This month's monthly spotlight was written by:
JINKX is an award-winning stage actress, acclaimed vocalist, stand-up comic, and theatre sensation.
C A S T I N G S O C I E T Y C A S T I N G S O C I E T Y
C A S T I N G N E T W O R K S
C A S T I N G N E T W O R K S
Victoria Thomas Pulls Back the Curtain on Casting the Last of us
Get to Know Casting Director Matthew Waters
Get to Know Casting Director Natalie Lyon
Guide to a Casting Director Watchlist
D E A D L I N E D E A D L I N E
‘Shrinking’ Casting Directors Debby Romano & Brett Benner
G O L D D E R B Y G O L D D E R B Y
‘Beef’ casting directors Claire Koonce and Charlene Lee: ‘It’s wonderful to explore these new pools of talent’ [Exclusive Video Interview]
TV casting directors roundtable: ‘The Bear,’ ‘The Patient,’ ‘The Big Door Prize,’ ‘Bupkis,’ ‘Shrinking’ and ‘Ted Lasso’ [Exclusive Video Interview]
Meet the Experts: Casting Directors roundtable – ‘As We See It,’ ‘The Challenge,’ ‘Star Trek: Strange New Worlds,’ ‘We Are Lady Parts,’ ‘Yellowjackets’
I N D I E W I R E I N D I E W I R E
Throwing a Dinner Party: The Art of Casting from the Experts
How ‘House of the Dragon’ Cut Through Casting with Cheat Codes
V A R I O U S S O U R C E S
V A R I O U S S O U R C E S
Hello Tomorrow! Casting Directors
Stephanie Holbrook & Douglas Aibel on Turning to the New York Theater Scene to Assemble the Ensemble
“It’s an Eclectic Neighborhood and It’s Been a Wonder to Watch It Grow” Bernie Telsey Shares his West Side Story
‘‘Inventing Anna’ Casting Director Allison Estrin on Julia Garner and Casting ‘Billions’
Chaos. When I was asked to write an opinion article for this “state of the industry” issue, that was the first word that came to mind. In the last eighteen months alone, we’ve seen the smallest pilot season ever, the rapid proliferation of AI, cancellations galore, a never-ending series of angry articles about self-tapes, lay-offs upon lay-offs, budget cuts, and Budget Cuts, and BUDGET CUTS, and...
The bubble burst; we’re all wading through the fallout. Workers in every sector are shouting for justice and fairness regarding their effort and creative output.
Everyone is furious with the machine and simultaneously aching to get back to work as soon as possible. Our whole industry is mired in the drama, and Casting is not remotely excluded
Despite the pervasive stress and negativity, there is possibility. This is an inflection point; it's time for all of us to pivot.
The good news is that Casting Directors are known for their ability to adapt Remember when we moved from hard copy to online? From VHS to mini DVs to memory cards? From daily producer sessions to taping? Remember faxing sides? And of course, the change-making elephant in the room…
COVIDNot only have we shifted our process time and again, but Casting professionals have also worked hard to expand our own knowledge and network. We’ve educated ourselves on minority performers and their preferred terminology, inclusive vs. “color blind” casting, and so much more. I dare say our craft has historically embraced change with more open arms than the average industry participant
But now the entire industry is experiencing a seismic, existential shift; one that makes the move from fax to email seem almost comical. The good news is that things clearly needed to change, now they are But for our craft to succeed in the face of what I’ll politely refer to as this “transformative moment,” we must link arms and rise together.
In that spirit, here are some spit-ball considerations intended to help all Casting professionals, regardless of title or zip code:
SHARE CASTING STORIES. Fans love them, industry professionals delight in them, and frankly our craft could use some fun, positive press this year Additionally, a trove of stories that involve a Casting professional fighting for an actor who went on to popularize a beloved role (for example,) is a great showcase of why AI cannot replace us.
SUPPORT REGIONAL CDs. Regional CDs need our LA and NY brethren to say NO when asked to "just do a few of the local roles, too." Regional CDs bring creative and logistical value and remove additional stress from the LA/NY teams' plates. What may seem like a “simple ask” can prove detrimental to all parties on the production side
Consider a CSA-employed (or generous volunteer) “tech expert” who will not only provide information and visual examples on new tools, but be available for questions and troubleshooting, as needed.
A resume or general meeting portal that connects Casting Director information to Execs, accountability groups, executive info sessions for those looking to pursue a corporate career, open communication platforms for members who are not on social media the ever-expanding education and mentorship programs for our younger members are truly incredible. But growth happens at all different stages of a career. Let’s support our peers at all levels.
PROVIDE TRANSPARENCY. Until we can help actors understand that their tape is not actually in a void, we will continue to hear calls for things like "audition tape view counts." By partnering with Breakdown Services, CastIt and the like to provide webinars or tutorials to show our side of these platforms, actors will have some major questions answered. Having an easily Google-able set of basic self-tape guidelines on the CSA website would quiet some of the online noise.
At this point in our industry’s shifting landscape, we cannot wait to see how things shake out. Casting Directors, Associates and Assistants have been out of work for months, many losing their health insurance The vitriol our craft has endured this year is both demoralizing and devastating. Everyone is exhausted, and yet we all want the same thing: to get back to casting actors.
GROW WITH TECHNOLOGY. I’ve pointed out how Casting Directors have historically adopted changing tech. Let’s continue using it to our benefit: virtual work sessions, AI to help streamline paperwork, video communications to go with self-tape instructions, ChatGPT to help you write articles for the Zine (kidding!)
Let’s take our collective desires, efforts and meet this moment together
Associate Casting Director
"Honestly, playing even a small part in the making of this film was incredible! The Little Mermaid was my favorite movie growing up I used to watch it almost every day so having performers audition and sing these songs was a dream come true. I can tell you for a fact that I teared up more than once during Halle singing ‘Part of Your World’ live."
"Nothing is better than starting a process with a creative team that you know and love! Working on this film was joyous. Live Action remakes are tricky because you are trying to live up to the nostalgia of the original film. The pressure is real. Rob, John, and Marc really create a safe, creative place to play so we got to focus on finding the best possible choice for each role. We are so proud of all the artists and their work on this film!"
Casting Director
"Nicole Holofcener’s writing is so honest and has such a clear point of view, and when you’re building an ensemble around her words and Julia’s singular comedic voice, it feels like an incredible privilege. Tobias was the crucial second piece of the puzzle, and from there we were able to draw from the rich pool of actors Nicole has worked with on her previous film & tv projects and bring some of our favorite New York actors to the party as well. We could honestly talk for hours about how much we love every member of this cast – it’s really an embarrassment of riches!
We also shot YHMF in Spring of 2022 during a Covid wave, and so we ended up having to recast more than a few roles (both large and small) at the last minute. Because we know Nicole’s sensibility and had talked so extensively about each role during prep, it made pivoting on short notice easier. Ultimately we were incredibly lucky to have so many wonderful actors who were able to clear the decks to join us (a few on less than 24 hours notice)."
L TO R: KARLEE FOMALONT (ASSOCIATE CASTING DIRECTOR)
JEANNE MCCARTHY (CASTING DIRECTOR)
RORI BERGMAN (CASTING DIRECTOR)
MARIBETH FOX
"Iva Babic was one of the first actors I reached out to for the role of Irina and I was so happy that she made it after I interviewed hundreds of actors for the part. A few years ago I cast her in a gender bending role in a pilot that never made it so I was so happy that her work is finally being seen by an international audience. Iva was very funny because she just took everything very seriously and that is how great comedy is born. It’s born from pain and realism."
Casting Director
"Casting comedies is similar to other genresyou need specific character creation, an understanding of tone based on the director and creative team's visions and making sure the actors all have a similar feel and vibe to ensure cohesive storytelling.
I think a lot about pace when casting comedy. There's a clip of delivery in between the line that really elevates comedic material. Actors who are comfortable in this space can almost make the writing have a jazz-like quality. They know the piece, but through improvisation and timing, they make it their own
Collaborating with casting folks at the caliber of Nancy [Bishop] and Katrina [Wandel George] is also a special treat You don't feel alone in the job, everyone is aligned with the same goal and vision and the film wouldn't have worked without the entire team"
Casting Director
"A wonderful challenge we faced was the vast range of actors needed to populate the Spider-Person community. The studio and creative team, [Sony Pictures Animation, Phil Lord and Chris Miller] are very focused on the message "anyone can wear the mask" which was supported by who was cast. The diversity of locations like Miles' Brooklyn, Pavitr's Mumbattan, and Spider-Man Headquarters called for actors of all backgrounds and abilities. Finding talented, exciting actors to authentically populate these locations was not simple, but it was very rewarding -- for us as casting directors, and for the feature itself.
A grounded performance and a strong perspective are the top qualities we look for across the board. People usually think of animation as requiring over-the-top performances, but for the most part it's really more about finding someone who's natural instincts and perspective are in line with the character's. Like with all casting, you really feel like you hit a home run when you cast someone that turns the role into something new and different than what's on the page."
MARY HIDALGO
Location Casting Director
"From a location casting perspective, the core of the cast being so young, we had a great opportunity to see plenty of young actors and many new actors at that! I really enjoy when we are able to give opportunities to actors in the southeast region to take bigger swings with lead roles."
"Rob [Savage] made it very clear from the beginning that the tone of this film was grounded and real. The producers referenced ORDINARY PEOPLE when pitching me the movie. I approached the casting of this film as I would anything that I get involved with- I needed to find the most authentic and interesting actors I could for every single role, even down to the one line dayplayers. The actors who approached the scenes from a place of honesty were the ones who ended up landing their roles."
"It was also a challenge in not giving away anything about the script or story to the actors. Having to find scenes from other films was an interesting process for this movie. We did a huge search for our two leads, and we always try to find the best actor to fit the role, regardless of genre of film. I think that is one of the most important aspects when casting any film."
"My favorite part of working on this Transformers film was the opportunity to take a major franchise and to have the cast be inclusive to reflect the reality of the world we live in.
Our director, Steven Caple Jr., had the vision to make a Transformers film that we've never seen before- one with actors from a variety of different cultures and backgrounds. I loved that it was set in the 90s which is a decade near and dear to my heart. My team and I did large searches for the characters of NOAH and ELENA. It was especially wonderful when we landed on Dominique Fishback for ELENA since I had been an associate on the TV show that gave Dom her very first role in show business "
"This is actually my first time casting a comedy/horror and I would first say that If the script didn't make me laugh out loud, then the process would have been much harder. Honestly, We really didn't get many passes, pretty much everyone we approached wanted to be a part of the project and wanted the opportunity to work with Tim Story and Tracy Oliver. Overall, I think collaborating with Tim and finding out that the actors who generally don't do comedy actually had great comedic timing.
3 3
I think the Highlight of casting the film was watching the auditions for the role of DEWAYNE, I literally could not stop laughing. The writing is so smart and funny and all of the actors that auditioned made such different choices with the same material, just hilarious! But I think that role was my favorite."
Casting Director LEAH DANIELS-BUTLER
"We strove to find actors who could bring to life the emotional bonds of family so palpably that it's obvious why characters are fighting and willing to risk their lives for their loved ones. Sam Hargrave, the Russos and the entire team brought so much flair and expertise to this film and story!
Our central goal was to make sure we built a world that felt international, fresh and dynamic. Since many of the characters in E2 are Georgian, we found ourselves reaching outside the traditional pathways - researching, exploring and getting to know a new pool of film & theater actors.
This was instrumental in bringing together one of the story's central families and the characters that inhabit the world around them. Finding the youngest members of the family presented its own unique sets of challenges - we wanted to find talented young actors that could take on the emotional weight of the story and we're excited to have Andro Japarideze and Mariami & Marta Kovziahvilli on board.
Overall it was such a fun and exciting film to cast alongside my co-Casting Director, Krista Husar and our Associates - we had a blast!"
"Whenitcomestovoicecasting, unlikecastingforlive-action roles,it'sallaboutfindingan actor who can skillfully communicateawiderangeof tonesandemotionsjustthrough theirvoice.It'sthrillingwhenwe comeacrossanactor,especially up-and-comingtalent,whose vocalqualitiesandrangealign beautifullywiththecharacter design."
Associate Casting Director
"This was such a unique film to cast. We had to think in terms of Elements and really focus on people with unique, distinct, fun voices. Leah Lewis and Mamoudou Athie are both such talented actors and they brought so much heart and soul to these roles. It’s always a thrill when you feel like you’ve found the PERFECT actor for a role."
"We watch a LOT of television and films, keep an eye on theater, improv, stand up, sketch, and we are lucky to work with Pixar filmmakers who bring their own ideas and perspectives to the table. In Director and Producer reviews we present voices without actor names attached, to create a level playing field and create parity. This ensures that the best voice wins out!"
KEVIN REHER Casting Director
"Coordinating and managing a worldwide search for the role of Supergirl was an immense challenge, but also a true highlight. I loved the original film and character growing up and was very excited by the prospect of helping relaunch the role. When we did our final test and the director, Andy Muschietti told Sasha Calle that she got the part by bringing out the iconic costume - it was a pinch me moment.
The stakes of the scenes are often very high in adventure films, but there is also a fantastical feel to the material that can be very fun to play with. Even though you are looking for grounded performances from the actors, there is a sense of playfulness in the genre that extends to the casting process. When casting an adventure film I sometimes feel like I tap into the part of me that was a kid who loved escaping into the fantasy of whatever movie I was watching.
We were casting during the heart of COVID which was a big challenge as much of it had to be done off of tape and Zoom, but I learned to trust the process. Many of the story and character details had to be kept secret because of the nature of the film so it really became an exercise of trust and dialogue between us and the actors I have so much appreciation and respect for the actors who were taping without a script, but trusting the direction and insight we were trying to give them."
"At the chemistry reads with Jennifer and Andrew, it was immediately apparent that they sparked and the dynamic between them was working. That was a very exciting moment and an absolute highlight as the chemistry between Maddie and Percy in the movie is paramount. Each time they read through a scene I just wanted to watch more of them together.
Often times I find that the funniest reads are from the actors who are not trying to be funny. When the writing is as good as Gene and John’s was in this script it can be great to get a sense of a performer's energy and see their take on the role without them trying to get in front of the jokes. Those often turned out to be the funniest takes.
We saw so many wonderful actors in a short period of time and I learned, (what I suppose I already know, but sometimes forget,) which is to trust our instincts and listen to my gut about advocating for the actor that I truly feel is the best person to tell a character’s story. I think Andrew Barth Feldman will be a revelation in the film and you could absolutely see the seeds of that performance in his first read. "
WHERE WERE YOU BORN:
Born and raised in Portland, Oregon. Arguably one of the queerest strangest cities in the world
WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE TIME OF DAY:
The hour doesn’t matter, I just like the liminal space when everyone else is asleep. I like this for my solo creative time.
WHAT IS THE BEST COMPLIMENT YOU'VE EVER RECEIVED:
"I'm so jealous I wish I thought of that!"
WHAT’S THE ONE THING PEOPLE DON’T KNOW ABOUT YOU:
I took Taekwondo lessons as a kid, broke boards and everything!
WHEN DID YOU KNOW THAT YOU WANTED A LIFE IN THE ARTS:
I don't recall a time when I didn’t know
WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE BOARD GAME? Settlers of Catan
WHAT IS YOUR SUPERPOWER? My voice.
Two-time RuPaul’s Drag Race winner and Broadway breakout star Jinkx Monsoon (she/her) is the “internationally tolerated” drag icon who’s taken over the entertainment industry as an award-winning stage actress, acclaimed vocalist, stand-up comic, and theatre sensation.
IF YOU COULD BE A PART OF ANY FILM, TELEVISION SERIES OR PLAY IN ALL OF HISTORY... WHAT WOULD IT BE AND WHY:
I would love to play Marie Antoinette in an epic retelling of the French Revolution. That just came to me!
IF YOU COULD SWITCH LIVES WITH ONE PERSON FOR A DAY, WHO WOULD IT BE?
I would switch places with my cat, she calls all the shots and has a great easy life.
WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE MUSICAL THEATRE SONG?
To perform I would say “All that Jazz” from Chicago, to listen to would be “With One Look” from Sunset Boulevard.
WHAT’S THE BEST THING THAT HAPPENED THIS YEAR?
A lifelong dream was fulfilled, paving way for future dreams. If you didn’t hear I had an incredible run as Matron Mama Morton in Chicago on Broadway.
BY CANDIDO CORNEJO JR.
In June of 1969, police raided the Stonewall Greenwich Village. Homosexuality in these times criminal offense Arrests were made, and thos remained gathered outside and fought back lead a historical nighttime riot In the following 6 thousands marched the streets in protest. In 19 the first anniversary of the police raid at Ston activists formed the Christopher Street Liberatio March, the beginning of what we know as Pride Heroes like Marsha P Johnson and Sylvia emerged, fighting for not just the LGBTQIA+ comm but those underrepresented within the community Human Rights leaders like Harvey Milk called for live openly and unapologetically with his legendary words “Burst down those closet doors once and for all, and stand up and start to fight.” For decades, a generation would rise inspired by these fierce leaders to fight a turbulent and painful battle against discrimination, inequality, and the horrendous treatment and ignorance during the HIV/AIDS epidemic.
Things slowly began to shift positively throughout the years In 1999, President Clinton issued an executive order recognizing June as Pride Month Legislation criminalized discrimination against LGBTQ folks The military embraced gay Americans and eradicated ‘Don’t Ask Don’t Tell’. Gay couples gained the right to marry. And a small light finally shed on trans, nonbinary, and gender non-conforming people in a way to encourage education and self-discovery Until a few years ago, when a wave of transphobia and homophobia reemerged, and has been increasing at an alarming rate. A dark period has ascended and is looming dangerously over many members of the LGBTQIA+ community, who encompass 7.1% of Americans, many, especially the young, incredibly vulnerable
Extremist lawmakers across the country have advanced record-breaking numbers of anti-LGBTQ+ bills in state legislatures. According to the Human Rights Campaign; over 520 anti-LGBTQ+ bills have been introduced in state legislatures, a record
p y g g binary people, also a record; and a record 70 anti-LGBTQ laws have been enacted so far this year, including:
Laws banning gender affirming care for transgender youth: 15
Laws requiring or allowing misgendering of transgender students: 7
Laws targeting drag performances: 2
Laws creating a license to discriminate: 3
Laws censoring school curriculum, including books: 4
As artists and professionals in the entertainment business, our storytelling has long impacted and constructed the plethora of narratives, stories, and experiences around the world Hollywood continues to be the titan of stories that the world follows What it produces, it inspires We as casting directors, have long been fighting for the many faces it projects. Representation of all communities is complex and tedious, and for a few, the importance of authenticity and respect for communities and culture is nonnegotiable The LGBTQIA+ being one of them I had an intimate conversation with a handful of casting professionals that I’ve admired for their work for the community; Victor Vazquez, Steven Tylor O’Connor, and Charlie Hano. Each come from a different experience, but their passion and fight for the LGBTQIA+ community are fiercely alike Here is the conversation
Steven Tylor O’Connor: In the big picture of it all, it’s sort of like community. It’s knowing that you ’ re not alone. It’s knowing that there are people out there that are like you. Now it’s a celebration of who we are and that we ’ ve moved past from our earlier traumas while still remembering and recognizing that this is the anniversary of the Stonewall riots It was a fight to have the rights that we have that we are currently losing. I think it’s one part celebration and another embracing our community knowing we ’ re not alone. A reminder that our rights are not just given to us, that we must fight for them.
Victor Vazquez: For me, there is this term that I really love called ‘collective effervescence’ And for me Pride is collective effervescence; it’s a moment in time when we can all come together to be reminded of our community, because by the virtue of being part of the LGBTQIA+ community we ’ re also dispersed and predominantly living and existing in heteronormative spaces And once in a year we get reminded that we ’ re part of this expansive community and I personally love the reminder that allies also fit into this big picture. They’re necessary. So for me Pride is a collective effervescence of our community but it’s also a reminder that there are many allies out there who are real strong defenders and celebrators of us as well
CC: This is true. I’m not sure if people realize the deep impact of people’s actions may have on our community, or organizations for that matter, both positive and negative When we have people like Taylor Swift who really wants to talk about our issues in her documentary and how much it means to her despite her team advising her not to, or when influencers or politicians come to our defense. Or the other way around, when we have corporations like Target pulling Pride merchandise because they’re afraid of what this certain population is going to do And now a whole conversation if certain Starbucks stores are banning Pride decorations or not ?
STO: What’s disappointing to me about Target, is that when we go back to 2015 when North Carolina tried to pass that bathroom bill, Target was one of the first corporations that came out and said ‘ no, use the bathroom of your gender identity ’ They did that and there wasn’t this explosion of backlash like we ’ re seeing now So this corporate performative allyship is really frustrating for me because it’s all to be blatantly performative, but they don’t really care. They’re just putting a rainbow on something to try and say ‘look, we care about the gays ’ so that the gays will spend money. I would rather them not do that, because Target is still a good company to work for if you are LGBTQIA+, but that’s separate from this performance I’d rather they not be performative and say things like ‘here’s our rainbow stuff’ to pander to gays That is frustrating because when they’re confronted with something like this it just makes them look bad for not standing up for us. So, either do it quietly or don’t do it at all, or stand up for yourselves. Then there’s also that one thing, just in my own life; I hate going to the gym. Back in 2018, 2019, I was going to Equinox. It’s expensive so I’ll be obligated to go, it’s a nice gym I can shower before work. And then the owner of the company who owns Equinox and SoulCycle did this huge fundraiser for Donald Trump back in 2019, and when there was backlash about it he was like ‘I’m gonna raise even more money for Trump’ and it was the month after Pride Month. I was like I don’t want to spend my gay dollars there, but I know plenty of gays that still do because it’s a nice gym and they don’t want to be inconvenienced. I’m like ‘ you ’ re giving money to people that are ultimately going to give money to people that are trying to take away your rights! What are you doing?’ So in my opinion, a company should not have an opinion, or if they’re going to have an opinion they need to stand up for themselves and stand up for the community that they claim to be an ally of
Charlie Hano: I think something that we are encountering a lot in 2023, and it’s been happening for a while, is I think corporations want to see how far they can go to appease both political movements or as many political movements as possible.
"FOR ME PRIDE IS COLLECTIVE "FOR ME PRIDE IS COLLECTIVE EFFERVESCENCE; IT’S A MOMENT IN EFFERVESCENCE; IT’S A MOMENT IN TIME WHEN WE CAN ALL COME TIME WHEN WE CAN ALL COME TOGETHER TO BE REMINDED OF OUR TOGETHER TO BE REMINDED OF OUR COMMUNITY" COMMUNITY"
Like, can we have a rainbow flag and still donate to these corporations, can we have our hands in as many pots as possible, because in the end it’s not about people, it’s about longevity for them Whereas for us, and for our community and hopefully for our allies as well, this is permanent. This is 365 days a year, 24/7 and beyond. It's about community that we are building instead of the YouTube ad
CC: Charlie, before we move on, can you please tell us what Pride means to you?
CH: Sure. Pride happens in June in the U.S to commemorate the Stonewall riots. I think it’s fantastic that we ’ ve turned remembering what was essentially, a scary event, into a party I think that is the resilience of our community We took something that could have been somber, or something we could have wanted to forget because it was too frightening or off-putting to engage with, and we made it this thing that people all across the country and the world look forward to every year, and what a perfect symbol of how our spirits can’t be crushed
CC: That’s hard to remember sometimes.
VV: How do you mean?
CC: Well In my own journey as a trans woman, I’ve become much more hyperaware of what actually happens to us and our reality. With everything that’s
There are all these things happening across the country, many trans women are being killed and we don’t talk about it, and now these fights and violent altercations are happening in our backyards in Los Angeles, it's hitting really close to home. I have to shut myself in my room for like a day just to recover and build myself back up to get out there again and keep fighting. To simply exist is exhausting at times. But then there are these beautiful moments like this when we can come together and talk and build each other back up, or walk at Pride LA like I did with Steven and other casting professionals Those are the nice reminders that we ’ re not alone as Steven says.
All three look at me empathetically, and I smile at them
CC: On that note How does what you do in casting, contribute to the fight for the community?
CH: So as a proud and vocal transgender man, one of my favorite things that I get to do in casting, what I get to do for my community; and this is not why I decided to get into casting, this was kind of an accidental thing that happened But I know whenever a trans person is hired for a role, whether the character is intentionally trans or cisgender; that actor will teach people what a trans person looks like. It’s not this mythology that you were taught in the 80’s, it’s not this scary demon, this is someone you definitely know, and if there is no trans person in your life you can immediately connect to, humans are; we ’ re pack animals, you will want to bond with this fictional character, whether you think they are beautiful or not. It’s almost like letting people in on this secret world but for a lot of us this our day-to-day life, but for people that have no access to this, this a world they couldn’t imagine and inevitably there’s going to be someone that doesn’t even know that they need this, now gets to see what they look like.
STO: I think for me, the woo woo of what we do is we impact people’s lives with what we create. And we ’ re part of the process of assembling a cast that is then going to show somebody that they are represented For me it’s about as being as authentic and true to casting so that when people can look at themselves and see ‘oh, that’s me!’ they can see themselves and that they’re not alone. And that’s the power of TV and Film, we can reach so many audiences, and if you ’ re a closeted kid in the middle of the boonies you can sneak away and watch your show on your iPad or your cellphone or whatever and you can feel not alone, you can have a community even though they are not physically there, so for me the way that I incorporate that into casting is; traditionally our community has not had opportunities, not only giving opportunities to our community, but giving our community an opportunity to portray themselves on camera, so that they can impact someone else’s life that they have never met before. The power of what they can do just by being their authentic self and being on camera and being seen I think has such a profound impact on the mental health of so many queer people that feel like they are alone.
VV: I grew up in South Central LA And there was very little representation as I was navigating my own questions of my own queerness as a young person And so now, as I feel that my career is emerging and growing. One of the things that has been clear since the beginning is that casting impacts politics and culture The audience of some the conversations that we can impact and be a part of can actually be one person, or a thousand, or millions. The possibility of something that we get to be a part of being put in front of another queer person ’ s life to see themselves reflected, or a part of themselves reflected, or even for people to see part of someone else that they know reflected is immense That power is immense And for me I just have a politic where I will be a strong defender with every creative team I work with that we should do everything within our power to hire queer people and actors to play queer roles. And that’s been the case for me where I just finished casting a series called ‘Love and Gravity’ season 2 where it’s all about queer folks and I’m so happy with the queer representation in that, ‘Black Superhero in London’, it’s about a gay black man and casting a gay black actor in the role. All those things are important to me.
So, they’re doing everything that they can to force us back into the closet, have the younger generations not know about our existence so that they don’t educate themselves or perhaps help a closeted kid and let them know that it will eventually be ok, as if it will eradicate us from existence Which by the way will never happen They’re trying to make our lives harder, and what breaks my heart the most, they’re trying to make the existence of younger queer children harder, leaving them vulnerable to discrimination, bullying, severe mental health issues, depression, an increase in suicide, and now even attacking their own parents or teachers that want to defend them Our work is just getting started. Like our predecessors, we have to push back hard once again. Now. Back to Victor’s point. Hiring queer people/actors to play themselves. We sometimes encounter the ‘well what ever happened to hiring just the best actor?’ and ‘ we couldn’t find a good actor that represents a particular community ’ What do we have to say to that?
CC: That’s
a lot of work is educating on who we are especially since there is a strong misconception of who we are We’ve been demonized for so long And with this education people are becoming aware that we are just normal human beings and we ’ re not these monster’s people made each other believe. And that’s why there is so much backlash and fear and so much resistance to this education. People in these smaller communities and rural areas don’t have many of us if at all, because they’re genuinely afraid to come out like I was in eastern Oregon I mean, the gods know I tried (I laugh) but it is quite scary in those areas because it is dangerous. These communities are pushing back because they don’t want the world to see that we exist They don’t want people to see that we are in fact human and are not a threat to society
CH: If I may jump in on this one. Something that I see a lot, is often when people do say ‘the best actor got the role’ will often mean ‘the person who portrayed this character in the way that I’m the most comfortable, in the way that mass audiences will be the most comfortable, got this role.’ The person that was connected to the character the most is too complicated or too messy or for whatever other word for ‘too confusing’ might be, so let’s just find the person that we have the most familiarity with, and have them put on a wig and dress, or no disrespect to the incredible Hilary Swank, because I don’t think she would do this today, so I do feel comfortable talking to her about this, Hilary Swank is really doing the best performance she could in ‘Boys Don’t Cry’, but I can watch her performance and know that that’s not what a voice on testosterone sounds like And as much acting work that she can do, she can’t really make her voice sound like that And unfortunately, there she was teaching all of America what trans men sounded like. And that wasn’t Hilary Swank’s intention, and no one realized she was doing it, but whenever someone says, ‘well the best person got the job’ I always think to myself ‘did they?’ And how can that even be scientifically quantified And because I’m talking to a room full of casting directors, we all know this, often times the best person for the job is in a Marvel movie anyway
STO: The thing that I always come against is, the best person for the job creatively, I’m told doesn’t greenlight the movie or doesn’t have a big enough name. Ok well then, a queer person is never going to be a name if we don’t give them stuff And that’s what I’m constantly fighting is, this notion of, it is a business, so they need to sell tickets, it needs to make money, so part of ‘the best person got the role’ is a little bit tied up with ‘it’s the business.’ The best person CREATIVELY probably didn’t get it, but if we ’ re talking about best person because they greenlit the movie, etc, I think they can hide under that guise So, what I’ve had to do with my queer films is say ‘not one person is going to greenlight this movie, but what about the ensemble? What about the ensemble of 5 or 6 queer names that are great, maybe that collective package can greenlight that movie instead of one person?’. I think that’s the bigge frustration that by blaming the business they’re able cast straight or cis people because that greenligh the project and that makes them the best person f the job.
CC: That or you can pick a character, let’s say th Mother or the Father or the best friend, or all of the and make those the names to greenlight the projec But why does this queer role need to be a name Creatively though, when they say ‘I can’t find the rig person for this’, I give Tracy Twinkie Byrd credit f saying this, ‘well, did you look at everybody? Did yo actually look at everyone; did you look in theatre, d you look through social media? Because there always somebody ’ And she’s right But there something to be said about that A LOT of the underrepresented communities, not just the LGBTQIA community, but Latinos in rural areas, Native America Indigenous, people with disabilities; don’t really ha the privilege of getting the training or education to b at the level like some of these other actors They don t have the access or financial means to get there We l k t t l f l h t li t
CH: To our friends, colleagues, all of us; if you in your own personal life are an ally to the transgender community, call in trans actors, for roles that are written as cisgender Don’t overthink ‘well would a transgender person have X, Y, Z in this scenario? ’The truth is most audiences will not be able to tell, number 2, there is so much, there is an abundance of historical records of trans people of all walks of life in all countries living their lives and people only finding out that they were transgender at their autopsy. You can go back to the American Revolutionary War, you can go back to every country, we have always been there, and we will always be here. And if you ’ re casting something that involves magic, the joke I always like to make is, why do fairies have to be cisgender? What is the biology of a talking cow? And why would you want l h h ’ k b l d
I GIVE TRACY TWINKIE BYRD CREDIT FOR I GIVE TRACY TWINKIE BYRD CREDIT FOR SAYING THIS, ‘WELL, DID YOU LOOK AT SAYING THIS, ‘WELL, DID YOU LOOK AT EVERYBODY? DID YOU ACTUALLY LOOK AT EVERYBODY? DID YOU ACTUALLY LOOK AT EVERYONE; DID YOU LOOK IN THEATRE, EVERYONE; DID YOU LOOK IN THEATRE, DID YOU LOOK THROUGH SOCIAL MEDIA? DID YOU LOOK THROUGH SOCIAL MEDIA?
BECAUSE THERE IS ALWAYS SOMEBODY.’ BECAUSE THERE IS ALWAYS SOMEBODY.’
CC: Here is a hot question It’s the push back that we ’ ve always gotten with this topic I know what the answer is for me, but who can tackle this better than us right now? ‘If trans and queer people should play cis or hetero normative people, why can’t straight people play trans or queer people?
All three look at me wide eyed, and Victor is the first to shake his head and answer.
VV: This conversation is about systematic oppression And when we think about systemic oppression and the data, which points to who’s in the majority and who’s in the minority…It’s not an equal playing field. We have to consider who is in the majority and the minority, and who holds power by being in the majority. Power is the fundamental thing to consider here. When most roles are straight and cis and most of the population is straight and cis, then that means LGBTQ roles are in the minority and there are very few opportunities as it is for LGBTQ actors to play themselves I want to collaborate with creatives who want to extend opportunities to LGBTQ actors to authentically portray queer roles
"TO OUR FRIENDS, COLLEAGUES, "TO OUR FRIENDS, COLLEAGUES, ALL OF US; IF YOU IN YOUR OWN ALL OF US; IF YOU IN YOUR OWN PERSONAL LIFE ARE AN ALLY TO PERSONAL LIFE ARE AN ALLY TO THE TRANSGENDER COMMUNITY, THE TRANSGENDER COMMUNITY, CALL IN TRANS ACTORS, FOR CALL IN TRANS ACTORS, FOR ROLES THAT ARE WRITTEN AS ROLES THAT ARE WRITTEN AS CISGENDER." CISGENDER."
STO: In 2019, the Equity in Entertainment committee had panel that was hosted by Russell Boast, and Trace Lysette was one of the panelists, and she was asked the question ‘When will it be okay for cis people to play trans people in film and media?’ and she said ‘I’ll be ok with it when trans people get the same opportunities to play cis roles as cis people get to play cis roles.’ For her it was just about opportunity. If everyone is getting the same amount of opportunity, then everyone can play everybody. But right now, that’s not happening. Until that happens there needs to be a correction.
CC: And that goes with all diversities across the board Our lists are still small, we don’t have enough representation Until we fix the problem we need the data, we need the numbers and even the labels, and I know people hate labels, but I, myself, personally need it to see who was left behind. Because the truth is in those numbers on who is not being represented.
STO: What we ' re seeing writ large in society right now is you have a lot of older white, straight, cis, able bodied people who have so much privilege who say that they are the victims That success and equality is some sort of finite pie and if this other person has equality, they somehow have less equality Systemically, that's how you oppress people. If you can make white people think that something is being taken away from them because someone else -- a woman of color -- gets an opportunity, that's how you institutionalize racism, sexism, homophobia, transphobia, xenophobia, etc. Success is not a finite pie, but the structures that uphold systemic racism and white nationalism need aggrieved white people to think that success IS a finite resource We all have actor friends who complain ‘Oh, I didn't get that role because they went diverse.’ Meanwhile, 87% of roles on TV are still white. And those microaggressions are what further systemic oppression.
CC: One thing I’d like to finish off with is; sometimes there’s some internal issues within our own communities. Sometimes we can be prejudiced against our own kind. Do we feel that we have some of these problems, and if so how can we help each other?
STO: I mean we kind of just pushed back on it The amount of times that I’ve heard people say, ‘well if we just leave out trans people, and we just focus on us, cis gender gay and lesbians we’d be so much further along in our rights, so let’s just abandon the trans community!’ and it’s like, what the heck?! We’re all in the same community, we ’ re all there in a capacity, so them saying ‘lets just leave somebody behind’ is them wanting their privilege and them wanting otherize someone but them and elevate themselves, and I think that’s something we do with our own community a lot, and the only way I know how to deal with that is to fight back when somebody says that But knowing that this happens in our own communities the only way to fight it is to challenge it. Evil prevails when people do nothing. If you hear somebody say something, either within the community or outside the community, you have to stand up and challenge that, otherwise you are accepting it and saying it is ok.
CH: Thank you so much Steven for saying that If you feel empowered, absolutely go toe to toe to someone, that makes a big difference However a great way for me, something I’ve been hoping for and dreaming for to circumvent that is just have trans women of color, black trans women, head projects. Let’s start from the top down. I’m happy if I’m deferring to trans people of color, to non binary people of color, because I am so team J. Harrison Ghee, and Alex Newell, and Justin David Sullivan, I am getting all their names tattooed on my forehead metaphorically, I am happy to wait while they are rocketing, and doing so much good work, but lets prioritize those with voices so that those of us that are more safe and secure and seen we can wait and rest cause I know we will not be left behind if the most marginalized of us and the most vulnerable are elevated first and given the most support. Let’s cut out the middleman if we can.
"IF YOU HEAR SOMEBODY SAY "IF YOU HEAR SOMEBODY SAY SOMETHING, EITHER WITHIN THE SOMETHING, EITHER WITHIN THE COMMUNITY OR OUTSIDE THE COMMUNITY OR OUTSIDE THE COMMUNITY, YOU HAVE TO STAND COMMUNITY, YOU HAVE TO STAND UP AND CHALLENGE THAT, UP AND CHALLENGE THAT, OTHERWISE YOU ARE ACCEPTING IT OTHERWISE YOU ARE ACCEPTING IT AND SAYING IT IS OK." AND SAYING IT IS OK."
VV: Candido, when you asked that question, it makes me think about even just as Mexican Latino, the very simple act of holding the hand of another man, in a predominantly Latino space, is me being my most authentic self, which is sharing my care for the person that I love, knowing very well that within my own community there feels like there is still this undeniable tension about a simple act of love. For me I think about that moment of my own privilege too Sure, if I’m holding the hand of another person, but then what does it feel like for another person that doesn’t have this privilege of this experience not only as a cis man, but even my light skin experience. So for me that reminder alone makes me think about, there’s so much work to be done, and the thing I can be most responsible for is to make sure that I love and care deeply and protect my space and the space existent for those that I love and care for. I also ask other folks and allies alike, that if there is infighting or tension within communities, to really extend that love and care widely, because leading with that kind of love, what is there to question, what is there to doubt, what is there to judge?
And indeed we must lead with this kind of love and care. The words reflect in my mind as I remember not just the fierce tenacity and strength of my mentors and heroes, but also their great deal of care and compassion Throughout the decades our community has demonstrated endurance and survival, and our will to fight and continue on, but the hardest are the conversations that require true empathy, and sometimes it seems unfair. In a class at a prestigious university, I was asked from one of my trans students “How do you deal with all of this? It’s so emotionally taxing ” And I responded with “It is. You have to practice empathy with those that don’t understand, so hopefully they can understand. That’s where your strength sometimes truly comes in.
Practice makes perfect, or so it seems We wake up and leave the front door and remember that simply existing is a fight Me showing up doing the work whichever it may be in my authentic self is how I protest. Sometimes it’s tiring, sometimes it's daunting. But sometimes we are reminded why it’s all worth it. When we ’ re able to touch someone ’ s life and inspire them or simply let them know that they aren’t alone, as Steven said, makes its all worth it Perhaps this also is a calling that we must stand and fight as our fathers and mothers did.
And we only need to look at each other to remember the why and regain the strength to continue forward. And sometimes, its ok to ask for help as well
One thing I’d like to remind our straight allies, sometimes they need to throw down for us too. And by that I don’t mean literally fight people for us, unless you have to, but I think more so, queerness requires the activation of our celebration and our fight collectively. It’s a verb that we must participate in our lives daily, and it’s a verb that I want to invite our straight allies to participate in their daily lives too
A TRAILBLAZER. IN HER OWN WORDS.
When you meet Erin Tomasello, you know you’re going to have fun. She’s vivacious, her joy is infectious, and she’s so down to earth. If we weren’t sitting down to talk about her career, I’d just think I was chatting with an old friend. But she’s one of the biggest names in reality television today. Erin Tomasello’s career has had some amazing highlights, like Fear Factor, Master Chef, America’s Got Talent, Life Below Zero: Next Generation, and most recently The Circle and The Traitors.
You’ve become a voice for unscripted TV. What do you wish more people knew?
The very big difference that people need to understand between unscripted and scripted is the cast doesn’t go in to play a character. They are not trained professional actors doing a job. They are going to be themselves and that's who we fall in love with, when we get to see that genuine side of them. We get to hear their genuine stories of heartbreak and family and dysfunction because guess what? We relate to it. We're going through it too. We get to find raw undiscovered talent. We call that role casting producers, because we are finding raw talent and we are producing them. We’re interviewing them like a journalist would, but even more intimately by sharing stuff about ourselves. And we're producing them to bring out who they are. It’s character-driven storytelling from a real person.
Some folks act like unscripted TV is a dirty little secret that we don't want to talk about, because they're embarrassed to watch it or not proud of it. That's not the case with me. Reality TV is so much bigger than just entertainment.
People get to feel better about their lives for a while, or learn how to make over their house, or realize that if they follow their dreams, they can be anything they want. Or we can showcase these incredible stories of people that would never be friends and end up bonding. There's so many different sides to it that I love but I'm definitely in the right industry and so proud of it.
And with good reason. Reality casting is more successful than ever. Nearly a fifth of all primetime TV programs in the US are reality shows – second only to drama, per BBC.
Reality television is some of the longest running TV in history and the most popular and the most viewed. When I first started, I think that it was a smaller fan base. And now it has grown into a keystone of modern television. Now, you've got to give it the credit that it's due. It changes peoples’ lives. We've got Carrie Underwood, Kelly Clarkson, even the Jersey Shore kids. Look at the Kardashians. Look at their lives.
When I was a teen, I was a fan of reality TV. I would have my mom record The Real World and Road Rules on VHS. Those were some of my first shows that I fell in love with. I'm a diehard reality fan, still to this day. I prefer it over scripted I love Survivor and competition shows I literally live, breathe and eat this You meet people that work in different genres and they don't necessarily watch what they make but this is what I watch This is what I consume Not saying I don't watch scripted, but I love reality and I always have ever since I was a little girl You get to meet real people and hear about the real challenges they’ve overcome
Since the initial seasons of The Real World, reality TV has tackled important topics such as racism, LGBTQ rights, abortion, homelessness, and AIDS; it set a precedent by including a diverse range of backgrounds, races, and sexual orientations among its cast members, challenging the prevailing trend at the time of limited diversity within individual TV shows despite a broader landscape of diversity across the industry. Unscripted programs often take the lead in introducing underrepresented communities to television audiences, shedding light on their experiences. Diversity is especially present in your show The Circle, which, by the way, has been in the Top Ten of Netflix U.S. (and many other countries) every season since Netflix started releasing data.
That's what's so refreshing about reality TV, we get to reflect diversity and inclusion. We love working on The Circle because we can put real people on the show. We can put people that we want to see on, that we relate to. We're always pushing for even more inclusion. We want to represent marginalized communities. America wants to see that too. And I love hearing those stories. I love the relatability. I love people of all shapes and sizes. I love how we get to tell their stories and help others. That’s one of the things I love about The Circle, it’s for everyone. And that's why me and my team; we just love casting it.
I think that’s why reality TV, in general, ended up being much more than a fad. People watch it because it has so much heart, thanks to the real stories from real individuals featured. The biggest mistake someone can make when they're in an interview is telling us what they think we want to hear. We don't want you to pretend to be something that you've seen before on TV.
SINCE THE INITIAL SEASONS OF THE REAL WORLD, REALITY TV HAS TACKLED IMPORTANT TOPICS SUCH AS RACISM, LGBTQ RIGHTS, ABORTION, HOMELESSNESS, AND AIDS; IT SET A PRECEDENT BY INCLUDING A DIVERSE RANGE OF BACKGROUNDS, RACES, AND SEXUAL ORIENTATIONS AMONG ITS CAST MEMBERS
If you want someone new and fresh, how do you know who you’ll end up with? Since your shows are unscripted, how does the story get shaped?
On my team are casting producers. They are the ones that conduct the interviews. We call them producers, because we don't have actors. It’s people that have never done a lick of TV in their life. They are getting the sound bites. They are producing the person on camera. They’re making sure we have a cohesive edit and the character. So that’s how we shape how we want to pitch them, how they're going to drive that show, and what they'll bring to the show.
A lot of times we'll have a wish list from the network or from the production company at the types of people that'd be wonderful to see. But the magic happens when I get people that apply to my show or we find people that you couldn't even make up. There's wish lists of great archetypes or story. People that would be wonderful to have as a starting point. But the magic really happens when you start casting and you find people whose story you couldn't make up. So, a lot of the times we're handing it off to the producers of what this person is and where to go with that and what the story will be with them. We have raw talent that we find at a farm out of nowhere, that we are producing and bringing out their personality and who their character is and telling their story. So that's a big difference between scripted and unscripted TV.
Is it hard to make sure people are being genuine when you’re interviewing them? Do you have tricks to catch glimpses of parts of their personalities that they maybe don’t want you to see?
We get to dive in a little bit further and see the true side of someone when we rip the layers off. Also, I'm a huge, larger than life personality, and when I first meet somebody, I want to know the good, the bad, and the ugly. So, I use my personality. You have to be fearless. You have to be willing to touch on everything and anything. And also, be really genuine yourself. I think because I'm from such a small town, people aren't intimidated by me. I genuinely want to get to know you and know your life story. I'm willing to open up about my flaws and what makes me vulnerable so that they feel comfortable opening up to me. A lot of the times I make myself extremely vulnerable, and that's always been one of my secret weapons. I immediately talk about my flaws and my shortcomings. So, I'm a Scorpio and I'm loyal to a fault. I have a very short fuse. I constantly stick up for the underdogs and get myself in trouble whatever it is. But I give them those real-life glimpses of me for them to pretend like the cameras are down and they're not talking to a professional, but they're talking at a happy hour pouring their heart out and letting us know who they really are. And it's a great way to get them to describe who they are. The honesty about my own personality opens the door to get the realness back from them.
YOU HAVE TO BE FEARLESS. YOU HAVE TO BE WILLING TO TOUCH ON EVERYTHING AND ANYTHING.
It's such a person-first approach. How did you know it would work?
Coming from Lake Tahoe, you don't really know that TV is in the works for you, right? Can I pursue this? Can I make this happen? I had never even thought about it before a class in senior year where I became the host of our local community calendar. I volunteered with one of my best friends, and I loved it and I was really bossy to her because I just wanted it to be so perfect and fun. And I really excelled and enjoyed the role. So, it lit a passion and fire inside of me. Everybody just needs their big break to get their foot in the door. And I saw on an ad that they were looking for casting recruiters at MTV for Next and Date My Mom, and that was my very first job ever.
But even now, there are definitely highs and lows. It's just a scary time right now. We are freelance, it's very rare in casting that you get an in-staff position to be a casting executive. When I was an associate when I was first starting, I felt like I was losing my job every 10 weeks. Very quickly, you have to learn the highs and lows of that and something that I've really tried to teach my team is save your money and always have a little in your bank account. Don't spend like crazy because you don't know when your next job is coming.
Taking care of your bottom line is always necessary, but especially now. It’s in the news that as the media industry undergoes this transformation of consolidation and financial constraints, unscripted television continues to be an appealing and relatively low-risk pursuit for programming. And that shorter productions times make unscripted TV agile, which can be useful if networks and studios start to worry about their library of content. What has this time period been like for you?
I am very lucky that I have had a wonderful career. And it's still going strong and I’ve been very lucky that I'm able to pick and choose the projects I work on most of the time and I have people contacting me because I've made a good reputation or they respect my casting. However, right after Thanksgiving, my industry halted for four months and we couldn't find work People were leaving the industry that I've worked with for 20 years There were no development jobs in the works. For my team and my peers, there was a big hunk of us that for the first time ever in our career, we couldn't find work. Luckily, in March it started picking up again. So most of us have jobs now.
But we don't always have the protection of that next job. We have no health insurance, no 401k, no retirement plans. The only time I've had my health insurance paid for by companies was when I was in a corporate position. Every other time in my whole life, I've paid for my own insurance. I've been doing this for 20 years and I've only had a company pay for my health insurance for three of those. But most people in my business will never have the corporate job.
I let it fuel my fire even more to want to stick up for my team and my industry that I love so much.
I LET IT FUEL MY FIRE EVEN MORE TO WANT TO STICK UP FOR MY TEAM AND MY INDUSTRY THAT I LOVE SO MUCH
With The Circle, I am the Casting Directo and I lead quite a large team. We are th hardest working team out there and we lov our jobs. For me being the boss now, I wan to lead by example. I want them to kno everyone should be treated with respec because I’m showing them that respec myself, whether it's the executive produce or the casting assistant I want to show them that there are good people in LA and there a way to lead a team where we can have fu and be good at our jobs. I’ve had goo bosses and I’ve had bad bosses. All of these things that I learned from, bosses that crossed boundaries, or felt like an injustice growing up in this industry-I'm trying to turn around and do better. I'm trying to lead by example and teach my team. I tell them all they're all so smart and so good at what they do. I want to build people up. I want to make them feel good about themselves. I want to trust them. I want to believe in them. I don't want to micromanage them. I want to respect their boundaries. You know, this is a job We come in here We love it We do a great job at it But in the big scheme of life, our families are important and you need to have work/life balance. I have the best team in the business. And the reason that I do is because they want to work for me. They have fun working for me. I just hope that I get to be a person that's showing them that you can be a good person and still get the job done even better.
Things have changed in the industry and we need to change with it. And what's changed is reality does have a seat at the table now. It's time for my reality peers to pull up a chair at that table and take their seat. And one thing that means is getting proper onscreen credits so that if we are nominated for an Emmy we can be eligible to win it. It's so important for my team to get these credits and that's how they're able to join CSA and the Television Academy. The credit is proof that they've done the work that they've done
Erin is working with the Television Academy and CSA to make sure that unscripted casting professionals have an unscripted voice that's speaking for them.
I'M TRYING TO LEAD B EXAMPLE AND TEACH MY TEAM. I TELL THEM ALL THEY'RE ALL SO SMART AND SO GOOD A WHAT THEY DO. I WAN TO BUILD PEOPLE UP.
I try to advocate for us and my peers in part because I have friends that are on the reality committee here at CSA. Kristen Moss & Hayley Weinstein have been championing us for years. Before, I've always cheered them on from the side. And quickly learned if I want to see change I need to be an active part of it. If you want to make a difference, you have to find time for the things that are important for you. And what's so cool is I know actually that we are already making a difference for those that are coming next. So now one thing I'm really passionate about this year is signing more people up, encouraging others to join so we could make our decisions for ourselves. I want to make sure that CSA members on the unscripted and reality side are represented by people that believe in them and watch their shows I want the unscripted world to feel valued and appreciated like they deserve to be because the work that they do is so hard, and they are so talented So I'm going to stand up and I'm going to pave the path for those behind me
When I talk to Erin about her successes, she has a way of finding the gems by lifting up those around her.
In terms of needing time off from their job, I encourage them to look at the possibilities that can come from it If you're a small business owner, it's a great way to plug your small business and get traction and followers there
Their dreams of influencing and finding an audience come true because Erin and her team pulls it out of them. By the way, they’re accepting submissions at http://thecirclecasting.com for tentative future seasons of The Circle. Now that she’s a member of CSA's Board of Directors, she presented the first ever Unscripted Casting Producer Spotlight Award to Joy Gordo.
Yes! Since CSA gave us a voice with the reality committee, we're making a lot of changes So now we’re recognizing casting directors and casting producers And we were able to give the first ever Unscripted Casting Producer Spotlight Award and recognize the role I hope this is the first of many and every year we can continue to do that because the unscripted casting teams deserve to be recognized That was a very special moment for me, because I felt part of something I felt special I felt included I felt like I was giving hope to all the other unscripted teams, showing that people can be recognized just for their work within their team even if they may never win an award for their show. We're giving you a platform because we see how hard they work and we want them to know how much we appreciate that.
I’m honored for this opportunity to learn from and about Erin Tomasello, CSA.
I'M GOING TO STAND UP AND I'M GOING TO PAVE THE PATH FOR THOSE BEHIND ME.
This is the last Editor's Note you'll be reading from me. After what feels like an era, I've termed out as a member of the Board of Directors I wanted to take this opportunity to share with you all the creation of what we now lovingly know as "The Zine "
When I first joined the board, we were in the midst of 8 members being brought up on criminal charges for allegedly violating the Krekorian Act. Tensions and tempers were running high and members wanted to know "What is CSA even doing? What am I paying dues for?" So our then President, Matthew Lessall decided we send a monthly email to the entire membership letting them know the answers to those burning questions This turned out to be too long to be called an email and ended up becoming the Newsletter.
The Newsletter was a labor of love I worked on in many iterations over my tenure on the board of directors Two years ago, the thenpresident said "let's make it a Zine " After that, I hit the ground running A magazine has so many more possibilities for content and graphics that greatly served us as we were outgrowing the Newsletter format.
This month is our PRIDE ISSUE While pride is specifically for our LGBTQ+ members, someone who knows a thing or two about creating spaces for members of this community is unscripted casting director, Erin Tomasello, who is gracing the cover! We also tackle current events, with Erica S. Bream addressing the State of the Industry, Candido Cornejo in conversation with Charlie Hano, Steven Tylor O'Connor and Victor Vazquez, and our ten questions with Jinkx Monsoon We did our very best to bring you the most delectable assortment of articles we could muster
It has been an honor and a privilege to go on this journey with the Casting Society and all of our loyal readers. It's been fun, CSA!
TIFFANY LITTLE CANFIELD Editor-in-Chief VP OF COMMUNICATIONS
ELIZABETH BERRA
Copy Editor
SECRETARY OF CASTING SOCIETY
DESTINY
CANDIDO CORNEJO, JR
Contributor
ERICA S. BREAM
Contributor
CASTING SOCIETY MEMBER
KATRINA WANDEL GEORGE
Contributor CASTING SOCIETY MEMBER
DORA GORDON
CASTING SOCIETY BOARD MEMBER ☆
Contributor
CSC T&E ALUMN & CASTING ASSST
PORTIA BLACK CASTING SOCIETY ADMINISTRATIVE COORDINATOR
ISABEL WYNNE
CASTING SOCIETY ADMINISTRATIVE COORDINATOR
LAURA ADLER
CASTING SOCIETY ADMINISTRATOR
