12.31.20
Oscar Nomination Watch “First Cow” “Hillbilly Elegy” “Promising Young Woman” More
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The Great Surrender Vanessa Kirby,
“Pieces of a Woman,”
and why actors should lean into vulnerability onscreen
6 Pages OF CASTING NOTICES
F O R
Y O U R
S A G
A W A R D S®
C O N S I D E R A T I O N
“VANESSA KIRBY is a WONDER in a CAREER-DEFINING PERFORMANCE.” VANITY FAIR
“GRADE A. ELLEN BURSTYN is SCORCHING.” THE PLAYLIST
WINNE R
BEST ACTRESS - VANESSA KIRBY VENICE FILM FESTIVAL
A FILM BY
KATA WÉBER
AND
KORNÉL MUNDRUCZÓ
FILM.NETFLIXAWARDS.COM
Contents The Green Room 4 SAG-AFTRA’s new guidelines for disciplining COVID-19 safety violators 6 This week’s roundup of who’s casting what starring whom 7 Harry Shum Jr. on “All My Life” and building authentic characters
Advice 9 NOTE FROM THE CD My life as an intimacy coordinator 10 #IGOTCAST Danielle Fiers
vol. 61, no. 31 | 12.31.20
Cover Story
Into the Unknown With her devastating (and already awardwinning) turn in “Pieces of a Woman,” Vanessa Kirby is giving us everything she’s got, to extraordinary effect page 12
10 SECRET AGENT MAN New year, new goals
Features 3 BACKSTAGE 5 WITH... Emerald Fennell 8 MEET THE MAKER Kelly Reichardt, “First Cow” co-writer and director 9 THE ESSENTIALISTS Virginia Johnson, costume designer 11 IN THE ROOM WITH 6 CDs offer their best advice after a hellish 2020 17 THE HORROR FILM THAT WAS 2020 Backstage’s awards editor gazes into the cloudiest crystal ball 24 ASK AN EXPERT Douglas Taurel on understanding backstage technicalities
Casting 18 New York Tristate 19 California 21 National/Regional Vanessa Kirby photographed by Dan Kennedy/ Chilli Media. Cover designed by Ian Robinson.
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12.31.20 BACKSTAGE
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Backstage 5 With...
Emerald Fennell By Casey Mink
The year 2020 will not be remembered fondly by most, but Emerald Fennell can’t complain. “Promising Young Woman,” the ultra-buzzy, Carey Mulligan–starring indie she wrote and directed, is finally premiering Dec. 25. (It was delayed last winter due to the pandemic.) She also returned as Camilla Parker Bowles on Netflix’s “The Crown,” a role she landed through means she admits were the wildest she’s ever used to get a job.
What performance should every actor see and why? It’s almost a cameo, but Philip Seymour Hoffman in “The Talented Mr. Ripley.” It was just an exercise [in a] kind of malevolence. [You should watch] anything that he did, but I think that performance—just to show that you can come into three scenes and be so brilliant—that performance is perfect.
ILLUSTRATION: NATHAN ARIZONA/PHOTO: FAYE THOMAS
Do you have an audition horror story you can share? I mean, so many. The one I think of most, which I actually wrote about in an episode of “Drifters”—which is a brilliant British comedy that was one of my first jobs—it was an audition for a movie in which I had to be a Victorian lady who, at one point, had sex with a form of bacteria in the shape of a man, and I was made to do it in the audition. I mean, I didn’t get the part. That was quite a bad day.
How did you first get your SAG-AFTRA card? Let me think. Oh, God, I think maybe it was “Call the Midwife.” I actually don’t know. It must have been before that. That’s terrible that I don’t know! It was a lot of paperwork. What advice would you give your younger self? If I could give my younger self advice, I’d say: Low-slung, wide-leg jeans don’t look as good as you think they do. I think that would be the most important, if I were to go back…. But apart from that, just practically, when it comes to making stuff, I think the thing that I would say that was useful to me was: There’s this Hollywood idea of “fake it to make it,” and I think, actually, that’s quite dangerous, and it just makes everything a lot more complicated in the long run. I would say that whatever the thing is, whatever the reason is you got into it, whatever it is that makes you want to make stuff, that is the thing that makes you unique and puts you in the position to be able to make this thing. And only you can do it.
What is the wildest thing you ever did to land a job? For “The Crown,” I said to Lindy [King], my agent, literally the moment “The Crown” was first announced—I have the email somewhere—I said to her, “If they’re doing ‘The Crown’ for the next however many years, they’re going to want young Camilla Parker Bowles. Really just make sure that I go in for it, because I really, really want to do it.” I think that was the most extreme, just because I knew early on that I really wanted to do it. In general, I’m not very pushy, I don’t think. Well, that worked out! Yes, it did! It was very fun.
“There’s this Hollywood idea of ‘fake it to make it,’ and I think, actually, that’s quite dangerous.”
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12.31.20 BACKSTAGE
HAVE YOU BEEN CAST IN A PROJECT THROUGH A BACKSTAGE CASTING NOTICE? Share your story with us and you might be featured in an upcoming issue! Just tweet @Backstage using the hashtag #IGotCast and we’ll be in touch to hear your success story! @BACKSTAGE
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Unions
SAG-AFTRA Will Discipline COVID-19 Safety Violators Amid rising infection rates in production hot spots, the union is not taking chances By Diep Tran
BACKSTAGE 12.31.20
commitment to ensuring that everyone takes on-set safety very seriously, including rules and protocols designed to help prevent the spread of COVID.” In September, SAG-AFTRA— along with the Directors Guild of America, the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees, and the International Brotherhood of Teamsters and the Basic Crafts Unions—reached a return to work agreement with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers. The agreement codifies testing protocols for cast and production crews, as well as sick leave and quarantine pay for actors if they
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are exposed to COVID-19. According to SAG-AFTRA, the new disciplinary rule wasn’t inspired by any large instances of COVID-19 safety violations. Overall, compliance with health and testing measures has been high. The new rule lays out a process of reporting and punitive actions. If any SAGAFTRA member witnesses a fellow union actor violating coronavirus safety protocols, they are encouraged to bring a complaint to SAG-AFTRA. If the union is informed of the violation by a third party, it will launch an investigation. SAG-AFTRA will then contact
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KEVIN COLE 44/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM
SAG-AFTRA RECENTLY passed a rule saying that any union member who violates COVID-19 safety protocols will be subject to disciplinary action. These actions can range from a reprimand to, most severely, expulsion from the union. “The vast majority of SAGAFTRA members working on set are consistently and conscientiously protecting themselves and their fellows by following the pandemic protocols laid out in the return to work agreement,” said SAG-AFTRA chief operating officer and general counsel Duncan CrabtreeIreland. “This new rule makes absolutely clear SAG-AFTRA’s
the actor in question to ask them to meet with union representatives to go over the violation and receive education to prevent it from happening again. If an actor does not cooperate with the union, they will be subject to a formal hearing. And if they are found guilty of violations during the hearing, there will be penalties. The penalties range from reprimand and censure to fines to suspension of membership. The most severe penalty is expulsion from the union—though that is only in the most egregious of circumstances, such as if an actor still refuses to follow COVID-19 safety rules. These new rules show that the film industry is serious about coronavirus safety measures. Recently, Tom Cruise was heard on tape reprimanding the crew members of “Mission: Impossible 7” for breaking safety protocols, saying, “We are the gold standard. They’re back there in Hollywood making movies right now because of us—because they believe in us and what we’re doing.” Notably, even as New York, Los Angeles, and London are facing strict lockdowns because of rising COVID-19 infection rates, film productions have been allowed to continue. Despite pauses in productions here and there, no large outbreaks have been traced to film sets. According to contact tracing data recently released by New York State, household gatherings account for almost 74% of COVID-19 transmissions. By contrast, media productions account for only 0.02% of infections—lower than restaurants, schools, and sports gatherings. If SAG-AFTRA has anything to say about it, that number will continue to stay low.
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kids and adults for decades will make a serial return on the cable network. The series follows a boy who unknowingly brings home a demonic doll from a yard sale, which proceeds to wreak havoc on a small town. The murderous toy meets past friends and enemies as the series returns to the character’s 1980s origins. The show has already brought on Jennifer Tilly, as well as “Child’s Play” veteran Brad Dourif to voice Chucky; Bonnie Zane Casting is assembling the remaining cast. The project, which will air on both Syfy and USA, will start shooting in March 2021 in Toronto.
ABC Spotlights Civil Rights in ‘Women of the Movement’ The network is casting its limited series about Mamie Till Mobley 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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Joe. Production is set to begin in mid-January in Mississippi and Memphis, Tennessee. “Chucky” Syfy and USA Network are reviving a horror favorite with “Chucky.” The flame-haired, diabolical doll that has scared
TELEVISION
Pamela Anderson + Tommy Lee Head to Hulu (Sorta) By Casey Mink
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For the latest news, check out backstage.com/resources to find thousands of production listings, casting directors, acting classes, agents, and more!
LILY JAMES AND SEBASTIAN STAN have signed on to depict Pamela Anderson and Tommy Lee, respectively, in “Pam & Tommy,” a new limited series for Hulu. The project will follow the tumultuous relationship between the model-actor and the rock star—and yes, it will include the infamous incident in which explicit footage was leaked from their honeymoon. Among the project’s executive producers are Seth Rogen, who will also star, and Evan Goldberg, with Annapurna attached to produce. “I, Tonya” director Craig Gillespie will helm the series. So far, neither Anderson nor Lee has any involvement.
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MARGAUX QUAYLE CANNON
“Women of the Movement” Jay-Z and Will Smith are teaming up to produce a series about those who worked behind the scenes of the American civil rights movement. ABC has given the greenlight to the limited series, based on Devery S. Anderson’s book “Emmett Till: The Murder That Shocked the
World and Propelled the Civil Rights Movement,” which will be directed by Gina PrinceBythewood and written by Marissa Jo Cerar. The 14-yearold Till was visiting family in Mississippi when he was kidnapped, horrifically beaten, and lynched for supposedly flirting with a white woman in a grocery store. The series will follow his mother, Mamie Till Mobley, as she travels the country seeking justice for her son. Till’s grandmother, Alma Carthan, will also be a focus while she tries to protect her family in Chicago as her grandson’s story becomes national news. The adapted series, cast by Marci Phillips at ABC Primetime, has brought on Adrienne Warren as Mamie and Niecy Nash as Alma, as well as Glynn Turman and Cedric
PATTI PERRET/UNIVERSAL PICTURES
What’s Casting
“The Chair” Sandra Oh and Jay Duplass are heading back to school in the new Netflix series “The Chair.” The show will follow the chair of the English department at a large university, played by Oh. D.B. Weiss and David Benioff, the writers and creative minds behind “Game of Thrones,” will join Oh and co-showrunner Amanda Peet in executive producing the series. Avy Kaufman is currently casting the project, which, as of now, only has Oh and Duplass attached. Production on the six-episode dramedy is set to start in February 2021 in Pittsburgh.
The Slate
GET YOUR TISSUES READY, because “Glee” and “Shadowhunters” star Harry Shum Jr. will break your heart in his new romantic drama “All My Life.” Based on the true story of Jennifer Carter and Solomon “Sol” Chau, a couple who hastily plans a wedding after Sol, played by Shum, is diagnosed with cancer, the film sends the 38-year-old actor on an emotional journey like no other. Sitting with Backstage for a recent Instagram Live interview, he shared his experience on the film and how his diverse background (he grew up in Costa Rica with Chinese parents) informed his development as a performer.
Finding His Way In
Harry Shum Jr. talks “All My Life” and tips for building a character By Gillian Russo
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.
“All My Life” tasked Shum with finding the right emotional balance in his performance. “This character, Sol, was holding it in as much as possible, because he wanted to stay strong for the people around him. And I think that is sometimes the hardest emotion, because you want to tap into it, but you have to hide it as much as possible.” His life experiences inform his approach to new material. “We always talk about, ‘How can I become a better actor?’ I was like, ‘Well, how can you be a better human?’ Because that alone will allow you to be a better actor, because [acting requires] sympathy and to look at things you can’t necessarily [find] by just reading an acting book or going to acting class…. I am very fortunate to be able
FILM
MARGAUX QUAYLE CANNON
PATTI PERRET/UNIVERSAL PICTURES
McDormand Won’t Lay Dormant By Casey Mink
Harry Shum Jr. in “All My Life”
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to have crossed paths with so many different types of people, and I think that’s the most important part, as a performer. We always talk about being actors and learning technique, which is just as important, but I think [it’s] more important to connect with as many people as possible that differ from you and [don’t] just have the same mindset and perspective that you do. That has definitely informed me as a performer—to look at material in different ways and try and dismantle it so it becomes something that is very fresh and almost foreign to you, so you can start figuring out ways to play it, or at least set it up, so it allows you to really live in the moment—but also as a curious cat, going around it and trying to find all the different perspectives in it.” Shum’s No. 1 piece of advice? Don’t rush your growth. “I think there [are] necessary steps that you need to take to get to a certain place. And as much as you want to be superhuman and jump really high and get to that place really quickly, the journey is really fun. So I would say to my younger self: The journey’s going to be really fun but also very difficult. But when you reach a certain height, you look back, and you would want to redo the steps again.” Want to hear more from Shum? Watch our full interview at backstage.com/ magazine, and follow us on Instagram: @backstagecast.
THOUGH SHE’S CURRENTLY GARnering early Oscar buzz for her turn in “Nomadland,” Frances McDormand is looking ahead to her next projects; among them will be a feature film adaptation of the bestselling Miriam Toews novel “Women Talking.” MGM’s Orion Pictures and Plan B will distribute the project, which will be directed by Sarah Polley (who is Oscar-nominated herself for 2006’s “Away From Her”). Along with starring, McDormand will produce the film via her Hear/Say Productions banner. A timeline for the project is not yet known.
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Meet the Maker
Kelly Reichardt, “First Cow” co-writer and director Orion Lee and John Magaro in “First Cow”
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“I’ve had very few instances where someone got into it and it wasn’t their thing and they shouldn’t have been in it,” Reichardt says of the demands of her rough-and-tumble indies. “You’re up for it if you want an experience; not everyone wants an experience. [But] if you want to be coughing on dust in 102-degree weather, but also in a van seeing the most beautiful sunset of your life…” “First Cow” was comparatively “quite pleasant,” which is befitting of this little indie’s charm, its embrace of unlikely fraternity, and the simple, quiet feel-goodness of it all. “It’s 40 degrees and rainy—you can
“People have a feeling of not easily falling back into the rhythm of life after the shoot’s over. It’s always hard to end them.”
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dress for that,” Reichardt quips of the filming experience. “Not that it wasn’t ever challenging, but it was a pretty good ride, I have to say.” Set in 1820 and based on Jonathan Raymond’s 2004 novel “The Half-Life,” “First Cow” is the story of friends Otis “Cookie” Figowitz, a traveling chef, and King-Lu, a Chinese immigrant, as they go into business together, stealing milk from their settlement’s first and only cow to make biscuits before bringing them to market. Reichardt says that in casting Cookie and King-Lu, played by John Magaro and Orion Lee, she was looking for actors who fit the roles’ natural traits. Magaro, for instance, “has a Cookie quality to him” in that “he’s really grounded, he likes to cook, he’s very good at being still, he’s a good listener, he works things out in his mind…” And the list
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ALLYSON RIGGS/A24 FILMS
WHEN SIGNING ON TO A Kelly Reichardt film, actors should know what they’re in for. One of the most acclaimed filmmakers working in independent cinema today, Reichardt’s minimalist, slow-burning explorations of working-class America’s past and present have required actors to come prepared for a full-fledged journey, ready to get some dirt on their hands. When cast, you can expect to be part of a community-driven set experience rather than “being separated from everything in a trailer just waiting to come out.” You’ll also be facing a given locale’s climate and terrain head-on—whether that’s the arid deserts of the Oregon Trail (2010’s “Meek’s Cutoff”), the frigid Great Plains of Montana (2016’s “Certain Women”), or the deep woods of the Pacific Northwest (this year’s heralded A24 release “First Cow”).
goes on. Then, the full “experience” began. Reichardt wanted to ensure that her players were up to the period-specific tasks of “First Cow,” so she sent Magaro and Lee “off with a survivalist into the woods for a few days to learn how to do some basic living off the land,” she says. “That’s how they got to know each other. And so we did that in lieu of rehearsals.” She adds that her lived-in filmmaking often means that “people have a feeling of not easily falling back into the rhythm of life after the shoot’s over. It’s always hard to end them, because people get really attached to each other and to the whole experience.” And that’s just as true of the filmmaker herself. Reichardt has lived with “First Cow” for years at this point. Conversations about adapting the novel began some 15 years ago, she filmed in 2018, and the film premiered at Telluride in 2019. The movie debuted first on limited screens in March, then on VOD in July due to the pandemic. She’s now in the midst of a winter awards campaign. But she admits that she, too, gets swept up in each new process; it’s always hard to say goodbye. Her drive to and from New York City, where she teaches, often serves as a time to reflect. “I find [that] going from being around so many people to being completely alone in a car with a dog, I’m definitely crying through the first three states, and then I get it together,” she says. “There’s a decompression that happens. Usually, I’m going right into the editing room, so it’s on [to] the next wave of things.”
ILLUSTRATION: MARGAUX QUAYLE CANNON; “HILLBILLY ELEGY”: NETFLIX
By Benjamin Lindsay
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Note From the CD
THE ESSENTIALISTS
VIRGINIA JOHNSON
My Life as an Intimacy Coordinator
costume designer
By now, you’ve definitely seen images of a nearly unrecognizable Glenn Close and Amy Adams as Mamaw and Bev Vance, respectively, in Netflix’s “Hillbilly Elegy.” Here’s how costume designer Virginia Johnson helped transform the superstars into Appalachians.
ILLUSTRATION: MARGAUX QUAYLE CANNON; “HILLBILLY ELEGY”: NETFLIX
By Marci Liroff
I’VE ALWAYS REVELED IN being a multihyphenate. In addition to casting, producing, coaching actors, and designing jewelry, I recently added another feather to my cap: I’m now a certified intimacy coordinator for film and television. I started working in this field at the end of 2018, and (miraculously) got a job during the pandemic working on a television series called “Hightown” for Starz. When a scene calls for nudity or simulated sex, it’s my job to make sure that the actors are safe in all scenes and have clearly given enthusiastic consent. Collaborating with the actors and filmmakers to help bring their vision to the screen is truly gratifying. Without an intimacy coordinator, actors are often left to their own devices to map out how an intimate scene should go. There is a high risk
ALLYSON RIGGS/A24 FILMS
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of blurred lines and abuse in a workplace where workers are required to kiss and simulate sex. To combat this, it’s becoming best practice to have a coordinator on set. In fact, HBO has made it mandatory that one is hired for all of its shows that include this content. Think about it: When a production executes a stunt, it hires a stunt coordinator who makes sure that every member of the crew remains safe, is educated, and has given consent to perform the task at hand. This requires interviews with the production team to determine exactly what is called for in the scene down to the smallest detail. It also requires extensive choreography, planning, and safety meetings. Now, with intimate scenes, the same thoughtful attention to detail can be given to create a safe environment for the actors
She actually dialed down Mamaw’s look. “We wanted to get to the essence of her, but I didn’t want her to ever feel like a caricature. I also didn’t want [it] to feel like we had tried to make her feel like any grandmother, either. This person
By Casey Mink was very specific to her understanding of her place in the world. After her own struggles rising into that working middle class, she had a really specific style, and we wanted to stay true to that. But I didn’t want her to come across as a joke.” If you want to do costuming, do everything. “I find that having worked and trained in theater has informed what I do for film, and [has gotten me] thinking about broad strokes of storytelling. But because of film, I now can also focus on the minutiae in any tiny scene. Having that
involved, as well to ensure that the vision of the director and producers is met, thereby saving the production time and money. In a nutshell, here’s what I do: During pre-production, I meet with the production team to determine what is called for in the scene. I then meet with the actors one-on-one to discuss ideas for the scene. During this time, we confirm what areas of their body, in line with their nudity rider, they are comfortable revealing. In addition, we discuss consent for potential choreography for intimate scenes, and I invite any concerns to be raised. I find that most actors are hard-wired to agree to anything. You are trained to jump into most circumstances with trust and an open heart. But you should know that your “No” is very powerful. For instance,
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range of experience is key to developing your own vocabulary. I didn’t start as a costume designer; I started as a stitcher, and I have done a lot of different jobs. Every single one was a way for me to observe and learn how other people handle not just the work, but the stress of the work.”
there’s a clause in your SAGAFTRA contract stipulating that you have the right to say no to a scene while you’re in the middle of shooting, even if you’ve agreed to it and have signed a nudity rider. We can then compromise on the scene and continue shooting, or we can employ a double for you. The double can only do what’s in your nudity rider, and the production can use the takes you’ve already shot. The new SAG-AFTRA 2020 agreement also affords you several other rights where this content is involved; it was written with the help of the industry’s leading intimacy coordinators.
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Secret Agent Man
New Year, New Goals THIS PAST YEAR HAS FRUSTRATED MY EVERY ATTEMPT TO PUT on a happy face. All the agents I know took a financial hit in 2020, and that goes double for their clients. Luckily, the industry is moving toward the light at the end of the tunnel—and when we finally get there, I’ll be waiting with open arms. That said, there’s always something to be learned, even in the worst of times. So I’d like to share some of my resolutions for the coming year, and I hope they inspire you to make some of your own.
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I’ve been working from home for the last nine months, and I miss every inch of my precious office. I used to complain about the commute and the parking structure and the air conditioning that never worked right. Now I feel like a fool for doing that. I will never, ever take my office for granted. (But it would be nice if someone could fix that damned air conditioning!) One of the best parts of being an agent is bouncing ideas off your team. I’m the first to admit that I’m not always the
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smartest guy in the room, so it’s incredibly helpful to have experienced people all around me. Should I submit Gina for this role? Is this guy someone we should sign? What do you think of this contract? That kind of interaction is so valuable, and it doesn’t work as well online or over the phone. So I will never, ever take the staff at my office for granted.
When the world approaches normalcy, I will sit down to eat with anyone and everyone.
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#IGOTCAST. Danielle Fiers
By Jalen Michael It certainly has not been easy to stay proactive during this trying year, but actor DANIELLE FIERS has made it work. Here’s how. Try and try again. “For the audition [for my recent project], I was sent over two scenes, and I read both characters in the dialogue. I read the two scenes a couple of different ways for versatility, and they loved it!” Let Backstage keep you busy. “Backstage is my new favorite app! I use it every day to check out castings. The excitement of seeing what’s happening in the acting world now, especially during these times, is fun and exciting and keeps me busy during quarantine.” Even when work is limited, relationships are not. “I have had a few chats back and forth with casting directors, some who wanted to work together, but due to the current state of the world, it was too risky. We are looking forward to working together in the future! It’s all about building relationships.”
TO SEE YOUR SUCCESS story in print, tweet @Backstage using the hashtag #IGotCast, or email us at igotcast@ backstage.com.
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ILLUSTRATION: SPENCER ALEXANDER; FIERS: BRANDON ANDRE
I’ve learned that the act of appearing on Zoom ages me by about 10 years. Yikes! That definitely has to change. This coming year, I will experiment more with lighting, angles, and even makeup. (Yes, believe it or not, agents are as vain as actors.) And while I’m on the topic of Zoom, I will remember that the mute button is a friend that can prevent me from embarrassing myself. I miss meeting potential clients in person. I’ve always enjoyed that part of the job. It’s fun to get to know someone as you consider representing them. That in-person energy is a big part of the process, and it’s just not the same when meetings are held virtually. In 2021, I’m going to make an effort to set up meetings in outdoor spaces where we can practice social distancing. That should help me make more informed decisions. I used to complain all the time about the lunches I had to share with industry people I didn’t particularly like. (For context: My assistant used to call me “the king of the last-minute cancellation.” Whoops!) Those meals are a necessary evil, because they create relationships that can be exploited for my clients. And now I miss them. So. Much. When the world approaches normalcy, I will sit down to eat with anyone and everyone. And finally, I promise to stay positive in the coming year, because there’s really no other choice, is there? I hope you enjoyed a safe holiday. We still have miles to go in this pandemic mess, but there’s work to be had, so I want you to stay focused. I promise that, one day soon, you’ll be on a set patting yourself on the back for having survived the worst year ever.
RAQUEL APARICIO
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Spotlighting the people and projects you need to know
In the Room With
6 CDs Offer Their Best Advice After a Hellish 2020 It’s been a year of ups and downs, but casting directors are still here to help actors navigate all of them By Elyse Roth
IT’S BEEN SAID IN MORE WAYS THAN YOU CAN COUNT THAT 2020 has been a difficult year for everyone, and the entertainment industry was hit particularly hard, putting many people out of work for months on end. Many actors are still waiting for the opportunity to return to projects, and quarantine has been spent figuring out how to hone and use the craft while so much was on pause. And performers weren’t the only ones hit. Casting directors tasked with fitting those actors to projects also had to figure out new processes and ways to work. Whether they’ve been casting shows filming in isolation or figuring out how to fill their time while nothing was casting, CDs’ main concern has still often been the actors they hope to work with once offices are back up and running. With that in mind, here is the best advice casting directors had for actors in 2020.
RAQUEL APARICIO
ILLUSTRATION: SPENCER ALEXANDER; FIERS: BRANDON ANDRE
“There is a lot of noise out in the world, a lot of maybes, and a lot of uncertainty right now. Try to stay focused. Be kind, be honest, and be authentic. Put yourself and your craft first. The truth is, there isn’t going to be an abundance of work yet. Use this time to hone your craft, work on your writing skills, and self-reflect. And always be ready to do your best work!” —Russell Boast, CSA president
and center everything you do around that.” —Victor Vazquez, X Casting “There are so many platforms where people can create their own content and get discovered in a way, especially with the state of the world right now…. When we’re casting, we’re watching these videos people create in their apartments. Creating your own content can really make a difference now, especially at a time when you can’t go into a room to meet a casting director.” —Collin Daniel
“Take acting [classes] and work hard, because when opportunity knocks (and you never know when it will), you must be ready for it. It is easy to get into a casting office for one audition, but you want them to remember you for the next one. It’s not about getting this job—it’s about getting the next one.” —Libby Goldstein “Make yourself easy to find. Have a website, and put an email address on it. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve skipped an actor because they have one of those contact pages that makes it difficult to email them when I’m sending out lots of messages. And if you don’t have a website, have a public Instagram [account] with an email address listed.” —Kate Antognini
“Never pander to what you think the filmmakers are looking for. Never walk into a waiting room and see people there and presume that they’re going to get the role and not you because they look more like the character you envision than you do. The one thing every actor can deliver in an audition that no one else can is their true self. Bring whoever you are to the role. It could be very different from what the filmmakers are looking for, but if it’s authentic and it works, it can actually reframe what people think they’re looking for.” —David Rubin
Want more?
Read more advice from CDs at backstage.com/magazine
“Don’t worry about all those credits, or that your résumé is not fully fleshed [out]. It’s all about who you are. Let’s start there and lean into that and find you characters that match that, or characters that might be the opposite of that but that only you can play in an interesting way. Be authentic,
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12.31.20 BACKSTAGE
Into the Unknown With her devastating (and already award-winning) turn in “Pieces of a Woman,” Vanessa Kirby is giving us everything she’s got, to extraordinary effect By Casey Mink - Photographed by Dan Kennedy
VANESSA KIRBY REMEMBERS THE EXACT moment she realized what acting might actually be. That it occurred during a performance of a “probably terrible” all-girls’ production of “Hamlet” is beside the point. “I was playing Gertrude, probably in my mom’s clothes—complete crap,” she says with a laugh. “I remember being in a scene and then walking out into the school. I was walking up and down the corridor before going back on for another scene, and it was the first time it ever happened where I suddenly was thinking [Gertrude’s] thoughts. I was thinking, in the present moment, her actual thoughts about what was really happening. And then it made the scene coming next so much easier, because there was a blurred moment where this idea of [a] character being outside of you or someone that you have to become disappeared in a way. “I just realized,” she continues, “Oh, it’s inside me.” Kirby has been chasing that lucid high ever since. You may get it for just two seconds in the entire production of a film, she concedes, and longer only if you’re lucky. But she believes that its attainment should always be the actor’s primary objective: reaching that liminal space where you no longer have to think of yourself as the character and you can instead—speaking of “Hamlet”—just be. Kirby describes getting “into that zone” where you are inside the character as much as they are inside of you.
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“I always think about it as this really strange process of finding the person, because the person kind of exists in the abstract space, I guess, between you and the words on the page,” she says, “which also have come through a writer and their own experience. And so there’s this third space in the middle that you have to sort of get inside, and it takes a lot of time.” For her new film, Kornél Mundruczó’s “Pieces of a Woman,” which earned her the Venice Film Festival’s Volpi Cup for best actress earlier this year, Kirby, by her account, had to “get inside” three separate elements. The first two, being pregnant and giving birth, are experiences shared by women the world over. But the third required her to tap into something more hushed, a sort of sad sisterhood that she thinks isn’t spoken about enough: “what it actually feels like to lose a baby just after it’s born.” “That involved finding and spending so much time with the women who had been through that, which was a massive privilege,
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actually,” she says, noting their bravery. “They pretty much all said it’s so difficult, because society doesn’t want to hear about it. These women haven’t had a voice, really, in their experience of that level of grief or loss, because society doesn’t want them to talk about it.” She cites model-entrepreneur Chrissy Teigen, who recently shared her experience of pregnancy loss online and was immediately subjected to charged responses across the spectrum, from adulation and gratitude to utter vitriol. “It just goes to show that a loss like that is really hard for people to hear about,” Kirby says. “I felt really honored to be part of this film in that way, because I think it speaks to grief universally.” As she chats via Zoom just before Thanksgiving (though that likely doesn’t matter much to Kirby, who’s British), it’s fitting—and appropriately disarming—that the conversation begins with subject matter as heavy as infant and pregnancy loss, since the film does, too. Written by Kata Wéber, the 12.31.20 BACKSTAGE
Netflix feature (which will stream starting Jan. 7, 2021) almost immediately showcases a 25-minute labor and delivery sequence unlike any you’ve seen on film before—an intimidating prospect that was also part of the appeal for Kirby. She confesses, however, that her initial response to reading it was a more visceral “Oh, God.” “We see death so many times onscreen, and we don’t really see birth in this way. I also can’t remember seeing a film that dealt with losing a baby so head-on,” she says. “Doing the film has really set a kind of benchmark for me of wanting to find things that haven’t been seen or expressed onscreen before that need to be [seen in order] to generate conversation around them, to represent a side of being female that we haven’t seen. Those two things really struck me—and scared me a lot.” In discussing her work, fear comes up quite a bit for Kirby—or rather, how to cope with it. At the age of 32, she has already had more success than many actors ever do. Most notably, she earned an Emmy nomination in 2018 for her work on “The Crown,” playing Princess Margaret on the series’ first two seasons before handing the tiara off to Helena Bonham Carter. She also starred in “Mission: Impossible – Fallout,” has secured a role in the franchise’s coming seventh and eighth installments, and boasts numerous prestigious theater credits. But an unmistakable angst hums beneath
everything Kirby does. Making peace with that feeling continues to be the lifeblood of her career. “One of my friends said something like, ‘It’s always best to tell your fear [that] you can join me in the passenger seat. You’re not going to be driving the car, but you’re welcome to be here,’ ” she says. “It’s inevitable that you feel anxious or nervous, I think. I can’t just switch off my stage fright or my anxiety before going onstage, and the more I try and fight it, the worse it gets. I have to welcome it and be like, ‘It’s OK; you can be here. You’re not going to ruin the show.’ ” The most useful tool Kirby has found to combat anxiety, nerves, fear—whatever word you want to use for that prohibitive lurking— is old-fashioned preparation. Knowing her lines inside and out, front to back, sideways and in proverbial heels, gives her the freedom to show up and be present. It’s an odd sort of reconciliation to have prepped so thoroughly that you can act from a place of impulse, but one she considers crucial. “I learned that the hard way,” she says with a chuckle. “Sometimes I would approach jobs like, I’m just going to see what happens if I don’t learn my lines—just wing it on the day. Maybe it will be more spontaneous and impulsive, and it’ll be more flippant. And it wasn’t. Oh, my God, no, it wasn’t.” While that trial and error informs her now-scrupulous prep work, Kirby gives credit where it’s due and admits she borrowed the
approach in part from someone who knows just a bit about getting inside a character. Of course, if you worked with Anthony Hopkins, you’d do the same. “I just had a few little scenes in this brilliant thing he was doing,” Kirby says of the 2015 television film “The Dresser.” “He has a method that he’s always used where he says his lines out loud to himself a thousand times before doing any film. He’ll mark it on his script [and] tally it up, because he said you can’t be truly free unless it’s really in your body. You won’t be able to take the risk and go, ‘OK, I’m feeling the feeling of the state of mind this person’s in’ so that the lines can come out however which way they want to [because they’re] coming from that feeling, as opposed to, ‘I made a decision, I’ve learned my lines, I kind of know how I’m going to say them, and I’m going to turn up and just say them in a prepared manner.’ ” In other words, you reach a state in which you no longer have to be conscious of your “choices,” because they will be externalized actions made by the internalized character. To actually achieve that symbiosis, Kirby explains, you have to practice an almost relentless empathy in order to “absolve all your judgments” of the person you’re playing. “Acting’s such a funny job, isn’t it? How you think informs how you feel. And then how you feel, as a consequence, informs how you think,” she posits. “There’s a conversation between your feelings and thoughts
With Ellen Burstyn in “Pieces of a Woman”
BENJAMIN LOEB/NETFLIX
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BENJAMIN LOEB/NETFLIX
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04.02.20 BACKSTAGE
all the time. And so it’s almost like trying to get inside someone else’s thoughts—so then you don’t have to worry about how the person is coming across or the mannerisms or whatever else, because you’ve built it from the inside, and that’s what happens naturally. The best acting experience, really, is when you’re thinking as that person without being conscious of yourself.” The Catch-22, particularly for Kirby, is that fear, or even self-consciousness, will block the receptacles of empathy. If you as the actor at any point aim to shield yourself from the experiences of your character, you could be tossing out a crucial piece of their puzzle. “As an actor, you don’t want to protect yourself. I think it’s almost the opposite,” she says. “I find I’m less shy, for example, when I’m playing someone, when I’m trying to understand someone else or some other part of humanity. You take more risks, and you sort of push into parts of yourself that you might not every day know existed, because you have to feel the things that they feel.”
It’s always best to tell your fear, ‘You can join me in the passenger seat, but you’re not going to be driving the car.’ That is one reason why Kirby creates playlists for her characters. In addition to drowning out literal noise on set between setups, delving into what a character’s taste in music might be—or why they’d listen to a given song at a given moment—opens a window into their psychology. In a pinch, the music can build an impromptu bridge between herself and the person within. It can also help ease her gently into a particularly formidable role, fear be damned. “This idea of being daunted by something—I look for it. I go, ‘Oh, my God. I have no idea about this. I don’t know what it feels like to give birth, and I would love to learn about that,’ ” she says. “Of course, my dad is a cancer surgeon, so I grew up with him saving people’s lives. I always felt like acting is such a public thing, but it’s really not nearly as important as what a lot of people are doing in the world. But when you’re in a group of people who want to explore or understand something that perhaps we don’t yet know from our lived experiences, it does feel, sometimes, like such an honor.” BACKSTAGE 12.31.20
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Frances McDormand in “Nomadland”
The Horror Film That Was 2020
Backstage’s awards editor gazes into the cloudiest of crystal balls
SEARCHLIGHT PICTURES
By Jack Smart DEAR BACKSTAGE AWARDS ENTHUSIAST, Working as an awards editor through what is probably the entertainment industry’s most disruptive era has felt a bit like watching a movie—a thriller, full of twists, jump scares, and too much dramatic irony for its own good. I wish I could say I’ve been feasting on popcorn throughout, but my hands have been too busy covering my eyes. Yet while the pandemic, our sociopolitical landscape, and the ensuing changes in Hollywood continue to be stranger than fiction, great art thrives. If anything, projects that premiered during the mayhem of 2020 have taken on a fascinating array of new contexts. Aaron Sorkin began writing “The Trial of the Chicago 7,” which recreates the police crackdown at the 1968
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Democratic National Convention protests, 13 years before its release amid a nationwide outcry against unjust police brutality. Elisabeth Moss could never have known that her two 2020 films, “The Invisible Man” and “Shirley,” would come to symbolize fear of an invisible virus and agoraphobic seclusion, respectively. Heck, Andy Samberg’s “Palm Springs,” about an inescapable, infinite time loop, echoes the mundanity of life in quarantine. Looking back at this seemingly decades-long year and ahead at a film awards season extended all the way to the 93rd Academy Awards on April 25, 2021, what are the takeaways? What should future students of film history know about this moment? First things first: You can’t talk about the year in film without considering the still-unknown
fate of movie theaters. Major studios including Paramount, Universal, and Disney delayed big-screen spectacles until 2021 and beyond, waiting and wishing for the day when audiences can go to the cinema safely. In June, the country’s top-grossing film director was Steven Spielberg— not for his upcoming “West Side Story” remake, but for “Jurassic Park” and “Jaws,” which were among the only movies screened this summer. There’s plenty to discuss in a future letter, but suffice it to say that 2020 was not a good year for distributors operating without a streaming option. As a result, the 2021 Oscar race is missing the popcorn fare, letting more intimate, smaller-budget contenders shine. I’ll remember this as a stellar year for two-hander stories (Rashida Jones and Bill Murray in “On the Rocks,” Colin Firth and Stanley Tucci in “Supernova,” Anthony Hopkins and Olivia Colman in “The Father”) and indie highlights from the Sundance Film Festival and Gotham Award nominations
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(Eliza Hittman’s “Never Rarely Sometimes Always,” Radha Blank’s “The Forty-Year Old Version,” Lee Isaac Chung’s “Minari”). This was also the year we lost Chadwick Boseman, right when he seemed to be creating his best, most essential work (“Da 5 Bloods,” “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom”). What else might end up on Oscar voters’ shortlists? In a year of uncertainty, there remained guarantees. Festivals still proved a crucial part of the filmmaking ecosystem, with Venice and Toronto adjusting course admirably, allowing prestigious features to generate autumn buzz. Chloé Zhao’s “Nomadland” and Regina King’s “One Night in Miami” both emerged as favorites, thereby inviting the Academy to make good on its promises of inclusivity. (A nonwhite woman has never been Oscar-nominated for directing, a 92-year streak that could finally end in 2021.) And you can always count on character turns from beloved entertainers, like Tom Hanks in “News of the World” and Carey Mulligan in “Promising Young Woman.” David Fincher’s ode to Hollywood, “Mank,” is a Venn diagram of technical mastery, political resonance, and gorgeous nostalgia, all of which typically catch Oscar attention. In truth, Netflix is poised to make inroads in the awards race like never before. After claiming directing and foreign film Oscars for “Roma” two years ago and clinching its first acting win last year with Laura Dern for “Marriage Story,” the streaming service has a mind-boggling amount of 2021 contenders; December alone has seen the releases of “Mank,” “The Prom,” “Ma Rainey,” and “The Midnight Sky.” Netflix has so many horses in some races that they could end up jockeying themselves out. But you’ll never hear me complain about too many worthy contenders. Whatever 2021 may bring, Hollywood will respond as only Hollywood can. I look forward to it—and not just because I can’t stand to look back. Happy New Year!
Jack
12.31.20 BACKSTAGE
Plays Musicals Film TV & Video Commercial Modeling Variety Voiceover Gigs Events
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New York Tristate
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. audition (lines are located under additional materials).
Casting picks of the week
• Seeking submissions from NY. • Apply on Backstage.com. • For consideration, submit a video
audition (lines are located under additional materials).
BY LISA HAMIL
• No pay.
Student Films ‘Balances’
• Casting “Balances” a film about Bobby,
a black man who struggles to balance his identity and past in his relationship with Kate, his white girlfriend. • Company: NYU Student Filmmaking.
Staff: Maya Daughtry, CD; Guy-Paul Ramón Delisfort, dir.-writer. • Shoots March in NYC. • Seeking—Bobby (Black/African
American): male, 18-30, Black / African Descent, a 21-year-old black man who is in a relationship with Kate (20), a white woman. Throughout the film, Bobby struggles with balancing his relationship with Kate with his identity. Submit a video audition (lines are located under additional materials). Kate (White/Caucasian): female, 19-30, White / European Descent, 20, a white woman is in a relationship with Bobby, a black man. They have been dating for a while and she wants to take their relationship to the next step. She wants to meet Bobby’s Mom and she wants Bobby to meet her parents. Kate and Bobby are an interracial couple and Kate wants to try to help and be there for Bobby even though she will never fully understand him. Submit a video audition (lines are located under additional materials). Jake (White/ Caucasian): 19-30, Black / African Descent, White / European Descent, a 21-year-old guy who’s dating Emily. Jake is blatantly racist, and he grew up around white people. He likes to rub people the wrong way and he likes to instigate situations. Submit a video audition (lines are located under additional materials). Emily (White/ Caucasian): female, 19-30, White / European Descent, 20, she is dating Jake and is friends with Kate. Emily tries to be friendly but she comes off as ignorant and racist. Submit a video VISIT BACKSTAGE.COM/CASTING for full character breakdowns, script sides, and more casting notices
BACKSTAGE 12.31.20
musicals
‘Dung Cake’
• Casting “Dung Cake,” an NYU grad
‘Million Dollar Quartet’ Submit your song to this Roanoke, VA AEA production
SAG-AFTRA-approved micro-budget production being made under strict COVID-19 safe guidelines, approved by NYU, SAG-AFTRA and the New York State Governor’s Office for Motion Picture & Television Development.
tv
‘Power Book III: Raising Kanan’ Take back your power for this Starz spinoff series in NYC
• Company: New York University. Staff:
Ajai Vishwanath, coord.
• Rehearses mid-January; shoots Jan.
30-31 in NYC.
• Seeking—Raj: male, 35-45, South Asian
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/ Indian; a vice president at a powerful New York hedge fund. The son of wealthy Indian immigrants, Raj is used to getting his way. But when his ex-wife leaves him, Raj’s confidence is shot. Throwing his daughter a perfect birthday party is his chance to win some pride back.
‘Strange Courtesies’ Reconcile our divided society in this AEA virtual premiere in San Jose, CA
online commercials and promos
• Seeking submissions from NY. • Send submissions to av2590@nyu.edu. • For consideration, include headshot
Lamps Plus, ‘Surprise Surprise’ Be astonishing and bright at their Chatsworth, CA headquarters
and video with submissions of interest. • No pay.
‘The Juror’
• Casting “The Juror,” a short
psychological thriller. Logline: When a mentally troubled outcast gets called into jury duty, he forms an unusual bond with the narcissistic defendant, one that will be broken if he doesn’t free him.
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’To The Moon’ Space out in this virtual AEA production from Creede Repertory Theatre
• Company: School of Visual Arts. Staff:
Ara Ibarra, student.
• Rehearses January in NY; shoots mid-
and disciplinary. Conrad: male, 36-56, all ethnicities, eccentric, carefree, positive, Catholic. This character is mostly voice over. Juror One: all genders, 18-70, all ethnicities. Juror Two: 18-78, all ethnicities. Juror Three: 21-80, all ethnicities. Juror Four: 18-80. Juror Six: 18+, all ethnicities. Juror Eight: 18+, all ethnicities. Juror Ten: 18+, all ethnicities. Juror Eleven: 18+, all ethnicities. Juror Twelve: 18+, all ethnicities.
February in NY and NJ.
• Seeking—Five: female, 31-55, Black /
African Descent, Ethnically Ambiguous / Multiracial, strong, smart, clever and independent. Nine: male, 47-68, kind, understanding, caring. Always willing to help people out and to give anyone a second chance. Attorney 1: male, 33-50, all ethnicities, clever, hard working, responsible and patient. Prosecutor 1: male, 32-58, smart, strong and hardworking. Prosecutor 2: female, 30-54, secondary prosecutor assistant to the main prosecutor. Hardworking and studious. Judge: 45-70, all ethnicities, smart, strong
• Seeking submissions from NY. • Apply on Backstage.com. • Travel provided or reimbursed. Craft
service and meals provided.
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Scripted TV & Video Showtime’s ‘City on a Hill’
• Casting background actors for the TV
series “City on a Hill.”
• Company: Grant Wilfley Casting. Staff:
Emily GWC, casting assoc.
• Test and fitting Jan. 5 or 6, 2021; shoots
Jan. 7 (interior and exterior work) in the Brooklyn/NYC area. • Seeking—Upscale Attractive
Restaurant Patrons: 30-59, 1990s pedestrians. Must follow studio COVID protocols when working. Looking for people with early ‘90s or ‘80s hairstyles. No modern hairstyles. Straight hair, weaves, dreads, slight fades, and curly hair are OK. No large afros. Must be comfortable with atmospheric smoke. Men must be comfortable being clean-shaven and receiving a ‘90s haircut. Men: Jacket size: 40-44; no one over 6’1”. Women: No one over 31 waist. Do not submit if you have already worked this season. Note all of your sizes in your submission. • Seeking submissions from NY and NJ. • Apply on Backstage.com. • Do not submit if you have already
worked this season. Note all of your sizes in your submission.
• SAG-AFTRA background rate applies to
SAG-AFTRA members. Nonunion rate: $165/10 hrs.
Starz, ‘Power Book III: Raising Kanan’
• Casting “Power Book III: Raising
Kanan,” a spinoff series of the Starz Network’s “Power,” set in 1991.
• Company: Grant Wilfley Casting. Staff:
Nikita GWC, senior casting assoc.
• Shoots in January 2021 in the NYC area. • Seeking—SAG/NU Featured 1990s Dice
Players/Crew Members: male, 18-29, Black / African Descent, Ethnically Ambiguous / Multiracial, Latino / Hispanic, tentatively works Jan. 20. Exterior scenes. Mandatory COVID test on Jan. 18. TBD dates for additional COVID test and fitting in January. All men must be comfortable being cleanshaven. No visible tattoos. Must have 1990s-appropriate hair or be willing to get a haircut. Do not submit if you have already worked on the show. SAG/NU Featured 1990s Auto Mechanic Types: male, 40+, Black / African Descent, Ethnically Ambiguous / Multiracial, Indigenous Peoples, Latino / Hispanic, Middle Eastern, tentatively works Jan. backstage.com
California casting
20. Exterior scenes. Mandatory COVID test on Jan. 18. TBD dates for additional COVID test and fitting in January. All men must be comfortable being cleanshaven. No visible tattoos. Must have 1990s-appropriate hair or be willing to get a haircut. Do not submit if you have already worked on the show. Nonunion Real Couples - Featured 1990s Kissing Couple on the Street: all genders, 26-46, all ethnicities, tentatively works Jan. 22. Exterior scenes. Mandatory COVID test on Jan. 20. TBD dates for additional COVID test and fitting in January. Seeking real couples only due to COVID safety. Must be comfortable kissing on camera. All men must be comfortable being clean-shaven if needed. No visible tattoos. Must have 1990s-appropriate hair or be willing to get a haircut. Do not submit if you have already worked on the show. Note the name of your partner with whom you’re submitting.
to allow anyone with the video link access. Fill out this form to submit your online video submission: https://zfrmz. com/9RKVBske6O8KEOspn6pK. Submissions deadline is Jan. 1, 2020. All auditions will be online video submissions. Due to COVID19, we are not holding any inperson auditions at this time. San Jose Stage Company is committed to equity, diversity, and inclusion in casting and uses a color and culturally conscious approach to casting. Actors of any race, ethnicity, gender, sex, sexual orientation, age, and ability are encouraged to submit their materials and audition.
• Seeking submissions from CA. • Send submissions to casting@
(Tier 3) Agreement.
CEO Boss) and Jan. 10 (role of Freedom Runner) in the L.A. area.
• Company: fortune8. Staff: Aika
Plays ‘Strange Courtesies,’
• Casting Equity actors for “Strange
Courtesies,” a new play by L. Peter Callender; a virtual premiere in collaboration with San Francisco’s AfricanAmerican Shakespeare Company. • Company: San Jose Stage Company.
Staff: Randall King, artistic dir.; Cathleen King, exec. dir.; L. Peter Callender, playwright. • Rehearsals begin Feb. 8, 2021;
rehearsal week/recording Feb. 8-13, 2021; pre-recorded video streaming Feb. 24-28, 2021 in San Jose, CA.
• Seeking—Nomisa Kwanzi: female, 36,
[no-MEE-sah], a Night nurse. (This role has already been cast) Robert Seybold: male, 38, a Black/African/AfricanAmerican TV reporter; Nomisa ’s boyfriend. Jonny Emanuel Kwanzi: male, 18+, Nomisa’s younger brother. Zenzele Kwanzi: female, 54, [zen-ZAY-lay], Nomisa’s, Jonny’s and Zachariah’s Mother. Zachariah “Zakkie” Kwanzi: male, 18+, M, Jonny’s and Nomisa’s brother and Zenzele’s son; he is remembered. Howard Arthur Prinsloo: male, 18+, M, White South African age 55, former high-ranking member of the South African Security Force. • Seeking submissions from CA. • Prepare a contemporary monologue in
a South African dialect totaling no more than two minutes. Ensure that your video recording is uploaded to a streaming service such as Youtube or Vimeo with all access permissions set backstage.com
‘Fighting Against the Devil’
• Casting “Fighting Against the Devil,” a
short film based on a deep song about how we are all together in this fight against evil in the world. • Company: Justine Sophia Pro. Staff:
Justine Sophia, dir.
• Shoots Jan. 9, 2021 (role of Corporate
30+, White / European Descent, in a CEO scene. Featured at a long corporate table at the U.S. President’s elite meeting as a corporate Fortune 500 CEO. CEO who carries himself with prestige and cockiness. Belongs to the 1%. Well-groomed and always wears the best tailored suits. Actor will have a fake company name tag; the whole thing is set up as a satire. The fictional company is not just any company, but one of the world’s biggest and most powerful corporations. Freedom Runner: all genders, 4-12, all ethnicities, will be in a very powerful scene in this project starring Ike Catcher. The children will be freed, which symbolizes good overcoming bad, right overcoming wrong, and light ultimately leading the way for the future. The children will be rescued by Ike Catcher and will be featured running after being freed from an old tiger cage. Parents and guardians are requested to stay on set for the duration of the two-hour film shoot.
Short Films
• SAG-AFTRA background rate for union
Southern California
provided. Wifi provided. Shuttle to Frazier Park from Los Angeles provided. All four actors will be staying in the same cabin in separate rooms.
• Seeking—Corporate CEO Boss: male,
‘Canary’
members. Nonunion rate: $165/10 hrs. Stipends provided for COVID tests.
• IMDB credit, meals, and lodging
• Pays $520/wk. Equity Bay Area Theatre
• Seeking submissions from NJ and NY. • Apply on Backstage.com. • Do not submit if you have already
worked on the show.
fortune8media.com.
• Casting “Canary,” a psychological
horror short film set in a cabin in the woods. Greenidge, casting dir.
• Shoots four days in mid-February 2021
(dates TBD) at a cabin in Frazier Park, CA. Overnight for night and three days at the campsite. Roles of Alan, Nev, Enoch, and Ignacio needed four days. Role of George only needed one day in L.A. • Seeking—Alan: male, 18-23, Asian, so
introverted he redefines the term entirely. A longtime victim of bullying, he has since succumbed to those pressures and accepts his pitiful circumstances as they are, withdrawing into his shell. His only friend is himself. Role requires only a few lines in this short, but character will have a monologue of his thoughts. Needed for four days. Nev: male, 18-23, Asian, a toothless tiger, boasting an alpha-male presence, he takes on the de facto leader role in the cabin, pushing others down as a means to elevate himself. Muscular and beefy, he’s your typical jock but worse and more psychopathic. Needed for four days. George: male, 18-23, Asian, a kind, empathetic soul. He possesses a maturity unfound in most teenagers, which is why so many people seem to like him, or at the very least, respect him. A cheery, positive demeanor and attitude is the principle reason why Alan is so drawn to him. Needed for one day. Enoch: male, 18-23, Black / African Descent, a lanky figure who makes up for his body size with a quick wit and comedic quips, making him a desirable candidate on any alpha male’s bandwagon. He’s the type who’ll never be a leader but doesn’t seem to mind, as long as he’s the one telling the jokes or in on the jokes. Never to be the butt of the joke. Needed for four days. Ignacio: male, 18-23, Latino / Hispanic, a follower. A physically smaller frame tells us that among the other boys in the cabin, if Alan weren’t there, he would be the one that was bullied. Because of that, he carries a nervous, awkward energy, constantly trying to assert himself as more when the others already treat him as something of a wild card or an outsider. Needed for four days.
• Seeking submissions from CA. • Send submissions to poppy@feralnyc.
com.
• For the audition, upload your reel for
Chuy. Submit any reel and headshot as well as a short video filmed on your phone of yourself saying your lines from the audition sides included in this posting. • No pay.
‘Masks’
• Casting “Masks,” a short movie about
COVID-19 and how the virus is changing our perspective about what is dangerous. A philosophical discussion about what is right nowadays and what is wrong. • Company: AFI. Staff: Mikhail Makeev,
prod.
• Rehearses TBD half day via Zoom;
shoots Jan. 9 or 10 (one day).
• Seeking—A Man: male, 45-65, all
• Seeking submissions from CA. • Send submissions to jhulley@usc.edu. • Meal and credit provided.
ethnicities, shy, vulnerable, charismatic, middle aged man who recently lost his wife, while trying to figure out what is wrong and right coming to the conclusion that there is no right or wrong and everything is just blurred.
‘Hanks for the Cure,’ Short Film & Social Media Series
gmail.com.
• Casting “Hanks for the Cure” a multi-
platform, satirical comedy short film about influencers and wannabe influencers testing each other’s patience, politics, and limits during the pandemic. Production states: “This is an ongoing experimental project with some experienced and notable actors attached and participating. As the story takes place in L.A. and due to COVID, we are having all the actors self-film themselves. It is important that you reside in the L.A. and/or surrounding area for continuity reasons.” • Company: Feral. Staff: Poppy Gordon,
dir.; Aldo Arias, Craig Baldo, writer; Matthew Schroeder, DP; Tyler Peck, editor; Timothy Haldeen, VFX.
• Dates TBD. • Seeking—Sara: female, 38-60, Latino /
Hispanic, a Latina in her 50s, Sara is invisible to most of our society, but her family reveres her as a hero; she’s sacrificed and endured so much in her lifetime for the sake of her family’s future; after decades of living with the constant threat of deportation, she tries to avoid confrontation or calling attention to herself; without access to
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unemployment or any kind of social safety net, Sara does not have the luxury of not working during COVID. Chuy (Self-Filming From Home): male, 18-28, Latino / Hispanic, (recurring); an early twenties Latino; he’s firstgeneration American and politically left leaning; he’s a master of code switching, equally adept in an office downtown or riding horses with his cousins across the border; he’s angry after a couple decades of seeing people treat him differently than his parents, aunts and uncles but he doesn’t know what to do; that is, until his video confronting the talk therapist goes viral and he becomes the voice for first gens and young immigrants who are upset with all the condescension from people who claim to be their allies.
• Seeking submissions from CA. • Send submissions to storozzhenko@ • Copy, credit, meal, mileage
reimbursement provided.
Student Films ‘Cruise Blues’
• Casting “Cruise Blues,” a student thesis
film that explores a little girl’s imagination. “Cruise Blues” is a comedy about an 8 year old girl who uses her dolls to come up with a creative story for class. But, when her plot turns raunchy and her family jumps in to help, things get more out of hand. • Company: Columbia College
Hollywood, Electric Woman Productions. Staff: Cedrica Hampton, writer; Ariel Dominguez, dir.; Hallie Gardner, prod.
• Shoots Mar. 11, 12, 15, 16 in Los Angeles,
CA.
• Seeking—Chrissy: female, 8-12, Black /
African Descent, a sassy little girl who is mature for her age and too smart for her own good. Dana: female, 18-20, Black / African Descent, a know-it-all
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casting California who goes above and beyond to parent her younger cousin, even though she’s not much older. Actor can play 14-16-yrs-old. Shanda: female, 21-30, Black / African Descent, a flirtatious and head strong young woman. She’s freshly single and she’s on the prowl. Kim: female, 21-30, Black / African Descent, a competitive young woman who is unafraid to own her sensuality. Drew: male, 21-30, Black / African Descent, a charming, easy-going bartender who is caught in the crossfire of Kim and Shanda’s feud. Grandma: female, 50+, Black / African Descent, Dana and Chrissy’s Grandma is a typical no-nonsense woman who just wants the kids to play nice and not disturb her peace. Teacher: female, 27-40, Chrissy’s teacher is disappointed with the assignment that Chrissy has turned in. • Seeking submissions from CA. • Apply on Backstage.com. • Submit a 20 second comedic mono-
logue or dialogue along with sides and add availability to resume or cover letter. Callbacks will be held Jan. 4, 2021. • Copy and credit provided.
‘Elizaville’
• Casting “Elizaville,” a student short film
about two college freshman beginning their friendship and college careers, virtually, from their childhood bedrooms. • Company: UCLA. Staff: Julie Piscina,
writer-dir.
• Shoots TBD date in Los Angeles, CA. • Seeking—Niki: female, 18-25, 18, wants
to separate herself from her high school self- someone who followed the crowd, never kicking up any dust or ruffling any feathers. As she begins college, she is looking forward to the opportunity to re-invent herself as someone funny, interesting and worthy of true, mutual friendship- something she never had in high school. However, when her college declares itself online only for her first semester, she has to find a way to translate her new self virtually. When she meets AJ, Niki finds parts of herself that she didn’t know existed, and finds in AJ the trust form of friendship she could have ever hoped for... online. AJ: female, 18-25, 18, has to start college online, forcing her to stay in her dead-beat town with her asshole father. Desperate to escape, AJ buries herself in the internet, especially when she strikes up conversation with Niki. AJ, a loner in her previous life (high school), finds in Niki a place to be accepted and loved without condition or expectation. For the first time, AJ feels special to someone and feels hopeful about college. • Seeking submissions from CA. • Apply on Backstage.com. • No pay.
‘The Constant Fret’
• Casting “The Constant Fret.” Synopsis:
Randy, middle aged and recently divorced, rediscovers his talent for music as a way to process his unspoken thoughts and emotions. The only obstacles are stepping onto the stage to express himself for all to hear and
BACKSTAGE 12.31.20
the people who think he’s too old for this sort of thing.
• Company: Chapman University’s Dodge
School of Film and Media Arts. Staff: L. Schad, casting. • Shoots Feb. 5-7 and Feb. 12-14 in
Orange County, CA.
• Seeking—Randy: male, 40-45, a
recently divorced Systems programmer. He has his life put together with a nice house and a steady job. None of that really matters though as he comes out of several weeks of depressed isolation with the discovery that his inability to voice his emotions is what ruined his marriage. He’s hoping that his old guitar and song he’s written will help him start to change.Gender – MaleEthnicity – Open to allRequired skills – Guitar, Singing.Compensation - $500Must Submit video of a musical performance demonstrating guitar skill and singing voice along with audition self-tape. Barbara: female, 40-45, slightly nosy but generally well meaning. She’s quick to offer her neighbor, Randy, an ear to listen to but also quick to move on to the next thing in her schedule. Despite the unintentional insincerity, she is able to help Randy and finds the words he needs to hear.Gender – FemaleEthnicity – Open to allCompensation – Travel expenses. Brian: male, 30-35, charming and maybe too polished. This management position is just a short stop on his way up the corporate ladder. He knows the by-the-book correct things to offer to Randy in his time of trouble but of course he doesn’t mean any of it. Despite this, he is able to reach inside to connect with Randy when prodded. Gender – MaleEthnicity – Open to allCompensation – Travel expenses. • Seeking submissions from CA. • Send submissions to schad@chapman.
escalate as Penny talks to her sister from beyond the grave, driving John and Nancy further apart. John: male, 30-40, all ethnicities, Male identifying. 30-40. All ethnicities. John is Nancy’s husband and brother in law of Penny. Although he has a successful politician’s face and style, he still maintains a down to earth attitude and is a simple, rational man. He’s not the life of the party per se, but he’s always willing to crack a joke and is the kind of guy you can count on to help you move. He admires Nancy’s strength and overachieving personality, so when Penny, who John always thought was trouble, dies, he is worried about how it is affecting his normally rational wife. He wants to put Nancy’s relationship with her sister behind them and go back to the way they were before Penny’s death. Penny: female, 30-40, Female identifying. 30-40. All ethnicities. Penny is Nancy’s older sister and John’s sister in law who has recently died by suicide. Unable to overcome her Bipolar disorder and believing her painting and artwork suffered when she took her medication, Penny struggled her whole life to handle her illness’s challenges. Her moods were erratic and were perpetrated by inheriting the family home and living alone. She frequently felt like a burden to Nancy, thought John was way too uptight, and felt Nancy pull away from her after moving out and marrying John. She wished they were closer like they were as kids and wants more than anything to connect with Nancy like she felt she couldn’t in life. • Seeking submissions from CA. • Send submissions to tkwinter@usc.
edu.
• For the lead roles of Nancy and John:
edu.
• Company: University of Southern
(this does not apply to Penny): Production will be using your home as the shooting location, so photos/videos of your living space will be part of the casting process. For our leads, seeking two actors who live together. Preferably, we are looking for actors who live in a house with at least 2 bedrooms, a living room, and a driveway in the Los Angeles area. Individual submissions for Nancy and John from people in separate households will not be reviewed.
• Works remotely over Zoom in Feb., with
provided.
• Travel pay provided.
‘You Know What to Do’
• Casting “You Know What to Do,” a
student thesis short film. Synopsis: In this psychological drama, Nancy’s recently deceased sister begins contacting her through an old voicemail machine, causing her to question her relationship, her sanity, and even reality itself. California. Staff: Thomas W., coord. equipment and props sent to the actors’ home.
• Seeking—Nancy: female, 30-40, all
ethnicities, Female identifying. 30-40. All ethnicities. Nancy is professional, smart, and put together from her freshly painted sensible champagne nails to her designer jeans’ iron crease. Typically the sane, responsible family member, she has been suffering panic attacks and felt out of control since her older sister Penny’s suicide. She had a love/hate relationship with Penny due to her erratic behavior and wished Penny was different more than she would want to admit. The guilt she feels over her older sister’s death has started creating tension in her seemingly picture-perfect marriage to John and the perfect life she has worked to build. The tension and misunderstandings
• No pay. Copy, credit, and meal
Online Commercials & Promos Lamps Plus, ‘Surprise Surprise’
• Casting “’Surprise Surprise,” a
commercial for Lamps Plus. Synopsis: When a couple has been together for a while, few things are better than a great surprise. In this spot, we use a voiceover to tell the story and let us know the salient sales points of the Half-Price Days. Meanwhile, we watch our story unfold with our man and woman in their
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newly redecorated great room. The visual interest/twist comes in the playful way that the man and woman choose the fixtures and furniture for their home. One swipe online and it’s “there” in the home, solidifying the idea that design is personal, unique and easy with Lamps Plus. And, if you can dream it, Lamps Plus has just what you need. • Company: Lamps Plus. Staff: Heather
van Haaften, dir.-prod.
• Shoots Jan. 7, 2021 (8 a.m.-5 p.m.) at
Lamps Plus Headquarters, 20250 Plummer St., Chatsworth, CA.
• Seeking—Husband: male, 35-40, all
ethnicities. Wife: female, 35-40, all ethnicities.
• Seeking submissions from CA. • Apply on Backstage.com. • Include a self-tape as your audition. See
attached script.
• Pays $200 day rate plus lunch provided.
Lifestyle B-Roll for Hearing Aid Brand
• Casting three actors to portray seniors
in various lifestyle scenarios showing the benefits of a hearing aid brand. • Company: Windsong Productions.
Staff: Sara B., coord.
• Shoots one half-day per actor in
January 2021 (dates TBD) in Fresno, CA.
• Seeking—Female (65+): female, 60+, all
ethnicities. Male (65+): male, 60+, all ethnicities.
• Seeking submissions from CA. • Apply on Backstage.com. • Note your availability in January 2021. • Pays $500 for half-day shoot.
Promo Video for Major Pharmaceutical Company
• Casting talent for immediate hire for a
project highlighting people living with the disease a major pharmaceutical company’s offering targets. • Company: DEFINITE•. Staff: Kyle
Johnson, lead video dir.
• Rehearses virtually; shoots one day
between last week in Dec.-first week in Jan. (flexible based on talent availability) in San Diego, CA. • Seeking—Focus Patient (Elderly): 65+,
all ethnicities, character will appear in studio. Video moves from face detail shots to revealing the character ready to begin an interview. • Seeking submissions from CA. • Send submissions to info@definite.
media.
• Include your availability during the last
week of December and first week of January 2021. • Pays $500/day.
Stage Staff & Tech ‘Strange Courtesies,’ Stage Manager Submissions • Seeking Equity stage manager for
“Strange Courtesies.”
• Company: San Jose Stage Company.
Staff: Randall King, artistic dir.; Cathleen King, exec. dir. • Rehearsals begin Feb. 8, 2021;
rehearsal week/recording Feb. 8 - 13, backstage.com
National/Regional casting
2021; pre-recorded video streaming Feb. 24-28, 2021 in San Jose, CA.
• Seeking—Equity Stage Manager: 18+. • Seeking submissions from CA. • Send resume and cover letter to
Randall King, Artistic Director at production@thestage.org. Deadline: Jan. 1, 2021 to production@thestage. org.
• Pays $654/wk. Equity Bay Area Theatre
Tier 3 Agreement.
Northern California Online Commercials & Promos Kitchen Product Commercial
• Casting a kitchen product commercial. • Company: East Broad Media. Staff: Alex
Cruzvergara, owner-operator.
• Shoots one day between Dec. 28-30 or
week of Jan. 4, 2021 in San Francisco, CA.
• Seeking—Female Lead: female, 22-35,
Ethnically Ambiguous / Multiracial, White / European Descent, woman preparing and storing food items in her kitchen. Mid-20s-30s. Nonspeaking role, but actor will be recording a voiceover narrative on the shoot day. • Seeking submissions from CA. • Apply on Backstage.com. • Include a headshot as well as some
audio or video where your voice can clearly be heard. • Pays $250 for the day plus meals
provided.
National/ Regional Plays ‘Theatre For One,’ Equity Video Submissions
• Casting Equity actors for “Theatre For
One,” which is made up of eight short plays, each of which is performed by one actor for one audience member at a time.
• Company: Court Theatre. Staff: Regina
Taylor, Monet Felton, Lavina Jadhwani, Chris Anthony and Miranda Gonzalez, dirs.; Becca McCracken, casting dir. • Rehearsals begin Jan. 26; runs Feb.
20-Mar. 14.
• Seeking—Sequoyah Jolene (Quoya)
Sevenstar: female, 35-45, Indigenous Peoples, Native American (Cherokee), female-identified, in her late 30s-early 40s. Person: all genders, 18+, Black / African Descent, Black, male-identified, backstage.com
female-identified or gender nonconforming. Actor: female, 45-55, Black / African Descent, Black, femaleidentified, in her late 40s-early 50s. Writer: 50, Black / African Descent, Black, female-identified, 50 years old. Actor: 60, Black / African Descent, Black, female-identified, 60 years old. Actor: female, 18+, Ethnically Ambiguous / Multiracial, female identified, Bi-Racial: black, white and LatinX. Larhonda McKinney: female, 18+, Black / African Descent, Black, female-identified. Woman: 30-40, South Asian / Indian, South Asian, female-identified, in her 30s-40s.
weeks health contributions (per AEA COVID Media Rules). Equity LOA Agreement. (ref. LORT)
Musicals ‘Cicada Dance,’ Equity Video Submissions • Casting Equity actors who sing for
“Cicada Dance.” a virtual reading.
• Company: Final Score Music. Staff:
Tammy Mader, dir.; Malcolm Ruhl, playwright-composer-lyricist.
• Seeking submissions from IL. • Becca McCracken, Casting Director
• Rehearsals will be conducted via Zoom
on Thurs. Jan. 7, 2021 from 10 a.m.-1 p.m. CST, Sat. Jan. 9, 2021 from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. CST, Sun. Jan. 10, 2021 from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. CST, Mon. Jan. 11, 2021 from 10 a.m.-1 p.m. CST, Wed. Jan. 13, 2021 from 10 a.m.-1 p.m. CST; Final Reading via Zoom on Sat. Jan. 16, 2021 from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. CST.
will view all submissions. This is an entirely virtual project. Look at theatreforone.com to learn more this concept. BIPOC and gender non confirming actors particularly encouraged to submit. Theatre Of One is made up of eight short plays, each of which is performed by one actor for one audience member at a time. Prepare one 90-second contemporary audition piece, beginning with a slate (just your name and agent if you have one). The audition should be recorded and sent to us as a VIMEO or YOUTUBE link. Be sure to include the password in password protected submissions. Submissions should be emailed to casting@courttheatre.org and must have T41 EPA in the subject. Thank you. Deadline: Jan. 1, 2021 to casting@ courttheatre.org.
• Seeking—Equity Actors: 18+. • Seeking submissions nationwide. • Send a picture, resume, and video (or
link to a video if file is larger than 25MB) which includes a contemporary monologue and a song in the style of the show, samples of which can be found at CicadaDance.com. Monologue and song should be two-four minutes in total length. Deadline: Dec. 29, 2020. E-mail for submissions or questions is submissions@cicadadance.com. • Pays $221 stipend. Equity Staged
Reading Code.
‘Million Dollar Quartet,’ Equity Video Submissions
• Pays $740 weekly minimum (LORT D).
Equity LORT D Non-Rep Agreement.
• Casting Equity actors for “Million Dollar
‘To The Moon,’ Equity Video Submissions
Quartet.”
• Company: Mill Mountain Theatre. Staff:
Colin Escott and Floyd Mutrux, book; Ginger Poole, prod. artistic dir.; Payton Moledor, asst. artistic dir.; Seth Davis, resident music dir.
• Casting Equity actors for “To The
Moon,” a stand-alone, remote, digital event, developed under CRT’s Headwaters New Play Program. Note: One third of the productions CRT has produced over the last 20 years have been World Premieres.
• Rehearses July 13-27, 2021; runs Wed.-
Sun. with two shows on Sat. from July 28-Aug. 22, 2021 in Roanoke, VA.
• Company: Creede Repertory Theatre.
• Seeking—Carl Perkins: male, 20-29,
Staff: John DiAntonio, CRT prod. artistic dir.; Kate Berry, CRT assoc. artistic dir.; Brittni Shambaugh Addison, co-chair of CRT’s Equity Diversity, Inclusion Committee; Betty Hart, dir.; Beth Kander, playwright.
singer/lead guitarist; must be able to accompany themselves on guitar extremely well and be familiar with Carl Perkins’ music; should look and sound like Carl Perkins in his 20s; vocal range: D3 – C6. Johnny Cash: male, 20-29, singer/guitarist; must be able to accompany themselves extremely well on guitar and be familiar with Johnny Cash’s music; should look and sound like Johnny Cash in his 20s; vocal range: D3 – G#5. Jerry Lee Lewis: male, 20-29, singer/pianist; must be fun, energetic, and able to accompany themselves extremely well on the piano; should be familiar with Jerry Lee Lewis’ music; should look and sound like Jerry Lee Lewis in his 20s; vocal range: D4 – C6. Elvis Presley: male, 20-29, singer/ musician; must be able to play basic guitar and look/sound like Elvis in his 20s; vocal range: A3 – C6. Jay Perkins: male, 20-29, bass player/singer, Carl Perkins’ brother; must be an extremely accomplishedbass player comfortable singing with others. W.S. “Fluke” Holland: male, 18+, drummer who plays onstage with the cast; must be an
• First rehearsal will be Monday, March 1,
2021. Note: The production period will consist of one week of rehearsals with two live public (digital only) performances at the end of the work week, followed by four weeks of archival streaming. Access to a computer or laptop with a camera and internet connection (support for direct ethernet connection is available) is required for the production. • Seeking—Equity Actors: 18+. • Seeking submissions nationwide. • Visit https://creederep.org/work-
withus/ to submit online. Submit a headshot, resume, and two contrasting, contemporary monologues. Submissions close end of day Jan. 8, 2021. • Pays $517 for the work week + Pension
and Health. $300 fee for up to 4 weeks of streaming + Pension and two
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accomplished drummer with a good stage presence. Sam Phillips: male, 30-39, male, 30s; the founder of Sun Records and “Father of Rock ‘n’ Roll”; a charismaticactor with a strong stage presence. Dyanne:: female, 25-29, mid20s; accomplished vocalist, Elvis’ girlfriend; should be comfortable singing solos in an alto range and covering all soprano parts in group numbers; seductive and confident; vocal range: A3 – D5. • Seeking submissions from VA. • Prepare and submit video audition as
follows: Perkins/Lewis/Presley/Cash: one minute self-accompanied on piano or guitar and instrumental reel. Dyanne: one-minute song and oneminute monologue. Jay/Fluke: oneminute instrumental demonstration and instrumental reel. Sam: oneminute monologue. Deadline: Feb. 1, 2021. Submit to auditions@ millmountain.org or Ginger Poole, Mill Mountain Theatre, 1 Market Square SE, Roanoake, VA 24011. Auditions will be viewed by: Ginger Poole, Producing Artistic Director; Payton Moledor, Assistant Artistic Director; Seth Davis, Resident Music Director. • Pays $546 weekly minimum (Tier 7.)
Equity SPT Agreement.
Short Films ‘The Third Bedroom,’ UT MFA Thesis Film • Casting “The Third Bedroom,” a
University of Texas MFA thesis film. Synopsis: On a gloomy winter weekend, ten-year-old Isla visits the ancestral beach house with her father for the first time in her young life. Unfortunately, this trip is to pack the house up to sell. Isla notices that something hinders her father’s progress in packing up the house, especially in his sister’s abandoned teenage bedroom. There she uncovers the dark creature that haunts the house... a lonely manifestation of her family’s displaced grief. Note: “Originally posted last Spring. If you applied then and are interested in re-applying, we would love to have you.” • Company: University of Texas. Staff:
Kathryn Van Buren, filmmaker.
• Shoots Feb. 4-9 in Galveston, TX. Note:
Will have two Zoom rehearsals and one in-person rehearsal at the end of January. • Seeking—Isla: female, 7-12, a sharp,
observant and gentle ten-year-old animal lover; when she encounters the strange creature that haunts her family’s forgotten beach house, she fights her initial fears and approaches it with compassion. Peter: male, 30-45, thoughtful, reserved, and though he is bit haunted, he’s a caring and fun father to magical ten-year-old Isla; returning to his familial beach house to clean it out for sale is a traumatic experience for Peter, but his daughter’s presence helps him make it through. • Seeking submissions from TX. • Send submissions to
kathrynvanburen@utexas.edu.
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casting National/Regional Production will provide further details, sides and remote audition information.
that’s only for stealing Uudam’s rare instrument which his father has carved for him.
to apply for SAG-AFTRA student film agreement.
Design. Staff: Yinwen “Wendy” Mu, student prod.
• In person auditions will not be held.
• Paid, negotiable, TBD. Producers plan
Student Films ‘Radical Joy’
• Casting “Radical Joy,” a student thesis
short film. Synopsis: A woman moves into a new apartment during months of civil unrest. With a shaken spirit and moments of existentialism, she revisits her own life and her experiences. After seeking guidance and the opinions of her mother and (an unlikely ally) her neighbor, she discovers a new lease on life. “Radical Joy” is about a decision. Does one either give into a cruel world or be brave and revolutionary by choosing joy. • Company: University of Southern
California. Staff: H.S. Naji, dir.; Hassan Al-Jahni and Annie Kane, prods. • Rehearses in January and shoots
remotely in February.
• Seeking—Maya: female, 25-35, Black /
African Descent, Ethnically Ambiguous / Multiracial, Indigenous Peoples, an ambitious woman who soon will take the bar exam to become a lawyer. She gets things down. At the end of the day, all her emails are answered. She rarely takes risks. Everything on the surface seems great, but the civil unrest during the pandemic is forcing her to experience an existential crisis. Nicki: female, 50-71, Black / African Descent, Ethnically Ambiguous / Multiracial, Indigenous Peoples, a bit abrasive, but mostly warm hearted. She has a sharp sense of humor and delivery that will get you. She keeps an open-mind, but can be steadfast and judgmental when she has gotten the root of a situation or problem. She’s been an activist her whole life, but she’s at peace with the work she’s doing, and is enjoying her life. Newscaster: 25-60, newscaster who can report on current events. • Seeking submissions nationwide. • Send submissions to arkane@usc.edu. • In your application, include a headshot
and links to relevant work. Also, note if you have any camera or production experience.
• No pay. Meals will be provided. This is a
virtual set. All actors will be given camera and production design equipment prior to filming with detailed instructions.
‘The Song of Uudam’
• Casting “The Song of Uudam,” a
student short film. Synopsis: Uudam, a Mongolian musician, who wants more people to hear his music but he hasn’t found where he belongs to. Then he meets a lady named Jade, who has fetishistic disorder, pretends to understand and cares about him but VISIT BACKSTAGE.COM/CASTING for full character breakdowns, script sides, and more casting notices
BACKSTAGE 12.31.20
low-up, and she is due for her yearly infusion of zoledronic acid; Linda retired from her job as a hairstylist six years ago; she is married and lives with her husband; she is conscientious about remaining slim and tries to keep physically active with daily walks; she is a social drinker (one-three drinks per week) but has never used marijuana or illicit drugs; she smoked from her 20s before she had her first child. HCP/ Doctor: male, 35-55, all ethnicities, HCP has an American accent; the HCP is an endocrinologist working in an endocrinology practice in the US; demeanor should be professional, with a balance of confidence and compassion in the tone of voice; dress in business casual clothing with neat hair.
• Company: Savannah College of Art and
• Online Zoom/Skype/FaceTime audition
and rehearsal are before the end of Jan.; shoots Feb. 1-4 in Savannah, GA. • Seeking—Jade: female, 25-35, all
ethnicities, a very mysterious and charming woman who only cares about the value of materials and prefer to isolate herself from people especially from men. • Seeking submissions from GA. • Send submissions to wendymu9999@
gmail.com.
• Pay TBD. Traveling transportation fee is
provided. COVID protection, meals, beverages are included on set. The copy of the film will be sent to you after the post-production process.
• Seeking submissions nationwide. • Send submissions to ahecht1@gmail.
com.
kyphosis; she has no other comorbidities and has an otherwise non-pertinent past medical history; she is concerned about the impact of her low body weight on her ability to obtain longterm care insurance but she also wants to maintain her quality of life; Wendy is a married and lives with her husband; they have two adult children that are both in good health; she quit smoking about 25 years ago (at the age of 45 years) and consumes 2-3 glasses of wine per week; well groomed; business casual attire. Doctor: female, 35-55, all ethnicities, well groomed; business casual attire. • Seeking submissions nationwide. • Send submissions to ahecht1@gmail.
com.
• SAG-AFTRA Day rate + 10%, Category 1
on-camera player.
• SAG-AFTRA Day rate + 10%, Category 1
on-camera player.
WedMD EDADS86: Osteoporosis (New Diagnosis)
Scripted TV & Video
• Casting a WebMD project. Note:
WebMD specializes in creating true-tolife patient simulations for continuing medical education. This is a virtual telemedicine, MacBook Pro shoot. The scenes will be recorded on your phone in your home and monitored by the directors via a web camera. This program is focused on Osteoporosis (New Diagnosis).
WebMD: EDADS87: Osteoporosis With Bone Fracture
• Casting a shoot for WebMD. Note:
WebMD specializes in creating true-tolife patient simulations for continuing medical education. This is a virtual telemedicine, MacBook Pro shoot. The scenes will be recorded on your phone in your home and monitored by the directors via a web camera. This program is focused on Osteoporosis With Bone Fracture.
• Company: Andrew Hecht Media. Staff:
Andrew Hecht, casting dir.
• Shoots virtually Jan. 6 via Zoom. Note:
This project will be shot virtually in your home. This is a one day virtual telemedicine shoot with a target shoot date of Jan. 6, 12:30 p.m. EST. Talent will need to have a relatively new MacBook computer with built-in FaceTime HD camera as well as fast and reliable internet. Talent must also be comfortable filming via online video conferencing. For the patient, we’re looking for nice backgrounds as well. e.g. some detail and depth in the background without being too busy. Talent can be flexible in their location. For the role of the doctor, they will need a space in their home that looks professional like a home office and/or plain enough to be a Doctor’s office (a similar video was shot against a plain white wall with a poster on it), and good, even bright lighting. Ideally, they can record auditions with this setup.
• Company: Andrew Hecht Media. Staff:
Andrew Hecht, casting dir.
• Virtual shoot Jan. 4, 2021 via Zoom. This
project will be shot virtually in your home. This is a one day virtual telemedicine shoot with a target shoot date of Jan. 4, 12:30 p.m. EST. Talent will need to have a relatively new MacBook computer with built- in FaceTime HD camera as well as fast and reliable internet. Talent must also be comfortable filming via online video conferencing. For the patient, we’re looking for nice backgrounds as well. e. g. some detail and depth in the background without being too busy. Talent can be flexible in their location. For the role of the doctor, they will need a space in their home that looks professional like a home office and/ or plain enough to be a Doctor’ s office ( a similar video was shot against a plain white wall with a poster on it) , and good, even bright lighting. Ideally, they can record auditions with this setup.
• Seeking—Wendy M./Patient: female,
68-72, White / European Descent. Wendy M. is a retired 70-year-old postmenopausal woman who presents for a follow-up visit following a prior diagnosis of age-related deconditioning/sarcopenia; she appears frail, is underweight (BMI 18 kg/m2) and says she was recently denied long-term care insurance owing to her low BMI; her height (170.2 cm) is about 1 cm less than in the past, but mild thoracic kyphosis is seen on examination of the spine; neurologic examination reveals findings within range for her age, and her gait is stable; since her diagnosis of agerelated deconditioning/sarcopenia, she has increased her physical activity including resistance-training but she also shows signs of mild thoracic
• Seeking—Linda A/Patient: female,
70-75, all ethnicities, underweight / BMI: 18.2, US / American accent; Linda A. is an underweight (BMI 18.2), 72-yearold woman who was diagnosed with osteoporosis two years ago; she had a spine fracture two months ago and a previous compression fracture of the spine; she has some back pain and slight loss of mobility; she uses a cane for balance; Linda is seeing the endocrinologist today for the first time for fol-
22
Reality TV & Documentary Engagement Show
• Casting engaged couples and their
families for Oprah Winfrey network show. Production states: “Bunim/ Murray Productions, producers of Emmy Award winning ‘Born This Way,’ ‘Project Runway,’ and ‘Real World’ is casting a ground breaking series which will bring newly engaged couples of all ages and their families to live under one roof for one week to gain their parents’ or adult children’s approval of their fiancé. Are you newly engaged? If you are engaged and are eligible to work in the U.S., see the link below to fill out our casting application.” • Company: Bunim Murray Productions.
Staff: Caitlyn Conway, CD.
• Shoots TBD dates in Los Angeles, CA. • Seeking—Fiance: all genders, 18+, all
ethnicities.
• Seeking submissions nationwide. • Send submissions to castingnow@
bunim-murray.com. For more info, visit www.bmpcasting.com/engagement or email castingnow@bunim-murray.com.
• You will be asked to attach three recent
photos of you and your fiancé and your contact information including phone number. • TBD.
‘The TV Hunt’
• Casting “The TV Hunt,” a game show
involving virtual scavenger hunts. Households, families, or roommates will compete to find items on the hunt list for a chance to win cash prizes. Must read all submission instructions. • Company: Silly Jenkins Productions.
Staff: Reo.
• Shoots Jan. 3, 2021 via Zoom. • Seeking—Teams: all genders, 18+, all
ethnicities, contestants are required to have at least one hunter. Hunters are people who live in the same household as the main contestants. Only family or roommates will be accepted as hunters. • Seeking submissions nationwide. • Apply on Backstage.com. • Include the number of people in your
household that will play. For safety
backstage.com
National/Regional casting
reasons, only accepting contestants whose teammates also lives in the same household (either family or roommates). The main contestant must be at least 18 years old. For more info, visit https:// itsonthetv.com/the-tv-hunt/. • No pay. All prizes provided within 90
days from Silly Jenkins Productions.
Unsung Heroes of 2020 for a Special Surprise • Casting unsung heroes of 2020 for a
special surprise. Production states: “Award-winning production company behind feel good hits like ‘Queer Eye’ and ‘Fixer Upper’ now looking to celebrate the unsung heroes of 2020!
• “Do you know someone who has sacri-
ficed and served throughout one of the toughest years on record? Is there someone who deserves a special surprise in your life? We are looking to bring some joy to special people who need it after this unprecedented year of sadness. • “Whether your loved ones have been
affected by COVID, forest fires or any other curveball 2020 has thrown their way, if you or someone you know has a compelling 2020 story to share, we want to hear from you. To nominate someone, respond with a recent photograph, a brief description of the individual/s, and a bit about why they are deserving of this special surprise.” • Company: ITV. Staff: Nina Malek,
casting prod.
• Dates and location are currently TBD. • Seeking—Nominee/Nominator: 18+. • Seeking submissions nationwide. • Send submissions to nina.malek@itv.
com.
• To nominate someone, email nina.
malek@itv.com with their name, photos, and story. • No pay.
Demo & Instructional Videos Aprio Hoteling Video
• Casting April Hoteling video. This video
will cover Aprio’s new hoteling process in a parody of a preflight airline safety ad. Production will be taking place at Aprio’s corporate headquarters. • Production crew will consist of a DP,
Gaffer, Producer, and PA. COVID-19 guidelines will be strictly followed and mask wearing will be mandatory.
• Company: Sailorface LLC. • Shoots Jan. 8 (8 a.m. call, wrapped by 4
p.m.) at 5 Concourse Pkwy #1000, Atlanta, GA 30328.
• Seeking—Aprio Stewardess: female,
25-40, the Aprio stewardess will be featured throughout the video guiding Aprio employees through the Hoteling process. The costume for the character has already been purchased. We are looking for talent that can fit into a S-M stewardess costume. Aprio Employee: male, 28-50, the Aprio employee will be guided by the stewardess through the hoteling process. Wardrobe is business backstage.com
casual. Talent will be responsible for their own wardrobe and expected to bring two wardrobe options. Aprio Employee: female, 28-48, the Aprio employee will be guided by the stewardess through the hoteling process. Wardrobe is business casual. Talent will be responsible for their own wardrobe and expected to bring two wardrobe options. The Aprio employee will also have opportunities for light physical comedy. Aprio Employee: 25-45, the Aprio employee will be guided by the stewardess through the hoteling process. Wardrobe is business casual. Talent will be responsible for their own wardrobe and expected to bring two wardrobe options. The Aprio employee will also have opportunities for light physical comedy.
• Seeking submissions nationwide. • Apply on Backstage.com. • Pays $250 for non-union, all media
buyout.
Dancers & Choreographers Dog Food Commercial
• Seeking choreographers and dancers
to audition for an interpretive dog food commercial. The concept involves a dancer and a dog in a an allwhite studio space, whimsically dancing through different settings.
• Seeking submissions from GA. • Apply on Backstage.com. • Only accepting applications that are
Fast Food Brand Commercial, Extras • Casting extras for a commercial for a
well-known fast food brand.
• Company: Road Casting. Staff: Coralie
• Seeking submissions from MD. • Send submissions to sammy@
Rose, casting dir.
hackstone.com.
• Shoots 16 Jan. 2021 in London. • Seeking—Extra: all genders, 18-50, ten
• For consideration, submit a headshot
extras from all walks of life based in London. Extras will either be inside cars, walking on the street, or playing newsagents.
and video dance/choreography reel or you will not be considered. • Pays hourly for rehearsal and for the
performance. Rate to be decided- submit your hourly rate with your reel and headshot submission. Willing to pay studio fees for rehearsal space.
• Seeking submissions from England. • Apply on Backstage.com. • If you are interested and available,
email me+extras@roadcasting.co with the following: name, age, email, mobile number, Instagram, location, confirm availability for 16 Jan., and attach two non-filtered self-portrait photos (no sunglasses).
• Seeking AEA Stage Manager for
“Theatre For One.” Note: This is an entirely virtual project. Look at theatreforone.com to learn more this concept. • Company: Court Theatre. Staff: Regina
20-Mar. 14.
ethnicities, the dancer will be dancing around a dog in an all-white studio space to a choreographed dance. Submit a reel/dance sample and headshot as well as your hourly rate for rehearsal and performance. Films in the Baltimore area in the end of January. Choreographer: all genders, 18+, all ethnicities, a choreographer to choreograph a dance for a dog food commercial. There will be a dancer dancing to this choreography in an all-white studio space alongside a dog. Modern ballet with hip-hop moves is our ideal style, but open to others. Show your samples.
National Commercials
‘Theatre For One’
• Shoots late January (TBD date) in • Seeking—Dancer: female, 18-35, all
set
Stage Staff & Tech
Taylor, Monet Felton, Lavina Jadhwani, Chris Anthony and Miranda Gonzalez, dirs.
Baltimore, MD.
• Pays $150/day, plus lunch provided on
• Highly competitive rates.
• Company: Hack|Stone Film Group.
Staff: Sammy Knight, prod.
available from Jan. 8 (8 a.m.-4 p.m.). Include a sample of your work. A background in comedy is preferred but not required.
sound as if you were talking to a friend.
• Rehearsals begin Jan. 26; runs Feb.
• Seeking—AEA Stage Manager: 18+. • Seeking submissions nationwide. • For consideration, submit resume and
cover letter to Jen Gadda, Director of Production, at casting@courttheatre. org by Jan. 1, 2021.
• Pays $884/wk. Equity LORT D Non-Rep
Agreement.
‘To The Moon’
• Seeking AEA Stage manager for “To
The Moon,” a fierce and tender docudrama about domestic abuse. Synopsis: Almost 200 survivors contributed stories that shaped this script; knowing that such abuse impacts people from all walks of life, five diverse women collaborated to interview survivors and distribute surveys. Playwright Beth Kander weaves these survivors’ stories into a tough and moving play, documenting and dramatizing the traffic realities of domestic abuse in America. • Company: Creede Repertory Theatre.
Staff: John DiAntonio, CRT prod. artistic dir.; Kate Berry, CRT assoc. artistic dir.; Brittni Shambaugh Addison, co-chair of CRT’s Equity Diversity, Inclusion Committee; Betty Hart, dir. • First Design Meeting week of Jan. 18,
E-Learning (Voiceover)
• Pays £120 each total.
Educational Content (Audio) Spanish & English
Online Commercials & Promos
• Seeking voice actors to star as “María,”
the host of new audio educational content.
• Company: Duolingo. • First set of scripts will be recorded in
January, later scripts will be recorded throughout 2021.
Makeup Commercial
• Seeking—Host: female, 18-65, native-
level English and Spanish proficiency required.
• Casting women and men for makeup
commercials. Note: Some are work from home, and some are in studio.
• Seeking submissions nationwide. • Apply on Backstage.com. • Note your availability and include sam-
• Staff: E. Kennedy, supervising casting
prod.
ple recordings in Spanish and in English.
• Location is work from home or studio,
depending on the shoot. Dates are weekdays, TBD and flexible.
• When submitting your recording of
the sample script, please note that we’re looking for natural speech – think “NPR podcast host” and *not* TV commercials, caricature voices, or “radio voice”. Your voice should
• Seeking—Women: female, 18-45, all
ethnicities, attractive women, 18-50, to demonstrate makeup application and discuss it as they do it.
23
2021; Second Design Meeting week of Feb. 1, 2021; Final Design Meeting week of Feb. 15, 2021; Production/Technical Meeting week of Feb. 22, 2021; Rehearsal/Recording: week of Mar. 1, 2021 (four weeks of archival streaming thereafter.). • Seeking—AEA Stage Manager: 18+. • Seeking submissions from CO. • Complete this online application at
https://podio.com/webforms/25532463/1897504, which will request you upload a Cover Letter and Resume, by Jan. 5, 2021. No phone calls. Visit Creede Repertory Theatre’s Work With Us page at https://creederep.org/ work-with-us/ for additional information. • Pays $719 for one full work week +
minimum two (2) days of prep. $300 fee for up to 4 weeks of streaming + Pension and (2) weeks. Health contributions (per Equity COVID Media rules). Equity LOA Agreement. “To The Moon” will be produced digitally with all work being conducted online. Travel to Creede, CO will not be required for any position.
12.31.20 BACKSTAGE
Ask An Expert Agents Auditions Film Headshots Television Theater Unions Voiceover
Q:
How much should actors know about backstage technicalities?
—@upstag3d_
Our Expert Douglas Taurel is an actor.
*Submit questions for our Experts on Backstage’s Facebook or Twitter accounts or via our forums page at backstage.com/forums! The views expressed in this article are solely that of the individual(s) providing them, and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Backstage or its staff.
BACKSTAGE 12.31.20
24
backstage.com
ILLUSTRATION: MARGARET RULING/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM; TAUREL: COURTESY DOUGLAS TAUREL
Every actor should understand, at minimum, the basic technicalities of what happens backstage. Understanding those basics in a theater allows you to come across as professional and rounds out your craft as a performer. It’s essential to know how everything in a theater works, because you’ll realize that you’re not the only player on the team—far from it. Understanding a few basics will endear you to your team and open doors for you. Directors, producers, designers, and stage managers all love to work with actors who make their jobs easier, especially during a technical rehearsal. Everyone remembers a helpful actor who is easy to work with, and they will often suggest them to others in their networks. So here are a few things you should know. When it comes to lights, know that you can’t move them around like prop pieces. If you need a light moved, be sure to let the team know. Why would you want it moved? Well, you might want to deliver your speech or scene in a more comfortable part of the stage. It’s also important to understand where the lights are so that you position yourself under the light. Nothing is worse than an actor always missing their light. If you need your mark spiked, ask for it. That means you ask for a small piece of tape to be placed on the stage so you don’t miss your mark. Beyond the lights, also understand if you can or cannot cross backstage so you organize how you exit the stage. If you exit stage left for a scene but the bathroom is stage right, you need to know that. Also, always be respectful and courteous to your stage manager. Their job is incredibly hard, and if you help them and respect them, they’ll remember you and refer you to directors they know. These are only some of the fundamental things that will help you. The more you learn, the more opportunities will open up for you. Respect everyone’s job and always say thank you to every person on the team.
The Slate
The Actor’s Remote Resource We’re not letting creativity + productivity stop in the face of coronavirus. We’re taking you directly to industry power players through Instagram takeovers and Q&As, YouTube Lives, and most excitingly, Zoom-hosted seminars for interactive group classes! Guests include: Actor Rachel Brosnahan Actor Maisie Williams Casting Director Alexa L. Fogel Casting Director Linda Lamontagne Talent Agent Laura Thede of DDO Artists Agency Casting Director Avy Kaufman Casting Director Carmen Cuba Actor Ricky Gervais Actor Anthony Mackie Voiceover Actor Laurie Burke Actor Samira Wiley and more!
To get all the details and view the full schedule, please visit backstage.com/magazine.
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