Backstage Magazine, Digital Edition: May 13, 2021

05.13.21

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of Performance Education

Taking a closer look at how today’s arts curricula have responded to the changing landscape and social upheaval of the last year

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Contents

vol. 62, no. 14 | 05.13.21

Cover Story

Relearning How to Teach

Four schools with prestigious acting programs reveal how they’ve responded to calls for racial equity from their student bodies, and how they’ve reconsidered everything from the faculty to the curriculum to who gets admitted to schools in the first place page 16

The Green Room 6 Broadway is revving up to reopen at full capacity

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

10 Alice Braga on the final season of “Queen of the South”

Advice 13 CRAFT

College audition process changes

14 #IGOTCAST Karen Johal

14 CAREER DISPATCH

“The trick is not minding”

Features 4 BACKSTAGE 5 WITH...

Sutton Foster

12 REACHING HIGHER

Jesse Perez, University of San Diego program director

13 THE ESSENTIALISTS

Joel David Moore and Rishi Bajaj, Balcony 9 founders

15 IN THE ROOM WITH Harriet Bass

22 LESSONS FROM LOCKDOWN

Three instructors on how COVID-19 has transformed arts education—permanently

24 STUDYING UP

Where nine of our favorite actors schooled themselves in the craft

32 ASK AN EXPERT

Craig Wallace on getting into character for auditions

Casting 26 New York Tristate 28 California 29 National/Regional On cover: Images by Alexkava/Moloko88/ v4ndhira/shutterstock.com. Cover designed

by Ian Robinson. On this page: Images by Alexkava/v4ndhira/shutterstock.com.

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Backstage 5 With...

Sutton Foster

By Casey Mink

While other high school seniors were picking out prom dresses, Sutton Foster was traveling the country in the first national tour of “The Will Rogers Follies.” She was 17, and it was as much an education as any MFA program.

Still, the two-time Tony winner and “Younger” star firmly believes in attending college—which is, in part, why she began teaching musical theater students at Ball State University.

What is one performance every actor should see and why? Patti LuPone, “Sondheim Celebration” [“Sondheim: A Celebration at Carnegie Hall”], 1992. She sings “Being Alive.”

I was 16 years old when I saw it; it changed my life. No offense to anyone else in that show, but it was the only thing I remember, and I watched it over and over and over again. Every young performer—or old performer, or any age performer—should watch that performance.

and was brought to New York for a callback, and then auditioned on the stage at the Palace Theatre—for Tommy Tune and Cy Coleman. I was still in high school. I spent my senior year traveling around the country as a “Follies” showgirl.

Do you feel like that job, and others you had when you were young, were in some ways your education? They were. That was the path I took. It’s interesting, because I do believe in college, and I think it’s a really important transitional phase for young adults. I made all of my mistakes in those early jobs, and I do think of that as my early education, preparing me to have a career in musical theater. In all of my early jobs, I was an ensemble member, an understudy. I was climbing the ladder. But it is sort of that “Sliding Doors” moment where I think: Where would I be if I had stayed in college [at Carnegie Mellon]?

How did you first get your Equity card? I was cast in the first national tour of “The Will Rogers Follies” when I was 17 years old. They came to Detroit, Michigan, and they held open calls.

I had just seen “The Will Rogers Follies” performance on the Tonys, and I remember watching and going, “Oh, my gosh, all these girls, they’re all tall, they sing, they dance, they have big teeth. They look like me!” And then, like, two weeks later, there was an audition notice in the Detroit Free Press. I auditioned

What advice would you give to your younger self? You don’t have to make things harder than they already are. You don’t have to make things a 40 when they’re already a 10. One of my mantras now is: I’m 46 years old; I’ve worked my entire life to be at this moment. I can allow it to be good.

“Every time I work with the students, I’m just reminded of why I’m in this industry, why I wanted to be in musical theater. They’ve taught me more than I’ve taught them.”

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ILLUSTRATION: NATHAN ARIZONA/PHOTO: LEV RADIN/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

Do you have an audition horror story you could share? I think I’m always amazing at auditions! Um, lies. This was early on; I decided I was right for “Rent,” which is hilarious. I went to a photo booth, and I got a photo strip of me trying to be grunge or something. I sent that in and recorded myself singing along to Janis Joplin’s “Piece of My Heart.” I totally got an audition, and I auditioned and I didn’t even bring a résumé. I just came in and did it. I got so many callbacks, and I was so close to playing Maureen on the tour; ultimately, I had no business playing Maureen. I tried to make myself edgy. I had zero edge.

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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

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Industry

Theaters Can Now Reopen at Full Capacity But the question is: When will they?

By Diep Tran

BACKSTAGE 05.13.21

of vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test.

Similarly, theaters can truly reopen at full capacity, without distancing, if audience members and the artists involved are fully vaccinated or have a negative test for COVID-19. Cuomo admitted that this doesn’t mean that theaters will reopen right away.

“Museums, theaters, Broadway, retail, shops—now they may make their own economic decision as to when they need to reopen, because they can have critical mass,” he said at the press conference. “Broadway, for example, has a schedule. They have to produce a play before they can sell the play. So there’s a schedule for them, but from a capacity point of view, they can

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all reopen on May 19.”

On May 5, Cuomo announced an exact date: Broadway theaters will officially reopen at full capacity on Sept. 14. Prior to that, the Broadway League, the trade organization representing Broadway producers, said in a statement that it will focus on a September reopening: “We applaud the governor’s recent announcement easing capacity limits on performance venues in New York State. We are encouraged by this good news, which is a long-awaited indication that New York is truly on the road to recovery. We look forward to reopening at full capacity and are working to safely welcome audiences and employees back

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THE BROADWAY LEAGUE HAS announced that Broadway theaters can reopen at full capacity beginning Sept. 14. This follows announcements from New York Governor Andrew Cuomo that businesses can open at full capacity May 19, and from New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio that the city will fully reopen July 1.

On May 3, Cuomo announced that capacity restrictions will be lifted on May 19 for businesses in New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut as part of a tristate-area coordinated approach. But businesses still must maintain a six-foot distance between patrons. The six-feet rule does not apply if attendees provide proof

to Broadway theaters this fall.

As always, we continue to work closely with our elected officials and will share more information as soon as plans become finalized.”

On April 29, de Blasio promised New York City will “fully reopen” on July 1. “You should expect Broadway full-strength in September, but I’d love to see some of the smaller shows up in July and August,” he told MSNBC. So far, theaters in New York have been slowly announcing in-person performance dates.

The Public Theater announced the return of Shakespeare in the Park this summer. “Diana the Musical” on Broadway has begun selling tickets for performances beginning Dec. 1. And the new musical “Six,” which was hours away from its official opening last March, has already sold out its first performance on Sept. 17.

In response to Cuomo, Actors’ Equity Association released a statement of support, saying, “We are having regular and ongoing conversations with the Broadway League about what protocols for a safe reopening would look like, and have a clear understanding of their timetable,” said Equity executive director Mary McColl. “We welcome this unexpected announcement and look forward to a safe reopening of theater, both on Broadway, Off-Broadway, and beyond that prioritizes the safety of the workers.”

and child head to New York, where they search for a stable home where they can reclaim their identities. While the project is still in the development phase, Avy Kaufman has been brought on to cast it. Production on the family drama is set to start in July in a location that has not yet been announced.

What’s Casting

to change that. Production is scheduled to begin in mid-June in Ontario.

Enter Guillermo del Toro’s Netflix House of Horrors His upcoming anthology series has begun casting

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 updates, and keep checking Backstage for the latest news on project development during this time.

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FILM

Amy Adams and Jake Gyllenhaal Reunite

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!

IN WHAT WAS SAID TO BE A BIDDING war, Amy Adams and Jake Gyllenhaal’s respective production companies have jointly won the rights to ecologist Suzanne Simard’s just-released memoir “Finding the Mother Tree.” Adams’ Bond Group Entertainment and Gyllenhaal’s Nine Stories will adapt the book—which details Simard’s groundbreaking discovery of how trees communicate underground—as a feature film, with Adams on board to star. Adams and producing partner Stacy O’Neil said in a statement, “Suzanne’s novel has been an inspiration. Creatively, it excited us with a narrative about the awe-invoking power of nature and the compelling parallels in Suzanne’s personal life.”

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MARGAUX QUAYLE CANNON

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“Guillermo del Toro Presents 10 After Midnight” Guillermo del Toro, the director behind twisted, Oscar-winning tales like “The Shape of Water,” is bringing his signature style to Netflix. “10 After Midnight” is an anthology series that will showcase a collection of stories selected by del Toro.

While the project’s details are being kept under wraps, the individual stories are said to be both sophisticated and horrific.

After years of development, the anthology is finally set for an early summer shoot. No actors have been publicly attached to the project, but Denise Chamian Casting is working

“A Thousand and One” Writer-director A.V. Rockwell, with help from producer Lena Waithe, will tell the story of a free spirit reclaiming the life she left behind in “A Thousand and One.” The film, produced in part by Waithe’s Hillman Grad Productions, focuses on a woman who kidnaps her sixyear-old son from the state’s foster care system in a bid to redeem herself. Wanting to start their lives over, mother

Untitled Coburn and Wootton Project Pilot season is technically over, but NBC is still saying yes to some developmental projects and late pilot orders for the 2021–2022 season. The network has ordered a pilot for a currently untitled crime drama from creators Jake Coburn and Nicholas Wootton, who will also serve as executive producers and writers on the potential series. The plot will revolve around two women: a socially outcast FBI agent and a brilliant criminal mastermind who was recently caught.

The agent must get answers from the woman in order to stop the string of coordinated bank heists she had planned.

Kamala A. Thomas Casting will be adding actors to the pilot, though none are publicly attached so far. Cameras are set to start rolling in late June in New York.

WILLIAM ESPER STUDIO

RETURNS TO IN PERSON CLASSES FALL 2021 NOW INTERVIEWING FALL 2021 TWO-YEAR PROGRAM

ESPERSTUDIO.COM

Backstage Live

to discuss working on the show, her journey in the industry, and the advice she has for her fellow performers.

Long May She Reign Alice Braga says goodbye to “Queen of the South”

By Jenna Fanelli

The following interview for Backstage’s on-camera series The Slate was compiled in part 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 your questions.

ALICE BRAGA HAS PLAYED antihero and queenpin Teresa Mendoza on USA’s “Queen of the South” for five wildly successful years, during which the show and the Brazilian actor

herself both gained a dedicated and adoring fan base.

The fifth and final season premiered last month. With the end nigh, Braga joined Backstage on Instagram Live

Braga is proud of Teresa’s character development over the years.

“I’ve never done TV before this experience. And it’s very, very powerful, I think, for an actor [to revisit] a character every year—because all of us, I think, we grow as human beings, as people, just on a daily basis of who we are. From one year to another year, we meet people, we challenge ourselves, we grow up. And it feels to me that you do that with the character, because the character journey is changing, so you’re changing with the character, and you’re really connecting with the audience. Just that feeling of: This character has been with me for five years—I’ve never had that experience. It was very challenging and very powerful, with that idea of how much you grow as a person [and] as an actress.”

Building a believable arc was the most challenging part of playing Teresa.

“To be believable, I wanted to create some ground for her, so the audience could connect and could remember who she was and what changes in her life led her [to today]. So I always try to

TELEVISION

Elizabeth Olsen Heads to HBO Max

By Casey Mink

keep a few different personalities in her soul and the way that she was, so people won’t think that she suddenly changed from one thing to the other. I think I tried a lot to humanize her—not to be likable, because I think we’re entitled to have flaws as human beings. But mainly so people could understand where she came from.”

Playing an antihero was a fulfilling challenge.

“Normally, we see men playing this type of character. So just being able to be a woman, a Latina, doing it, it was a wonderful challenge; but that idea of being the antihero, but also a survivor, because she comes from that reality, because she comes from a childhood that is very harsh. And [because] she overcomes so many challenges in her own life, she ends up being the heroine of her own journey. And I always thought that was interesting.

Of course, she’s a drug dealer, [so] of course there’s this whole ‘villain’ thing in her life. But at the same time, how much [she] is a survivor, able to survive so many harsh things that happened in her journey.”

Want to hear more from Braga? Watch our full interview at backstage.com/ magazine, and follow us on Instagram: @backstagecast.

Alice Braga on “Queen of the South”

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USA NETWORK

FOLLOWING HER LAUDED RUN ON “WandaVision,” Elizabeth Olsen is sticking with the small screen. Next up, she’ll lead “Love and Death,” an HBO Max limited series about Texan housewife Candy Montgomery’s murder of Betty Gore in 1980. David E. Kelly will write the series, with “Homeland” director Lesli Linka Glatter on board to helm the episodes. Additionally, Kelly and his “Big Little Lies” and “The Undoing” partner Nicole Kidman are re-teaming here, with Kidman attached as a producer.

MFA Programs in Theatre

MFA and MA Programs in Film

The Theatre Program at Columbia University School of the Arts offers the MFA degree in Acting, Directing, Dramaturgy, Playwriting, Stage Management, and Theatre Management & Producing.

The Film Program at Columbia University School of the Arts offers the MFA degree in Screenwriting / Directing and Creative Producing, as well as the MA Degree in Film and Media Studies.

arts.columbia.edu/theatre-21

arts.columbia.edu/film-21

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Reaching Higher

By Benjamin Lindsay

Nona Truong in the Old Globe’s production of “Our Town”

SINCE ITS FOUNDING IN 1987, the Old Globe and the University of San Diego’s joint venture, the Shiley Graduate Theatre program, has established itself as one of the nation’s very finest means of classical training. Program director Jesse Perez answered our Reaching Higher questionnaire to reveal all you need to know about what goes into the curriculum for graduate students, how to apply, and what makes an auditioning performer stand out from the pack.

(Acceptance, after all, is capped at just seven students annually.)

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to take artistic risks. We believe that a 21st-century classical acting program is one that is in concurrent conversation with innovative actors of all backgrounds, the cultural history of where we come from, and the future possibilities of the American theater.

Since I started the job of program director two years ago, we have been making strides in redefining “classical.” This is a place where we are and will [continue to] have transparent conversation, debate, and discourse about the classical and contemporary theater canon. Why Shakespeare? Why now? What is our American Shakespeare for the 21st century? This is the beginning of our journey, our laboratory, our experience, our investigation as artists to challenge, inspire, teach, and learn from each other about who we are, who

What advice do you have for the audition room? The advice I would love to give any artist auditioning for graduate programs is: Come in prepared to play and investigate the work right in front of us. I am greatly interested in artists who are on the verge of discovery and are engaging the full capacity of their imagination. What that means is taking risks with the material, full commitment, and the ability to be curious; [be transparent about] where you are in your process as an artist. I am interested in the artist standing in front of me.

The more the artists are themselves, the more I’m pulled in.

And this means artists of all backgrounds, cultures, gender identities, sexualities, classes, and abilities.

What are some of the main qualities you look for in your incoming class? Curiosity.

Playfulness. Empowerment.

Confidence. Vulnerability.

Irreverence. Highly imaginative.

Adventurous actors who are ready to grow and transform.

Someone who is fully present and flexible in a rehearsal hall.

Actors who are ready to participate in conversation and debate about our work and expanding our vision of the American theater, helping us lead the way to becoming a more inclusive training program. Actors who want to build ensembles and support their communities.

Actors ready to wrestle with Shakespeare and find themselves in heightened text.

Actors who want to be leaders in the profession.

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DAREN SCOTT

What makes your graduate program different from other top-performing arts programs in the country? Walk us through it: What are its guiding tenets, and what’s it all about?

The Old Globe and University of San Diego Shiley Graduate

Theatre program is a joint venture of the Old Globe and the University of San Diego. The master of fine arts in acting program recruits seven students each year to participate in an intensive two-year, yearround course of graduate study in classical and contemporary theater. The master of fine arts program utilizes, as primary training tools, the professional performance opportunities at the Old Globe and studio productions at the University of San Diego. Students have performance assignments continuously throughout the program, and their work is carefully mentored by voice and speech, movement, and acting faculty advisors. We strive to be a classical professional training program where all in our community can find a safe space, bring their complete selves, and find the freedom and support

we were, and where we will go.

We are also making EDI (equity, diversity, and inclusion) training a core value of our program and are learning how to practice anti-racist theater-making.

We are very interested in best practices moving forward.

ILLUSTRATION: MARGAUX QUAYLE CANNON; BALCONY 9: COURTESY BALCONY 9

Jesse Perez, University of San Diego program director

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Craft

College Audition Process Changes

THE ESSENTIALISTS

JOEL DAVID MOORE AND RISHI BAJAJ Balcony 9 founders

JOEL DAVID MOORE and RISHI BAJAJ come from diametrically opposed worlds—or so it would seem. Moore is a writer, director, and actor who’s starred in “Avatar,” among many other projects, and Bajaj hails from the business realm. But the two are using their combined backgrounds to build their production company, Balcony 9.

By Tom Morin

IN UNPRECEDENTED TIMES, great progress can be achieved.

And who better to find creative solutions to unimaginable challenges than theater artists?

This is exactly what has happened for the college audition process during the pandemic.

Acting and musical theater professors across the country have embraced the obstacles in this uncharted territory, and their ingenuity will have a positive impact on the process now and beyond. Here are some of the changes we’ve been seeing.

Greater focus on getting to know you BFA programs are dedicating the post-prescreening process to video conference interviews, as opposed to asking for students to present audition-style monologues and song material via Zoom. Similar to the addition of the direct-to-camera video personal statement and the wild-card video option in school applications, the natural evolution of the process and the nature of the pandemic have created new opportunities for many schools to get to know prospective students on a deeper level, beyond traditional audition material.

Although a virtual format may feel less personal, these new additions and changes will allow students and faculty the time to establish a more memorable personal connection.

A less taxing senior year The number of days high school students must take off to travel to auditions can take its toll on their mental health. Allowing students to audition from the comfort of their own homes creates a healthier balance. Of course,

DAREN SCOTT

ILLUSTRATION: MARGAUX QUAYLE CANNON; BALCONY 9: COURTESY BALCONY 9

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college auditions are a priority for BFA-track students during their senior year, but students are given the space to potentially fill the time that would have been spent traveling and missing school with opportunities to explore other creative outlets, make an impact within their communities, and pursue passions that allow them to become well-rounded artists.

Less emphasis on skilled audition technique It’s challenging to sit in an anxiety-filled waiting room with your potential competition.

The Zoom audition process is a much healthier way for students to ground themselves before the audition starts, as well as focus on their personal warmups and get into the right mental space to bring their authentic selves to the audition.

Students may feel more comfortable sharing their truth and being themselves during the Zoom audition process, which creates space for more natural representations of their personality and potential.

Greater accessibility equals greater access When you consider travel expenses, even when students attend National Unified Auditions, the cost of the physical audition process can add up quickly. Although students still need a form of technology to film prescreens and attend virtual auditions as well as reliable Wi-Fi during a predominantly virtual audition season, students may experience fewer financial limitations than they have in the past. In the search for the perfect match, the lower barrier of accessibility provides artistic programs as

Rely on existing relationships when finding your footing in a new field.

JOEL DAVID MOORE: “I spent 20 years building relationships in my industry. And so once I announced that we were starting this development fund, our first look came in just a couple

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months after that. We actually announced a project called “Little Princes,” which we’re setting up right now. It’s a beautiful story based on a bestselling novel about a very fallible American who goes over to Nepal and finds a group of trafficked children that got away, and he, one by one, starts to place them back with their families.”

Take inspiration from what’s worked in the past.

well as students the opportunity to meet each other in a more streamlined way. In previous years, there may have been a missed connection due to financial or scheduling constraints.

As the landscape and future

By Casey Mink

RISHI BAJAJ: “There are a lot of talented people in Hollywood.

There are a lot of really great artists and really savvy financial minds, and we’re trying to learn as much as we can from people that we know. And I’m trying to draw from experiences of looking at companies over 20 years and building my own firm...to build the best production and multimedia company that we can with Balcony 9.”

of our art form change, BFA programs are taking an important step in moving toward a much more equitable, fair, and kind college audition process.

Morin is an actor, acting coach, and Backstage Expert.

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05.13.21 BACKSTAGE

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Spotlighting the people and projects you need to know Career Dispatch

‘The Trick Is Not Minding’

The following Career Dispatch essay was written by Stella Baker, who stars on the CW’s “The Republic of Sarah,” premiering June 14. She graduated from the Yale School of Drama in 2018.

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#IGOTCAST. Karen Johal

By Jalen Michael Backstage has remained a useful tool for actor KAREN JOHAL to try new things and work through obstacles.

Be willing to adapt.

“Try to keep learning as much as possible!

With the industry really switching up into the virtual world, self-taping is becoming the new way forward for most things. It is a separate skill, and it will open up a huge amount of opportunity for you.”

The audition itself is an opportunity.

“I try to look at roles now that may challenge me. I recently auditioned for a role in a thriller film. I am super afraid of horror-thriller films, so the prep for the audition alone freaked me out. But I loved it!

I didn’t book that job, but I’m really glad I got to meet the filmmakers and push myself.”

Backstage is your portal to a new world.

“For this virtual audition, I entered the room via the Backstage app, which just makes things so much easier. I’ve done over a dozen auditions for other projects this way.”

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

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ILLUSTRATION: SPENCER ALEXANDER; JOHAL: COCO JOURDANA

IF YOU’VE SEEN “ALL THE President’s Men,” you might recall the following anecdote: G. Gordon Liddy, one of Nixon’s chief operatives in the Watergate scandal, had a little party trick (itself taken from the film “Lawrence of Arabia”) that involved holding his hand over an open flame for an extended period of time. When asked, “What’s the trick?” he would respond, “The trick is not minding.”

The first time I heard this was from a teacher at the Yale School of Drama, where I studied acting. They told this story one day during a particularly trying time in my second year

of training. For a while, I’d been feeling that my performances were not escaping my mind and translating to my body, my voice, or my audience. I wasn’t using my instrument to its greatest capacity. I needed to take more risks, be louder, and be bolder.

This sort of risk-taking freedom requires immense vulnerability, flexibility, humility, trust, and the courage to keep moving forward through mistakes. If you’re like me and have spent most of your life preoccupied with getting everything “right,” these are some of the most difficult things to obtain.

The pursuit of them is usually uncomfortable and sometimes painful. Hence the insight: “The trick is not minding.”

Since leaving school and starting my acting career, I’ve found myself repeating that sentence.

There is a sort of stubborn resilience to pain, rejection, fear,

and humiliation that is required in this industry. It grows in us in the audition room, in the months that pass between auditions, and in the years that pass between jobs. For some, it grows in the 10 years spent trying to get a film made or in the months of rehearsals for a play that closes early.

This resilience also grows on the job. Sometimes, the trick is not minding that, on two hours of sleep, you have to shoot six scenes. Sometimes, the trick is not minding that you just shot a day of scenes you aren’t very proud of. Sometimes, the trick is not minding that you just shot a scene you’re incredibly proud of.

The trick is not minding, so that you can keep moving forward.

While playing Sarah Cooper on “The Republic of Sarah,” I felt growth in this area. It was the first time I was leading a show and had that weight of professional responsibility.

But I also have felt my resilience grow while working on low-budget short films, or while listening to someone’s honest feedback on an early draft of a script. I have felt it grow every time I’ve read: “They are going in a different direction.”

We can learn this trick any time and anywhere. There is no period between jobs that doesn’t make us stronger in some way. There is no role in a cast, or job on a crew, that doesn’t require this fortitude.

Most importantly, there is no point at which choosing to not mind the discomfort can ever hold us back from being even more vulnerable. We know vulnerability is uncomfortable, but we still choose this path. Why? Because the feeling of overcoming the discomfort, and those moments of honest self-expression we get in exchange, are worth it.

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By Stella Baker

culture +

Spotlighting the people and projects you need to know

In the Room With

those kinds of showcases aren’t happening either right now.

Harriet Bass

The veteran CD of the New York stage and beyond regularly looks to college showcases to find burgeoning talent

By Elyse Roth

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RAQUEL APARICIO

HARRIET BASS IS A FIXTURE IN THE NEW YORK THEATER SCENE, with additional credits across regional theater, film, and television.

She keeps close tabs on students graduating from acting programs and has diligently attended showcases going all the way back to her first day in casting. It’s her job to find new talent; and when showcases went digital in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, she adapted to that, too.

Describe your experience with virtual college showcases this year and last. In my many years of casting, I went to all the showcases, because it’s my job to look for new talent. Before the pandemic, there were probably 30 showcases in a season.

Virtual showcases—I find that I don’t watch as many of them as I actually went to. I think, for introducing these new students to the theatrical crew—agents

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and casting directors—that the in-person showcase has to come back. I don’t get any interaction with the actor. In many of the showcases, the scene partners are not in the same room, so you don’t see how well people can relate to each other or what their stage presence is. There’s a lot missing. I think these kids who have spent four years training deserve that we get a bigger, better, and more

realistic impression of who they are.

Where else do you find fresh talent? During the pandemic, my only introduction to new actors has been virtual showcases. It’s not just schools; various groups like Actors Connection and Actors Launchpad used to invite me to meet their students and to conduct a workshop. Now, I’ve conducted online workshops, and I’m meeting people that way. I am still meeting people, but not nearly like I would if I was going to showcases. And I will go to showcase productions of people that I’m interested in, like Off-Off-Broadway. But

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What advice do you have for actors graduating into the industry right now? When theater returns, they’ve got to get themselves into some of these Off-Off-Broadway shows [and] get themselves into some of these networking group classes. But none of that is happening right now. The only avenue people have is the Zoom meetings, and my advice to these kids is to try to get in touch with all these networking companies that are all over New York and involve themselves in the virtual workshops. Then, do everything they can just to get a New York show, so we can see them. I’ve got to see their work.

Keep on auditioning for me.

Because I’m auditioning on tape now, I have opened my doors to many more people than I would in live auditions. I post what I’m casting on my website; I’m not secretive about it.

How can someone get into your virtual audition room?

If people want to audition for me now, a good, convincing email to me that says why they should be in on this audition will get them a taped audition.

When live auditions were happening, I couldn’t do that because I can only bring in 15 people per role for my directors. With virtual auditions, someone who may not be on my radar, I can give them a shot on tape. I absolutely will see people without agents. I only do union shows, and I will see people who are nonunion. I will see any good actors.

Want more?

Read the full interview at backstage.com/magazine

05.13.21 BACKSTAGE

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Relearning How to Teach

Almost a year after the largest protests over racial inequity in U.S. history swept the country, demands for systemic overhauls that deprioritize whiteness have extended to the educational system. We spoke to representatives from four schools with prestigious acting programs to find out how they’ve responded to calls from their student bodies to reconsider everything from the faculty to the curriculum to who gets admitted in the first place

By Diep Tran

The base of any acting training is the curriculum—and the professors who spoke for this story agreed that their current curricula are overly focused on the Western canon, particularly on white playwrights. It’s something that director Tamilla Woodard, who was just appointed as chair of the acting department at the Yale School of Drama, has been thinking about a lot.

“Part of the training that is offered in most of our top schools, to learn how to act on a graduate level, is about learning how to play an objective or intention,” she says.

“The characters that you’re often asked to occupy are [from] Ibsen, Strindberg, Mamet.

For some reason, we think that these identities are easy to occupy for everybody—that BACKSTAGE 05.13.21

Ralph Zito, chair of the Department of Drama, Syracuse University everybody can find their way into Nora [Helmer, of Henrik Ibsen’s ‘A Doll’s House’], no matter what their cultural background is, and so we center these characters or these kinds of stories as accessible to all people.

That is essentially white supremacy culture— [assuming] everybody can find their way into this. And that is simply not true.”

It’s early days for Woodard, but she’s been asking herself, “How do we provide a variety of entry points for folks when they’re learning the basics of how to occupy a role, or how to activate their imagination?”

Carolyn Jane Goelzer, an acting professor

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at Cornell University, says she completely overhauled the Introduction to Acting course she teaches. This was part of the university’s response to a letter published on Medium last year by actor and Cornell alumnus Chisom Awachie, who detailed the racist incidents she experienced while at the university.

Goelzer admits that, prior to the changes, the acting course was predominantly filled with the works of white male playwrights.

So for the 2020–21 academic year, students who took the Intro to Acting course studied plays by Lynn Nottage, Dominique Morisseau, Christopher Chen, and Martyna backstage.com

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How Universities Are Changing Their Curricula

There are a number of ways in which academic systems are structured to support systemic racism and white supremacy—that’s a given.

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“A WHITE PROFESSOR SAID THE N-WORD to a group of white students, and no one said a word; no one reported it.” “I was told [that] I passed the paper bag test and that [it] was a good thing.” These are some of the experiences former students of Syracuse University’s Department of Drama had with faculty while they were studying there. They were included in a letter from students and alumni of the program that was sent to the department last summer, as the theater industry and the nation at large were grappling with how to address systemic racism.

The letter had 490 signatures.

In it, the students described feeling traumatized by the program. They also included a number of demands, among them “an anti-racist curriculum and syllabus review system” and “a wider selection of scenes written by BIPOC playwrights.”

And SU is not alone. Around the country, universities are examining the ways their own programs have upheld white supremacy, either through the plays and playwrights they choose to teach in class, or by sidelining or stereotyping BIPOC students. At Cornell, one student wrote about “yellowface and appropriation of Nigerian (Igbo) culture in a production of [Eric Overmyer’s] ‘On the Verge’ and casting the only students of color in the show as savages.”

From creating new curriculums to letting students choose departmental productions, acting and drama departments around the country are trying to better serve the needs of an increasingly diverse student body.

“There are a number of ways in which academic systems are structured to support systemic racism and white supremacy—that’s a given,” says Ralph Zito, chair of the drama department at Syracuse. Zito is on research leave until 2022, but he’s leading the restructuring of the drama department to best meet the students’ demands.

Some of these changes are more longterm, but, says Zito, “It has been our hope to institute as many immediate changes as we possibly [can], from the time we received the call to action.”

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Majok—a syllabus predominantly made up of playwrights of color.

“We wanted to be sure that our students, who are from more and more diverse populations, were given a chance to read plays that might have more personal and cultural resonance for them, even in this very limited roster of plays that we were covering,” says Goelzer.

Cornell also expanded the acting pedagogies that it was teaching students, incorporating Sharrell D. Luckett and Tia M. Shaffer’s “Black Acting Methods” into the curriculum.

As Goelzer notes, “I like the discussion that they have with those of us who are teaching acting that help us understand the biases that have really influenced our teachings and really invite us to look at other ways of making work.”

How Universities Are Expanding Their Faculties

Another criticism of the current academic backstage.com

landscape is the lack of diversity among faculty, which leads to more instances of microaggressions or overtly derogatory comments to students. Last year, alumni of Rutgers University’s Mason Gross School of Acting sent a letter to the school’s faculty pointing out that there was only one Black instructor in the program, in contrast to 22 white instructors. The students also said they were assigned scenes by white playwrights 95% of the time, and white playwrights were produced 93% of the time.

In response, Mason Gross hired a new head of acting, Cameron Knight. According to Barbara Marchant, the outgoing head, the school now has a faculty committee on equity, diversity, and inclusion. “This committee has requested that every faculty member perform a comprehensive review of syllabi for every class they have taught over the past two years to work toward ensuring that these courses are representative and affirmative of our students’ multifaceted identities,” she wrote in an email to Backstage.

Similarly, Cornell’s Performing and Media Arts department faculty is all white, so in the current school year, there has been a series of diversity trainings and conversations with the faculty. Students have also been encouraged to provide feedback.

Says Goelzer, “We had a whole series of events last fall where we brought in professional facilitators to help us address racism

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in our departments. Those were some very hard conversations. We’re beginning to open up those conversations. It’s not easy work.”

At Syracuse University, one of the demands students had was for a more diverse faculty in the Department of Drama, asking that it be comprised of at least 50% BIPOC members by 2025.

Zito says that’s a tough order, because many of the current faculty in the department are tenured. But the department is conducting four searches for full-time faculty and is focusing on making sure the candidate pool is diverse. In the short term, the drama department has made sure that a majority of the guest artists hired in the 2021–22 academic school year are BIPOC artists. For instance, they brought in a Black instructor and an Asian American instructor to teach the acting students dialect work.

The present faculty also took a “decolonizing your syllabus” workshop at the beginning of the school year, and there’s a faculty mandate to use “inclusive course materials.”

But there’s still work to do, Zito says. “How might I, as a white faculty member teaching a scene study class, effectively guide students of color through a scene written by a playwright of color?” he wondered. “I think we have learning to do in actor training about that.”

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How Universities Are Empowering Their Acting Students

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Carolyn Jane Goelzer, acting professor at Cornell University

students were cast in fewer productions than white students. Goelzer says that, previously, the Cornell production season was chosen by the faculty and overseen by guest directors.

For the 2020–21 academic year, the department created a performance and events committee composed mostly of students, who helped choose the programming for the year. This led to a variety of work, from a student film about the COVID-19 pandemic to a production of “Pipeline” by Morisseau. There was also a reading of a play by Cornell senior Gloria Oladipo about campus sexual assault and racism.

Cornell also did away with auditions, instead having students submit proposals for what they want to make. “There’s more and more work being done by students, that’s

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student-driven,” says Goelzer. “This is also something that the students wanted.”

Similarly, Mason Gross has created a Student Play Committee. As Marchant explains, “This committee provides the opportunity for students representing all programs in the major to nominate student representatives to participate, alongside faculty members, in curating the Rutgers Theater Company season, ensuring that the process is collective, collaborative, and informed by the interests and backgrounds of our student body.” Mason Gross has also created a BIPOC Student Union (its acting students this year are 50% BIPOC). The union recently led an anti-racism training session for the students, and that material will be adapted into a training session for faculty. backstage.com

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It’s not just curriculum changes that students have been asking for. In the Syracuse University student letter, there were demands to abolish the phrase “colorblind casting” from department communications, and that “all graduating senior performance majors are given the opportunity to participate and have a voice in the creation, rehearsal process, and production of Showcase.” The university has met both of those demands. This year, the Showcase featured the entire graduating class.

The programs featured in this story have also incorporated student input into their selection process for productions. According to Awachie’s Medium post, at Cornell, BIPOC

We’re less text-based in our acting practice in the classroom than we were before. We’re working a lot more with imaginative speculation, with bringing one’s own personal perspective and experience into creating story, and different ways of thinking about how structures affect story.

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Syracuse drama department also wants to create a more varied array of courses, including introducing a Black scene study class in the 2021–22 academic year. New courses can be created as elective offerings, although this approach is flawed in that it suggests that ethnically specific coursework is not essential.

Zito wants to incorporate more diverse courses into the core departmental curriculum that students would be required to take in order to graduate. But that takes approval from the university. As he notes, “The academic system, as it’s set up, can be slow-moving.”

That’s also the case for complaints students have made about problematic professors. The current university structure does not allow for the firing of faculty who consistently commit racist microaggressions, and any major offense has to be reported to and handled by the university.

Zito admits that the department doesn’t have an answer for how to address those issues, but he says that one of his priorities is making sure that students who come to him with complaints feel heard.

“We’re just at the beginning at the department level of trying to figure out what we can do to get those systems to be more responsive in a way that resonates for the students’ lived experience,” he says. “Theater departments can be kind of closed loops— they can be tight-knit families that are either functional or dysfunctional, depending on which way the wind blows.”

Meanwhile, what Goelzer has been trying to do in her own classroom is to make sure that conversations around equity and diversity are integrated into the learning process, so that students are aware that they can come to her if they have issues.

“We make time in our own classroom to talk as directly as possible about the issues around inclusion and equity,” she says. “We try to hear from the students about what their struggles are, what their obstacles are, what you know, what is going on. How can we identify things that are problematic and make changes to create a better environment of belonging in the classroom and in all of the work that we do?”

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The characters that you’re often asked to occupy [on a graduate level are from] Ibsen, Strindberg, Mamet. For some reason, we think that these identities are easy to occupy for everybody—that everybody can find their way into Nora [Helmer, of Henrik Ibsen’s ‘A Doll’s House’], no matter what their cultural background is.... That is essentially white supremacy culture.

Tamilla Woodard, chair of the Acting Department, Yale School of Drama backstage.com

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Programs have also started inviting students to bring more of their own personal experience into the classroom, so students can learn how different backgrounds affect the act of storytelling.

“We’re less text-based in our acting practice in the classroom than we were before,” says Goelzer. “We’re working a lot more with imaginative speculation, with bringing one’s own personal perspective and experience into creating story, and different ways of thinking about how structures affect story in that way.

There’s a lot more autonomy on the part of students to author their own work experiences and to provide a unique perspective.”

For her part, Woodard sees this personal approach as the future of actor training, at least at Yale. “I’m curious what it means for us to think really carefully about who was invited in to study at this school and servicing their needs explicitly,” she says. “What does it mean for me to really, really teach the student in front of me, not to teach the Yale way? How do we respond to that very particular need of that artist?”

She, along with the other professors who spoke for this story, emphasized the need to train actors to not simply be empty vessels for someone else’s artistic vision, but to become active storytellers. For instance, during this academic year, when in-person productions weren’t possible, the program proved that it could pivot quickly and still provide students with a robust educational experience. The acting students, who could not as easily work across different departments on their productions, have started making their own work.

“In this last pandemic year, the actors became storytellers, the actors picked up digital devices, and they began to be the purveyors of their own story,” says Woodard. “Outside of the playwrights, outside of the directors, they became each other’s eyes, and saw that they were good at it.” She then adds, happily, “That’s what we want. I want Taylor Macs, Daniel Alexander Joneses,” referring to artists who are both actors and writers. “That’s what you want to send out into the world.”

For his part, Zito has been grateful for the learning experience of the past year, and for what will be discovered as these conversations continue. For other acting schools looking to make a change, he advises reaching out to their alumni networks, who can give the most clear-eyed view about what is missing and what needs to be done.

“Early career alumni, particularly early career alumni of color, are an untapped resource for training programs,” he says.

“They are close enough to their student experience to have a lived experience of what it is to be a student, but they are freed from the faculty-student power dynamic. This gives them a unique agency.” Speaking for himself, Zito adds, “I acknowledge the emotional labor of the work and the value of that perspective. And I’m grateful for it.”

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Lessons From Lockdown Three instructors on how COVID-19 has transformed arts education—permanently

André Garner, assistant

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professor of acting at Ball State University Department of Theatre and Dance Since so much training is happening over Zoom, have you shifted your teaching to focus on a more filmic style of acting?

When it comes to showcases, there has been a definite change, especially since I am on the New York showcase, which is generally done live. But it was taped—all self-taped. To tell you the truth, I think it’s going to be really beneficial to the students, because I think the industry was already starting to steer toward

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more self-tapings anyway. And, look, they know more about it than I do now! They are so much better equipped to go into the industry than they probably were three, four years ago, because they’ve done so much of it in the last year. They’ve also done it under the guidance of professionals, and I think that will really, really give them a leg up.

What have in-person classes looked like after factoring in COVID-19 safety precautions?

Right before the pandemic hit, there were fears about intimacy and violence and how we’re going to structure that so that

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WITH PERFORMANCE VENUES AND THEATERS STARTING to reopen across the country and around the world, the entertainment industry is beginning to settle into a new sense of normalcy after more than a year of pause. Of course, the long-lasting effects of the pandemic—virtual performances, discussions around the safety of performers and audiences, and renewed calls for meaningful equity—will take years to unpack.

Nowhere is this more evident than in the academic world, where students and faculty alike have had to adjust not only to ever-changing guidelines for educational settings, but also to a brand-new way of looking at live performance and what it means to be a working artist today.

So what is the state of performance education, after so much uncertainty and change? Here, professors from institutions across the country share their perspectives on the challenges and adjustments they’ve had to make in their classrooms and beyond. Though there have been hardships, a common thread has emerged: one of innovation, dedication, resilience, and even some optimism.

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everybody feels safe. Now, it’s a matter of trying to have some sort of intimacy when you’re six feet apart from the person. When we’re teaching now, instead of really having that feeling of connection with someone physically, it’s like, How are you working with that emotionally?

It’s almost trying to turn it on its ear from the way we’ve always approached it. It’s interesting, but I can tell the students are so frustrated by it. How do you have this romantic moment with someone, and what do you do?

Extend your arm? After a while we’re doing, like, silent movies from the 1920s.

What advice would you offer students looking to get into the performing arts in college, and also those who are leaving to enter the industry?

Have a strong understanding of who you are, and that will evolve as you continue to live and experience and love and hurt, and everything else that comes with it. When you have that understanding of how you fit, it’s like getting away from the idea of type and just [thinking] more about essence. What is your essence? I think that will serve you well if you’re going from high school to college, as well as going from college into the industry.

That way, you’re not relying on other people—because, let’s face it, so many of us are insecure and fearful. But when you have that stronger sense of who you are and what you offer, nobody else can take that away from you. It’s yours.

Jesse Jou, associate director + assistant professor of directing at Texas Tech School of Theatre and Dance

impacted them was [that] we had several students who were deeply involved in rehearsals when the news came down. It was a little bit harder to say, “It’s time to shut your productions down.” That was a big disappointment for a lot of students. But they understood why; it was a question of their safety first and foremost.

How did you approach your directing students who had to direct their acting peers in this new environment?

It became about having that conversation with students, saying, “Hey, you’re gonna direct this scene, but you’re going to direct it over Zoom,” which made them think about other things. They had to think about cinematography, camera placement, and all these kinds of things that are not traditionally thought of in a directing class.

Also, there was the initial sort of uncertainty. Most of them had had no experience of doing anything like this, so they weren’t even sure what it was like. I directed a show in the fall over Zoom, and that was one of the first things we experienced with actors who were just like, “I don’t know that I like working this way.” But what’s interesting—and again, it sort of speaks to the resilience of our students—is that the more they sort of did it, the more they sort of said, “Oh, OK!” Because creative people will be creative, and it’s like, OK, this is the limitation. Then, what can we do with it?

What advice would you give someone thinking about pursuing an education in performance today?

If I were approached by a high

school senior, I would say: Get as much information as you can, and make the decision that’s right for you. Some people have opted to wait and take a gap year and see what will happen. Others have said [they] need the structure of an educational setting. And I respect that as well. I think that it’s important, first and foremost, to just get as much information as you can, especially if you’re looking at programs. Make a very specific point of talking to current students, because no matter what the faculty might tell you, the students will give you a much clearer perspective of what it’s like to actually be in the middle of what is happening.

Christine AlbrightTufts,

assistant professor of acting at Syracuse University College of Visual and Performing Arts How has the hybrid format— some students in the classroom, others online—worked for performance classes?

We have one student in my class this semester who is in California, and he and his partner are doing this amazing version of a scene from “Angels in America”—there’s a scene that is a simultaneous hallucination and dream—and she’s in-person.

We’ve set it up so he’s on a giant TV screen, and they’ve whipped the TV screen so it’s close to a mirror. So, as an audience—the people who are in the space— we’re looking in the mirror, we’re looking at her; we’re looking at

What was it like in class the first few months after the pandemic hit?

I was lucky because I had done some online teaching prior to this, and so I had some sense of what was possible and not possible. I found that I preferred synchronous education, so I was just like, “I’m going to move my classes online; I’ll meet them over Zoom.” And that’s what we did.

We tried to make that work as best as we could. Where it really

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the screen. And then the folks who are watching from home are getting all of that as well. It’s kind of [turning into] an extraordinary experiment. I’m so proud of the work they’re doing.

You’re directing a play this semester. What has that experience been like?

I am co-directing “Love and Information” by Caryl Churchill— an entirely Zoom version of this play. We have a cast of 24 actors.

It’s a series of short scenes that can be performed in any order; there are no character delineations; there are only lines of text. And as a cast, you have to figure out how many people are in this scene, which person is speaking which line. We’ve had to create scenarios and characters, and take [the actors’] homes and make as many different sets as we can. We are also working with as many modes of communication as we possibly can. To steal a line from my co-director Katie McGeer: The play feels like the bright screen that you’re scrolling through during this dark time.

And to have that be online is really cool and exciting.

What do you think are some of the long-lasting effects this pandemic will have on the theater industry?

I am seeing accessibility to the art increase. For example, my husband is doing [Lisa Peterson and Denis O’Hare’s “An Iliad” at Ensemble Theatre Company in Santa Barbara]. He is performing live to an empty theater. There are five cameras and one actor in that space, and a household can buy a link to see that play for $30. And his mom, who just had a heart attack and cannot travel to California, can watch her son do a show from Georgia. Families that cannot afford childcare can gather together for the price of one ticket and watch a show.

I think that, as far as access is concerned, if theater does not grab hold of this opportunity and work with our unions and figure out a way to make sure that we are sending theater into homes, we are missing a huge, amazing opportunity to invite audiences into a theater, but in a new way.

05.13.21 BACKSTAGE

Studying Up

Steven Yeun

Where nine of our favorite actors schooled themselves in the craft

By Jenna Scherer

Riz Ahmed

Actor, rapper, and musician Ahmed has always been a multihyphenate—and his education bears that out. The “Sound of Metal” Oscar nominee attended Christ Church, Oxford University, where he studied philosophy, politics, and economics before moving on to pursue acting at the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama.

Gillian Anderson

Before her big breakout on “The X-Files,” Anderson spent

Angela Bassett

her youth between London and Michigan. She returned to her native Chicago to get her BFA in acting at the Theatre School at DePaul University in 1990. Three years later, Anderson landed the role of Agent Dana Scully, which would eventually earn her an Emmy and a Golden Globe.

Bassett has always been a go-getter, as evidenced by her double education at Yale University. She attended the Ivy for undergrad, majoring in African American studies, and then was weighing whether to study molecular physics and biochemistry or acting in grad school. Fans of her work (read: basically everyone) can thank all the stars that she chose the second route, leading her to the Yale School of Drama.

Sacha Baron Cohen

Kingsley Ben-Adir

Known for fearlessly diving into the cesspool of American politics in his “Borat” films, Baron Cohen got into talking politics early.

He studied history at Christ’s

Sacha Baron Cohen

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College, Cambridge University, and wrote his thesis on the U.S. civil rights movement. It’s also where he first took an interest in acting as a member of the Cambridge University Amateur Dramatic Club.

Ben-Adir was bitten by the acting bug early on, so it was a no-brainer for him to apply to the Guildhall School of Music & Drama. The “One Night in Miami”

SACHA BARON COHEN: CARLOTTA MOYE; EUGENE LEVY: DEBORAH DIVINE; STEVEN YEUN: GARI ASKEW II; ANGELA BASSETT: GARI ASKEW II

IT’S A QUESTION NEARLY EVERY YOUNG ACTOR HAS ASKED themself: Where should I go to school to pursue my craft? Some know early on exactly what they want to do, and they study acting or drama in undergrad or grad school; others come to acting a little later, after they’ve already started on a different path and decided to change tack. Others, still, choose to drop out of college when their careers come knocking. And then there are those who eschew formal schooling altogether.

If you’re trying to decide where to start, a good jumping-off point is to find out how your favorite performers made their own educational journeys. With that in mind, here’s a crash course on where some of the big names who have graced the pages of Backstage studied their craft (or didn’t!).

Eugene Levy

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backstage.com

breakout studied there for three years, and he told Backstage that he still lives by a piece of advice that his Guildhall voice coach, Patsy Rodenburg, gave him right before he graduated: Use the first five years of your career to learn, and your work will really start taking off after that.

Jessica Chastain

We’d be remiss not to include a Juilliard School alum in this list, and one of its most famous graduates is certainly Oscar and BAFTA Award nominee Chastain.

An actor from a young age, Chastain began her conservatory education at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts.

From there, she was accepted to Juilliard, where her education was funded by a scholarship in

the name of none other than Robin Williams.

Eugene Levy

Comedy legend Levy was never much for school. The “Schitt’s Creek” Emmy winner attended Ontario’s McMaster University, frequently cutting class to devote his time to the school’s drama club and film board, and dropped out in his second year. But his short time studying there led him to meet collaborators that he’d work with throughout his career, including Martin Short and filmmaker Ivan Reitman.

Steven Yeun

Yeun was majoring in psychology at Michigan’s Kalamazoo College when he stumbled upon improv comedy. After graduating with a bachelor’s degree, the “Minari”

Oscar nominee followed fellow Kalamazoo alum Jordan Klepper to Chicago, where the two became members of the famed Second City. Five years later, he booked his breakout acting role on “The Walking Dead.”

Ramy Youssef

“Ramy” writer-star Youssef was interested in comedy, acting, and writing from an early age, but he told Backstage that he initially thought of it as a hobby.

So he double majored in political science and economics at Rutgers University while improvising at the PIT and the Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre on the side.

Eventually, he dropped out of Rutgers to study in a two-year program at the William Esper Studio in New York City.

Angela Bassett

backstage.com

25

05.13.21 BACKSTAGE

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

Submit a Notice |

New York Tristate Plays ‘Having Their Say’

• Seeking video submissions from Equity

actors for “Having Their Say.”

• Company: Ivoryton Playhouse

Foundation, Inc. Staff: Jacqueline Hubbard, artistic dir.; Todd Underwood, dir.

• Rehearsals begin July 27; runs Aug.

11-Sept. 5 (Weds. & Sun. 2 p.m.; Weds.Thurs. 7:30 p.m. and Fri.-Sat. 8 p.m.).

Rehearsals will take place at the Centerbrook Meeting House, 59 Main Street, Centerbrook, CT 06409 - indoors – a large studio ( 33’ x 52’) for the first week and on stage at the theatre for the second week- Ivoryton Playhouse, 103 Main St., Ivoryton, CT 06442.

• Seeking—Miss Sadie Delany: female,

18+, Black / African Descent, 103 year old African-American woman, a retired high school teacher. She has a sweet disposition but gets her point across clearly. Dr. Bessie Delany: female, 18+, Black / African Descent, 101 year old African-American woman, a retired dentist. She has a bite to her personality and is more outspoken.

• Seeking submissions from CT. • Send submissions to casting@ivoryton-

playhouse.org.

• For consideration, prepare each side

(available at www.ivorytonplayhouse.org/ submissions-requested-having-our-say) and send files as an attachment or a link to a sharing platform with headshot and resume to casting@ivorytonplayhouse. org. Submissions deadline is May 17.

• Equity’s contracts prohibit discrimina-

tion. Equity is committed to diversity and encourages all its employers to engage in a policy of equal employment opportunity designed to promote a positive model of inclusion. As such, Equity encourages performers of all ethnicities, gender identities, and ages, as well as performers with disabilities, to submit.

• Pays $1,000/wk. Equity SPT Contract.

VISIT BACKSTAGE.COM/CASTING for full character breakdowns, script sides, and more casting notices

BACKSTAGE 05.13.21

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.

‘The Bedwetter’

Casting picks of the week

• Seeking video submissions from Equity

actors for roles in “The Bedwetter.”

• Company: Atlantic Theater Company.

Staff: Neil Pepe, artistic dir.; Joshua Harmon and Sarah Silverman, book; Adam Schlesinger and Sarah Silverman, lyrics; Adam Schlesinger, music; Anne Kauffman, dir.; Rachel Hoffman (The Telsey Office), casting.

BY LISA HAMIL

stage

‘Bedwetter’ Stay dry in this Sarah Silverman Equity production in NYC

• Reading will be held Oct. 12-29 in NYC. • Seeking—Sarah: female, 10, all ethnici-

ties. Amy: female, 10, all ethnicities.

Ally: 10, all ethnicities. Abby: female, 10, all ethnicities. Laura: female, 13, all ethnicities. Donald (Offer Out): male, 40-49. Beth Ann (Offer Out): female, 40-49, all ethnicities. Nana (Offer Out): female, 70+, all ethnicities. Mrs. Dembo (Offer Out): female, 40-49, all ethnicities. Dr. Grimm (Offer Out): 40-49, all ethnicities. Dr. Riley (Offer Out): male, 40-69, all ethnicities. Miss New Hampshire: female, 20-29, all ethnicities.

musical

‘Ain’t Too Proud’ Discover The Temptations in this Equity National Tour

film

’The Melody Green Series’ Solve murders in Louisville, KY

• Seeking submissions from NY. • Prepare a brief contemporary musical

chorus calls

theatre song or pop song showing range. Provide your own accompaniment. If you do not have access to accompaniment, you may sing your song of choice a cappella. If you are not able to sing a song of your choosing, feel free to prepare the provided song, sheet music and MP3s at the following link: https://tinyurl.com/bwopencall.

’42 Street’ Come and meet those dancing feet in Auburn, NY

student film

‘North Country’ Travel to Orange, CA in this 1960’s tone-poem

• If you are using an iPhone to video

record, be sure to film horizontally and in a well-lit space (not backlit). At the top of the video, slate your name, age, and height. Send the video, along with your photo/resume attached, in a downloadable format (Google Drive, Dropbox, etc.

– not YouTube) to the following email address: BedwetterCasting@gmail. com. In the subject line, please type: [Your full name] - [The role for which you’d like to be considered].

Submissions deadline is May 13.

• Note: Stage manager positions are

filled for this reading.

• Equity’s contracts prohibit discrimina-

tion. Equity is committed to diversity and encourages all its employers to engage in a policy of equal employment opportunity designed to promote a positive model of inclusion. As such, Equity encourages performers of all ethnicities, gender identities, and ages, as well as performers with disabilities, to submit.

• Pays $550/wk. Equity Off-Broadway

Level Two Staged Reading.

‘What to Send Up When It Goes Down’

• Seeking video submissions from Equity

actors for roles in “What to Send Up When It Goes Down,” a play-pageantritual-homegoing celebration meant to disrupt, honor, and reclaim. Production states: “An attempt to honor those lost to racist violence in America, the piece uses language, song, and movement as a means of reflecting in order to cleanse and uplift. The goal is cleansing/catharsis through the exercise of viewing and participating in the piece, while also making space for collective emotions following tragedy.”

• Company: Playwrights Horizons Inc.

Staff: Aleshea Harris, writer; Whitney White, dir.; Alaine Alldaffer, casting dir.; Lisa Donadio, assoc. casting dir.

• Rehearsals begin May 24; tech runs

June 8-10; dress rehearsal will be held June 13; runs June 14-July 8 (Mon.-Thurs.

26

at 8 p.m.) at a venue within the Brooklyn Botanic Garden. Playwright Horizons performances will run fall 2021 at Playwrights Horizons.

• Seeking—Equity Actors: 18+.

• Seeking submissions from NY. • For consideration, submit a short

monologue, a cappella song or poem with physical movement incorporated that supports the spoken text. A personal introduction would be appreciated but not required. Total video not to exceed 5 minutes. Submit tapes to PHCastingSubmissions@phnyc.org in Vimeo or unlisted YouTube along with headshot and resume preferably PDF. Submissions deadline is May 14. Note: All singing in the show is unaccompanied.

• Equity’s contracts prohibit discrimina-

tion. Equity is committed to diversity and encourages all its employers to engage in a policy of equal employment opportunity designed to promote a positive model of inclusion. As such, Equity encourages performers of all ethnicities, gender identities, and ages, as well as performers with disabilities, to submit.

• Pays $656/wk. Equity Off Broadway

Category AA Contract.

Musicals ‘Ain’t Too Proud,’ Tour

• Seeking video submissions from Equity

actors for principal roles in “Ain’t Too Proud.”

• Company: Get Ready Tour, LLC. Staff:

Ira Pittelman & Tom Hulce, prod.; Stephen Gabriel, exec. prod.; Kevin Greene (Work Light Prods.), general mgr.; Courtney King (Work Light Prods), assoc. general mgr.; Des McAnuff, dir.; Brian Harlan Brooks, resident dir.; Dominique Morisseau, book; Sergio Trujillo, choreo.; Edgar Godineaux, assoc. choreo.; Kenny Seymour, Broadway music dir.-supervisor; Jonathan Smith, tour music dir.; Tara Rubin Casting (viewing auds Merri Sugarman &/or Kevin Metzger-Timson), casting.

• Rehearsals begin Oct. 8; tour begins

Dec. 7.

• Seeking—Otis Williams: male, 30-49,

Black / African Descent. David Ruffin: male, 20-39, Black / African Descent.

Melvin Franklin: male, 20-39, Black / African Descent. Eddie Kendricks: male, 20-39, Black / African Descent. backstage.com

New York Tristate casting

Paul Williams: male, 20-39, Black / African Descent.

• Seeking submissions from NJ. • Our goal is to maintain a health-safe

auditioning environment for all in attendance at any casting session. We will continue to adjust our standard procedures as needed, in order to maximize a health-safe audition environment, while not interrupting or taking away from the creative process. A Note regarding self-tape quality: Film your audition in front of a clean background, with no backlighting. As much as possible, limit ambient noise including air conditioners and other electronics. We recommend you do not use Bluetooth headphones, as it can sometimes cause a delay in the audio. Use a secondary audio source to play the accompaniment music so that it is audible in the tape.

• For consideration, prepare one of the

songs included at: tinyurl.com/ ATPPrincipals or a brief Motown song of your own. Include a full-body slate at the beginning of your video, and only submit an unlisted YouTube (not private) or Vimeo link. For principal roles, submit your audition video, headshot, and resume via forms. gle/5oXeetZDqKBrDMau8. Submissions deadline is May 14.

• All auditions leading up to callbacks will

be conducted through video. Our goal is to offer both in-person and video callback opportunities for singers and dancers. If we are unable to offer inperson callbacks we will continue to conduct the audition process via video.

• Should in-person auditions be offered,

all candidates must be fully vaccinated prior to their audition date (ie, 14 days after receiving their 2nd dose). Videos submitted after the May 14 deadline will not be viewed.

• Equity’s contracts prohibit discrimina-

tion. Equity is committed to diversity and encourages all its employers to engage in a policy of equal employment opportunity designed to promote a positive model of inclusion. As such, Equity encourages performers of all ethnicities, gender identities, and ages, as well as performers with disabilities, to submit.

• Short Engagement Touring Pays $1072/

wk. min. plus overage participation.

Equity Short Engagement Touring Category 1 Agreement.

‘Moms: The Musical,’ New York City Workshop

• Seeking Non-Union musical theater

actors for a New York City workshop of Surette & Hall’s Moms: The Musical™.

• Company: Surette & Hall Musicals.

Staff: Surette & Hall, Musical Theater creative team.

• Virtual coaching will be scheduled until

June 26; In-person rehearsals June 26-27 (10 a.m.-6 p.m.), July 10-11 (10 a.m.-6 p.m.), July 17-18 (10 a.m.-6 p.m.), and July 24 (10 a.m.-5 p.m. with a 2:00 matinee workshop performance) at will take place at Ripley Grier Studio, 939 8th Ave, in NYC. • Seeking—Justine: female, 27-40, all

ethnicities, leading role; a career mom; strong mix/belter; $500 stipend. Mia: 25-40, all ethnicities, leading role; a backstage.com

bubbly stay-at-home Mom; soprano/ mix/belter; $500 stipend. Doreen/Joan: female, 50-70, all ethnicities, supporting role; mix/belter. Justine’s mother-inlaw/also plays Justine’s mother; $250 stipend. Renatta: female, 27-40, Black / African Descent, supporting role; part of a “mom’s group chat,”; preferably African-American; mezzo-soprano-belter; $175 stipend. Jade: female, 27-40, Asian, Black / African Descent, Ethnically Ambiguous / Multiracial, Indigenous Peoples, Latino / Hispanic, Middle Eastern, South Asian / Indian, Southeast Asian / Pacific Islander, supporting role; part of a “mom’s group chat,”; preferably Asian or BIPOC; altobelter; comedic timing a plus; $175 stipend. Mark: 27-40, all ethnicities, supporting role - non-singing; Justine’s husband; $100 stipend; to submit for this role, send a video of a contemporary monologue. Scott: 27-40, all ethnicities, supporting role - non-singing; Mia’s husband; $100 stipend; to submit for this role, send a video of a contemporary monologue.

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

• For female roles, submit a headshot/

resume and a video of you singing a full-length musical theater song in the style of the show that shows off your mix/belt and acting abilities to suretteandhall@gmail.com. Submissions deadline is May 17.

• The demo recording is available at

www.suretteandhall.com/moms-themusical. All shapes/sizes/and ethnicities are encouraged to audition.

Women over the age of 25 are strongly encouraged to audition. For male roles, submit a headshot/resume and a video of you performing a contemporary monologue. All shapes/sizes/and ethnicities encouraged to audition.

Callbacks will be held at Ripley Grier Studio at 939 8th Ave. on May 29th from 10 a.m.- 6 p.m. by appointment only.

• Stipend provided. Details in roles.

Chorus Calls ‘42nd Street,’ Dancers

• Seeking video submissions from Equity

actors for chorus dancer parts in “42nd Street.” The REV Theatre Company located in Auburn, NY, proudly announces the grand reopening of its historic flagship venue, The Merry Go Round Playhouse, with its 2021 season themed “Reunion, Recovery, Resilience.”.

• Company: The Rev Theatre Company.

Staff: Brett Smock, prod. artistic dir.dir.-choreo.; Jeff Theiss, musical dir.; Michael Stewart and Mark Bramble, book; Al Dubin, lyrics; Harry Warren, music.

• Tentative arrival date for testing is June

14 (TBD); rehearsals begin June 17; runs June 30-July 28. Note: The REV Theatre Company will promote a fully vaccinated workplace for the entirety of its 2021 season. All employees will be required to show proof of vaccination and will undergo bi-weekly testing.

27

05.13.21 BACKSTAGE

• Seeking—Equity Dancers: 18+.

• Seeking submissions from NY. • For audition materials and submission

instructions visit https://therevtheatre. com/42- auditions/. Prepare the tap combination provided.

• The REV will welcome audiences with

three musicals that celebrate the power and determination of the human spirit: the song and dance spectacular, “42nd Street” (Rehearsals begin June 17; runs June 30-July 28), the iconic rock ‘n roll electricity of “Footloose” (Rehearsals begin July 22; runs Aug. 4-Sept. 1), and the heartwarming and nostalgic musical tribute to an American legend, “Almost Heaven, The Songs of John Denver” (Rehearsals begin Aug. 26; runs Sept. 8-29).

• The REV is excited to offer employ-

ment opportunities in an effort to get theatre people working again! To that end, The REV Theatre Company is proud to affirm and accelerate its commitment to equality, diversity and inclusivity, ensuring that our workforce, stages and boardroom reflect our dedication to social and racial equality. As a united staff and board, we promise to promote an environment that is truly equitable as an ongoing and intentional process of self-examination, accountability and action. Black lives matter. The REV Theatre Company actively encourages and practices non-traditional casting to expand opportunities for all ethnicities, women, senior performers and performers with disabilities.

• The REV is fiercely committed to the

health and safety of its employees and audiences. The REV has employed over 100 artists to date without a single case of infection or transmission. This year, The REV will promote a fully vaccinated workplace and a rigorous but fully streamlined bi-weekly testing process for all employees. Proof of vaccination will be required. The REV employs a comprehensive health and safety plan to support and inform all of its procedures and protocols within the climate of the pandemic, reviewed and vetted by Cayuga County Department of Health, NY Department of Labor, Equity, USA, AFM and SDC. The REV has made significant investments to its HVAC systems in the Playhouse and will not only employ duct purification systems and UVC fans to filter and deliver purified air into the venue but will also open panels along the sides of the Playhouse in an effort to temporarily enjoy the Playhouse’s original form as an outdoor venue for the 2021 season. All NYS rules and regulations will be strictly followed. For more info visit www.therevtheatre.com.

• Pays $669/wk. plus health and pension.

Equity LOA ref. COST Contract.

‘Ain’t Too Proud,’ Tour

• Seeking video submissions from Equity

singers and dancers for chorus roles in “Ain’t Too Proud.”

• Company: Get Ready Tour, LLC. Staff:

Ira Pittelman & Tom Hulce, prod.; Stephen Gabriel, exec. prod.; Kevin Greene (Work Light Prods.), general mgr.; Courtney King (Work Light Prods),

casting California assoc. general mgr.; Des McAnuff, dir.; Brian Harlan Brooks, resident dir.; Dominique Morisseau, book; Sergio Trujillo, choreo.; Edgar Godineaux, assoc. choreo.; Kenny Seymour, Broadway music dir.-supervisor; Jonathan Smith, tour music dir.; Tara Rubin Casting (viewing auds Merri Sugarman &/or Kevin Metzger-Timson), casting.

is to offer both in-person and video callback opportunities for singers and dancers. If we are unable to offer inperson callbacks we will continue to conduct the audition process via video.

Dec. 7.

• An Equity Monitor will not be provided.

• Rehearsals begin Oct. 8; tour begins • Seeking—Ensemble/Berry Gordy:

male, 30-49, Black / African Descent.

Ensemble/Dennis Edwards & Others: male, 20-39, Black / African Descent.

Ensemble/Elbridge “Al” Bryant & Others: male, 20-39, Black / African Descent. Ensemble/Richard Street & Others: male, 20-39, Black / African Descent. Ensemble/Smokey Robinson & Others: male, 20-39, Black / African Descent. Ensemble/LaMont & Others: male, 20-29, Black / African Descent.

Ensemble/Shelly Berger: male, 20-49, White / European Descent. Ensemble/ Josephine: female, 20-39, Black / African Descent. Ensemble/Diana Ross & Others: female, 20-39, Black / African Descent. Ensemble/Mary Wilson & Others: female, 20-39, Black / African Descent. Ensemble/Tammi Terrell & Others: female, 20-39, Black / African Descent. 3 Offstage Male Swings: male, 20-39, Black / African Descent. 1 Offstage Female Swing: female, 20-39, Black / African Descent.

• Seeking submissions from NJ. • Singers: Prepare one of the songs

included at https://tinyurl.com/ ATPChorusSingers or 16-bars of a Motown song of your own. Include a full-body slate at the beginning of your video, and only submit an unlisted YouTube (not private) or Vimeo link. Use this form to submit your singing audition video and headshot/resume: https://forms.gle/ k2pbcqE6jD5dVT8K8.

• Dancers: Prepare the dance combina-

tion included at https://tinyurl.com/ ATPChorusDancers. Include a full-body slate at the beginning of your video, and please only submit an unlisted YouTube (not private) or Vimeo link. Male identifying dancers, wear long pants; no shorts. We strongly suggest wearing kneepads for this dance combination.

Use this form to submit your dancer audition video and headshot/resume: https://forms.gle/UDJCbhLEgyi2ubpf6.

• Regarding Self-Tape Quality: Film your

audition in front of a clean background, with no backlighting. As much as possible, limit ambient noise including air conditioners and other electronics. We recommend you do not use Bluetooth headphones, as it can sometimes cause a delay in the audio. Use a secondary audio source to play the accompaniment music so that it is audible in the tape.

• Our goal is to maintain a health-safe

auditioning environment for all in attendance at any casting session. We will continue to adjust our standard procedures as needed, in order to maximize a health-safe audition environment, while not interrupting or taking away from the creative process.

• All auditions leading up to callbacks will

be conducted through video. Our goal

BACKSTAGE 05.13.21

As such, Equity encourages performers of all ethnicities, gender identities, and ages, as well as performers with disabilities, to submit.

Theme Parks & Attractions

Equity LOA ref. COST Contract.

Brooklyn Cyclones Mascot

• Pays $669/wk. plus heath and pension.

• Should in-person auditions be offered,

all candidates must be fully vaccinated prior to their audition date (ie, 14 days after receiving their 2nd dose). Videos submitted after the May 14 deadline will not be viewed.

Online Commercials & Promos

The producer will run all aspects of this audition.Equity’s contracts prohibit discrimination. Equity is committed to diversity and encourages all its employers to engage in a policy of equal employment opportunity designed to promote a positive model of inclusion.

As such, Equity encourages performers of all ethnicities, gender identities, and ages, as well as performers with disabilities, to submit.

Apraxia Video

• Casting three actors to portray a per-

son with Apraxia and their caregivers.

This is a digital marketing promotional video that will be featured on the company website, social media, and other online media platforms. Production states: “What Is Apraxia? (aprax•ia | uh– prak-see-uh.) Acquired apraxia of speech is a speech disorder that makes it difficult to make the necessary motor movements to speak. Apraxia is a neurological condition. People who have the condition have normal muscles, but the brain pathways involved in speech are affected. If you have apraxia, you know what you want to say, but you have difficulty positioning your lips, jaw, or tongue to move in the proper way to say it. If you have trouble with just a handful of words, you likely have a milder version of apraxia. In some cases, apraxia can be severe enough that you cannot communicate effectively by speaking.”

• Short Engagement Touring Pays $1072/

wk. min. plus overage participation.

Equity Short Engagement Touring Category 1 Agreement.

‘Footloose,’ Dancers

• Seeking video submissions from Equity

dancers for chorus parts in “Footloose.”

The REV Theatre Company located in Auburn, NY, proudly announces the grand reopening of its historic flagship venue, The Merry Go Round Playhouse, with its 2021 season themed “Reunion, Recovery, Resilience.”

• Company: The Rev Theatre Company.

Staff: Brett Smock, prod. artistic dir.dir.; James Alonzo White, choreo.; Corinne Aquilina, musical dir.; Dean Pitchford and Walter Bobbie, book; Dean Pitchford, Kenny Loggins and others, lyrics; Tom Snow, music.

• Company: Lingraphica. Staff: Amy

Russo, video production manager.

• Shoots May 20 and/or 21 in Flemington,

NJ.

• Tentative arrival date for testing is July

19 (TBD); rehearsals begin July 22; runs Aug. 4-Sept. 1 in Auburn, NY. Note: The REV Theatre Company will promote a fully vaccinated workplace for the entirety of its 2021 season. All employees will be required to show proof of vaccination and will undergo bi-weekly testing.

• Seeking—Person with Apraxia: 55+,

Asian, Black / African Descent, Ethnically Ambiguous / Multiracial, Indigenous Peoples, Latino / Hispanic, Middle Eastern, South Asian / Indian, Southeast Asian / Pacific Islander, nonspeaking role; expressiveness and nonverbal communication are a must; must be able to portray the basic signs and symptoms of apraxia. Caregiver, Spouse: male, 55+, Asian, Black / African Descent, Ethnically Ambiguous / Multiracial, Indigenous Peoples, Latino / Hispanic, Middle Eastern, South Asian / Indian, Southeast Asian / Pacific Islander, non-speaking role; expressiveness and non-verbal communication are a must. Caregiver, Child: female, gender-nonconforming, non-binary, trans female, 25-60, Asian, Black / African Descent, Ethnically Ambiguous / Multiracial, Indigenous Peoples, Latino / Hispanic, Middle Eastern, South Asian / Indian, Southeast Asian / Pacific Islander, non-speaking role; expressiveness and non-verbal communication are a must.

• Seeking—Equity Dancers: 18+.

• Seeking submissions from NY. • For consideration, visit https://therev-

theatre.com/footloose- auditions for audition materials and submission instructions. Prepare the combination provided.

• The REV will welcome audiences with

three musicals that celebrate the power and determination of the human spirit: the song and dance spectacular, “42nd Street” (Rehearsals begin June 17; runs June 30-July 28), the iconic rock ‘n roll electricity of “Footloose” (Rehearsals begin July 22; runs Aug. 4-Sept. 1), and the heartwarming and nostalgic musical tribute to an American legend, “Almost Heaven, The Songs of John Denver” (Rehearsals begin Aug. 26; runs Sept. 8-29).

• Seeking submissions from NJ. • Send submissions to arusso@lingraph-

• An Equity Monitor will not be provided.

The producer will run all aspects of this audition. Equity’s contracts prohibit discrimination. Equity is committed to diversity and encourages all its employers to engage in a policy of equal employment opportunity designed to promote a positive model of inclusion.

ica.com.

• In your cover letter, note your availabil-

ity during normal business hours.

Include a video or reel if possible.

• Pays $100/day with meals provided.

Travel reimbursement can be negotiated.

28

• Casting Sandy the Seagull, the official

mascot of the Brooklyn Cyclones, the minor league affiliate baseball team of the NY Mets.

• Ideal candidate should be an outgoing

individual who works well with others, including children and fans of all ages.

They must be in good physical condition to both wear heavy costumes and stand or walk for extended periods of time. Mascot performer must be able to read social cues to understand the level of interaction each fan may want. Ideal applicants for this position should be motivated in generating team spirit.

Dancing or tumbling skills a plus, but no required.

• Staff: Christina Moore, dir. of commu-

nity relations and entertainment.

• Opening day May 18 at 1904 Surf Ave. in

Brooklyn, NY.

• Seeking—Sandy the Seagull, Mascot:

all genders, 18-40, Searching for an outgoing performer, (preferably with previous mascot experience), to step into the iconic shoes of Sandy the Seagull, the mascot of the Brooklyn Cyclones for the last 20 years. The Brooklyn Cyclones are the minor league baseball affiliate of the NY Mets and play in the heart of Coney Island. Sandy the Seagull brings joy to our fans in and out of the ballpark and is a staple in the community. Sandy the Seagull appears at every home game, as well as at community and charity functions.

Performer will work in conjunction with the team and various departments, including communications, sales, community relations and game operations.

Performer will participate in the filming of commercials and other promotional videos and will distribute promotional items, ie: T-shirts and calendars, at games, special events. etc. Performer will be required to maintain the integrity of their costumes, including cleaning and repair.

• Seeking submissions from NY. • Send submissions to cmoore@brook-

lyncyclones.com.

• Compensation and contract details

provided following a preliminary interview.

Southern California Student Films ‘North Country’

• Casting “North Country,” a student

short film set in the1960s. Synopsis: A drama in beautiful black and white cinemascope, centers on a young black woman found wandering the desert by a middle-aged Hispanic man who takes her back to his isolated backstage.com

National/Regional casting

ranch. The woman, recuperating from heat exhaustion and whatever mysterious backstory she was running from, is at first very distrusting of this strange man, who lives alone and says very little. Over the days they wait for her parents to come pick her up, the barriers between them come down and they develop a complicated, platonic relationship. They bond over past traumas that are felt, not said.

When a car arrives to take her away, they part knowing they’ll never see each other again, but will each never forget their short time together.

queer people in Chechnya. The film follows Alek, a young gay man captured and tortured by the police as they “cleanse” the population from gay people. Alek is alone in a holding cell waiting for the guards to interrogate him, they want him to turn in his lover but he won’t. They have taken everything from him, but they won’t take this. This is who he loves. This is who he is.

tone-poem of a short film in the style of Ernest Hemingway or Cormac McCarthy. A graduate thesis film through Chapman University, written/ directed by Christian Walsh, whose previous work has won several awards at festivals around the world.”

Eastern, White / European Descent, pragmatic and level headed. Growing up he could never fit in with the other boys growing up but he never drew much attention to himself. After leaving Grozny for Moscow when he turned 18, Alek never thought he would move back, especially after he came to terms with his sexuality, but when his father got ill Alek decided to move closer to his family. Alek knew Grozny was more dangerous than Moscow, but he couldn’t stop himself from opening Grindr one night after getting drunk. Alek got a message from a blank profile, the man on the other side seemed funny and kind, but refused to meet in person for a whole month. When they finally met for drinks Alek felt like he had known him his whole life. His name is Zelim, he is loud and outgoing, in many ways the opposite of who Alek is, but he is perfect, right now life is perfect. Zelim: 20-30, Middle Eastern, White / European Descent, has lived in Grozny his whole life. Growing up he was loud and effeminate, this always brought him trouble. He was bullied at school and the situation at home was even worst, which is why at 16 he left his house for good. Zelim started working at a local salon, and soon learned to not draw attention to himself in public, but in private he is always known to be the life of the party. He was almost done saving to leave Grozny and start over somewhere new, the situation in Grozny kept getting worst every day. Until, one day he saw a new profile on his grindr grid with a picture including half a face, that was bold, that person must not be from here. He started chatting with the stranger and soon they were talking everyday. After talking for a month, Zelim deemed that it was safe enough to meet up with Alek. The connection was instant, Zelim had never fell for someone so hard before. Zelim finally had enough saved up to move out of Grozny but Alek wanted to stay close to home, and Grozny wasn’t so terrible if Alek was around, it was a actually good.

Life was good.

• Production states: “It’s a subtextual,

• Company: Chapman University. Staff:

Christian Walsh, dir.

• Shoots for six days with one testing

day break in between, all within the dates June 11-20 in the Orange, CA area. Minimum of one rehearsal day (likely remote) will be scheduled beforehand. May also schedule a fitting day.

• Seeking—Woman (Lead): female,

18-25, Black / African Descent.

Running from a mysterious past toward an uncertain future, she finds herself both literally and figuratively lost. When a stranger takes her in to his home, she’s slow to trust him. With no other options, she stays in this man’s home while she waits for her parents to come pick her up. Over the few days spent on his isolated ranch, she forms a complicated, platonic connection with this lonely man - one that she’ll never forget for the rest of her life. Man (Lead): 40-55, Latino / Hispanic. After living alone for several years, he finds a woman wandering the desert. He takes her to his isolated ranch where she can recuperate and wait for her parents to pick her up.

Underneath his brusque, masculine facade is a lonely man longing for a life he used to have. The appearance of this woman sparks new life in him, though it may be too late. Father: male, 40-50, Black / African Descent.

The lead’s father, who arrives at the end of the film to pick her up. They have a strained relationship and don’t speak to each other, despite both having a lot to say.(Will be needed only for one day within our six day shoot; unpaid). Will be filmed in a periodcorrect car and costume.

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

• Only applications with a video will be

considered. Indicate if you’ll be fully vaccinated by June 11. Remote callbacks will be scheduled for a second round.

• Pays $125/day. SAG-AFTRA Student

Film Agreement.

Conservatory. Staff: Nicolas Blanco, producing fellow.

• Seeking submissions from CA. • Send submissions to nblanco@afi.edu.

• Deferred pay of $125.

Untitled Student Visual Essay • Casting a Kodak-sponsored student

visual essay for the American Film Institute Conservatory. Synopsis: Inspired by the real life persecution of backstage.com

VISIT BACKSTAGE.COM/CASTING for full character breakdowns, script sides, and more casting notices

• Seeking submissions from CA. • Send submissions to casting@paxero-

Paid Social Ad for Printer Company

is off of self tapes.

• Casting a male and a female for a full-

• Company: American Film Institute

• Shoots June 10-11 in L.A. • Seeking—Alek: 20-30, Middle

Online Commercials & Promos day video/photoshoot. Note: We will be capturing a handful of b-roll footage of multiple home/studio photo printers and are looking for talent to interact with the product for the video/ photoshoot.

• Company: Grow With Bamboo. Staff:

screative.com.

• For consideration, attach any demo

reels or media clips, specifically comedy and/or commercial pieces.

• 1st round is off of headshots, 2nd round • Pays $400/12 hrs. Usage: 6 months;

digital.

National/ Regional

Stavro Victor, content prod.

• Shoots mid-June on a Monday-Friday

TBD in the SF/Bay, CA area. Note if you have any availability flags in June that would cause a reschedule.

• Seeking—Actor Male or Female: all

genders, 25-35, all ethnicities.

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

• For consideration, include any lifestyle

product video or photo project you have been involved with.

• Pays $600/day and video/photo use in

perpetuity. Talent will be required to provide their own attire.

Sling Digital Commercial

• Casting a digital commercial for Sling

TV.

• Company: Paxeros Creative. Staff:

Paxeros Creative, prod.

• Shoots May 20 in Los Angeles, CA. • Seeking—Vampire: male, 29-33, all

ethnicities, a vampire in a small, dark space holding a phone speaking with the VO of the spot. 1-4 lines. Attach any demo reels or media clips, specifically comedy and/or commercial pieces. 1st round is off of headshots, 2nd round is off of self tapes. Twins (Only casting one person for VFX/split screen): all genders, 8-13, one preteen to play twins; we will VFX/split screen). Scene is sitting on a bed or kitchen chair speaking with the VO for the spot. One - four lines. Attach any demo reels or media clips, specifically comedy and/or commercial pieces. 1st round is off of headshots, 2nd round is off of self tapes.

Pool Man: male, 50-60, all ethnicities, (50s/early 60s) in a vibrant swimsuit lounging on a pool raft. He is holding a phone in one hand and a tropical drink in the other. He speaks directly into the camera.Attach any demo reels or media clips, specifically comedy and/or commercial pieces. 1st round is off of headshots, 2nd round is off of self tapes. Small Space Man: male, 39-43, all ethnicities, early 40s, will be sitting in a super crowded space speaking with the VO of the spot. One - four lines.

Attach any demo reels or media clips, specifically comedy and/or commercial pieces. 1st round is off of headshots, 2nd round is off of self tapes. Woman: female, 35-45, all ethnicities, woman, early 40s, enters and grabs the remote and settles into the couch, talks with VO of the spot, 1-4 lines. Attach any demo reels or media clips, specifically comedy and/or commercial pieces. 1st round is off of headshots, 2nd round is off of self tapes.

29

Plays Greenbrier Valley Theatre 2021 Season

• Seeking video submissions from Equity

actors for roles in the Greenbrier Valley Theatre 2021 season. Season includes “Driving Miss Daisy” (Alfred Uhry, writer.

Rehearsals begin June 21; runs July 9-24); “Shout!” (Philip George and David Lowenstein, creators. Rehearsals begin Aug. 2; runs Aug. 20-Sept. 4); “Pride and Prejudice” (Kate Hamill, writer; adapted from the Jane Austen Novel.

Rehearsals begin Sept. 7; runs Sept.

24-Oct. 9); “Capehart: Silencing the Mob” (new play; Rehearsals begin Oct. 12; runs Oct. 29-Nov. 6); “This Wonderful Life” (Steve Murray, writer; Mark Setlock conceived by. Rehearsals begin Nov. 1; runs Nov. 12-14) and “Elf the musical” (Thomas Meehan, Bob Martin, Matthew Sklar, and Chad Beguelin, writers. Rehearsals begin Nov. 15; runs Dec. 3-18).

• Company: Greenbrier Valley Theatre.

Staff: Matthew Scott Campbell, prod. artistic dir.; Elizabeth Salisch, prod. stage mgr.

• Rehearses and performs in Lewisburg,

WV. Rehearsals and performances will be in person and indoors. All safety protocols will be strictly followed.

• Seeking—Equity Actors: 18+.

• Seeking submissions from WV. • Prepare a one-minute song and/or one-

minute monologue. You may use accompaniment/sheet music provided (https://drive.google.com/drive/u/1/fol ders/1nNMwPZshMKFyKeIdcPZDHmFN sHY36Ur2) or provide a one-minute selection of your own using your own accompaniment in the style of a show or the season (material from a season show is welcome). Submit self-taped audition to auditions@gvtheatre.org.

Submissions deadline is May 17 at 5 p.m.

EDT. Callbacks will be scheduled via video at a later date. Ensure that you provide any necessary passwords to access video links.

• Equity LOA Salary pending agreement

(LOA ref. LORT)..

Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival 2021 Season

• Seeking video submissions from Equity

actors for three productions and one reading in the Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festivals’ 2021 summer

05.13.21 BACKSTAGE

casting National/Regional season. Season includes “How I Learned What I Learned” (August Wilson, playwright; Christopher V. Edwards, dir. Rehearsals begin June 15; runs July 2-11 live in-person onsite at Native Gardens); “An Illiad” (Lisa Peterson and Denis O’Hare, writers; Greg Wood, dir. Rehearsals begin July 11; runs July 20-Aug. 1 in live/in-person onsite at theatre plus stream); Shakespeare’s “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” (Matt Pfeiffer, dir. Rehearsals begin June 15; runs July 9-Aug. 1 live/inperson onsite at theatre plus stream); and a “Native Gardens” reading (Karen Zacarias, writer; KJ Sanchez, dir. Virtual reading rehearsals begin June 23; shoots/records June 23; streams July 6-18).

• Company: Pennsylvania Shakespeare

Festival. Staff: Patrick Mulcahy, prod. artistic dir.; Dennis Razze, assoc. artistic dir.

• Rehearses and performs virtually and/

or onsite in Center Valley, PA.

• Seeking—Equity Actors: 18+.

• Seeking submissions from PA. • Send submissions to casting@pashake-

speare.org.

• For consideration, video record with

slate a brief monologue or two from one or two of the plays, or a piece that will illuminate your ability to play one of the roles. Actors auditioning for “Midsummer” prepare a brief Shakespearean monologue. Submit video link and resume to casting@ pashakespeare.org. Submissions deadline is May 14.

• Equity LOA / SPT Salary pending (2020

figures: LOA - $775/wk. min.; SPT 9 $720/wk. min.)

Shakespeare & Company 2021 Season

• Seeking video submissions from Equity

actors for the Shakespeare & Company 2021 Season in Lenox, Massachusetts.

Season includes “Art” (Yasmina Reza, writer; Rehearsals begin July 13; runs July 30-Aug. 22); “Measure for Measure” (William Shakespeare, playwright.

Rehearsals begin Aug. 28; runs Sept.

1-5); “hang” (Debbie Tucker Green, writer. Rehearsals begin Aug. 17; runs Sept. 10-Oct. 3); and “The Chairs” (Eugene Ionesco, writer. Rehearsals begin Sept. 21; runs Oct. 8-31). All roles will be understudied.

• Company: Shakespeare & Company.

Staff: Allyn Burrows, artistic dir.; Ariel Bock, prod. assoc.; Adam Davis, managing dir.; Stephen Ball, general mgr.

• Season rehearses and performs out-

doors in Lenox, MA.

• Seeking—Equity Actors: 18+.

• Seeking submissions from MA. • Send submissions to auditions@shake-

speare.org.

• For consideration, prepare a two-min-

ute Vimeo submission with name, name of piece to be presented, and either one short classical / Shakespearean monologue or one short contemporary monologue. Send an email with headshot, resume and link to monologues on Vimeo to: auditions@shakespeare. org. Submissions deadline is May 14.

• Callbacks will be announced and sched-

uled after auditions submissions are viewed.

BACKSTAGE 05.13.21

• Shakespeare & Company is an equal

opportunity employer that is committed to evolving its approach to diversity and inclusion to engender positive change toward race equity in its employment and artistry, seeking those who will embrace its commitment to inclusion, diversity, equity, and access as well as anti-racism initiatives.

Applicants from groups historically underrepresented in theatre are strongly encouraged to apply.

• Pays $562/wk. (SPT 7); $508/wk. (SPT

6); and $404/wk. (SPT 4), Equity SPT Contracts pending.

Feature Films ‘The Melody Green Series’

• Casting a six-part, mystery/thriller/sus-

pense, feature film “The Melody Green Series.” Synopsis: Melody is a firecracker, yet sweet as candy. Somehow this every day run-of-the-mill lady gets tied up in a mess consisting of three deaths, a psycho stalker and two feuding crime circles.

• Company: Solo Mission Productions.

Staff: Michelle Farrell, dir.-screenwriter.

• Rehearses July; films Aug.-Sept. in

Louisville, KY.

• Seeking—Melody Green: 21-25, Black /

African Descent, your every day type of woman. She’s sassy, she is slightly adventurous and she hates to cook. She has a best friend named Denzel and these two find themselves wrapped in a murder mystery involving death and two feuding crime circles. Melody overcomes The Life Clipper and other dangerous situations. Melody is petite and very pretty. Denzel Roberts: male, 20-24, Black / African Descent, Melody’s best friend. He is her voice of reason. Even though sometimes Melody does not listen to him, he is always there to protect her. Denzel is smooth and suave. Michael Milhouse: male, 40-50, White / European Descent, suffered the sudden death of his wife. Six years later, his daughter is found murdered. He runs into Melody by chance and is smitten by her beauty. Little does he know, Melody is nosey and discovers a deep secret he has been holding. The key belongs to the murder of fashion magazine editor Mica Lewis. Thomas Denny: 20-30, White / European Descent, a follower. He can not make his own decisions without Michael. He takes everything literal and pursues Mica Lewis. Mica Lewis is not interested and Thomas snaps. His rage causes him to lose reality and come up with plots to take the heat off himself and onto unsuspecting others. In opening scene, Thomas is injured by a car and actor must be flexible (preferably the hip and leg area) to mimic injury. Mica Lewis: 20-25, Ethnically Ambiguous / Multiracial, beautiful, sensual and very rich. She is very sweet to men but not so nice to Susan. Mica is a murder victim who never meets Melody but appears in scenes leading up to the storyline.

Susan Jaeger: female, 20-30, White / European Descent, Thomas’s ex. She is boring to Thomas compared to Mica.

Susan is extremely jealous of Mica.

Susan is a coworker of Melody and Denzel. She becomes a suspect in Melody’s thought process of who murdered Mica. Susan becomes majorly depressed after the deaths of Thomas and Daniel and disappears but later shows up working for a crime circle.

Samantha Lewis/The Life Clipper: female, 40-49, Ethnically Ambiguous / Multiracial, very, very rich. She is the mother of Mica Lewis. She is depressed but filled with rage after the death of her daughter. She blames Melody and Denzel for not going to the police with information they had found in Mica’s closet. She disguises herself and sends threats to all of Melody’s friends. No one knows who the Life Clipper is, but they all fear this unknown person. The Life Clipper kidnaps Melody’s ex and uses him and his body for parts to send threats. 911 Dispatcher: all genders, 18+, answers Melody’s call when Thomas was hit by car. They sound bored. Has Kentucky accent. Adam Stephenson: male, 20-29, all ethnicities, Melody’s ex fiancé. He is money hungry and cunning. Melody is not fond of him and he is aware but he still tries to sneak back into her life. He is still married to the woman he secretly married while engaged and planning a wedding with Melody. Adam is kidnapped by The Life Clipper and is used as bait for scenarios and body parts. Angie: female, 18+, all ethnicities, a speaking extra part. She is Melody’s co-worker. She sits in the cubicle behind Melody’s cube wall. They sometimes talk to each other over the wall or in Melody’s cube. Arriana Milhouse: female, 5-6, White / European Descent, the daughter of Michael Milhouse. She has a dog and was abducted by Thomas and accidently killed. Arriana is only seen through flashbacks and dream sequences but plays important role. Ava Rose Hernandez: female, 15-18, Latino / Hispanic, a teen who found Melody and Denzel to thank them for protecting her when she was an infant. She is the daughter of Edward and Guadalupe Hernandez. Ava was taken in by her Grandmother Lucy after being orphaned. Melody takes her under her wing and Ava sees Melody as a big sister. Ava is smart for her age and accidentally gets involved with the teen portion of the crime circle her friends are involved with. Bill: male, 30-60, all ethnicities, Thomas’ neighbor. He witnesses Thomas with Arriana and become suspicious. Booth Worker: all genders, 18+, all ethnicities, person working at the landfill advising Thomas that he can not drop off his “things” because the landfill is closed for the night. Cassie: female, 5-7, all ethnicities, Arriana’s classmate. Cassie lives nearby.

Cassie is with Arriana when Thomas picks up her and Daisy. Daniel Holt: 21-25, all ethnicities, a fitness model. He is egotistical, rude but a lady’s man. He is the on and off again boyfriend of Mica Lewis and later dates Susan. He is murdered by The Life Clipper. Drug Store Clerk: 18+, all ethnicities, rings up Michael’s items and wishes him luck.

Drunk Driver: all genders, 21-50, all ethnicities, driver who hit Thomas. Highly

30

intoxicated. Melody notices that he is going into mental shock after he saw Thomas’s body and what they did. EMT: all genders, 17+, all ethnicities, needing two. EMTs come to scene to offer aid to Thomas. ER Physician: male, 25+, all ethnicities, informs Michael and Sylvia that Sylvia is ill and needs to be admitted. He is caring but stern. Fight Announcer/MC: 18+, voiceover for fight announcer who announces the fighters fighting for boxing match that Melody and Denzel are watching on TV. Not seen. Highly energetic with deep voice.

Guadalupe Hernandez: female, 35-45, Latino / Hispanic, Ava Rose’s mother.

She is first seen in part 1 after a car accident and had gone into shock as she witnesses her passenger go over the guardrail trapped inside. Guadalupe is almost catatonic as she jumps to her death going after the car. Melody and Denzel were witnesses as teens and protected an infant Ava Rose until help arrived. Guadalupe also appears as a ghostly figure in later parts. Harold: male, 50+, Irene’s husband. Lives across the street from Mica Lewis. Is heard shouting for his dog Thunder to hush not realizing that the dog was trying to alert that Melody is breaking into Mica’s home. Hospital Registration Clerk: all genders, 18+, all ethnicities, rude.

Doesn’t want to be there. Waiting area is full and people are antsy causing the receptionist to become testy. Irene: female, 70-80, all ethnicities, Harold’s wife. She is an animal lover and tells Melody pieces of information that Melody does not realize are important during gossip. Irene is friends with Mica Lewis. Sweet and gentle but has a secret. She walks their large dog and allows it to sniff Melody up and down.

Male Co-Worker: male, 18-30, all ethnicities, bumps into Melody in the morning at work. Melody is not a morning person but this character has a crush on her. He fumbles as he tries to get Melody to speak with him as she goes to her desk. News Anchor: all genders, 18-60, all ethnicities, seen and heard on the tv screen Melody watches. Gives the news about the Arriana Milhouse investigation. Nurse Rebecca: female, 18+, all ethnicities, hurried but kind even while being yelled at by Michael. She is the nurse that finally comes to check on Sylvia after a very long wait. Richard Baxter: male, 40-50, Black / African Descent, Melody’s absent father. He made appearances to parties throughout Melody’s life but Melody was unaware of his role. Richard had a checkered past and still had connections to the crime circle he used to work for. He hires those members to protect Melody from The Life Clipper. Sylvia Milhouse: female, 40-45, White / European Descent, the love of Michael’s life. She died a day after giving birth to their only child Arriana. She is sweet, gentle and lovers her husband. Teen Melody: female, 12-15, Black / African Descent, this role helps Melody recall the scene when she protected infant Ava and witnesses Guadalupe’s death.

Teen Denzel: male, 12-15, Black / African Descent, this role helps Melody recall the scene when she and Denzel protected infant Ava and witnesses backstage.com

National/Regional casting

Guadalupe’s death. 5 Year Old Melody: female, 5-7, Black / African Descent, helps Melody recall a time when she and Denzel released hundreds of fireflies in Melody’s room when they were little. 5 Year Old Denzel: male, 5-7, Black / African Descent, helps Melody recall a time when she and Denzel released hundreds of fireflies in Melody’s room when they were little. Teen with Phone: all genders, 16-19, all ethnicities, video and streams gruesome accident scene of Thomas. Is very excited about it and this irritates Melody. Vanessa Green: female, 35-40, Black / African Descent, Melody’s mother. Raised Melody on her own by choice. Hid identity of Richard to protect her child. Always a listening ear for Melody. Very loving. Melody stops speaking to her briefly when Melody found out Richard’s role but Melody forgives her and understood why Vanessa kept him from her. Jessica Nguyen-Roberts: female, 19-29, Asian, Jessica is a love interest of Denzel in part 1. Becomes Denzel’s wife in part 2.

Jessica does not like Melody and sees Melody as a threat. She forces Denzel to break his 25 plus year friendship with Melody. Jessica betrays Denzel and plots to kill him after she makes a deal with The Life Clipper.

• Send submissions to contact@solomis-

sionproductions.com.

• In your cover letter, note your availabil-

ity. Headshot can be color or black and white. Include video with your submission. Production will contact you for information on the audition. Visit: www. solomissionproductions.com for updates.

• Full compensation once production is

in post production. Meals provided.

Non-union.

Corporate & Internet Videos (Voiceover) Hershey Company, SAGAFTRA Female Character Voiceover • Casting a SAG-AFTRA character

actress who can communicate with authority for a digital voiceover role for Hershey Company.

• Company: The Hershey Company. Staff:

Josh Perilo, mgr.; in-house digital creative.

• Records remotely. Must have home

studio.

• Seeking—SAG-AFTRA Character

Actress: female, 35-49, late 30s-40s, character actress, not cartoonish, Lori Petty or Geena Davis.

• Seeking submissions nationwide.

• Send submissions to joshperilo@her-

sheys.com.

• Pay provided.

MEC Canadian Outdoor Brand, French Canadian Voiceover

• Casting a female French Canadian

voiceover for a social and web video for MEC, a Canadian outdoors brand. backstage.com

Gardens); “An Illiad” (Greg Wood, dir.

Rehearsals begin July 11; closes Aug. 1 in live/in-person onsite at theatre plus stream); “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” (Matt Pfeiffer, dir. Rehearsals begin June 15; closes Aug. 1 live/inperson onsite at theatre plus stream); and a “Native Gardens” reading (KJ Sanchez, dir. Virtual reading rehearsals begin June 23; shoots/records June 23; streams July 6-18).

• Staff: R.C., prod.

• Records remotely TBD. Note: Talent

must have professional home studio.

• Seeking—Female Voiceover: 22-39,

warm, uplifting, confident, inviting, and positive.

• Seeking submissions worldwide.

• Apply on Backstage.com.

• Record a pre-screen audition for this

project. Only pre-screens will be reviewed.

• Social and web usage only. $250 flat

• Company: Pennsylvania Shakespeare

rate, full buyout in perpetuity.

Festival. Staff: Joshua Rose, dir. of prod.; Patrick Mulcahy, prod. artistic dir.; Dennis Razze, assoc. artistic dir.

• Rehearses and performs virtually and/

Stage Staff & Tech

or onsite in Center Valley, PA.

• Seeking—Stage Manager: 18+.

• Seeking submissions from PA. • Send submissions to joshua.rose@

pashakespeare.org.

Greenbrier Valley Theatre 2021 Season

• For consideration submit resume and

cover letter to joshua.rose@pashakespeare.org or mail to Joshua Rose, Director of Production, Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival, 2755 Station Ave., Center Valley, PA 18034.

Submissions deadline is May 14.

• Seeking an Equity assistant stage

manager for the Greenbrier Valley Theatre 2021 Season. Season includes “Driving Miss Daisy” (Alfred Uhry, writer. Rehearsals begin June 21; runs July 9-24, 2021), “Shout! The Mod Musical” (Philip George, David Lowenstein, writers. Rehearsals begin Aug. 2; runs Aug. 20-Sept. 4, 2021), “Pride And Prejudice” (Kate Hamill, writer. Rehearsals begin Sept. 7; runs Sept. 24-Oct. 9, 2021), “Capehart: Silencing the Mob” (Cathey Sawyer, writer. Rehearsals begin Oct. 12; runs Oct. 29-Nov. 6, 2021), and “This Wonderful Life” (Steve Murray, writer.

Rehearsals begin Nov. 1; runs Nov. 12-14, 2021), “Elf The Musical” (Thomas Meehan, Bob Martin, Matthew Sklar, Chad Beguelin, writers. Rehearsals begin Nov. 14; runs Dec 3-18, 2021.).

• Equity LOA / SPT Salary pending (2020

figures: LOA - $775/wk. min.; SPT 9 $720/wk. min.)

Workshops & Classes Backstage Audition Insider: Free Backstage Workshop With Casting Director Scott Wojcik • Seeking participants for a free

Backstage workshop with casting director Scott Wojcik. Note: This is an educational opportunity. This is not an audition, a “pre-read,” nor does it guarantee future employment.

• Company: Greenbrier Valley Theatre.

Staff: Matthew Scott Campbell, artistic dir.; Richard Crowell Production mngr.; Elizabeth Salisch, production stage mngr.-company mngr.

• Season runs from June 13 to December

• Learn to participate in and create a col-

20, 2021 in Lewisburg, WV.

laborative, comfortable, and sophisticated audition experience. This session with Wojcik will help you take stock of your mental prep to manifest a better audition, make an impression in the room, and create a feeling of success.

• Seeking—Equity Assistant Stage

Manager: all genders, 18+.

• Seeking submissions from WV. • Send resume and cover letter for con-

sideration by May 14 to productionmanager@gvtheatre.org or Elizabeth Salisch,CM/ PSM, Greenbrier Valley Theatre, 1038 Washington St. East Lewisburg, WV 24901. We are looking for an Equity assistant stage manager to join us for an in person season of six productions from June 13 to Dec. 20, 2021. Duties include tracking props and set movements, creating and supervising backstage tracks for run crew and assisting the production stage manager as needed.

• We’ll be analyzing actors’ materials to

determine their most castable qualities before diving into how they—and you— can best bring those qualities to the forefront, precisely when you need them.

• Wojcik underwent graduate work in

Arts Management from Texas Tech University and also did extensive undergraduate course work in acting and directing. After moving to New York City, he supplemented his acting career working as a freelance Casting Assistant for several independent casting offices until 1999 when he joined Charles Rosen Casting full time. Scott became partner of Rosen & Wojcik casting in 2005 before the company transitioned to Wojcik | Seay Casting.

• Pays $432/wk. (LOA ref. LORT) Equity

LOA Agreement.

Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival 2021 Season

• Seeking Equity stage managers for

three productions and one reading in the Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival 2021 summer season. Season includes “How I Learned What I Learned” (Christopher V. Edwards, dir.

Rehearsals begin June 15; closes July 11 live in-person onsite at Native

• In addition to casting, Scott pursues his

interest in education by teaching audition skills on the business of acting. He teaches regularly for SAG-AFTRA.

• Current casting projects include sea-

sons for Riverside Theatre in Vero

31

Beach, Theatre Raleigh, Stages St Louis, The Engeman, Theatre Aspen, Tuacahn Performing Arts Center, The Arvada Center, and shows for Norwegian Cruise Lines. Current tours of “Jesus Christ Superstar,” “RENT,” “An Officer & a Gentleman,” “Baby Shark,” and “Daniel Tiger,” as well as the Off-Broadway musical, “SuperYou” and several developing projects. He also casts commercials and print. Check out more info at wscasting.com • This event will be live-streamed. You

should be prepared to consent to being recorded and potentially have the recording shared on Backstage’s website and YouTube page.

• Company: Backstage.com. Staff: Scott

Wojcik, casting dir.

• Workshop runs online (remote from

home); May 17 at 4 p.m. ET/1 p.m. PT/9 p.m. UK on Backstage.com.

• Seeking—Actors: all genders, 18+, 18+

who are seeking advice on auditioning from a casting professional.

• Seeking submissions worldwide.

• Apply on Backstage.com.

• Additional instructions: Tell us in your

cover letter what you feel your most castable quality is, and be prepared to showcase materials that highlight said quality.

• Free workshop. No participation fee.

Twice-Monthly Virtually Free Acting Classes • Seeking participants for free virtual

acting classes.

• Class states: “On the first and third

Sunday of every month... we offer virtually free acting and performance classes. Whether you are just beginning your journey in performing or a masterclass level artist, young performers and adults are welcome to come Act-Up & Act-Out at the Hollywood Performance Academy (HPA). These classes will not only allow you to find out about our classes and workshops but give all attendees an opportunity to workout their acting and performance chops. HPA offers a safe space to hone your craft without having to leave the comfort and safety of your own home through our Online Acting Ensemble (OAE) virtual classroom. Strengthen and tighten up your on-camera skills and have a great time while you’re at it.

• For more information about HPA/OAE

can be found on our website: HollywoodPerformanceAcademy.com.”

• Company: BDP Entertainment Group.

Staff: S. Michelle Blackwell, creative prod.; M.A. Doerfler, actor; Rachel Johns, acting coach.

• Meets virtually via Zoom.

• Link provided with seat reservation/

registration.

• Seeking—Actors, Voice Actors,

Singers, Performers: all genders, 18+, all ethnicities, anyone who is ready to Act-Up & Act-Out, taking their performance to the next level.

• Seeking submissions nationwide.

• Unpaid. Class states: “The classes are

free of charge but we do require a $5 fee to save a seat. No refunds. Fee may be applied towards future classes and tuition.”

05.13.21 BACKSTAGE

Ask An Expert Agents Auditions Film Headshots Television Theater Unions Voiceover

Q:

Is it good to be in character when you enter the audition room, or should you wait?

—@aislinmmodroo

Our Expert

*Submit questions for our Experts on Backstage’s Facebook, Instagram, 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 05.13.21

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

Craig Wallace is an acting and audition teacher.

When you audition, the people in the room want to meet you as well as see your work. If you come into the room in character, they miss the chance to meet you and see who it is they may be hiring. Remember, you’re not teleporting your work to the set. They’re hiring you and need to get a feel for who you are and how you might handle yourself if you get the job.

Plus, if you don’t get the job, they’ll never know who you were and won’t remember you—and they may never call you in again. Work is easily forgotten, but people are remembered, and every audition needs to be seen as an investment in getting back in front of that casting director again and again.

Our business is like any other, and you are hired for three reasons: Do you have the skills to perform the job? Do you add value to the job? Do we like you?

If you enter in character, we don’t get the chance to like you! Casting and producers can tell a lot about an actor in a very short time. How you handle yourself in the room says a lot about you as a person and as a professional.

Entering in character cheats them of the experience to get to know and like you, and they likely will move on to the next person pretty quickly.

You will also have given away the opportunity to show that you have the skill to move from the personal to the professional. When you’re on set, things can move very fast, and you will probably be asked to turn your emotions on and off numerous times. If they see that you have this ability in the room, they’ll be more likely to consider you to be set-ready and to hire you.

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We’re taking you directly to acting and casting industry power players through Instagram takeovers, Q&As, live-streamed seminars, and interactive group classes to ensure you’re hitting all the right marks in and out of the audition room!

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