A unique opportunity for 12 Equity members to unlock Shakespearean text through rigorous textual and dramatic analysis, while drawing on improvisation and play to liberate the actor’s body and imagination, with Central School of Speech and Drama tutor and theatre director Ben Naylor. His work concentrates on the psycho-dramatic structures the playwright embeds in his form and language, and on the intimate and truthful relationship between actor and audience.

Preparation:
All successful applicants need to prepare a scene with a partner from a Shakespearean play written after 1595, that is approximately five minutes long. The scene needs to be ready to work on the floor and off-book at the workshop. Equity will liaise with the successful applicants to pair them up prior to the masterclass.

*This masterclass is geared to the experienced actor who has either completed an acting degree or has worked professionally for at least three years.

Bio of host:
Faculty member University of London, Central School of Speech and Drama. Studied at Durham University, Magdalen College Oxford, and Drama Centre London. Ben has taught acting at Shakespeare's Globe, the Shakespeare Centre, the Method Studio, LAMDA, ASAD, Cambridge University, Queen Mary and Westfield, Kingston University, Birkbeck College, at Berlin’s Forum fur Filmschauspiel, and in the US, New Zealand, Israel and Greece; he also currently teaches for Florida State University’s Theatre Academy London. He has led workshops and readings at Shakespeare's Globe, the Old Vic, Young Vic, King’s Head, Gatehouse, and the Salon des Arts; and was a founder member of the Young Vic Genesisprogramme and the Caird Company.

Our thanks to Ben Naylor and Pop Up Globe for their support of Equity New Zealand.

Register here.

Spend a day workshopping with director Sima Urale – framing for performance and the power of composition and framing. Ever wondered what these film directors are up to and why? Explore the frame and it’s relation to character and dynamics within a scene. Why the saying ‘A picture says a thousand words’ still applies to moving image.

Bio of host:
Bio of host: Sima Urale has worked in the creative industry from theatre to film and television for a total of 24 years, initially as a professional actor in theatre, and then in the last 20 years as a freelance filmmaker. A graduate of Toi Whakaari - NZ Drama School, the Victorian College of the Arts film and Television School in Australia, Sima Urale is an award winning filmmaker with extensive experience in drama and acting, writing and developing screenplays; to directing numerous films from drama to documentary, TV commercials, music videos, and corporate videos; mentoring emerging filmmakers; to teaching as a Senior Lecturer in film at Unitec and as Head tutor at the NZ Film & TV School from 2012 to 2015. She is currently in development with two feature films whilst spending time with her elderly mother.

Auckland 4th March, Registration here.

Wellingotn 18th March, Registration here.

AUDITIONING

• No simulated sex scene in any audition or screen test.
• No nudity or semi-nudity in the first audition or screen test. (You may be asked to audition in swimwear if the audition is for a swimwear commercial but you will be informed in advance).
• Nudity and semi-nudity is allowed in recalls but the producer must provide you with the script 72 hours in advance so that you can consult Equity. Equity must also be advised at the time of the booking.
• If you are nude or semi-nude in a recall, you may bring a support person to be with you throughout the shoot.
• The only other people allowed to be present in the audition room will be the Casting Director and/or Director/Producer, and the Reader.
• You will sign a written agreement with the Casting Director that any recording of a nude or semi-nude audition will be confidential. All material recorded must be protected, non-downloadable, only for the purpose of showing decision makers and should be destroyed once the role has been cast.
  

YOUR CONTRACT

• The standard Equity contract for screen productions allows you to agree, or disagree, to performing nude and to performing simulated sex and choose the type of nudity you are willing to do (e.g. buttocks only, or full frontal).

• Actors sometimes accept a role in which their character will be semi-nude, only to find later that additional scenes have been written into the script which include sim full frontal nudity and simulated sex. Therefore, do not sign up a contract for full frontal nudity and simulated sex if you are only prepared to go semi-nude.

• After agreeing to nudity and/or simulated sex, please inform your agent that once on stage or set, you want a discussion with the director about every nude scene and a summary of agreed scenes in writing.

• Don’t do low budget, no budget or independent films without a contract – especially if they have nude or simulated sex scenes. If the production is not professional enough to give performers a contract, it won’t be professional enough to allow you to control how much nudity and simulated sex scenes you do.

PERFORMING

• If you agree in a contract to do full frontal nudity and simulated sex some directors may ask for nude scenes that you were not expecting. Even if you have signed an agreement to do a nude scene, a good director will never force you to do it.
• Set up a practice where you discuss every nude scene with the director before you perform it.
• Ideally, directors should describe the detail of every nude shot to the performer before getting the performer’s written consent.
• You should be covered up in robes until the moment the shoot starts and then again once the camera stops rolling. There is no standing around naked. Non-actors need to stay out of the way of the actors in nude scenes. They should not position themselves so that nude actors have to brush past them. Crew may not enter the room during a nude shoot.
• No nudity under pressure – for example, if you are asked to do nude scenes that you are uncomfortable just before you need to complete your film, just say no.

BODY DOUBLES 

• Don’t give blanket consent to a body double to perform whatever nudity and simulated sex the producers want. Everyone will think the body double is you, so you must approve each and every doubles scene in writing.

MODESTY CLOTHING OR PATCHES

• Never do a nude or simulated sex scene without modesty clothing or patches: strapless skin-coloured bras and underpants or a modesty patch to cover both male and female genitalia.
• Before doing a nude scene, get the wardrobe department to show you how modesty clothing works and try it on. Don’t wait till the day of the shoot.
• Actresses can place band aids in an X across their nipples so that if the strapless bra slips, the footage of your nipples is not useable.

GENITALIA and KISSING

• No nudity with genitals touching. There must always be a barrier such as a nudity patch or a g-string. Extra underwear can be digitally removed during editing (if you agree). So there is no reason for two performers to shoot simulated sex completely nude with your genitals touching.
• Never use your tongue in kissing scenes on stage. When rehearsing a steamy stage kiss, start off by giving each other a peck. There is no need to do the whole kiss on the first rehearsal. 

• On screen, you don’t need to use tongue in a kiss unless both actors and the director want it. If only the director wants it, but not the performers, say no.

Issued by Equity New Zealand, October 2015

Monday, April 11, 6.30pm – 8pm at the Unitec Screening Room in Auckland.

She's the Best Thing in it is a powerful film about an actor's craft and the sacrifices demanded by a lifelong career.

RSVP essential. https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/special-screening-shes-the-best-thing-in-it-tickets-23122445858

A reminder to please fill in the Equity survey of theatre performers in New Zealand.

We’d like an overview of conditions and pay for performers in New Zealand theatre, and an idea of how it’s all going!

Your anonymity is guaranteed, with survey responses only reported in aggregated form.

START THE SURVEY HERE

It is really important that Equity hear from all actors who have ever done theatre work.

This Equity NZ Green Room event was held in Auckland at The Basement Theatre on 18 October 2015. Equity president Jennifer Ward-Lealand hosted the conversation with industry experts Michelle Lafferty (director of Elephant Publicity), Kerry Warkia (producer and performer and founding member of Brown Sugar Apple Grunt Productions) and Gabrielle Vincent (Artistic Development Manager at The Basement Theatre). The panel spoke to a packed theatre of about 120 performers about how to use social media, publicity, and networking to extend their opportunities and build their brands.

Watch the video.

Filmed by Frank Borrell