An On-camera Acting Class

Bay Street Theater will present a six-week on-camera acting workshop with New York casting director Meghan Rafferty starting Saturday, March 19. Classes will meet Saturdays from 10 a.m. to noon through Saturday, April 23, and will be held live and in-person at the theater in Sag Harbor. Masks and proof of vaccination are required for entry. Registration is $300 for six sessions and is open to adults and teens age 14 and up. For more information, call 631-725-9500 or visit baystreet.org.

Rafferty is returning to Bay Street for a class that provides an engaging and insightful look at the on-camera audition process for film and television. This time though, her expertise and in-depth feedback will be spread over the course of six weeks. Each week, participants will be given a new scene to work on; one of the weeks will be focused on “cold reading,” a common phenomenon in the world of auditioning for film and television. Students will potentially have just 20 minutes to prepare an audition.

The audition process has changed drastically in the last two years due to COVID-19. Gone are the days of crowded audition rooms. In the future, there will be more opportunities for those actors who do not live in the major casting centers of New York City or Los Angeles. But first, actors must learn how to make a great self-tape. Rafferty will give invaluable feedback on scenes and will also give participants advice on all aspects of self- taping including set-up, recording, editing and how to send an audition tape to casting directors that will take actors to the next level.

Participants will be given their audition sides in advance of the class and will be put on tape during class. The best “take” each week will be sent to the participants following that particular week’s class via email. Rafferty will also give industry insight to anyone who brings their headshot and resume.

The class is open to beginners as well as seasoned professionals. Rafferty is a casting director and actor who, over the past 17 years has worked with some of the most respected directors, writers and producers in the television and film industry. She is currently producing and casting with her business partner Mia Cusumano.