"Tupac" Casting! Check this out!

For more audition notices - follow me on FACEBOOK: http://www.facebook.com/TheCastingExchange

A massive talent search is underway to hopefully find a new unknown actor to play the lead role of Tupac Shakur in the upcoming feature film titled "Tupac". David and James Robinson of Morgan Creek Productions will executive produce along with Afeni Shakur, Tupac's mother. She will executive produce a film in 2012 that Tupac Shakur wrote prior to his death titled "Live 2 Tell". Black Reel Award winning Antoine Fuqua will direct "Tupac" from a script written by Academy Award nominated writers Stephen J. Rivele and Chris Wilkinson.

Filming will take place in Los Angeles, New York, Atlanta, and Las Vegas in 2011 for a 2013 release.

PRINCIPAL ACTOR CASTING:

Vickie Thomas
"Tupac Casting"
9021 Melrose Avenue
Suite 200B
West Hollywood, CA 90069

Talent can also submit a photo & resume with a link to a video demo.
The video demo should include a 24 line scene downloaded from www.InSearchOfTupac.com and a one minute Tupac song. Deadline to submit is April 30, 2011.

DeaSign Language-Interpreted and Open-Captioned performances of SEX WITH STRANGERS

Hi, everyone!

I’m happy to announce that Steppenwolf has two opportunities for the deaf and hard of hearing community to see Laura Eason’s Sex With Strangersover the next few weeks: a sign-interpreted performance at 7:30 pm on Sunday, March 27^th (featuring interpretation by Mark Motyka and Elisabeth Treger), and an open-captioned performance at 3 pm on Sunday, April 3^rd.

For those of you haven’t seen one of our shows for a while (or ever!), I wanted to give you a heads up about a few things we’re doing to try to make a visit to Steppenwolf as easy as possible.

∙ At the base of this e-mail, I’ve listed different ways of purchasing half-price, $20 and $15 student tickets to both the sign-interpreted and open-captioned performances.

∙ For our last few sign-interpreted performances, we’ve been enlisting the help of some fantastic advanced ASL students to serve as ushers and lobby liaisons. The sign-interpreted performance of Sex With Strangers on March 27^th won’t be any different – they’ll graciously be on hand throughout the lobby and at the box office to help interpret and point folks in the right direction. (As for our non-signing staff, they’re all super friendly and have pads of paper and pens at the ready.)

∙ Sign-interpreted performances also feature a pre-show explanation of the synopsis and characters from the play’s sign master, a native signer who has spent the weeks prior to the performance interpreting the script, seeing the play multiple times, and working closely with the interpreters to present the highest level of interpretation. For Sex With Strangers, we’re happy to welcome back sign master Matt Dans, who has worked with us on shows such asAmerican Buffalo, Endgame and Detroit .

∙ Our open-captioned performances feature a text display of the words and sounds heard during the play. Placed near the stage, the LED display is positioned for optimal viewing by patrons sitting on the House Right side of both our Downstairs and Upstairs Theatres. Controlled by a captioner watching the play from the back of the theatre, the presentation of the text is synched live with the action onstage.

Please keep reading below for information about Sex With Strangers and ticketing. If you have any questions, though, please don’t hesitate to let me know! And, of course – if you know of anyone who would find this information useful, please feel free to share it!

Thanks!

Evan

Evan Hatfield  │ Front of House Manager│ Steppenwolf Theatre Company │ p 312.932.2445 │ f 312.335.0440

Sex With Strangers

By Laura Eason

Directed by Jessica Thebus

Ethan is a hot young writer whose online journals of “sexcapades” are the buzz of the blogosphere. Olivia is an attractive 30-something whose own writing career is fizzling. They hook up, sex turns into dating and dating into something more complicated.  A break-out hit at Steppenwolf’s 2009 First Look Repertory, and featuring performances by Steppenwolf ensemble member Sally Murphy and Stephen Louis Grush, Sex with Strangers explores how we invent our identity – online and off – and what happens when our private lives become public domain.

Laura Eason, a longtime member of the Lookingglass Theatre ensemble, is the author of more than 15 plays, both original works and adaptations.  Previous productions at Steppenwolf include When the Messenger is Hot, A Tale of Two Cities and Huck Finn.  Jessica Thebus directed Sex with Strangers during Steppenwolf’s 2009 First Look Repertory of New Work. Other Steppenwolf directing credits include Intimate Apparel, Dead Man’s Cell Phone, No Place Like Home, When the Messenger is Hot (also 59E59 Theaters, NYC) and Sonia Flew. 

Inexpensive tickets!

For the 7:30 pm sign-interpreted performance on March 27^th, half-price tickets ($26.50) are available in advance using promo code 8195. 

For the 3 pm open-captioned performance on April 3^rd, half-price tickets ($31.50) are available in advance using promo code 8197.

For both performances, four $20 tickets are reserved exclusively for patrons who utilize that performance’s interpretive service. These $20 tickets are sold on a first-come/first-serve basis, and go on sale at 1 pm on both March 27^th and April 3^rd. They can be purchased either by visiting the box office in person, or over the phone or TTY.

Student tickets are available for $15. Purchasers need to present a valid student ID. Only one $15 ticket per student.

We are working to remedy this, but patrons are currently unable to purchase tickets for accessible performances on our website. To order tickets, we thank you for contacting us by one of the methods below. When you purchase a ticket for a sign-interpreted or open-captioned performance, please indicate that you’re interested in the service so we may offer you the best possible line-of-sight seats.

In person: 1650 N Halsted

Phone: (312) 335-1650

TTY: (312) 335-3830 
E-mail: access@steppenwolf.org

Box Office Hours
Open 7 days a week except for certain major holidays 
11 AM to 5 PM Mon-Sat & 1 PM to 5 PM Sun 
Open until 7 PM on days with evening performances

Steppenwolf is located near all forms of public transportation and is wheelchair accessible.  Street and lot parking are available.  Assistive listening devices and large print programs are available for every performance.

Committed to the principle of ensemble performance through the collaboration of a company of actors, directors and playwrights, Steppenwolf Theatre Company's mission is to advance the vitality and diversity of American theater by nurturing artists, encouraging repeatable creative relationships and contributing new works to the national canon.  The company, formed in 1976 by a collective of actors, is dedicated to perpetuating an ethic of mutual respect and the development of artists through on-going group work.  Steppenwolf has grown into an internationally renowned company of 43 artists whose talents include acting, directing, playwriting and textual adaptation.  For additional information, visit www.steppenwolf.org,www.facebook.com/SteppenwolfTheatre and www.twitter.com/SteppenwolfThtr.

Murder Me Always Demo Reel from ICODA in NorthBrook, IL

Murder Me Always was one of the project where we all volunteered to help raise the funding for Children's Play "Snow White". We also have a facebook, http://www.facebook.com/pages/Murder-Me-Always/346919532143 Beautifully performed in American Sign Language & Spoken English.
      Murder Me Always play was taken at the ICODA (International Center on Deafness and the Arts) and ICODA represents for The dream began at ICODA with a small group of Deaf children that were between 8-10 years old. These children set the foundation for those who came after them.  Over 20,000 children, adolescents and adults received direct services from ICODA during the years that followed.  More than 40,000 Deaf, Hard of Hearing and Hearing individuals from the United States and other English speaking countries have had the opportunity to learn about Deafness and acquire respect for the talents of Deaf people by experiencing the many theatrical and educational programs presented by ICODA. 

*Located in the northwest Chicago suburb of Northbrook, IL, CenterLight Theatre is easy to get to from neighboring communities or Chicago. Season subscriptions are available. www.ICODA.org

Hers.Theirs.Ours. Demo Reel (Regina Daniels)

Several others hope to see this reel and I was able to do this now. Here is the brief information about Hers.Theirs.Ours. and this film is one of the first independent film I have done for a speaking and signing role (Interviewee). What is this film is about? Hers.Theirs.Ours' synopsis: In a dramedy about interracial relationships, biological clocks and dating, Hers.Theirs.Ours. tells the story of a first date between two women as seen from the perspective of the couple, their friends and society at large. After exchanging glances at a party, Theresa grudgingly agrees to meet Elena for coffee even though the timing couldn't be worse for starting a new relationship. She slowly reveals to Elena (and to us) the reasons for her cold shoulder, while their mutual friends and random people on the street comment on the feasibility of their relationship. This charming short film, inspired by Rashomon, Watermelon Woman and She's Gotta Have It, explores the nature of perspective, love and the THREE sides to every story. Written by Anonymous

Aaron Greer has done other film production such as Gettin' Grown. Here is the synopsis about Gettin' Grown. 

       Packed off to pick up his grandmother's prescription, 12-year-old Eric Terry (Isaiah Matthew) encounters one diversion after another as he tries to navigate the temptations and dangers of his inner-city neighborhood. While Eric does his best to get the job done, his mom (Ginger Manning) begins to agonize when day turns to night and her son fails to return home from the errand she sent him on in this 2004 urban drama.

Director & Writer: Aaron Greer 

Enjoy!
 

Sex With Strangers with Sign Language-Interpreted

Sunday, March 27, 2011 at 7:30 PM


Ethan is a hot young writer whose online journals of "sexcapades" are the buzz of the blogosphere. Olivia is an attractive 30-something whose own writing career never took off. They hook up, sex turns into dating and dating into something more complicated. A break-out hit at Steppenwolf’s 2009 First Look Repertory, Sex with Strangers explores what happens when our online and offline identities intersect.


Sign Language-Interpreted
Sunday, March 27 at 7:30pm

Open Captioning
Sunday, April 3 at 3pm




Interpreters: Matt Dans
Sign Master: Lissa Treger & Mark Motyka

Victory Garden with Sign Language-Interpreted

2010 Obie Award for Best New American Play

By Annie Baker • Directed by Dexter Bullard
Richard Christiansen Theater

What do a flirty former actress, a pouty 16-year-old, a hippie husband and a divorced carpenter have in common? Very little, or at least that’s what they think until they take a six week community acting class. In this hilarious and touching play we catch glimpses of the poignant drama that animates ordinary lives. Called an “absorbing, unblinking and sharply funny play” by the New York Times, Circle Mirror Transformation celebrates the subtle and surprising power of creativity.

Circle Mirror Transformation recently premiered in New York at Playwrights Horizons, won the 2010 Obie Award for Best New American Play and was voted one of the top ten plays of 2009 by The New York Times, Time Out New York, and The New Yorker. It was recently named one of the best plays of 2009-2010 in the latest edition of The Best Plays Theater Yearbook.


Friday, April 1 at 8:00 PM
Recommended Age: 14 & up

Victory Gardens Biograph Theater
2433 North Lincoln Avenue
Chicago, IL 60614

Tickets:  ONLY FOR $20!! To purchase tickets, call the Victory Gardens Theater box office at 773-871-3000, or TTY at 773-871-0682. Please mention that you are interested in the above service.

Email: tickets@victorygardens.org
Website: http://victorygardens.org/onstage/circle.php

Interpreted Show "Samuel K. & J."

A Chorus Line (Christopher Smith, a proud Deaf ASL member of Chorus Line)

  

Real Clear Productions is proud to announce its inaugural Broadway musical, A Chorus Line, conceived and originally directed and choreographed by Michael Bennet, book by James Kirkwood and Nicholas Dante, music by Marvin Hamlisch and lyrics by Edward Kleban.

A Chorus Line tells the story of a group of 17 performers vying for the chance to dance in a Broadway show. After all the sweat and tears, only eight will be chosen for this opportunity of a lifetime. Winner of nine Tony awards, including Best Musical and a Pulitzer Prize for Drama, A Chorus Line is a timeless show for anyone who has ever dared to dream.The musical will be performed in the newly renovated and historic Des Plaines Theatre, 1476 Miner St., which was built as a vaudeville house in 1926.

A Chorus Line is directed by Joseph Marabotti and choreographed by Alana Stephens. Musical direction by Randall Fleer.

Joining the cast is Christopher Rozenboom (Don), Allison Fox (Maggie), Todd D. Bulmash (Mike), Chelly Brodsky (Connie), Raymond Mindas (Greg), Jill Matel (Cassie), Janet Sussman (Sheila), Doug Lewis (Bobby), Kelly Farmer (Bebe), Jodi Buczek (Judy), Will Green (Richie), Rusty Koenig (Al), Wendy Brown (Kristine), Claudia DiBiccari (Val), Brandon Rivera (Mark), David Dimas (Paul), Jessica Lovinelli (Diana), Christopher Smith (Larry), Jessica Vann (Laura), Ean Kryska (Zach), Marnie Warner (Tricia), Lyndee McPeek (Vicki), and Chris Campioni (Dance Ensemble Member).

Cast member, Christopher Smith, is a proud member of the ASL (American Sign Language) community. He is excited to represent the ASL community in the show.

All Saturday performances will include an American Sign Language interpreter. ASL interpreters for Sunday performances are available upon request.

A Chorus Line opens Saturday March 26 and is scheduled to run through Sunday April 3. Saturday performances are at 7 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m. Ticket prices are $15 general admission and $12 for seniors and students with I.D.

For ticket information call 773-828-9584 or go to www.realclearproductions.org

If You Can Hear My Own Tune by Jade Bryan (Deaf Filmmaker)

Please welcome Jade Bryan and her film production called, If You Can Hear My Own Tune, it will be showing at Depaul University in Chicago on March 19, 2011.

SHOWTIMES:   1:00PM & 4:00PM Movie runtime 120 minutes         

WHERE:

DePaul University Schmidt Academic Center 2320 N. Kenmore Chicago, IL

Tickets can be purchased online or at the door. All tickets are non-refundable and final. If you miss your assigned showtime, you will be required to purchase another ticket.

For more information, contact Deaf Quest Info@deafquest.com

Sponored by Deaf Quest, Inc.

Link to purchase your ticket: http://jadefilm.com/hearmyowntunethefilm/screenings.html

SAMUEL J. AND K at Steppenwolff Theater

Set in modern-day suburban Chicago, Samuel J. and K. follows the path of two brothers – one black and one white. In honor of Samuel K.’s college graduation, Samuel J. surprises his adopted brother with two round-trip tickets to his birthplace in Africa to explore his roots. As the brothers set out on a life changing journey, they confront long-buried issues of identity, race and family secrets.

Naperville, Illinois native Mat Smart is a two-time recipient of the Jerome Fellowship from The Playwrights’ Center in Minneapolis. His other plays include The Hopper Collection, The 13th of Paris and The Bebop Heard in Okinawa. He is a co-founder of Slant Theatre Project in New York City and an alumnus of the Soho Rep Writer/Director Lab.

 

Sign Language-Interpreted
Saturday, March 12 at 11am 

Interpreters: Vera Washington and Robert Stearns

Sign Master: Regina Daniels