Most actors submit to agencies and get little to no feedback; they're often left wondering whether their materials were even received. But actors who recently submitted to DDO Artists Agency's theatrical division through an Actors Access casting notice were sent an emergency "c-mail" (Actors Access' version of an instant message) that at first sounded like a typical form letter but delivered an unexpected invitation.
The message thanked actors for their submissions and encouraged them not to inundate the agency with follow-up emails and calls but instead to wait patiently to see whether they would be called in. Then the message stated, "Also, another opportunity for you to meet us in person, and to drop off any materials you'd like us to look at…Our associate, Christopher Pelant, teaches acting classes and is also giving free seminars on Acting in Los Angeles." The seminar dates and times at L.A.'s Liberation Yoga were listed. The message concluded, "There will be a period for Questions and Answers and Christopher will be accepting submission materials there."
On Showfax, Breakdown Services' popular message board, actors began asking one another whether they received the c-mail. A number of them had; the message had been sent to thousands of actors who had submitted. One actor speculated that it was an advertisement for an event the agency was promoting. Soon a number of bloggers began to question the credibility of DDO Artists Agency, which has enjoyed a solid reputation among casting directors and actors for more than 30 years.
By May 14, more than 50 messages had been posted regarding the c-mail and the seminar. One actor who attended the April 29 event, who preferred to remain nameless, called it a shameless promotion for Pelant, who is an actor and DDO talent scout. The owners of DDO Artists Agency soon jumped into the fray, stating on the message board that DDO Theatrical is a separate corporate entity from DDO Artists Agency and that the c-mail's author, TV and film agent Shayna Pelavin, leases the name "DDO." The owners also said Pelavin and Pelant's intentions were sincere. Actors grew even more confused: Was DDO Theatrical hosting a helpful, free event or trying to lure actors to a non-DDO event by allowing them to drop off submissions?
Pelavin said she never intended to trick actors into attending the seminar; she wanted to create an opportunity for actors to drop off submissions and attend an informative event. "[Christopher and I] felt like we were giving back [to the community]. We thought we were doing something nice," said Pelavin, who added she thought she and Pelant had dotted their i's and crossed their t's. Pelant, a Screen Actors Guild member, worked with SAG National Director of Agency Relations Zino Macaluso to formulate a disclaimer that Pelant read at the start of each seminar. It stated, "This seminar is being put on by me, an individual, not by DDO Artists Agency, and in no way does attending today guarantee or imply representation."
Pelavin said she cleared the content of the c-mail with Richard Simmons of Breakdown Services before sending it. "I contacted Richard Simmons multiple times about how to send this auto-response, and I even gave him the wording of it over the phone," she said.
Simmons said he was aware that DDO Theatrical was seeking new clients through Actors Access, a Breakdown Services affiliate, but that he did not know the seminar had occurred. Gary Marsh, owner of Breakdown Services, said, "C-mail is our instant-messaging system, so somebody saying that we approved a c-mail going out to actors would be like somebody saying AOL approved an instant message. We didn't know about it." Marsh added that he has permanently disabled Pelavin's password and she is no longer welcome to do business with Breakdown Services.
Pelavin said she's a scapegoat. "It's not actually an easy thing to post a c-mail to thousands of people, and without Richard's instructions, I don't think I would have known how to do it," she said. "I suppose they can argue that they didn't 'approve' it because Richard never said, 'That's approved.' He did, however, know the contents and instruct me on how to send it. If anyone had at any point said, 'We are not comfortable with this,' I would have never sent it."
Marsh said he found the c-mail sent by Pelavin upsetting because of the content. "Even if she sent it to one actor, that would be one too many, because that's taking advantage of actors," he said.
The actor who attended the April 29 seminar said the language in the c-mail made the gatherings sound like DDO-sponsored seminars about how to become a client. Once there, the actor was unnerved to learn that DDO was not affiliated with the event. The actor, who never saw a drop-off box for submissions, left 20 minutes into the seminar. "We were all lured there under the pretense that we were going to get information about DDO and becoming a client," the actor said.
Pelant said the box for submissions was located in the waiting room where actors lingered before entering the main room, but he acknowledged that he made no announcement about the box until after the seminar concluded. He also said he accepted materials from a handful of actors who approached him before the seminar and told him they couldn't stay, and that after the seminar, the submissions box was brought into the main room.
Actor Wendy Gough, who also submitted and received the c-mail, attended as well. She said she didn't see a box for submissions until the end of the seminar. But Gough, an actor of seven years who was somewhat expecting a hard sell for Pelant's acting class, said she left feeling excited about the entertainment business and the strategies she had learned about proactively pursuing her career. She later sent him a thank-you note, one of many Pelant shared with Back Stage. Actor Brandon Perkins, who also attended the event, said he found Pelant's perspective as an actor who works at a talent agency to be invaluable.
Pelant said many actors misinterpreted the c-mail. "There was no information in the letter that went out to them that said that they would meet with an agent from DDO. It specifically said you will be meeting with Christopher Pelant, who works at DDO," he said. "It's a difference between reading what's actually printed and reading what you think you see."
Actor Tarina Pouncy, who received the c-mail and was represented by DDO Artists Agency's commercial division for a year and a half, said, "The way that I read [the c-mail] and the way people seemed to respond to it, it seemed like it was a little unclear or wasn't direct with respect to what the intent was."
Abby Girvin, president of DDO Artists Agency and Pelavin's friend of 10 years, said if she had known about the existence of the c-mail, she would have prevented it from going out because DDO was not affiliated with the seminar. Girvin would not have condoned dropping off submissions for her agency at an acting-related event.
Marlene Sutton, who co-owns DDO Artists Agency with Girvin and Bill Bohl, said that unfortunately the content of the c-mail may have misled actors into thinking that in order to drop off a submission, they had to sit through a seminar and possibly get persuaded to participate in "a money-making scheme" of which DDO would get a cut—a contention she said couldn't be further from the truth. "I think our concern was never to [mislead] anyone into thinking that one had anything to do with the other—you know, show up for this class, and you'll be considered for representation," said Sutton.
Pelant said he meant to empower actors in a disempowering industry. "My intention was not to mislead anybody. My intention was not to scam anybody. My intention was simply to provide my experience," said Pelant, who was criticized widely on Showfax for his relatively young age and for having only two credits listed on IMDb at the time. He noted that many established acting coaches have only one or two credits on that site and said that due to a name change in 2001, many of his credits do not appear.
Pouncy, who recalled having a positive experience with DDO Artists Agency's commercial division, said she was called in by Pelant to audition for DDO Theatrical after reading about the controversy surrounding the seminars on Showfax. During the meeting, Pelant explained how DDO Theatrical differed from DDO Artists Agency. Pouncy said, "I wasn't clear how it functioned, like if [DDO Theatrical] was something backed by DDO." The actor said she would probably think twice before signing with DDO Theatrical given the recent events.
"I question the intent of Chris and Shayna; like, what is it that they are really trying to do?" she asked. "I mean, if they're coming into an agency that already has an established environment, work ethic, and reputation, it's just a good idea to understand what that is and be able to live up to it."