THE INAUGURAL INTERVIEW: MARY EGAN-CALLAHAN, HOUSE CASTING

   I can say that I have very few distinct memories of the actual places I've auditioned. They all tend to blend together - concrete sidewalk, generic lobby, maybe an old fashioned and cramped elevator (or every once in a while, one of those cool new ones with that sweet little tv screen giving the news and such), drab hallway, door, closet-sized space with a table near the window that's always looking out onto the backs of other buildings and never the street, person I give my headshot to and then try to ignore in my work.
    House Casting is an exception to the rule. The place is beautiful. I almost forgot that it's in the "trendy" Meat Packing District. Having worked in a restaurant in the area for two years, I have a somewhat jaundiced opinion of the neighborhood. But House, and even the entire side of the street it resides on, feels like an alcove. Quiet, fresh, always with shade, never too much pedestrian traffic, no super annoying hipster types or "models" as you might find on 9th Avenue. And that's before you even get in the building. I've even got to spend a minute on the first floor art gallery below House's space. I've never been in said gallery, but it looks like one of those real deal NYC art galleries. Every once in a while, I'm reminded that I in fact grew up in NEW BRI-AIN, CT and can still be stopped dead in my tracks by one of those sights that, like, totally look like places I saw in films about New York. Go figure!
  Finally, after having dorked out enough over the swank elevator that you can fit six big cows into, I'd arrive at the place itself. House feels and looks like either an unpretentious art museum or Patrick Bateman's apartment if he were a nicer, non-homicidal person. You almost feel like you're in someone's - wait for it - HOUSE. Literally, whenever I've been waiting to audition there I've almost felt like I socially climbed and snuck into some swank party. There's a sense of space, air, and your being welcome. That vibe of openness carries through the staff, as I found in my interview (on a typically jumping day at House) with Casting Director Mary Egan-Callahan.
   Mary has been at House since 2005, working with fellow CD Rebecca Yarsin under Executive Director Neil Myer. She came from Liz Lewis Casting, where an internship meant to further her career as an actor unexpectedly opened her eyes to a passion for casting. Her fellow University of Rhode Island alum, Brooke Thomas, also got a start with Liz Lewis, and the two colleagues and friends maintained a professional partnership that encouraged them to start their commercial auditioning class, Brooke and Mary. Winner of the 2011 Backstage Award for Reader's Choice, the class has helped many an actor find comfort and confidence in that most oddly challenging type of venue - the commercial. Also, Brooke and Mary's background in improv and comedy - and their creative use of employing improv with comedians to help them adjust to scripted work - led them to attract several comedians into the class that have now gone on to very big things, such as Ed Helms, Jessica St. Clair, and Nick Kroll, among others.
  At any time, one (or more) out of every four commercials you'll see will have been cast by Mary and the House team. In spite of the controlled chaos going on at House, Mary granted me some valuable time to field questions.

As an icebreaker - what's the all time strangest role you had to cast?
"A Korean guy with a Scottish Accent."

Basically, every actor I talk to says that the venue they fear the most - more even than Shakespeare - is the commercial. Why is something that would seem to be so easy so hard for actors?
"You're being yourself. There's nothing - no character - to hide behind. You need to be confident in being yourself to be a good commercial actor."

A lot of comedians have taken your commercial class and gone on to be successful, in commercials and beyond. Do comedians have an edge in the commercial world over "serious" actors?
"Comedians are in demand right now. Really, you just want to be as well rounded as possible to help your chances. We encourage people to be triple threats (that's sing-dance-act, for the non-"Glee" readership).

You're big on improv. Why is it so valuable in preparing for commercial work?
"We found that very talented comedians with strong improv backgrounds weren't necessarily good using a script. They needed help bringing what they could do on stage into the studio. So when Brooke and I started the class, we actually added an "improv/comedian only" class for that purpose. That's how we got a lot of the people that have now gone on to big things into the class, and why we get so many people from the Upright Citizens Brigade, Peoples Improv Theatre, and Magnet Theater."

Are there any other obstacles comedians face in transitioning from the comedic stage?
"Bringing it down to scale for the camera. Being able to transfer their appeal from "performing" to being filmed. It's the difference between being funny and acting funny. They just need to be funny rather than perform as they're accustomed to."

You and Brooke both speak very highly of the theatre program at the University of Rhode Island. You've said that the head of the department at the time, Judith Swift, pushed you to not be lazy and take things for granted. What was it about URI - and your study of theatre in general - that benefited you the most in your career?
"My work ethic comes from the theatre. There's a misconception that theatre is an easy major. There's a lot more work for theatre majors than most other majors. I'd be back at the dorms working long after my non-theatre friends had called it a day. You just have to know and be able to do so much."

You originally planned on just doing a casting internship. That changed into a new career direction, moving from an aspiring actress to a casting director. Many actors might face a similar career crossroads. When you made the decision to pursue casting as a career, how were you able to know it was the right move?
"It gave me the chance to have a life. I hated auditioning. I like stability."

Family is very important for you. I must ask - how would you feel about your kids getting into acting?
"They're already close to the industry. My daughter booked a commercial at one year old - she just happened to be here on a day they were casting something, and she was right for it. Since then, my kids have gone out for some things. When they're old enough to really consider the proposition of going after it, if they want to, I'd support them."

You cast a lot of commercials - the one in four figure staggered me. How does that feel, to have that much influence in the industry?
"I really don't think about it. It's just another day in the office."

What actor or actors would you advise aspiring actors to watch?
"The Carol Burnett Show. Or Saturday Night Live - the old ones."

If you had a chance to be cast in a commercial, would you do it?
"Sure, I'd do it. Once an actor, always an actor. I think that's why Brooke and I are good teachers - we can relate to everyone that comes to class."

Finally, when the movie is made on your life, what will be the title?
"An Irish-Catholic Girl."

Who will play you?
"Maura Tierney or Connie Britton."

Will it be arthouse or mainstream?
"Mainstream."

Any car chases?
"No."

And, the Motion Picture Association of America will give it what rating?
"R."

Thanks to Mary for her time and insight. And thanks for reading!

The WHY: Welcome to Behind the Casting Curtain

  I pulled into Nazareth, I was feelin' about half past dead,
  just need to find a place where I can lay my head...
     The Band, "The Weight"

   I'm not usually one for classic rock quotes, but I've always loved that song and I've always loved that particular line about feeling tapped out and needing a spot - not just to "lay your head," but to claim some small piece of real estate as your own. For sure, as an aspiring actor, that's why I'm looking for - some place in the industry I love to call my own. I'm sure most if not all aspiring artists can relate to that. I'm also sure every aspiring artist can relate to that feeling of being "half past dead." Tired, dejected, deflated, depressed, done. Depending on your temperament, you might battle those feelings yearly, monthly, weekly, daily, and/or hourly. This is hard work, trying to make a dream come true. That's not bitching, it's just calling it like it is. It takes, amongst other qualities, a lot of strength to mark out your territory in this business.
   Now none of the above is ground breaking news. There are a lot of battles to be fought and a lot of obstacles to overcome in the course of one's campaign toward THAT - "that" being however you define success, for you. No new news there (harder to say that than write it, ha).
   But what might cause a bit of a "sea change" in an aspiring artist's outlook is to fix on that prospect - of a tough uphill climb to get to your dreams - with a little more specificity.
    For one, what is THAT for you? In simple, exact words, what is the dream you're chasing? Do you even know for sure what it is? Is it some ideal success that's set in stone, like being an actor that commands $20 million a picture? Or, in all honesty, would you be happy as a pig in slop to just be able to make a living somehow in the industry you love? There's no right answer. And, you might not even have an answer - I'm not sure I do. But I'd like to figure it out. So I decided to start asking people who've found their spot. People who aren't in front of the camera.
   Why not ask ACTORS who've made it? Well, because we've kind of read that story, a couple of times. And, to be honest, you can find that story in some glossy magazine with full page ads. I wanted to turn my attention to the people that hire us - or, in actuality, select us to be considered for hiring by their client. Casting Directors, simultaneously the most loved and loathed beings in the acting universe. The people behind the table, or the camera, or sometimes the one way glass. Oh, the power they wield (kind of - the final decision isn't often theirs). What kind of a sadist would willingly toy with the hopes and dreams of others?
  The answer is, no kind of sadist. Thus far, I haven't met or interacted with a CD who isn't at least respectful and polite. Even the ones that were too busy or unwilling to subject themselves to an interview were courteous. This is a business, after all. And, upon closer inspection, they aren't all that different from you and me. Namely, creative people with needs of both satisfying their creativity and paying rent. And, since being a casting director isn't just something one is born into (well, so far as I've encountered), there's usually a lot of interesting stuff that happened along the way to that casting chair, and a lot of interesting stuff going on now. The general course of interviews with Casting Directors is, IMO,  just pretense to get in ten to twenty questions all asking how you can get cast. I've rarely seen one that just focuses on the Casting Director as, well, an ARTIST.
  So, if you're looking just for tips on how to get cast, you might be disappointed. Or maybe not. Surprisingly, when not being pressed desperately for the one thing that will make you a star, my subjects will organically offer up advice both sage and sound. But, that isn't the main focus. The focus is on how these people found their spot in this business we all love. I wanted to write something I might be interested in reading, not as homework or research, but as a look into another artist's work. I think you might find it interesting, too. But do keep a pen and notebook close by - they are Casting Directors, after all.