This panel conversation brings together Casting Directors from local markets across the United States to offer actors an in-depth, behind-the-scenes perspective on today’s casting process. From self-tapes and co-star roles to recurring and series regular opportunities, panelists will explore how casting decisions are shaped through collaboration with directors and producers, what truly stands out in auditions, and how selections are made.

Attendees will gain practical insight, professional guidance, and candid feedback drawn from the Casting Directors’ real-world experiences, including an honest look at their locals and the realities of pursuing work in their areas. Designed to demystify the process and empower performers with knowledge, this conversation aims to provide clarity, strategy, and a deeper understanding of how casting in the locals works.

BIOS:

Sara Isaacson is currently the casting director for Chicago Fire on NBC and Dick Wolf Entertainment. Previous work for Wolf Entertainment include Chicago Med, Law and Order True Crime: The Menendez Murders (NBC), and most recently, On Call (Amazon). Additional credits include La Brea (NBC), Manifest pilot (NBC), The Baker and the Beauty pilot (ABC), Midnight, Texas (NBC), State of Affairs (NBC), Connecting (NBC), Bates Motel (A&E), and Fringe (FOX). Sara attended Columbia College in Chicago, served as a board member of the Casting Society of America, worked as an agent at Greene Talent, and is a member of the Casting Director Peer Group at the Television Academy.

New Mexico Casting Director Marie A. K. McMaster, CSA discovered her love of film when she read lines with the actors she was nannying for on Martha’s Vineyard at the age of 16. It became a career when she worked on the production Off the Map (Sam Elliott, Joan Allen, Campbell Scott) in 2002. Since then, she has worked as Associate Casting Director and Casting Director for countless film and television productions that call New Mexico home, including Stranger Things and Apple TV's Pluribus. 

Marie is a passionate advocate for the New Mexico film community, teaching actors and mentoring upcoming talent through workshops, classes, and her involvement in the community. She loves to give back by organizing school supply drives for local elementary schools, speaking on panels for acting and casting and overall advocating for the New Mexico film industry and the fabulous actors New Mexico is home to. 

Marie is a native of Taos, NM, and graduated from UNM in 2003. She lives in Albuquerque with her incredible husband and two amazing, brilliant children, and their menagerie of cats and dogs.

Lisa Schwartz Lobel was born and raised outside of Boston and earned a BA from the University of Hartford. She joined Boston Casting in 1995 and is a proud member of CSA (Casting Society of America), ICDN (International Casting Directors Network), and The Television Academy.

In 2024, Lisa won the Artios Award for THE HOLDOVERS and was also nominated that same year for AMERICAN FICTION by the Casting Society of America. Recently, Lisa served as the local casting director on the films THE DRAMA, AT THE SEA, TONY, and SORRY BABY.

Some of her most recent television casting work includes THE PERFECT COUPLE (NETFIX), WIDOW’S BAY, HBO Max’s JULIA, Showtime’s DEXTER: NEW BLOOD, and the Netflix teen series THE SOCIETY.

Lisa enjoys speaking to students around the country about careers in acting and casting and was selected by her alma mater for the Arts and Sciences Alumni Award in 2023. In her free time, she can be found on the ski slopes or traveling with her husband and three young-adult children.

Chase Paris is an Atlanta-based Casting Director working across film and television. He is an Emmy Award–winning Casting Director for Stranger Things and has received Emmy nominations for his work on Ozark and Atlanta. Known for building grounded, performance-driven casts, Chase collaborates closely with filmmakers to support character-first storytelling.

His film credits include projects that have received Academy Award nominations and wins, including I, Tonya and The Eyes of Tammy Faye. In addition to prestige film and television, Chase and his team have contributed casting to over 20 Marvel projects, spanning large-scale franchise work while continuing to champion emerging and regional talent.

Based in the Southeast and casting nationally, Chase’s work is defined by authenticity, specificity, and an actor-forward approach.

Note: You will receive the Zoom meeting link the morning of the class.