Some were nervous, others just weary from the long wait, buteveryone who showed up was anxious to strut their talents for thecameras. No, not the actors and actresses out to accept theirScreen Actors Guild Awards Sunday night, but rather a differentgroup of hopeful thespians.
Over 1,500 potential film actors showed up at the Theater andCommunications Building at The University of Memphis on Jan. 14 toaudition for roles in director Ira Sachs' new local movie 40 Shadesof Blue.
"The expression 'cattle call' comes to mind," said Alice Berry,director of publicity and promotions for the department of theatreand dance. "It was a little maddening."
Berry, who helped organize the open casting call for the FilmCommission and auditioned as well, remembers that students, facultymembers and other excited Memphians were shuffled from one holdingroom to another before eventually performing for a casting agent orfor Sachs' himself.
"Everyone was given a script according to their gender and ageand then given time to practice while they were in a holding roomwith about 50 other people," said Berry. "But the actual auditionwas very easy and laid back."
While one would expect Berry, with almost 20 years experience intheatre, to shake off any possible performance jitters, nervousnessdidn't manage to hinder the performances given by some lessseasoned U of M students.
"There was really no way to prepare, and I didn't hear about theaudition until the night before, so I really didn't have time toget nervous," said Nick Taylor, senior theatre major.
While Taylor, 22, has already appeared in roughly 15 stageperformances and established himself as quite a reputable theatreactor, he said film is rather new territory.
"This was my first audition for a film," said Taylor. "But whiletheatre is my major, film is my goal."
And as it turns out, his goal may not be too distant. Weeksafter trying out at the open casting call, Berry and Taylor wereboth called back for second auditions.
"Actually, quite a few people from The University were calledback for a second audition," said Berry. "I tried out for severalroles but haven't heard anything back yet."
Much to Taylor's surprise, the second auditions were moreeffortless than the first.
"I went in and read seven or eight lines in front of a digitalcamera and was done in two minutes," Taylor said.
Taylor was not ultimately cast in the film, but one of histeachers certainly thinks he is worthy of a movie role.
"I have directed Nick in his last three plays and think he is anamazing actor," said Robert Hetherington, chair of the departmentof theatre and dance.
While his film career may be presently uncertain, Taylor remainsexcited about the recent burst of films being shot in Memphis.
"Memphis is a great location for a film because it's veryversatile. That can be very important for low budget films (like 40Shades of Blue)," Taylor said.
The movie, which comes virtually on the heels of the locallyshot 21 Grams, is about the complications that occur when the youngRussian girlfriend of an aging Memphis musician becomes infatuatedwith his son. The film's executive producer is the ultra-renownedSydney Pollock, who has directed such heralded movies as Out ofAfrica and Tootsie.
Filming for 40 Shades of Blue is slated to begin today andcontinue for around five weeks.
