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Elevate your career by working directly with the people behind the table to sharpen your audition and performance skills and gain a better insight on what seek in the audition room.
Sharpen your audition and performance skills by working directly with the people behind the table in this three-class series. Workshop your audition, the acting of the song, and gain insight on what they are looking for in each audition. Learn from some of the best casting directors from Broadway, Off Broadway, National Tours and Regional Theaters and Cruise Lines:
Instructors and Dates:
- Week 1 (Wednesday January 17th, 7pm) with Merri Sugarman, Casting Director
- Week 2 (Wednesday January 24th, 7pm) with Karyn Casl, Casting Director
- Week 3 (Wednesday January 31st, 7pm) with Holly Buczek, Casting Director
All classes will be held at Open Jar Studios, 1601 Broadway, 11th Floor. Class will begin each week at 7pm and each student will work one-on-one with the instructor on cuts of audition songs or monologues in a classroom setting. Each class will also include a short Q&A, information on the intricacies of the casting process and insight on what the auditioner can do to stand out.
Under the direction of Artistic Director, Jeff Whiting, Open Jar’s Professional Class Series provides unique opportunities for performers to continue to hone their skills and work one-on-one with Broadway’s best stars, directors, composers, agents, and casting directors.
BIOS:
Merri Sugarman Initially an actress ('Les Miserables', 'Aspects of Love', et al.), Merri found herself out West some years back where she quickly made a name for herself at Liberman/Hirschfeld Casting, then Liberman/Patton Casting, working on such shows as Seinfeld, Party of Five, HBO’s Band of Brothers, the feature film My Big Fat Greek Wedding and the Miramax feature film "Playing By Heart", starring Sean Connery and Angelina Jolie. In 2000, Merri moved to Dreamworks Studios as the Casting Executive in charge of TV Pilots and Series- including "Spin City", Freaks and Geeks and the critically acclaimed "The Job", starring Denis Leary. She was then offered a position as the Director of Casting for Dramas and Movies at ABC Television, overseeing the casting of "Alias", "NYPD Blue", "The Practice" and the 'made for television’ movies "Gilda Radner - It's Always Something" and "The Music Man", starring Matthew Broderick and Kristin Chenoweth, to name just a few. Merri then returned to the East Coast to teach and coach actors – something she still does (and loves) as time permits, when Tara Rubin offered her a Senior Casting Director position where she’s been happily ensconced ever since, working on, among many others - the Broadway, touring and international companies of AIN’T TOO PROUD, DEAR EVAN HANSEN, THE WIZ, SIX, SING STREET, HERE LIES LOVE, ALADDIN, JERSEY BOYS, THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA, LES MISERABLES, SCHOOL OF ROCK, MISS SAIGON & A BRONX TALE. CLUELESS and TREVOR the Musical are just a couple of examples of her Off Broadway work. She also casts for many theaters regionally – including The Papermill Playhouse, Lyric Opera of Chicago, The Old Globe, Seattle Rep, The Goodman and The La Jolla Playhouse.
Karyn Casl, CSA (Casting Director) is a New York-based Casting Director working in theatre, film and television. Recent/favorite projects include: Broadway: NETWORK, BETWEEN RIVERSIDE AND CRAZY, CLYDE’S, ALL THE WAY (Tony award), HAND TO GOD; Off-Broadway: WISH YOU WERE HERE (Playwrights Horizons), THE WOLVES (world and NY premieres), SPAIN, MARY PAGE MARLOWE, THE UNDERLYING CHRIS. CAMP SIEGFRIED (Second Stage); SCHOOL GIRLS - or THE AFRICAN MEAN GIRLS PLAY. THE LIGHT, REALLY REALLY, PUNK ROCK, LOST GIRLS, and others (MCC Theater), Signature Theatre, Atlantic Theater, New York Stage and Film, Williamstown Theater Festival, La Jolla Playhouse, Center Theatre Group, The Goodman Theatre, Studio Theater; TV - EAST NEW YORK, WE CRASHED; Film - THE SAME STORM, FUNNY PAGES, FRIENDS WITH KIDS.
Holly Buczek, CSA (Casting Director) HDB Casting & Wojcik Casting Team: Holly is a full time Casting Director at Wojcik Casting Team and with her own company, HDB Casting. Recent: The Little Prince (B-way) & Mad Apple For Cirque Du Soleil Vegas. National & International tours: Jesus Christ Superstar - 50th Anniversary Tour, Shrek The Musical, Rent, Rock Of Ages, Something Rotten, Motown, Kinky Boots, Jekyll & Hyde, Dreamgirls, Annie, Wizard Of Oz, The Illusionists, Daniel Tiger, PJ Masks, Charlie Brown Christmas, Blippi Live, Baby Shark, Live and more. Other Projects: 50 Shades, The Original Parody – off Broadway and Touring Companies, Church & State and Othello, The Remix– off Broadway, The John W. Engeman Theatre, Theatre Aspen, Theatre Raleigh, Tuacahn Performing Arts Center, Riverside Theatre, Arvada Center, The Independents for Fringe 2012 (winner Best-of-the Fest), iLLA, A Hip-Hop Musical, Deployed -The Musical, The Brain That Wouldn’t Die – In 3D, The Groove Factory and Pirates of Finance for NYMF, and for Bard SummerScape festival, The Ballad of Rom and Julz and Bitter Sweet, HDB Casting has been Casting in residence with J2 Spotlight Musical Theatre Company, Musicals Tonight!, Matt Murphy Productions, Vital Theatre Company & Resounding LLC. TV: The Hunt With John Walsh on CNN. Films: Naz & Maalik, Diva and Symposium. Web: Commercials for Intel and Lipton, plus others. Holly has taught workshops for Barrington Stage, Broadway Kids Auditions, The Wright Way, Broadway Artists Alliance, Actor Therapy, The Growing Studio, Berklee School of Music at Boston Conservatory, NYU, Actors Connection and many other schools. She is the Business of Acting Instructor and Showcase Consultant for American Academy of Dramatic Arts in NYC. Through teaching she strives to help performers navigate the audition process in a way that allows them to bring their unique and authentic self to their work in the audition room. For more information on Holly visit www.hdbcasting.com or www.wojcasting.com
Terms and Conditions: Click here to read the Masterclass PRO Terms and Conditions. Instructors subject to change.
Date & Time
Wed, Jan 17, 2024 7:00 PM - 10:00 PM
Venue Details
Open Jar Studios
1601 BroadwayNew York, New York 10010
