Blog Stage - Acting in Film, TV, Theatre - Backstage

L.A. Auditions at a Glance

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., Feb. 27
'Miss Saigon,' Singers (Union Chorus Calls)
Ice House, Wednesday Open Mic (Comedy & Improv)

Thurs., Feb. 28
'Pirates of Penzance' (Nonunion Musicals)

Fri., Feb. 29
'Miss Saigon,' Dancers (Union Chorus Calls)
National Live Tour (Dancers & Choreographers)
'Last Comic Standing' (Northern CA - Comedy & Improv)
IL, Martin Parson's Beauty, Fashion & Hair Show (Outside CA - Modeling)
IL, Paul Mitchell Beauty, Fashion & Hair Show (Outside CA - Modeling)
IL, Redken Hair Show (Outside CA - Modeling)
IL, Schwarzkopf Beauty, Fashion & Hair Show (Outside CA - Modeling)
IL, Villa Salons' Beauty, Fashion & Hair Show (Outside CA - Modeling)
IN, Maly's Beauty Fashion & Hair Show (Outside CA - Modeling)

Sat., Mar. 1
'Gatin'' (Nonunion TV/Video)
'Furniture as Fashion' (Commercials & Industrials)
'Miss Saigon' (Nonunion Musicals)
USA, 'The Biggest Loser' Season Six (Outside CA - Reality TV)

Sun., Mar. 2
'Wicked' (Union Musicals)
WTC 2008 Season (Northern CA - Union/Nonunion Stage)
UT, 'Altar Boyz' (Outside CA - Union/Nonunion Musicals)

Mon., Mar. 3
'Flora the Red Menace' (Union Musicals)
'Wicked,' Singers (Union Chorus Calls)
'Stuart Little' (Nonunion Stage)
CD Workshop, Marlo Hughling (Groups & Workshops)
Look Models (Northern CA - Modeling)
NV, 'Crazy House Paris,' Dancers (Outside CA - Dancers & Choreographers)

Tues., Mar. 4
'District 5' (Nonunion Film)
'Wicked,' Dancers (Union Chorus Calls)
The Laugh Factory, Tuesday Open Mic (Comedy & Improv)

Wed., Mar. 5
'By the Great Horn Spoon!' (Union Musicals)
'The Hunchback of Notre Dame' (Union/Nonunion Musicals)
'No Way to Treat a Lady' (Nonunion Stage)
'Through These Eyes' (Nonunion Stage)

Thurs., Mar. 6
'So You Think You Can Dance' Season Four (Reality TV)
B&B Curl Campaign (Modeling)
Agent & Manager Workshop (Groups & Workshops)

Fri., Mar. 7
WGTB 2008 Summer Season (Union Stage)
'Pippin' (Union Musicals)
Back Stage's Actorfest Auditions (Groups & Workshops)

Sat., Mar. 8
Beer Spec Spot (Commercials & Industrials)
'Model Latina' (Reality TV)
'The Biggest Loser' Season Six (Reality TV)
'Pippin,' Singers (Union Chorus Calls)

Sun., Mar. 9
There are no auditions scheduled for this date.

Mon., Mar. 10
'Books with Feet' (Nonunion Stage)
'Stepping Out' (Nonunion Stage)

Tues., Mar. 11
There are no auditions scheduled for this date.

Wed., Mar. 12
USA, Luxury Cruise Ship Shows (Outside CA - Cruise Lines)

Thurs., Mar. 13
SDRT 2008-09 Season (Union/Nonunion Stage)

NYC Auditions at a Glance

Culled from the hundreds of casting and job notices listed daily on BackStage.com, below are this week's audition highlights for the East 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.

NEW YORK CITY AREA AUDITIONS

Thu. Feb. 28
Westport Country Playhouse, CT
Williamstown Theatre Festival, MA
Atlanta Theater of the Stars, Singers
'Drowsy Chaperone,' Singers, Tour
MA, 'Last Train to Nibroc'

Fri. Feb. 29
Hudson Valley Shakespeare Fest
Westport Country Playhouse, CT
'Man of La Mancha'
'Oedipus Rex Trilogy'
'Avenue Q,' B'way & Nat'l Tour
'High School Musical,' Tour
'A Good Woman is Hard to Find'
'In/Two'

Sat. March 1
'Oedipus Rex Trilogy'
'A Good Woman is Hard to Find'
B'way Comedy Club Monologues
'Durang/Durang'
RI, Solar Power Dance Team
Royal Caribbean

Sun. March 2
'Live to Dream'
Atlanta Theater of the Stars, Dancers
CT, Solar Power Dance Team
Royal Caribbean

Mon. March 3
NJ, 'Tales From the Garden'
Totem Pole Playhouse Season, PA
Barter Theatre Season, VA
'Half a Sixpence,' CT, Dancers
Pittsburgh Civic Light Opera, PA
'The Music Man,' MO, Singers
'A Chorus Line,' B'way & Tour
Royal Caribbean
'Carousel'
VA, 'Music Movies Magic'

Tue. March 4
Shakespeare & Co. Season, MA
'Substitution'
'Three Calla Lilies'
Totem Pole Playhouse Season, PA
'Full Monty' & 'Pete 'n' Keely,' MT
Barter Theatre Season, VA
'The Music Man,' MO, Dancers
Chamber Theatre Prods. Tours
Mac-Haydn Theatre 2008 Season
Gotta Sing/Open Mike Tuesdays
Hank Lane Music
'Carousel'
VA, 'Music Movies Magic'

Wed. March 5
'Frost/Nixon,' Nat'l Tour
'Curtains,' B'way
Barter Thr. 75th Anniversary Season
'Buddy: The Buddy Holly Story,' SC
'Half a Sixpence,' CT
'Girls Night,' Tour
Mac-Haydn Theatre 2008 Season

Thu. March 6
'Frost/Nixon,' Nat'l Tour
'Smokey Joe's Café,' VA
'Half a Sixpence,' CT, Singers
'Oedipus Rex Trilogy'
DC, 'Music Movies Magic'

Fri. March 7
'American Girls'
Cornell Resident Actors
'Frost/Nixon,' Nat'l Tour
'Valley Song'
Arrow Rock Lyceum Theatre, MO
'Pure Heaven'
'Oedipus Rex Trilogy'
'Dinner at Grandma's'
Walker/Siretta Jazz Dance, MA
DC, 'Music Movies Magic'

Crash Course Rehearsals

The title of this book may make you think acting coach Alice Spivak is writing about what actors can do to keep their instrument fine-tuned when they're not working. But the subtitle -- Acting and the Media -- tips you off to her real theme: Spivak is writing about assignments in film, television, and commercials in which the rehearsal period is either severely truncated or altogether absent.
But before she can describe how to streamline the acting process for film and TV, the author feels compelled to first outline her regular, long-form procedures. Her pedagogy is based on the system of Konstantin Stanislavsky as interpreted and taught by Uta Hagen and Herbert Berghof (Spivak both studied and taught at New York's HB Studio). She lays out an 11-step program for developing a role, from reading the script through creating a "character chart" enumerating background and character traits.

It is not until the final 50 or 60 pages that Spivak approaches in detail the fast-track version of her process. This is the most readable -- and arguably most useful -- section of the book, in part because it is so full of personal anecdotes and specific advice. For instance, in a section on how actors can cope with a director who gives nothing but blunt, simple commands, she suggests ways of smoothly and quickly turning such direction into justified action. If a director tells you to "speak louder," for example, you can choose to "endow" your acting partner with a hearing deficiency.

From the outset, Spivak makes no secret of her disdain for most "media" acting endeavors, as opposed to solid stage work. She's particularly critical of daytime drama and situation comedy. "Now," she writes, "most of the writing in television and films has become hackneyed and only revisits what was done previously, which might have been mediocre to begin with." In the back of the reader's mind lurks the question of why she took the pains to write a treatise on how to flourish in genres for which she has so little respect.

How to Rehearse When There is No Rehearsal: Acting and the Media, by Alice Spivak, with Robert Blumenfeld, Limelight Editions, 2007, paperback, 280 pages, $19.95.

-- Mark Dundas Wood

Naked Angels Fly to New Location

The Naked Angels, the nonprofit New York City theatre company of actors, writers, directors, designers, and producers, will be performing in the [email protected] reading series at at new location: The Zipper Factory, 336 West 37th St., between 8th & 9th avenues. Take the 1, 2, 3, or A, C, E to 34th Street.

Students Invited to Discover Inner Playwright

VSA arts is seeking submissions from young writers for the 24th Annual Playwright Discovery Award. Through an original one-act play, students in grades 6-12 of all abilities are invited to write on the theme of disability. The winning playwright will receive $2,000 and a trip to Washington, D.C. to see his/her play performed at The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. Guidelines and applications are available at www.vsarts.org/x244.xml. Submissions must be received by April 11.

Electric Youth

The Blank Theatre Company is accepting submissions for its 16th annual Young Playwrights Festival. Each of the 8-12 winners will be paired with an industry mentor who will help the playwright hone his or her work for five professional performances at Hollywood's Hudson Theatre in June. Musicals and plays of any length are eligible; all genres welcome. Playwrights must 19 or younger. Submission deadline is March 15, 2008; no entry fees. www.youngplaywrights.com.

Raising Creative Capital

Apply through March 4 for a Creative Capital grant, which provides funding for work in emerging fields, innovative literature, or performing arts projects. Submissions must include: an inquiry form regarding your project and how, in conjunction with this grant, it will be catalytic for your artistic and professional growth; the influences that inform your work and how your work takes an inventive and original approach to form and content; a basic budget; the audience(s) for your project; and any possible presenting venues. For general information and guidelines, visit creative-capital.org/application/.

One on One

The Stage Directors and Choreographers Foundation will host Tony Award winning director/choreographer Jerry Mitchell (Legally Blonde, Hairspray) in its next one-on-one conversation events on March 3, 6:30 p.m., at the Abingdon Theatre Arts Complex, June Havoc Mainstage, 312 W. 36th St. The evening lasts 90 minutes and will be moderated by the producer Hal Luftig (Legally Blonde). Space is limited and reservations are highly recommended. Tickets cost $10 for the general public and $5 for SSDC members and associate members, students, and seniors. Reserve by calling (212) 391-1070, ext. 252, or go to [email protected].

The Source for Broadway's Beads & Bling

Yesterday's New York Times featured an interesting story about Bessie Nelson, the 77-year-old woman responsible for most of the beaded costumes seen on Broadway. The "go-to-beader of Broadway" has been practicing her craft for the past 68 years, living and working "in a small upstairs bedroom in a modest brick house on an unremarkable residential street" in Cranford, NJ.

From the Times:

She has done the beadwork on Liberace’s capes, Neil Diamond's jackets, Michael Jackson's glove and Cher's famously revealing, uh, thingies. ("It was only covered in spots that had to be covered, you know," Ms. Nelson recalled in a Jersey accent you could pour on pancakes.) She did beading for the Broadway productions of "Dreamgirls," "Sunset Boulevard," "Miss Saigon," "Wicked" and "The Boy From Oz"; she did inaugural-ball gowns for Nancy Reagan ( for the second inauguration) and Hillary Clinton (the first). She’s currently working on 31 costumes for the national tour of "A Chorus Line."

"They haven’t found a way yet for a machine to do it," Ms. Nelson said. Beading still has to be done by hand,  bead by bead.

Nelson will receive an Irene Sharaff Award from the Theater Development Fund on March 28 at the Hudson Theater  on Broadway. For the full story, click here.

-- Daniel Lehman

To Get Where You're Going, Know Where You're From

Reality television and the mystique of shows such as American Idol, offering a promise of instant wealth and fame, are cheapening our ancient art form. This should be a cause for alarm for aspiring actors, for whom the theatre is the rightful training ground. The principles it requires must be embraced and continually nurtured. Furthermore, all good actors understand that the craft demands a lifetime of study and growth, not a few moments on a televised cattle call.

As the grandson of Stella Adler and the artistic director of the Stella Adler Studio of Acting, I come from a tradition that believes the actor is an ever-evolving person, an independent thinker who studies his or her craft and is deeply connected to the outside world. The foundation of this vision came from my great-grandfather Jacob Adler, a legendary actor and producer in the Yiddish theatre of turn-of-the-century New York, and was handed down to his daughter Stella Adler and to Harold Clurman, who helped found the Group Theatre.

In his memoirs, Clurman describes being "transfixed" by the power of Jacob Adler's acting and also by the close relationship of actor to audience. The communal nature of theatre that Clurman encountered on the Lower East Side made an indelible impression on him, which undoubtedly shaped the Group Theatre.

Stella Adler was practically born onto the Yiddish stage, appearing for the first time at age 4. In her late 20s, Stella was courted by Clurman to be a founding member of the Group, where she spent a decade as a leading actor.

From these two experiences, together with her study with Konstantin Stanislavsky, Stella Adler developed a technique that maintains that growth as an actor and growth as a human being are synonymous. Adler's approach requires the full engagement of self: the physical, the emotional, and the intellectual. While her technique is rigorous and demanding, she also insisted that her students read literature and poetry, listen to serious music, study painting, sculpture, and history. Her script-interpretation technique entails a close reading of plays and an exploration of not just the text but also the social, political, sexual, and religious mores of the period. This connects an actor fully to the conflicting ideas and arguments of a play and releases a deeper, more impassioned
performance.

A vivid understanding of the imminence of the Russian Revolution, for example, brings the plays of Anton Chekhov into sharper focus and limns their poignancy and brilliance. A historical understanding of the Great Depression clarifies the stakes in the plays of Clifford Odets.
In general, the study of history allows us to examine our lives within the greater canvas of human civilization. It helps us to understand the similarities and differences in diverse periods and teaches us how to be at home in any play, whether period or contemporary. A true understanding of the past also allows us to see the particular and the universal in our everyday lives.

We must also embrace Jacob Adler's belief that the purpose of the performing arts is to edify and to uplift the audience. To do that, performers must learn the history of their craft and society. I recount this all not because I wish to repeat the past, but because I am passionate about the present and the future and recognize that history can sometimes illuminate our way forward.
The Yiddish theatre of Jacob Adler and the Group Theatre of Clurman were built from the ground up, by young people who were passionate about enacting change, under the most dire of circumstances. If they could do it then, so can we today.

Tom Oppenheim is the president and artistic director of the Stella Adler Studio of Acting. For more info, visit www.stellaadler.com (New York) or www.stellaadler-la.com (Los Angeles).