SYNOPSIS
This in-person class will include a Q&A and prepared reading session with New York based Casting Director, Mark Saks.
Participating actors should be able to play 30 or younger.
Actors will be asked to prepare scenes with assigned scene partners ahead of class. Scenes should focus on characters that can be played by actors in the 18-30 age range. Scene partners will work together to choose and prepare scenes from film or tv, 3 minutes in length or less. Actors will be connected with their scene partners upon confirmation.
Mark is specifically asking to only work with actors who he has not met, seen, or called for an audition. If you have met Mark in a prior class or submitted for an audition, please do not sign up for this class.
ABOUT MARK
Veteran Casting Director MARK SAKS is currently at work on “EVIL” (Paramount+) starring Katja Herbers and Mike Colter, a new series, “HAPPY FACE” (Paramount+) and a pilot for CBS entitled “ELSBETH” starring Carrie Preston and Wendell Pierce. He has just completed six seasons of “THE GOOD FIGHT” with Christine Baranski, Audra McDonald and Andre Braugher. Saks also cast “THE GOOD WIFE (CBS) for all seven seasons for which he received four Artios Awards and five consecutive Emmy Nominations.
He has received a total of thirteen Artios nominations in various categories including comedy, drama and long form throughout his career. His other credits include “BrainDead” (CBS) starring Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Danny Pino, Aaron Tveit and Tony Shalhoub, the six-hour miniseries, “Klondike” (Discovery) starring Sam Shepard, Abbie Cornish, Richard Madden and Tim Roth, as well as the A&E miniseries, “Coma” starring Steven Pasquale, Lauren Ambrose, Ellen Burstyn, Richard Dreyfuss, James Woods and Geena Davis. Other series include “Prodigal Son” starring Michael Sheen, “Would I Lie to You, “The Bite”, “Person of Interest”, “Medium”, “NUMB3RS”, “Dirt”, “Related”, “Hack”, “Welcome to New York”, “The Drew Carey Show”, “The George Carlin Show”, and “Knots Landing”, to name a few. Recently, he cast two six-episode seasons of the limited series, “Mercy Street” for PBS starring Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Josh Radnor, Gary Cole, Peter Gerety, Norbert Leo Butz and Donna Murphy.
Over the past thirty years, Saks has held executive positions at Warner Bros. Television, CBS Television Studios and Sony Pictures Television. His work in the theatre encompasses Broadway, Off-Broadway and regional theatre productions including nine years as the casting director for the Old Globe Theatre in San Diego under the direction of Jack O’Brien. Saks regularly teaches master classes at Carnegie Mellon University, North Carolina School of the Arts, Columbia University, Syracuse University and Ball State University, among others.
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
