04.14.16 • BACKSTAGE.COM 12+ PAGES OF CASTING VOICES NOTICES IN HIS HEAD JESSE TYLER FERGUSON RETURNS TO B’WAY AS 40 DIFFERENT CHARACTERS THE SURVIVAL JOBS THAT STILL REQUIRE ACTING ANDREW KEENAN-BOLGER ON “TUCK EVERLASTING” RE-CREATING HISTORY AS A PERFORMER NEW YORK STELLAADLER.COM 212-689-0087 31 W 27TH ST, FL 3 NEW YORK, NY 10001 [email protected] TEEN SUMMER CONSERVATORY 5 Weeks, July 11th - August 12th, 2016 Professional actor training intensive for the serious young actor ages 14-17 taught by our world-class faculty! MUSICAL THEATRE INTENSIVE THE PLACE WHERE 5 Weeks, June 6 - July 8, 2016 RIGOROUS ACTOR Advanced level intensive training with top industry TRAINING AND professionals. Master classes already conrmed with HAMILTON, Jeanine Tesori, and Rob McClure! SOCIAL JUSTICE MEET. SUMMER INTENSIVES 5-Week Advanced Level Training Courses Shakespeare Intensive Chekhov Intensive Physical Theatre Intensive Actor Warrior Intensive Film & Television Acting Intensive Photo Credit: AK47 Division The Stella Adler Studio of Acting/Art of Acting Studio is a 501(c)3 not-for-prot organization and is accredited with the National Association of Schools of Theatre LOS ANGELES ARTOFACTINGSTUDIO.COM 323-601-5310 1017 N ORANGE DR LOS ANGELES, CA 90038 [email protected] by: AK47 Division CONTENTS vol.57,no.15|04.14.16 NEWS 4 TheHumanaFestivalpremieres6 promisingnewplays 6 Thisweek’sroundupofwho’scasting whatstarringwhom 7 7 filmsdirectedbyactorsatthe2016 TribecaFilmFestival ADVICE 9 NOTEFROMTHECD Quarter-yeargoals 9 #IGOTCAST JayneNicoletti 10 SECRET AGENTMAN Theuniondoesright 11 #IGOTCAST MeganCarver FEATURES 3 BACKSTAGE5WITH... KeenanKampa 8 MEETTHEMAKER AmySeimetz, “TheGirlfriendExperience” 10 SPOTLIGHTON... AndrewKeenan-Bolger 11 INSIDEJOB JohnBreglio,Broadwayproducer 16 PUTTINGTHESTORYINHISTORY HowaGeorgia-basedperformer developedhischopsdressingin periodcostumes 17 FLEXSPENDING Doesyoursurvivaljobletyouputyour actingcareerfirst? 18 5STARS&‘12MONKEYS’ Syfy’sadaptationofthemovieturnsout tobemust-seeTV 32 BACKSTAGELIFE “MaryPageMarlowe” COVER STORY CASTING page 12 19 New YorkTristate 26 California ‘MODERN’ MAN, 28 National/Regional Jesse Tyler Ferguson photographed by Chad Griffith WELL DONE in NYC on Feb. 4. Grooming by Kumi Craig at the Wall Making his big Broadway return, five-time Emmy nominee Jesse Tyler Group. Cover designed by Jessica Balaschak. Ferguson stars as struggling actor Sam and the 39 voices ringing in his ear CHAD GRIFFITH BACKSTAGE.COM 04.14.16 backstage 1 Chief Executive Officer President & Chief Financial Officer Vice President of Vice President & Peter Rappaport Chief Operating Officer Michael Felman Engineering National Casting Editor Joshua Ellstein James G. Reynolds luke Crowe Vice President, Director of Digital Corporate Controller Graphic Designer David Grossman Scott Wilson Jeff lilley EDIToRIAl ART CASTInG CUSToMER SERvICE Editor-in-Chief Design Director Managing Casting Editor Customer Service Manager Mark Peikert Jessica Balaschak Melinda loewenstein Richard Burridge Senior Digital Editor Art Director Supervising Casting Editor Customer Service Associate Rebecca Strassberg Margaret Ruling v eronika Daddona Danny Camporeale Associate Editor Film & TV Casting Editors PRoDUCTIon Briana Rodriguez Riley Fee Production Manager ADvERTISInG SAlES lisa Hamil Assistant Editor Mark Stinson Director, Jack Smart Theater & Performing Integrated Marketing Arts Casting Editors Kasey Howe Staff Writer Michael Coughlin Benjamin lindsay Group Sales Director Anna Paone Allen Buhl Community Manager Casting Editor Britney Fitzgerald Senior Manager, Elijah Cornell Business Development Copy Editor Regional Casting Editor Gerry Sankner Brandy Colbert Byron Karlevics Contributing Writers Casting Specialist s MARKETInG Matt Busekroos John Berkowitz Marketing Associate Molly Eichel Molly Matthews Ryan Remstad Arnold Wayne Jones Marci liroff Research Editor & Director of Education Call Sheet Editor and Events Rebecca Welch Tome lapk Backstage was founded in 1960 by Ira Eaker and Allen Zwerdling EDIToRIAl oFFICES CASTInG DEPARTMEnT CUSToMER SERvICE PERMISSIon 45 Main St. 323-525-2358 917-725-6367 For one-time use of our content, Brooklyn, NY 11201 [email protected] [email protected] as a full article, excerpt, or [email protected] production prop, contact DISPlAY ADvERTISInG [email protected] [email protected] BACKSTAGE, vol. 57, no. 15 (ISSn#53635 USPS#39740) IS PUBlISHED WEEKlY (except the fourth week of December) by Backstage LLC, 45 Main St., Brooklyn, NY 11201, $3.99 per copy, $99 per year. Periodicals postage paid at Brooklyn, NY 11256 and additional mailing offices. Printed in USA. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Backstage, 45 Main St., Ste. 416, Brooklyn, NY 11201.Publication Mail Agreement No. 40031729. ©2016 Backstage LLC. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in any retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechani- cal, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the publisher. Backstage LLC: Peter Rappaport, Chief Executive Officer; Joshua Ellstein, President and Chief Operating Officer. 2 backstage 04.14.16 BACKSTAGE.COM BACKSTAGE 5 WITH... Keenan Kampa By Briana Rodriguez Tell us about being cast in ‘High where my head was back then. It Strung.’ I had been dancing in was so much fun. Now I think it’s the Russia and I’d come home for a hip different experiences that help you surgery. A few months prior to that, get back in touch with those feelings. NBC had come to Russia for the Sochi Olympics and interviewed me. On whom do you have a dancing So I was in a hospital bed in L.A., and crush? Roberto Bolle is my dream the director [of “High Strung”] and partner. I think he’s every female his wife saw me on TV and reached dancer’s dream partner! He’s like out to me on Twitter or Facebook a man-god. My friend and I have a and asked if I had any interest in WhatsApp chain where we just send acting. Everything was great… until each other pictures of his abs or his I had to tell them, “There’s just one biceps. complication: I can’t walk yet!” But once I got off my crutches, I went What was your most memorable to read for them. I was doing three survival job? I worked for American sessions of rehab a day, working Apparel for, like, one day a week. really hard to get back into ballet It was my outlet to normal people! shape. They were about to give the Within the ballet world, especially in a offer to someone else, and I ended professional context, it’s very closed up just randomly sending some off and insular. It was nice to be with a videos of me dancing and they called group who knew nothing about ballet. immediately and offered me the part. This was my first time in a film, so it In an alternate universe in which was like Acting 101, just being thrown you aren’t a dancer, what would into it. But there wasn’t a moment you be doing? Probably driving As the first American to join Russia’s where it wasn’t enjoyable. monster trucks. I was also thinking, Mariinsky Ballet, Keenan Kampa is people call me “White Chocolate” on now leaping onto the big screen with What do you wish you’d known the court because I’m pretty good before you started dancing? at basketball—kind of, not really. But “High Strung,” a New York City–based I wish I had known how to better I wish I was! I used to play when I film about a ballerina’s budding block out negativity and critical was little, until seventh grade. I was comments. No matter how strong so short. People would hit me and relationship with a British busker you are or how confident you are knock me down. I broke my wrist, (Nicholas Galitzine). Kampa tells us with your dancing and what you my fingers, pulled my tendons. They know is good, it’s really tough to called me “the Scrapper” because about her fight to be cast, her dream not be affected, because people I’d try so hard next to these girls who dance partner, and why her peers give their opinions so freely and had already hit puberty. Probably for so carelessly. I look at myself as a the better [that I stopped playing]: have called her “White Chocolate.” student in ballet and I’m envious of I don’t have the muscle mass! • “I FEEL LIKE [AUDITION] SONGS ARE LIKE PERFUME. IF YOU OVERUSE THEM AT A STRESSFUL PERIOD IN YOUR LIFE, YOU CAN’T EVER GO BACK.” JOEL KIMMEL JOEL BACKSTAGE.COM 04.14.16 backstage 3 Follow us @backstage Like us facebook.com/backstage Follow us on Instagram @backstagecast NEWS THE CASTING SOCIETY OF AMERICA is seeking NYC-based actors to perform for CDs and agents in its May 1 charity event, Meals for UPDATE | Monologues, to benefit local food banks. This is not an open call, so appointments must be made. Visit backstage.com for more info! Play Contest: “Coffee Break” by Tasha Gordon- Solmon, “This Quintessence of Dust” by Cory Hinkle, and “Trudy, Carolyn, Martha, and Regina Travel to Outer Space and Have a Pretty Terrible Time There” by James Kennedy. “It’s one of the places people look at for who’s writing the great plays in the country at the moment.” —LES WATERS, ARTISTIC DIRECTOR OF ACTORS THEATRE OF LOUISVILLE Nike Kadri, Jamar Williams, and Asked how aspiring writers can reach the Briana Pozner in “Cardboard Piano” point where their plays are receiving full productions at the Humana Festival, Waters advised, “See as much as possible and identify THEATER the theater you think is interesting. There are so many different theater festivals or groups producing work.” Theater is about building con- This Is 40 nections, he added. “Invite people to your work all the time. Write to people, get in contact with THE HUMANA FESTIVAL IN LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY, them. Study what everybody is doing.” Don’t be surprised to see the six plays below PREMIERES SIX PROMISING NEW PLAYS among the most produced new plays of the coming year! For more information on the Washburn, Lucas Hnath, and Sarah Ruhl.