Christopher Cassarino has a BA from the University of Massachusetts and an MFA from NYU's Tisch School of Arts in the Graduate Acting Program. Christopher is best known for his recurring roles in HULU's Reasonable Doubt, NBC’s New Amsterdam, and Disney+’s The Right Stuff. This fall, you can catch him in the Hulu legal drama, Reasonable Doubt, starring alongside Emayatzy Corinealdi and executive produced by Kerry Washington.
Auditioning is the most harrowing part of any actor’s career. There are many unpredictable factors in the auditioning process, not to mention the creative and emotional obstacles that all actors encounter in trying to present themselves for a role. My hope with this class is that it helps you learn how to support yourself psychologically, practically, and artistically. Actors need a set of tools for each juncture of the auditioning process, and the goal of this class is to fill the actor’s tool bag so that you have the confidence and skill to put your best foot forward for any role that comes your way.
I believe it starts with acceptance. A former teacher of mine, Joanna Merlin, once said, “Accept as a given that you cannot do your best work at an audition. Nobody expects it of you. You are an actor who is auditioning, not an ‘auditioner’.” This class will hopefully free you from the burden of this pressure and give you the tools you need to deliver the best work that the auditioning circumstances will allow.
Students in this class will receive current TV and film audition sides and, through a series of different exercises, will gain an extensive knowledge of different tools one can use in creating a performance for an audition. My approach to teaching is very much a laboratory approach where I will merely offer different ideas, tools, and techniques that I have either learned from my teachers and/or discovered during my own acting career. Some tools will hopefully resonate with you. Either way, this class will be an opportunity to exercise the auditioning muscle.
As a teacher, I constantly want to encourage curiosity and inspire students to ask questions every step of the way; “What does this character need at this moment? What are the obstacles preventing them from getting it? What will happen if they don’t?” I will attempt to focus on and nurture the actor’s ability to listen, the most important muscle of any actor. Allowing and surrendering to the moment will enable the actor to breathe life into every single beat of an audition literally. To truly exist in front of that camera and to allow for organic impulses and behavior to arise. This will allow the actor to trust exactly what they have created and have the confidence that they have presented a grounded performance.
Class: Advanced Adult Auditioning Class (Ages 16+)
Day: Mondays
Time: 8-9:30PM EASTERN TIME (5PM PACIFIC)
This class is limited to 16 students, ages 14 and older.