BY BELINDA BREMNER
Here’s an idea. Remember how some two or three weeks into summer
camp the director, exhausted by taking a flood of calls from irate/distraught/paranoid
parents who hadn’t had word one from their little chickadees (despite
the pre-addressed, pre-stamped postcard they tucked in the kid’s
duffel), decreed that no one was allowed into Sunday lunch (the one meal
that wasn’t fried bologna, butterscotch pudding and green bug juice)
without a letter home? How’s about a theatre offering an actors’
night for which the admission is a letter to Senator Max Baucus
(D-Mont.) (not to mention Senators Tom Daschle [D-SD], Blanche
Lincoln [D-Ark.] and Harry Reid [D-Nev.]) who is chairperson
of the Finance Committee and has the power to decide whether or not to
attach a bill to pending legislation aimed at stopping runaway production.
Senators Daschle and Reid are both highly influential in
getting this urgently needed action passed. And a thank you and encouragement
should go out to Lincoln who, to quote the Summer 2002 issue of
Playback, "tirelessly talks up the bill every chance she gets and
deserves our thanks for her efforts."
Since they, unlike compulsive parents, didn’t give you the aforementioned SASE’s, their addresses are: Baucus, Max 511 Hart Senate Office Building; Daschle, Tom 509 Hart Senate Office Building: Lincoln, Blanche, 355 Dirksen Senate Office Building; and Reid, Harry, 528 Hart Office Building. The zip for all is Washington, DC 20510. Or you can e-mail them by heading to www.senate.gov, then finding the name of the appropriate senator.
If you’re stuck for what to say to these politicos, call the SAG/AFTRA office at 312/573-8081 and they will help you draft your message. Be sure to ask/petition/beg/wheedle/cajole that our bill be attached to the Small Business Minimum Wage Law Bill.
Chicago has been getting very good press from Sam Mendes and Tom Hanks in their Road To Perdition interviews. Perhaps that might generate some actual business here–and not, ahem, in Canada. Things are just that little bit slow–like glacial–on the film front as of now. "ER" is coming but not, alas, "West Wing" as previously reported. Hey, Maryland looks so like Illinois. There is stuff in development which might come here and there has been some scouting/snooping/sniffing on a couple of projects from some major studios. The only "definite maybe" to report is Robert Altman’s The Company (about a ballet company)which would begin shooting in October. Plié-s let it be true.
Jane Alderman Casting is scouting for a new series regular for "Third Watch."
And welcome back to Rachel Tenner of Tenner Paskal, home from her California sojourn with the brothers Coen. Great news, Chicago’s own Paul Adelstein was cast in a major lead in their newest film, Intolerable Cruelty, which the lovely Rachel helped cast. Lots and lots of commercial castings to keep the office here busy. And they are searching for a young actor for Good Boy from MGM.
Speaking of kids and lucky and talented Chicago actors, Claire Simon Casting was delighted to announce that young Nicholas Roget-King landed the lead in the new Eddie Murphy feature Daddy Day Care for Revolution Studios. And now comes Home Alone 4 for which they are searching. On the small screen, they are doing the Chicago search for "Elimidate" and casting an "infomercial drama" (huh?) called "Tilly" for Pax TV. Industrials include booking David Coronado for Crest and casting for Wells Fargo. Commercial casting includes Land’s End and DSW Shoes. For the latter they booked Lisa Velten, Timioa and Manao Demuth. And a C.B. DeMille booking for Value City. Booked were: Kristin Arceneaux, Paul Christopher Hobbs, Elizabeth Wawak, Maia Mans, Sheridan Carroll, Kyle Tekiela, KC Gleason, Bryan Martorano, Alan Ferguson, Lanre Idewil, John Arreola, Patrick O’Brien, Michael Schleyer, Tom Lind, Joseph Ramirez, Monica Tarchala, Elisabeth Abbott, Leah Barnes, Jennifer Hernandez, Stacey Cabrera, Dave Roberts, Jacoby McCollom, Cameron Flowers, Ellie Lora-Arceo, Liam Phee, Joey Meschewski, Eric Jenkins, Donato Cruz, Lezlie Rice, Charrise Hughes, Eirian Morgan, Tirza Alverado, Carli DiFabio, Jessica Tam, Rosalina Torres, Taylor Henderson, Francie Polo, Jeff Weiderman, Titus Nicholson, John Ibarra, Kelly Wiegand, Katie Gorman, Ashley Ilenfeld, Allison Faetz, Melanie Ariyanto, Ivy Calhoun, Stephanie Wrokel, Courtney Cooper, Sarah Mitchell, Ali Turner, Rita Sullivan, Patricia Melone, Sara Becker, Brittany Elmen, Taysha Bostwick, Tammy Stackpoole, Marnie McGuire, Jennifer Landeck, Carolyn Alexander, Martin Sanchez, Luis Ortega, Aronn Solis, Alex Goode, John Rodice, Billy Cooper, Daniel Nevels, Danny Dolan, Mauricio Mesa and Clark Harrison. Not to mention the 75 extras!
Lily’s sends word that Nate Noggins booked a lead in a SAG experimental film. There were commercial bookings for Alan Ferguson, Bryan Mortorano, Joe Ramirez, Dave Roberts, Cameron Flowers, Monica Tarchala, Michael Schleyer, Liam Phee, Eric Jenkins, Kristen Arceneaux, Jessica Tam, Rosalina Torres, John Ibarra, Taysha Bostwick, Marnie McGuire, Carolyn Alexander, Martin Sanchez, Claudia Anderson, Cheryl Padula, Matthew Gragnani, Tom Daugherty and Geno Ramirez.
Arlene Wilson writes that two of their younger talent have recently booked films outside of Chicago. The aforementioned Nicholas Roget-King–all of 4 years-old–is leaving for LA next week for that Eddie Murphy film, Daddy Daycare. And 15-year-old Ryan Kelley is in Portland, Oreg. playing a lead in the film The Dust Factory. He was also cast for an upcoming lead role in a future episode of the hit WB show "Smallville."
With the heavy calendar of commercial auditions these days, the next column should be weighty. How very lovely.
And, before parting, reward yourself for having written the letter to Washington by treating yourself to Jon Jory’s wonderful book, Tips, a treasure trove of wonderful, sensible, practical and invaluable pointers about acting and the business. Buy a copy for a friend! It’s my latest Must Read.
Peace.