The New York Times yesterday published a comprehensive listing of summer stages across the country. Many of the theatres and productions listed ran casting notices in Back Stage over the past several months. Maybe you auditioned for one of them? Maybe you got cast? Let us know!
Click here for the full list of summer stages and schedules.
Last week, New York sketch comedy troupe Elephant Larry performed the second of three Friday night shows at the PIT (People's Improv Theater) in NYC. The all-new show from one of NYC's best sketch comedy groups features a drill instructor with confidence issues, a cyborg Cyrano de Bergerac, and a rant against the evils of Arby's, among other hilariously absurd sketches.
Elephant Larry's final performance is at 9:30 p.m. on Friday, May 16 at the PIT, 154 W. 29th St. (btwn. Sixth & Seventh aves.), NYC. Tickets are $8, and can be purchased at BrownPaperTickets.com, or by calling 1-800-838-3006.
If you can't make it to the show this week, don't worry: Elephant Larry will be performing as part of the killer lineup at this year's SketchFest NYC, the fourth annual international sketch comedy festival. SketchFest 2008 runs June 12-14 at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theater in NYC.
I interviewed two members of Elephant Larry before SketchFest last year. Click here for the full Q&A, or watch the video:
Ever want to parry like Charlie Sheen in The Three Musketeers? Battle dozens of men à la Russell Crow in Master and Commander? Or get a taste of Army of Darkness chainsaw action?
Then look no further than the Academy of Theatrical Combat, headed by husband-wife fight choreographers Dan Speaker and Jan Bryant. This past January, I interviewed them for Back Stage's Spotlight on Stunt Performers. They recently invited me to learn some fighting skills at one of the Academy's introductory seminars. During the five-hour class, we wielded a cutlass, broadsword, and quarterstaff—none of which I'd ever picked up in my entire life.
Now while I wouldn't say I'm the most uncoordinated person on the planet, I did dread gym class as a kid and still occasionally step on my husband's feet when we dance. Despite this, ever since watching Uma Thurman taking people out left and right in Kill Bill: Vol. 2, I'd harbored fantasies about being quick with a weapon.
So when my husband and I showed up at Burbank's Swords Fencing Studio for the workshop, I was ready to become a fighting machine. As I quickly learned, however, the art of cinema sword fighting requires more than just a desire to kick ass. Sure I could slash through the air with a cutlass, but could I aim at the proper targets on my partner's body? And if I could manage that, could I tense my muscles properly to make the cut look authentic? Finally, because we're fighting for the camera—rather than honor or malice or other traditional reasons—could I do all of these things without harming my partner?
Under Speaker and Bryant's expert guidance, I managed to do all of the above. (Though my husband did get a bit nervous when I accidentally aimed for his knee with the quarterstaff.) Suited to a range of skill levels, the workshop enabled even a newbie like me to get up to speed.
"You let your head get in the way," Bryant observed as I struggled to remember the order of the moves in one broadsword sequence. "Just let your body take over and move with it." Sure enough, as soon as I stopped thinking so hard, coordination came.
Needless to say, if these teachers can get me to swing a sword properly, they can teach anyone.
Watch out Russell. I know your tricks.
If you want to put sword fighting on your résumé and be able to stand behind it, sign up for the Academy's next workshop and get one step closer to professional swordmastery. For more info, visit www.theatricalcombat.com.
-- Brooke O'Neill
The Wachowski brothers roar back to live-action filmmaking with Speed Racer – their first non-Matrix directorial effort since their excellent indie debut, titillating action-thriller Bound (1996). The Matrix Reloaded and The Matrix Revolutions were better-than-average Hollywood sci-fi action sequels, but were disappointing, plot-wandering, gloomy-gloopy messes compared to the dazzling, spoon-bending wire-fu of the original The Matrix.
To regain their mojo after years spent on Matrix sequels, videogames, websites, comic books, animated projects, and whatnot the Brothers W stepped out of the driver’s seat and produced and directed the intelligent comic-book adaptation V for Vendetta and wrote the actual comic-book Doc Frankenstein. With their batteries recharged and engines revving, the Wachowskis finally drop the hammer with Speed Racer, burning up the screen with a bonanza of optical tricks and a little bit of plot.
By amping up and embracing the campiness and hand-drawn antics of the source material, the directors deftly avoid the potholes that tripped up flicks like Hulk (which took itself too seriously), Thunderbirds (too dumb for its own good), and Transformers (a soulless toy ad). Sure, it’s unabashedly a kids’ movie, with cartoon characterizations, scene-chewing bad guys, and little-brother Spritle Racer (Paulie Litt) and chimp sidekick Chim-Chim (portrayed by chimpanzee actors Kenzie and Willy) searching for candy and mischief much of the time. But the filmmakers never pander, instead using the camp performances to garner real laughs and the kid-terrain of the material as an excuse to pack the screen with a dense, dizzying array of visuals.
You could almost call it an experimental film, with its heady mix of live-action, animation, plastic props, impossible locations, psychedelic editing, swirling camera moves, and trippy spins into Spritle’s imagination. The acting, too, verges on the Brechtian, purposely distancing the audience from reality and appropriating archetypes and stereotypes – like a Hal Hartley film hidden inside a sugar-coated action-adventure epic. Warren Beatty’s take on Dick Tracy meets Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey on a racetrack against the Technicolor madness of Luc Besson’s The Fifth Element, Steven Lisberger’s TRON, Terry Gilliam’s Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, a fluorescent kiddie-car version of Frank Miller and Robert Rodriguez's Sin City, and George Miller’s epic Babe: Pig in the City.
The casting team (including Anja Dihrberg, Lora Kennedy, Lucinda Syson, Marcel Dykiert, Arlene Kiyabu, Iris Müller, Kate Ringsell, and Jennifer Weinstein) have put together a spot-on ensemble, with the brooding Emile Hirsch (Speed Racer), hyperactive Nicholas Elia (a young Speed Racer), scene-stealing Susan Sarandon (Mom Racer), always reliable John Goodman (Pops Racer), Aussie comic-relief Kick Gurry (Sparky), luminous Rain (Taejo Togokhan), and other actors all offering gleeful, energetic turns.
Christina Ricci as Trixie is a particular standout – in a small role that could easily have been played as pure two-dimensional eye-candy, Ricci infuses the character with guts, subtle weirdness, and humor. The script, too, let’s Trixie ascend beyond the standard-issue action-film damsel-in-distress stereotype – she pilots the helicopter, can drive a car better than most of the boys, and forces Speed to race even when he’s acting like a moody downer. Ricci’s interpretation is so anime-sexy and off-kilter, it’s disappointing that her character isn’t used more – too much of the time she’s just there to look doe-eyed at the hero.
Matthew Fox (Racer X), on the other hand, appears to have a limited performance range. Or maybe he’s just been typecast. No matter what part he’s playing, he only seems to have access to four Lost expressions: Charming Jack, Angry Jack, Sad Jack, and Action Jack. But then again, he is really, really, really good at all four of those. That’s why when Speed Racer ends you’re left hoping that the Wachowski brothers will make a more grownup Speed Racer spinoff feature focusing entirely on Racer X and the inscrutable Inspector Detector (Benno Fürmann). With his turn as Racer X, Fox proves that, for better or worse, he’s ready to become the world’s next Keanu Reeves – because no one has looked cooler throwing punches and wearing black since Reeves played Neo in The Matrix. Racer FoX marks the spot.
But, despite its aerodynamic stylings, the film is deeply flawed. Like the Matrix sequels, it has a habit of getting lost in itself, and struggles to find a purpose. The opening flashback sequences to Speed and Rex Racer’s early days quickly grow tiresome and disjointed. Every race lasts a few minutes longer than needed. Character development is lacking, and more (unexpected) plot twists are needed – you can see every twist on this raceway a mile away. The third act is fun on its own, but it’s anticlimactic in context – the final race begins to feel like one race too many, the action and triumph repetitive compared to what’s come before. Speed Racer’s third-act flashbacks – Speed remembering bits and pieces of scenes from early parts of the movie – are unnecessary, even grating. The last-minute revelations about Rex Racer (Scott Porter) make for a shockingly boring montage – the Wachowskis spoon-feed the audience instead of spoon-bending.
Still, as a whole the movie is a pimped-out fun ride. See it in theatres while you can – like other CG spectacles, it’s a treat on the big screen but may not translate nearly as well on the small screen (Beowulf, anyone?). For a movie like this, the bigger the sound and picture, the bigger the thrills: See the gear-crunching IMAX version if you can – it’ll leave skid marks on your eyes.
-- Luke Crowe, National Casting Editor, Back Stage
[Note: This is not the official Back Stage review of Speed Racer, just Luke's opinion. For the official review, click here. ]
Speed Racer and Speed Racer: The IMAX Experience open in theatres May 9, 2008.
SAG, AFTRA, AMPTP. Enough already with the Alphabet Soup Brigade in Encino. What about that other union with a big-time contract that expires at the end of June, huh?
That's right: We're talking about Actors' Equity Association, baby! The AEA! Who's with me?
Anyone?
Yeah, okay.
According to a well-placed source, things in the Theatre District are, from the perspective of Strike Watch, excruciatingly dull. Negotiations for a new Production Contract, which expires June 29 and covers Broadway and national tours, started April 18. So far, there has been a total of eight minutes of face-to-face negotiations between Equity and the Broadway Leauge, which represents producers and theatre owners. The rest of the time, the two sides are either caucusing separately or listening to presentations from each other.
"Everything's cordial," said the source. "The timing is exactly what I expect."
What, no bitterness? No rancor? No phrases being tossed around like "persistent refusal," "deeply troubling," and "the right to use excerpts of our work in new media without our consent and negotiation"?
Actually, the last one isn't a phrase, it's a clause, because it has a subject and a verb. More to the point, the idea HAS been tossed around in the Theatre District.
According to the source, the league wants to market theatre using footage of productions, via new media, and for this the actors would receive a grand total of zero dollars and zero cents.
Now we're talking! New media! Insufficient compensation! To the ramparts!
What's that?
"We're listening," said the source.
Come again?
According to the source, a noted killjoy, the union folks "are listening." Which is not to say that Equity will accept bupkiss. The union, as well as the league, is demonstrating a cordial agree-to-disagree front and discussing matters internally.
"Which is exactly the way it should be," the source said.
Really? Exactly the way it should be? Uh-uh. This is the way it should be:
There should be pettiness. There should be extreme positions, internal feuds, political parties with abstruse names, three-way rifts among two unions, and producers talking about "the changing economic landscape" while simultaneously printing money in their basements.
But no. The source wasn't biting: "Everybody feels we're right on time. People feel good about the exchange of information. We're hopeful about having productive conversations that can result in a contract."
As I believe Bob Dylan sang in "Just Like Tom Thumb's Blues":
"I'm going back to Encino, I do believe I've had enough."
--Andrew Salomon
Culled from the hundreds of casting and job notices listed daily on BackStage.com, below are this week's audition highlights for the West Coast, organized by the day the auditions are being held.
To find the full details for each of these projects -- including the audition times, locations, requirements, and alternate submission methods -- simply locate the project using the BackStage.com Casting & Jobs Search Engine, and then open the notice to view all of the info.
When searching, try any of the following: (1) Run a search for all the categories and countries you're interested in, and then sort the results based upon the date of the auditions by clicking on the triangular arrows found near the top of the "Audition Dates" column on every page of the search results; (2) Try an "exact phrase" Keyword search using one of the project titles/casting notice headlines listed below (hint: put the project title, audition headline, production company, or casting director name in "quotation marks" to get the best results); (3) try an "exact phrase" Keyword searches using dates such as Nov. 28, Dec. 5, and so on, to discover other opportunities that have audition dates, performance dates, and deadlines for the date you specify. See the Casting FAQ for additional search hints.
LOS ANGELES AREA AUDITIONS
Wed., May 7
'The Ugly Truth' (Union/Nonunion Film)
Ice House, Wednesday Open Mic (Comedy & Improv)
'Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat,' Chorus (Northern CA - Union Chorus Calls)
'Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat' (Northern CA - Union/Nonunion Musicals)
Thurs., May 8
Hong Kong Disneyland Performers (Theme Parks)
Fri., May 9
'Taming of the Shrew' (Union Stage)
'The Voice of Magic' (Northern CA - Dancers & Choreo.)
Sat., May 10
The New Wayans Feature (Union/Nonunion Film)
'The Wizard of Oz,' Children (Union Chorus Calls)
'Cabaret' (Nonunion Musicals)
'Grease' (Nonunion Musicals)
'The Sound of Music' (Nonunion Musicals)
'Once Upon a Mattress' (Dancers & Choreo.)
TX, Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders (Outside CA - Dancers & Choreo.)
Sun., May 11
'Fool For Love' (Nonunion Stage)
Mon., May 12
How-To Videos (Commercials & Industrials)
'Brigadoon' (Nonunion Musicals)
Star Theatre 2008 Summer Season (Nonunion Musicals)
Soulescape Dance Company (Dancers & Choreo.)
CD Workshop, Erica Berger (Groups & Workshops)
NV, Cruise Performers (Outside CA - Cruise Lines)
Tues., May 13
The Laugh Factory, Tuesday Open Mic (Comedy & Improv)
STC 2008-09 Season (Northern CA - Union/Nonunion Stage)
Wed., May 14
CCPT 2008 Season (Nonunion Stage)
Cruise Performers (Cruise Lines)
Thurs., May 15
'Lose Yourself' (Music Video)
SDR 2008 Season Chorus (Union Chorus Calls)
'Murder at the Vicarage' (Nonunion Stage)
USA, Soulescape Dance Company (Outside CA - Dancers & Choreo.)
Fri., May 16
SDR 2008 Season (Union Musicals)
Sat., May 17
'Singin' in the Rain' (Union/Nonunion Musicals)
'The Lion in Winter' (Nonunion Stage)
Sun., May 18
'Boomers' (Union/Nonunion Musicals)
CO, DCTC 2008-09 Season (Outside CA - Union Musicals)
Mon., May 19
StageARTS Repertory 2008 Season (Union/Nonunion Stage)
'Suessical: The Musical' (Union/Nonunion Musicals)
'The Rainmaker' (Nonunion Stage)
'Suessical' (Nonunion Musicals)
'The Full Monty' (Northern CA - Union/Nonunion Musicals)
Tues., May 20
'Le Reve' (Dancers & Choreo.)
Wed., May 21
'Le Reve' (Northern CA - Dancers & Choreo.)
Thurs., May 22
WA, VT 2008-09 Season (Outside CA - Union/Nonunion Musicals)
The federal economic stimulus package is designed to put more money into the economy, and eligible taxpayers -- including aspiring and veteran actors -- can in turn stimulate both the economy and their own creativity by spending that money on the arts. This month, taxpayers will begin receiving rebate checks of up to $600 ($1,200 for couples), and it's not too early to think about how to spend that windfall. Stimulating spending -- rather than saving -- is, after all, the program's intent.
For some taxpayers, the money will be used to meet basic expenses. But for others, the rebate creates a discretionary spending opportunity, and the arts are a terrific vehicle for enhancing self and community.
The research makes clear that the nonprofit arts are a major economic engine for the United States. According to a recent study by Americans for the Arts, they generate $166 billion in economic activity annually -- a 24 percent increase in just the past five years alone. That's greater than the gross domestic product of most nations. The arts support 5.7 million full-time equivalent jobs -- an increase of 850,000 jobs in five years, all of them located in this country.
Every dollar spent on the arts results in substantial economic activity. And the arts are a very good buy:
> At New York's acclaimed Signature Theatre Company, every seat is $20 -- a spectacular deal in any economic climate.
> A one-year dual membership at the Whitney Museum of American Art is $100 (fully tax-deductible).
> Student tickets, priced at $10 each, are available to select events at Carnegie Hall.
Did you know that the typical attendee at a nonprofit arts events spends $27.79 per person in addition to the cost of admission? For $600, one could take advantage of these or countless other opportunities in the arts and still have money left over for a meal, snacks, transportation, and a gift shop purchase or two.
And even for those in one area of the arts, it's important to be exposed to other areas. We would never have had The Piano Lesson or Sunday in the Park With George if August Wilson, Stephen Sondheim, and James Lapine hadn't slipped out to a museum or two. And both works won Pulitzer Prizes in drama -- not a bad return on an afternoon at a museum.
In addition to the positive impact on the local economy, the arts inspire, delight, challenge, and offer new perspectives -- for students as well as adults. The Arts Education Partnership's report Critical Links: Learning in the Arts and Student Academic and Social Development includes 62 separate studies pointing to "critical links" between arts education and reading, writing, mathematics, cognitive skills, motivation, social behavior, and the school environment.
Arts education encourages creativity and innovative thinking, and those are crucial skills in an information age and a global economy. The content of virtually every website involves graphic design, photography, and writing, in some cases music, and increasingly video. What is YouTube if not a potential engine for artistic expression?
The arts also fuel a far broader part of the economy, known as the "creative industries." Those industries -- comprising arts-centric businesses and organizations from museums and symphonies to architectural and advertising firms -- employ nearly 3 million Americans, according to a 2008 study by Americans for the Arts. And they provide the artistic training and talent that drive much of the "information economy" -- the fastest-growing segment of the nation's economy. Expanding the arts community will cause those businesses to increase as well.
For $600, what a return on investment: admission to world-class performances or art exhibits, a chance to be inspired and encouraged to be more creative, the enhancement of one's own community, and a national economic stimulus. That $600 really can go a long way, if spent artfully.
-- Robert L. Lynch
Robert L. Lynch is president and CEO of Americans for the Arts, a leading nonprofit organization for advancing the arts in America.
"I generally don't disclose my age, because I don't look 49 years old. I don't like to offer anything that can limit the industry's perception of me. I prefer that they use their own powers of perception. It's the same reason I don't use my true Hispanic name (Rivera). I actually don't look Hispanic, so I wouldn't want anyone with casting power to limit me to Hispanic roles."
-- Vic River
New York
"When I am asked my age, I tell the truth: I am 48 years old. I was born in
1960 and appreciate the time that I've been blessed to have here and hope that I am granted the opportunity and wisdom to age gracefully."
-- Emma Terese
New York
"I do not disclose my age, only my age range, because I don't want to be pigeonholed into a certain age bracket. It's very sad, but women are treated like cartons of milk ready to expire past a certain date. It used to be that the older someone was, the more they were hired, because life experiences made you a better actor. But now it's all about youth, regardless of how bad the acting is. I don't think it's the industry's business, or anyone else's, what age you are. All that should matter is how well you can do your job."
-- Seregon O'Dassey
New York
"I never disclose my age when I go to audition. I believe people in showbiz should care about my age
range, my looks for the part, my acting, and the energy I bring in. When I am asked about my age, my answer is always, 'I'm as old as I look.' Why should I reveal my 'secret' if I look much younger than my real age?"
-- Muneer Katchi
Glendale, Calif.
"Are you kidding? To quote Mary Kay, 'A woman who would tell her age would tell anything.' "
-- Lorraine Serabian
New York
The 2008 Multicultural Undergraduate Internship program, which offers more than 120 paid internship positions at L.A. museums and arts nonprofits, is accepting applications. Funded by the Getty Foundation, internships are geared toward outstanding students who are members of groups underrepresented in the arts, including African Americans, Asians, Latino/Hispanics, Native Americans, and those of Pacific Islander descent. Applicants must be enrolled undergraduates residing or attending college in Los Angeles County. They must have completed at least one semester of college by June 2008 and must not graduate before December 2008. Pay is $3,500 for 10 weeks of full-time work between June and August. Interested students should review the complete list of opportunities at www.getty.edu/grants/education/multicultural_la.html and apply directly to desired organizations. For questions, contact Talia Gibas at (310) 440-6495 or tgibas@getty.edu.
The ScriptShark Insider Screenwriting Competition is
seeking scripts. Geared toward unproduced writers, the contest offers winners
industry exposure and pitch coaching. The grand-prize winner will receive
$3,000, a trip to
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Unions and Select Organizations
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Helpful Links
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Books
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