucial, and during the swell of protests against police brutality of Black people this spring, they hosted a three-day intensive for the entire theater community: Broadway for Black Lives Matter Again.

“The systemic racism within our industry is in direct correlation to the systemic racism in our country,” she says. “I am excited about the willingness we’re seeing right now to have tough conversations and the willingness to dive into investigating solutions for these issues. But I also don’t expect these solutions to happen in my lifetime, because they go much deeper than we all even realize.

I’m really focusing on after this moment, because there’s only before this moment and after this moment. And I’m not going back to that.”

That this year’s Tony Awards could have been a watershed moment for representation means the fact that they are not happening is a particular blow for Warren, who had been the front-runner for the leading actress in a musical category since the minute last year’s ceremony ended.

“I’ve been waiting for this moment since I was 6, watching the Tonys, because I remember watching Audra McDonald, Heather Headley, these women who looked like me, who were on my TV, and they were singing onstage and they were telling stories I cared about,” she says. “I’ve been working on ‘Tina’ for going on five years now, and that was just to get it here. I was just about to cross the finish line, and the track disappeared under my feet. That was rough.”

However, as much as this moment has taken away from Warren—a celebrated leading role on Broadway and likely her first Tony Award—it has given her just as much. It just required some work for her to see it.

“It’s given me a perspective shift. For years, I have been putting everything I had into my body, my voice, my performance, and maybe I didn’t put a lot of time into my family, my personal life, my mental health,” she says.

“So, am I sad the Tonys didn’t happen? Yeah, sure. But I also know at this point I don’t feel like I necessarily need a Tony to know this show succeeded. This show is around the world. There are now jobs for Black women, women who look like me, all over the world.

If you are lucky enough to do work that you care about—and you should try to do work that you care about—then your focus on the work is what’s important. Not the accolades that may come from it.”

BACKSTAGE 07.23.20

Singing for Your Representation

Breaking down the steps musical theater actors should take to land an agent

By Amy Marie Stewart WE KNOW HOW MANY YOUNG SINGING ACTORS GET THEIR FIRST agent: They perform in a New York City agent showcase hosted by their musical theater program in the final semester of college and are approached by an agent who later agrees to sign them. Cool. If you’re currently enrolled in a program at a school with a showcase, this article might end here for you. Do well at your showcase and knock ’em dead!

But for the rest of us, this is not the case.

Here are some tips on how to get an agent when your college days are behind you.

1

Define who you are and what you do.

If you get a meeting with an agent or manager, their very first question for you will most likely be: Where do you see yourself in the industry? In the past, we’ve called this your “type.” For example: “I’m a blond ingénue.” “I’m a character tenor.” Most actors have interpreted this to mean there is only one type that others will see them as, that their type is based

solely on their appearance, and that they need to figure out what that type is so they can adhere to it as closely as possible. Let’s all ditch that, shall we?

Instead, start with who you are as a human. What roles make you say, “That’s me”? Conversely, which roles would feel most to you like artificial posturing? Start making a list of the adjectives you could step into today: edgy and alternative? Free-spirited and

folksy? Professional and precise?

Winsome and youthful? Bluecollar and middle-aged? Define what you are and—as you go— what you’re not.

2

Brand your materials.

You need your materials to tell your story, too. Even if you understand who you are—even if the rep understands who you are—it will be your agent’s job to get others to see who you are.

They can’t do that without strong, clear materials that speak on your behalf when they submit you.

So, you’ll need a headshot and a website that are on brand or that telegraph the variety of roles to which you’re best suited.

Color consistency is a great place to start. If you want to focus on edgy, Off-Broadway work,

JOAN MARCUS

Daveed Diggs, Okieriete Onaodowan, Anthony Ramos, and Lin-Manuel Miranda in “Hamilton”

backstage.com

17

something stark, black-andwhite, and modern might make sense. If you’re gunning to play roles like Glinda and Elle, using pastels on the website and for your headshots might be the way to go. Use that color palette on your website, your postcards, and your business cards, as well as in your headshot shoot.

3

Video footage is a must.

However well you brand your headshot and website, these elements aren’t enough anymore.

Singing actors now need to have clean, clear recordings of their work to get representation.

Here’s why. Especially if you don’t have a lot of heft on your résumé yet, a casting associate or director needs a reason why one of a casting office’s very limited numbers of audition appointments should go to you.

The result should be three to five examples that show the full musical range of what you do best, look beautiful, and sound crisp and clear.

4

Send your materials to your friends with reps.

Now, you’re ready to submit yourself. A large number of agents and managers get new talent through submissions. Every so often, they’ll put out a call to their own clients and ask for them to submit their colleagues.

That means it’s totally fine to email your friends and say, “Hey, if your agent is ever looking for submissions, here’s my headshot, résumé, and a link to my website and video footage.”

5

Take classes and establish relationships.

Agents will also ask what your relationship is like with casting directors. It’s now your job to be a known quantity within the industry, and classes are a great way to meet CDs and let them get to know your work. Classes with other industry professionals can also help get you referred.

Let me be very clear: There are a lot of actors trying to break into musical theater, but there are far fewer who are taking control and putting in the work I’ve described here. Do this, and you’ll be in a whole separate category when it comes to finding an agent.

07.23.20 BACKSTAGE

Plays Musicals Film TV & Video Commercial Modeling Variety Voiceover Gigs Events

Submit a Notice |

New York Tristate Feature Films ‘Flaky’

• Casting “Flaky,” a feature film based on

an immigrant in New York city.

• Company: The Bridge. Staff: Michael A.

Obiazi, coord.

• Rehearses TBD in Brooklyn, NYC;

shoots Sept. 21-Oct 3, 2020 in NYC.

• Seeking—I.B: female, 22-26, Black /

African Descent, Protagonist; Nigerian.

Aliyah: female, 26-30, Black / African Descent, strong willed. Mimi: female, 35-39, Black / African Descent, Latino / Hispanic, former stripper; egoistic boss. Reggie: male, 26-29, Black / African Descent, Charismatic. Goofy.

Kiki: female, 22-26, Black / African Descent, Latino / Hispanic, impudent.

Zi: male, 29-34, Black / African Descent, customer at a restaurant.

Murphy: 60-65, Black / African Descent, peaceful with a sense of humor, working in a restaurant. Thiago: male, 40-45, Latino / Hispanic, line cook in a restaurant. Extras: all genders, 22-30, all ethnicities, extra. Little Girl: female, 4-6, Black / African Descent.

• Seeking submissions from NY. • Apply on Backstage.com.

• Self taped.

• Pay is TBD.

SUBMIT YOUR CALLS FOR CAST AND CREW: Visit backstage.com/findtalent and click on “Post a Notice.”

Include all relevant project requirements, including any pay, fees, dues, costs, required ticket sales or nudity. night to 6 a.m. to make extra money for their future. She is tough, smart, and resourceful. She is nice until it’s time not to be nice. Note: Must be able to drive and have a valid drivers license.

Bobby: male, 45-55, Ethnically Ambiguous / Multiracial, Latino / Hispanic, an auto mechanic with a small, well used shop. He is in love with Rosalia, he just doesn’t know it. He would go out of his way to help her any way he can - except when it comes to hard costs to fix her car. Blake: male, 35-45, White / European Descent, rich, entitled, condescending d-bag. If this were an ‘80s film he would be the best friend of the main a-hole in the movie.

Handsome with a slender build. Hector: male, 13-18, Black / African Descent, Ethnically Ambiguous / Multiracial, Latino / Hispanic, 13-year-old son of Rosalia; smart, good student, listens to his mom (but also has a little attitude).

Note: there is a scene where he is cooking breakfast (eggs and bacon).

Casting picks of the week

BY LISA HAMIL

stage

Stages 2020-2021 Season Join a plethora of plays and musicals for this Equity 20-21 Season in Houston, TX

film

‘Flaky’ Emigrate to NYC for this indie shooting in the Fall

commercials

Pet Store TV Commercial Star alongside your pooch in this national spot Pittsburgh, PA

• Seeking submissions from CT and NY. • Apply on Backstage.com.

• Producer plans to apply for a SAG-

AFTRA agreement.

voiceover

‘Assisted Living Video Voiceover’ Record from home for this commercial for a senior living facility

Student Films ‘At First Sight’

• Casting “At First Sight,” a drama short

about a chance meeting of two people who challenge each other to change the way they see themselves and each other.

reality tv

‘The Circle’ Compete on season two of the smash Netflix series

• Company: Ardent Road Productions.

Staff: Peter Coutavas, dir.; Christina Coutavas, prod.

• Rehearsal dates TBD; soots TBD in

Short Films ‘5-Stars’

• Casting “5-Stars,” a short film about a

single mother who is a ride share driver to make ends meet. Her last customer’s ride takes a turn for the worst.

• Company: TLD Pictures. Staff: E.

Marmen, casting.

• Shoots TBD dates (two days) in the

Stamford, CT area.

• Seeking—Rosalia: female, 35-50,

Ethnically Ambiguous / Multiracial, Latino / Hispanic, 45-yrs-old, she is a single mom of two boys (13 and 9). She would do anything to give her children a better life.This means driving from mid-

BACKSTAGE 07.23.20

Central Park, NYC.

‘Godspeed’

intelligent, reserved woman; she takes care of herself very well, both physically and emotionally; however, she is blind; has been ever since she was a child; as a result, she has been forced to perceive the world differently than most; unfortunately, this has made the journey to find lasting companionship, difficult as few suitors take interest in her after having discovered her blindness.

a Black expecting couple grappling with the decision to bring a Black child into the world.

• Seeking—Millie: female, 28-32, an

• Casting “Godspeed,” a short film about

• Staff: DaeQuan Collier, dir.-writer.

• Shoots late August in NYC. • Seeking—E: female, 30-40, Black /

African Descent, an expectant mother weary of bringing a Black child into this chaotic world. Production states: “Nudity note: There will be only one wide shot of the character E. Nudity will not be required at any audition or callback, only the shooting day when that scene is shot. The actor will be supplied with a robe and a private room on location to use a dressing room. When the scene is shot only the director (myself),

• Seeking submissions from NY. • Send submissions to peter.coutavas@

nyfa.edu.

• No pay. The screen credit and full copy

of the finished film will be given to each member of the cast and crew for resumes, portfolios and reels.

18

the DP, and the first AC will be in the room.” Clay: male, 30-40, Black / African Descent, E’s partner, optimistic about having their child. Note: Role requires backside nudity in one scene where actor is shot from behind; buttocks shown.

• Seeking submissions from NY. • Send submissions to Dac583@NYU.edu.

• Unpaid. Reel, meals, and transportation

provided.

‘Still Beautiful’

• Casting “Still Beautiful,” a film about a

reality TV family in the pageant world.

• Company: The New School. Staff: Mary

Benedict, dir.-prod.

• Rehearses and shoots spring in NYC. • Seeking—Kleo: female, 7-13, White /

European Descent, a deeply intelligent but immature girl who has been forced into a life in the public eye (think Maddie Ziegler). Karen: female, 30-45, White / European Descent, a reality TV pageant mother addicted to fame. Must be able to cry realistically. Kelly: female, 5-9, White / European Descent, a little girl who is often overshadowed. Talk Show Host: female, 30-55, Black / African Descent, Ethnically Ambiguous / Multiracial, a charismatic woman who exploits tragedy for views.

• Seeking submissions from NY. • Send submissions to benedict.maryb@

gmail.com.

• For consideration, state your name,

age, and a description of the last time you cried.

• No pay.

‘Under the Rose’

• Casting supporting roles in “Under the

Rose,” a student short film. Synopsis: A surrealistic horror film about a lonely floral shop owner who has a strange and disturbing experience with his dark side after taking hallucinogenic mushrooms. This film deals with themes of repression and negativity.

• Casting Note: “Looking for dedicated

and professional actors who are trained for camera and interested in building their reels.”

• Company: New York Film Academy.

Staff: Chase McAulay, dir.

• Rehearsals, if any, will take place in

mid/late August; shoots in early/mid Sept. in NYC. Production states: “We will follow all proper health regulations including Social Distancing, Face Masks, Gloves, and Regular Sanitation of equipment and environment.”

• Seeking—The Girl in Pink: female,

18-25, all ethnicities, a mysterious

backstage.com

New York Tristate casting

young woman in her late teens; intelligent and reserved. She has struggled to fit in through her high school experience and is desperate to make friends.

She and her three newfound friends enter a Flower Shop in order to purchase a corsage for her senior prom.

Minimal dialogue but plenty of screen time. Short term commitment (1 day) and will be provided with footage upon completion. Seth: male, 18-25, all ethnicities, a young man in his late teens; outgoing and rambunctious; this character enters a Flower Shop with his three friends in order to purchase a corsage for one the girls senior prom. Minimal dialogue but plenty of screen time. Benefit of short term commitment (1 day) and will provide footage upon completion. Kevin: male, 18-25, all ethnicities, a young man in his late teens; outgoing and rambunctious; this character enters a Flower Shop with his three friends in order to purchase a corsage for one the girls senior prom. Minimal dialogue but plenty of screen time. Benefit of short term commitment (1 day) and will provide footage upon completion. Julia: female, 18-25, all ethnicities, a young woman in her late teens; outgoing and rambunctious; she enters a Flower Shop with her three friends in order to purchase a corsage for the other girls senior prom. Minimal dialogue but plenty of screen time. Benefit of short term commitment (1 day) and will provide footage upon completion. The Bride: female, 18-50, all ethnicities, a kind and friendly middle aged woman who recently discovered her fiancé of two years has been having an affair; she enters the Flower Shop to reluctantly cancel her bridal bouquet order. Reasonable amount of dialogue and plenty of screen time. Benefit of short term commitment (1 day) and will provide footage upon completion. The Florist: male, 18-55, White / European Descent, a lonely Floral Shop owner who, after ingesting hallucinogenic mushrooms, has a strange and unsettling dream where he must confront The Manifestation of his dark side in order to regain control over his mind. Leading Role. Much screen time.

Short term commitment (3-4 days).

Footage will be available upon completion.

• Shoots Aug. 8 or 9 in Melville, Long

Island, NY. Note: All NYS health and safety guidelines regarding COVID 19 will be followed on set the day of shooting.

• Seeking—The “Surgeon”: female,

20-40, White / European Descent, must be comfortable with revving a hand held power saw. Black, brown, or willingness to temporarily dye hair one of those colors is a must. The “Surgeon” was just a lowly worker at the warehouse, but she always had greater aspirations for herself- she was going to be a surgeon one day. Unfortunately for her, she was down on the warehouse floor the day of the fire, and her dream was shut down for good. Well… it would have been, if not for the mysterious power of undeath the warehouse holds.

The “Surgeon” is back, and her dream of being a world class surgeon feels like it is once again within her reach, and with so many trespassers at the old warehouse, she has plenty of victims to practice her craft on, though the tools she has at her disposal are not exactly what one would call surgical grade.

• Seeking submissions from NY. • Send submissions to nick@conjured.

media.

• Do not apply if you are not available for

a shoot on the days mentioned.

• Pays $200 plus travel expenses

provided.

Online Commercials & Promos Global Whiskey Brand Commercial

• Casting a commercial for a global whis-

key brand (confidential) in New York City. Production states: “Note that in light of COVID, we are taking extreme measures to comply with the new COVID protocol. Masks, gloves, and hand sanitizer will be provided, minimal crew will be on set, and social distancing will be practiced.”

• Company: Luminoustudios. Staff: J.

Crandall, coord.

• Shoots July 26 in exterior locations

(approx. three hours) in NYC.

• Seeking submissions from NY. • Send submissions to chasetao6612@

• Seeking—Confident Male: male, 25-35,

all ethnicities, easy-going, fun-loving, personable; confident and the light of the party. He is an avid whiskey drinker, and enjoys making whiskey mixed drinks for his friends, as well as drinking it neat. He’s always on the lookout for new experiences to share with friends.

LGBTQIA+ welcome. female, 25-35, Asian, Black / African Descent, Ethnically Ambiguous / Multiracial, Indigenous Peoples, Latino / Hispanic, Middle Eastern, South Asian / Indian, Southeast Asian / Pacific Islander, trendy and effortlessly cool, this bartender just started managing her own establishment. Popular among her peers, her local cocktail bar is a big hit in the city. Her style is unique and representative of her personality. One of a kind vintage finds, bold pieces accented with pops of colour.

gmail.com.

• Submit reel.

• No pay. Meals and footage provided.

Local Commercials Haunted House Commercial • Casting a commercial with Conjured

Media.

• Production states: “We produce pro-

fessional, story based advertisements for large haunted attractions across the country.”

• Company: Conjured Media LLC. Staff:

Nicholas Levanti, creative dir. backstage.com

19

07.23.20 BACKSTAGE

• Seeking submissions from NY. • Send submissions to info@luminoustu-

dios.com.

• Pay varies by role: for leads, $20/hr.; for

background, $15/hr.

Animation & Videogame Voiceover Short Film/PSA For CauseBased US National Nonprofit Org • Casting three distinct PSAs/educa-

tional videos for a national causedbased NGO. The videos will live online as part of a harm reduction campaign, though producers are looking for broadcast opportunities as well.

Producer states: “It’s a great opportunity to be part of a campaign for a cause that needs more attention, and rates are fairly competitive.”

• Company: Freelance. Staff: Fivel

Rothberg, prod.; Jenny Mascia, art dir.-animator.

• Rehearsals early to mid August online

via Google Meet or Zoom. Note: For the roles of Maya and Ms. Lopez parts will need to be recorded by mid to late August. Roles of Terrence and Chris will shoot in late August in NYC. • Seeking—Maya: female, 16-22, a

17-year-old senior high school student in

Minneapolis, MN; she is ethnically ambiguous, and could be African American, Latinx/a, or a person with “mixed” heritage; her mood has changed precipitously since her junior year, when her older brother committed suicide after a few years of struggling with an addiction; she doesn’t quite understand why she can’t get past this loss; she has a difficult time talking about the feelings around it, and has backed away from activities she used to love; her senior year is more terrifying than exciting as she’s very anxious about the future, her family’s well being, and the seemingly depressing world of adulthood; though she is grateful to have one teacher she connects with and who may help her get on a better emotional path. Ms. Lopez: female, 27-65, a 42-year-old science teacher and leads an afterschool program; she is from Minneapolis, MN and identifies as Latina; her family has been in the area for several generations; her afterschool program that gets teens like to tutor younger students and play board games with them; she recently attended a workshop about how to look out for and navigate suicidality in teens; Ms. Lopez noticed recently that a formerly excellent student, Maya, is now depressed and withdrawn at school and in class.

Terrence: male, 34-47, Black / African Descent, Ethnically Ambiguous / Multiracial, an ER nurse who lives in Harlem and works in a busy, underfunded, hospital in the South Bronx; he’s African American, 39-years-old, lives with his partner, their 14-year-old son,

That’s My Doctor Certified Doctor of Medicine, GYN, Surgery Full-Service lab I will be your Doctor and provide discreet health care Judgement Free Wound Care, COVID care, GYN care, General Medicine care, STD care, Pain care, Anxiety care, Drug Screen Care, CBD care, Disability care Email your Doctor at: Z2WHCA@GMAIL.COM

casting California and his step-mother in a two bedroom apartment; Terrence grew up in the neighborhood where he lives now, but faces a lot of pressure to move because of rising rent; he feels like he can’t talk about his mental health struggles because doing so might jeopardize his career, alienate his friends, and scare his family; at the same time, he feels overwhelmed by the number of people getting sick in the Bronx, particularly in nursing homes; the last straw was testing positive for the virus and having to take time off work because of it; he read an article about an online support group for emergency workers, and has been sharing increasingly distressing posts as he feels more and more like a burden on his family, rather than a pillar of strength.

Chris: male, 45-65, a retired career wilderness paramedic and former volunteer firefighter in a mountain town within San Luis Valley, Colorado; he is 55-years-old and has a chronic back injury that has led him to have more unwanted downtime recently; his injury and the ongoing quarantine ramped up his time online; he’s been watching too many movies, but feels good about spending more time on a first responders group on Chatbook, a popular social media site; he realized how much first responders bottle up their emotions, hide mental health challenges, and don’t necessarily seek help for themselves; he gets a lot of satisfaction from helping others, and it has felt great to connect with fellow first responders across the US, and feel less isolated; it also offers opportunities to help peers in different ways than preretirement, especially during quarantine.

PSA / Explainer Video Host: transgender, 30-45, Black / African Descent, Ethnically Ambiguous / Multiracial, Indigenous Peoples, Latino / Hispanic, Middle Eastern, South Asian / Indian, Southeast Asian / Pacific Islander, an on screen narrator, or host, takes the audience through five intervention steps that anyone can do to intervene when someone they know is in suicidal crisis; the host should feel relatable, calm, confident yet humble, empathetic, and naturally expressive.

• Seeking submissions from NY. • Apply on Backstage.com.

• Because of the nature of this produc-

tion we will require talent who play Maya and Ms. Lopez to have their own professional audio recording capability, or easy access to an audio recording set up. The characters Terrence, Chris, and Host will involve in-person filming either on location or in a studio (TBD depending on safety etc. due to the pandemic). There is also a possibility that the Host will only be a voiceover role, primarily to reduce risk.

• Pay provided.

Workshops Private Acting Training With Dramatics Arts Master Trainer • Seeking actors for private one-on-

one training to take their career to the next level. Trainer states: “Need a

BACKSTAGE 07.23.20

private trainer one on one? Can’t go to your acting classes?? Zoom’s not working or you? I have three tiers of actors that I train privately on all levels, and I see my actors every two weeks for two hour sessions like clockwork as it’s a process. Master Trainers are light years above and beyond coaching and teaching and I sharpen and condition actors on what their not being taught in schools, academies and conservatory’s which is how to work on their craft, which is always missing from any school, class and coaches curriculum, through truth serum conditioning techniques and methods including acute script analysis, personal structure and discipline as I train my actors like fighters.

I train my actors privately, solely for feature film, as film acting and theater acting are two separate universes.”

Descent, 23 year old. She is a beautiful girl. She doesn’t know John, but she just lives near John’s apartment. She doesn’t know she is being photographed and followed, and Alex’s presences made her start to feel afraid. One day, she becomes the only witness to the murder case, after that she goes to the house alone and wants to find some clues, then she meets Alex face to face.

• For consideration, submit self-taped

nyfa.edu.

• Casting a short scene from a film

Intensives’ from time to time which are always posted on my Instagram, Eventbrite, Backstage and various other acting sites and sources throughout the New York actor community. I also develop child actors as early age 10, and always have a roster of brilliant hard working dedicated little ones ranging from 10-16 that can hold their own with the big boys.”

• Shoots TBD in Van Nuys, CA. • Seeking—Elvia: female, 55-65, Latino

• No pay.

titled “Jiwoo” within the documentary film “Searching for Anna May Wong” about the struggles of Asian American actors in Hollywood. Synopsis: In the scene, actress Natasha Liu will be directing a 10-year-old Asian actor to play “Jiwoo” from her short film.

San Fernando Valley, “Dom Bangs a Rockette” is a quirky short comedy about family, sex, moving to L.A., and protecting what’s yours.

• Company: UCLA. Staff: Maria Valdez,

prod.

/ Hispanic, all ethnicities; an empty nester who enjoys gardening, baking sugar-free desserts, and wearing flip flops all year long; an art teacher who is old enough to retire, she continues to work at the local pre-school, insisting the children “keep her young.”; preferably looking for a Hispanic couple. Juan: male, 55-75, all ethnicities; newly retired and loving it; he likes to play golf, paint watercolor beach scenes, and enjoys sneaking the occasional strudel at Porto’s; preferably looking for a Hispanic couple.

master trainer-former studio casting dir.

• Private coaching ongoing in NYC. Note:

Studio is immaculate and super spacious for distancing.

• Seeking—Actors: 18+.

• Seeking submissions from NY. • To register for a private session, call

• Seeking submissions from CA. • Send submissions to mvaldez9@g.ucla.

edu.

(917) 353-2494 or email mastertrainer38@gmail.com. For more info follow @roberts_actors on Instagram or visit https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=OpstS98fc-g&feature=youtu. be.

• Copy, credit, and meals provided.

‘West Wing’ Scene, Work From Home

• Company: Margin Films. Staff: Quentin

Lee, casting dir.-prod.; Denise Chan, dir.; Natasha Liu, writer-dir.

• Shoots first or second week of

September for a five hour shoot in Los Angeles, CA. • Seeking—Jiwoo: male, 10-11, Asian, a

ten-year-old Korean immigrant going to his first day at an American school.

• Seeking submissions from CA. • Apply on Backstage.com.

• For consideration, submit a headshot

and video clips (if available). We will be auditioning on Zoom which will be recorded. To learn more, click on https://www.imdb.com/title/ tt7254218. Note: Actors and their parents will need to sign a screen release as the auditions, abeit unpaid, are eligible to appear in the documentary.

We will give you more details if you are selected to audition.

• Pays $200/day for the actual shooting

of the scene which will take under five hours.

• Casting a scene from “West Wing,”

for a virtual rehearsal and recording only, which will take place via Zoom.

Note: The actors will receive the Zoom recording of the scene reading.

Availability required on July 31 from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. on Zoom. Other rehearsals and final production flexible.

Production will also happen over zoom with multiple takes. Dates and scene script provided. Full script will be provided to the chosen actors.

• There is a fee for this one-on-one

service.

Southern California

• Company: Columbia College

Hollywood. Staff: Donna Davidiansnober, student.

Student Films

• Rehearsal TBD over zoom and a part of

it will be recorded; shoots July 31 (with multiple takes) over zoom.

‘Camera’

• Casting “Camera.”

• Company: NYFA. Staff: Chuyao Wu,

• Seeking—Sam Seaborn: male, 22-40,

student.

• Shoots TBD dates remotely.

• Seeking—Alex: male, 20-30, White /

Reality TV & Documentary ‘Searching For Anna May Wong’ / ‘Jiwoo’

• Casting “DBAR.” Synopsis: Set in the

• Staff: Robert A. Russell, dramatic arts

• Copy and credit provided.

• Seeking submissions from CA. • Send submissions to c.wu2@student.

‘DBAR’

• “I also hold ‘Master Class/Workshop/

auditions.

European Descent, a psychopathic killer who specifically targets stalkers.

Before that he has kill many people because he witnessed his mother being killed by a stalker when he was a child, so he has a deep hatred of stalkers. He wants to use his own way to protect women, ensure they won’t get hurt, so when he grows up he becomes a serial killer. Maggie: female, 23-30, White / European

White / European Descent, usually an idealist and often the most politically earnest, leading him to clash with other members of the Whitehouse Senior Staff at times. Mallory O’Brien: female, 25-40, White / European Descent, Leo McGarry’s daughter; Leo is President Josiah Bartlet’s best friend and a father figure to the senior staff, particularly White House Deputy Chief of Staff Josh Lyman; she was initially romantically interested in Sam. • Seeking submissions from CA. • Send submissions to donnadavidians@

gmail.com.

20

National Commercials Etsy Style Kickstarter Video For Photo Product

• Casting indie actors for an Etsy style

Kickstarter video. Product is a unique kickstarter for developing 360 e-commerce photos for your etsy store.

• Company: Start Motion Media. Staff:

Michael Zeligs, coord.

• Shoots July 30 in the San Diego, CA

area. Covid Regulations Compliance: “We are producing at a single clean, unoccupied location, total number of people on set to be less than five, masks are worn while off camera. The roles are ‘solo roles’ so participants will remain at social-distance and no need for close interaction.

• Seeking—Etsy Shop Owner: male,

26-50; lead, product demo user; shoots approx. six hours. Online Shopper: female, 18-45; supporting; shoots approx. 2 hrs.

• Seeking submissions from CA. • Send submissions to brandtmiller7@

gmail.com.

• For consideration, include a cover let-

ter with your phone number and email backstage.com

National/Regional casting

for direct contacting via text in the case that the application is selected.

• Pays $250/day (lead) and $120/day

(supporting).

Sonic Drive-In Ads, Single Dad with Teen Kids

• Seeking a real life single dad with pre-

teen/teen children for a variety of Sonic Drive-In ads. Note: Must be fun, love to banter and share opinions and love poking fun at each other. Must be able to eat meat, gluten, and dairy products.

• Staff: Amber Wines, casting dir.

• Shoots in Aug. in L.A. Must be L.A.

perform baseball drills. Basketball/ Football Player: male, 16-20, all ethnicities, must be able to perform both basketball and football drills. Softball Player: female, 16-20, all ethnicities, must be able to perform softball drills.

he. After hearing their stories, she realizes that she might be the culprit in the shooting. However, when the surviving friends come to face off, she discovers that the memory in her mind is not really trustworthy.

ema.tv.

• Staff: Xu Ruoxin, screenwriter; Han

• Editor’s note: All text has been trans-

lated into English using Google Translate.

• Seeking submissions from CA. • Send submissions to sayhello@purecin-

Zhiyi, dir.; Xia Yuchen, prod.

• Must submit an audition tape of you

playing the sport mentioned in the role.

• Online rehearsal and reading in August;

scheduled to produce a demo and continue development in 2021.

• Pays $300 for half-day shoot (morning

or afternoon).

• Seeking—Shu Peng (Novelist): female,

local.

• Seeking—Single Dad with Preteen/

Teen Kids: male, 26-50, all ethnicities, must be a real family; must be talkative and charismatic; love to banter, poke fun of each other and debate topicsMust own your own vehicle. Must live within an hour of Los Angeles; must live in the same house. Must be willing to eat meat, gluten and dairy products. No current ad campaigns. No past fast food or restaurant commercials.

• Seeking submissions from CA. • Send submissions to awines.casting@

gmail.com.

• Leave a note about yourself and your

kids.

• Pays $350/person per day of shooting +

$5000 buyout.

Online Commercials & Promos Real Parent for Organic Vitamin Company

• Casting real parents for organic vitamin

company spot. Work from home with a remote director.

• Staff: E. Kennedy, supervising casting

prod.

• Shoots remotely (in your home).

• Seeking—Real Parent in a Team of Two:

21-48, all ethnicities, a real parent with a partner willing to chime in, 21-48, who can speak to their concerns about the vitamins they give their kids. Real Single Parent: 21-48, all ethnicities, a real parent, 21-48, who can speak to their concerns about the vitamins they give their kids. Apply for this one if you are a single parent or have a partner who isn’t able/willing to do the job with you.

• Seeking submissions nationwide.

• Send submissions to casting@tube-

science.com.

20-35, Asian, she is obsessed with an unsatisfactory love, waiting for and guarding the unreachable hope for it to stay away from home. When this hope is completely defeated in reality, she inevitably feels pain and can only seek answers or export in the creation of novels. Finally, the edge of creation and reality became blurred, and she could not distinguish whether she was a character in reality or a character in her novel. She goes to extremes. Qin Ying (Shu Peng’s Friend) : 20-35, Asian, he loves Shu Peng, but can only stay in the name of friendship. He knows that Shu Peng loves him and uses the way of love, but he doesn’t talk about it. The only reward he can give is the quiet companionship and the irresistible warmth. He was so gentle and so cunning. He knows how to show his vulnerability at the right time and how to make Shu Peng willing to do anything for him. Meng Zhimei (Female College Student of the Republic of China): female, 18-25, Asian, she is the character under Shu Peng’s pen, and her judgment is about courage and weakness in love. She has a boyfriend who is a pilot in the National Air Force and later dies in the Battle of Xiangxi. She dies for him. But is martyrdom brave or weak? If it is brave to sacrifice for love, is it not weak to escape the reality of losing a lover? Fang Zhiyun (A Nurse Who Went to the Countryside During the Cultural Revolution): female, 20-35, Asian, she and Meng Zhimei are of the same nature, but she is the excuse that Shu Peng finds for the unhappiness of life. Although they can keep together with people they love, they live in an extremely difficult social environment. In order to stay with her husband, she makes a great dedication for this. She is addicted to this dedication, and she doesn’t regret even taking her life for it. Samir (Little Police Officer): male, 18-25, all ethnicities, the newly recruited young police officer in the Scotland Yard is full of justice and compassion. He has a good mind and quick response. He understands words and looks and is familiar with various interrogation skills. He sympathizes with the weak and therefore does not cause conflict with his superiors. He insists on his own value judgment, but he cannot stop things from developing against his will. Cantona (Inspector): male, 26-45, all ethnicities, he is an antiimmigrant. He believes that the increasing crime rate in London has something to do with the influx of

Print Modeling LA Delta Dental Print Shoot • Casting two roles in a print ad for a

national Delta Dental advertising campaign. Must have good teeth and submit headshots.

• Company: NYC / LA Casting.

• Shoots Aug. 4 in L.A. • Seeking—Hispanic Female 60s:

female, 59-71, Latino / Hispanic, superhero pose with big smile, great teeth; white hair is a plus. White Man 70s: male, 67-79, White / European Descent, white hair, strong looking 70s man with great teeth and big smile.

• Seeking submissions from CA. • Send submissions to swayny.casting@

gmail.com.

• Submit one or two headshots or link to

portfolio. Must be L.A local. Only submit and contact once.

• Session Fee: $500.00 +20% agent’s

fee- covers all services performed during the10 hr. work day (not including up to 1 hr, meal break). Overtime, if any to be paid @$90.90 +20% per hr. after the initial 10 hrs.

• Wardrobe Fitting: if done on a non-

shoot day, $50.00 for up to 3 hrs, additional time, if any, to be paid @ $16.66 per hr. after the initial 3 hrs. All fees+20% agent’s fees • Usage Buyout Fee: $2,000+20% cov-

ers Worldwide use of unlimited images in unlimited/unrestricted all media Not Including broadcast for 2 years from the first use of any image.

• Usage Renewal Options: Additional 2

years renewal with 10% increase from previous term.

National/ Regional

• Pays $150 per person flat. Non-union,

all media buyout.

Sports Training Equipment Commercial

Plays

for a sports training equipment company.

‘At the Moment’

• Casting a national promo commercial

• Company: Pure Cinema. Staff: Luke

McCain, coord.

• Shoots one half-day on date TBD in late

July or early August in San Diego, CA. • Seeking—Baseball Player: male,

16-20, all ethnicities, must be able to backstage.com

• Casting “At the Moment,” an original

Chinese drama. Synopsis: British novelist Shu Peng attends the wedding of his best friend, but at the wedding, there is a shooting. In the process of recalling the truth, Shu Peng sees the characters in her novel approaching

21

immigrants in recent years, so he wants to impose the highest penalties on these criminal immigrants. This orientation will of course affect his judgment in various cases. His stubborn self-use causes him not to listen to the opinions of others, but to prove his speculation at all costs. Nurse: female, 18-25, all ethnicities, she is flexible and flexible. She usually has a gentle and sweet attitude, but she doesn’t like to explain to others. She doesn’t like others to question her professional choices. Girl: female, 13-20, Asian. Boy: male, 15-20, Asian.

Boyfriend: male, 18-25, Asian.

• Seeking submissions worldwide.

• Apply on Backstage.com.

• No pay.

Stages 2020-2021 Season

• Casting Equity actors and seeking an

Equity Stage Manager for the Stages 2020-2021 Season. Note: Due to COVID-19, the theatre is accepting video audition submissions in lieu of live Equity auditions. Season includes: “Honky Tonk Laundry” (Roger Bean, playwright. Rehearsals begin Sept. 7; runs through Dec. 27), “Holidays At The Hope’s” (Ben Hope and Katie Barton, playwrights. Rehearsals begin Oct. 19; runs through Dec. 27), “Buttons Sleeping Beauty: A One-Man Outrageous Unbelievable Covid Lockdown Panto” (Kenn McLaughlin, book; David Nehls, music-lyrics.

Rehearsals begin Oct. 19; runs through Dec. 27), “Lady Day At Emerson’s Bar and Grill” (Lanie Robertson, playwright. Rehearsals begin Jan. 4, 2021; runs through Mar. 7, 2021), “The Giant Void In My Soul,” (Bernardo Cubria, playwright.

Rehearsals begin Jan. 18, 2021; runs through Feb. 12, 2021), “Black Super Hero Magic Mama” (Inda CraigGalvan, playwright. Rehearsals begin Mar. 8, 2021; runs through Apr. 18, 2021), “Cost Of Living” (Martyna Majok, playwright. Rehearsals begin Mar. 22, 2021; runs through Mar. 2, 2021), “MacGyver The Musical” (Kate Chavez, Robin Ward Holloway, Lindsey Hope Pearlman and Lee David Zlotoff, book; Peter Lurye, music-lyrics. Rehearsals begin Apr. 26, 2021; runs through June 27, 2021), and “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee” (Rebecca Feldman, conceived by; Rachel Sheinkin, book; William Finn, music-lyrics. Rehearsals begin May 10, 2021; runs through June 27, 2021).

• Company: Stages. Staff: Kenn

McLaughlin, artistic dir.; Mitchell Greco, artistic assoc.; Josh Morrison, assoc. artistic dir.

• Season runs in Houston, TX. • Seeking—Equity Actors: 18+.

• Seeking submissions from TX. • For consideration, submit two con-

trasting monologues and/or songs totaling no more than two minutes to jmorrison@stageshouston.com. Video submissions are being accepted through 11:59 p.m. CDT, July 31, 2020.

Stage manager resumes can be sent to: Stages c/o Josh Morrison, 800 Rosine St., Houston, TX 77019 at jmorrison@stageshouston.com.

• Pays $493/wk. Equity LOA Agreement.

07.23.20 BACKSTAGE

casting National/Regional

Feature Films

diem. Lodging, if needed, will be paid by our company.

woman or a woman who has recently given birth.”

• Company: Sure Win Productions. Staff:

‘Peace Pilgrims’

• Casting “Peace Pilgrims,” a feature

Sherwyn Santos, casting dir.

film. Project description: “Film shot in Philadelphia over the course of next year is looking for a 14-19 yr old African American female.”

Reality TV & Documentary

Marzec, casting dir.

Outgoing Single Men for Online Dating Series

• Company: Peace Pilgrims. Staff: Joy • Shoots over the next year in

Philadelphia, PA, area. All Covid-19 safety guidelines will be followed on set. If hired you will need to agree to quarantine for 14 days before shoot days.

• Seeking—Young Female: female, 14-19,

Black / African Descent.

• Seeking submissions from PA. • Send submissions to peacepilgrims-

movie@gmail.com.

• To apply, submit pix & résumés.

• Some pay.

Student Films Columbia College Hollywood Directing Class Scene • Casting a virtual scene workshop for a

Columbia College Hollywood directing class.

• Company: Columbia College

Hollywood. Staff: Elijah Moreno, student.

• Rehearses and shoots via Zoom.

• Seeking—Josh: male, 35-50, all ethnici-

ties, the deputy chief of staff at the White House. He’s regarded highly. He’s a bit witty, but remains professional at the same time. Mandy’s ex-boyfriend.

Mandy: female, 30-40, all ethnicities, honest, genuine, and quick-witted. Josh’s ex-girlfriend. The two of them have an interesting friendly/passive relationship.

• Seeking submissions nationwide.

• Send submissions to emoreno@colum-

biacollege.edu.

• Provide a self-tape using the sides

provided.

• Copy of final performance and credit

provided.

• Shoots the first week of August in

Washington, DC.

• Seeking—New Mother: female, 18+,

seeking a woman who recently gave birth.

• Seeking submissions from DC. • Send submissions to Sherwyn@

surewinproductions.com.

• Casting outgoing single men 25+ who

• Some pay.

live in Georgia to take part in a new completely virtual online dating series hosted by Joey Sasso of “The Circle.”

The show will feature a mix of pre- and live self-recorded content, all recorded remotely.

National Commercials

• Company: Five Hudson LLC. Staff:

Daniella Bondar, prod.

• Seeking—Single Men 25+: male, 25-40,

‘How To Sign With A Top Agent & Book TV Commercials’

• Seeking submissions from GA. • Send submissions to daniella@tvco.

A Top Agent & Book TV Commercials.”

Seeking actors who want to learn how to book national TV commercials.

• Must be available for ongoing weekly

work beginning July 26.

all ethnicities, for a new online dating series. Must be based in Georgia.

• Casting a free class, “How To Sign With

app. Note: Must visit https://fivehudson. typeform.com/to/RVpc5H to apply.

• Company: Hey, I Saw Your Commercial!

Staff: Mike Pointer, career coach.

• Compensation TBD.

• Class runs online.

• Seeking—Actors: all genders, 18-65, all

Pittsburgh Steelers Documentary Project

ethnicities, actors that want to learn how to book National TV Commercials.

• Casting a documentary about

• Seeking submissions nationwide.

• Send submissions to mike@heyisawy-

Pittsburgh Steelers fans. Seeking season ticket holders who haven’t missed a game since 2008.

ourcommercial.com.

• To attend, visit www.heyisawyourcom-

mercial.com/live-webinars. Note: If you miss the live run, watch the replay. You don’t need a confirmation to attend.

• Company: Dan Bell Casting.

• Skype interviews will be held.

• Seeking—Pittsburgh Steelers Fans: all

genders, 18+, seeking Steelers fans who haven’t missed a game since 2008.

• Free class.

Pet Store TV Commercial

• Seeking submissions nationwide.

• Send submissions to

• Casting a pet store national TV com-

Steelersfamilycasting@gmail.com.

mercial. Project description: “Trained pets preferred, but not required. All pets must be well-behaved, have no history of aggression or attacks on humans or other animals and must be up-to-date on all vaccinations.

Production will require proof of vaccinations from your vet, if cast.”

• Some pay.

‘The Circle’ Season 2

• Seeking new players in the US to enter

season 2 of “The Circle” on Netflix.

Production states: “We are looking for entertaining, funny, confident, and competitive people from all walks of life to take part.”

• Company: Nancy Mosser Casting. Staff:

Nancy Mosser, casting dir.

• Company: Studio Lambert. Staff: J.

• Shoots Aug. 10-16 in Pittsburgh, PA.

Cossman, casting.

Scripted TV & Video Buffalo Soldiers Reenactment Video

• Casting a civil rights themed video for

the National Park Service focusing on Fort Davis and the Buffalo Soldiers that served there in the mid-1800s.

• Staff: Paul Kakert, prod.

• Shoots Aug. 3-4 in Fort Davis, TX. • Seeking—Buffalo Soldiers: male,

18-39, Black / African Descent, slender builds, non-speaking roles, no acting experience required, must have some experience riding a horse.

• Seeking submissions from TX. • Send submissions to paulk@edpvideo.

com.

• Pays $200/day. Meals will either be

provided or allotted for with a per

BACKSTAGE 07.23.20

Virtual callbacks July 28-29.

• Tentatively shoots for 6-weeks in late

• Seeking—Dad Who Is Baking: male,

October/early November. Note: Must be available for the shoot.

35-40, White / European Descent, no baking experience necessary, must own small dog or puppy, dog action required: fog takes toy and comes when called. Real Child of Baking Dad: male, 2-12, Ethnically Ambiguous / Multiracial, bi-racial, must be real child of the Baking Dad role, kids should be outgoing and able to take direction and love pets. Picnic Couple: all genders, 25-30, White / European Descent, real couple, must own 1-3 dogs, dog action required: dogs are friendly, playful and like treats. Couple Looking In Fridge: all genders, 25-30, all ethnicities, must be OKok with cats but not required to own one, production will have a trained cat on set for this scene. Females With Dog: female, 28-35, two women who live together and are partners, roommates or sisters, must own a dog or puppy, dog action required: needs to be comfort-

• Seeking—US Players: transgender,

21-75, all ethnicities.

• Seeking submissions nationwide.

• For consideration, all applicants must

fill out an application at www.thecirclecasting.com.

• All shoot and travel expenses paid.

Demo & Instructional Videos Untitled Government PSA

• Casting a government PSA. Project

description: “Government PSA Shoot for how to keep active as a pregnant

22

able in a new space and likes treats.

Patio Family: all genders, 35-40, mom and dad ages 35-40 with 2-3 kids ages 2-12 years old, any ethnicity, real families, must own a dog, bonus if you also have a bird, reptile, rabbit or hamster. dog action required: Likes to eat.

Older Couple With Dogs: all genders, 50-60, all ethnicities, real couple, must own 2+ dogs, dog action required: all of the dogs must walk well as a unit while leashed, able to hold onto a bone/antler while walking. Woman In Rain Walking Dog: female, 25-30, Asian, Black / African Descent, Ethnically Ambiguous / Multiracial, Indigenous Peoples, Latino / Hispanic, Middle Eastern, South Asian / Indian, Southeast Asian / Pacific Islander, must own a small dog, preferably shaggy such as a Shih-Tzu, King Charles Spaniel, Yorkie, etc. dog action required: dog must be able to walk in the rain, wearing booties and rain gear.

Beach Couple: all genders, 26-35, real couple, hipster vibe, must own 1-3 dogs, if they have a child between the ages of 2-12 years old they should submit too but not a requirement, dog action rRequired: dogs must be active, love chasing after toys, OK with beach (Off-leash obedient). Hipster Guy With Litten: male, 25-30, vBrooklyn vibe, tattoos are great, must own a kitten, cat action required: has to be tolerable of being held in a sling/bag on the guy’s chest as he carries it around, likes treats. Petite Woman With Big Dog: female, 28-34, White / European Descent, blonde or brunette, petite in stature to contrast with her large dog, she’s fashionable but relatable, must own a large dDog such as a Mastiff, Great Dane, Akita, etc, dog action required: dog must walk on a leash ahead of the woman & run when called.

• Seeking submissions from PA. • Apply on Backstage.com.

• To apply, send a recent close-up photo

of all humans and pets as well as a wide-shot/ full-length photo so we can see you all head-to-toe/paw. Send a written description with all pet names, ages, breeds and describe very briefly their personality and that they are capable of the pet action needed as described in the role you are submitting for. If you are open to us shooting in your house, can you please send photos of the Exterior Door/Porch, Kitchen, Living Room, Exterior Yard/patio, along with the first and last names of everyone submitting, your phone number, city and state, the age of everyone submitting, the heights and weights of everyone involved, and whether you have a talent agent.

• If you live in the Pittsburgh or Erie area

and are open to having Production film in their house, Production would pay a $500 house rental fee plus cleaning before and after.

• Talent must live in Pennsylvania or

Ohio; All talent will be required to sign a Covid waiver, if cast. On-set protocols will be taken to limit exposure. If talent has pet allergies, they should pass on this project.

• Pays $3,500/adult, $3000/kid, plus

$250 for your pet(s).

backstage.com

National/Regional casting

Online Commercials & Promos

Female Voiceover For Banking App

#Classof2024 College Freshman, Yahoo Finance Video Content

prod.

• Seeking real-life incoming college

freshman at state or university level in Atlanta, Austin, Baton Rouge, Birmingham, Houston, Indianapolis, Knoxville, Little Rock, Memphis, Mobile, Montgomery, Nashville, and St. Louis.

• Company: Julianne Gabert. Staff:

Julianne Gabert, casting dir.

• Casting a woman (20-30) for a banking

app voiceover in Standard American accent. Note: Work from home gig.

Script is approximately 30 lines.

• Staff: E. Kennedy, supervising casting • No rehearsal; shoots TBD and is work

from home.

• Seeking—Woman VO For Banking App:

female, 20-35, all ethnicities, woman, 20-35, able to handle simple copy, Standard American accent, in the following styles: 1) Enthusiastic friend 2) Chill, stoner type 3) Conspiratorial tipster 4) Authoritative expert; script is approximately 30 lines.

• Shoots locally to you for one to two

• Seeking submissions nationwide.

• Send submissions to casting@tube-

• Seeking—Real Life Kid Going to

• Submit a VO reel for consideration.

• Pays $150 flat for a non-union, all media

days and will require you to provide some remote shooting in your house.

College and Family: all genders, 18+, all ethnicities, must be State college or University level, Atlanta, Austin, Raleigh, Durham, Charleston, Indianapolis.

• Seeking submissions from TX, GA,

NC, TN, AL, MO, AR and IN.

• Send submissions to vzmfamilycast-

ing@gmail.com.

• Submit for formal application.

• This will be a flat payment of $1000

per family.

At-Home Commercial for MTailor, Big and Tall Men

• Seeking ‘big and tall’ male actors for a

remotely-filmed commercial. Talent will go through the MTailor measurement process, then film a partially scripted, one+ minute video on their smartphones from home describing their clothes and experience. Talent may be required to provide a super quick unboxing of the product and a few lifestyle photos wearing the garments. MTailor production team will work with the actors on the process of delivering the custom clothes and will provide a script/set of talking points for the video itself. Must be 5’9”+ and weigh over 200 lbs.

science.com. buyout.

Real Kids Who Love LEGO® Bricks

• Seeking submissions nationwide.

• Send submissions to haynes@mtailor.

com.

• Note: Must be 21+. Must have a smart-

phone (iOS/Android). Must able to receive MTailor custom clothes in the next 2-3 weeks. Must not be traveling, and living in one household for the month of July/August (to avoid potential shipping issues).

• Pays $100 and the actors will be able

to keep the custom clothes that are made for them.

backstage.com

photos/video reels, and a short note letting me know why you’re a good candidate for either position.

• Qualified candidates for either role will

be paid $500 flat for short auditions if an audition is requested (approx. twothree hours). Compensation for those selected for the roles is negotiable and can be exponentially higher for an unlimited period of time.

Staff: Mark Summers, CD.

• Shoots TBD date remotely.

• Seeking—Real Kids that Love LEGO®

Bricks: 6-9.

Commercial & Film Voiceover

• Seeking submissions worldwide.

• Send submissions to mark@marksum-

mers.com.

• Compensation tbd.

Science-Based Content For National Health & Longevity Brand (Chiropractor/Joint)

Assisted Living Video Voiceover

• Casting a voiceover for an assisted liv-

ing senior care facility. Note: Script is approximately two minutes in overall duration.

• Casting two roles to represent a

Talent: male, 21-60.

• Works remotely.

• Seeking—’Big and Tall’ Commercial

• Include your qualifications, experience,

• Company: Mark Summers Casting.

Stephen E. Tegel, creative dir., TNT Media; Michael Costanza, prod.

• Company: MTailor. Staff: Haynes

cision1.com.

tries around the world, 6-9-yrs-old, that have a passion for LEGO® Bricks.

Families who have a story about LEGO® Bricks, and how it may have encouraged and inspired your child/children, or family during lockdown or times pre COVID-19.Required countries - Japan, USA, China, Middle East, Russia, France and Brazil.

Winkler, head of ops.

tom-tailored clothing app that makes it easy for you to get perfectly-fitted, custom clothing. In under 30 seconds, our proprietary 3D scan measures your body, from head to toe, to get you fitted 20% more accurate than a traditional tailor.”

• Seeking submissions nationwide.

• Send submissions to mike@digitalpre-

• Casting real kids based in several coun-

national brand in a long-term, education-based advertising campaign.

Synopsis: The “Guru” — a qualified Chiropractor, medical, health, science, or research professional (M.D., Ph.D., M.S., M.S.N., etc.) who also has some experience in front of the camera. The “Spokesperson” — anyone with QVCstyle “pitchman” training/experience; anyone with hosting or spokesperson experience; or any talented actor/ actress who knows how to “sell” (on camera).

• About the company: “MTailor is a cus-

related to joint/arthritis/bone health; include a note with details such as: your degree, education, experience in the field, as well as experience as an actor, voice-over artist, spokesperson, etc.; if you do have a video or voice-over reel, include it; if you’re qualified but lack these materials, you’re encouraged to submit for this role anyway as auditions will be filming soon. The “Pitchman/ Pitchwoman” (Lead): all genders, 25-50, White / European Descent, we’re looking for a talented spokesperson to appear onscreen in ads to sell the educational content; anyone, male or female, with QVC or HSN-style “pitchman” training/experience; anyone with hosting/spokesperson experience; or any talented actor/actress who knows how to “sell” (on camera) should definitely apply; our spokesperson should be fit, healthy, and have a positive attitude. [Note: This role does not require a degree or expertise as a health professional.].

• Pays $200 for the voiceover (including

minimal revisions, if any).

Stage Staff & Tech Stages 2020-2021 Season, AEA Stage Manager

ders, 30+, all ethnicities, will appear onscreen in various educational videos and commercials to explain various developments in human health and nutrition concerning joint health/joint pain; The Guru must have some qualification as an expert as a chiropractor or as a researcher or scientist in a field

• Seeking an Equity Stage Manager for

the Stages 2020-2021 Season. Season includes: “Honky Tonk Laundry” (Roger Bean, playwright. Rehearsals begin Sept. 7; runs through Dec. 27), “Holidays At The Hope’s” (Ben Hope and Katie Barton, playwrights. Rehearsals begin

23

31, 2020 to jmorrison@stageshouston. com or Josh Morrison, Stages, 800 Rosine St, Houston, TX 77019.

• Pays $493/wk. Equity LOA Agreement.

Workshops ‘How To Sign With A Top Agent & Book TV Commercials’ Workshop

• Seeking participants for “How to Sign

Staff: Mike Pointer, career coach.

gmail.com.

• Seeking—Chiropractor “Guru”: all gen-

• Season runs in Houston, TX. • Seeking—AEA Stage Manager: 18+.

• Seeking submissions from TX. • Send resume by mail or e-mail by July

• Voiceover should be expected to be

• Seeking—Narrator: all genders, 35+.

• Seeking submissions nationwide.

• Send submissions to benfraternale@

cials, voice-over, etc.) will film throughout summer 2020 in L.A, remote film crew, or remote as needed throughout 2020.

McLaughlin, artistic dir.; Mitchell Greco, artistic assoc.; Josh Morrison, assoc. artistic dir.

With a Top Agent & Book TV Commercials,” a free Zoom workshop.

delivered within two days of final script delivery.

• Content (educational films, commer-

• Company: Stages. Staff: Kenn

• Company: VC. Staff: B. Fraternale,

prod.-dir.

• Company: Tried And True Media. Staff:

Oct. 19; runs through Dec. 27), “Buttons Sleeping Beauty: A One-Man Outrageous Unbelievable Covid Lockdown Panto” (Kenn McLaughlin, book; David Nehls, music-lyrics.

Rehearsals begin Oct. 19; runs through Dec. 27), “Lady Day At Emerson’s Bar and Grill” (Lanie Robertson, playwright.

Rehearsals begin Jan. 4, 2021; runs through Mar. 7, 2021), “The Giant Void In My Soul,” (Bernardo Cubria, playwright.

Rehearsals begin Jan. 18, 2021; runs through Feb. 12, 2021), “Black Super Hero Magic Mama” (Inda CraigGalvan, playwright. Rehearsals begin Mar. 8, 2021; runs through Apr. 18, 2021), “Cost Of Living” (Martyna Majok, playwright.

Rehearsals begin Mar. 22, 2021; runs through Mar. 2, 2021), “MacGyver The Musical” (Kate Chavez, Robin Ward Holloway, Lindsey Hope Pearlman and Lee David Zlotoff, book; Peter Lurye, music-lyrics. Rehearsals begin Apr. 26, 2021; runs through June 27, 2021), and “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee” (Rebecca Feldman, conceived by; Rachel Sheinkin, book; William Finn, music-lyrics. Rehearsals begin May 10, 2021; runs through June 27, 2021).

• Company: Hey, I Saw Your Commercial!

• Zoom workshops will be held July 20,

(2:30 p.m. or 4:30 p.m.), July 22, (2:30 p.m. or 4:30 p.m.), July 24 (2:30 p.m. or 4:30 p.m.), and July 26 (2 p.m.).

• Seeking—Workshop Participants: all

genders, 18-65, all ethnicities, actors seeking an agent to book TV commercials.

• Seeking submissions nationwide.

• Send submissions to mike@heyisawy-

ourcommercial.com.

• To attend, visit www.heyisawyourcom-

mercial.com/free-audit-zoom-classes.

• What you will experience: One power-

ful, breakthrough improv exercise (personality slate); one copy exercise teaching you how to read commercial copy correctly in agent meetings and auditions; a Q&A Session. Get you questions answered by CoachMike (20 year master coach in the Los Angeles market).

• Free Zoom class. No pay. Career coach

states: “National commercials pay $672 per day plus residuals.”

07.23.20 BACKSTAGE

Ask An Expert Acting Auditions Film Headshots Television Theater Unions Voiceover

Q:

How do you stay focused in a crying scene? It seems easy to lose the connection after a while.

—Nick S.

Our Expert Craig Wallace is an acting and audition teacher.

*Submit questions for our Experts on Backstage’s Facebook or Twitter accounts or via our forums page at backstage.com/forums!

The views expressed in this article are solely that of the individual(s) providing them, and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Backstage or its staff.

BACKSTAGE 07.23.20

24

backstage.com

ILLUSTRATION: MARGARET RULING/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM; WALLACE: COURTESY CRAIG WALLACE

In any given scene, there are two connections that are essential to maintain: the connection to the emotion you’re feeling and trying to express, and the connection to the other person or people in the scene.

In a scene that involves crying, it’s easy to lose connection to the underlying emotion causing the tears if all of your energy is going toward the actual act of crying. Sure, you might be crying at that point, but to the viewer, it’s just meaningless water. In life, when something happens to us, we experience that event first in the body. The body experiences a sensation based on the event. That sensation informs the limbic center of the brain, which produces an appropriate emotion. That emotion then travels to the frontal lobe of the brain and produces a thought.

If you’re losing that connection, it’s essential to reconnect to the body and to the sensation in your body that created the emotion in the first place. You’ll also reconnect to the other person or people in the scene by focusing on the bodily sensations that they cause you to feel. Your corresponding emotional connection to them will follow.

Crying, ultimately, is emotion plus vulnerability. Losing touch with the underlying emotion can cause you to disconnect from yourself, and losing touch with how you feel about the other person or people can erase the feeling of vulnerability that crying in front of them would cause, creating a disconnect.

The answer, always, is to bring your focus back to the place that had an experience that made you want to cry in the first place: the body. And the wonderful thing about the body is that it will take care of the rest for you.

In The Envelope The Actor’s Podcast

Recent guests include: D’Arcy Carden Rob McElhenney Gugu Mbatha-Raw Michelle Dockery Hailee Steinfeld

For intimate, in-depth conversations with today’s most noteworthy film, television, and theater actors and creators, subscribe now wherever you listen to podcasts!