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Workshops |
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| 2003 to 2005 | 2006 to 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 |
| 2007 |
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December 2007
The End of an EraPENNY CHARTERIS RETIRES
Christa felt that such a milestone could not go unacknowledged, so she arramged "a little get-together" at The Actor's Centre at the Johannesburg Civic Centre. Penny has been an ardent supporter of the Actors Centre since it's inception, and has funded a bursary for a disadvantaged student for several years. Penny arrived on Sunday morning the 9th of December 2007 thinking that a few of her actors were "going to give the Old Girl a quiet little send-off, you know!" Well, not quite... right-click HERE to save a Printable PDF file to your computer) [466Kb] |
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Apart from being a highly respected agent, Penny has been a dear friend to us for many years - in fact she lays legitimate claim to being responsible for our marriage.... "but that's another ball of cake" - as Penny says! |
 Client Mark Graham (Theatre Director) with Penny and Actors' Centre Founder Dorothy Ann Gould and Stephen Feinstein, the new Artistic Director of The Actors' Centre |
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2007 After traversing the entire width of Southern Africa from Namibia on the West Coast to Maputo on the East Coast, Generation Kill (aka "Blown Deadline") finally set up camp within reach of the Studio. Much of the last two weeks of the seven-month shoot took place around the oil refining town of Sasolburg, about an hour's drive away.  Christa with Extras Casting Director & co-ordinator Jackie Mayou and On-Set Extras co-ordinator Marcelleno Trout. |
 Director Susannah White, who recently emerged from the editing room to go back to war and direct episode seven. |
 The girls with some
of The Guys - Natalie's grin hasn't faded yet!
Rudi Reyes (Sgt. "Fruity Rudi" Reyes),
Christa, Sgt. Eric Kocker (Military
Advisor), James "PJ" Ransone (Cpl. Ray Person),
Natalie Grcic (Christa's
Assistant).
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RIP
Patrick Mynhardt 1932 - 2007 Veteran South African actor Patrick
Mynhardt passed
away in London today, 25th October 2007. He was performing a short
season of his autobiographical "The
Boy From Bethulie" at the Jermyn Street Theatre.
Although heavily identified for decades by the South African public with the characters he brought to the stage from the writings of Herman Charles Bosman, Patrick's career spanned more than half a century on stage, television and film in the United Kingdom and South Africa. He continued to do cameos in South African and International films. 
Patrick
during his last audition at our
studio in August this year.
He prepared for the smallest part as though it was his biggest and brought a choice of props and wardrobe to every audition. This legendary South African actor will be sorely missed, even if only because of the gentlemanly respect he showed Christa.
Once, Christa thanked Patrick for auditioning
– and re-auditioning
- for a Commercial at the insistence of the Client. Patrick’s
flamboyant reply
has engraved itself in the folk lore of our studio: “Oh
no, no, no my dear, don’t
apologise! You know how I love coming here... We will miss his consummate professionalism and dedication. 
Photo: Christiaan Kotze / Rapport 25 October 2007
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September 2007  Paul gave us a new angle on comedy during auditions for his film "Surprise". With his leading man, Dutch actor Frank Lammers, he gave several call-back actresses an energetic workout - giving a whole new meaning to the term "Street Casting".  Exploiting Frank's exceptional improvisational skills, we raced the girls up and down the street outside the studio, with the Studio cameraman in fruitless hot pursuit! Our neighbours are used to occasional odd happenings, but the new Security guard did not know how to deal with a wildly gesticulating Hollander falling down in the middle of the street, fending off vicious attacks from a sucession of petite, very pretty young ladies!  Although everybody had a great dealof fun, Frank's consummate professionalism was a joy to experience. I hope that Mosa Kaiser made the best of the opportunity to work with this fine comedic actor. |
June 2007
Rampai
Mohadi - Back from New Orleans & LA
 Rampai Mohadi won the role of
"Ota Benga" in "The Curious
Case of
Benjamin Button"
and has been working with heavyweights
Brad
Pitt and Cate Blanchet on this huge American production in New Orleans
since December 2006. Rampai made the most of the experience off set
too, becoming involved in Community work while in New Orleans.He's keen to share his experience with fellow actors, so we'll be working on helping this unassuming, generous ambassador for South African actors to do so at our Studio... Rampai Mohadi reviews a take with Director David Fincher |
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May 2007
"Generation Kill" SA Cast Leave
For Boot Camp!
 Also on their way from Johannesburg were:  Justin Shaw (Sgt. Michael “Budweiser” Brunmeier) and Denton
Douglas (Cpl.
Trevor Darnold)
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 Langley Kirkwood (Sgt. Steven Lovell) 
 Daniel Fox (Pfc. John Christeson) and .Bjorn Steinbach (Cpl. Michael Stinetorf)left from Cape Town |
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May 2007
 Nice to put a Face to a Voice... Christa has dealt with Hubbard casting in London for several years, so it was a pleasure to provide Ros Hubbard with studio facilities while she was in Johannesburg on a "Look-See" for an upcoming project... Also reassuring to meet another casting Director who believes in creating a positive and supportive atmosphere to allow Actors to deliver their best. |
April-May 2007  Pretty Intimidating!
Imagine being a well brought up young Actor... You and a buddy practice your scenes on the lawn outside the studio because if you practiced at home, your mother would smack your head for using such rough language.... ...then you're called into the studio to yell that same dialogue at these nice Ladies! Christa with Company Pictures Producer Andrea Calderwood (Top Right), Emmy Award winning Alexa Fogel, New York-based Casting Director, (Bottom Left), and Generation Kill Director Susannah White (Eps. 1 to 3) after Director's Call Backs. |
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April 2007
Natalie Joins the
Team...
 After obtaining her Honours degree in Dramatic Arts from the University of the Witwatersrand, Natalie Grcic did product placement on two major South African TV series before realising she’d “sold out” - the work was more corporate than artistic. She moved on and soon found herself in the casting office looking for work - not as an actress but as the assistant. She is very happy to be a “part of the team” and agrees with Christa: “All actors are nuts!” (Natalie says she's a Cashew!) Already hard at work breaking down scripts for new projects, Natalie has quickly adapted to the frenetic pace of a Casting Studio when deadlines for a current project look like overlapping with the revival of several apparently dormant movies! |
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March 2007
 Shake Hands With The Devil - ADR session We recently handled the South African ADR session of Roger Spottiswoode's film about the bravery of General Dalliere and the UNAMIR troops virtually abandoned in Rwanda to face the 1994 genocide. The Director cast several South African actors during a two-day session in our studio last year, then took them to Kigali to shoot on many of the actual locations in difficult conditions. We linked up Videolab across town with a studio across the world in Montreal, Canada, to make the session possible. Dialogue coach Fiona Ramsay & veteran actor Owen Sejake during the ADR session. |
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Another
international success story!
Rampai Mohadi won the role of "Ota Benga" in "The Curious
Case of
Benjamin Button" and has been working with heavyweights
Brad
Pitt and Cate Blanchet on this huge American production in New Orleans
since December 2006. Based on an F.
Scott Fitzgerald story, Eric Roth's Screenplay is
direced by David
Fincher. Briefly back in Johannesburg before going to Los
Angeles for his final calls, Rampai has
clearly made the most of his extraordinary experience. Workshopping in my studio with this gifted young South African performer prior to his departure for New Orleans was a tremendously creative and exciting experience, but Rampai will undoubtedly bring his unique personality to the creation of his complex, almost mythical character. He has commented positively on the warmth and care with which he was welcomed in the United States.
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March 2007
Moshidi
Motshegwa - Home Again!  Moshidi Motshegwa adds to her growing body of
international work by
playing a leading romantic role in this Dutch TV series shooting in
Holland and
on a South African wine farm. Auditions were originally held in
Afrikaans
and there was no doubt that Moshidi captured the Director's imagination
at her first read. A demanding role was later compounded by the Director's insistence that Moshidi perform her role in Dutch. Working in a foreign language through a cold Dutch winter on a distinctly European set gave Moshidi a unique perspective on the challenges faced by actors working in a foreign country. "When support structures that
you usually
take for granted are not available, you have to dig deep to find other
anchors for your confidence and professionalism," she
says.
The Dutch production tells a gritty and complex story of life on a wine
farm established by a Dutch family. |
 February 2007 We've
given the
studio a more
modern, cleaner look by installing a neat grey Cyclorama. The drywall
construction has the added advantage of making the studio even quieter.
Over the next few months we'll be improving ventilation too - Global
Warming is not just a theory!
Our Web site is undergoing changes too, so for a week or two into April the style will be inconsistent. |
 February 2007 Working on a tight
budget,
documentary director Junaid Ahmed needed a quiet location in which to
interview Robben Island veteran Tony Suze for the pilot of Video Vision
Entertainment's More
Than Just A Game, a docu-drama which tells the
fascinating
story of the part played by Soccer in unifying the prisoners on Robben
Island against their Apartheid-era jailers. This was not the first time
our Casting Studio has been used for a Shoot, and probably won't be the
last...
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| 2003 to 2005 | 2006 to 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 |
One of 