Presenting the Casts of our 2013 Productions!

Well, we made it through the weekend and our two days of auditions. What an amazing amount of talent we saw! All of our TADW students should be very proud of their outstanding work. Casting the shows is one of the most difficult jobs faced by the production staff at the Teenage Drama Workshop. With so many talented students, we are often confronted with some very difficult decisions. However, we believe that we've come up with two fabulous casts, and we can't wait to see how these students work together onstage.

Students reading sides during the 2013 auditions

Below are the cast lists for the two main productions of the Teenage Drama Workshop's 2013 season. (Other performance opportunities will arise later in the summer when we cast the 10 Minute Play Festival and the Munch & Crunch musical revue.)

Choreographer Candy Sherwin works with students at 2013 auditions

Aladdin Cast List

Aladdin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Daniel Bellusci

Jasmine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Annie Reznik

Jafar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Devon Yaffe

Iago . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  Griffen Hamilton

Genie . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Lily Lester

Rajah . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jessica Bell

Sultan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Canaan Smith

Carpet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Orlie Smith

Abu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Colin Mika

Aladdin’s Mother . . . . . . . Haley Perkins

Cave of Wonders/Guard . . .Michael Smith

Guards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Tom Johnston, James Johnston,     Joshua Lloyd

Peddlers . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  Michael Dager, Noah Gephart-Canada, Canaan Smith

Genie-ettes, Harem Girls, Shopkeepers, Merchants, Homeless Boy & Girl, Prince Achmed, Bystanders, Proprietor, Matron and other Roles . . . . . . . . . . .  To Be Cast from Ensemble

Ensemble

TADW students await their turn at the 2013 auditions

Melanie Besnilian

Danielle Bray

Carmen Cabral

Maya Efrat

Abby Eisenberg

Allie George

Megan Glassner

Samantha Glassner

Brie Guenthner

Jordan Haddad

Kali Hale

Maya Hale

Willow Islas

KC Katalbas

Lily Khalighi

Savannah Kovacs

Elizabeth Lloyd

Kyla Lockette

Chris Halsted works with students during the 2013 auditions 

Sarah MacLennan

Liliana Magnanimo

Laura McDermott

Lauren Meltzer

Jenna Meadows

Paulina Mirabella

Talya Nathanson

Allison Norton

Sami Raskin

Sara Renner

Camille Roberts

Chloe Rosen

Lindsey Rosenblatt

Rachel Saporito

Analisa Venolia

Marisela Venolia

Cassie Weinberg

Jack and the Beanstalk Cast List

Toulousa Latrec – Melina Drake Young

Jack – Camden Garcia

Jill – Mara Eisner

Inspector Cluemein – August Robinson

Giant – Josh Knoller

Edith – Camille Martellaro

The Goose – Milli Miereanu

Louie – Arthur Parian

Fee, Fie, Foefum, and Laverne –

            Pasha Wynant

            Julia Lester

            Kate Westrum

            Samantha Fabisch

The Nun – Kaitlyn Rickaby

Madelines –

            Grace Jacobsen

            Paige Jensen

Rosey Murrah

Mime / Apache Dancer – Patrick Fitzsimmons

Apache Dancer – Zsanae Spinks

French Tour Guide – Maya Escobar

ENSEMBLE

Many, many parts (Tourists, Balloon Seller, Cyclist, Baker, Tailor) will be cast from this ensemble during the first week of rehearsals.

Stage manager Owen Panno hands out sides at the 2013 auditions

Charlotte Anderson

Olivia Dalton

Megan Ehrenberg 

Spencer Ehrenberg

Ariana George

Rebecca Gottbetter

Danny Halsted

Dylan Halsted

Larissa Heatley

Garrett Knoller

Alex Lucas

Savannah Ludwig

Alia Martinez

Jennifer McNabb

Genevieve Miereanu

Megan Phung

Mackenzie Rickaby

Kristyn Salas

Sierra Slater

Sarah Sperling

We extend a huge congratulations to both casts, and we are certain that all of our students will have a blast this summer. We truly believe that every cast member is an integral part of his or her production. The directors for both of our shows strive to make these truly ensemble productions, and to give each cast member his or her moment in the spotlight. You will find that whatever role you are playing, you are part of the TADW family, and we are so happy to have you!

Everything You Need to Know about TADW Auditions

Auditions can be both exciting and nerve-wracking for performers. In this blog post, we hope to give you all the information you need to feel confident and well-informed at your audition for the Teenage Drama Workshop. (If you're enrolled for this summer, your family should have received an email with much of this information already.) Below are some frequently asked questions about TADW auditions:

What are the auditions for? Aren't I already signed up for TADW?

Everyone who is enrolled in the performance option of TADW will be cast in one of our two main productions. (Other performance opportunities, such as the 10 Minute Play Festival and the Munch & Crunch musical revue, will be cast later.)

The purpose of these auditions is to determine which production you will be in and which part you will play.

Additionally, these auditions are used to place students who have requested Musical Theatre as their elective. (The Musical Theatre elective is by audition only.)

Do I need to come both days?

Yes, if at all possible. The auditions will be different on each day. If you can only make it to one day of auditions, or if you have to leave before 12:15, please let us know!

When and where do I go?

This year, auditions will be held on Saturday, June 8th and Sunday, June 9th. We will meet in the Little Theatre in Nordhoff Hall at Cal State Northridge. (Check out the link to the map of CSUN on the right side of this page.)

We will begin at 8:30 with a welcome an introduction, and go until 12:15. (See below for more info on when we're done).

What do I need to bring/prepare?

• You will need to bring the forms that were emailed to you (medical release form, t-shirt order form, pizza and Subway order forms, image release form, off-campus permission form, and TADW Code of Conduct -on't forget to sign it!)

• Bring dance shoes and appropriate clothing for the dance audition.

• You should prepare a song to sing. It can be any song you feel comfortable singing, but as a rule of thumb, musical theatre songs work much better than pop songs for an audition. You probably will not get to sing your entire song; in the interest of time you will likely only perform a few bars. Please bring accompaniment for your song - either sheet music for the pianist or a backup track (with no vocals) either on CD or an MP3 player. We prefer that you do not audition a cappella (without accompaniment) because we want to hear that you can match key and timing as you sing.

• You do not need to prepare a monologue or a scene for the acting audition.

• You do not need to prepare a routine for the dance audition.

• You should bring a lunch if you would like to stay and eat with your new (or old ) TADW friends after the audition.

What will happen at auditions?

As previously stated, the Saturday and Sunday auditions will be a bit different. On both days, you will check in with the TADW staff outside the theatre. This is where you will turn in your forms (and checks, if you have them).

On Saturday:

We will break everyone up into three groups. The groups will be divided by age, so you will be in a group of people about the same age as you are. (For those of you who know about the TADW "levels" - these groups are not necessarily the same as the level you will be in). Each group will rotate through three different audition areas:

Dancing: With a group, you will be taught a short dance routine and asked to perform it. Many students who don't have dance experience may feel intimidated by this, but don't worry - you won't be alone up there, and attitude is just as important as skill.

Singing: Here, you will be asked to perform the song you have prepared. Again, students often feel nervous if they aren't used to singing in front of people. Don't be! TADW has students of all levels, and this is a very supportive group of people.

Acting: You will either be asked to improvise or you will be given "sides" - short pieces of the script - and asked to read them. You may not get to read for the exact part that you want, but this does not mean that you won't get that part.

On Sunday:

The auditions will be structured more like call-backs, where you will be auditioning for a specific show. Students will be split into two groups. Each group will audition for one of our two productions. After an hour and a half, the groups will switch. On this day, directors will be taking a closer look at who they want for their show and in what role. Again, performers will be given sides or asked to improvise or possibly to sing a little bit. You do not need to prepare any material for this audition.

When will I be done?

We will stop at 12:15; most people will be done with the audition at this point. You are invited to bring a lunch and picnic with us until 1:15.

After lunch on Saturday, some people may be asked to stay no later than 3:00. If you are asked to stay, you will know by 12:30 so that you can call your parents (or other transportation) and let them know.

On Sunday, we will be done at 12:15.

What does it mean if I am/am not asked to stay?

This is not a callback, and it does not mean that you will or will not be given a certain type of part. If you are asked to stay, it simply means that the director feels he needs to see more of you.

If you are not asked to stay, that does not mean that you are not going to get a good part. It may be that the director already knows how he wants to cast you and doesn't need more time with you to figure it out.

Are parents supposed to stay for auditions?

Parents are welcome to come and check their students in and to stay for the welcome speech if they like, but parents are not allowed to watch the auditions. If you choose to park and accompany your child to sign in and for the welcome speech, please be advised that you will have to purchase a $6 parking pass from one of the machines in the parking lot, or you risk getting a ticket.

When will I know what show/part I got????

The directors will be casting the show immediately after the auditions on Sunday, so the cast lists will be ready on Sunday afternoon at around 2:00-3:00. Once the cast lists are determined, they will be disseminated in various ways:

1) Posted on the call board at TADW - some students (usually only a hardy few) tend to hang around and wait for this event to happen, but they may have to wait a couple of hours!

2) Posted on our Facebook page

3) Posted on this blog. :-)

4) You will receive your TADW Student Handbook shortly after auditions, which will also include the cast lists.

What do I do then?

Show up at 8:15 am on Monday, June 17th READY TO ROCK AND ROLL!

Need some words of inspiration? 

Anyone who's ever auditioned has probably heard the voice of their inner critic. TADW acting instructor and adventurer extraordinaire Chris Halsted delivers some inspiring words in this video from the 2013 TADW auditions: