SYNOPSIS

This in-person class will include a Q&A and a prepared reading session with an experienced casting professional.

Participating actors will prepare a scene from film or tv.  Scenes should be two minutes in length or less.  Scenes must be sent as a PDF to castingaccess@sagaftra.foundation by Wednesday, June 21st at 5pm, with the role for the reader mentioned in the body of the email.

CASTING DIRECTOR BIO

ERICA A HART, CSA was born and raised in Washington, DC (the actual 202...not 301 or 703.) She graduated from NYU's Tisch School of the Arts, where she studied film and television. She has been casting for over a decade and has loved every minute of it. She started off in network and studio casting moving her way up to Casting Coordinator in the New York Office of ABC Primetime Casting. Erica has appeared in The Hollywood Reporter as a featured rising artist and has cast films that have screened at the Tribeca Film Festival, SXSW, Outfest, Cinequest, and the Cannes Film Festival. THE SURROGATE (a film she cast as well as associate produced) was in INDIEWIRE's Best Movies Eligible for a 2021 Oscar, was a VARIETY CRITICS PICK, and earned Erica her first Artios nomination and win in 2021. She has cast commercials for high-end brands such as Maybelline, Gillette, Hasbro, and Delta, to name a few, and cast H.E.R's music video for FIGHT FOR YOU which won the Academy Award for Best Original Song. Her television/streaming Casting Director credits include both seasons of THAT DAMN MICHAEL CHE (HBOMAX), JODIE produced by Tracee Ellis Ross and Grace Edwards, BLACK MIRROR (NETFLIX S6 US CASTING), BLACK DON'T CRACK (pilot for ABC), BUST DOWN (PEACOCK), THE GIRLS ON THE BUS (HBOMAX), and A BLACK LADY SKETCH SHOW (HBOMAX S4). In 2021 she made her Broadway debut casting two Broadway plays: CHICKEN & BISCUITS and PASS OVER. In 2022, she co cast the Broadway revival of DEATH OF A SALESMAN and will co cast MTC's Broadway production of JAJA'S AFRICAN HAIR BRAIDING. She has cast theatrical productions for THE NATIONAL BLACK THEATRE and THE DRAMA LEAGUE. Erica was the Casting Associate for shows like RAY DONOVAN (SHOWTIME), THE BOLD TYPE (FREEFORM), DEFENDING JACOB (APPLE+), and GODFATHER OF HARLEM (EPIX). She is on the Board of Governors for Casting Society (CSA) and a member of the Television Academy. She also teaches TV auditioning techniques at colleges and universities around the country including Harvard University and NYU's Grad Acting Program. Outside of casting, she has received grants and awards from the Puffin Foundation, New York Television Festival and The Digital Bolex, and has developed series for BET and WeTV.

REQUIREMENTS

All members must show a valid SAG-AFTRA card when they check in for the class.  No admittance will be granted without your current card or receipt.

NO LATE ARRIVALS and NO WALK-INS are admitted. Only those participants who have received a telephoned or e-mailed confirmation message from staff will be admitted to the session. Waitlisted individuals who have not received such confirmation will not be admitted at the door. Please do not show up if you have not been explicitly confirmed as RSVPed.

Cancellations are required by midnight the night before a class. Cancellation can only be made via the website. You cannot cancel your RSVP via email or phone.  Those who have been seated by the start date are expected to comply. You must cancel your reservation before the start date if you cannot comply, or you will face a six month ineligibility period.  DO NOT BE LATE.  Check-in begins 15 minutes to the class start time.  If you arrive after the start time, you will not be admitted and it will be counted as a no-show.

This program is for educational purposes only.

Questions? Email castingaccess@sagaftra.foundation