BY BELINDA BREMNER
Lots of changes are in the wind. Some to report now, some coming soon. We, and Santa, will want to update our lists. And, speaking of the giving season, I am once again asking for suggestions of places which need donations of goods and services.
There is so much for which to be thankful and to celebrate. The splendid souls of this community are true gifts. Let us all treasure and share our talents and strengths. A lesson from the last several months is the undeniable importance of each and every one of us. Together we can make miracles.
Business gains strength as we go back to work, but it will never be quite the same. I heard a phrase recently from some Slavic scholars. They spoke of "the unpredictable past." Already we are getting some revisions of personal histories circa May to November. Luckily much has been documented. Thoroughly.
So, what’s up now?
Jane Alderman is still at work on Suspended Animation for John Hancock.
For the independent film Backwoods, Jaz Casting booked Mara Goldman and Anna Chmeikka.
Claire Simon Casting adds to the list of folks booked for the Joan Cusack show: always brilliant Larry Yando, Ernest Perry Jr., Mara Madison, T. J. Jadowski, Adam Christopher and my all time bar none favorite young actor Ben Carr. Claire is conducting a search for The Wiz for ABC and also a search for "Smallville" for the WB. She booked Tom Milanovich and Marty Sanders for the Dairy Board. And will be doing the Chicago casting for the Muhammad Ali biopic here next year.
Still at work on the untitled (as if we didn’t know) Mendes/Zanuck project, Tenner Paskal also worked on a flock of commercials.
And welcome to a new cross-over casting company! Long famous for producing terrific theatre, Trap Door is now casting films. Artistic director Beata Pilch has joined forces with Nicole Wiesner, who came here from Cincinnati, to combine their experience and knowledge of the local scene. Recent projects include a film for Eye of the Chicken Productions entitled Dead Letters which is currently shooting in Dayton. After a five city search and 600 auditions, over half the roles went to Chicago actors. The leading roles of brothers went to Wesley Walker and Sean Marlow. Other Trap Door favorites booked included Pilch and Weisner themselves, Shannon O’Neill, Courtney Shaughnessy. Cedric Young, Michael Torrey, Luisa Strus, Gary Sugarman, Guy Van Swearingen, Theo Zabierowski, Sue Heton, Ed Gray and Betty Scott Smith. Trap Door also assisted with the casting for Dreamcatcher and found Julie Daley, Jocelyn Golarz and Trap Door Ensemble members Troy Lindsey and John Gray. Additional cast members including Bert Matias, Valerie Gorman, Phil Ouano, Phillipe Ghantous and David Johnson.
Lily’s last "Lucky Seven" for the year are: Nicholas Martinez, Ricky Staub, Victoria Jesionek, Melissa Hernandez, Fred Wamer, Esther Shuerer and Mary Kay Sprecht. Industrials went to Albena Dodeva and Yvonne George. Michael Rook booked a commercial.
And news from Emilia Lorence–Industrials went to Heather Bartos, Sara Becker, Ann Jacques, Art Fox, Jane McCreedy, Karen Black, Rachel Stephans, Amy Wilhoite, Chris Agos, Gerald McQuirter, Pam Mack, Katherine Mitchell, Kecia Cooper, Leslie Hellman, Marla Martenson, Tim Gamble and Guyane Luffrano. Additional booking to Rayna Craft, Steve Matusak, Mildred Lombardi, Adriohn Richardson, Frances Swope, Kevin Lingle, Martin Halacy, Aaron Christianson (when does this man sleep?), Emily Clibourn and Rolanda Brigham.
Peace.