Backstage Magazine Digital Edition: July 9, 2020 by Backstage

07.09.20

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Find yourself a talent agent in the unlikeliest of places

“The Handmaid’s Tale” Emmy winner

Bradley Whitford

on bettering his best

Christina Applegate is giving the performance of her life: “My soul

Plus:

needed to do this”

Spotlighting

“The Morning Show,” “The Great,” “Succession,” + more!

3+ Pages OF CASTING NOTICES

In The Envelope The Actor’s Podcast

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Contents

vol. 61, no. 15 | 07.09.20

Cover Story

The Art of Being Uncomfortable Christina Applegate has built a lifelong career onscreen by pushing herself to places she’s never been before page 14

The Green Room 6 The Broadway League addresses racism

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

9 Arturo Castro on creating for himself

Advice 11 NOTE FROM THE CD Zooming away

12 #IGOTCAST Lydia Li

12 SECRET AGENT MAN Say yes to the pig

Features 4 BACKSTAGE 5 WITH... Bradley Whitford

10 MEET THE MAKER

Dahvi Waller, “Mrs. America” creator

11 THE ESSENTIALISTS Stephen H. Carter, production designer

13 IN THE ROOM WITH David Rubin

19 SOUND ADVICE

Emmy contenders take us back in time on Backstage’s podcast

24 ASK AN EXPERT

Gwyn Gilliss on how to list virtual play reading credits on your résumé

Casting 20 New York Tristate 20 California 21 National/Regional All photos of Christina Applegate by Emily Shur/Netflix. Cover designed by Ian Robinson.

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07.09.20 BACKSTAGE

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BACKSTAGE, vol. 61, no. 15 (ISSN#53635 USPS#39740) IS A WEEKLY PUBLICATION, WITH OCCASIONAL DOUBLE ISSUES IN MARCH, MAY, SEPTEMBER, FEBRUARY, JUNE, AUGUST AND DECEMBER AND ONE ISSUE PUBLISHED IN APRIL AND JULY (except the fourth week of December) by Backstage LLC, 45 Main St., Brooklyn, NY 11201, $3.99 per copy, $99 per year. Periodicals postage paid at Brooklyn, NY 11256 and additional mailing offices. Printed in USA. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Backstage, 45 Main St., Ste. 416, Brooklyn, NY 11201.Publication Mail Agreement No. 40031729. ©2017 Backstage LLC. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in any retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the publisher. Backstage LLC: Joshua Ellstein, Chief Executive Officer.

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Backstage 5 With...

Bradley Whitford By Benjamin Lindsay

Bradley Whitford is nothing if not versatile. Since cutting his teeth in the Juilliard School’s drama division, the actor has spent the last 35 years playing everything from a White House deputy chief of staff on “The West Wing” to a closeted cross-dresser on “Transparent”—which earned him Emmys in 2001 and 2015, respectively. He won the Television Academy’s highest honor again last year for playing Gilead mastermind Cmdr. Joseph Lawrence on “The Handmaid’s Tale.”

There’s no doubt about the varied résumé you’ve built over your years onscreen. Did you have any idea when you were first starting out what you wanted your career to look like? Honestly, the older I get, the more grateful I am for the opportunities that I’ve gotten. I think I’m greedy in terms of the variety of experiences I want to get. Whenever I’m doing one thing, if I’m doing something dark and subtle, my first instinct is then to want to do some slapstick. And I’ve been really, really lucky…. All I have ever done is taken the best part available. How has playing Cmdr. Joseph Lawrence on “The Handmaid’s Tale” made you a better actor? I’ve gotten to play some wonderful characters. Lawrence is absolutely the most interesting to play. I always say that talking about acting is like dancing about architecture: You can do it all day, but it’s really kind of pretentious. But at the risk of being pretentious, I had a pretty clear idea of what this guy might be like. There was a guy, Secretary [of Defense Robert] McNamara…a brilliant, brilliant guy who ended up using his brilliance to exterminate 3 million people in Southeast Asia during the [Vietnam War]. It was a situation where his humanity got obliterated by his big brain. That was my sort of starting point for this guy.

What advice would you give your younger self? First of all, I think people always feel like they should have more confidence than they have, and I like to remind people that there’s nothing worse than a totally confident actor; some of the greatest actors we love the most precisely because [of that]. I think of James Gandolfini walking around with that bag of insecurity, which was part of what made him such a fascinating actor. It’s a weird thing, because as an actor, you’re subjecting yourself to doing for a living what most people think of as their worst nightmare: standing up in public. And you’re constantly trying to get more comfortable there.

How did you first get your SAG-AFTRA card? I was at Juilliard and I somehow got cast in a movie called “Dead as a Doorman,” which was an extremely low-budget movie that was not very good.

“To all the actors out there: These directors who direct through intimidation and cruelty, they’re idiots…. Just know that they’re wrong. There’s nothing productive about it.”

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ILLUSTRATION: NATHAN ARIZONA/PHOTO: TINSELTOWN/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

Do you have an audition horror story you could share with us? Yeah, I have a thousand! Listen, I think there are less now, but I will happily go on the record saying that Oliver Stone is the most toxic human being I’ve ever met in my life. Notoriously horrible, especially to women, but fundamentally just cruel. And, you know, being cruel to actors who are auditioning is like shooting fish in a barrel. I was auditioning for “Born on the Fourth of July.”

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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Broadway

Broadway League Addresses Racism

The industry’s trade association is looking inward to figure out what it can do better By Alex Ates

BACKSTAGE 07.09.20

to audiences. Per the Times’ reporting, the League will also renovate its bylaws to include outside consultation on diversity initiatives and antiracism training for staff. The audit comes on the heels of radical reckonings on structural and systemic racism, specifically anti-Blackness, in every facet of American society—including theater in the United States. In a June 8 open

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TETIANA.PHOTOGRAPHER/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

THE BROADWAY LEAGUE, the U.S. coalition of commercial theater owners and producers, has announced an incoming audit of diversity and racial representation in the theater industry, the New York Times reports. Wide-ranging in scale, the audit will reportedly cover every aspect of theater business: from crew to cast, auditions to production meetings, unions

letter to the “white American theater,” several Black theater artists, from Broadway actors to playwrights, wrote: “We have watched you un-challenge your white privilege, inviting us to traffic in the very racism and patriarchy that festers in our bodies, while we protest against it on your stages.” At the time of this writing, the letter has over 81,000 endorsements via an accompanying petition. A few days after the letter went viral online, the Broadway Advocacy Coalition assembled a three-day webinar that held Broadway productions accountable for racism and worked toward an antiracist future on America’s most iconic stages. The coalition’s campaign, Broadway for Black Lives Matter Again, offers an accountability pledge

and a resource guide, among other supplements. “I think we have done a good job onstage, and we’ve done a good job with the Tony Awards, but in a lot of our backstage areas we haven’t done as good a job, and if people are frustrated, they have the right to be,” Charlotte St. Martin, the League’s president and chief executive, told the Times. “We have to change, and we will change.” The Times notes that out of the League’s 50 board members, Stephen Byrd and Colleen Jennings-Roggensack are the only Black members. The most recent report from the Asian American Performers Action Coalition, AAPAC, revealed that in the 2016–2017 season, white actors made up 66.8% of casts on Broadway and professional regional stages. Black actors made up 18.6% of casts, Asian-American actors represented 7.3%, and there were 5.1% Latinx actors. In all, nonwhite actors represented 33% of casts in the 2016–2017 season, an 18% increase from a decade prior. When it comes to playwrights, 95% of Broadway productions in the 2016–2017 season were by white writers; 95% of these productions had white directors. The League’s diversity initiatives are aspirational for a time when theaters reopen. Because of the U.S.’s compounding failure to control the highly contagious coronavirus since mid-March, 100% of actors have been unemployed nationwide. The announcement is the latest update for the League, which has had a busy news week after also announcing that Broadway productions will remain suspended until 2021 due to COVID-19 risks.

The Slate

The Actor’s Quarantine Resource We’re not letting creativity + productivity stop in the face of coronavirus. We’re taking you directly to industry power players through Backstage Forums AMAs, Instagram takeovers and Q&As, YouTube Lives, and most excitingly, Zoom-hosted seminars for interactive group classes! Guests include: Casting Director Robert Ulrich Casting Director Linda Lamontagne Talent Agent Jason Lockhart Casting Director Avy Kaufman Casting Director Carmen Cuba Talent Agent Chaim Magnum UK Casting Director Sophie Kingston-Smith Makeup Artist Bridie Coughlin Voiceover Actor Laurie Burke Voice Teacher Andrew Byrne and more!

To get all the details and view the full schedule, please visit backstage.com/magazine.

conspires to set them free. The supernatural thriller is being produced by Seth Rogen’s Point Grey Pictures and will be cast by Engine Casting. No actors have been attached yet, but filming is scheduled to start in September in an unannounced location in the United States.

Seth Rogen Pivots to Horror The comedian will produce feature film “Cobweb” 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! Some Hollywood film and TV projects are moving forward with casting ahead of tentative shooting dates set for later this year that will follow safe on-set protocols. Please note that shoot dates are subject to state and county COVID-19 quarantine restrictions and may change. Refer to

BACKSTAGE 07.09.20

“Cobweb” Edgar Allan Poe wrote about a nervous man moved to madness by the sound of a beating heart below the floorboards. Though he believed the sound to be the thumping heart of a man he murdered and hid, the true beating arguably came from his own guilt. New feature film “Cobweb” takes themes from the classic short story and adds a twist. For one young boy, the voices in his head are loud and unrelenting. Despite abusive parents who push the narrative that he’s mentally

unwell and creates the voices he hears, he comes to discover that the sounds that seem to be coming from the walls may not be so internal after all. When he reaches his breaking point, he discovers the noises are coming from someone or something trapped behind the walls and

TELEVISION

‘The Crown’ Finds Its New Princess By Casey Mink

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

THE UPCOMING FIFTH SEASON OF “The Crown” will sadly be its last—but the royal drama plans to go out on a high note, adding Lesley Manville to its cast as Princess Margaret. The role is currently played by Helena Bonham Carter, who, as has become series tradition, will vacate the role as the show moves into a later time in history. The “Phantom Thread” Oscar nominee will be joined by Imelda Staunton as Queen Elizabeth II, taking over for current queen Olivia Colman.

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Get cast!

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

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

CARA HOWE

What’s Casting

“The Art of Love” Betsy Franco, mother to actors James and Dave Franco, is bringing her novel “The Art of Love” to life on the big screen. The young adult novel of the same name tells the story of the enduring love of family and the sacrifices needed to save them from their own demons. The drama will follow a teen boy as he learns his addict sister has escaped a rehab facility. Though she is deemed a runaway and all but given up on by society, her brother, desperate to find her and still hopeful she can be saved, leaves home to find her somewhere in San Francisco. The project, cast by London/Stroud, is a family affair: Betsy’s son Tom Franco will produce the film under his company, Firehouse Productions. The coming-ofage tale has a loose start date, with shooting hopefully taking place in September or October, COVID-19 restrictions allowing, like many other projects. Currently, the United States is the only location designated for production.

hurts my very sensitive tongue. And so I just had this idea to write down something that would make me laugh and maybe put a message across. It started in my basement in Brooklyn with my buddy Brendan. It was a slow process, but I just loved producing. Even at the beginning, getting people together that you admire to go make something funny all day is [the] closest thing to magic that I can come up with.”

Arturo Castro on “Alternatino With Arturo Castro”

Castro used Backstage to book jobs! “Backstage was my center for jobs for many years. I don’t know if right now there’s a direct-submit thing, but before, you just get an email and I’d write these submission emails. They were so heartfelt. It was such a cool process.”

Backstage Live

Creating for Himself

Arturo Castro didn’t like what he was seeing— so he made roles for himself By Paul Art Smith

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

TELEVISION

By Casey Mink CARA HOWE

MARGAUX QUAYLE CANNON

Great News for ‘The Great’ Fans

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BEFORE CREATING HIS OWN Comedy Central sketch series, Arturo Castro could be seen in various roles across “Broad City,” “Narcos,” and “Silicon Valley.” But “Alternatino With Arturo Castro,” a variety show based on his many experiences as a Latino millennial living

HULU’S FRESHMAN SERIES “THE Great” has been given a second season order. The dramedy, created by Tony McNamara (who penned another regal hit, “The Favourite”), will return with 10 episodes at a to-be-announced date. Starring Elle Fanning as Catherine the Great, the streamer has become one of the platform’s “top performing original comedies” since it debuted this past spring. Also starring Nicholas Hoult, the show depicts the era of Catherine’s reign.

in America, is the first time he’s brought all his impressive talents to the fore. Castro (next seen in “The Broken Hearts Gallery”) jumped on Instagram Live with Backstage as he quarantined from Los Angeles to chat about the series, his humble beginnings, and his advice for other creators to get started. “Alternatino” started as a web series before its Comedy Central pickup. “ ‘Broad City’ was the first [time] I was able to play on TV where I felt like a three-dimensional person. My first character on TV before that…I played this character called Dishwasher Juan on ‘The Good Wife,’ and I’m like, How many Juans were there in the episode that you have to be ‘dishwasher’? Is there Firefighter Juan? Just call me one or the other. Besides ‘Broad City,’ the picture of Latinos that I saw on television, I just didn’t really identify with because I suck at dancing, I don’t like spicy food because it

His No. 1 piece of advice for other creators? “Get to know yourself.” “What is your voice? What is your perspective? Because there are so many people trying to do what you do, the only way you’re gonna stand out is by being completely yourself. If you are going into every room wondering what they want from you, then you’re gonna fail every time because you’re not gonna be bringing your fresh perspective. So really get to know yourself, lose that fear of creation. The fear of creation is the same fear of standup, that you’ll fail or that it will look ridiculous. Everybody wants you to succeed. Nobody’s out there trying to make you fail. If you just have that perspective shift, it’s such a freeing concept. If you are not a writer yourself, get somebody who can write, and come up with the concepts together. Just do the thing. I’m telling you, if I started doing that many years ago I would be Wilmer Valderrama by now.” Want to hear more from Castro? Watch our full Backstage Live interview at our Instagram page, @backstagecast.

07.09.20 BACKSTAGE

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Spotlighting the people and projects you need to know

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Dahvi Waller, “Mrs. America” creator By Casey Mink

Margo Martindale, Elizabeth Banks, and Uzo Aduba on “Mrs. America”

BACKSTAGE 07.09.20

Schlafly,” Waller says, “I did feel a responsibility to get that right and portray them in a way that’s honest.” In November 2016, Waller was at work on a draft of the pilot and, as you may recall, another event also took place that month. Though she’d always wanted to tell a serialized political story—particularly one that not only centered on women but was written and directed by them, bucking the boys’ club of political dramas she grew up on—her scope then shifted. “After the election results, that was when I pivoted to tell a broader story: the takeover of the Republican Party by the far right in 1976, and how Phyllis Schlafly’s backlash movement fed into the Reagan revolution,” Waller recalls. For those who don’t know (and many still

don’t), Schlafly was not only an architect of the anti-ERA movement but an indelible architect of today’s far right. That she is portrayed on the FX on Hulu miniseries by Cate Blanchett only makes her a more tantalizing TV antihero. “Great villains have moments where you feel sympathy for them,” Waller says. “She was a human being, and I tried approaching her as a therapist, really figuring out what made her tick and where those inner conflicts inside of her were— finding what’s emotionally compelling about this person [while] at the same time not wanting to shy away from what is villainous about her.” Blanchett being the first actor to sign on also threw the casting door wide open because, as Waller notes, “Who doesn’t

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SABRINA LANTOS/FX

“HOW DO WE ALL KNOW about Watergate and we don’t know about the Equal Rights Amendment?” asks Dahvi Waller. That question, years ago, compelled the “Mrs. America” creator to put pen to paper on a series about the women’s movement, and, specifically, the amendment that gives women equal protection under the law in the U.S. Constitution—or it would, if it had ever been ratified by the requisite 38 states and then passed. To this day, it has not. “Obviously, television is primarily entertainment, but knowing this will be a lot of people’s first introduction to the Equal Rights Amendment battle, and for many, their first introduction to the women’s movement and to Phyllis

want to be her scene partner?” With the show’s expanded focus on the key players of ’70s feminism, Waller was able to assemble a first-rate ensemble built entirely around women. In addition to Blanchett, there’s Rose Byrne as Gloria Steinem, Uzo Aduba as Shirley Chisholm, Tracey Ullman as Betty Friedan, and Margo Martindale as Bella Abzug, with Elizabeth Banks, Ari Graynor, and Sarah Paulson in other pivotal roles. “What really excited me about this cast was I’d never gotten to see Cate Blanchett and Tracey Ullman in a scene together. What material is out there that would have them in a scene together?” Waller remarks. “Cate always agreed she wanted it to be an ensemble and not just ‘her’ series. Every single woman is at the top of their game and there was this camaraderie. There was a sisterhood on set where everyone was like, ‘We’re trying to make something bigger than ourselves’; I felt it with the writers and I felt it with the actresses.” Of course, with anything historically rooted, there is always a balancing act in staying true to what occurred while still ensuring that every minute of the project—nine episodes, in this case—makes for captivating television. As Waller describes it, sometimes you get lucky and events line up for great dramatic storytelling. Other times, “the history gods are not smiling on you.” For example, the real Steinem refused to meet the real Schlafly, “and for very good reason,” Waller insists. However, “that really made my job as a writer difficult, that I could never put Rose Byrne and Cate Blanchett in a scene together. That’s when you’re like, ‘Thanks a lot, history.’ ”

ILLUSTRATION: MARGAUX QUAYLE CANNON; “SUCCESSION”: GRAEME HUNTER

Meet the Maker

culture +

Spotlighting the people and projects you need to know

THE ESSENTIALISTS

STEPHEN H. CARTER production designer

A show like “Succession” loses all credibility the moment the audience stops believing its world is genuinely inhabited by billionaires, and production designer STEPHEN H. CARTER feels that pressure with every lavish-looking detail with which he dresses the HBO hit. Carter makes “Succession” look expensive. “When I was hired, I was sort of given marching orders to protect the validity that this is a billionaire’s world. Everybody at the table, when I was having my very first conversations and interviews, said, ‘We want

Note From the CD

Zooming Away

SABRINA LANTOS/FX

ILLUSTRATION: MARGAUX QUAYLE CANNON; “SUCCESSION”: GRAEME HUNTER

By Marci Liroff

SINCE MANY OF US ARE PIVoting to online teaching, coaching, and casting meetings, learning video etiquette is essential these days. I’ve got some tips on how to best prepare for a Zoom call. In order to have a smooth experience, I highly recommend working on these technical details ahead of time. You can use a friend or family member to test them out! I recommend logging on about five minutes before the beginning of the meeting to ensure all your technical details are in working order. Close out unneeded applications on your computer to keep the video chat running smoothly; clear out the barking dog, screaming kids, and naked husband; set up your laptop at eye level; and adjust your camera so we can see you—but not too close. We don’t need to see your nose hairs or that your roots have grown out! Concerning your eye line, this is one of the few times as

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an actor that you should look into the camera. It will be more personable for those that you’re speaking with. Just as with a good self-tape, make sure you’re not backlit. Natural light is fine, as long as you’re facing the light. Otherwise, there are many lighting devices available for purchase online. If you’re the host, make sure you introduce everyone if you all don’t know each other. Proper business etiquette should still be adhered to. Do a quick summary of housekeeping rules for the chat; you can request that participants mute their mics when they’re not speaking, or do it yourself! The meeting’s host has the power to run the show. To better dictate a speaking order, use the chat box feature to talk to others and physically raise your hand to speak or use the raised hand icon. However, you should know that your privacy in the chat room isn’t always

this to look right, that everything about it feels right to the people that actually live this kind of life. We don’t want to feel like we’re making up the details.’ And I love that. That was one of the big draws of this particular show to me. It sort of fit into what I consider to be my niche…being able to observe very realistic locations and environments and re-create them very accurately.” Always add an extra door. “You may have, say, two or three scripts’ worth of material, and you know the set has to service all the different

protected; a host who records the session may be able to see your private chats, depending on their settings. Also keep that in mind when pinning a video. A pinned video allows you to disable the active speaker view and only view a specific speaker. It will also only record the pinned video if you are recording locally. Pinning another participant’s video will only affect your local view and local recordings, not the view of other participants, and it will not affect cloud recordings. When you’re on the call, treat it like a meeting! Dressing professionally will make you feel more professional. But if you decide to be business from the waist up and party from the waist down, be sure you know exactly how low your webcam is pointed. As far as other distractions: Keep them minimal! Avoid noise pollution from overhead fans,

By Casey Mink

scenes that appear in those episodes. But once you get beyond that, you may have to add three new rooms that you’ve never thought about. You’re constantly leaving a couple of extra doors to nowhere so that you can develop them into things that are really basic but important.”

window air conditioners, and more. And take a beat to listen yourself. Talking over each other in this medium just causes confusion. Don’t multitask, either; the temptation is huge, but your focus should be on the call. And mind the clock. Stay on task and don’t waste others’ time. Zoom fatigue is real for those working from home with a schedule full of meetings. With that last point in mind, only invite those people who are essential to the call. If you can loop someone in with an email with bullet points rather than have them sit in, you probably don’t need them there. Fewer participants make for a smoother meeting.

Want more?

Read the full interview at backstage.com/magazine

07.09.20 BACKSTAGE

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Spotlighting the people and projects you need to know

Say Yes to the Pig

BACKSTAGE 07.09.20

acoustic guitar on, and I walked around a pig show playing music. I did that for about three hours and took the bus home.... The next day, the booking agent called me up and said, ‘Hey, yeah, so you did a really good job at the pig show....’ So many opportunities and 10 years of stage experience came from that one piddly little pig show.” I found this story while reading Tim Ferriss’ 2016 book “Tools for Titans.” You’d never think that a well-timed pig show could turn your luck around, but you can indeed learn valuable lessons from people like him, even if their success has nothing to do with acting. There are certain strategies that work well in any

Every project, no matter how small, is a chance to meet someone who could help you down the road.

Lydia Li

By Franchesca Viaud Thanks to Backstage, actor LYDIA LI landed both a job and a trip to the Caribbean. Not bad! Set your sights high. “[For a recent project,] I was initially intrigued when I saw it was going to be shot in the Dominican Republic. It’s always been my dream to visit the Caribbean.” Things can move quickly. Be ready. “I was cast remotely for the film. I sent in two self-tapes and wrote an email to the casting office to make sure they received my submission. I got their confirmation shortly thereafter. Then, a few weeks [later], I was informed I was shortlisted by the director and later offered the part.” Let Backstage help you level up. “If you’re the type of actor who knows what you’re looking for, it’s easy to customize your searches on Backstage to narrow down the breakdowns. If you’re new to acting, there are also a lot of projects that are good for beginners. Just make sure you have your profile updated and start submitting!”

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

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ILLUSTRATION: SPENCER ALEXANDER; LI: K&A HEADSHOTS

IN 1998, A MUSICIAN NAMED Derek Sivers created a company called CD Baby. It became the largest seller of independent music on the web. Ten years later, he sold the business for $22 million. Successful people always have an interesting backstory, and this guy is no exception. When Sivers was 18, he was attending the Berklee College of Music in Boston. One day, the bass player from his band complained that an agent had just offered him a job playing music at a pig show in Vermont for $75. The bass player said there was no way he was going to do it, and he wanted to know if Sivers would be interested. Our hero immediately said yes. “So, I took the gig to go up to Burlington, Vermont,” Sivers recalls. “I think it was a $58 roundtrip bus ticket. I get to this pig show, I strap my

#IGOTCAST.

RAQUEL APARICIO

Secret Agent Man

business. Aggressively saying yes is one of them. When you’re starting out as an actor, you should be open to any and all possibilities that come your way. There are two reasons for this. The first is you need the experience. You have to act to get better at acting. The same is true for standup comedians. They perform anywhere and everywhere they can, because they know that’s the best way to sharpen their skills. So, join the cast of that waiver play that’s being produced in the outer regions of Brooklyn; accept the part in that student film or web series you were just offered. Every opportunity to act is a chance to improve. The second reason to aggressively say yes is that you never know what might come of it. There are golden tickets everywhere, and if you put yourself out there, you might just find one. Accepting a role in a microbudget movie where the director’s mother is serving lunch could lead to great things when that director gets a much bigger film. Every project, no matter how small, is a chance to meet someone who could help you down the road. And trust me: Nothing is gained by staying home. Naturally, there are exceptions. You should never accept a job that makes you uncomfortable or that might place you in physical danger. There’s no reason to perform nude if that’s not your thing. And you definitely shouldn’t work with people who make your spidey-sense tingle. Let’s role play: I’m a no-name producer and I want you to do a voice on my podcast. We’ll record the whole thing in two days, and I’ll pay you with pizza and beer. Are you in?

culture +

Spotlighting the people and projects you need to know

In the Room With

David Rubin

The CD known for helping to bring best-sellers to the screen explains the value of auditions By Elyse Roth

ILLUSTRATION: SPENCER ALEXANDER; LI: K&A HEADSHOTS

RAQUEL APARICIO

IT’S CLEAR THAT CASTING DIRECTOR (AND AMPAS PRESIDENT) David Rubin knows how to pick a good project. He’s behind some of the most exciting film and television of the past few years, especially when it comes to fan-favorite books that are adapted for the screen. He assembled the ensemble of “Big Little Lies” and found the residents of Wind Gap, Missouri, for “Sharp Objects.” Most recently, Celeste Ng’s best-seller “Little Fires Everywhere” was adapted for Hulu with Kerry Washington, Reese Witherspoon, and a robust cast of young actors found by Rubin. What was the audition process for “Little Fires Everywhere”? It’s always a question of experimentation in the audition process, particularly with young actors, when many of them don’t have a tremendous amount of credits and history to explore. We do it incrementally, finding a scene or two that is emblematic of the character and gives you some idea of how the character moves

backstage.com

the story forward. In each case, we had follow-up readings where we got more intense material and more demanding scenes. In putting together the Richardson family, we saw finalists read opposite each other to see resemblances and different energies, because the Richardson kids are so fundamentally different from each other. Seeing them together in a room in twos and threes and

fours was extremely instructive and enlightening. How do you factor in the source material when casting a novel adaptation? I get a feeling from a novel of the mood, tone, and world of the piece. There’s a fabric that you want to have be consistent throughout the telling of the story, so that’s helpful background. You’re able to read paragraphs about how those characters are thinking as well as what they’re saying. It’s often very insightful into the internal life of the characters. I try to pull certain things from those descriptions, although it’s really important to embrace what the screenwriter has written that’s different from the novel. Once I

read the novel, I don’t go back to it or refer to it again; it’s really a supplier of general information, feeling, and tone, and then I focus on the adaptation. What should young actors know about starting out? For very young actors, I prefer limited professional experience, because I find that depending on their level of training, young actors are very often asked to deliver results and perform in a less-than-organic way in professional circumstances. That’s not the kind of performance I respond to. Children at play are natural actors. If you see kids playing in a playground, they just go at it with abandon. That natural instinctive playfulness of nonprofessional child actors is a huge asset, I think. What advice do you have for actors? Prepare. By that, I mean study the craft of acting before you even embark on a professional career, and then certainly prepare for each individual audition, which involves making very clear choices and learning as much about the project beforehand so you understand the tone, energy, and style of the production you’re auditioning for. The second most important thing is to 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.

Want more?

Read the full interview at backstage.com/magazine

07.09.20 BACKSTAGE

The Art of Being Uncomfortab l Christina Applegate has built a lifelong career onscreen by pushing herself to places she’s never been before By Benjamin Lindsay

BACKSTAGE 07.09.20

you’re not doing it right. This shouldn’t feel easy; you shouldn’t be comfortable,” Applegate says with a shrug. “Being comfortable,” she adds, “that stagnation is where you die—you can’t be stagnant. You’ve got to push. You’ve got to expand.” The lifelong actor has had this career MO since wrapping her 11 seasons as Kelly Bundy on “Married…With Children” in 1997, and she shares it with the kind of gruff but sincere wisdom of someone who, decades in, knows a thing or two of what she speaks. Applegate first began “acting” before she could even formulate words, appearing with her actor mother, Nancy Priddy, on an episode of soap opera “Days of Our Lives” and doing a Playtex commercial by the age of 1. She continued doing commercials for TV and radio through her childhood, and became a card-carrying SAG member at age 4 in 1975 for a project lost to time. (“My mom doesn’t remember—I obviously don’t remember, I was born in 1971—so no one really knows!”) Films began filling her résumé around age

10 with “Jaws of Satan,” “Beatlemania,” “Grace Kelly,” and others, and the bit work continued. But it wasn’t until landing the role of Kelly, a bombshell teen with an ax to grind, on “Married” that Applegate became a household name. Hers was a rather untraditional and untamed route into the arts that would eventually lead to everything from 1991’s “Don’t Tell Mom the Babysitter’s Dead” to “Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy,” “The Sweetest Thing,” a Tony-nominated “Sweet Charity” run, and a string of Emmy backstage.com

EMILY SHUR/NETFLIX

IT’S MID-MAY 2020, AND CHRISTINA Applegate is exactly where she belongs: lighting up someone’s screen. Sure, Season 2 of Liz Feldman’s acclaimed “Dead to Me” has just premiered on Netflix, but on this particular afternoon, she’s taking to Zoom, dialing in for an hourlong break from her two cats, one dog, musician husband, and 9-year-old daughter—all of whom are occasionally heard just out of frame during this unprecedented time of quarantine. “It’s weird to be talking about stuff like this when the world is what it is,” she admits, “but what’s nice is that people are getting an escape in. We all have to escape somehow.” Here, sitting makeup-less in front of her fireplace with her hair in a bun, wearing a gray hoodie, AirPods, and dark-rimmed glasses, Applegate is a vision of fuss-free comfort. It’s well-deserved—considering she doesn’t allow herself that luxury at her day job. “You should always be challenging yourself; if it gets too complacent or easy, then

b le

EMILY SHUR/NETFLIX

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04.02.20 BACKSTAGE

JEREMY POPE

BACKSTAGE 04.02.20

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EMILY SHUR/NETFLIX; “DEAD TO ME”: SAEED ADYANI / NETFLIX

“Being comfortable, that stagnation is where you die— you can’t be stagnant. You’ve got to push. You’ve got to expand.”

opportunity for normalcy has been to her benefit as an actor, so she can’t begrudge it—especially in 2020, when “Dead to Me” finds her turning in career-best work. Her performance as Jen, a widowed mother who befriends the offbeat-but-tenderhearted Judy (Linda Cardellini) during a group therapy session for the bereaved, is at times so raw you’ll find it hard to watch. While the series is nominally a comedy, it’s often paced like a crime thriller, and emotionally, it serves as an exploration of how trauma and pain sit in the body and weigh on the mind. Applegate’s Jen is broken by her loss, hardened by her anger, and self-sabotages herself; in other words, it’s an out-of-left-field powerhouse vehicle unlike any the actor has previously been afforded, and she wouldn’t be able to play it without imbuing it with shades of her own hardship. “Oh, man, it’s all there. It’s all me. I don’t

JEREMY POPE

EMILY SHUR/NETFLIX; “DEAD TO ME”: SAEED ADYANI / NETFLIX

wins and nominations—including a surprise nod last year for “Dead to Me.” But the inroads she made alongside her single mother began more out of necessity than gumption. “It was something that I was always doing because I had to for survival,” Applegate says. “My mom, you know, that was how we made our money, me doing radio commercials or commercials or whatever. It’s how we were fed. It’s all I’ve ever known.” Asked if and when the flip ever switched from acting-as-survival to acting-as-passion and fulfillment, she doesn’t miss a beat: That only came when she decided to quit acting for good. “The moment it became a choice, I think I was 13 years old, and I said to [my mom], ‘I don’t want to do this anymore. I don’t want to go on auditions anymore, I want to be with my friends.’ And she said, ‘OK, I’ll call your agent,’ ” Applegate recalls. “I’ll never forget, in our little 750-square-foot house, I went upstairs and all of a sudden I got a panic attack. I ran downstairs within 10 minutes and was like, ‘No, don’t call her.’ “At 13, do you even understand what having a passion for something is? I don’t think so. All I knew is that the idea of it going away didn’t feel right to me. Didn’t sit right. I don’t know what I would’ve done if I’d just gone off and [had] the freedom of being a normal kid.” At the end of the day, forgoing the

think that it would’ve been what it was had I not had a lot of pain in my life,” she says, “I had to be able to relate to her because she’s someone who is going through great trauma.” Applegate, who is also executive producer on the series, notes the Season 1 revelation of Jen’s breast cancer diagnosis and double mastectomy, a real-life battle Applegate fought herself in 2008. It’s a character detail that she fought to include as an in-passing building block of Jen’s backstory; something not shown onscreen that is nonetheless absolutely intrinsic to her dayto-day life. “I think, for some reason, my soul needed to do this,” Applegate says of why she signed on, admitting that at the time, she was looking for a lighter commitment on an ensemble series. “My soul needed to say the words that I had to say and feel the things that I had to feel, talk about the things that I had to talk about, show the world what pain and trauma

On “Dead to Me”

backstage.com

07.09.20 BACKSTAGE

With Linda Cardellini on “Dead to Me”

BACKSTAGE 07.09.20

“It wasn’t about a professional thing, it was more a personal thing,” the actor says of her drive to do more. In the craft, she found therapy. “I wanted to go to the places that I needed to go for me as a person who had been through the life that I’d been through, to be in this really vulnerable, personal space and feel OK about that.” Now, her character development process can look any number of ways. She’s written journals for some roles that run 150 pages long just to get their psyche down on paper; someone like “Anchorman” newswoman Veronica Corningstone, on the other hand, required more work from the outside in. “She’s putting on a character for the world, so what does that mean? Where does she hold her tension?” Applegate poses. “Everyone gets something special; it just depends on who the person is.” For “Dead to Me,” Jen wasn’t as mapped out. “I read it and I was like, ‘Oh, I don’t need to work on this.’ She has to be erratic. She can’t be planned. She’s gotta pingpong.” The approach allows for heart-onher-sleeve spontaneity and at-times harrowing authenticity. Likewise, Jen lives with Applegate in ways she’s not used to. The actor has a laundry list of moments where things got a little too real

backstage.com

SAEED ADYANI / NETFLIX

can look like and how messy it is, and to not feel bad about the fact that you’re not doing it ‘right.’ When that happens, you can’t say no. “I’m sure there’s someone who had a great childhood and both parents and they lived with a picket fence and grew up at summer stock and went to Harvard and worked in this and that and was perfect and could go and perform and do that, too—that’s friggin’ art right there,” she continues. “But then there are those of us who have had a pretty scrappy life and who have seen a lot of heartbreak who can just tap in from our own personal experiences.” That’s not to say, of course, that Applegate has never herself trained. She may have been born into acting, but her mother had her in technique classes early on. She was a pupil of Uta Hagen until “Married…With Children,” and the years following it had her booked solid—“There was no time for that anymore.” But training came back to Applegate later in life. She’d turned 30 and found herself itching for more from her acting, and so she enrolled for some years in a class regimen that had her mining scenes she otherwise would never be hired for. It reached all her untapped nooks and ultimately prepared her for the work she does today.

to deal—where her body began shaking involuntarily, her sobs became unstoppable. “I felt like my skin was falling off of my body,” she recalls of a particularly trying Season 2 scene that has Jen revealing her truth to Judy. But Applegate, for better or worse, goes there, and has learned what she needs to cope: She’s no stranger, for example, to turning to the on-set medic—who was called in after she busted her rib filming an action sequence last year—to make sure she’s not actually having a heart attack. “He basically was my emotional support system,” Applegate says with a laugh. “He’d see me kind of spiraling out in my head, and he’d come over and be like, ‘You’re OK. Take a deep breath.’ That was my self-care. Because there was no other way to have self-care. The opportunity to take care of me couldn’t happen until I was done.” Which brings our conversation back around to that acting career MO: Never get too comfortable. “You’ve got to be able to be pliable,” Applegate concludes. “You can’t just head down one road and say, ‘This is the way it should be. I feel this about this and I’m snooty about this and I don’t do interviews and I don’t do this and I’m an artist.’ You’ve got to let all that go—and then the universe will give you more than you think you even want.” Indeed, her approach has paid off and the universe has provided. But for now, Applegate rests.

Mark Duplass on “The Morning Show”

Sarah Snook

“Succession” “There are so many different variables for the reason you got [told] no. It’s not because you’re a bad actor or you’re a bad person or you aren’t very good or you’ll never get a job. It’s just no for the moment.”

Raphael Bob-Waksberg

“BoJack Horseman” + “Undone” “Don’t worry so much.... I wouldn’t say don’t worry at all. I would say worry a healthy amount. Worry as far as it’s productive, maybe keep normal business hours for your worrying. Try not to worry when you don’t need to be worrying.”

Yvonne Strahovski

Sound Advice

Emmy contenders take us back in time on Backstage’s podcast By Jack Smart THE ROAD TO TELEVISION SUPERSTARDOM IS PAVED WITH AS MANY mistakes and regrets as successes. That’s one of the takeaways, at least, from this season of Backstage’s “In the Envelope: The Actor’s Podcast,” which since its April 23 return has featured 2020 Emmy contenders reflecting on their journeys through the biz. Each was asked, thanks to the power of hindsight, what advice they would give their younger selves. Check out excerpts from these exclusive interviews below, and for more wisdom from today’s most award-worthy actors and creators, tune into “In the Envelope” wherever you get your podcasts!

Elle Fanning

“The Great” “You have to love it. I think that that’s also the key. You really have to love it, because it takes up a lot of your time and it takes a lot of hard work. It’s not just something that you can show up and not work out. It takes dedication.”

know how else you become successful. I was obsessed with my career at the expense of personal relationships and at the expense of everything. I may be going back, saying to myself, ‘Look at the bigger picture.’ It took me a long time to see that it’s not everything.”

Nathan Lane

Mishel Prada

“Vida” “I wish I had found confidence sooner.... So often, people meet

Janet Mock

“Pose” + “Hollywood” “Slow down, enjoy the process, [and] be present exactly where you’re at right now, because you’ll never get this moment back again. And yes, girl, you are correct, and you are right. Trust that instinct and keep pushing forward. That’s what I would say.”

Laura Linney

“Ozark” “I think it’s just to be a little kinder to yourself, more than anything. You have to be kind to yourself in the process.”

Mark Duplass

“The Morning Show” + “Room 104” “Get yourself to the place where you create your own work. And then you either won’t have to audition or you won’t be as worried about the auditions because you’ll have your own ability to do your work.”

Keegan-Michael Key

“Brain Games” “All anybody here is thinking about is, How do we make the project the best thing it can be? That’s what everyone’s thinking about. You do you, and part of you should be solving, ‘How do I help make this the best project possible?’ I would have liked to have known that sooner.”

Michelle Dockery

“Defending Jacob” “I’ve had a tendency to overprepare and make assumptions about a scene and the way it should be played.... Walking into something with a much more open interpretation, [thinking,] Let’s just see what happens, is actually quite liberating.”

APPLE TV+

“Penny Dreadful: City of Angels” “I was so obsessed with my career—but I had to be. I don’t

you and they’ll say, ‘Oh, let me guess, an actress.’ I wish that I had found that place within me that said, ‘Yes, I am. That’s who I am.’ ”

“The Handmaid’s Tale” “Those hundred auditions that you do before you land the job on No. 101, all those auditions prepped you for the 101st. There’s something that happened. You’ve got to enjoy that journey of just relishing in everything and treating everything as a learning experience.”

backstage.com

07.09.20 BACKSTAGE

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

Submit a Notice |

New York Tristate Plays ‘A Dry Wind In A Desert Place,’ New York Submissions • Casting Equity actors for “A Dry Wind

In A Desert Place.”

• Company: GW Reed. Staff: GW Reed,

dir.

• Dates depend on the current Covid-19

crisis and when congregation will be allowed; runs TBD in Brooklyn, NY.

• Seeking—Equity Actors: all genders,

18+.

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

resume to gwreed521@gmail.com.

• Pays $50 for a rehearsal and reading.

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. • Company: Tisch School of the Arts.

• Send submissions to contact@gold-

• Shoots Aug. 8-9 in the Astoria, Queens,

• Pays $175/8 hrs. Production states:

Staff: Jay F., casting.

hivemedia.com.

NY area.

“Shoot will not take that long. We are looking at a max of six hours, but we say eight to be safe. MUA will be provided. Meal will be provided. $25 fuel stipend. No Wardrobe provided. Director will connect with you personally to see a few wardrobe options that you have.”

• Seeking—Ethan: male, 20-27, all eth-

nicities, an aspiring tattoo artist (tattoos not a requirement for role) who sometimes sells drugs on the side to make ends meet. Is dept at disguising his internal state from others when the situation calls for it. Very focused when it comes to pursuing what he wants. Believes that his ideal life would be one of absolute freedom from unpleasant commitments and responsibilities. Has been allowing Bianca to live at his apartment for the past couple of weeks.

Southern California

• Seeking submissions from NY. • Apply on Backstage.com. • Note: There will be a 10 person crew

Short Films

and three actors. Not all crew/cast will be on set at same time to accommodate proper social distancing measures.

‘The Man In The Woods’

• No pay.

• Casting, “The Man in the Woods,” a

short horror / suspense film. Synopsis: Things take a truly terrifying turn when a man burying his wife in the woods crosses paths with a lost stranger.

Equity Staged Reading Code.

Student Films ‘Ghosted’

• Casting “Ghosted,” a short student film

about a young man trying to find love on an online dating app and finding out that it’s cold out on the streets of love. • Staff: Ogheneghalome Odiedi, student

filmmaker.

• Shoots between July 24-27 within the

city of Bridgeport, CT.

• Seeking—Angelique: female, 18-30,

Black / African Descent.

• Seeking submissions from CT. • Send submissions to odiedio@mail.

sacredheart.edu.

• Transportation reimbursement and

accommodations provided, if necessary.

‘The Visitor’

• Casting “The Visitor.” Synopsis: Katie, a

recovering drug addict who has managed to turn her life around, is visited at her apartment by Bianca, a friend from her past, and Ethan, a mysterious stranger and associate of Bianca’s. During the ensuing encounter that take place between the three of them, the true nature of Bianca and Ethan’s visit is revealed, as is much of the shared history that exists between Katie and Bianca.

BACKSTAGE 07.09.20

Scripted TV & Video

• Company: Pure Cinema. Staff: Luke

McCain, writer-dir.

• Rehearsals will take place online via

Aerospace Optical Company Corporate Video

video conference; shoots tentatively July 30-31, 2020 in San Diego, CA.

• Casting a corporate video for an aero-

• Seeking—William Hobsmire: male,

space optical company marketing video.

• Production states: “We have a snippet

of the shoot [with employees] we will show you to do a read from (we will send both clip and script). We are fun loving crew and we will practice safe set standards during this time of Covid-19!” • Company: Gold Hive Media. Staff:

Nicholas Prainito, gold hive media.

• Shoots anywhere between July 9-13

(one day shoot; script reads about 4 minutes long while filming) in the Central Suffolk County (possibly Riverhead), NY. • Seeking—Company Lead: 24-40,

Southeast Asian / Pacific Islander, White / European Descent, on screen talking head (interview style) to represent a company on screen during an interview style shoot. Talent will be talking about the company as if you are part of it. Seeking someone with great energy and big personality who can show it all while keeping it very professional. • Seeking submissions from NY.

45-60, all ethnicities, is a rugged, scraggly bearded 1800’s woodsman; ideally has a weathered look, and has lived a long hard life; he is overcome with sorrow since his wife and daughter have recently passed away. Stranger: 30-50, lost in the woods and comes upon our main character burying his dead wife; this character must have a soft, but also evil side and be able to play a shape shifting character that can change the mood in the room with a mere look. Jane: female, 12-18, the daughter of our main character; must have strong acting chops and be willing to get emotional. Mary Hobsmire: female, 35-50, the dead wife of our main character; plays a major role in the story. Little Kids: all genders, 8-15.

• Seeking submissions from CA. • Send submissions to luke@purecinema.

tv. Note: Scripts will be provided for a customized audition. • Pay is $500/day (for the two lead

actors), and $300 (for the supporting cast).

Student Films ‘Midnight Rollerway’

• Casting “Midnight Rollerway,” a ten- to

fifteen-minute LMU short film about a group of teens trying to save their favorite roller skating rink.

• Company: LMU. Staff: T. Lord, casting. • Shoots mid-October in Glendale, CA

and Westchester/Playa Vista, CA.

• Seeking—Sammy McBride: male,

18-23, kind, passionate, and confident (but not cocky). Given that music and roller skating are what he lives for, he is the DJ at Midnight Rollerway. When he finds out that the rink is closing, both his heart and childhood shatters. He’s an aggressively nostalgic person, so the idea of change/growing up scares the crap out of him. å “J” Hawkes: female, 18-23, independent, passionate, and headstrong. She works at the skate rental counter at Midnight Rollerway. When she finds out about the rink closing, she’s simultaneously devastated and pissed off. This was her place to be a kid and there’s no way she’s letting that go. John “Rog” Rogers: male, 18-23, a sweet one. Quite goofy. He always tries to bring positivity to a situation, but it doesn’t always help. Because of his love for snacks, he works at the concession counter at Midnight Rollerway. When he finds out the rink is going under, his heart breaks because, at this point, the rink itself has become a friend of his. The idea of losing it terrifies him, so he jumps aboard Sammy and J’s rescue mission. Big Ben: male, 38-59, the owner of The Midnight Rollerway. He took over the family business from his father in 1975. Although he doesn’t like to admit it, he’s always had a soft spot for the kids. They managed to weasel their way into his life and, as weird as it may sound, he’s forever grateful for it. Liv: female, 18-23, the leader of the trio whose existence is tied to the record that Big Ben gives Sammy. She is vivacious, determined, and a born leader. Because she and her fellow hooligans aren’t from the real world, she has a far-out style and personality. Marco: male, 18-24, brother of Polo. He always seems to wander off from the group, as he gets distracted pretty easily. Along with Liv and Polo, he belongs to the vinyl. That being said, his clothes and personality are both vibrant. Polo: female, 18-24, Marco’s sister and the third member of the hooligans. She is fascinated by her surroundings and is always game for backstage.com

National/Regional casting

Casting picks of the week

anything. Like the other two, she’s not of this world, so her personality (as well as her style) is outlandish. • Seeking submissions from CA. • Send submissions to tlordproduc-

BY LISA HAMIL

tions@gmail.com. • No pay.

stage

Theatre Three 2020-2021 Submit from home for the upcoming Equity season in Dallas, TX

Reality TV & Documentary ‘Just Ask the Baker’

• Casting “Just Ask the Baker,” a new bak-

‘Terror Lake Drive’ Wear a mask in this Atlanta, GA miniseries set in the time of a pandemic

ing and advice show for a well known digital network. Production states: “If you’re in a sticky situation and need help with an issue or problem, our fun and hilarious host will serve it up to you along with her latest confectionery creations.”

film

• “Are you over the drama with your love

life? Can’t spend another minute with your family? Have you been burned by your roommate? Plotting out your next career move? Has your five-year plan turned into a recipe for disaster? Jealous of your BFF’s newest friend? Looking for tips on how to spice up your relationship? Is your boss making your blood boil?”

‘Arizona’ Come of age in Scottsdale, AZ in this indie film set in the 1990s

reality

‘Just Ask The Baker’ Bake yourself out of a sticky situation in this remote/online position

• Company: Tastemade. Staff: Emily

Sweet, CD.

• Remote position. • Seeking—Millennial Who Needs Advice:

all genders, 18-75, all ethnicities; have a question about navigating Quarterlife, Mid-life, FOMO, toxic friendships, relationships, career or even baking.

National Commercial Gaming Company, VO Record remotely/work from home for this voiceover job

• Seeking submissions from CA. • For consideration, submit a cover letter

with the question (and any relevant backstory information) that you would like help answering on the show to casting@tastemade.com.

• Company: New York Film Academy.

Staff: Kayla Magginson, film prod.; Trevier Rolle, writer-creator.

• Shoots Aug.15 in Los Angeles, CA. • Seeking—John: male, 25-30, Ave’s

older brother and Olive’s fairly new boyfriend. John is a tad nerdy with an attractive charm to him. He is less mature than Ave because he is a loner. John has a charming personality with a smooth voice. He may come off shy and nervous at first, only because he has a hard time opening up. LEAD. Olive: female, 25-30, a Pacific Islander. She is John’s artificial intelligence girlfriend. She is warm-hearted and an attentive listener. Her voice is electronically synthesized but modulate and polish. She says what’s on her mind and rapidly learns from her surroundings or environment. Ave: female, 18-25, John’s little sister. She is an accomplished woman who is always happy, upbeat, and light hearted. Her voice is compassionate and mellifluous. Ave is non judgmental because she represents equality. Heather: female, 20-27, Ave’s maid of honor but also, Vikram’s girlfriend. She has a high-pitched voice as she is always enthusiastic. Heather has a competitive spirit but only when she’s drinking. She is a feminist that represent girl power. Although she has a bit of sass to her it makes her attractive and even flirtatious. Vikram: male, 20-30, Heather’s long term boyfriend; loves videos games but hates bots that ruin them. He’s the guy that screams at his television during intense gaming.

Vikram has a deep, gruff voice especially when he is upset. Vikram is competitive and hates losing, especially to computers.

• Seeking submissions from CA. • Send submissions to kayla.magginson@

nyfa.edu.

• Food, screen credit, IMDb credit, and

copy provided.

National/ Regional Plays Hippodrome State Theatre

• Seeking video submissions in lieu of live

local Equity auditions for Hippodrome State Theatre. Season includes: “Proof of Love” (running in Rep with Tru) (Lee Hall, adaptation; Marc Norman & Tom Stoppard, screenplay; Stephanie Lynge, dir. Rehearsals begin Sept. 4; runs Sept. 18-October); “TRU” (running in Rep with Proof of Love) (Lee Hall, adaptation; Marc Norman & Tom Stoppard, screenplay; Stephanie Lynge, dir. Rehearsals begin Sept. 4; runs Sept. 18-October); “The Revolutionists” (Lee Hall, adaptation; Marc Norman & Tom Stoppard, screenplay; Stephanie Lynge, dir. Rehearsals begin Oct. 6; runs Oct.

• Company: 1993. Staff: Lina Li, dir.; Di

Wu, prod.; Hark Xu, DP.

• Pay provided.

• Shoots between July 18-20 in the L.A.

area.

• Seeking—Curvy Model 1: female,

Music Videos

25-40, will wear Nursing Bra to show the productin video 1; video 2 will be a short scene like waking up, working, or doing yoga in the house. Curvy Model 2: female, 25-40, only photos: frontal, profile, back photos to show the product. Curvy Model 3: female, 25-40, for video to tell customers how to measure the size. Photos: frontal, profile, back photos to show the product.

‘Best Thing’ Music Video

• Casting “Best Thing,” an independent

music video about finding a soulmate. • Staff: Camila de los Santos Speed,

prod.; Almarosa Estrada, DP-dir.; Janine Foster, artist.

• Shoots July 25-26 in the L.A. area. • Seeking—Male Character: male, 21-40,

• Seeking submissions from CA. • For consideration, submit size card to

all ethnicities, role is open to transgender submissions. ucla.edu.

cindywu1129@gmail.com. Production states: “No nudity requirement but we do need the model only wear bra and underwear in the shooting.”

meals will be provided.

than 2 hours per model.

• Seeking submissions from CA. • Send submissions to chicachiga@g.

• Gas compensation, craft services, and

• Pays $75/hr., shoot will not be more

Online Commercials & Promos

Animation & Videogame Voiceover

Nursing Bra Commercial

‘Sore Loser’

• Casting plus size models for a commer-

• Casting “Sore Loser,” a new animated

cial for nursing bras. backstage.com

sketch short film.

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casting National/Regional 23-Nov. 4); “It’s a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play” (Joe Landry, writer. Rehearsals begin Nov. 10; runs Nov. 27-Dec. 23); “A Christmas Carol” (Niall McGinty, adaptation; Charles Dickens, source material. Rehearsals begin Nov. 13; possibly runs Nov. 28-Dec. 22); “Detroit ’67” (Dominique Morisseau, writer. Rehearsals begin Jan. 2, 2021; runs Jan. 22-Feb. 14); “Murder for Two” (Joe Kinosian, book & music; Kellen Blair, book & lyrics. Rehearsals begin Feb. 12; runs Mar. 5-28); “Silent Sky” (Lauren Gunderson, writer. Rehearsals begin Mar. 26; runs Apr. 16-May 9); “Little Shop of Horrors” (Howard Ashman and Alan Menken, creators. Rehearsals begin May 11; runs June 4-30 with possible extension) and “I and You” (Lauren Gunderson, writer. Rehearsals begin Mar. 16; runs Apr. 2-11). • Company: Hippodrome State Theatre.

Staff: Stephanie Lynge (will view all submissions), artistic dir.; Bryan Mercer, music dir. • Season runs Sept. 4-June 28 in

Gainesville, FL. Performance schedule for Mainstage is Tues.- Thurs. 7 p.m., Friday 8 p.m., Saturday 2 and 8 p.m., Sunday 2 p.m. Performance Schedule for the 2nd stage is Thurs.-Fri. at 7:30 p.m., and Sat-Sun. at 2 p.m. • Seeking—Equity Actors: all genders,

18+, all ethnicities.

• Seeking submissions from FL. • Prepare two contrasting one-minute

monologues or 1 monologue and a 1 minute song appropriate for “Little Shop of Horrors” or “Murder for Two.” Submit a picture and resume with your audition video with the requested material to Hippauditions@gmail.com. Submissions deadline is noon July 20. The Hipp prefers YouTube or Vimeo links. All video submissions will be viewed. • For safety during this time of pan-

demic, we will be holding our season auditions through video submissions. Live callbacks will take place as they are able with health and safety in mind. All titles and dates for our season productions are subject to change. The Hippodrome is working closely with AEA to assure actor safety before reopening for live performances. • Pays $619/wk. (Cat. 8) Equity SPT

Contract.

Theatre Three 2020-2021, Video Submissions

• Casting Equity actors for the Theatre

Three, 2020-2021 Season. Season includes “The Rocky Horror Show” (Jeffrey Schmidt, dir.; Richard O’Brien, playwright. Rehearsals Sept. 8-30; runs Oct. 1-Nov. 1), “Murder On The Orient Express” (Emily Scott Banks, dir.; Ken Ludwig, adapted by. Rehearsals Nov. 3-25; runs Nov. 27-Dec. 20), “Oo-BlaDee” (Regina Taylor, playwright-dir.; Rehearsals Jan. 19-Feb. 10, 2021; runs Feb. 11-Mar. 14, 2021), “Who’s Afraid Of Virginia Woolf” (Jeffrey Schmidt, dir.; Edward Albee, playwright. Rehearsals Jan. 14-29, 2021; runs Mar. 30-Apr. 7), and “The Music Man” (Joel Ferrell, dir.; Vonda K. Bowling, music dir. Rehearsals May 11-June 2, 2020; runs June 3-July 11, 2021). Note: As part of COVID-19 precautions, the theatre requests a con-

BACKSTAGE 07.09.20

cession to request seasonal video auditions, instead of production-specific live Equity auditions.

auditioning for “I Love a Piano” accompany yourself on the piano if possible. • For consideration, submit headshot,

resume and link to video (eg. Vimeo or YouTube) to Auditions@FloridaRep.org or submit eletronically via this link: https://bit.ly/3d94DRP. (Auditions Manager is a secure submission management site where you can upload a headshot, resume, and link to your audition. No personal information other than name and email is required). The submission form is the preferred submission method. For the video, prepare one or two brief monologues, or if you are a singer interested in one or both musicals, a monologue, and a 16-32 bar cut. If you’re auditioning for “I Love a Piano” accompany yourself on the piano if possible. Submissions deadline is July 10.

• Company: Theatre Three, Inc. Staff:

Jeffrey Schmidt, artistic dir.; Christie Vela, assoc. artistic dir.; Sarah Barnes, company mgr. • Season runs in Dallas, TX. • Seeking—Equity Actors: all genders,

18+, all ethnicities.

• Seeking submissions from TX. • For consideration, submit a digital

headshot, resume and a video audition to t3shakesdallasauditions@gmail.com. For the video, prepare a three-minute audition consisting of either two contrasting monologues or one monologue and 32 bars. Videos must be submitted via a file sharing service such as Dropbox, WeTransfer, or Hightail. Files should be .mov or .mp4, under 100 MB 640x480 VGA. Do not include title cards. Slate at the beginning of the audition. Submissions deadline is July 14. Emails will be responded to MondayFriday from 10 a.m.-6 p.m.

• Note: The theatre plans to hold virtual

callbacks at a later date to be announced. The theatre plans to hold in-person auditions in Florida and New York when the CDC and AEA guidelines permit.

• Pays $438/wk. Equity SPT 5

Agreement.

• 2020-21 salary pending (2019-20

weekly minimum was $682). Housing provided for out-of-town performers. Equity LOA Agreement.

Musicals Florida Rep Theatre Season

Feature Films

• Seeking video submissions from Equity

actors for the Florida Rep Theatre 2020-2021 Season. Season includes: In Florida Rep’s ArtStage Studio Theatre: “I Love A Piano” (Jason Parrish, dir. Rehearsals begin Sept. 8; runs Sept. 29-Nov. 8 or Dec. 6), “Driving Miss Daisy” (Alfred Uhry, playwright. Rehearsals begin Nov. 24; runs Dec. 15, 2020-Jan. 24, 2021 or Feb. 14, 2021), and “Good Americans” (Bruce Graham, playwright; Greg Longenhagen, dir. Rehearsals begin Feb. 2, 2021; runs Feb. 23-Mar. 28, 2021.) In The Historic Arcade Theatre: “The Woman In Black” (Stephen Mallatratt, adapted by. Rehearsals begin Oct. 6; runs Oct. 27-Nov. 15), “West Side Story” (Arthur Laurents, playwright; Leonard Bernstein, music by; Stephen Sondheim, lyrics by; Kody C Jones, dir. Rehearsals begin Nov. 1; runs Nov. 24-Dec. 16), “The Humans” (Stephen Karam, playwright; Chris Clavelli, dir. Rehearsals begin Dec. 15; runs Jan. 5-27, 2021), “Into The Breeches!” (George Brant, playwright. Rehearsals begin Jan. 19, 2021; runs Feb. 9-Mar. 3 or 31, 2021), “Buddy Holly: The Buddy Holly Story” (Alan James, playwright; Jason Parrish, dir. Rehearsals begin Feb. 23, 2021; runs Mar. 16-Apr. 11 or May 2, 2021), and “Morning After Grace” (Carey Crim, playwright; Chris Clavelli, dir. Rehearsals begin Mar. 23, 2021; runs Apr. 13-May 16.).

‘Arizona’

• Casting the independent feature film

“Arizona.” Project description: “Follows quick-witted 15-year-old Gordon, freshly moved from Canada to Scottsdale, Arizona, in the 1990s. He navigates an abusive home life, starring a co-dependent mother, a drug dealing, exiled sister, and a corrupt, womanizing father. All with unique horrors, Gordon and his new posse of friends spend their summer capitalizing on every cheap thrill and means of dirty compensation in a desperate attempt to escape reality. In a matter of months, their lives become defined by the choices they make, before they even know what life is.” • Company: Gordon Cowie Films. Staff:

Gordon Cowie, writer/dir.

• Tentatively shoots Dec. 1-18 in

Scottsdale, AZ.

• Seeking—Aaron: male, 19, all ethnici-

ties, a 19-year-old meth dealer who has a fetish for young girls, surrounds himself with young teenagers to feed his superiority complex and achieves his desired attention with ignorant, uncensored speech and an ‘I don’t give a $#@!’ attitude, he is a constant antagonist throughout the film. • Seeking submissions from AZ. • Send submissions to castingzerofilm@

gmail.com.

• Company: Florida Repertory Theatre.

• Auditions by appt. only. To apply, sub-

Staff: Greg Longenhagen, artistic dir.; Jason Parrish, assoc. artistic dir:.

mit pix, résumés & reels. • Pays $100/day.

• Season runs in Ft. Myers, FL. • Seeking—Equity Actors: 18+. • Seeking submissions from FL and NY. • For the video, prepare one or two brief

‘C.I.Ape’

• Casting the feature film “C.I.Ape,” star-

ring Jonathan Dale Moore. Project description: “In the world of espionage, some missions require an agent with a unique set of skills, possessing not just

monologues, or if you are a singer interested in one or both musicals, a monologue, and a 16-32 bar cut. If you’re

bravery but an ability to melt even the most villainous heart. This is a job for C.I.Ape! The 1st ever chimpanzee joining the C.I.A. When a criminal plot is discovered, the C.I.A. turns to him, their most unique operative to foil the plot from the inside.” • Company: ACE Entertainment Films.

Staff: Michelle De Long, casting dir. • Shoots July 13-15 in Weatherford,

Oklahoma City & Guthrie, OK.

• Seeking—Armed Guards: male, 18-50,

active and fit body types.

• Seeking submissions from OK. • Send submissions to submit@actors-

casting.com.

• For consideration, submit pix, résumés

& contact info. Covid protocols will be in effect. Masks will be supplied and worn when not shooting. Social distancing on set. Sanitizer will be supplied. Extensive sanitizing will be implemented on set. Full list of protocols will be sent to all booked extras. • Pays $58/8 hrs.

‘Good Hearts Club’

• Casting the independent feature film

“Good Hearts Club.” Project description: “Matt’s lack of success and perceived failures in life lead him to a new job at a struggling escape room. With the impending demise of their beloved escape room, the ragtag group of misfits and Matt, must hatch a plan to save the business and maybe even redeem his broken past.”

• Company: Rude Boy LLC. Staff: William

Reed, writer/dir.; Carrie Cates, casting dir.

• Shooting TBD in Texas. • Seeking—Matt: male, 32, a good guy,

lacks validation proving it to himself, not classically handsome, somewhat disheveled, too old to be working at an escape room but times have been tough and he’s going to give it his best go anyway. Brandon: male, 23, good looking, quintessential nice guy who you can depend on, excellent sense of humor and has borderline autistic tendencies. George: male, 26, very tall, lanky man with a hunched posture, long black hair and fair skin, claims to have sold his soul at a young age for rock and roll, never a moment when he does not have his cell phone in hand. Harmony: female, 22, the office sweetheart, bright ray of light who loves helping people and being nice, got her own demons (compulsive cleaning for one) but nothing too upsetting. Nick: male, 22, crochety young man with a distrust of just about everything, a super sweet, sensitive guy who can at times empathize too much, which makes him seem angry, wishes to do good in the world. Jacob: male, 23, always positive with lots of energy guy and way too many dad jokes, lives in his own world of laughter and fun and is the ultimate gamer, word on the street is he can beat you in chess in under 1 minute. Nailah: female, 23, a unique beauty with a strong sense of purpose for love, life, and unity, with an almost offensive amount of disregard for personal space, Nailah has the welcoming calm energy of a wise monk. Teressa: female, 28, tattooed, pierced, and backstage.com

National/Regional casting

fierce, basically a badass with great tits, deep down she cares deeply about this family she’s discovered at the escape room. Terry: male, 46, a laid back dude with a good heart who’s fallen on hard times, the father figure, owner and creator of the escape room, artistic and emotional with horrible organizational skills. Riley: female, 26, somewhat edgy in presentation, but totally bright and quick-witted, laidback and chill, the type of girl who thrives on mystique and humor, a tough nut to crack, her overall modus operandi is to help others and to be kind. Karen: female, 43, beautiful, confident, strong-willed, free spirit, has kind eyes, a sweet smile, and a stern disposition, with her type A personality, makes a good yin to Terry’s yang...if only. Victoria: female, 40, a struggling journalist who is not one to back down, might be able to change the world with her writing if only given the chance. Tyler: male, 24, testosterone on two feet, claims his two main purposes in life are his muscles and his truck, touch either without permission and we’ll have problems, misunderstood, looking to be noticed. Victoria’s Editor: female, 50, take no shit editor who cares less about you than the news, can bet she finishes each night with 3 or 4 fingers of top-shelf whiskey. • Seeking submissions from TX. • Send submissions to goodheartsclub@

carriecates.com.

• Due to COVID19, auditions will not

occur until proper precautions are able to be met and shoot will not occur until it’s felt to be safe. Submit headshots, resume and reels.

• Company: A Shot in the Foot

Productions. Staff: Devin Glass, Mr.

• Initial recording will be sometime in

July.

of July/Early August.

• Seeking—Narrator: 30-65, narrator of

• Tentatively shoots late August-early

September in Albuquerque, NM.

• Seeking—Jackson: male, 9-14, all eth-

nicities, pre-teen, ice hockey player/ actor, it’s one of the lead principal roles on this film, looking for a seasoned young actor to carry this role, and he must also be a great, experienced ice skater. • Seeking submissions from NM. • Send submissions to

PrincipalCastingNM@gmail.com.

• To apply, submit pix, résumés & reels

(both acting and ice skating). • Professional pay.

Voiceover Talent, Feature Film

• Casting voiceover talent to narrate a

feature film. Talent must have their own recording equipment or in house studio to do the recordings. Synopsis: Kevin, fresh out of college, travels to Los Angeles to spend the summer with his womanizing father, Harry. Upon arrival Kevin finds himself in a world of sex, drugs, and juice cleanses as his larger than life father tries to get him laid. In the midst of one of Harry’s house parties, Kevin meets backstage.com

• Staff: E. Kennedy, supervising casting

prod.

• Shoot date TBD (flexible) at couple’s

• For consideration, email a resume and

short introduction letter to Auditions@ floridarep.org. Submissions deadline is July 10. Florida Rep is committed to building an inclusive organization that reflects our local community and meets national artistic standards. We encourage stage managers from all communities to submit. • 2020-21 salary pending (2019-20

weekly minimum was $682). Housing provided for out-of-town SMs. Equity LOA Agreement.

home in Denver, CO.

you doing the sides to devinglass@ gmail.com as well as a brief description of your experience level and what kind of recording capabilities you have available to you.

• Seeking—Lead Person in Male-Female

Couple: 22-45, attractive real couple, 22-45, living in Denver, Colorado, to discuss the convenience of having athome tests for everything from vitamin deficiencies to diseases.

• Note: The sides are available in the

additional media online. Producer states: “This is the beginning of the movie. You are introducing the characters and the their family history. Want a voice that brings people in, but also has some attitude.”

• Seeking submissions from CO. • Send submissions to casting@tube-

science.com.

• Pays $200 per person. Pays an addi-

tional $150 for a location fee. Nonunion, all media buyout.

• To view the trailer visit www.devin-

glassfilms.com/rotation. • Pays $300/flat.

Print Modeling

Scripted TV & Video

‘Hunt a Killer,’ Fit Man with Tattoos For Photo

‘Terror Lakes Drive’

• Company: Hunt a Killer. Staff: Melissa

• Casting one role to appear in a photo in

a printed document for a mystery game. LaMartina, dir. of prod.

• Casting for the UMC TV miniseries

Sleep/Study Entertainment, CAB Castings, LLC. Staff: Jerry LaMothe, dir.

• Company: Alessi Hartigan Casting New

testing kit company.

• Seeking submissions nationwide. • For consideration submit a recording of

Mexico. Staff: Sande Alessi & Shayne Hartigan, casting dirs.

• Casting a principal role for an untitled

• Casting a real couple for an at-home

the film; third person, who is objective, but from time to time will let their opinions on the character show.

SAG feature film.

Untitled Feature Film

Real Couples for At-Home Testing Kit Company

• Subsequent session(s) will likely be end

“Terror Lakes Drive,” starring Malik Yoba and Shannon Kane. Project description: “On the heels of a recent pandemic, and calls for Social Distancing, a single mother tries to dodge her troubled past by relocating to another city with her defiant teenager, only to discover there are forces that cannot be outrun.”

• Some pay.

Online Commercials & Promos

Simone an aspiring actress who he’s clearly got the hots for. The only issue: she’s dating his dad.

• Final photo delivered by July 17. Casting

states: “We’ll send notes for the photo and will send notes on the first round for a reshoot if needed.” • Seeking—Rocco: male, 26-34, late-

20s/early-30s, visible tattoos (arms, neck, anything that shows when wearing a t-shirt). He doesn’t have much in the way of brains, but he’s got brawn to spare, and he’ll fight you to prove it. Rocco is proud of his physique and enjoys using it to intimidate people any chance he gets. He’s the sort of person you wouldn’t want to have show up on your doorstep if you were late on making a payment to a loan shark.

• Company: UMC (Urban Movie Channel),

• Shoots through July 15 in Atlanta, GA. • Seeking—Extras: all genders, 18+, all

ethnicities.

• Seeking submissions from GA. • For consideration, submit two photos,

name phone number, age, height, weight, and sizes to TerrorLakeExtras@ gmail.com.

• Seeking submissions nationwide. • Send submissions to melissa.lamar-

tina@huntakiller.com.

• Some pay.

• Pays $50 for one photo. Will also need a

signed talent release.

Writers Hip Hop Musical for High Schools / Colleges / Regional Theaters • Seeking Book Writer for online and live

stage Hip Hop Musicals for High Schools, Colleges and Regional Theaters. Synopsis: Seeking Musical Theater Book Writer for Hip Hop Musicals that speak to Gen Z. You must have experience writing books for musicals that have been produced at some level. Seeking a fresh Gen Z voice with dialogue for a female protagonist. All Ethnicities encouraged to apply. • Company: International Producers

Circle Inc.

• Starts ASAP. • Seeking—Book Writer For Musical: 18+. • Seeking submissions nationwide. • Apply on Backstage.com. • Send: 1) Writers Resume. 2) One com-

plete scene with a strong beginning, middle and end that shows fun dialogue, character arc, and surprising plot progression. Scene must include female character. Send one scene only! Do not send full scripts! Thank you. • Putting together a writing team.

Collaboration Agreement signed among writers.

Workshops Free Online Class, ‘How to Sign With a Top Agent & Book TV Commercials’

• Seeking participants for a free online

class: “How to Sign With a Top Commercial Agent & Start Booking. Also Energize Your TV/Film Career.”

• Company: Hey, I Saw Your Commercial!

National Commercials

Stage Staff & Tech

Gaming Company, VO

Florida Rep Theatre 20202021 Season, Stage Manager

• Casting VO for two 30s voices for a

Gaming Company spot.

• Staff: Katherine L, creative marketing

• Seeking Equity stage manager for the

coord.

Florida Rep Theatre 2020-2021 Season. See actor notice for season breakdown.

• Works remotely. You must have profes-

sional audio equipment at home to record VO.

• Company: Florida Repertory Theatre.

Staff: Greg Longenhagen, artistic dir.; Jason Parrish, assoc. artistic dir:.

• Seeking—Female Voice: female, 18-46. • Seeking submissions nationwide. • Send submissions to kluo@skillz.com. • Pays $300 for the final delivery of both

• Season runs in Ft. Myers, FL. • Seeking—Equity Stage Manager: all

genders, 18+.

videos via .WAV files.

• Seeking submissions nationwide.

Staff: Mike Pointer, career coach.

• Class is held online. • Seeking—Actors Looking to Find a

Great Agent & Book TV Commercials: all genders, 18-65, all ethnicities. • Seeking submissions worldwide. • Send submissions to mike@heyisawy-

ourcommercial.com.

• To attend, visit www.heyisawyourcom-

mercial.com/live-webinars. Note: If you miss the live run, watch the replay. You don’t need a confirmation to attend. Simply click on or cut and paste the link and schedule your time. Again, you don’t need to ask or receive a confirmation to attend. Click on the link and schedule your time. • Free online class. No pay.

07.09.20 BACKSTAGE

Ask An Expert Agents Auditions Film Headshots Marketing Theater Unions Voiceover

Since COVID-19 started, I’ve been participating in at least one virtual play reading a week. Some are new plays and some are classics. Would it be advisable for me to put these on my résumé or should I just leave them off? Our Expert Gwyn Gilliss is an acting and marketing coach.

—@SpecialSkillsSection, Backstage Community Forums

*Submit questions for our Experts on Backstage’s Facebook or Twitter accounts or via our forums page at backstage.com/forums! The views expressed in this article are solely that of the individual(s) providing them, and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Backstage or its staff.

BACKSTAGE 07.09.20

backstage.com

ILLUSTRATION: MARGARET RULING/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM; GILLISS: COURTESY GWYN GILLISS

Taking the initiative to keep working on your craft is a great step. No matter what times we’re living through, you should be reading plays out loud with other actors weekly. It’s no different than going to the gym to stay in shape or taking a voice or dance class if you’re a singer-dancer. It’s keeping your instrument well-oiled, flexible, and ready! As actors, we should always be reading scripts, performing, updating our presentation skills, and looking for new audition material. Then think about revising marketing tools like your headshot, résumé, sizzle reel, and website. Be informed and prepared. When things in the business are slow, it’s the perfect time to do all that. As for listing a reading on your résumé, a staged or nonstaged reading of a play does count professionally, especially if you’re in the first few years of your career. You can list the credit under a few different creative categories. My preferred title is “Representative Roles,” meaning roles you might have played in a workshop, a class, or a live showcase, worked on with an acting coach, or just read in a theater company. “Representative” means just that. It represents you working toward a professional career. You worked on the role—maybe you were really good or brilliant—but it wasn’t in a paid production with an Equity or SAG-AFTRA contract. Even a backer’s audition counts. It tells industry professionals like agents and casting directors that you’re proactive and, most likely, that you’re up to speed with your audition and cold copy reading skills. Eventually, as you get cast in more roles and get paying jobs in theater, TV, and film, you can remove old credits and some of those representative roles. This shows your progress and that you now have a more developed résumé with professional credits. In the meantime, you’re showing your professionalism by actively developing your craft.

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