What's New

by Denise Simon

Production crews are flocking to New England, and with good reason. The scenery is breathtaking with snowcapped mountains in the winter, swan boat rides in spring, summer beachcombing on the Cape, and breathtaking fall foliage. Boston’s cobblestone streets, reminiscent of Paris at the turn of the century, lead to a bustling community rich with art galleries and theaters. Not to mention the state of Massachusetts offers a tax credit to movie producers, refunding twenty-five cents for every dollar spent.

In any given month, Boston is home to up for 15 films in production. Recently wrapped films include “Growing Pains,” Amy Schumer’s “I Feel Pretty,” “Slender Man,” the Christina Hendricks-starring “Burning Woman,” Taraji P. Henson’s “Proud Mary,” and Mark Wahlberg/Will Ferrell comedy “Daddy’s Home 2.” Currently in production in and around Boston are “Ghost Light,” “The Equalizer 2” starring Denzel Washington, and the “Castle Rock” TV series. That’s a lot of movie making! With so much going on, consistent work for Boston-based actors and crews is attainable.

Boston is one of my favorite cities; it has an intimate feel with big city perks. I recently taught a few acting workshops at Boston Casting and was impressed by the talent there. The office was busy until evening, working on both background and principle roles. I spoke with Angela Peri and Lisa Lobel, the owners of Boston Casting, to learn more about their city, which is just four hours away from the Big Apple.

“Hollywood heavyweights like Mark Wahlberg and Denzel Washington love to work in Boston. There is a unique feel to the city, a talented and hardworking crew who can work tirelessly through every season, and actors with a special character and authenticity. We love telling stories in Boston!”

Additionally, some of the nation’s top theater and acting programs—Boston University, Emerson, Boston Conservatory at Berklee, American Repertory Theatre at Harvard—call the city their home, which means the city’s actors are well-trained and taken seriously. What’s more, the bustling production scene in Boston, they stay in the area to work after graduation; they have the ability to be a big fish in a small pond.

Boston and its surrounding suburbs also offer wonderful theater opportunities. In New York, it’s often difficult to land roles in community theater as many shows produced are professional. The Boston area has many local theater groups and regional theaters giving actors the opportunity to perform and even accumulate Actors Equity Membership Candidacy points. And since actors need to act, this is only a good thing!

When I teach in the area, I love listening to the Bostonian accent that an actor from New York or Los Angeles can’t quite master. Local films need local actors with an authenticity and look you can’t always find in New York or L.A. There is a genuine small town quality here that comes across, something I know is attractive to directors looking for the real deal.

You no longer need to live and work in New York or Los Angles to be a working actor. If you’re not getting work in one of the two or simply prefer a different urban vibe, consider giving Boston a try. 

Denise Simon is a New York-based acting coach. Backstage Expert, and author of “Parenting in the Spotlight: How to raise a child star without screwing them up.” For more information, check out Simon’s full bio! Master your craft, empower yourself, enjoy the journey.

OPEN CALL

Casting attractive singles for a new major network reality show

Saturday, October 14th
10am - 1pm
Location: Boston Casting, 129 Braintree Street, Allston, MA 02134

Are you between 34-50?
Are you single?
Are you a good catch?
Are you ready for your life to change?

Then bring your friends or come alone and meet us!

LISTEN! After casting people for 31 years and casting anywhere from 5 to 3,800 people in a week, I must say that I am the confirmed expert. One thing I will tell you is that when an actor walks in the room, I know right away if he is a novice or if he’s nervous. The seasoned actors that walk into the room fluidly and hand over their materials exude confidence instantly. This sort of confidence comes from years and years of theater training, acting training, and hundreds or even thousands of auditions.

But let’s get back to the novice. Here are some of the things I tell people to help them get over being nervous at an audition.

1. Know your room. If possible, take a class at a casting company so you’ll be able to know what the room you’re auditioning in is like.

2. Walk in the room like your father owns the building. This business is all about confidence and how you carry yourself.

3. Arm yourself with your script the night before. Be very familiar, if not off book with your script. Not knowing your script can cause a bundle of nerves.

4. Make sure you have your materials ready to go at a moment’s notice. There’s nothing more nerve wracking than scrambling to get your headshot together on the day of the audition.

5. Now, the next advice I’m going to give you is the most important: JOG. This may sound crazy, but there’s something about jogging that changes the blood in your body, clears your head, and makes you relax. So, jog as close to your audition time as possible. If you hate jogging, go on a walk, move that blood around to clear your head!

6. Lastly, if you are, and you know if you are, the sweaty palm guy, don’t shake any clients or casting directors’ hands. It will just give them confirmation that you are super nervous.

So, in a nutshell, how do you quell audition nerves? Be prepared, get a good night’s sleep, and exercise on the day of your audition.

Never let those nerves get the best of you – find the nerve to own the room!

LISTEN!  As an actor you have to be prepared for many things. One of which is getting handed the script at the audition or having the director give you brand new pages at the audition. This is where the actor’s fundamental skills of switching your gears comes into play. Hopefully, your character has stayed the same, and it’s just the characters thought process that’s changed. So immediately you have to go back to your FIVE W’s, to still determine – 

1. Who are you? 

2. Where you are? 

3. When is it? 

4. What do you want? 

5. Why do you want it? 

Luckily, at Boston Casting we have a Dunkin Donuts nearby - I say take your script out for a cup of coffee and get to know each other as fast as you can. Now, the best acting advice comes from famed Boston acting teacher and coach Bates Wilder, which is “know your story”. That way, if you fluff a line because you were just given the script 15 min ago, you can improv and segue through it by knowing your basic story. Another helpful tip – Memorize the first and last line. Let them see your eyes and connect with you. This allows for a strong open and end of the audition. Also, there is nothing more distracting than the rustling of paper during an audition. We know it’s nerve wracking doing a cold read, but don’t let the pages get in your way. Fold the script or dog ear the pages, so that you command control of the read. Help set your cold read on fire with confidence, a great headshot, and those fundamental skills with and you’ll be ready! 

For when they hand it to you COLD – serve it to ‘em HOT