SYNOPSIS

The Artios Awards are presented by the Casting Society of America every year to honor the excellence in casting in film, television and theater. The rigorous criteria is originality, creativity and the contribution of casting to the overall caliber of the project. It is one of the most prestigious awards a casting director can receive.  Join us for an evening with 2014 Artios nominees. Come hear how they are diversifying the casting process in America, what inspires them and where they find talent.

*Panelists subject to change
*No solicitation of guests.  Headshots will not be accepted at this event. 

PANELIST BIOS

David Caparelliotis (nominated for the plays "Casa Valentina" and "American Hero")
A graduate of the Sarah Lawrence College Theatre Program, David Caparelliotis has been a professional casting director since 1996, and is currently represented on Broadway with Ayad Akhtar’s DISGRACED, Terrence McNally’s IT’S ONLY A PLAY and the upcoming Larry David play, FISH IN THE DARK. David spent almost twelve years on staff at Manhattan Theatre Club, where he worked on (among other plays) John Patrick Shanley’s DOUBT, David Auburn’s PROOF, David Lindsay-Abaire’s RABBIT HOLE and GOOD PEOPLE, Harvey Fierstein’s CASA VALENTINA and Donald Margulies’ BROOKLYN BOY, COLLECTED STORIES, BROOKLYN BOY and THE COUNTRY HOUSE. David opened his own casting office in 2007, and has worked on the commercial Broadway productions of many plays, including the revivals of August Wilson’s FENCES, John Guare’s THE HOUSE OF BLUE LEAVES and Ken Ludwig’s LEND ME A TENOR, as well as productions of Rajiv Joseph’s BENGAL TIGER AT HE BAGHDAD ZOO, Theresa Rebeck’s SEMINAR and DEAD ACCOUNTS and Craig Wright’s GRACE. David is committed to working with young and emerging playwrights, and is proud to have worked with so many through his collaboration with the ARS NOVA theatre, and work with the Old Globe, Goodman, Arena and Williamstown Theatre Festival. David has been teaching for Syracuse University’s Tepper Semester for Theatre since 2003, is currently teaching Scene Study at Columbia University, and has over the past few years also been teaching at his alma mater, Sarah Lawrence. David is a member of the Casting Society of America.

Michael Cassara (nominated for the short film "The Hyperglot")

Michael Cassara, CSA is a casting director and educator, working on theatre and film projects in New York City. Since the formation of Michael Cassara Casting in 2003, Michael and his team have cast over 400 theatre and film projects. Recent credits include Forbidden Broadway (most recent two off-Broadway editions and cast recordings), I Love Lucy® Live On Stage (2014-15 National Tour), A Little Night Music (starring Penny Fuller and Mark Jacoby), Nevermore (upcoming off-Broadway production), and countless readings and workshops. Recent regional theatre credits have included productions at Gulfshore Playhouse, The Denver Center, San Jose Rep, The Old Globe, Infinity Theatre Company, Great Lakes Theater, Idaho Shakespeare Festival and many others. Resident Casting Director for the New York Musical Theatre Festival (NYMF) since 2007, where he has cast over 60 new musicals since the festival's inception in 2004. Additionally, in 2013 he began serving as the Resident Casting Director for the National Alliance for Musical Theatre (NAMT). Film credits include The Hyperglot (dir. Michael Urie - Artios Award nomination for Excellence in Casting), Paper Dreams, Clear Blue Tuesday, Contest, and the upcoming feature film Grantham and Rose (dir. Kristin Hanggi, starring Marla Gibbs and Jake T. Austin.) Originally a performer, Michael is a native Clevelander and a BFA graduate of the musical theatre program at Otterbein College, now Otterbein University. He regularly teaches and lectures on musical theatre and the entertainment industry, in New York City and throughout the world. He recently wrote the foreword for The Business of Show, the critically acclaimed new book by Adam Cates. Member, Casting Society of America. Please visit MichaelCassara.net / @michaelcassara

Mark Saks (nominated for the television series "The Good Wife")

Veteran casting director Mark Saks is currently at work on "elemeNtarY" starring Jonny Lee Miller and Lucy Liu, "Madam Secretary" starring Tea Leoni and "The Good Wife" starring Julianna Margulies.  For "The Good Wife," Saks has won four Artios awards and this year is nominated once again for Outstanding Achievement in Casting - Television Series, Drama.  He has received a total of ten Artios nominations in various categories including comedy, drama and long form throughout his career.  This is his fourth Emmy nomination for this much acclaimed CBS legal drama.  His other recent credits include the upcoming 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.  His other series include "Medium", "NUMB3RS", "Dirt", "Related", "Hack", "Welcome to New York", "The Drew Carey Show", "The George Carlin Show", "Knots Landing" to name a few.  Over the past twenty-five years, Saks has held executive positions at Warner Bros Television, CBS Television Studios and Sony Pictures Television.  His work in the theatre includes 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.

MODERATOR

Lori Hammel is a NYC based actress and writer who has performed on Broadway and Off Broadway and has toured around the world. Film work includes playing a morning show host in the Coen brother's feature Burn After Reading; An Invisible Sign; She's Lost Control (2014 Berlin Film Festival, SXSW) and playing the lead in Coney Island Queen (2014 Cannes Shorts Corner). TV includes 30 Rock, The Following, As The World Turns, The Colbert Report and the Today Show. Lori's improvisational skills have been put to use as recurring political pundit Leslie Hillerman on the Onion News Network series, In The Know and as her alter ego NY2 Broadway reporter character, Margo Rose Ferderer (www.margorose.com). Lori performed on Broadway and in the national tour of Mamma Mia!, and in the national tour of Dolly Parton's 9 to 5: The Musical. Off Broadway credits include the 2013 world premiere of the play Unbroken Circle; I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change; Forbidden Broadway and Bush is Bad. Regional theatre includes Handicapped People in Their Formal Attire (Premiere Stages); Forbidden Hollywood (Jeff Award & After Dark Award); The Bikinis (Long Wharf, Goodspeed); Little Me (Jeff nomination) and Singin' in the Rain (Jeff nomination & After Dark Award). In National commercials Lori has had the pleasure of being directed by David Steinberg, Oscar winning documentarian Errol Morris, Phil Morrison and Rupert Sanders. She is the 2014 recipient of the SAG-AFTRA Joseph C. Riley Service Award. Lori is co-author of Minding the Edge – Strategies for a Fulfilling, Successful Career as an Actor (2012 Waveland Press). Lori is currently on the national tour of I Love Lucy Live, playing Ethel Mertz.