Review of Casting Loop Class: 6 Casting Directors, 1 Night

Takeaways from spending a couple hours with the pros

Oof, sorry for the late post, today—I had some technical difficulties. Please don’t be surprised in the future if and when that happens, and I blame something else. It’s just kind of how I roll.

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I received an email in my inbox last week inviting folks to participate in a class that would allow 12 people only to meet with 6 casting directors. The email was from Brooke Thomas, who is a noted casting professional in the New York City area. I have submitted to casting calls that she has sent out in the past, and I have been meaning to take classes with her, but just never got around to it.

New year, new me, I decided this was a great time to dive in. I registered for the class, forked over the $100, and hit go.

The casting directors who I’d get to meet included Rachel Reiss, Lisa Fischoff, Stacy Gallo, Rebecca Yarsin, Mary Egan Callahan and Brooke Thomas.

A few days later, I received an email with some sides to prepare. I chose two, as instructed: one was commercial copy for Charlie Brown’s Steak House, the other was commercial copy for LightLife fake meat products. I sent in my head shot and resume, as told to do in the email, and spent the next few days memorizing the copy, as I was also instructed to do.

The directors would be giving feedback on my self-tape environment, as well as on my presentation of the copy, and my head shot and resume. I wasn’t nervous, because I’ve been hardened from years of being told “no” and “not now” and “go away” and what not, so I just did what was asked of me without making a big thing about it.

My self-tape environment is a space in my basement. I hung a simple white backdrop behind me, and put up a large photographer’s light (my husband is a photographer, thankfully making this easy and possible) so I would get a simple, yet bright place to stand to deliver my lines. I should have taken photos!

Here are the major takeaways:

• For each read, a casting director gave notes to implement on a second read; a different style or method to presenting the copy. So the takeaway here might be, practice the copy in a variety of ways and styles so that you might hit on a style the director is looking for.

• I had a white backdrop, and one of the notes was that a blue backdrop is also an acceptable option; so actors should play around with blue backdrops and see which they prefer.

• Getting out there is the best way to get ahead, whatever that means to you—getting on stage, networking, taking classes, having meetings with friends and industry as you can make happen, phone calls and emails to people in the scene.

• Making your own work and forging your own path isn’t just for comedians; industry must do this, too. We all have to work and struggle to get by and to get ahead.

Ultimately, it was an enlightening and informative event, and I’d recommend it to others.

Today’s inspo:

• John Stewart is back, baby! | NBC

• Natasha Leggero’s boobs are in the news | TMZ

• This new comedy club in Brooklyn sounds promising | TimeOut

‘til tomorrow, home slice.