Broadway Casting Director Benton Whitley of Stewart/Whitley
New York, NY
US

CONTACT NAME

Benton Whitley

DESCRIPTION

Broadway Casting Director Benton Whitley is back in the classroom — in-person on February 9th @ 5pmEST, and virtually on February 10th at 1pmEST. Each class will be followed by personalized one-on-one virtual meetings with Benton, which will include extended classroom feedback, self-tape technique tips, personalized career advice, and general industry brain picking. Students will leave their one-on-one with the confidence that they are approaching auditions with their best foot forward in the hybrid virtual/IRL audition world we are now witnessing.

Based on his understanding of helping new and emerging stage talent navigate the industry, Benton teaches a two-part intensive (Class One: classroom setting (offered both virtually or IRL) & Class Two: one-on-one private virtual meeting). Both parts of the class will concentrate on the fundamentals of auditioning for the Musical Theatre and how it pertains specifically to you — the actor — as well as the current landscape of commercial theatre in the US.

Expect to hear practical, constructive, and candid insight on elements of career-building, including: acting a song, making self-tapes, auditioning virtually, song choice, Union/Non-Union work, finding representation, how to get seen, the antiquated word ‘type’ and how it’s evolved today, audition books, working with accompanists and readers, how to take adjustments in real time, performance reels, websites, and how an actor can and should use social networking to their professional advantage.

CLASS ONE

Each actor will sing one audition-cut song or two 16 bars of their own and receive immediate feedback from Benton in a safe and intimate classroom setting, either virtually or IRL. In this session expect to dust off your "go-to audition songs", learn from watching your peers, and rep-lace bad audition habits with skills that will actually help you book jobs.

Class One Date:

In-person in NYC on Thursday February 9th at 5pmEST

*All students will wear a mask in compliance with safe COVID practices when not singing. An accompanist will be provided.

OR

Virtually on Friday February 10th at 1pmEST

*Students provide their own MP3 accompaniment tracks for virtual class.

CLASS TWO

Each actor will be given a 30-minute personal Zoom appointment with Benton. In this one-on-one meeting each actor will have the opportunity to discuss virtually anything as it pertains to the business, including the candid realities of their audition experiences and insight on what is really happening behind the table. Some of those "I thought my audition went well, so why didn't I get a callback?" questions will be clarified.

Class Two Dates:

Each student will schedule a personal virtual meeting with Benton within two weeks following the initial class.

Both sessions combined cost a total of $295

Class size is very limited. To apply for a spot, please email your materials to [email protected]. Include vocal/acting/dance reels if available. Please also indicate if you prefer the IRL NYC class on February 9th or the virtual session on February 10th.

*Please note this class/1on1 is for educational purposes only, and is not an audition.

ABOUT BENTON

Benton Whitley (he/him) co-founded the Artios Award winning New York City based casting office of Stewart/Whitley in 2011 with Duncan Stewart. Since then, his team has been responsible for casting numerous Broadway and Off-Broadway productions, including: LIFE OF PI, HADESTOWN (2019 Tony Award, Best Musical), CHICAGO THE MUSICAL, THE LIGHTNING THIEF, THE GREAT COMET OF 1812, ON THE TOWN, PIPPIN, LA CAGE, ROCK OF AGES, RADIO CITY CHRISTMAS SPECTACULAR, and this past season’s PARADISE SQUARE. Upcoming stage projects include 1776 (tour), MONSOON WEDDING, A WONDERFUL WORLD, GODDESS THE MUSICAL, COWBOY BOB, COME FALL IN LOVE, RIDE THE CYCLONE, OCTET, CAR WASH, WILD, and FIVE POINTS.

In addition to theatre, Whitley’s office has cast tv & film (Netflix, NBC, Lionsgate, The Disney Channel) and various indie films. His office also works on Broadway national/international tours, regional theatre, and all Broadway-branded entertainment for Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines worldwide.

Benton is a native of Goldsboro, North Carolina, a graduate of the University of North Carolina School of the Arts high school drama department and the University of Michigan Musical Theatre Program. He also is the co-host/producer of the queer mental health podcast: Why Here. Follow: @ben_ley @whyherepodcast @stewartwhitley & stewartwhitley.com

Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging are centered in what his casting office does in its daily practice internally, in its engagement with the professional community at-large, and in the stories they help creative team’s tell.

DURATION

Feb 9, 2023 - Feb 10, 2023

SALARY

$0.00 – $0.00 per hour

APPLY BY EMAIL

beyondthetablenyc…
^*NOTE: Do not copy/paste the above email address as it is encoded with SPAM protection. Just click it to initiate an email from your preferred email client.