Chicago—Sponsored by the African American Arts Alliance (AAAA) and in celebration of Black Arts Month this October, several Black theaters of Chicago will partner for a united audition for Black theater artists. The free, three-day event will include a series of resource-sharing panels and workshops by casting directors, agents and other theater professionals, before giving artists the opportunity to audition for Black theaters and directors. Participating theaters include: Black Ensemble Theater, Congo Square Theatre, eta Creative Arts Foundation, Pegasus Theatre, Lifeline Theatre, Perceptions Theatre and Definition Theatre.
The Black Theater United Audition events will be held online and will begin on October 12, 2020 with an audition preparedness workshop and panel discussions. The auditions will be held October 19 and 26, 2020. The auditions are open to all adults (18+), but some experience is recommended. Advance registration is required at www.aaaachicago.org.
“With this two-fold audition event, The African American Arts Alliance is uniting member theatres to create space for, by and with Black artists. Before the auditions, we will provide free career development workshops to help actors to audition successfully in a digital world. We hope this event will provide increased opportunity as we bring Black artists together with Black directors and provide valuable resources from the participating companies and industry professionals,” comments AAAA Board Chair and Black Ensemble Theater Founder and CEO Jackie Taylor.
The pre-audition “Black Theatres Focus on You” events on October 12, 2020 include:
Panel: Audition Preparedness (10am-11am)
Local directors, casting directors, and artistic directors, including Luther Goins, Runako Jahi, Ron OJ Parson and Ilesa Duncan will share what they are looking for in new talent. Actors will learn how they can prepare themselves to make a big impact in their audition and stand out from the crowd.
Workshop: Master the Art of Self-Tape (11am-12:30pm) with Congo Square Theatre Ensemble Member Tracey N. Bonner
Panel: Making A Star (1pm-2pm)
Panelists Charlton Blackburne, Reuben Cannon, Tamara Sibley, Pemon Rami will tackle what it takes to elevate an acting career. The panelists include agents, producers, and managers who will share their experience with some of the biggest names in the industry and how artists can position themselves to push their careers to new heights.
About the African American Arts Alliance
In 1997 a group of Chicago’s leading African American artists and arts organizations came together and formed a new organization; incorporated as the African American Arts Alliance of Chicago. This organization embraced the history of the original 1977 Chicago Black Theater Alliance while expanding their scope to include diverse groups of artistic mediums which includes theaters, dance, music, literature, film, visual arts organizations, and individuals.
The mission of the African American Art Alliance is to increase public awareness, interaction, communication and development of African American arts organizations and artists within the city of Chicago.
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