Eve paused for a moment, and then said, politely, that though she liked what I did in sections, she didn't think my work showed any kind of response or listening to what I was getting from my other actor. I felt the hit in my solar plexus - primarily because, well, I realized she was right. I had the chance to do it again, focusing on my listening, and it went better, but the damage (which should be read as "opportunity for growth") was done. It was a very important moment for me as an actor. For one, it was that five thousandth time I'd gotten the note about "listening" - and, for whatever reason, I finally got it. Now, that isn't to say that as of today I'm a flawless listener in my acting (which would result in the best acting I could do, no?), but in that carpeted, air conditioned room I got the kind of gentle ass kicking that most students need at various points in their journey, the kind that makes you face your weaknesses.
I had the chance, about nine months later, to take another class with Eve at AC. I trained for that "rematch" (not really an appropriate term, but stay with me) like Rocky 3. I was the last actor to register, and waited through everyone's work - watching and listening like a hawk to their work and Eve's feedback for last minute education. I was as nervous as I've ever been in my acting career prior to going up - because I respected her opinion. That she commended my work that night was, on a personal level, one of the prouder moments of my journey thus far.
I try not to "pull focus" onto myself (after three paragraphs of it) in this series, but I feel it's important to highlight the positive effect a casting director can have on an actor. I think that by talking about what Eve was able to impart to me, casually and gently, I've told you a lot about her. I was very excited to have her as a subject for the series. And, once again, she was teaching (without realizing it). This was, after all, my third interview! I was Mike Wallace'd up with my outline and clear idea of how I'd guide the discussion. I asked my "icebreaker" question - not like there was really that much ice to break, but I like routine - and got a substantial, interesting answer. I picked up my outline and got ready to steer the boat, only to realize Eve was remembering additional stories of bizarre casting challenges. It was a loose, casual talk, which resulted in the worst chicken scratch notes of my young journalistic career.
How to be invisible in the internet age
Eve has somehow managed to keep any photos of herself from appearing anywhere in cyberspace, a rare feat in this privacy-starved age (why wouldn't a casting director want to be recognized? Next question). She does admit that there might be a baby photo of her out there on the internet somewhere.
The most difficult job(s) Eve ever had to cast
Eve recalls a local Payless Shoes commercial she worked on as a casting assistant in 1990. It called for a beautiful, 5'8" - 5'10" female model. The catch was, she had to have a size 5 shoe. A good fit (ha ha) was eventually found, though there was a bit of "squishing" to get the model's feet inside the shoe. She also recounts casting for the film Sorry, Haters 8 years ago, and needing an actor who could speak Arabic. It was disheartening to see how many actors spoke every language from the Arabic world (such as Farsi or Hindi) but didn't speak the distinct language of Arabic. Again, the role was cast with an actor who wasn't necessarily fluent in Arabic but was convincing in his portrayal of it. Eve also faced a challenge 2 years ago during a project for the Sundance Directors Lab. The project dealt with African immigrants in Italy. Eve had to find 3 people from Burkina Faso who spoke French, English, and Wolof (a sub-Saharan language).
How it started
Eve graduated high school early. "I had no clue what I was going to do," she says. Her dad suggested taking an acting class. She enrolled at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts, and obtained an Associate's Degree in Drama. Eve eventually earned a BA in Theatre & Film from Hunter College. Upon graduating from AADA, she got an internship at the Circle Repertory Theatre. She was working on a stipend initially. In 1985, Eve cast the off Broadway production of As Is - which ended up going to Broadway and winning the Drama Desk Award. It was a very important play, one of the first to deal with the AIDS epidemic. The early success didn't faze Eve. "I was too young to understand the importance of it." Eve did spend some time in front of the camera: she had a brief stint on a soap opera, and landed a few commercials before becoming fully immersed in casting.
Transitioning to Film
Eve was always interested in casting for film. She started under Barbara Shapiro as a casting associate, and also worked as an associate in the casting department at Warner Brothers. She was on a moderate salary, and was basically starting over after having established herself casting theatre. Barbara primarily cast commercials, but she did cast some film - including a few John Sayles features. Eve assisted in the casting for City of Hope, Eight Men Out, and Matewan (which, interestingly, also had some of its casting overseen by Avy Kaufman). In the middle of this period, Eve took almost two years off from casting after the birth of her daughter, Clare, in 1991, aside from six weeks spent as a Casting Assistant on Sleepless in Seattle.
Going off on her own
In 1994, Eve began her own casting company. She wasn't happy with the kind of films she was casting at Warner Brothers - without naming films' names, she'll only maintain that she wanted to work on films she cared about. Again, just like when she transitioned from theatre to film, there was a "starting over" process. But it allowed her the opportunity to work on what she chose to cast, and her reputation grew. Eve now casts three to five features a year of the projects that come her way.
Transamerica
A highlight of Eve's career was casting the 2005 film with Felicity Huffman (which was made for under a million dollars). Huffman was nominated for an Oscar and won a Golden Globe, and Eve was nominated by the Casting Society of America for an independent feature. Eve was cognizant of the importance of the project. "I remember seeing the poster for the film - which showed the back of Felicity's character between a men's and a women's room - and realizing how relevant it was."
Blue Caprice
This film - based on the Beltway sniper attacks of October 2002 - has been garnering praise at film festivals across the country, including Sundance. Eve considers it one of the most important projects she's cast. She commends its strong story and compelling POV. The film is the directorial debut of Alexandre Moors and stars Isiah Washington and Tequan Richmond. It's playing in NYC at IFC Center.
Her "Special Thanks" credit on Gimme the Loot
The well received 2012 graffiti drama features a shout out to Eve in its credits. The filmmakers had cast every role - except the female lead. They reached out to Eve, who quickly cast Tashiana Washington in the role.
The Eve Battaglia Movie
Title? "Eve."
Portraying Eve? "Vivien Leigh - if we can defrost her."
Arthouse or Mainstream? "Arthouse! C'mon."
MPAA Rating? "(thoughtful pause)... PG-13."
Thanks to Eve, and thanks to you for reading!
link to Blue Caprice website:
http://bluecapricefilm.com/
I had the chance, about nine months later, to take another class with Eve at AC. I trained for that "rematch" (not really an appropriate term, but stay with me) like Rocky 3. I was the last actor to register, and waited through everyone's work - watching and listening like a hawk to their work and Eve's feedback for last minute education. I was as nervous as I've ever been in my acting career prior to going up - because I respected her opinion. That she commended my work that night was, on a personal level, one of the prouder moments of my journey thus far.
I try not to "pull focus" onto myself (after three paragraphs of it) in this series, but I feel it's important to highlight the positive effect a casting director can have on an actor. I think that by talking about what Eve was able to impart to me, casually and gently, I've told you a lot about her. I was very excited to have her as a subject for the series. And, once again, she was teaching (without realizing it). This was, after all, my third interview! I was Mike Wallace'd up with my outline and clear idea of how I'd guide the discussion. I asked my "icebreaker" question - not like there was really that much ice to break, but I like routine - and got a substantial, interesting answer. I picked up my outline and got ready to steer the boat, only to realize Eve was remembering additional stories of bizarre casting challenges. It was a loose, casual talk, which resulted in the worst chicken scratch notes of my young journalistic career.
How to be invisible in the internet age
Eve has somehow managed to keep any photos of herself from appearing anywhere in cyberspace, a rare feat in this privacy-starved age (why wouldn't a casting director want to be recognized? Next question). She does admit that there might be a baby photo of her out there on the internet somewhere.
The most difficult job(s) Eve ever had to cast
Eve recalls a local Payless Shoes commercial she worked on as a casting assistant in 1990. It called for a beautiful, 5'8" - 5'10" female model. The catch was, she had to have a size 5 shoe. A good fit (ha ha) was eventually found, though there was a bit of "squishing" to get the model's feet inside the shoe. She also recounts casting for the film Sorry, Haters 8 years ago, and needing an actor who could speak Arabic. It was disheartening to see how many actors spoke every language from the Arabic world (such as Farsi or Hindi) but didn't speak the distinct language of Arabic. Again, the role was cast with an actor who wasn't necessarily fluent in Arabic but was convincing in his portrayal of it. Eve also faced a challenge 2 years ago during a project for the Sundance Directors Lab. The project dealt with African immigrants in Italy. Eve had to find 3 people from Burkina Faso who spoke French, English, and Wolof (a sub-Saharan language).
How it started
Eve graduated high school early. "I had no clue what I was going to do," she says. Her dad suggested taking an acting class. She enrolled at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts, and obtained an Associate's Degree in Drama. Eve eventually earned a BA in Theatre & Film from Hunter College. Upon graduating from AADA, she got an internship at the Circle Repertory Theatre. She was working on a stipend initially. In 1985, Eve cast the off Broadway production of As Is - which ended up going to Broadway and winning the Drama Desk Award. It was a very important play, one of the first to deal with the AIDS epidemic. The early success didn't faze Eve. "I was too young to understand the importance of it." Eve did spend some time in front of the camera: she had a brief stint on a soap opera, and landed a few commercials before becoming fully immersed in casting.
Transitioning to Film
Eve was always interested in casting for film. She started under Barbara Shapiro as a casting associate, and also worked as an associate in the casting department at Warner Brothers. She was on a moderate salary, and was basically starting over after having established herself casting theatre. Barbara primarily cast commercials, but she did cast some film - including a few John Sayles features. Eve assisted in the casting for City of Hope, Eight Men Out, and Matewan (which, interestingly, also had some of its casting overseen by Avy Kaufman). In the middle of this period, Eve took almost two years off from casting after the birth of her daughter, Clare, in 1991, aside from six weeks spent as a Casting Assistant on Sleepless in Seattle.
Going off on her own
In 1994, Eve began her own casting company. She wasn't happy with the kind of films she was casting at Warner Brothers - without naming films' names, she'll only maintain that she wanted to work on films she cared about. Again, just like when she transitioned from theatre to film, there was a "starting over" process. But it allowed her the opportunity to work on what she chose to cast, and her reputation grew. Eve now casts three to five features a year of the projects that come her way.
Transamerica
A highlight of Eve's career was casting the 2005 film with Felicity Huffman (which was made for under a million dollars). Huffman was nominated for an Oscar and won a Golden Globe, and Eve was nominated by the Casting Society of America for an independent feature. Eve was cognizant of the importance of the project. "I remember seeing the poster for the film - which showed the back of Felicity's character between a men's and a women's room - and realizing how relevant it was."
Blue Caprice
This film - based on the Beltway sniper attacks of October 2002 - has been garnering praise at film festivals across the country, including Sundance. Eve considers it one of the most important projects she's cast. She commends its strong story and compelling POV. The film is the directorial debut of Alexandre Moors and stars Isiah Washington and Tequan Richmond. It's playing in NYC at IFC Center.
Her "Special Thanks" credit on Gimme the Loot
The well received 2012 graffiti drama features a shout out to Eve in its credits. The filmmakers had cast every role - except the female lead. They reached out to Eve, who quickly cast Tashiana Washington in the role.
The Eve Battaglia Movie
Title? "Eve."
Portraying Eve? "Vivien Leigh - if we can defrost her."
Arthouse or Mainstream? "Arthouse! C'mon."
MPAA Rating? "(thoughtful pause)... PG-13."
Thanks to Eve, and thanks to you for reading!
link to Blue Caprice website:
http://bluecapricefilm.com/
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