ARTICLES


Play by Play: Getting Cast in This Season's Dramas and Comedies
Backstage Feature - September 10, 2004
Featuring Mario Corrales and Cuchipinoy Productions


Cuchipinoy Productions

Will be casting for "The Magnificent Mr. Vincent" in October; watch Back Stage for casting notices. Interested actors, writers, directors, or designers can visit the company website at www.cuchipinoy.com.

The team behind Cuchipinoy Productions hopes to make its company a household name in the near future. With a slate of projects on the proverbial horizon for 2004-05, that goal is one step closer to becoming a reality.

Mario Corrales shares artistic director duties with co-founders Rodney E. Reyes and Jonathan Calindas. He relates that this season's mainstage shows will include Calindas' "The Magnificent Mr. Vincent," set for December, and a spring production to be announced. Corrales adds, "We will also be producing a play by Lesli-Jo Morizono called 'Now I Lie' in this year's Spotlight on Halloween Festival at the Greenwich Street Theatre, and possibly two reading series, from which one script will be chosen for a workshop production to close our season."

"Mr. Vincent" has four available roles (three males, one female) while "Now I Lie" requires three females. One skill the Cuchipinoy staff looks for in all actors is the ability to take direction. Another preferred skill is the ability to improvise, so performers can stay open, loose, and creative. "We also look for actors who are extremely open-minded. In the past, we have had the need for actors to dance or be able to move, since some of our shows have choreography in them. We even had a show where our narrator needed to be able to walk on stilts. But I don't think that we have anything as specific as stilt-walking for this season."

The group doesn't usually look for specific physical types for its shows, but it does seek out promising performers of all ethnic backgrounds as well as all ages. "For example, 'Now I Lie' requires a cast of three Asian women of three different generations," Corrales elaborates. "Multiculturalism and nontraditional casting are the basis of our mission statement. Speaking different languages is also a plus."

Cuchipinoy plans to have at least two major auditions this season. "One will be a general audition for our company 'pool,' so we can pull actors when needed. At this audition, we will ask actors to prepare one- to two-minute monologues—a modern monologue and a classical monologue that is contrasting. Since a general audition is not specific, we want to see the range of the actor and how he or she performs in these different worlds of modern and classic. And yes, we want the actors to be convincing and real. The other audition will be specific to our season of shows, where sides will be provided."

Corrales' last words on audition advice? "Try your best to be calm and relaxed. Don't be afraid to be personable with the people you are auditioning for. Confidence is a big plus. Don't forget to introduce yourself. Definitely make contact with everyone in the room. Also, be as real as possible. Don't be afraid to include some of 'you' in the characters you are playing. And always be nice to the stage manager or whoever is in the hallway helping run the audition—you never know how they may affect your chances."