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

Atlanta Theater Faces Faces Financial Crisis

Theater company Actor's Express is caught in a "true life or death moment." The Atlanta theater sent an e-mail blast Wednesday pleading with supporters to come to its aid, saying that it must raise $50,000 in four weeks and another $150,000 before July 31 in to stay afloat. Actor's Express is in the red to tune of $140,000. As the Atlanta Journal Constitution points out, the company is one of several mid-size theaters in the area that have gone public with their financial woes recently in the hopes of saving themselves from extinction.

Best Actress Catfight!

Interesting short film/commerical up starring Natalie Portman, who will likely win the Oscar for Best Actress on Sunday, and Michelle Williams, who should win the Oscar for Best Actress on Sunday, catfighting over a perfume bottle.  Need another Oscar connection? It's directed by none other than Roman Polanski. I can't embed the video here, so you'll have to hop on over to the website for MOCA, The Museum of Contemporary Art to view the piece, entitled "GREED, A New Fragrance by Francesco Vezzoli."

--Jenelle Riley

Auditions for 'American Idiot' Tour

Wanna be an "American Idiot"? The producers of the Broadway musical, based on the songs of the rock band Green Day, announced today that they will launch a touring production of the show in fall 2011. Open-call auditions for all roles will be held this spring. The first audition will be held at 10 a.m. on Saturday, March 5, at the Debbie Reynolds Studio, 6514 Lankershim Blvd., in North Hollywood, Calif. Subsequent auditions will be held in Toronto (March 26), Boston (April 9), and Chicago (April 23). The exact times and locations for those auditions will be announced at www.facebook.com/americanidiotbroadway.

Continue reading at BackStage.com.

Pictured: Billie Joe Armstrong and the cast of "American Idiot" (Photo: Getty Images)

Oscar Hosts do Grease, on THR Cover

Oscar hosts James Franco and Anne Hathaway go old-school glam for this week's cover of The Hollywood Reporter, on stands now. In addition, Franco just posted a 19-second clip to YouTube of the pair rehearsing what appears to be a number from "Grease." I suspect we'll see more in Sunday's telecast.

--Jenelle Riley

Broadway to Debut a 'Heart,' City Ballet Snags a Beatle

"The Normal Heart" will debut on Broadway this April at the Golden Theater, according to the New York Times. Last October, a staged reading of the Larry Kramer play received critical acclaim and raised $150,000 for charity. Despite pursuing directing in recent years, Tony Award-winner Joe Mantello will portray the play's protagonist Ned Weeks.  Shows need to open by April 28 to qualify for the Tony Award; "Normal Heart" is scheduled open on April 27 and will be performed as a staged reading. Equity Principle Auditions will be held March 9.

Pilots Take Risks and Hire Feature Directors

Overall, the current television season lacked breakout hits.  Indeed, "Walking Dead" and "Boardwalk Empire" made their mark, but besides them, freshman shows hardly left a dent. For weeks, updates and rumors on this fall's pilot casting, writers, producers, directors, and pick-ups have flooded entertainment news. Though the pick-up portion of the pilot season will soon come to a close, it will be replaced by tapings and eventually airings. This never-ending cycle, however, does occasionally spin in new directions, as it will in 2011.

Leonard Maltin Out-Acts Mike Tyson

Oscar Talk with Mike Tyson & Leonard Maltin from Mike Tyson

I know some people find Mike Tyson HILARIOUS (witness the reaction to his extended cameo in "The Hangover") but I mostly fail to see the humor. Most of the laughs in this Funny or Die exclusive video actually come courtesy of Leonard Maltin, playing the role of patient interviewer. Though to his credit, Tyson gets a couple good lines out. On "The Social Network," he notes, "I'm really not on Friendster..." and when asked about "The King's Speech," he brightens up and asks, "Don King's speech??"

--Jenelle Riley

Playwright James McLure Dies at 59

Playwright James McLure died Thursday in Marina del Rey, Calif., the New York Times reports. He was 59. McLure's sister told the Times that the cause of death was cancer. The Louisiana native was known for plays such as "Wild Oats," "The Day They Shot John Lennon," "Pvt. Wars," "Lone Star," and "Laundry and Bourbon."

SAG Members Ratify Basic Cable Live-Action Deal

Members of the Screen Actors Guild have voted to ratify the basic cable live-action agreement that was reached with producers back in November. The new agreement will go into effect July 1 and run through June 30, 2014. Wages will be increased by six percent over the life of the contract, and employer contributions to pension and health will go up by 10 percent. The terms of the deal are essentially the same as those found in the TV-theatrical contract that was approved by members last month.

SF2: SAG Foundation Short Film Showcase--Now Accepting Submissions!

SF2: SAG FOUNDATION SHORT FILM SHOWCASE

The Screen Actors Guild Foundation is now accepting submissions for its next short film showcase which will be presented in late May 2011 in New York.

The deadline for submissions for the next showcase is Friday, April 15th. Films received after this date will be placed into consideration for the September event.

ALL FILMS MUST BE PRODUCED UNDER A SAG CONTRACT.

Films must not be over fifteen minutes in length. We are open to all genres of cinematic expression, as long as it is not patently offensive. There is absolutely no cost involved in submitting the films, nor do we charge to attend the screening.

Please share the following information with all your filmmaker friends!

For more information please send an email, including a brief synopsis and the running time of your film to: [email protected]

Funded by grants and donations, the non-profit Screen Actors Guild Foundation’s free programs assist, educate and inspire actors toward their fullest potential in career, life and community. Celebrate the actor – support the SAG Foundation! www.sagfoundation.org