Backstage Magazine Digital Edition: June 10, 2021

06.10.21

Inside the Emmy Nomination Race

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Barry Jenkins’

“The Underground Railroad” a peek into his directorial techniques

How Ziwe turns collective unease into laugh-outloud comedy

6 Pages OF CASTING NOTICES

Lena Waithe

is forging her own mainstream

“The mission is to bring as many people as I can with me”

“POWERFUL”

“BARRIER-BREAKING”

“TENS ACROSS THE BOARD”

“TRIUMPHANT...HEARTWRENCHING...AN ABSOLUTELY PERFECT ENDING”

“GLORIOUS” “STUNNINGLY ORIGINAL”

“SO MUCH HEART...SURE TO ELICIT TEARS”

“BRILLIANT”

CATEGORY IS ‘LEGENDARY’”

Contents The Green Room 6 Your guide to the 2021 television awards season 8 This week’s roundup of who’s casting what starring whom 10 Barry Jenkins on “The Underground Railroad” and being a supportive director

Advice 14 CRAFT How to write your own monologue

vol. 62, no. 17 | 06.10.21

Cover Story

In Her Purpose

Emmy winner Lena Waithe talks honesty, perseverance, and “craft, craft, craft” page 20

16 #IGOTCAST Robert Lee Anderson III 16 SECRET AGENT MAN There’s good news and bad news

Features 4 BACKSTAGE 5 WITH...

Evan Peters 12 MEET THE MAKER Ziwe Fumudoh, “Ziwe” creator, EP, and star 14 THE ESSENTIALISTS Lewis Goldstein, sound editor and re-recording artist 18 IN THE ROOM WITH Julie Ashton 25 PRO TIPS Emmy contenders share their best career advice on our podcast “In the Envelope” 32 ASK AN EXPERT Marci Phillips on how to talk about yourself at an audition

Casting 26 New York Tristate 27 California 28 National/Regional Lena Waithe photographed by Shayan Asgharnia on May 12 in Los Angeles. Skincare

by Leona Zeoli. Hair by Chris Aquila. Cover designed by Ian Robinson.

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Backstage 5 With...

Evan Peters

By Benjamin Lindsay

Whether leading a new Ryan Murphy anthology, mingling with the Marvel Cinematic Universe, or acting opposite Kate Winslet on “Mare of Easttown,” Evan Peters is an actor who fully commits—but it hasn’t always been that way. Remembering his early days doing commercials and flopping at auditions (like one with Seth Rogen for “Superbad”), the gifted performer says he’d tell his younger self to “stop fucking around” and take the craft as seriously as he does today.

How did you first get your SAG-AFTRA card? I think it was a couple commercials. It was either Papa John’s or Sour Patch Kids or a Moviefone commercial. It was one of those three, because around that time, I did those and was able to TaftHartley and then finally get the card.

painted those. I kinda knew ahead of time that I was gonna get the audition. So I started doing that, and I went in full hair and makeup and outfit and everything, in women’s clothing. I think they were a little thrown off. I was the only one who’d done that. I just kind of decided to go for it there. I really wanted it.

What’s one screen performance that every actor should see and why? There’s been so many. When I was much younger, I was watching “Forrest Gump.” I think Tom Hanks in “Forrest Gump” is just a phenomenal performance and heartbreaking and funny, and he’s just spot-on. There’s not one false note.

What’s one piece of advice you would give your younger self? I feel like it wasn’t until my early 20s that I started to [be] like, “You need to bust your ass. You need to try harder.” Stop fucking around, essentially. I was having fun and going off of instinct and playing around [as an actor], and if it wasn’t intriguing at the time, I would sort of just glide through it and mess around. And it showed. It was so flippant. But, yeah, I would say: You need to buckle down and bust your ass. And try hard. Give it your all.

What’s the wildest thing you’ve ever done to land a role? I remember this movie I did, “Gardens of the Night,” and I was playing a character [who] would dress in women’s clothing and makeup, and so I grew out my fingernails really long and

“I’ve learned that [acting is] very much about being in the moment and going with what you have and being very relaxed.”

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ILLUSTRATION: NATHAN ARIZONA/PHOTO: EUGENE POWERS/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

Do you have an audition horror story you could share with us? I have too many. I remember one time auditioning for “Superbad”—this one really kinda stood out. I remember Seth Rogen was in the room, and I was just so nervous. I was shaking.

You know, I had all my stuff ready, but I probably could’ve been more prepared. I was in my early 20s, not knowing what the hell I was doing; it might’ve even been before my 20s—late teens.

I was so nervous, and my mouth was so dry that I could not speak at all. I was trying so hard to play it cool, but I couldn’t breathe, I was shaking, and my mouth was just so incredibly dry that, after the audition, I believe Seth or the casting director told one of the casting assistants to get me a cup of water.

[Laughs] They brought me this giant cup of water, and that was the end of that. I did not get it.

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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Awards

Your 2021 TV Awards Season Calendar

From the eligibility cutoff to the day of the big show, here’s every important date

By Jack Smart

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gold again in 2021.

This year’s British Academy Television Awards (hosted

by Richard Ayoade) and Primetime Emmy Awards (for which a host announcement is forthcoming) are still releasing details about their 2021 ceremonies. But in the meantime, we do know the official schedules leading up to both events. Time to mark your calendar!

The BAFTA TV Awards, which released nominations on April 28, consider programming

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June 17–28: Nominations-round Emmy voting period July 13: Creative Arts and Primetime Emmy Award nominations announced Aug. 19–30: Final-round Emmy voting period TBD: Creative Arts Emmy Awards ceremonies Sept. 20: 73rd Primetime Emmy Awards ceremony (airing on CBS)

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JOE SEER/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

LAST YEAR, AGAINST ALL odds, the Television Academy’s Emmy Awards proceeded mostly as scheduled. While COVID-19 caused the 2021 Academy Awards to adjust its timeline and the 2020 Tonys to release nominations dramatically late, television—and those who reward it—continued apace. Considering the sheer amount of small-screen content there is to consider, pandemic or no, it’s a good thing that TV contenders will get their shot at

aired in the previous calendar year, with juries viewing entries throughout the spring.

However, recent changes to voting procedures, designed to help BAFTA voters recognize a more diverse array of talent, signal several firsts for the organization’s 2021 awards: Performance categories have been upped from four to include six nominees, and the newly named Emerging Talent distinction is divided into fictional and factual categories, for example. Hannah Wyatt, chair of BAFTA’s Television Committee, said in a statement, “We saw significant progress in the diversity of our 2020 Television Awards, and these additional changes are designed to continue that trajectory, ensuring BAFTA champions an industry taking proactive steps to level the playing field.”

The Emmy eligibility period, June 1, 2020–May 31, 2021, remains the same as well. The Television Academy’s nominations will largely follow its usual process, with tweaks made to a handful of categories for 2021: Limited series races have been renamed to explicitly include anthology series; short-form comedy/drama series and short-form variety series have been merged into one; and individual and team stunt performers will get their own category, in addition to stunt coordinators. Also, per a Television Academy statement, “To clarify the distinction between theatrical motion pictures and television movies during the ongoing pandemic, any nondocumentary film placed on the AMPAS [Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences] viewing platform for Oscar consideration will be deemed a theatrical motion picture, and thus ineligible for the Emmy competition.”

Below are the important dates and voting windows for the TV awards season ahead. Stay tuned with Backstage’s awards coverage for more updates.

the middle of a war zone. After it becomes clear that the plane has touched down in enemy territory, the pilot faces off against a local militia in a tense battle to ensure not just his own survival, but the safety of his passengers. Butler is the only actor currently on board for the project, which will be directed

by Jean-François Richet and written by J.P. Davis. Additional talent will be added by Engine Casting as production gears up this month in Puerto Rico.

What’s Casting

Abellera will cast additional talent for the project, which will begin filming this month in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

MacGruber Lives Another Day Will Forte will revisit the character on Peacock

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

Taylor Swift Joins the David O. Russellverse

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!

GRAMMY AWARD WINNER AND sometimes-actor Taylor Swift is the latest massive name to sign on to David O. Russell’s forthcoming film. The feature, which is still unnamed and has essentially no publicized plot details, additionally stars Margot Robbie, frequent Russell collaborator Christian Bale, Rami Malek, Zoe Saldana, Anya Taylor-Joy, Chris Rock, Robert De Niro, and Michael Shannon, to name a few. The project, which will be released by 20th Century Studios at a to-be-announced date, has already completed production. This will be Russell’s first film since “Joy” in 2015.

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MARGAUX QUAYLE CANNON

“MacGruber” Will Forte is revisiting an old “Saturday Night Live” character on Peacock. The series

of sketches featured the titular super-patriotic Special Operations agent, who was repeatedly tasked with defusing ticking time bombs despite never doing so successfully.

The beloved “MacGyver” parody spawned a cult 2010 film, co-written by Forte and John Solomon and directed by the Lonely Island’s Jorma Taccone.

The team will reunite for the Peacock series, which will follow the agent after he’s freed from a 10-year stint behind bars and sets out to settle a score with an old enemy. Forte is the only actor attached so far. McCarthy/

“The Plane” Gerard Butler has signed on to “The Plane,” a film based on an original idea by novelist Charles Cumming. The story follows a commercial pilot facing the worst possible situation: When his small aircraft is ravaged by a storm, he’s forced to land in

“Platform” “The Office” multihyphenate B.J. Novak will serve as both writer and director on “Platform,” a new anthology series for FX. The half-hour comedy will use current events and issues as a lens to tell personal stories of people struggling with today’s political and social climate. McCarthy/ Abellera is casting the project, which has already attached notable actors including Ed Asner, George Wallace, Jon Bernthal, Kaitlyn Dever, O’Shea Jackson Jr., Boyd Holbrook, and Lucas Hedges, who will take on series regular roles.

Filming is being routed through FX Productions for a debut on Hulu. After a production pause, the project is back on and scheduled to start shooting this month in New Orleans.

way, and allowing yourself to find whatever the throughline is between the thing that you want, the thing that you see, and the thing that everyone is capable of. In that way, it was really great to see the actors make choices that weren’t defined by the book or by the script, but by the character and the space. This idea of the freedom or the elasticity of the process really began on set.”

Barry Jenkins Backstage Live

Drawing the Line

Barry Jenkins on creating his seductive—and difficult—adaptation of “The Underground Railroad”

By Liza Rash

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.

As a slave narrative, Jenkins wants you to see what “the

BACKSTAGE 06.10.21

show really is” rather than “what it represents.”

“Before the show came out, there were all these conversations about the content of the show—slave narratives and things like that. That was before anyone had seen the show. I was curious to see how that conversation would evolve, because my point of view was always that it is about the intent of the creator. I think that dictates how the subject matter is presented, and hopefully how it’s received.”

Much like a coach, Jenkins aims to foster an open, collaborative space.

“When you do something of this scale, it’s very clear that the director isn’t in control of everything. This idea of an

TELEVISION

Sophie Turner Sets Return to Television

By Casey Mink

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

“GAME OF THRONES” ACTOR SOPHIE Turner is returning to the small screen, and she’s keeping it in the HBO family. Turner has signed on to the HBO Max limited series “The Staircase,” in which she will star alongside Colin Firth, Toni Collette, Parker Posey, Juliette Binoche, and Rosemarie DeWitt, among others. Antonio Campos and Maggie Cohn adapted their eight-episode series from the true crime docuseries of the same name, which depicts the life of novelist Michael Peterson and the suspect circumstances surrounding the death of his wife.

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EMMA MCINTYRE/AMAZON STUDIOS

EVER SINCE HIS HISTORIC best picture win at the 2017 Oscars, there’s been no denying that “Moonlight” filmmaker Barry Jenkins is a genius storyteller and a cinematic force to be reckoned with. He followed up that effort with the Oscar-winning “If Beale Street Could Talk” and now, a stunning limited series adaptation of Colson Whitehead’s Pulitzer Prize–winning “The Underground Railroad” for Amazon Prime Video. Sitting with Backstage as part of our inaugural BackstageFest, Jenkins discussed his work on the series, what fuels his vision, and how his creative process manifests on set.

auteur, when it comes to something this big—this many pages and this many days—there is no way one person can control or dictate what is happening. So what I tried to do instead was empower people to be very giving and to be very open about what it was their instinct was telling them. It’s almost like not having a playbook and starting off the game with people just running around, and then you see this person runs best this way, this person runs best that

He supported his actors emotionally and gave them the space they needed to create and breathe.

“I just didn’t want anyone to be destroyed by creating these images. The people we cast, I knew they would be very committed…. You do [a lot of takes] because you’re trying to reduce the line between the actor and the character. I felt like, especially on this [show] with this process, especially because we were in the spaces where many of these things happened, I knew there would be moments for me where you look to the left and you forget that you’re standing on a set. You forget that you’re creating a work of art. I thought it was important that the actors always be reminded that I understood that what they were doing was incredibly difficult, that what we were doing was incredibly seductive. It’s very easy to slip past that line.”

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Meet the Maker

Ziwe Fumudoh, “Ziwe” creator, EP, and star

By C. Taylor Henderson

Ziwe Fumudoh on “Ziwe”

BACKSTAGE 06.10.21

With Ziwe,” in which she would “bait” her white Above Average coworkers into answering uncomfortable questions about race, bluntly asking questions like, “Did your family own slaves?” and, “How many Black friends do you have?” As she slowly garnered a fanbase on YouTube and Twitter, the show evolved to encompass various digital platforms; live shows in NYC theaters; and, in 2020, as the pandemic forced performers to pivot to digital content during isolation, Instagram Live.

“Suddenly, with COVID-19, live shows were dead,” she says. At the height of the pandemic, a

“Embrace discomfort.

We are human, we’re not here for a long time, and all these sensations are part of the shared experience of humanity.”

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time when “everyone was going ‘live’ every five minutes,” Ziwe decided to take her show and make it appointment television. “I thought: What if I did a weekly show? It didn’t start off very popular,” she says. “There were, like, 30 people watching initially. But over the course of booking larger and larger guests and having the consistency of being every Thursday at 8 p.m., it became a form of television.”

Instantly iconic moments with famous white women like “canceled” Instagram influencer Caroline Calloway, New York Times columnist Alison Roman, and actor-activists Alyssa Milano and Rose McGowan seemingly took over the internet last summer. Clips of these women stuttering about the day they “discovered racism” and other out-of-context moments began circulating

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BARBARA NITKE/SHOWTIME

“I WAS BORN AND RAISED IN the United States of America,” Ziwe Fumudoh says with an almost maniacal chuckle. ”I’ve had to talk about race all my life, much to my chagrin.”

The day that I’m chatting with the comedian, who goes by her first name alone, the nation is holding its breath as it awaits the verdict of the Derek Chauvin trial, tensions are rising over the murder of Daunte Wright, and the trailer for Ziwe’s eponymous Showtime variety comedy series has just premiered. Our phone call is celebratory and bouncy, but undercut with a layer of grief—a collision of energies Black people in this country are quite accustomed to.

Ziwe tackles that unease dead-on. The concept for her series first took form in 2017 as a messy web series titled “Baited

around Twitter, where they went viral over and over again.

Ziwe’s follower count multiplied, and with those eyes on her, she caught the attention of the “real” television industry.

“The show itself did a lot of work for me,” she points out.

“With this machine behind me of creating something that huge, the natural progression is: OK, how do we scale this even more and put it on a network?”

There’s no doubt Ziwe’s comedy has a connection to a larger conversation about race in this country; her steepest rise in views and attention followed the death of George Floyd.

“We’re all alive during this very horrible period in history,” she says. “When there’s not a school shooting, there’s someone being unjustly murdered in the streets. We are always experiencing that as a collective, especially as Black people.”

She whipped up her frustration with our failing institutions into comedy gold.

“My fight-or-flight response is to create. When I feel sadness, I write, I make art, I try to make something cathartic for me. I’m lucky I get to do that in such a public sphere, but, ultimately, I’m just trying to cure myself and, hopefully, cure other people in this process.”

In the end, Ziwe hopes “Ziwe” gives people, both white and Black, permission to laugh through what can be painfully awkward conversations.

“If you’re someone who’s maybe afraid of feeling uncomfortable who is watching my show, I say, embrace it.

Embrace discomfort. We are human, we’re not here for a long time, and all these sensations are part of the shared experience of humanity.”

F O R

Y O U R

E M M Y®

C O N S I D E R A T I O N

“Naomi

Ackie is terrific in an extraordinary episode of television, one of the best 2021 has produced.”

“Naomi

Ackie is a revelation as Alicia, bringing a grounded determination to her efforts to have a baby and build the life she wants.”

“Naomi

Ackie delivers the most raw, honest and utterly compelling portrait of a relationship that’s likely to be produced this year.”

“Naomi

Ackie is brilliant throughout, often commanding scenes completely alone.

A tremendous performance.”

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NAOMI ACKIE

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AZIZ ANSARI

and

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THE ESSENTIALISTS

LEWIS GOLDSTEIN

sound editor + re-recording artist Sound editor and re-recording artist LEWIS GOLDSTEIN had his work cut out for him with “In the Heights,” the film version of Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Tony-winning musical. Finally getting a June 10 release in theaters and on HBO Max, the Jon M. Chu adaptation may sound better than any movie musical that’s come before it—and Goldstein is largely to thank.

His goal was aural continuity.

“There’s one song in particular called ‘Champagne’ that is 100% vocals that were recorded on set, and the two actors sang every single note in

Craft

How to Write Your Own Monologue

By Charis Joy Jackson

1

BACKSTAGE 06.10.21

people will notice—even if they can’t put their finger on what’s wrong. Many acting classes will tell you to look for the objective in every scene and the super-objective within the entire script. A monologue should have an objective, too.

What does your character want? Who are they talking to?

What do they hope to achieve?

With my monologue, I realized I used too much exposition in the beginning and spent less time on the immediateness of what was happening right then. I’d forgotten to give the character an objective for the scene. When I realized this, I cut what I could so it would flow better and have a clearer objective.

Use improv to avoid writer’s block.

If you’re stuck on what to write—or just intimidated by

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that song while they were acting. So as a re-recording mixer, for me, the challenge was to take all of these performances by these actors, all of them great in their own right but really done either at different times or in different settings, and be able to give it a continuity as far as the sound of the movie.”

The film’s songs aren’t just pretty—they’re plot.

“The vocals and lyrics in these songs are such a big part of the story; you can’t cut these songs down, because you would actually lose story points. I’ve worked on a bunch of

the blank page—rely on your improv skills. Some of the best lines in films have come from an actor improvising. It can help you write a monologue, too. Think of a setting and a character. Using the questions above, record yourself improvising it, and then write it out. As you workshop the monologue, you may find different lines to add and begin to see which ones to get rid of.

I did this with my monologue.

Yes, I used a character I had already created, but I placed the situation after the events of the story, created a new setting, and improvised the lines.

Add layers to your monologue.

Think subtext, conflict, and obstacles. The more emotional layers you add, the more fun you’ll have workshopping the monologue—and the richer it’ll be for those who watch it. This was the area I needed to work on most after I’d improvised and written my monologue.

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musicals, and I don’t think I’ve ever worked on something where the lyrics and songs were the story and what was going on with these characters. You can follow this movie and become incredibly emotional at this movie because of the lyrics and the songs and the story that is being told throughout.”

One final note: It’s not always appropriate to write a monologue for an audition.

Make sure that the audition detail doesn’t ask you to pick a specific style. Even then, avoid writing a monologue using the character you’re auditioning for. As a casting director, I’ve been in a few auditions where this happened. At first, I was impressed with the actor’s initiative, but I eventually realized it was counterproductive.

Instead of paying attention to their acting, my focus shifted to how they’d incorrectly interpreted the character.

Overall, have fun! Acting is all about play. If you don’t feel like something is working, you have the freedom to change it until it rings true. Whatever you write and act, please be kind to yourself during the creative process.

Be your own biggest fan.

Jackson is an actor, casting director, producer, director, and Backstage Expert.

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CRAFT: GAUDILAB/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM; “IN THE HEIGHTS”: MACALL POLAY

AS ACTORS, WE’RE ALWAYS on the hunt for the perfect monologue. But have you ever considered writing your own instead? In the last 12 years, I’ve written countless short films and served as a writing adviser on several student and independent feature films.

Recently, I created a monologue based on one of the stories in a collection of science fiction and fantasy short stories I released.

Writing it reminded me of a few important ingredients that are necessary for a good monologue—and what you should keep in mind if you’re wondering how to write a monologue of your own.

Start by figuring out your character’s objective.

Every story and scene should have a beginning, middle, and end. If your monologue is missing any of these elements,

By Casey Mink

“

THE TV EVENT OF THE YEAR.

A smashing, star performance from Anya Taylor-Joy. You can’t take your eyes off her.”

ABC NEWS

F O R YO U R E M M Y ® CO N S I D E R AT I O N

WINNER

SCREEN ACTORS GUILD AWARD

®

FEMALE ACTOR IN A LIMITED SERIES ANYA TAYLOR-JOY

WINNER

2 GOLDEN GLOBE AWARDS

®

BEST LIMITED SERIES BEST ACTRESS - ANYA TAYLOR-JOY

WINNER

2 CRITICS CHOICE AWARDS BEST LIMITED SERIES BEST ACTRESS - ANYA TAYLOR-JOY

“

THRILLING.

It’s anchored by a magnetic lead performance from Anya Taylor-Joy and bolstered by world-class acting from Bill Camp, Thomas Brodie-Sangster, Harry Melling and Marielle Heller.”

ROGEREBERT.COM

FYC.NETFLIX.COM

culture +

Spotlighting the people and projects you need to know

Secret Agent Man

There’s Good News and Bad News

BACKSTAGE 06.10.21

The director was nice enough, but the guy couldn’t stop staring at the actor’s black eye, which had turned all shades of purple. Needless to say, we didn’t get the offer.

If my client had been honest with me, I would’ve called the casting director faster than Superman can cross the ocean so she could give her director a heads up. If the director had known about the injury ahead of time, it would’ve been less of a surprise, and he wouldn’t have been focusing on the damn

I go out of my way to share everything with my clients. That includes the good, the bad, and the ugly. And I expect the same in return!

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#IGOTCAST.

Robert Lee Anderson III

By Jalen Michael Though he’s just getting his start in the business, thanks to Backstage, ROBERT LEE ANDERSON III already knows exactly where he wants to go— and how to get there.

Let Backstage be your game changer.

“Backstage is a trusted brand, and I’ve built relationships that changed my life. I built relationships with a director from Glass Entertainment Group, a Netflix casting associate, and an indie film producer. All my relationships came by way of being a great communicator and auditioning for roles.”

Don’t underestimate your abilities.

“I actually auditioned for the main character [in a recent project] but booked the supporting role. I was anxiously thinking, Is this good enough? After doing about 15 takes and studying the lines for two weeks, I was surprised I booked a role in the film.”

Never limit yourself.

“I look for all roles.

I don’t want to be limited in my ability to become any character. I like the challenge of becoming something different for every performance.”

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

backstage.com

ILLUSTRATION: SPENCER ALEXANDER; ANDERSON: HADUJ

THE KEY TO A SUCCESSFUL agent-client relationship is communication. You’re probably nodding your head in agreement like a bobblehead on a car’s dashboard. But for the concept to work, you have to be upfront about everything—and I mean everything. That goes double for bad news.

A client recently put himself on tape for a role in a studio film, and his performance got an excellent response. The director wanted to meet him in person, so I set up a time and hoped for the best. What I didn’t know was that my client had gotten clipped pretty hard during a boxing class and was now the proud owner of a black eye. That’s how he showed up for the meeting.

thing during the entire meeting.

When I asked my client why he didn’t tell me, the kid explained that he was worried the meeting would be canceled.

That was an absurd concern; only actors think that way.

I mean, it’s not like he lost a limb. Everyone knows a black eye fades relatively quickly, and there was plenty of time between the meeting and the shoot. This whole situation would’ve been a non-issue if the actor had just told me the truth so I could have done my job.

The more I know, the more effective I can be. This story led to a missed opportunity.

The next one ended up costing another client a great deal of money.

I used to represent someone we’ll call Lisa. She had been working with a manager, and after a year, she decided to leave him. Lisa felt she wasn’t getting enough bang for the extra 10%.

So far, so good. This sort of thing happens all the time. But Lisa kept putting if off because she’s a coward about confrontation. She didn’t even tell me about her plan to fire the manager. So when a substantial offer came in for six weeks on a film, I called the manager to share the good news. And then five minutes later, Lisa called the manager to fire him.

Had I known about Lisa’s plan, I would’ve held off on that call. Now it was too late.

So, thanks to yours truly, the manager became aware of the offer five minutes before he got canned. That meant he had the legal right to commission the deal. That was a nice chunk of change that Lisa could’ve kept if she had just been upfront with me.

I go out of my way to share everything with my clients.

That includes the good, the bad, and the ugly. And I expect the same in return! That’s the only way an agent and an actor can function as an effective team. And that’s what you want, right?

For Your Emmy Consideration ®

“★★★★★

SARAH PAULSON is WONDERFULLY POISED. She definitely knows how to lend gravitas and power.”

BBC

“GORGEOUSLY MADE.

“THRILLING.

SARAH PAULSON is MAGNIFICENT.”

The performances are STUNNING.”

THE GLOBE AND MAIL

NERDIST

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culture +

Spotlighting the people and projects you need to know In the Room With

Julie Ashton

The prolific voiceover CD shares her process and what stands out in an audition

By Elyse Roth

are capable of doing anything. When you get a script, there are multiple roles. With one-liners, there are 80 or so characters; then we start to think: Who do we have that we can utilize their amazing talents and fill in all these holes?

And then we have guest stars who can pick up extra roles when they have that range in their voice. There’s never been a time when we’ve said, “Hey can somebody do this voice?” and they’ve said, “No, I don’t think I can do that.” They always want to give it a shot, because it’s so much fun. And I think it’s also really creatively freeing and inspiring for the actors to be able to stretch themselves that way.

IF YOU’RE A FAN OF ADULT ANIMATION, CHANCES ARE YOU’VE heard the work of Julie Ashton. The renowned casting director broke into the world of animation when she got a call from “Bob’s Burgers” creator Loren Bouchard, and her work on that show led to collaborations with the team on Apple TV+’s “Central Park” and Fox’s “The Great North,” as well as Netflix’s “Big Mouth” and its forthcoming spinoff. Her background in sketch and comedy prepared her for finding multitalented performers who could channel their skills into voice performances. It’s opened up a whole new world of talent for Ashton, who here shares her process and what she wants to hear on a demo reel or self-tape.

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sing and act and be funny and have a great voice for the show.

Because of COVID-19, Broadway performers weren’t working.

We were able to utilize so many of these brilliant Broadway people and musical people for the show.

How do you know if a live-action performer can handle a voice role? Probably the

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How do actors end up voicing several characters on a show? We have people on our shows who are unbelievable voiceover actors, who we know

Want more?

Read the full interview at backstage.com/magazine

backstage.com

ILLUSTRATION: RAQUEL APARICIO

How is casting a musical animated show like “Central Park” different from something more traditional like “Bob’s Burgers” or “The Great North”? It is very different. We have lots of shows that have songs on them, but not a show that’s almost strictly a musical.

From week to week, when we have new characters, we discuss who we know [who] can

hardest thing is to create a character that’s believable and grounded and also interesting enough that it matches up with the wonderful animation on our shows. I really admire actors who can create a complete character without us even seeing them on the screen. I get auditions for people every single day, and they’re just reading lines and yet somehow making me laugh and get emotional.

The thought of them being able to do so off me sitting there, literally looking at a blank screen and only hearing their voice— that gives me the chills.

What’s the difference between casting live-action and animation? We have our favorite people who we know and love and trust, and who we can use over and over and over again.

And you wouldn’t even know it, because they’re doing different characters that they’ve created.

I had done a lot of kids’ casting and comedy; I can’t use an actor over and over again on those.

I’m lucky enough to be with a group of people that we all have the same sensibilities and our favorites, and then, luckily, they’re creating all kinds of new characters for our shows, where we’re bringing in a diverse selection of people and getting self-tapes and turned on to these brand-new people, and they happen to be amazing voiceover people.

STARS AREN’T BORN, THEY’RE MADE

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

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

Find out how at nycda.edu

@nyconservatory

In Her Purpose WHAT’S THE COMMON THREAD BETWEEN an ensemble drama in downtown Chicago, a queer coming-of-age comedy in modern-day Hollywood, a Black “Bonnie and Clyde,” a docuseries about sneaker culture, and a searingly intimate marriage story? The answer, of course, is Lena Waithe, the creative force behind Showtime’s “The Chi,” BET’s “Twenties,” the award-winning film “Queen & Slim,” Quibi’s “You Ain’t Got These,” and Netflix’s “Master of None,” respectively.

Ask Waithe herself what connects such disparate projects, and you get a glimpse at the creative instincts of a true Hollywood multihyphenate: The variety of the work is part of the point. “I don’t want to be known for doing one thing,” Waithe tells Backstage.

“I’m definitely someone that colors outside the lines; I don’t live inside a box. And I’m always trying to do something that feels honest and new and different and interesting, and in many different forms.”

Chatting via webcam, Waithe alternates between speaking at a rapid clip, idea upon idea spilling out of her, and listening intently, as if with her whole being. You get the sense that those qualities lend themselves well to someone who’s used to leading a writers’ room, or jumping from pitch meeting to press interview to AT&T commercial voiceover gig. Waithe is doing all that and more, particularly in the COVID-19 era, when “you actually can become more productive by being at home,” she says with a laugh. “I can have five meetings in the span of literally an afternoon. There are two writers’ rooms up right now that I can jump [into] quickly right after this Zoom!”

Born in Chicago and having aimed “to be considered one of the greats in television” since childhood, Waithe transferred her job at Blockbuster to a Los Angeles location soon after graduating from Columbia College Chicago. Years of juggling survival gigs with low-paying internships at networks and studios eventually led to assisting an executive producer on a sitcom (“Girlfriends”); writing for a procedural (“Bones”); producing shorts and viral videos; and working with the likes of Gina Prince-Bythewood, Queen Latifah, and Justin Simien. The latter collaboration BACKSTAGE 06.10.21

Emmy winner Lena Waithe talks honesty, perseverance, and “craft, craft, craft”

By Jack Smart - Photographed by Shayan Asgharnia

spawned the 2014 indie hit “Dear White People”—around the time Waithe booked her first acting gigs on “The Comeback” and then Aziz Ansari’s “Master of None,” despite having no on-camera aspirations.

But being ready for opportunity, in whatever form it takes, has been central to her mission from the jump. “I think sometimes people prefer artists to be inside a box, because it’s like, ‘OK, you do this one thing really well. Always do that.’ Sometimes that works, you know? Sometimes it makes sense. But for me, it can be suffocating. It’s like telling Mary J. Blige, ‘Only sing happy love songs.’ ” That refusal to be pigeonholed is more than just a means of survival or a creative mission statement; it can pay the bills. In 2017, Waithe became the first Black woman to win a writing Emmy for “Master of None” Season 2’s “Thanksgiving,” an episode inspired by her own coming-out story. Again, she could have stayed in one lane, just playing the character of Denise. “I had no plans of ever writing on the show, actually, because I really wanted to keep it separate,” she says. She was focused on her first blockbuster feature role in Steven Spielberg’s “Ready Player One” when Ansari insisted on the two of them churning out the episode together in three days.

“People always say, ‘What’s the highlight of your career?’ ” reflects Waithe. “It’s not winning the Emmy. It’s the smoothness with which Aziz and I wrote that episode in

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e

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06.10.21 BACKSTAGE

“Walking in your purpose is not supposed to be easy. If it was, everybody else would do it.”

—Lena Waithe

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London over the course of a weekend. And it was because I had been writing, watching so much TV, doing so much studying and listening and learning, that when the time came… To me, it’s the equivalent of somebody passing to [Michael] Jordan. He’s got a few seconds on the shot and he has to clear it.

It’s not the shot-making. It’s all the things he has to do to be in position to make the shot, period. That’s the win.”

Waithe’s big break also mirrors two interconnected entertainment industry trends of the past few years: more and more up-and-coming artists embracing the term “multihyphenate,” and Hollywood’s mainstream expanding (slowly but surely) to invest in stories from creators who happen to be female, Black, or queer. Waithe, who is all of the above, remains at the forefront of the fight for diversity both on- and off-camera—a growing movement built on “shepherding and encouraging community,” as she says.

“I’m part of a creative community with Issa Rae and Donald Glover and Justin Simien and Terence Nance and Michaela Coel,” she adds. “I knew all these cats coming up.” It’s no coincidence that her production house, Hillman Grad Productions (a nod to the fictitious college in “A Different World,” a favorite sitcom of Waithe’s), features a community-based Mentorship Lab designed to forge the kind of professional partnerships that led to those creatives’ varied successes.

It’s a blueprint for creating more inclusive spaces in a more equitable industry—proof that a rising tide can lift all boats.

“For me, now, the mission is to bring as many people as I can with me,” Waithe says.

“I’m not just fighting for myself; I’m fighting for those that haven’t been heard yet. And they deserve to be heard.”

Under the auspices of Hillman Grad, with Waithe as CEO and Rishi Rajani as president, “The Chi” premiered in 2018 and is now four seasons strong; the drama’s newest installment premiered May 23. Additionally, projects previously stuck in development, like BET comedies “Boomerang” (a sequel series to the 1992 Eddie Murphy and Halle Berry film, co-produced by Berry) and “Twenties” (a semiautobiographical retelling of Waithe’s introduction to Hollywood) got their greenlights. “Queen & Slim” followed a year later, helmed by “Thanksgiving” director Melina Matsoukas, and Waithe has since produced Radha Blank’s award-winning indie “The Forty-Year-Old Version,” Little Marvin’s Amazon Prime horror anthology “Them,” and more.

“The way I make my work, it’s all gutbased,” she says of her approach to each creative venture. “In the process, my question is always: What’s honest? How do I want to tell this story?”

That first question is a guiding principle not just for Waithe, but all of her closest collaborators. And honesty doesn’t necessarily mean true-to-life accuracy. Take, for instance, the new, spinoff-esque season of “Master of backstage.com

None,” titled in full, “Master of None Presents Moments in Love.” Featuring Waithe’s Denise and Naomi Ackie as her wife, Alicia, and taking place mostly in a picturesque yet isolated country home, the five episodes chart the blissful highs and crushing lows of a marriage complicated by, among other things, Alicia’s attempts to have a child.

“Lena is so creative, so inventive, so honest,” Ackie tells Backstage. “I think when you’re making art, you have to be honest and upfront about how you feel about things.

You have to be honest and upfront with what your boundaries are…. She managed to juggle being a producer, being a writer, being in it.

Being invested in a story but having enough of an objective eye to look at it, to also be outside-in—it’s just super impressive.

“Outside of the fact that she’s funny as hell,” adds Ackie. “She’s a genius, you know? I mean, she’s got it all.”

Unlike the “Thanksgiving” episode,

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Waithe, Ansari, and co-creator Alan Yang eschewed autobiography, drawing inspiration from French romantic dramas; interviewing doctors, nurses, and women who have undergone in vitro fertilization; and passing scripts back and forth for years. “We really wanted it to feel honest”—there’s that word again—“and real,” says Waithe. “Aziz and I have that in common, where we don’t want to do it unless it’s really going to be something special.”

The relentlessly long, single-take shots of “Moments in Love” allowed the actors to exist naturally in such real circumstances, grounding the stakes in the profoundest intimacy.

“It’s probably the most vulnerable acting I’ve done in my career,” Waithe says—an understatement, considering Denise and Alicia’s roller coaster of emotions and the chemistry between them. “A lot of it was me really centering myself, being still, and just not letting you see the machine work. Because it is; it’s working overtime!

06.10.21 BACKSTAGE

“I do hope that audiences can see this is a part of my story as an artist,” she continues.

“That I never was ashamed of anything, of who I am, of my body, of myself. And it may make some people uncomfortable. But I hope that it makes them less afraid of themselves, if it can.”

That’s where the second component of Waithe’s creative process—“How do I want to tell this story?”—comes in. It requires that fearless sense of purpose, that faith in a gutbased approach—or, as “Queen & Slim” star Jodie Turner-Smith puts it when describing Waithe, “assuredness.”

“There is something so admirable about a person who moves with that kind of certainty about what they want to say,” says Turner-Smith. “I think, as a woman creating in this industry, operating in this business,

there’s so much of that that you need.

Because so often, people are going to question you and doubt you and undervalue you, just because you’re a woman—and also just because you’re Black.”

Speaking from one’s innermost voice also explains how Waithe navigates, for lack of a better term, the haters. “People can take all the swings and all the hits,” she says. “It doesn’t matter; I’ve already survived. There’s nothing anyone could throw at me.”

Especially in today’s digital age, when celebrities live on social media, working in show business means dealing with those “wanting people in the public eye to be perfect all the time, even though that’s not possible,” says Waithe. And it’s exponentially more true for minority artists who are

underrepresented in pop culture. “[There’s] this idea that, because I’m Black, because I’m queer, because I’m a woman, because I’m all those things, I have to be, like, pristine.

“This is a space that my white counterparts don’t sit in. Scorsese, Tarantino, my brother Spielberg, they don’t have to contend with that. So I now get to be an artist, but also have to make sure that I’m ‘a credit to my race,’ which Hattie McDaniel said so eloquently in her Oscar speech all those years ago.” As Waithe points out, many in the Black community did not believe that McDaniel was doing enough to combat stereotypes— that she should have refused her Academy Award–winning role of Mammy in “Gone With the Wind” and other maid characters.

“But if she did not take those roles, what was she to do? To have a dream unfulfilled?

And her doing that opened up the door for Halle Berry and Diahann Carroll and Queen Latifah and Viola Davis.”

Waithe has never been under any illusions that entering a predominantly male, white, straight industry, let alone shifting its mainstream like those women before her, would be simple. “The one that goes through the brick wall first is going to be battered and bruised. That’s just what comes with it. So, therefore, I will take that. I will carry that. I will be that. What other choice do I have?”

Can that kind of perseverance and assuredness be emulated? How could anyone adopt the unflappable attitude of someone who’s shown up at the Met Gala first in a revised rainbow Pride flag cape, then a “Black drag queens inventend [sic] camp” zoot suit?

“Stay the course,” answers Waithe with a shrug. And embrace the inevitability of failure on your way to success, she adds. “You learn more while you’re in the valley than you do on the mountaintop. You have a great view, but in the valley is when you have to figure out: OK, well, how do I get out of here?

That’s what makes you stronger…. I’m always more drawn to those who make mistakes and figure out how to smooth it out versus those who never seem to trip. It’s like, we all are going to trip. Because that’s what connects us: our flaws, not our perfection.”

Confidence comes from getting back up again after you fall; Jordan couldn’t make the shot without countless failed attempts during practice. That brings us to Waithe’s advice for early career artists: “Craft is first,” she says. “Craft, craft, craft. The business is always changing. The world is burning. If you know how to craft a really great story, if you know Final Draft inside and out—if you can do that, you will always eat.”

Waithe repeats the mantra: “Stay the course. Don’t let anyone deter you. Even if somebody doesn’t like it or thinks you’re wack, stay the course, because walking in your purpose is not supposed to be easy. If it was, everybody else would do it.”

Additional reporting by Matthew Nerber.

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Sarah Paulson on “Ratched”

Pro Tips

Emmy contenders share their best career advice on our podcast “In the Envelope”

By Jack Smart WE OFTEN ASK ACTORS: IF YOU COULD GIVE YOUR YOUNGER SELF just one piece of advice, what would it be? Luckily for listeners of “In the Envelope: The Actor’s Podcast,” some of today’s most successful television stars provided far more than just the one answer. Each of the 2021 Emmy Award contenders below used their time on the mic as an opportunity to enlighten early career artists—and maybe even, hypothetically, their younger selves. From their personal creative processes to how to navigate a path through the entertainment biz, it’s always inspiring to hear from your favorite performers firsthand.

Paul Bettany, “WandaVision”

“You’re never not in a rehearsal [while filming]. And that’s wonderful. Once you accept it, and you really believe it, it’s really freeing, because you can do anything in rehearsal…. You can be indulgent, and they can cut it out. You can make mistakes! And mistakes are amazing.”

“RATCHED”: NETFLIX

Renée Elise Goldsberry,

“Hamilton” + “Girls5Eva” “You just have to have the audacity to show up and try some

backstage.com

of these things…. I have had some time, in my time, to kind of be around different things.

But the reason I was around them was just because there was an opportunity, and I didn’t say no. I was like, ‘All right, I’ll try it until somebody kicks me out of here!’ ”

Ethan Hawke, “The Good

Lord Bird” “Good things happen, [and] you’re a better friend, you’re a better citizen, you’re a better artist,

you’re a better lover if you treat yourself with respect. It just starts there. Because if you can’t do that, you start tripping over all that, and you can’t do anything else.”

Ryan O’Connell, “Special”

“I would say: Walk around with the confidence of Rob Schneider circa 1998. I think that when you’re a marginalized person, the biggest hurdle sometimes can be yourself and believing that you deserve the things…. Just [believe] that you deserve to be there.”

Sarah Paulson, “Ratched” “I only think about what is truthful. What is the truth of the scene, the moment?… When you’re really focused on the result of the scene, you’re more thinking about yourself, and then you’re not engaged with the other person. The more you can engage with the person you’re having your scene with, I think, the more you forget about what the hoped-for result is, the more you’re just living it. And when you’re living it, you’re relaxed, you’re breathing. The process sometimes on set has to do with simple things like that, and remembering to listen.”

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Queen Latifah,

“The Equalizer” “You’ve got to learn how to fail.

If you don’t know how to fail, that’s a wrap; you can forget about it. Because you can’t build perseverance; perseverance comes from failing. You have to fail, and you’ve got to fail early.

And I, luckily, was thrown out there in enough things to fail and cry and get up and fail and cry….

I’d rather get my heart broken and at least know that I lived. I’d rather break a bone and know I tried to jump.”

Amber Ruffin, “The Amber

Ruffin Show” + “Late Night With Seth Meyers” “You have to have a pile of work that you can point to and go, ‘I can do this, and here’s the proof.’

Because anyone can go, ‘I’m really funny.’ Who cares? No one cares.

Can you point to a bunch of videos? Can you point to a bunch of TikToks? Do you tweet every day? Something, anything! But not [just] something, anything— all of those things.”

For even more craft and career tips from “In the Envelope” guests, tune in weekly wherever you get your podcasts!

06.10.21 BACKSTAGE

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

Submit a Notice |

New York Tristate Musicals ‘Pretty Woman,’ Tour

• Seeking Equity actors for principal

roles in the tour of “Pretty Woman.”

• Company: Lewis Ward North American

Tour LLC. Staff: Paula Wagner, prod.; Jerry Mitchell, dir.-choreo.; Garry Marshall & J.F. Lawton, book; Bryan Adams & Jim Vallance, music & lyrics; Will Van Dyke, music supervisor; Executive Producer/General Manager: 101 Productions, Ltd., exec. prod.-general mgr.; Craig Burns, CSA (The Telsey Office), casting.

• Rehearsals begin Sept. 2; tour begins

Oct. 9.

• Seeking—Vivian Ward: female, 20-39,

all ethnicities, a quirky girl who reluctantly works on Hollywood Boulevard as a prostitute but harbors Cinderella dreams of a better life. A star-crossed meeting with a lost billionaire propels her into a fish-out-of-water adventure among the rich and powerful of Beverly Hills. A Rodeo Drive shopping transformation takes her from Malibu parties to opera galas where she learns that confidence, and staying true to oneself, is even more important than material wealth. In the process, she discovers her self-worth and becomes determined not to settle for anything less than taking full control of her own destiny. Needs strong comedic chops and movement ability. Excellent pop/ rock singer. Must be versatile in style and have strong belt and mix; principal. Edward Lewis: male, 30-49, all ethnicities, a smart, successful, well educated business mogul who takes over troubled companies and liquidates their assets. His tough, workaholic exterior conceals a sensitive, artistic side, including a love of music and the arts. He’s in the process of orchestrating the biggest financial deal of his career, but the recent death of his father has him questioning his priorities. He hires Vivian hoping for some temporary, hassle-free companionship, but she completely upends his life. He realizes he will have to change if he wants to hold onto the things that

BACKSTAGE 06.10.21

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. matter most to him. Excellent pop/ rock singer. Tenor. Needs to confidently be able to sing an A; principal.

Happy Man/Barnard Thomspon: male, 30-59, all ethnicities, the magical Hollywood Boulevard fairy godfather to Vivian’s street Cinderella, he begins the story as a fast-talking peddler of Maps to the Stars who urges Vivian to hold onto her dreams. Later he transforms into Mr. Thompson, the efficient manager of the Beverly Wilshire Hotel.

He teaches Vivian ballroom dancing, how to dress like a lady, and, most importantly, to believe in herself.

Excellent pop/rock singer. Tenor. Must be vocally diverse and able to switch between styles. Strong movement ability; principal. Kit Deluca: female, 20-49, all ethnicities, a professional prostitute and party girl who took Vivian under her wing to teach her how to survive on the streets. Tough but funny, she comes to realize she has a lot to learn from Vivian about not giving up and settling for less. Inspired by Vivian’s example, begins a search for a better life. Excellent pop/rock singer.

Powerhouse high belter; principal.

Phillip Stuckey: male, 30-49, all ethnicities, a ruthless and energetic lawyer who has partnered with Edward Lewis on many successful hostile corporate takeovers. He loves money and is willing to cross almost any legal or ethical boundary in the pursuit of it.

When Edward’s growing relationship with Vivian begins to threaten his business interests, he becomes a dangerous adversary. Solid singer; principal.

Casting picks of the week

BY LISA HAMIL

stage

‘American Son’ Dive into who we are as a nation in this CO based Equity production

feature film

‘The Funeral’ Pay your respects to this New England based feature

musical

‘Pretty Woman’ “Welcome to Hollywood” in this Equity tour out of NY

short film

‘Gussy’ Reunite with a monster in Brooklyn, NYC

student film

’Silent’ Keep quiet in Thousand Oaks, CA for this USC project

• Seeking submissions from NY. • For consideration, submit video audi-

tion, along with your photo/resume attached, in a downloadable format (Google Drive, Dropbox, etc.) and in one file to prettywomantourcasting@gmail. com with the subject line “[Your full name] - [The role for which you’d like to be considered].” Submissions deadline is June 15.

• Preparation Instructions: Sing a brief

pop/rock song of choice (No musical theatre). Provide your own accompaniment. As an alternative to singing a song of choice, you may sing an excerpt from “Pretty Woman.” Sheet music, teaching tracks, and accompaniment tracks for these five roles are accessible at https://tinyurl.com/yj9ppzy9. 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, please slate your name and height.

• Equity’s contracts prohibit discrimi-

nation. 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 $930/wk. Equity Short

Engagement Touring Category 2 Contract.

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

26

Short Films ‘Gussy’

• Casting “Gussy.” Synopsis: Two child-

hood best friends reunite as adults and go looking for the monster they once met in the woods.

• Company: Kate Antognini Casting.

Staff: Kate Antognini, casting dir.

• Shoots June 12 or 13 in Brooklyn, NY. • Seeking—Rocky: male, 8-11, White /

European Descent, brown hair; Rocky is a rambunctious, excitable kid, always living inside his head; dreamy, but also prone to tantrums, he hasn’t yet learned how to tame himself. Miles: male, 8-11, White / European Descent, blond; Miles is a shy, sweet-natured, but suggestible boy; he doesn’t always like attention, but opens up when his more rambunctious friend Rocky encourages him to play.

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

• Pays $200/shoot day (+20% if with

agency.)

Student Films ‘George’

• Casting “George.” Logline: A nine-year-

old girl must decide the gruesome fate of her pet goldfish.

• Company: NYU. Staff: Aliyah Jefferies,

writer-prod.-dir.

• Shoots June 26-27 in the NYC area.

• Seeking—Tanya: female, 8-11, Black /

African Descent, a nine year old girl who is mature for her age. She helps her mom with day to day tasks, but she desperately wants to be treated as an adult. Tanya is also very stubborn and will do anything to make her mom see her as grown up. Vivian: female, 34-45, Black / African Descent, a single mother who is juggling raising a child and supporting herself and Tanya. She is grateful that Tanya is a good kid that is always trying to help, but she also wants her to be and child and not worry about “adult” things. George: male, 18+, Tanya’s pet goldfish. George was given to Tanya as a guppy for her 6th birthday, and they’ve been together for 3 years. George has become very protective of Tanya, to the point where he comes off as controlling.

Veterinarian: all genders, 27+, all ethnicities. backstage.com

California casting

• Seeking submissions from NY. • Send submissions to adj340@nyu.edu.

• Auditions will be held June 12-13.

• All actors will receive the final cut of

the film. Lunch will be provided and transportation cost will be reimbursed.

National Commercials Infant Digestive Medication Commercial

• Casting a commercial for Mylicon, an

infant digestive medication.

• Staff: A. Citrola, coord.

• Shoots June 9 and 10 in NYC. • Seeking—African American Mother &

Infant: all genders, 18+, Black / African Descent, African American mother and infant for a Mylicon commercial. Note the age of your infant in your submission.

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

gmail.com.

• Note the age of your infant in your

submission.

• Pays $800 for adults, $500 for infant.

Southern California

• Company: Lewis Ward North American

Tour LLC. Staff: Paula Wagner, prod.; Jerry Mitchell, dir.-choreo.; Garry Marshall & J.F. Lawton, book; Bryan Adams & Jim Vallance, music & lyrics; Will Van Dyke, music supervisor; Executive Producer/General Manager: 101 Productions, Ltd., exec. prod.-general mgr.; Craig Burns, CSA (The Telsey Office), casting.

• Rehearsals begin Sept. 2; tour begins

Oct. 9.

• Seeking—Stage Manager: 18+, all

ethnicities.

cover letter to pwtstagemanager@ gmail.com. Submissions deadline is June 15.

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 $1,526/wk. Equity Short

Engagement Touring Category 2 Contract.

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

backstage.com

• Casting “Pens & Pencils” - one of six

shorts under the inaugural Black TV & Film Collective/Wavelength Productions Black Producers Fellowship. This is a short film about the school to prison pipeline.

Synopsis: This story unfolds through a series of nine vignettes, all of which take place on a magical midwinter night, with the Northern Lights dancing through the sky. The citizens of Almost, Maine discover the life-altering power of the human heart. Strangers become friends, friends become lovers, and lovers turn into strangers. It’s a play about discovery, the exploring of connections, relationships, and what brings us together as people.

• Company: Wavelength Productions;

Black TV & Film Collective. Staff: Gem Little, prod.; Gia-Rayne Harris, dir.

• Shoots July 16-18 in Los Angeles, CA. • Seeking—Ms. Mallory Johnson: female,

23-30, Black / African Descent; a new teacher with a high capacity for optimism. She has hopes for changing the school system, but on a day when she’s been inundated with the woes of being a Black person in America, she’s knocked out in a fight, spending the rest of her school day in a twilight style nightmare she can’t escape from.

Caleb: male, 13-18, Black / African Descent; dark skin, bright smile, an air of charm and intelligence Caleb, a teenage boy with more responsibility than a typical 7th-grade student, spends his day trying to escape a mysterious man roaming the school as well as his 7thgrade teacher, Mallory Johnson. Officer Shelby: female, 30-40, White / European Descent; takes the safety of Franklin Middle School very seriously and believes wholeheartedly that law and order is just a necessity of the human condition. For her, the most important thing is keeping the students safe... and in line. Caleb Owens (Adult Caleb): 30-40, Black / African Descent; the adult version of younger Caleb, haunts Franklin Middle when his younger self is sent to in-school suspension for a minor infraction. Mr. Richard Coleman: male, 40-50, Black / African Descent; a tattooed rebel, has been working in public education his entire career. He’s seen it all and though he understands what he’s up against, he never stops speaking his mind and making sure that he does his part to keep his students (especially those of color) heading in a positive direction. Mrs. Jackie Stewart: female, 30-40; means well but can be a bit tone-deaf at times. She is a great teacher with a big heart and spends her time being sure she’s up on the current issues of the world so that she can speak to them with her students. She can’t quite understand why she rubs Mallory the wrong way but continues to work to create a bond between the two of them. Andrea: female, 13-18, Black / African Descent, Latino / Hispanic, 13 to 18 years old; one of the brightest students at Franklin Middle and during Mallory’s history lesson she makes sure it’s clear that her reputation continues.

Damon: male, 13-18, Black / African Descent; another one of Mallory’s students. He’s gunning for Andrea’s spot as the smartest kid at Franklin Middle.

Michael: male, 13-18, White / European

• Company: Conejo Players Theatre.

Staff: Elena Mills, prod.

• Rehearsals TBD; performs Sept. 17-26

(Fri.-Sat., 8 p.m.; Sun., 2 p.m.) at Conejo Players Theatre, 351 South Moorpark Rd, Thousand Oaks, CA 91361.

• Seeking—Male Actors: 18-45, will play

ment at https://www.conejoplayers. org/almost-maine-0

tour of “Pretty Woman.”

‘Pens & Pencils’

• Casting “Almost, Maine,” a play.

• Equity’s contracts prohibit discrimina-

• Seeking Equity stage managers for the

Short Films

‘Almost, Maine’

• Seeking submissions from NY. • For consideration, submit resume and

‘Pretty Woman,’ Tour, Stage Manager

• No pay.

Plays

multiple characters including Pete, an inexpressive, nice guy; Lendall, a simple guy with a romantic edge; Phil, a hardworking man having marital issues; Man, a small, thin, everyday guy; East, a gentle repairman; Jimmy, a heating and cooling man, depressed and trying to get over his ex-girlfriend; Chad, a rough ‘country guy’; Randy, a rough ‘country guy’; Dave, a timid guy who tries to be tough, but is really tender; and Steve, a kind, open guy who is very sheltered.

Female Actors: 18-45, will play multiple characters including Ginette, young and in love; Waitress, a busy body, yet caring; Glory, a hiker with a tough facade, yet has a broken heart; Gayle, an angry woman who is impatient because she feels like her boyfriend is not moving fast enough; Hope, an independent and confident woman; Sandrine, an excited girl who is about to get married; Marvalyn, a woman who puts up a hard front to protect herself from getting hurt; Marci, a hardworking woman having marital issues; and Rhonda, a tough tomboy who has never been in a relationship.

Stage Staff & Tech

CA 91361. Zoom auditions will be held June 30 by appointment only.

• Seeking submissions from CA. • You must register for audition appoint-

• Each auditioner will choose a date and

time for their audition. We will have two time slots on both Monday and Tuesday, June 28 and 29, at 7 p.m. and 8:15 p.m.

The auditioners will sign in on arrival and immediately be seated in the theatre. Each auditioner will be required to wear a mask until they are called onto stage, where they may remove the mask, as long as they are maintaining 6 feet of distance. Auditioners must leave when their audition time slot has ended and may not enter the theatre until their slot has begun. In person auditions will be held by appointment only June 28 and 29 at Conejo Players Theatre, 351 South Moorpark Rd, Thousand Oaks,

27

Descent; charming and a bit of the class jokester. When he won’t stop texting Caleb during class, he gets Caleb into trouble and quickly disappears - never to be found. Portal Crossers: male, 13-40, Black / African Descent, Ethnically Ambiguous / Multiracial, Indigenous Peoples, Latino / Hispanic; during a strange day at Franklin Middle, these four men were in an altercation that sends them crossing a portal from school to prison and back again.

• Seeking submissions from CA. • Send submissions to gem@nbdypic-

tures.com.

• Confirm that you are able to be avail-

able for the shoot dates as well as a table read and rehearsals during the month of July leading up to the shoot.

• $125/day deferred

Student Films ‘Silent’

• Casting “Silent,” a character-driven

short drama about a woman dealing with isolation, grief, and PTSD in the wake of a traumatizing silent miscarriage.

• Company: USC. Staff: Caleb Smith, dir.

• Tentatively shoots June 19 in Thousand

Oaks. Dates and locations are subject to change.

• Seeking—Nathan: male, 25-35, all eth-

nicities, has struggled to move on after he and his wife Lily’s failed pregnancy.

The two have grown apart in the months following the miscarriage.

Nathan wants a family, but he cannot come to terms with the idea that Lily might be too traumatized by her experience to try again. Mel: female, 25-35, all ethnicities, the friend that’s always there, but somehow never feels like a real friend. Mel comes over to help Lily finish building out the nursery, only to trigger Lily with her prying, tone-deaf small-talk. Mel is constantly, incidentally crossing the line and backtracking to make Lily feel better.

• Seeking submissions from CA. • Send submissions to clsmith@usc.edu.

• Submit reels. Will hold the second

round of auditions in person or on Zoom in the coming weeks.

• Pays $120/day for two 8-hour days.

‘The Bargain,’ AFI Student Film

• Casting ‘The Bargain’, an AFI fantasy

horror student short film. Logline: Set in 1300s, Frances makes a Faustian bargain with the chaotic demon Vitus in order to secure a better life for he and his son, but may lose his soul in the gamble.

• Company: American Film Institute.

• Shoots June 12-14 in LA, CA. • Seeking—Troy: 6-10, all ethnicities, is a

curious and loving child who fell down a well and is now bed-ridden.

Background Actors In 1300s Setting: 30-40, all ethnicities.

• Seeking submissions from CA. • Send submissions to eschwager@afi.

edu.

• Include your availability in your

submission.

06.10.21 BACKSTAGE

casting National/Regional • Meals and crafty are provided. No par-

ticipation fee required. Covid Protocol: everyone on set needs to take Covid test every 48 hours and AFI provide free tests on campus and on location.

Online Commercials & Promos Bravo Sierra Commerical Ad

• Casting a motivational, high-energy ad

for Bravo Sierra.

• Company: Ian Harrington Productions.

Staff: Ian Harrington, dir.

• Scheduled to shoot June 9, 10, and 11 in

Southern California.

• Seeking—Female Lead: 27-37, all eth-

nicities, athletic individual who uses Bravo Sierra products while completing everyday tasks. Having served in the military is a huge plus. Must be active and in good shape. Male Lead: 29-37, all ethnicities, athletic individual who uses Bravo Sierra products while completing everyday tasks. Having served in the military is a huge plus. Must be active and in good shape.

• Seeking submissions from CA. • Send submissions to Sales@ianhvideo.

com.

• Having served in the military is a huge

plus. Must be active and in good shape.

• Contract to be sent with details upon

approval of role.

Mom & Son Safety Product Commercial

• Casting an actress to play a mom in a

safety product commercial.

• Company: Gro Creative Group. Staff:

Scott Kelley, dir.

• Shoots in the Hollywood/West

Hollywood, L.A. area.

• Seeking—The Mom: female, 35-45,

White / European Descent, speaking role. Tells the customer about the dirt and bacteria that tracks through the home on a daily bases. She is then shown displaying the product while talking about how she can rest easy knowing that her family is safe.

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

• Pay provided.

National/ Regional Plays ‘American Son’

• Casting Equity actors for “American

Son.”

• Company: Curious Theatre Company.

Staff: Christopher Demos-Brown, playwright; Jada Suzanne Dixon, dir.; Chip Walton, prod. artistic dir.; Marike Fitzgerald, artistic prod.

BACKSTAGE 06.10.21

otherwise seeking actors of all abilities.

Please let us know if you have any questions, concerns, or if there are any accommodations we can provide.”

• Rehearsals begin Oct. 12, 2021; runs

Nov. 4-Dec. 11, 2021 in Denver, CO. Note: Daytime rehearsals for the first week.

• Seeking—Scott Connor: male, 45-55,

White / European Descent; Kendra’s estranged husband; an FBI agent ofpredominantly Irish ancestry; takes pride in his family’s long tradition of military service; though rigid in his views, he has a warm, sensitive side and is a deeply loving and devoted father; has obvious contained power, but when pushed can explode. Officer Paul Larkin: male, 25-30, White / European Descent; an intelligent, congenial young police officer with boldcareer ambitions who lacks actual life experience; while always trying to do the right thing, he often says the wrong thing at the wrong time; his naivety can occasionally appear comic. Lieutenant John Stokes: male, 45-60, Black / African Descent; a tough, no-nonsense, career police officer who is used to having people listen when he talks; he has paid his dues; he knows the rules and has no hesitation enforcing them. Kendra Ellis-Connor (Cast): female, 40-49, Black / African Descent; a professor of psychology and the mother of a teenage son; recently separated from her White husband.

Emotionally raw but trying to keep it together behind a professional façade; exceptionally intelligent and self-possessed.

• Company: First Folio Theatre. Staff:

David Rice, exec. artistic dir.; Melanie Keller, assoc. artistic dir.; Hayley Rice, Brigitte Ditmars, Elise Kauzlaric, dirs.

• Rehearses and performs in Oak Brook,

IL.

• Seeking—Equity Actors: 18+.

• Seeking submissions from IL. • Send submissions to auditions@firstfo-

lio.org.

• For consideration, submit a video of

one contemporary monologue, stylistically appropriate for the shows in our season. Monologue not to exceed two minutes. Upload video to YouTube, Vimeo, Google Drive, etc. & send link to auditions@firstfolio.org. Include slate with first & last name, union status.

Submissions deadline is June 15.

• 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 $435/wk. Equity CAT Tier 3

Contract.

• Seeking submissions from CO. • For the available roles, download and

‘For Peace I Rise’

prepare sides located at https://drive. google.com/drive/folders/1pIYp3_ zuTk3_N4XoNZo8LSfJWx3JkTf?usp=sharing. Alternately (or if auditioning as possible replacement for Kendra), you may prepare a monologue of your choice in the style of the show.

Remember to slate your name at the beginning of your video. Submit video audition and current headshot/resume as a PDF to auditions@curioustheatre. org. Submissions deadline is June 15.

• Casting up to 12 Equity contracts for

new musical, “For Peace I Rise.” Total Cast of 24 actors. The company will include Actors, Singers & Dancers.

• Company: For Peace I Rise LLC. Staff:

Tom Jones II, dir.; S. Renee Clark & William Knowles, musical dirs.; Otis Sallid, choreo.

• Rehearsals begin July 13; tech runs Aug.

24-26; performs Aug. 27-29.

• Seeking—C.T. Vivian: male, 18+, Black /

African Descent. Octavia Vivian: 18+.

Soloists/Ensemble: 18+.

• Pays $364/wk. (SPT 3). Equity SPT

Agreement.

• Seeking submissions from GA. • For consideration, record a one-minute

First Folio 2021-22 Season

monologue of your choice and one verse and chorus of a gospel, jazz, or R&B piece. Send .mp4 or .mov video files under two minutes. You may also choose to submit vocal excerpts according to your voice part. Practice files, charts, and performance accompaniment are available through this link: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/ 1IQlHRGiaU2hvN1rfOZ8puEwho8Wl4Os U?usp=sharing. Submissions deadline is June 11. Callbacks TBD.

• Seeking video submissions from Equity

actors for the First Folio Theatre’s 202122 season. Productions include a horror tale, a mystery, and a period romance.

Season includes “The Jigsaw Bride” (Rehearsals begin Sept. 19; runs Oct. 13-Nov. 14); “The Secret Council” (Rehearsals begin Jan. 2, 2022; runs Jan. 26-Feb. 27); and “Emma” (Rehearsals begin Feb. 25; runs Mar. 23-Apr. 24).

• Company states: “First Folio is seeking

adult actors of all genders and ethnicities. In reference to the character descriptions—most characters we encounter currently are on the binary and are written with he/him or she/her pronouns and you will see that in the original scripts. But however limiting the descriptions are, our casting seeks to be inclusive and we invite gender non- conforming, genderqueer, transgender, and non-binary actors to audition for the roles they most identify with. We will also list race/ethnicity when specific to the character but are otherwise seeking all races and ethnicities. In addition, we will list disability when specific to a character, but are

• 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.

• LOA Contract and salary pending.

Huntington Theatre Company 2021-2022 Season

• Seeking video submissions from Equity

actors for the Huntington Theatre Company 2021-2022 Season. Season

28

includes: “Hurricane Diane” (Virginia Wimberly Theatre, LORT B. Madeleine George, playwright; Jenny Koons, dir.

Rehearsals begin July 27; tech Aug. 21; runs Sept. 1-26, 2021), and “Witch” (Virginia Wimberly Theatre, LORT B. Jen Silverman, playwright; Rebecca Bradshaw, dir. Rehearsals begin Sept.

14; tech Oct. 9; runs Oct. 15-Nov. 14, 2021), “Teenage Dick” (Co-production with Woolly Mammoth Theatre. Mike Lew, playwright; Moritz von Stuelpnagel, dir. Rehearsals begin Aug. 24, 2021), “The Bluest Eye” (Toni Morrison, novel by; Lydia R. Diamond, playwright; Awoye Timpo, dir.

Rehearsals begin Dec. 28, 2021), “Our Daughters, Like Pillars” (Kirsten Greenidge, playwright; Kimberly Senior, dir. Rehearsals begin Mar. 15, 2022), and “Common Ground Revisited” (Kirsten Greenidge & Melia Bensussen, conceived by; Kirsten Greenidge, adapted by; Melia Bensussen, dir. Rehearsal Apr. 26, 2022.).

• Company: Huntington Theatre

Company. Staff: Alaine Alldaffer, casting dir.; Lisa Donadio, assoc. casting dir.

• Season runs in Boston, MA. • Seeking—Equity Actors: 18+.

• Seeking submissions from MA. • Prepare a short monologue from a play

of your choice. A personal introduction is appreciated, but not required. Total video not to exceed five minutes.

Submit tapes in Vimeo or unlisted YouTube format along with headshot and resume preferably as a PDF to alldaffercasting@gmail.com. Video auditions deadline is June 15 at 6 p.m. EDT.

• All stage management positions have

been filled. All roles will not be understudied. The Huntington Theatre Company is an Equal Opportunity Employer and encourages actors of all backgrounds and abilities to audition.

Due to COVID-19, for remote audience access, and to allow for social distancing during live performances, Huntington Theatre Company plans to record each production and make a recording available for ticket-buyers in accordance with the LORT-AEA Extended Media Side Letter.

• 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 $1008/wk. (LORT B.) Equity LORT

Non-Rep. Agreement.

Shakespeare Theatre Company 2021-2022 Partial Season

• Seeking video submissions from Equity

actors for the Shakespeare Theatre Company 2021-2022 Partial Season.

Season includes “The Amen Corner (Sidney Harman Hall. James Baldwin, playwright; Whitney White, dir.

Rehearsals begin Aug. 31; tech begins Sept. 9 or 10; runs Sept. 14-26, 2021), “Our Town” (Sidney Harman Hall.

Thornton Wilder, playwright; Alan Paul, dir. Rehearsals begin Jan. 18, 2022; tech backstage.com

National/Regional casting

begins Feb 11, 2022; runs Feb. 17-Mar. 20, 2022), and “Red Velvet” (The Klein.

Lolita Chakrabarti, playwright, Jade King Carroll, dir. Rehearsals begin May 17, 2022; tech begins June 10, 2022; runs June 16-July 17, 2022.).

• Company: Shakespeare Theatre

Company. Staff: Simon Godwin, artistic dir.; Chris Jennings, exec. dir.; Carter Wooddell, resident casting dir.

• Season runs in Washington, DC. • Seeking—Equity Actors: 18+.

• Seeking submissions from DC. • Casting will not review materials of

non-Equity/EMC actors at this time. You must be a member of Equity to submit an electronic audition. Prepare one classical monologue, preferably Shakespeare, and a contemporary monologue of your choosing. Total audition should not exceed three minutes. Submit all taped auditions electronically with the subject line: EPA Subnission STC 2021-2022 (also include your membership number in the subject line to verify that you are a member of Equity)to castingshakespeare@ shakespearetheatre.org. State your name and what you are going to perform, prior to beginning your monologues. Send videos in the form of a link to view, not a file to download.

Submissions deadline is June 10.

• STC is committed to building an inclu-

sive organization that reflects the national artistic landscape and communities that we serve. We encourage people of all communities to audition for all roles available.

• Pays $1,096/wk. (LORT B+

-Shakespeare Theatre Company’s Sidney Harman Hall.) Pays $1,008/wk.

(LORT B - Michael R. Klein Theatre.)

Equity LORT Non-Rep Agreements.

Steppenwolf Theatre Company 2021-2022

• Seeking video submissions from Equity

actors for our 2021-2022 Season.

Season includes “1919” (Steppenwolf for Young Adults – SYA Round Theatre; Based on the poetry of Eve L. Ewing, J. Nicole Brooks, adaptation; Gabrielle Randle-Bent, dir. Rehearsals begin Jan. 4, 2022; design run begins Jan. 26; runs Feb. 2-Mar. 6 with a possible extension through Mar. 20; tour closes Apr. 3); “King James” (Steppenwolf Subscription Series - Downstairs Theatre; Rajiv Joseph, writer; Anna D. Shapiro, dir.

Rehearsals begin Jan. 25, 2022; design run begins Feb. 17; runs Feb. 24-Apr. 3 with a possible extension through Apr. 17); “Seagull” (Steppenwolf Subscription Series – Round Theatre; Anton Pavlovich Chekhov, writer; Yasen Peyankov, adaptation- translation-dir.

Rehearsals begin Mar. 29, 2022; design run begins Apr. 21; runs Apr. 28-June 12 with a possible extension through July 3); and “Choir Boy” (Steppenwolf Subscription Series – Downstairs Theatre; Tarell Alvin McCraney, writer; Kent Gash, dir. Rehearsals begin May 17, 2022; design run June 9; runs June 16-July 24). All roles will be understudied.

• Company: Steppenwolf Theatre

Company.

• Rehearses and performs live in person

in Chicago, IL.

backstage.com

• Seeking—Equity Actors: 18+, all

ethnicities.

• Seeking submissions from IL. • For consideration, prepare a one-min-

ute contemporary monologue. Slate your name, pronouns (if you wish to share), and the name of your audition piece before starting your monologue.

Email a link to your audition (unlisted YouTube or Vimeo) to SteppenwolfEPAs@gmail.com.

Attached files cannot be accepted.

Submissions deadline is June 15.

• 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 $1,045/wk. (Equity CAT Tier 6);

$969/wk. (Equity CAT Tier 5); and $668/ wk. (Equity SYA Tier 4).

Zoetic Stage 2021-2022 Season

• Casting Equity actors for the Zoetic

Stage 2021-2022 Season. Season includes “Frankenstein” (Nick Dear, playwright; Stuart Meltzer, dir.

Rehearsals begin Sept. 21, 2021; runs Oct. 14-31) and “Our Dear Dead Drug Lord” (Alexis Scheer, playwright; Tatyana-Marie Carlo, dir. Rehearsals begin Apr. 11, 2022; runs May 5-22, 2022.).

• Company: Zoetic Stage, Inc. Staff:

Stuart Meltzer, artistic dir.-co-founder; Michael McKeever, managing dir.-cofounder; Tatyana-Marie Carlo, dir.

• Season runs in Miami, FL. • Seeking—Equity Actors: 18+.

• Seeking submissions from FL. • Prepare two contrasting monologues

exceeding no more than four minutes.

Send an email with audition/audition link, headshot and resume to auditions@zoeticstage.org. Submissions deadline is June 14.

• Zoetic Stage encourages performers of

all ethnicities, gender identities, and ages, as well as performers with disabilities, to submit. The other two shows in our 2021-22 season, “Gringolandia” and “A Little Night Music,” were originally scheduled for last season which was cancelled due to the pandemic. We are using the actors originally cast for both shows. A concession has been granted to waive the required Equity auditions for these productions.

• Pays $438/wk. (2021) and $465/wk.

(2022.) Equity SPT Agreement.

Musicals ‘A Crossing’

• Seeking video submissions from Equity

actors for principal roles in Barrington Stage Company’s production of “A Crossing.” Note: All characters are Latinx. Spanish speaking a plus. Latinx performers are strongly encouraged to audition. Storyline: “A Crossing” is a new musical that tells the story of a

group of migrants crossing the Mexican-US border. The group faces many dangers along the way, including one from the “coyote” hired to smuggle them across. This visceral and intense new musical combines storytelling lyrics, athletic choreography and elements of Mexican folk music and dance to tell a remarkable tale of courage, fear and struggle.

• Company: Barrington Stage Company.

Staff: Julianne Boyd, artistic dir.; McCorkle Casting, casting; Pat McCorkle, casting dir.; Joshua Bergasse, dir.-choreo.; Rick Hip-Flores, musical dir.; Mark St Germain, book; Zoe Sarnak, music & lyrics; George Sáenz, additional musical arrangements; Alberto Lopez, story consultant; created in Association with Calpulli Mexican Dance Company.

• Rehearsals begin Aug. 24; runs Sept.

23-Oct. 17 in Pittsfield, MA.

• Seeking—Karina: female, 18-39, Latino

/ Hispanic, in her late 20’s-early 30’s.

Newly pregnant, she is fleeing an abusive relationship. She’s wary but strong, determined to find a home for her child in the United States. Excellent pop/ rock/soul singer, good mover; mezzo soprano with a high belt: A3-Eb5.

Martin: male, 30-39, Latino / Hispanic, crossed the border to the U.S. 15 years ago with his wife, Maria. After she died in childbirth having their son, Ernesto, Martin raised the boy alone. When Ernesto was 14, Martin was captured at home by ICE and immediately deported without having a chance to say goodbye to Ernesto. He is determined to cross again to reunite with his son.

Excellent pop/rock/soul singer, good mover; tenor or Bari-tenor, Bb2-4.

Arturo: male, 40+, Latino / Hispanic, Giselle’s “abuelo,” grandfather. A widower, Arturo recently lost his daughter and son-in-law to the cartel. Arturo is determined he will not lose his “nieta,” his granddaughter, to the violence around them. Despite being the oldest of the travelers, he is determined to bring her to safety across the border; Good pop/rock/soul singer, Baritone, excellent dancer. Giselle: female, 18+, Latino / Hispanic, 18+ to play a teenager. Her parents were activists against the cartel until they both disappeared.

She refuses to leave her country, not wanting to ‘run away’ from the cartel – or her first real boyfriend. Giselle has all the spikiness of a teenager as well as the hidden vulnerability. Excellent pop/ rock/soul singer, good mover; mezzo soprano with a high belt: A3-D5. The Coyote: male, 30-49, Latino / Hispanic, transporting people across the border is a dangerous business, and the Coyote can do it because he looks at people he transports as cargo. He can show no weakness. Good singer, excellent dancer. Female Storyteller: female, 30-49, Latino / Hispanic, excellent soulful/passionate singer with the presence and conviction both to front a rock band and to take us through the journey. Has been around, seen it all and is hardened by this world they live in. Both Storytellers have told this story over and over again. Pop/rock/soul singer, good mover. Must be able to sing in Spanish; alto or mezzo soprano

29

with a high belt: A3- Eb5. Male Storyteller: male, 30-49, Latino / Hispanic, excellent soulful/passionate singer with the presence and conviction both to front a rock band and to take us through the journey. Has been around, seen it all and is hardened by this world they live in. Both Storytellers have told this story over and over again.

Pop/rock/soul singer, good mover. Must be able to sing in Spanish; tenor Bb2-A4.

• Seeking submissions from MA. • Upload your video audition to Vimeo

and include a link for viewing in your email submission. YouTube links are also acceptable, but Vimeo is strongly preferred. Do not share via WeTransfer, Google Drive, Dropbox, iCloud or other file sharing platforms. For consideration, submit link to your video audition, and separate attachments of your headshot and resume to crossingcasting@gmail.com with the subject line “Full Actor Name/EPA Submission/A Crossing.” Submissions deadline is June 15.

• Limit your video submission to 2 min-

utes maximum. Actors may prepare a short contemporary song in the style of the show using their own accompaniment. Appropriate genres include contemporary pop, rock, folk, and soul.

Actors may also choose to prepare a one-minute cut of one of the provided songs linked below: https://drive. google.com/drive/folders/1HlNgX37b0AgjsJ5BX4D_8uyb5NOetN?usp=sharing. Include a slate at the top of your video (your name and name of song you’ll be performing).

• Self Tape Suggestions for Your

Audition: Framing your shot helps.

Make sure your phone/device is in landscape format and not portrait position; Make sure the lighting is sufficient.

Non-incandescent, bright white lighting that includes some diffusion (non direct, soft) is best; The sound is important. Please make sure if using a reader that YOU are easily heard. An external mic (Lavalier) plugs into your device, is economical and sounds great; Your background is clean. Be aware of what’s behind you. A busy or dark background can distract the viewer/listener; Keep the slate separate from the actual audition. Slates can be your headshot or your “live” introduction, whichever you prefer. Feel free to listen to our podcast (2 episodes, 20 minutes each) on video auditions. The link is here: Part one www.podbean.com/eu/pb4et4x-927236; Part two www.podbean. com/eu/pb-xqe4n-92de4c • 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 $672/wk. Equity LOA ref. COST

Contract.

‘Into the Woods’

• Seeking video submissions from tal-

ented actor/vocalists of all ethnicities

06.10.21 BACKSTAGE

casting National/Regional for “Into the Woods.” No roles will be understudied. Actors local to the Austin, Texas area particularly encouraged to submit.

• Company: Zachary Scott Theatre

Center. Staff: Stephen Sondheim, music & lyrics; James Lapine, book; Dave Steakley, dir.; Allen Robertson, music dir.; Gabriela De La Rosa, prod. coord.

• Rehearsals begin Sept. 7, 2021; runs

Sept. 29-Nov. 7 (six-seven shows a week; Weds.-Sun., 7:30 p.m. and some Sat. and Sun., 2:30 p.m.) in Austin, TX. Rehearsals will be held in an indoor space with Equity approved HVAC systems. Technical rehearsals and performances will take place outdoors on ZACH’s People’s Plaza. ZACH is intending to operate as a fully vaccinated workplace per the guidance issued by Actors’ Equity. Equity members will be expected to follow strict health and safety protocols set forth in accordance with Actors’ Equity Associations guidelines.

• Seeking—Baker: 35-45, a harried and

insecure baker who is simple and loving, yet protective of his family. He wants his wife to be happy and is willing to do anything to ensure her happiness but refuses to let others fight his battles. Hispanic actors particularly encouraged to apply. Baker’s Wife: 35-45, determined and bright woman who wishes to be a mother. She leads a simple, yet satisfying life and is very low-maintenance yet proactive in her endeavors. Hispanic actors particularly encouraged to apply. Cinderella: 20-30, a young, earnest maiden who is constantly mistreated by her stepmother and stepsisters. African American and mixed race actors particularly encouraged to apply.

Cinderella’s Stepmother: 40-50, the mean-spirited, demanding stepmother of Cinderella. Witch: 45-55, sarcastic, ugly-then-gorgeous, obsessive protector of Rapunzel who is straightforward and aggressive. African American actors particularly encouraged to apply. Rapunzel: 20-30, a loopy-butlovely maiden who is sheltered by the Witch and terribly lonely. She yearns to experience the world. Indian, African American, and Hispanic actors particularly encouraged to apply. Jack: 15-20, the feckless Giant killer who is ‘almost a man.’ He is adventurous, naive, energetic, and bright-eyed. Asian American actors particularly encouraged to apply. Jack’s Mother: 50-65, browbeating and weary, Jack’s protective mother who is independent, bold, and strong-willed. Also plays Jack’s Grandmother. Asian American actors particularly encouraged to apply. Little Red: 15-20, a spoiled young girl who is strong-willed, quick-wited, fearless, yet youthful and naive. Cinderella’s Prince: 25-35, vain and gorgeous, he is a disloyal lover who is currently searching for the next new, exciting thing.

Also plays Wolf and Lucinda, Cinderella’s stepsister. Rapunzel’s Prince: 25-35, just as vain and gorgeous as his Prince brother, he is always chasing the newest, most exiting endeavor. Also plays Florinda.

Mysterious Man: 50-65, a mischievous

BACKSTAGE 06.10.21

vagrant and nosy meddler. He is a good-natured protector and observer.

Also plays Narrator; an intellectual and pleasant story-teller who helps to orchestrate the show and illustrate lessons to the audience. Also plays Cinderella’s Father and Steward.

• Seeking submissions from TX. • For consideration, film your audition,

beginning with a slate, followed by a brief cut of a song from the show.

Accompaniment tracks can be found at this link if needed https://bit. ly/3oZVwdJ but we welcome and encourage the use of any cut or accompaniment that you prefer. Submit your video, headshot, and resume via https://airtable.com/shr01RCGcO9PnimW1. Submissions deadline is June 10, 6 p.m.CDT. • 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. Use a secondary audio source to play the accompaniment music so that it is audible in the tape.

• 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.

• LOA Salary pending.

‘The Wizard Of Oz’

• Seeking video submissions from Equity

actors for principal roles in “The Wizard of Oz.”

• Company: Pittsburgh Civic Light Opera.

Staff: Glenn Casale, dir.; Gerry McIntyre, choreo.; James Cunningham, music dir.; JZ Casting, casting; Billy Mason, prod.assoc.; Olivia O’Connor, development dir.

• Rehearsals begin July 1, 2021; runs

through July 10 2021 (possible July 11, 2021 rain date) outdoors at Heinz Field (stadium) in Pittsburgh, PA. • Seeking—Dorothy: 18+, Soprano. mid

to late teens; a plucky girl who is transported to the Land of Oz from her home in Kansas; throughout her journey she is seen as determined, daring, honest, and loyal; must be a strong singer/actor who moves very well; must be comfortable with handling a live animal. Aunt Em / Glinda: 35-49, legit soprano; late 30’s – 40’s; Aunt Em is Dorothy’s aunt who is hard workingand stern, yet also concerned for Dorothy’s well being and safety; Glinda is Oz’s Good Witch of the North; she is he kind-hearted and magnanimous protector of Dorothy and her friends. Hunk / Scarecrow: 30-49, baritone; Hunk is a Kansas farmhand who Dorothy later meets in Oz as the Scarecrow; although the Scarecrow lacks the brains he wishes to receive from the Wizard and thereby doubts his own intelligence, he turns out to be the most clever and resourceful member of the group; must be a fluid dancer. Hickory / Tin Man: 30-49, baritone; Hickory is a Kansas farmhand who Dorothy later meets in

Oz as the Tinman; The Tinman is a hardened woodsman in search of a heart from the Wizard to reconnect with a past love; he actually is full of emotion and follows his instincts when helping his friends; possible Tap Dancer. Zeke / Cowardly Lion: 30-49, bari-tenor; Zeke is a Kansas farmhand who Dorothy later meets in Oz as the Cowardly Lion; as the King of Forest, the Cowardly Lion has a mighty roar, but hislack of courage leave him frightened and spineless, especially in front of the Wizard; his quest for courage puts him toe to toe with the Wicked Witch, proving to himself that he can stand up and face his fears. Almira Gulch / Wicked Witch: 40-55, mezzo. 40’s – early 50’s; Almira Gulch is Dorothy’s menacing and meddling neighbor in Kansas who she later meets in Oz as the Wicked Witch of the West; the Witch is cunning, vengeful, and somewhat comical in her pursuit to destroy Dorothy and retrieve the ruby slippers; must be comfortable riding a bike and handling a live animal. Prof.

Marvel / Wizard Of Oz: 45-65, nonsinging; 45 – 65; Professor Marvel is a phony, yet amiable fortune teller in Kansas who Dorothy later meets in Oz as the Wizard; the powerless Wizard is egotistical and a bit of a blowhard, but eventually sees the good in the travelers and assists them with their wishes.

• Seeking submissions from PA. • Seeking video auditions from Equity

actors for roles in The Wizard of Oz. Equity Performers of all racial and ethnic backgrounds, gender identities and expressions, and performers living with disabilities are encouraged to audition.

All stage manager positions have been filled at this time. Prepare a brief classical musical theater song. No pop rock.

You may also choose to sing one of the provided cuts of “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” that is appropriate for your voice part at https://www.pittsburghclo.org/about/cloauditions.

Submission information is also available on that page. Submission deadline June 14, 2021, 11 p.m. EDT. • Pays $1,168 weekly minimum. Equity

RMTA Agreement.

Chorus Calls ‘A Crossing’

• Seeking video submissions from Equity

actors for chorus parts in Barrington Stage Company’s production of “A Crossing.” Note: All characters are Latinx. Spanish speaking a plus. Latinx performers are strongly encouraged to audition. Storyline: “A Crossing” is a new musical that tells the story of a group of migrants crossing the Mexican-US border. The group faces many dangers along the way, including one from the “coyote” hired to smuggle them across. This visceral and intense new musical combines storytelling lyrics, athletic choreography and elements of Mexican folk music and dance to tell a remarkable tale of courage, fear and struggle.

• Company: Barrington Stage Company.

Staff: Julianne Boyd, artistic dir.;

30

McCorkle Casting, casting; Pat McCorkle, casting dir.; Joshua Bergasse, dir.-choreo.; Rick Hip-Flores, musical dir.; Mark St Germain, book; Zoe Sarnak, music & lyrics; George Sáenz, additional musical arrangements; Alberto Lopez, story consultant; created in Association with Calpulli Mexican Dance Company.

• Rehearsals begin Aug. 24; runs Sept.

23-Oct. 17 in Pittsfield, MA.

• Seeking—Male/Female Ensemble: 18+,

Latino / Hispanic, Latinx Men and Women, any age. Good singers, Excellent dancers. Ensemble plays various Border Guards, Bandits, Travelers, ICE agents etc.

• Seeking submissions from MA. • Singers: Prepare a short contemporary

song not to exceed two minutes maximum using their own accompaniment.

Appropriate genres include contemporary pop, rock, folk, and soul. Singers may also choose to prepare a 16-bar cut from one of the songs linked below: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/ 1HlNgX37b0AgjsJ5BX4D_8uyb5NOetN? usp=sharing. Include a slate at the top of your video (your name and name of song you’ll be performing).

• Dancers: Prepare and film the dance

combination using the Dropbox link below: www.dropbox.com/sh/l89y5t2pgffs9ub/ AADcxYO6U-DYGuZU4LRqX0kla?dl=0.

• For all submissions: Upload your video

audition to Vimeo and include a link for viewing in your email submission.

YouTube links are also acceptable, but Vimeo is strongly preferred. Do not share via WeTransfer, Google Drive, Dropbox, iCloud or other file sharing platforms. Submit links to your video audition, and attachments of your headshot and resume to crossingcasting@gmail.com. Include whether you are auditioning as a singer or dancer in your subject line. Subject line for emails of submissions should read as follows: “Full actor name/ECC Dancer Submission/A Crossing” or “Full Actor Name/ECC Singer Submission/A Crossing.” Submissions deadline is June 15.

• See self-tape suggestions in principal

notice. An Equity Monitor will not be provided. The producer will run all aspects of this audition.

• 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 $672/wk. Equity LOA ref. COST

Contract.

Feature Films ‘The Funeral’

• Casting “The Funeral,” a feature-film

drama.

• Seeking actors local to the Northeast

US.

backstage.com

National/Regional casting

• Company: Orange Line Films. Staff:

Brett Cramer, dir.

• Shoots for five weeks in Sept.-Oct. in

the New England area. These roles are not needed for all five weeks.

Rehearsals would occur in Aug., either in-person or remotely via Zoom depending on availability. Not all roles are required to attend rehearsals.

• Seeking—Diane: female, 55-70, White

/ European Descent. Vicky: female, 28-40, Asian, Black / African Descent, Ethnically Ambiguous / Multiracial, Indigenous Peoples, Latino / Hispanic, Middle Eastern, South Asian / Indian, Southeast Asian / Pacific Islander.

Jerry: male, 55-70, Asian, Black / African Descent, Ethnically Ambiguous / Multiracial, Indigenous Peoples, Latino / Hispanic, Middle Eastern, South Asian / Indian, Southeast Asian / Pacific Islander.

Alex: female, 25-38, Asian, Black / African Descent, Ethnically Ambiguous / Multiracial, Indigenous Peoples, Latino / Hispanic, Middle Eastern, South Asian / Indian, Southeast Asian / Pacific Islander.

Cassandra: female, 45-70, all ethnicities. Eric: male, 19-30, Asian, Black / African Descent, Ethnically Ambiguous / Multiracial, Indigenous Peoples, Latino / Hispanic, Middle Eastern, South Asian / Indian, Southeast Asian / Pacific Islander.

Charlie: male, 8-12, White / European Descent. Nicole: female, 36-49, White / European Descent.

• Seeking submissions from NY and MA. • Send submissions to thefuneralmovie@

gmail.com.

• If you are interested, record a self-tape

with the attached side. iPhone quality is fine.

• Production team has had numerous

short films on Short of the Week, and can be viewed here: www.shortoftheweek.com/2020/12/17/its-been-awhile/ or www.shortoftheweek. com/2021/04/26/together/.

• Pays $150/day. If actor is not local to

the shoot location (i.e. within 1-2 hour drive), lodging will be provided. On-set meals provided.

Local Commercials Local Olympics Commercial

• Casting an actor to play an athlete get-

ting ready to compete.

• Company: Pence Media and Ethos.

Staff: Paulette Hopkins, casting dir.

• Shoots July 22-23 (6-9 a.m.; time sub-

ject to change) in the Dallas/Fort Worth, TX area.

• Seeking—Athlete: male, 18-30, Black /

African Descent, an athlete getting ready to compete in track/running.

Stretching, getting ready, and then running.

• Seeking submissions from TX. • Send submissions to paulette@blus-

parkagency.com.

• Pays $500 for two-day shoot (around

three hours each day). Pay includes travel and all fees. backstage.com

Online Commercials & Promos

Arcane, a supernatural mystery audio drama.

‘Motley Fool’

• If NYC-based, rehearsals and recording

• You can listen to previous episodes of

the show here- https://redcircle.com/ shows/arcane.

• Company: Sonder Productions. Staff:

Jacob Quinn, dir.

can happen in person.

• Casting “Motley Fool.”

• Company: Paladino Casting. Staff: K.

• If elsewhere, the home studio is

Paladino, casting.

required.

• Shoots June 24 in the Washington,

• Seeking—Crazy Craig: male, 40-80,

D.C./Virginia area.

An antisocial hermit with a proclivity for the supernatural. Chad: male, 30-50, A small-town family man desperate to keep his wife alive.

Margeret: female, 40-60, A caring waitress with no filter. Stacy: female, 25-40, A small-town woman with a heart of gold and a galvanizing streak.

Mike: 38-60, A kind but paranoid small-town cop. Niar: female, 18-28, A young college girl notices something unusual about her hometown.

• Seeking—Man #1: male, trans male,

54-60, quirky, charismatic, and trustworthy spokesperson. Background in comedy/improv required. Man #2: male, trans male, 35-39, all ethnicities, quirky, charismatic, and trustworthy spokesperson. Background in comedy/ improv required. Woman: female, trans female, 33-36, all ethnicities, quirky, charismatic, and trustworthy spokesperson. Background in comedy/improv required.

• Seeking submissions from DC, VA and

• Seeking submissions nationwide.

• Send submissions to jacobquinn@tut-

• Send submissions to talent@paladino-

• Act out a few lines from

NC.

anota.com.

casting.com.

• Session fee: $500 per 10-hr. day. Usage

fee: $1,000. Agency fee: +10%. Usage: OTT 3 months. Conflicts/Exclusivity: None. Project note: Prefer local talent to self-report. Rate includes any travel expenses.

Recording Audio

Artist: female, 18-55, native German female VO, 18-55, to record a few lines for a relaxation app. Native Spanish (Spain) Woman - VO Artist: female, 18-55, native Spanish (from Spain) speaker, 18-55, to record a few lines for a relaxation app. Native French Woman - VO Artist: female, 18-55, native French woman, 18-55, to record a few lines for a relaxation app. Native Portuguese Woman - VO Artist: female, 18-55, native Portuguese female speaker, 18-55, to record a few lines for a relaxation app. Native Spanish (Latin America/Mexico) Woman - VO Artist: female, 18-55, native Spanish (from Latin America/Mexico) speaker, 18-55, to record a few lines for a relaxation app.

• Casting a voiceover role for recording

lines of text.

• Company: BullyingCanada Inc. Staff:

Rob Benn-Frenette, exec. dir.

• Records remotely. Note: You must have

your own professional recording equipment (or access to it if not recording at home.).

• Seeking—General VO Recording:

30-50, record audio to be used for a charities toll-free telephone IVR. • Seeking submissions nationwide.

• Send submissions to casting@

BullyingCanada.ca.

• Only submissions via the Website will

be considered. No unsolicited contact.

• Audio will be used for our National

Telephone IVR.

• Seeking submissions worldwide.

• Apply on Backstage.com.

• Submit a reel in the language

Stage Staff & Tech

requested. Prefer native speakers or people who grew up in the country mentioned.

• Non-union, all media buyout, in

perpetuity.

‘A Crossing,’ Stage Manager • Seeking stage manager submissions

for future consideration for “A Crossing.” All SM positions are filled for this production.

Audiobooks & Podcasts

resume and cover letter to mlamee@ barringtonstageco.org ATTN: Maggie LaMee. Submissions deadline is June 10.

• Equity’s contracts prohibit discrimi-

nation. 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 $672/wk. Equity LOA ref. COST

Contract.

future consideration and assistant stage managers for the Shakespeare Theatre Company 2021-2022 Partial Season. Season includes “The Amen Corner (Sidney Harman Hall. James Baldwin, playwright; Whitney White, dir. Rehearsals begin Aug. 31; tech begins Sept. 9 or 10; runs Sept. 14-26, 2021), “Our Town” (Sidney Harman Hall. Thornton Wilder, playwright; Alan Paul, dir. Rehearsals begin Jan. 18, 2022; tech begins Feb 11, 2022; runs Feb. 17-Mar. 20, 2022), and “Red Velvet” (The Klein. Lolita Chakrabarti, playwright, Jade King Carroll, dir.

Rehearsals begin May 17, 2022; tech begins June 10, 2022; runs June 16-July 17, 2022.).

General Voiceover

• Staff: E. Kennedy, coord.

• Records remotely asap.

• Seeking—Native German Woman - VO

• Seeking—Stage Manager: 18+.

• Seeking submissions from MA. • For future consideration, submit

characters listed. The rest are cast. only.

language for short spots. Note: Record from anywhere.

formance: September 23rd Final performance: October 17th.

Shakespeare Theatre Company 2021-2022 Partial Season, Stage Manager

• Audio will be used in “Groundhogville”

• Casting VO artists who speak foreign

• First rehearsal: August 24th First per-

“Groundhogville” Draft 2 of the character you want to play and send me the audio.

• Only audition with the lines from the

Relaxation App, Specific Language Voiceovers

book; Zoe Sarnak, music & lyrics; George Sáenz, additional musical arrangements; Alberto Lopez, story consultant; created in Association with Calpulli Mexican Dance Company.

• Seeking Equity stage managers for

• Company: Shakespeare Theatre

Company. Staff: Simon Godwin, artistic dir.; Chris Jennings, exec. dir.; Carter Wooddell, resident casting dir.

• Season runs in Washington, DC. • Seeking—Equity Stage Managers/

ASMs: 18+.

• Seeking submissions from DC. • Seeking Assistant Stage Managers for

“The Amen Corner,” “Our Town,” and “Red Velvet.” All Stage Manager positions for the season have been filled, but SMs may submit for future consideration. For consideration, submit resume to employment@shakespearetheatre.org. Submissions deadline is June 10, 2021.

• Pays $1,224/wk. (LORT B+

-Shakespeare Theatre Company’s Sidney Harman Hall.) Pays $1,020 weekly minimum (LORT B - Michael R. Klein Theatre.) Equity LORT Non-Rep Agreement.

• Company: Barrington Stage Company.

Staff: Julianne Boyd, artistic dir.; McCorkle Casting, casting; Pat McCorkle, casting dir.; Joshua Bergasse, dir.-choreo.; Rick HipFlores, musical dir.; Mark St Germain,

Groundhogville

• Seeking voiceover talent for

“Groundhogville,” episode 8 of

31

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

06.10.21 BACKSTAGE

Ask An Expert Agents Auditions Film Headshots Television Theater Unions Voiceover

Q:

What should I say when I’m at an audition and I’m asked to talk about myself?

—@_littlemissbutterfly_

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 06.10.21

32

backstage.com

ILLUSTRATION: MARGARET RULING/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM; PHILLIPS: COURTESY MARCI PHILLIPS

Marci Phillips is the executive director of casting for the ABC Entertainment Group.

The reason that a director, producer, writer, or casting director may ask you to talk about yourself in a meeting or audition is simply to get a bit more insight into your distinct personality. When we have a better idea of what your special sauce is, we have a better idea of how to cast you!

I think you will agree that it’s important to get to know yourself before you share a bit of who you are with others. Do you identify yourself as an introvert, an extrovert, a deep thinker, a poet, someone who sees the humor in everything? Are you all of the above (depending on the moment), none of the above (you don’t subscribe to labels), or some other amalgamation of traits that ring true for you? We are all very complicated as human beings and carry a rainbow of colors within us. My point is simply to give some thought to this before you explore the things that you may want to talk about.

So what can you say that will give us a little glimpse into your world? We aren’t asking for an audiobook of your autobiography. Here are a few tidbits: Where did you grow up and go to school, and are there any interesting or fun stories you have about that? No journey through adolescence is boring or unremarkable if you look at it the right way. How did you acquire your love of acting? Who or what influenced you?

Who are the greatest inspirations in your career and life? It doesn’t have to be Viola Davis or the Dalai Lama—it can be a high school teacher you once had, or your mom.

What else are you passionate about? Do you have dogs, hobbies, plants? Tell us more about them! Is there a funny, amusing, or unusual event that happened in your world lately? Paint the picture for us.

Talk to us as if you’re telling a friend some things about yourself that they never knew. Everybody on earth is unique and has a story. Therefore, everyone is interesting!

In The Envelope The Actor’s Podcast

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