Senior Showcase 2011

A message from Lorri Lindberg & Walid Chaya

SENIOR SHOWCASE 2011

Our diplomas are around the corner and for me, and the rest of the TheatreVCU senior class, the clock is ticking, and ticking quite loudly!

Lucky for us, we’re the only university in Virginia that offers “Senior Showcases” to major artistic cities, including LA, NYC, Chicago, and DC. During the second week of February and the third week of March, TheatreVCU seniors, and some TheatreVCU alumni, will be attending their Showcases in LA and NYC, respectively, through special arrangements with “Actors Connection”. While we all wish that these trips are a fun, easy vacation, they’re not! Showcase is a highlight in the Senior Year BFA Performance Track and we have been prepping for showcase since last semester via our Business of Theatre class with our professor, who in these terms is our “Agent”, Lorri Lindberg.

The LA Showcase will take place from February 5-13. This program is designed for graduating artists to explore and experience the west coast. Highlights include a thorough exploration of the Los Angeles market; how to THRIVE in LA as well as valuable inside information from LA actors who have made the move; and seminars consisting of one-on-one interviews with the opportunity to showcase to a wide variety of agents and casting directors from some of the most prominent companies in Los Angeles. LA Showcase will offer networking with leaders in the entertainment industry as well as “Cold Readings” and auditions for Agency Representation and upcoming projects. For students on the fence about whether to move to LA and make the transition, this program will help them test the waters and make this important career decision.

The New York showcase will take place from March 12-19. The NY Connection is a Showcase that’s jam packed with the GUARANTEED ATTENDANCE of INDUSTRY GUESTS who are the movers and shakers in the New York entertainment arena. Whether we are considering a move to NYC now or later, this is the opportunity to guarantee us getting networked, improving our auditioning skills and current material as well as showcasing our artistry and talent. This program makes for the perfect time to get our feet wet, introduce us to a wide variety of industry guests, capitalize on being a “fresh face” for “fresh projects”, be seen by some of New York’s Top Agents and Casting Directors and get a taste of what NYC may have in store for us and our future careers.

Last semester, seniors who were interested in the NYC Showcase attended an audition at VCU held by Mark Ramont from Washington, D.C.’s prominent Ford’s Theatre and Phil Adelman of The Gage Group. Ramont and Adelman then cast a group of those auditioned seniors to present a special showcase in NYC for talent scouts. Unlike the NYC Showcase, the LA Showcase auditions consist of “Cold Readings” (a reading aloud from a script or other text without any rehearsal, practice or study in advance), thus a preliminary audition is not necessary.

Our TheatreVCU Seniors have worked hard and are ready to dive into the industry and make a big splash. The next time you see one of these “artiest” give them a pat on the back, because they’re the next generation of art. The support and love in our department is what makes TheatreVCU a special place to be. This is the start of something new! Let the adventures begin.