Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/33797
ONE for Ensemble work takes listening — on the set and before you get the role. ALL “That certainly is something we look for a lot, [which] is how people listen. If you’re having an everyday conversation with somebody, you’re listening to what they say,” Mayfield said. “Sometimes [actors] only engage when it’s their time for dialogue, but the rest of the time that the scene is going on there is interaction.” WORKING WELL WITH OTHERS Without actors listening to one another, there won’t be that elusive quality of “chemistry,” the most important ingredient for any ensemble cast. It’s not just The Social Network’s accolades, critical praise and SAG Award nomination for the cast that tells Mayfield she got it right — many of the actors ended up becoming real-life friends with each other. Ellen Lewis, whose past work includes just as important before getting the part. Boardwalk Empire’s casting director, Meredith Tucker, recalled an actor who auditioned in March for a part on the show. Tucker and her associates were reading lines from a scene set around a dinner table, and doing most of the talking, leaving the actor with no lines for stretches at a time. The audition wasn’t particularly memorable at first, but when Tucker later viewed the prescreen video, she knew she had found the right person for the role. “A lot was going on and she very much was reacting to what was being said. And it struck me,” Tucker said. “The truth of the matter is I didn’t really realize what a good job she had been doing until I actually saw it on the tape.” Tucker said being aware is critically important. “Even if other actors are not there in the context of the scene, they still have to listen,” she said. The scene echoes a quote attributed to Michael J. Fox: “The oldest form of theater is the dinner table. It’s got five or six people, new show every night, same players. Good ensemble; the people have worked together a lot.” Laray Mayfield, casting director for The Social Network, underscored the importance of listening during an audition. SAG.org the films Goodfellas, Forrest Gump and The Gangs of New York, was looking to capture that kind of chemistry when casting Boardwalk’s pilot episode. Buscemi was cast first, so when assembling the ensemble, Lewis looked to actors who would create a synergy with the lead, and was happy to find Kelly Macdonald, who plays Margaret Schroeder. “I think that Kelly Macdonald is an amazing actress and really compliments Steve,” Lewis said. “They both raise a very high bar. There’s something about them that fits with each other.” A period piece like Boardwalk brings an additional layer of complexity to the casting and auditioning process. Lewis doesn’t expect actors to have mastered 1920s slang or come in with an armful of props, but she feels it’s important for them to demonstrate an awareness of the Spring 2011 - SCREEN ACTOR 29 Abbot Genser/HBO Abbot Genser/HBO Abbot Genser/HBO