WELCOME to THE ACTORS GROUP !

The Actors Group is located at The Missing Piece Theatre was designed and is operated by people who are creatively driven; who have a love of acting, directing, writing and producing, and are proactively approaching careers in TV and Film. It is a place to

• Concertedly improve skills
• Draw inspiration
• Apply talents, and
• Join with others of similar aspirations in a tasteful, comfortable environment.

At The Actors Group, we offer a venue for networking with TV and Film Industry Professionals as well as fellow Actors. The friendly, comfortable atmosphere is conducive to making personal connections for which there is never an opportunity otherwise. So, if you are an Actor or an Industry Professional looking for talented creative types for TV and Film, The Actors Group is a place to make valuable connections, educate your perspective and improve your skills.

The Actors Group offers a Calendar of Workshop Events the majority of which are focused on preparations for auditioning and cold reading. Multiple workshops per week are directed by Industry Professionals, primarily Casting Directors and Casting Associates who are currently casting for TV and Film. These workshops provide

• a constructive forum for “inside” advice on effective practices and etiquiette regarding auditions
• helpful analysis of pictures and resumes
• cold reading opportunities with invaluable critique by the very professionals who call Actors in and call them back for actual auditions.

Casting professionals are very seldom the decision-makers – they are not who does the hiring – but they are who opens the door for the opportunity. Leaning what is important from them is immeasurably valuable.

ACTIVITIES AND OBJECTIVES

The Actors Group hosts industry-related events led by Industry Professional Guests. Multiple weekly cold reading workshops with currently active Casting Professionals are held as well as workshops with Theatrical Agents, Commercial Agents, Writers, Directors and Producers. Each event is designed to reinforce an Actor’s talent and skills with pragmatic, hands-on experience.

The Actors Group’s objective is to provide services that contribute to an Actor’s growth in the craft of acting and in the business of acting as a profession;
• To introduce effective methods for both; and
• To provide a place to thrive…
…a professional home in many ways. For both beginning and seasoned Actors, it is necessary to be connected with supportive, constructive interaction within the Industry and with professional fellowship to hone the acting craft and learn the best business practices as a professional.

Auditioning is key, so being expert at auditioning is essential to being successful as an actor. Auditioning well is a skill that includes being as familiar as possible with those for whom you are auditioning. Meeting and networking with Casting Professionals in a relaxed atmosphere, where an open forum of Questions & Answers is an integral element, is invaluable for developing auditioning technique and professional etiquette. Also, forthright feedback regarding photos and resumes is invaluable. Your headshot is the reference card from which you get "called in"! The primary focus of The Actors Group is on cold reading workshops with representatives from the most active casting offices in TV and Film, including innovative internet webisodes, etc.

The Actors Group provides services for Actors in a comfortable and truly supportive environment. The Actors Group is moving from our location home since 1999 with our intimate 31 seat theatre and warmly furnished "Green Room" for assorted receptions to a fantastic new site with The Actors Repertory Theatre that consists of a warmly furnished theatre complex with tasteful reception area, and a wonderfully larger. yet warm and intimate 52-seat theatre, spacious dressing rooms, separate classroom/green room, as well as open air area for soirées of all sorts!

HOW ACTORS ARE HIRED

It may be helpful for you to understand how actors are generally hired, especially when deciding whether or not to attend a cold reading workshop. First an actor must be seen. There are many ways that an actor’s performance skills and talent can be seen that get them into an audition which include:

• Submission by an agent, manager, or teacher
• Submission by the actor by post card, mail submission of headshot and resume, and other unsolicited submissions
• Having been seen in another role, been previously cast by, or been previously known to the casting director
• Requests by the producer or director
• Referrals by others in the industry
• Observing the actor in theatre, at industry events, and learning about an actor through other means (i.e., the Academy Players' Directory, published by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences)

Casting directors screen and audition actors for roles, but casting directors do not hire actors. When a casting director has a role to cast, and the casting director believes an actor might fit that role, the casting director will call that actor in for an audition. If the audition goes well, the casting director will usually bring the actor in for a callback with the producer(s) and/or director(s). It is these people combined that will make the final casting decision taking into consideration the casting director’s recommendation.

It is very helpful to have an agent who can assist you in finding and negotiating the terms of any engagement that you may be offered if cast. Agents do vary greatly in their effectiveness. We do not consult with actors as to what appropriate terms of employment may be.

ABOUT COLD READING WORKSHOPS

It is important to be clear about the purpose of cold reading workshops. They are a proven effective form of training and practice for auditions; and they are an unparalleled opportunity for networking with other actors as well as with professionals with whom you would like to audition. They are not auditions. In accordance with the California Labor Board Guidelines, the following is a statement that is signed by each workshop participant upon registration at each cold reading workshop at The Actors Group and is read aloud as well:

"This is not a job interview or audition.
I understand that the presence of a casting director is absolutely not a guarantee or promise of employment.
I further understand that the intent of this class is solely educational."

 The Actors Group offers cold reading workshops led by Industry Guests usually casting professionals. Industry Guests are actively working in TV, Film or in web productions. The various guests offer perspective to actors regarding shared as well as differences of opinions and of styles in an open forum.

The workshops open with an introduction by the Industry Guest in a relaxed atmosphere with up to 24 actors in attendance. There is a question and answer period where those in attendance have the unique opportunity to appropriately ask anything they want to know about the process within that office with that Industry Guest, or about other Industry-related things. Headshots and resumes will be reviewed plus topics such as:

• Audition techniques
• The business of acting
• Office etiquette
• Demystifying the audition process
• How casting procedures differ between pilots, features, episodics, etc.
• Advice on seeking representation
• General industry trends in casting

The Industry Guests give out scenes or "sides" to the actors in attendance from scripts consistent with what her/his office casts after s/he has studied the pictures and resumes submitted by the actors in attendance. Following a 10-15 minute preparation time, the scenes are performed, usually in pairs designated by the Industry Guests, or sometimes read one on one with the Industry Guests. The Industry Guests will give constructive feedback and may redirect individual actors. The actors in attendance are the audience for each reading. A cold reading workshop usually lasts approximately 2 1/2 hours, but it is entirely up to the Industry Professionals.

Cold-reading workshops provide these benefits:

• Practice and feedback with respect to cold reading skills in a situation that approximates an actual audition
• Insight into the process of obtaining employment with a production company by someone involved in it daily
• Learning what Industry Guests look for in auditions specific to individual offices, and in general
• Networking with and being supported by other actors

The Actors Group does not facilitate the attainment of employment for actors. Roles a casting director is currently casting are not discussed and all "sides" are from previous projects. In a cold reading workshop, actors are not auditioning for a role a casting director may be currently casting.

We are proud of the fact that many of The Actors Group Members are successful working actors, or have even become prominent actors. We make every effort to have our workshops contribute to each Member’s success. Most successful actors pursue engagements through several options. To be hired, an actor must be seen and considered the right fit for the role. Proactively seeking out ways to maximize your opportunities to land and then "nail" auditions is what we at The Actors Group strive to be a positive part of… your home for exercising in the craft of acting.