If Theatre for a New Audience founding artistic director Jeffrey Horowitz had one piece of advice to give actors, it would be this: “Just work!” he says with a chuckle. “Work and people will see you. People come, and if you’re good, they’ll talk about you. The first thing I’m often asked by distinguished artists is: ‘What are you doing? What’s happening? What have you seen that’s good?’ ”
That’s because the longtime leader and his staff are constantly scoping out talent for the Brooklyn-based TFANA, which specializes in the classics. “We see work all the time; our casting directors see work all the time,” explains Horowitz. “People invite us to see work. People introduce themselves to us. And we have open calls!” Not to mention that when seeing university productions and showcases, Horowitz invites actors to come up and introduce themselves. “It’s not a closed door by any means,” he says.
Horowitz takes a lot of care when it comes to casting productions at TFANA. In fact, unlike most theaters in New York City, his casting process for any given production usually starts about six months ahead of opening instead of the usual three. Once they’ve settled on the character breakdowns, he and the show’s director will draw up a list of possible actors for those roles. In addition to holding auditions and making offers to the actors on those lists, there are also the usual open calls and agent submissions. In short, “We take a very long time to cast,” Horowitz says. “We take months.”
READ: Why (and Where) You Should Study Shakespeare
TFANA occupies its own space, the Polonsky Shakespeare Center, so there’s a Shakespeare play in every season. This season, it’s “Measure for Measure” (June 17–July 16). The other shows in the 2016–17 season are a mix of classic and contemporary drama, from season opener “The Servant of Two Masters” by Carlo Goldoni and adapted by Constance Congdon, which starred Steven Epp, to two 20th-century plays: “The Skin of Our Teeth” by Thornton Wilder (Feb. 14–March 19) and “Happy Days” by Samuel Beckett and starring Dianne Wiest (April 23–May 28).
While TFANA sometimes casts established actors in its principal roles, it also employs students straight from school, often drawing from the city’s well of esteemed acting programs. Horowitz uses Mary Wiseman, who is appearing this season in “Skin of Our Teeth,” as an example. “I saw her at Juilliard in ‘As You Like It’ and thought she was incredible,” he says. “She got permission from Juilliard to come play in [Branden Jacobs-Jenkins’] ‘An Octoroon.’ ” Theirs is just one of the many ongoing creative relationships Horowitz has developed with actors, creating a space that actors like TFANA mainstays John Douglas Thompson and Christian Camargo can call their artistic home.
With that in mind, if you’re a student studying the craft and you happen to see Horowitz in the audience, don’t be shy! Just as good? Impress him with your talents. You could very well be the next Wiseman who catches his eye.
“When there’s talent, you go, ‘Wow,’ ” he says. “It’s electric. It hits you and you want to work with that person.”
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