Baltimore21201.Com - The Blog

Casting Notice: Baltimore Area Swimmers

Here's the scoop from Taylor - Royall Casting:

We're seeking real swimmers (men, 20s, any ethnicity) for a union MD Lottery commercial. Must be actual athletes w/ competitive swimming experience, as you will need to race the length of the pool many times while filming. Bodies should be muscular, long, lean, and tall - should be able to pass for actual Olympic swimmers.

The NCAA says that competitive swimmers cannot be paid to participate in commercials, and would be disqualified from any future competitive swimming events if they do so. Therefore, we are looking for swimmers who are no longer competing on a team but still in good shape.

If you feel you qualify for this role, please email agents@taylorroyall.com with the subject "Lottery Swimmer", and include in the body of the email your name, phone #, union status, age range, height, swimming experience, and a current photo (preferably a body shot).

Preference will be given to union members but non-union talent are welcome to submit if they fit the role.

Good luck all. And, please pass this along to your union friends first. SAG-AFTRA One Union.

Very Special Video: "You Can't Take it With You" - from Baltimore's Everyman Theatre

Fireworks, police raids, and a xylophone are just the tip of the iceberg in this zany Kaufman and Hart comedy classic. It's a comedy that's often listed in the madcap category because it is, it really is. If there was a magnificent category it would be listed there, also.

Meet the Sycamore family, politically independent with healthy distrust of government. They open their New York City home to all sorts of free spirits. When their daughter Alice, decides to invite her conservative boyfriend’s family to dinner, they promise to be on their best behavior. However…!

 

This extraordinary production stars an all-star Everyman cast. This production ends June 17th and it you only see one show at Everyman this season, please make it this one. I've posted a few highlights from some of the reviews of this production below. I'll add mine here.

"BRANDHAGEN PLAYS XYLOPHONE!
SMOKE, SETS, LOVE, AND LAUGHTER!
The best ticket in town; the finest set you've ever seen."
-Stephen Brockelman, Baltimore 21201

The Cast:         

Megan Anderson* — Essie
Clinton Brandhagen* — Ed
Chinai Hardy — Rheba
Deborah Hazlett* — Mrs. Kirby
Brianna Letourneau —  Alice Sycamore
Wil Love* — Mr. De Pinna
Bruce Randolph Nelson* — Kohlenkov
Caitlin O'Connell — Penny Sycamore
Jon Odom — Donald
Barbara Pinolini — Gay Wellington
Steve Sawicki —  Henderson
Kimberly Schraf — Olga
Matthew Schleigh — Tony Kirby
Carl Schurr* — Mr. Kirby
Stan Weiman* — Martin Vanderhof
Tom Weyburn — Paul Sycamore
and
Michael Leicht
Evan Moritz
Kyle Jackson  — Three Men
*Everyman company member

“COMIC DYNAMITE!
DELICIOUSLY RADICAL!”
-Tim Smith, The Baltimore Sun

“FIVE STARS!
NOT TO BE MISSSED!”
-DC Metro Theater Arts

“TERRIFIC!
HILARIOUS!
I definitely recommend. You’ll laugh throughout.”
-Eddie Applefeld, WCBM 680 AM

“UPLIFTING! DELIGHTFUL! LIVELY!
‘You Can’t Take it With You’ has Everyman favorites in roles that they seem born to play!”
-Mike Giuliano, Patuxent Papers

“HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!”
-DC Theatre Scene

“Leaves you hankering for a place at the family's dining room table!"
-Judy Rousuck, WYPR Maryland Morning

“Thoroughly enjoyable...a really fun evening at the theater. Buy tickets now because it's likely to sell out very quickly!"
-MD Theatre Guide

Tickets. Get your tickets here.

Weekend: We're Thinking We Need to Have a Jessica Tandy Movie Marathon

And, what does a Jessica Tandy movie fest require? That's right, these little puppies to elevate the fest to a feast.

Soon-to-be-fried green tomatoes from Charles Street's Fresh and Green

To get our effort started Jacob headed down to Fresh and Green Market and to our favorite produce lady, Heather Hudgins, for plump green tomatoes—to be fried. Heather is a grocery store gem. She can find the freshest watercress on a moments notice and if the mint (at Mint Julep time) looks a little tired and worn, Heather will go backstage and return with a bundle that looks dewy and smells freshly picked.

Miss Tandy finally wins an Oscar

With green tomatoes in hand, it's time to cut down our film list. Where to start? Think:

• The Story Lady (1994)
• Nobody s Fool (1994)
• Camilla (1994)
• To Dance With the White Dog (1993)
• Used People (1992)
• Fried Green Tomatoes (1991)
• Driving Miss Daisy (1989)
• Cocoon: the Return (1988)
• The House on Carroll Street (1988)
• Batteries Not Included (1987)
• The Thrill of Genius (1985)
• Cocoon (1985)
• The Gin Game (1984)
• The Bostonians (1984)
• The World According to Garp (1982)
• Best Friends (1982)
• Still of the Night (1982)
• Honky Tonk Freeway (1981)
• Butley (1974)
• The Birds (1963)
• Adventures of a Young Man (1962)
• The Light in the Forest (1958)
• The Desert Fox (1951)
• September Affair (1950)
• Forever Amber (1947)

   

The Birds, Fried Green Tomatoes, Driving Miss Daisy, and Batteries Not Included are on our list. While Jacob and I debate the fifth film or television episode to add to the list, I'll take a moment to share this:

Fried Green Tomatoes, the way we make them:

Ingredients
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten
• 1/2 cup buttermilk
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour, divided
• 1/2 cup cornmeal
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 3 medium-size green tomatoes, cut into 1/3-inch slices
• Vegetable oil
• Salt and Old Bay to taste

Preparation
Combine egg and buttermilk; set aside.
Combine 1/4 cup all-purpose flour, cornmeal, 1 teaspoon salt, and pepper in a shallow bowl or pan.
Dredge tomato slices in remaining 1/4 cup flour; dip in egg mixture, and dredge in cornmeal mixture.
Pour oil to a depth of 1/4 to 1/2 inch in a large cast-iron skillet; heat to 375°.
Drop tomatoes, in batches, into hot oil, and cook 2 minutes on each side or until golden.
Drain on paper towels or a rack.
Sprinkle hot tomatoes with salt and additional Old Bay.

Optional
Top with Crab Imperial or a simple poached egg.

Not optional
Have a great Memorial Day weekend. Remember those who fight for our freedom and remember those brave men and women that we have lost.

See It in Baltimore - Beautiful Women Dancing with Giant Bananas, and More

You see a lot of wonderful things on Charles Street. But, this is going to be really special. (Read on, you'll thank me, later.)

The Gang's All Here, 1943

This 20th Century-Fox, Technicolor extravaganza features Carmen Miranda, Alice Faye, and James Ellison in a story about a singer and a soldier. The Gang's All Here is a film that one reviewer noted was, "like a male hairdresser's acid trip."

I've seen this Busby Berkeley choreographed movie twice and it's actually a fun, tuneful, and totally garish trip. You'll enjoy it—if not love it—and, you'll never forget it. Did I mention that Benny Goodman and his Orchestra are on stage to provide some extraordinary big band scenes and serious music? 

The Gang's All Here, 1943

Details? I know you want details. Here you go:

BUSBY BERKELEY’S

THE GANG’S ALL HERE

FEATURING CARMEN MIRANDA in a RESTORED 35MM PRINT

Berkeley’s own special brand of kaleidoscopic fantasy, turned into psychedelic surrealism by the electric red and greens of 20th Century-Fox’s color processing. Those who consider Berkeley a master consider this his masterpiece. It is his maddest film: chorus girls dissolve into artichokes; there’s a banana xylophone; and Carmen Miranda appears in platform wedgies on an avenue of giant strawberries.
    -Pauline Kael

SHOW TIMES
SATURDAY, MAY 26 11:30 AM
MONDAY, MAY 28 7 PM
THURSDAY, MAY 31 9 PM.

1943 Dir. Busby Berkeley. Alice Faye, Carmen Miranda, Edward Everett Horton, Phil Baker, Benny Goodman. Technicolor. Newly restored print! 103 min.

INFINITELY DELIGHTFUL, EFFORTLESSLY INVENTIVE! IT IS SOMETHING TO BEHOLD!
    – Dave Kehr, The New York Times

UTTERLY DERANGED!
A kaleidoscope of garish costumes, eye-popping color, psychedelic musical numbers, and some I-can't-believe-the-censors-let-them-get-away-with-that choreography.
    – New York magazine

Time and again, you can’t believe what you’re witnessing: Berkeley’s camera swoops and soars at seemingly impossible trajectories through crowds of extras; Miranda models an expansive fruit headdress... But nothing can prepare you for the literally kaleidoscopic finale, which includes a gaggle of synchronized showgirls and contains eye-searing imagery that anticipates everything from The 5,000 Fingers of Dr. T to Tron.
    – Keith Uhlich, Time Out New York

TICKETS
MATINEES $7.50
EVENINGS $9.50
SR. CIT. $8.50

The Gang's All Here, 1943

Here's my personal suggestion: Before you see this brilliant piece of joyous cinematography, have a cocktail or two. Leave all of your preconceived notions of major studio motion pictures at home and have a great time. Revel in the color, the movement, the music, the rhythm, and a little love story. Enjoy.

[A final piece of film trivia. This movie could not be shown in Carmen Miranda's home country of Portugal because of the suggestive nature of the banana dance, Alice Faye was pregnant during much of the filming and the U.S. censors mandated that the dancers must hold the end of the bananas at waist-level, not hip level.]

Check The Charles Theatre's venue for tickets.

Revisit 'M Butterfly' — at the Paley Center

[Note: There's a must-read article at the end of this post. I'd title it, 'When TV Networks Actually Served the Greater Good']

Soprano, Elane Melbin

Madame Butterfly:
Screening and Conversation
Saturday, May 19, 2012
2:00 pm ET
New York

IN PERSON
Elaine Malbin, Soprano (“Cio-Cio-San”)
Moderator: Eric Myers

Join the folks at the Paley Center for a screening of NBC Opera Theatre: Madame Butterfly—not seen since its original telecast more than half a century ago—followed by a conversation with soprano Elaine Malbin, who played the title role, and opera critic Eric Myers.

The superb cast also includes Davis Cunningham as Pinkerton, Warren Galjour as Sharpless, and Conchita Gaston as Suzuki. This live telecast (performed in an English translation by Ruth and Thomas Martin) aired on December 4, 1955, and was directed by Kirk Browning and conducted by Herbert Grossman.

130 minutes - Copresented with Opera Index.

FREE for Paley Center Members.
Included with general admission.

Some background on 1950's NBC Opera Theatre, courtesy of The New York Times:

Chaplin's 'A Woman of Paris' at the Charles

CHARLIE CHAPLIN’S
A WOMAN OF PARIS
REVIVAL SERIES

Directed by Charlie Chaplin, A Woman of Paris contains no slapstick comedy and Chaplin appears only briefly in a cameo. Noteworthy for the sophistication of its narrative, it was enthusiastically received by critics upon its release. Edna Purviance stars as a village girl who becomes the mistress of a rich and philandering Adolphe Menjou in a provocative precursor to Lubitsch.

SHOW TIMES
SATURDAY, MAY 12 11:30 AM;
MONDAY, MAY 14 7 PM;
THURSDAY, MAY 17 9 PM.

(1923 Charlie Chaplin) 35mm. 82 min. bw.

“The first elegantly stylish comedy of manners in the American cinema, reflecting Jazz Age interest in the rich and decadent...became a powerful influence on Ernst Lubitsch.”
—John Wakeman

”I was absolutely knocked by it....Suddenly, here was a grown-up film, with people behaving as they do in life, and scenes treated with an enormous sophistication.”
—Michael Powell

“A landmark in sophisticated sexual screen drama.”
—Elliot Stein

CHARLES THEATRE
1711 N. CHARLES STREET
BALTIMORE 20101

A New Baltimore Casting Notice. It's Union, SAG-AFTRA. (I won't use visuals.)

Calling men for a TV commercial. Men with hairy backs. Also, men with chiseled chests. Men willing to show off the goods.

Here are the details from my friends at Taylor-Royall Casting in Baltimore:

We're submitting talent to audition for a SAG-AFTRA commercial requiring some specific body types. Please see the descriptions below and follow the submission instructions if you qualify for either role. 

- Caucasian men, age 20s to 40s, must have hairy backs & be willing to be shirtless for a beach/pool scene.

- Caucasian men, age 20s/30s, good looking, sculpted chest, must be willing to be shirtless for a bedroom scene. Should be able to have a vain "I'm the man" look and also act sheepish/embarrassed.

To be considered, please email agents@taylorroyall.com. Include your name, phone number, headshot/photo, resume, union or non-union, and please note which role you are submitting for.  

That's it, guys, go forth with gusto! If you've got it, give it up for the glory. (And a nice pay-day, also.)

[To my fellow SAG-AFTRA members, remember Rule One.]

Intensity, Sexuality, and Suicide - Returning to Baltimore's Theatre Project

A Fierce Longing will return to Theatre Project, Baltimore, for a limited run June 1 - 9. The play, written by John Schneider, was developed in workshop by the company members of Milwaukee's Theatre X and first performed in April, 1978. Later that year it came to Theatre Project and Performance Garage in NYC.

Directed by John C. Wilson, this is a highly visual, multi-media production that borrows stylistically from Japanese theater traditions. The play is drawn from the life and work of the Nobel-nominated Japanese novelist and playwright Yukio Mishima. A Fierce Longing chronicles his life, his work, and his turmoil. A complex man, Mishima struggled with family issues, wrestled with a St. Sebastian fetish and homosexual desires, sought fame and celebrity for his Nobel-nominated writing, and desired to honor the Emperor and the Samurai tradition through his ultra-conservative political views and formation of a militia. Ultimately, he committed seppuku, ritual suicide, in 1970.

"A Fierce Longing rocked my world when I first saw it for a variety of reasons," said director John C. Wilson. "A strong ensemble cast, mind-boggling visuals, a fascinating central character from an unfamiliar culture, and an exploration of themes of beauty, sexuality, and death all contributed to an unforgettable piece of theater. I'm reviving this play to pay tribute to one of the peak theatrical experiences of my life, and to honor the exceptionally rich history of work presented at Theatre Project over its 40-year history."

The cast includes Skyler Brungardt, Rich Buchanan, Melainie Eifert, Sam Haidar, Naoko Maeshiba, Brian Naughton, Lucie Poirier, Chad Short, and Lorrie Smith.

The opening of A Fierce Longing coincides with Theatre Project's 40th Anniversary "Homecoming Weekend."

 Events will include:

Opening Night, June 1—This will be a "Pass the Hat" performance in honor of Theatre Project's beginnings as a free theatre. Suggested donation $10.

Opening Weekend Gala, Saturday, June 2—Pre-show reception and silent auction, followed by the performance of A Fierce Longing and after-show gathering. Tickets are $40 in celebration of Theatre Project's 40th Anniversary. 

Theatre Project Open House, Sunday, June 3—This is a family friendly event that will be free and open to the public, featuring a potluck picnic and performances throughout the afternoon.

Showtimes:
June 1 @ 8pm "Pass the Hat" Opening
June 2 @ 8pm Gala Performance
June 7 @ 8pm
June 8 @ 8pm
June 9 @ 8pm

Tickets:
Gala Performance ~ $40
General Admission ~ $20
Seniors/Artists/Military ~ $15
Students ~ $10

Click for TCKTS - available at Tixato.

When TV Listings Go Wrong. Way Wrong.

I was looking around at the Comcast cable line-up this afternoon — I'm in a moody kind of mood and looking for something film noir-ish to watch — and I found the most perfectly mismatched graphic and description I've ever seen.

You will have to click the image below to see it and read it, but you should check it out!

                       Comcast Cable Line-up, April 29th 2012

The Night of the Hunter is, as Comcast says, "A terrifying tale of a psychotic preacher (Robert Mitchum) plotting to kill a widow and her children (Billy Chapin, Sally Jane Bruce) for money. Lillian Gish, James Gleason, Peter Graves. Davis Grubb's novel, superbly adapted by James Agee. Charles Laughton directed."

                          Billy Chapin in Night of the Hunter

Oddly the graphic, the avatar, for the movie is from the Food Network. And, it works — in a strange, cannibalistic sort of way.

How to Boil Water is the avatar title. The subtitle is Life Beyond Takeout.

I'm watching the movie right now and if see Billy Chapin in a really, really hot bathtub I'll let you know.

Baltimore SAG-AFTRA Members: Must Read

Remember, fellow members, we now have the power to speak with a unified voice.

On May 19-20, the SAG-AFTRA National Board will consider a unanimous recommendation by the Executive Committee to implement a Do Not Work notice against music video productions.

Once implemented, SAG-AFTRA members may not accept employment as performers in any music video not produced under a SAG-AFTRA contract. A Do Not Work order for music videos is a result of the major record labels refusing to agree to a contract that meets the critical needs of music video performers.

This action will affect any SAG-AFTRA member hired to sing, dance, act or otherwise perform as talent on any music video that is not covered by the appropriate SAG-AFTRA contract, except for a royalty artist who is already contractually obligated to deliver certain services under an existing royalty agreement with a record label.  Specifically included are SAG-AFTRA members working as dancers, singers, choreographers, cameo performers, models, actors, and most other talent. SAG-AFTRA members who violate a Do Not Work order can be subject to discipline, up to and including expulsion from membership.

This action follows performers’ efforts to secure an industry-wide contract for music video work, which most recently involved several rounds of contract discussions with the major record labels throughout 2011. SAG-AFTRA is continuing its efforts to reach agreement with the labels however this action is necessary because the labels have failed to agree to some of the most basic contract terms. Some of the outstanding issues involve guaranteed access to water and toilet facilities, proper safety protections for hard surface dancing, overtime provisions, health and retirement contributions and standardized rates of pay.

Please stand together with your fellow SAG-AFTRA members and fellow performers for safety and dignity on the job.  Together we can ensure a safe and fair future for all of us.

If you have questions or wish to volunteer to support your fellow SAG-AFTRA members who are working to ensure basic union standards on music videos, you can help by contacting:

Randall Himes
Assistant National Executive Director, Sound Recordings at randall.himes@sagaftra.org

Stefanie Taub
National Manager of Sound Recordings, West Coast at stefanie.taub@sagaftra.org

Steve Sidawi
National Organizer/Representative at steve.sidawi@sagaftra.org

A Casting Call for Baltimore Boy Swimmers

From my friends at Taylor-Royall Casting in Baltimore:

We are casting for a union PSA for the "Too Small to Fail" organization.

Auditions for Boy Swimmers who can also hold their breath underwater are taking place Tuesday 4/24 at a pool near Baltimore.

To be considered, please email agents@taylorroyall.com with the subject "Swimmer."

Include your name, phone number, headshot, current photos.

Good luck, young swimmer-types. And to my fellow union members, remember Rule One. 

Theatre — Alyson Mead's 'Punk Rock Mom' to Have World Premiere in Laurel, MD

The premiere is presented by Venus Theatre in Prince Georges County and the production is Adult Friendly. If you have little ones, you'll need a sitter.

Punk Rock Mom by Alyson Mead tells the story of Jamie Fontaine, a former punk rocker and single mother to Joan Olivette.

Though she's lost a little eyeliner and a whole lot of black leather along the way, Jamie still has the music. When Joan makes a startling announcement, Jamie has to find her daughter's birth father and comes to terms with the fact that she'll be a grandmother soon. What does it mean to age when you don't feel old? And how can you bridge the generation gap when you're the one who needs to grow up?

Venus Theater director Deb Randall said, “When I read Alyson’s script I was struck initially by the reverse role play between mother and daughter. The assumed conservative/liberal flip of the generations was delightful to read. As we work the play we are constantly challenged to explore what it means to truly be maternal, and whether it’s possible to actually walk away from our own personal history.

This is a play that insists on coloring outside of the lines. Staging it is akin to hanging out with the bad kids smoking under the bleachers in high school. It feels irreverent and, in that spirit, boldly flips the bird to what middle age means to women in this culture. I think I’m in love.”

Punk Rock Mom's domestic explosion of punk rock music and rebellious bliss reaches new levels when a conservative daughter decides to have a child on purpose. Playwright Alyson Mead said, "I was fascinated by the invisible battle lines that get drawn between generations, particularly between mothers and daughters. Combine a role model who's never had boundaries with a kid who wants nothing but, throw in a little sex, drugs and rock-n-roll, and fire up the blender. In my career, I've had the pleasure of working with actors from Susan Sarandon to this ensemble, and I'm thrilled that Deb and her talented cast at Venus are presenting my play's World Premiere."

A note from the folks at Venus Theatre: Punk Rock Mom by Alyson Mead is the second of four brand-new plays in the Venus Theatre 2012 Bold Hope Season. Each play offers a bit of hope or triumph. Venus tips her hat and continues to pay respect to those that were lost on C Street in the boating accident at Sandy Point in December. To the ones they left behind, we celebrate love and joyful life moments that are eternal and stronger than loss. Love wins. Always.

                        Author and Playright, Alyson Mead

About the playright: Alyson Mead attended Boston College, the Slade School of Art in London, and New York University's Tisch School of the Arts. She has worked in publishing as an editor and ghostwriter, and in film development at New Line Cinema, Sony Pictures, Village Roadshow, and the Buena Vista Motion Picture Group.  She has also produced a documentary on mandated medical care, featuring Academy Award-winning actress Susan Sarandon. Her plays have been staged at Off-Off Broadway and regional theaters around the country.

Alyson's fiction, essays and articles have appeared in over thirty publications, including Salon, In These Times, Bitch, BUST, Whole Life Times, Punk Planet, MSN, The Sun, AOL's That's Fit, Tapestry, Stylus, Clackamas Literary Review, and the New York Daily News, among others. She has received the Columbine Award for Screenwriting, the Roy W. Dean Filmmaking Grant, and awards from Writer’s Digest and USA Book News.

Punk Rock Mom is suitable for adults only, and shows that the ferocity of parental love knows no bounds.

The production features: Deb Randall, Ann Fraistat, Alex Zavistovich, Chris Williams, and James Waters.

Box Office: 866.811.4111

Performances: May 3, 4, 5, 10, 11, 12, 17, 18, 19, 24, and 26 at 8pm May 5, 6, 12, 13, 19, 20, 26 and 27 at 3pm The playwright will be in attendance Saturday, May 26th.

Baltimore Casting Notice: Know How to Use Knives? Chop, Slice, Dice? Female?

If you know your way around these guys you're in a good position to submit for this two-day commercial shoot.

                                Photo courtesy Wusthof, Inc.

This just might be the casting notice you've been waiting for.

The details, the specifics, from Taylor-Royall:

Caucasian females age 20s-40 with nice hands needed for a non-union video shoot.

Must be proficient in cooking and cutting, comfortable with kitchen work.

Need not be a professional chef, just need to be comfortable chopping, slicing, dicing and overall handling a knife while the prep work happens in the video.

This shoot is scheduled to take place on Thursday 4/19 AND Friday 4/20 in the Baltimore area and pays $500 flat per day.

You MUST be available for both dates if you submit. If you would like to be considered, please email agents@taylorroyall.com with the subject "Hand Model".

Include your name, phone number, headshot, current photos of your hands, and a resume detailing any cooking/chopping/food prep experience with your submission.  

Casting Notice 4-9-12: MGH Advertising is Searching for the Voice of Baltimore

At first glance, I thought, "Hey, that's me!" Then, reading closer, I discovered that I'd qualify on only one count. According to my buddy, Ryan Goff at MGH, "The ideal candidate will be over 40—the older the better." (I was pinning my hopes on the 'older-the-better' line.)

                 Graphic courtesy MGH Advertising, Owings Mills

To me, this looks like the fun-gig of a lifetime. And, working with MGH could never be anything but a great time. Here are the details directly from the horse's Ryan's mouth:

BECOME THE VOICE OF BALTIMORE!
You could be featured in a future MGH ad campaign.

Audition Today

Now through April 30, we're auditioning residents of Charm City and the surrounding area in an effort to discover someone we're calling the "Voice of Baltimore." This is a man or woman who eats, sleeps and breathes Baltimore – and has a genuine "Bawlmerese" accent to match. If we find this person, he or she may be hired as the voice of a future MGH ad campaign.

WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR:

• You must have a genuine Baltimore accent – not a silly one you do at parties, but the real thing.
• The ideal candidate will be over 40 – the older the better – although anyone 18 or older will be considered.
• You should be passionate for Baltimore and have lived in the city or surrounding area your whole life.
• You should be outgoing with a great sense of humor.
• Don’t try to be funny. Just be genuine.

Here's the script for you to read and record:

I’ve lived in Baltimore all my life. I grew up on Bel Air Road and used to root for the Colts with my dad, who worked at Bethlehem Steel in Sparrows Point. We’d also watch the Orioles at Memorial Stadium. After high school, I drove an ambulance, and I made a lot of friends on the police force. Sometimes after a shift I’d say, “Did you eat yet? Let’s go down to Little Italy.” I don’t leave town much. Had to go to Washington a few times. Didn’t care for it. Wow, reading this made me thirsty. You got a glass of water?

All of the details are here. Check them out. Read through the script a couple of times. Record it, and submit your best effort. Again, check the official MGH rules and regulations.

Good luck to everyone and to my SAG-AFTRA union friends, remember Rule One!

Baltimore Area Casting Notice - UPDATE - AARP Call is Now Union

Here's the update:

This was originally a non-union industrial that has been changed to a SAG Category II industrial.

The roles remain the same, but talent must be union to participate. We are seeking men & women of all ethnicities age 50 and up to audition for an AARP SAG Category II industrial video.

Auditions are this Thursday 4/5 in Baltimore. The shoot will be on Wednesday 4/11 in the DC area. 

If you would like to be considered for this project, please follow the instructions in the original call, below:

From the folks at Taylor Royall Casting:

We are seeking men & women of all ethnicities age 50 and up to audition for a non-union AARP industrial video. Auditions are this Wednesday 4/4 in Baltimore.

The shoot will be on 4/11 in the DC area. 

If you would like to be considered for this project, please email julie@taylorroyall.com with the following:

Name:
Phone #:
Age range:
Please attach a current headshot or a photo & resume.

Please note that if you do not submit all of the required information, your submission may be disregarded. We will reply to your submission with more details, if you qualify. 

To my fellow union members. Remember Rule One.
Notice posted with permission, Taylor Royall. 

I've Said it Before—Time and Time Again—Baltimore's Entertaining!

Alternate title for this blog post:
A Boy and His Photog.

Looking out of our windows, we see ever-changing theatre. We see sky shows with helicopters, bi-planes, and blimps soaring around—sometimes at eye-level. We see, and listen to, concerts courtesy of the Downtown Partnership and the myriad of vocal and instrumental artists who arrive ready to entertain for just our smiles and applause. We have Street Fairs, Farmer's Markets, and Art Shows.

And day and night, we see hundreds of different people doing hundreds of different things in hundreds of different windows.

Now and then we are treated to a special, more intimate show.

A Boy and His Photog 1 - Sheraton, Baltimore

A Boy and His Photog 2 - Sheraton, Baltimore

A Boy and His Photog 3 - Sheraton, Baltimore

Nude photo shoots in hotels seem to be very innocent—often comically-funny-from-a-distance—events to catch a glimpse of. It can take a longtime for the photographer to get all of the "living props" where they should be. Photographing nude models makes photographing fresh cut flowers, raw seafood and meat, and ready-to-serve food seem like child's play.

By the way, if this post seems off topic, I assure you that some of the poses that these models construct truly qualify them to be designated: Performing Artist. Hey, their poses almost qualify them to be in Cirque Du Soleil.

Ok then, that's all on this topic. Well, until the Fireman's Convention arrives in Baltimore, later this year.

Casting Notice for Baltimore City Residents - Speaking Parts, Pays AFTRA Scale

Just received an email from my friends at Taylor-Royall casting. I have a feeling this casting notice for speaking parts will interest many of you. Details:

We are in need of actual Baltimore City residents to participate in an AFTRA demo video speaking against a proposed tax on sugary soft drinks in Baltimore.

The demo will record in Baltimore on Tuesday April 3rd and pays AFTRA on-camera demo scale rate. If the client uses any footage or audio of you from the demo for radio, web, or broadcast use, you would be paid for any additional usage.

If you are a Baltimore City resident and would like to be considered for this project, please email julie@taylorroyall.com with the following:

Name
Phone #
Address
SSN or Union #
Are you available Tuesday 4/3?
Are you AFTRA, SAG, or non-union?
Are you AGAINST a new tax on sugary soft drinks in Baltimore?
Please attach a current headshot/photo & resume.

Please note that if you do not submit all of the required information, your submission may be disregarded.

Good luck to my fellow union members. Remember Rule One.
Notice posted at request of Taylor Royall Casting. 

9 Jobs and Opportunities in Baltimore's Arts Community — Much is Happening

Just in from Greater Baltimore Cultural Alliance. Jobs, internships, and more.

                   Jamie L Howe, Executive Director, GBCA

For the week beginning March 26th 2012:

Creative Alliance seeks Part Time Box Office Assistant
Previous Box Office experience preferred but not required

Maryland Art Place (MAP) announces Call for Submissions – Exhibit on Relationship Between People and Their Bicycles
Submit by May 1

Maryland Art place (MAP) announces Call for Curators to Participate in Curators’ Incubator Exhibition Competition
Proposals due May 12

Wide Angle Youth Media announces Call for Submissions: 7th Annual Youth Media Festival
Submissions due April 15

Maryland Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts announces Free “Money Matters” Morning Symposium
Friday, April 20, 9am - noon

CENTERSTAGE seeking Interns in Areas of Audience Relations, Digital Media, Graphics and Audio

CENTERSTAGE offering Executive Fellowship
Exposed to all aspects of the administrative side of the theater as well as the administrative interface with artistic and production

Baltimore Symphony Orchestra seeks Group Sales Assistant
Successful candidate will have previous phone sales, theater venue or other hospitality related experience

Soledad Salamé announces Solar Etching and Monoprint Workshops
For artists who have prior print knowledge

Good luck with your submissions and check back here often. It's looking like a very busy season is just beginning for folks looking to work in the arts in Baltimore.

About GBCA:
GBCA was born out of a series of conversations between 1998 and 2001, when the cultural community identified a need for a more unified and connected arts and cultural sector. In December 2001, founder Nancy Haragan incorporated Greater Baltimore Cultural Alliance. Nancy Haragan stepped down as director in December 2009. J. Buck Jabaily served as executive director from January 2010 to January 2012, when he was succeeded by Jeannie L. Howe.

Since its launch, GBCA has served as both a catalyst and an incubator for various programs and initiatives in the region. GBCA promotes within and for the cultural community with BatlimoreFunGuide.com, Weekly FunSaver Emails, JobsPlus, and our weekly community newsletter. GBCA has sponsored and co-sponsored bothy symposia and the annual Mayor’s Town Hall Meeting, and offered a number of community convenings. GBCA has helped coordinate sector-wide participation in ambitious citywide festivals, such as VIVAT! (2003), Tour de Clay (2005), Free Fall Baltimore (2006, 2007, 2008), and The Maps Festival (2008), and completed several important sector-wide studies, including a Collaborative Arts Marketing Study. Other significant initiatives were GBCA serving as licensee for the Maryland Cultural Data Project (2007-2011), hosting RadarRedux.com (2008-2011), the Wealth Analysis (2007), and since 2008,  our ongoing administration of the Baker Artists Awards on behalf of the William G. Baker, Jr. Memorial Fund. For more on current GBCA programs, click here.

Meat Loaf: Listen to Him or Take a Bite?

Oh, KSWB TV, you never fail to entertain me.

 

Once again KSWB, the FOX television affiliate in San Diego, treats a gaffe with good humor. And regarding Meat Loaf and meatloaf—just for the record—I actually enjoy a piece of each.

The singer, though, not so much with gravy.

1930's Oedipus Myth, Racial Politics in Texas at Baltimore's Strand Theatre

It's the Strand Theater Company's World Premiere of Jacqueline E. Lawton's 'Blood-bound and Tongue-tied.

One of humanity’s most primal stories is re-imagined with compassion and poetry in the world premiere production of DC-based playwright Jacqueline E. Lawton’s Blood-bound and Tongue-tied, an ambitious offering seen in workshop form during the Strand Theater Company’s Friends & Neighbors Festival 2011. This fully realized production will be directed by Lindsay Gentry, stage managed by Christina Cordle, and feature Derek Cooper as Oedipus, Chris Knight as Laius, Morgan Mosley as Creon, Ann Turiano as Jenna, and Kelli Wright as Jocasta.

  “What you’re trying to hide won’t stay hid.”

Jocasta is a young black woman in Great Depression-era Texas, who decides to pass as white in the big city. When she marries Laius—the heir to an oil baron—and becomes pregnant with Oedipus, her racial identity cannot remain hidden…or can it? One desperate lie instigates a catastrophic wave of bloodshed, and disaster envelops a nation.

This world premiere engagement opens Friday, March 23rd, and runs through Saturday, April 7th. A Pay-What-You-Can final dress rehearsal is open to the public on Thursday, March 22nd.

Founding Artistic Director Jayme Kilburn chose to produce a full-scale production of Blood-bound and Tongue-tied because, as a riff on perhaps the oldest and most notorious of mother stories in Western culture, the play aptly fit the Strand’s fourth season “Mom & Pop” theme exploring pop culture and “mommy issues.”

“Blood-bound and Tongue-tied was a stand out in the Friends & Neighbors Festival”, says Kilburn, “Even though I and most of our audiences knew the Oedipus story, Jacqueline’s savvy adaptation kept us wondering what would happen next. Her ability to interweave natural dialogue with ‘magical realism’ was deeply attractive in crafting my final season at the Strand.” Blood-bound and Tongue-tied packs an intense emotional wallop while investigating America’s long-held and deep-seated trouble with questions of race and privilege. This lyrical tragedy is appropriate for audiences of high school age and up.

About the Playwright
Jacqueline E. Lawton received her MFA in Playwriting from the University of Texas at Austin, where she was a James A. Michener Fellow. Her plays include Anna K; Blood-bound and Tongue-tied; Deep Belly Beautiful; The Devil’s Sweet Water; The Hampton Years; Ira Aldridge: The African Roscius; Lions of Industry, Mothers of Invention; Love Brothers Serenade; and Mad Breed. She has participated in the Kennedy Center’s Playwrights’ Intensive (2002) and World Interplay (2003). Lawton has been nominated for the Wendy Wasserstein Prize and a PONY Fellowship from the Lark Play Development Center and named one of 30 of the nation’s leading black playwrights by Arena Stage’s American Voices New Play Institute. She is a three-time semi-finalist for the Playwright’s Center PlayLabs and a SheWrites Festival finalist. Currently, she resides in D.C. and is a Professor of Theater at the University of the District of Columbia.

About the Director
Originally from Baltimore, director Lindsay Gentry holds a bachelor’s degree in drama from the Catholic University of America. Recent directing credits include Lucia di Lammermoor (Hub Opera Ensemble), Troy Women (Catholic University of America), and Independence (Catholic University of America). She served as assisted director on The Magic Flute (Benjamin T. Rome School of Music), Dido and Aeneas (Opera Alterna), You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown (No Rules Theater Company), In Good King Charles’s Golden Days (Catholic University of America), and The Tragical History of Dr. Faustus (Catholic University of America). Ms. Gentry received the 2011 “Significant Artistic Achievement Award” from Catholic University of America.

Performance Schedule
Wednesday at 7:00 pm: March 28
Thursdays at 8:00 pm: April 5th
Fridays at 8:00 pm: March 23, 30, and April 6
Saturdays at 8:00 pm: March 24, 31, and April 7
Sunday at 3:00 pm: April 1

Ticket Prices
Adult: $20
Senior: $15
Student: $10
Opening Night: $25
Other discounts may be available. Like the Strand on Facebook or follow the Strand on Twitter to learn more.

The Final Dress Rehearsal at 8 pm on Thursday, May 22^nd is open to audiences, with a requested Pay-What-You-Can donation at the door.

About the Strand
The Strand Theater Company is a community theater dedicated to providing opportunities for women artists, writers, designers, and directors. With a focus on producing works new to Baltimore, the Strand hopes to foster a love of theater for a new generation of patrons.

Since launching in 2008, the Strand has presented 15 full-length plays, including six world premieres; offered 75% of the artistic positions on its productions—as playwrights, directors, designers, stage managers, and actors—to women; provided affordable theater space to many organizations and independent artists; and played an integral role in the revitalization of the Station North Arts & Entertainment District.

In August 2011, the Strand was honored as one of Baltimore magazine’s “Top 5 Baltimore Theaters,” along with CENTERSTAGE, Everyman, the Hippodrome, and Single Carrot.

Currently under the leadership of Founding Artistic Director Jayme Kilburn and governed by an eight-member board of directors, the theater’s management will soon be led by incoming Artistic Director Rain Pryor and Managing Director Elena Kostakis. The Strand is funded by an operating grant from the Maryland State Arts Council, an agency dedicated to cultivating a vibrant cultural community where the arts thrive. Funding for the Maryland State Arts Council is also provided by the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency.

To learn more about the Strand Theater Company, visit www.strand-theater.org.