Section B·Page 2
The University Daily Kansan
Wednesday, June 28, 2000
Katy Martin, center,
Lawrence
junior, and
Angela Cross,
right, '08
Wichita, fulfill
dreams of
becoming movie
stars. Tryouts for
Project
Hollywood were
Saturday at
Kansas City
North High
School.
Contributed
photo.
Aspiring actresses strike a pose
Bv Jennv Barlow
Special to the Kansan
Imagine having a dream of becoming a famous actress and starring opposite Al Pacino in a new movie. This dream will soon become a reality for someone because of a nation-wide casting call from New Line Cinema for the upcoming movie, Project Hollywood.
"I'm not sure of the reason for the nationwide call," said Heather Laird, 1995 University of Kansas alumna and principal owner of Wright/Laird Casting in Kansas City. Mo. "My guess is the producers want to parallel the casting with the story line, which is about the discovery of an-unknown, named Simone, who becomes a big star."
Wright/Laird Casting was contacted about four weeks ago by New Line Cinema and began informing the media in Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, Iowa, Oklahoma, Arkansas and Colorado about the casting call that was Saturday, Laird said.
About 400 women traveled to North Kansas City High School in
Missouri to audition for the role.
Women filled out questionnaires about their height, hair and eye color, age and special skills.
They then waited in the auditorium for their turn to speak in front of a camera. Some women played with their hair, spoke nervously to others and discussed what to say. The back of the auditorium was speckled with stage moms, boyfriends and other supporters of the aspiring actresses.
"I felt like a dork because I didn't know what to say at first," said Barbra Wathanacharoen, KU alumna with a degree in theater and film. "I said I was a speech and theater teacher and that I wanted to be in the movie because my last acting job was such a blast. I was in a local low-budget horror film where I played a college student and a zombie."
The women were told to speak for about 20 seconds to explain why they wanted to be in the movie and to tell something interesting about themselves.
"I was a little nervous in front of the camera," said Angela Cross, '00 alumna. "I wasn't talking loud
enough and I kind of babbled about school and said that I'm planning on studying psychiatry, but I'd take time out to make a movie."
Although some of the women had life-long dreams of becoming famous actresses, a few participated in the casting call for the unique experience. "I wasn't nervous, but it was a little awkward being in front of the camera; it's not like this is something I've always dreamed about," said Katy Martin, Lawrence junior. "I said that I'm a dance major at KU, I love to perform and if they are looking for someone with a brain and discernible personality, I'm their girl."
The auditioners were informed about the casting call by articles in the Lawrence Journal-World and from watching the local TV news.
"My little sister was watching the news one morning and woke me up to tell me about the casting call," said Bailee Platt, Gardner, who will be a freshman in the fall. "I rushed around to get pictures taken and I was nervous the whole time until I was in front of the camera. It's a
good thing I speak well in front of cameras."
Zabrina Payne, Lawrence senior, said she read an article in the Laurence Journal-World.
"I thought 'this is a one-in-a-million chance to be in the movies.'" she said.
If the producers are interested, the women will be contacted to return to read from the script.
Wright/Laird Casting, co-owner by Jack Laird, professor of University Theatre, is a full-time. full-service casting company established seven years ago.
Services include casting of actors and actresses for the theater, motion pictures, feature films, made-for-TV shows, mini-series, national commercials and local and regional TV spots, Laird said.
"We cast 1,500 extras and 47 speaking roles in the movie Ride With The Devil," Laird said. "We also did casting for Mars Attacks, the HBO movie, Truman, starring Gary Sinise, and many other shows."
- Edited by Ben Embry
E-ndependence Day online
Sites bursting with info enhance the Fourth of July
Have a blast online this Independence Day with these red, white and blue Web sites.
www.ushistory.org Get in the mood for the country's birthday. This site, maintained by the Independence Hall Association in
Juan H. Heath
Philadelphia, has a
great collection of pages including: a virtual tour of Betsy Ross' house, photos of the Liberty Bell and information about U.S. historical figures.
The proper address for President Bill Clinton's li'l corner of the Internet is Whitehouse dot gov. View Clinton's his-
www.whitehouse.gov
toric Web address or peruse the tentative Clinton-Gore budget. You can also contact the leader of the free world via e-mail, but keep it nice.
wilstar.com/holiday/ July4.htm
Maintained by a high school teacher, this site has links about the Fourth of July and a collection of patriotic songs in MIDI file format.
You can't have a Fourth of July picnic without a watermelon. The National Watermelon Promotion Board Web site has recipes, carving ideas and a locator of the nearest watermelon festival. There are also some tips on how to pick the perfect melon.
www.watermelon.org
The self-proclaimed premier fireworks company in the country, this site is
www.fireworks.com
HOW TO PICK A WATERMELON
Look it over and choose a firm, symmetrical watermelon without any bruises, cuts or dents.
Select a heavier watermelon — it is 92 percent water, and this accounts for most of its weight.
The bottom of the watermelon should have a yellow spot from where it sat on the ground and ripened in the sun.
Source: The National Watermelon Promotion Board
owned by Phantom Fireworks. You can browse the company's products online, but you have to visit a store to purchase them. There is a game where you can shoot virtual fireworks over the skylines of Chicago, Dallas and other major cities. It's definitely not a dud.
www.fireworksafety.com
Before lighting a fuse, visit this site for some important reminders before you start playing with fire. The National Council on Fireworks Safety recommends that you always have water handy and that you never throw or point fireworks at people.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY BESTSELLERS HARDCOVER FICTION
5. The Search by Iris Johansen (Bantam)
2. The Brethren by John Grisham (Doubleday)
1. The Indwelling: The Beast Takes Possession by Tim
LoHare and Jerry Lockine (Dontal)
3. Cradle and All by James Patterson (Little, Brown)
Lanaye and Jerry Jennings (Tyndale)
6. Before I Say Goodbye by Mary Higgins Clark (Simon & Schuster)
7. The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison (Knopf)
8. The Empty Chair by Jeffrey Deaver (Simon & Schuster)
9. On Secret Service by John Jakes (Dutton)
10. The Vineyard by Barbara Delinsky (Simon & Schuster)
11. The Run by Stuart Woods (HarperCollins)
13. White Teeth by Zadie Smith (Random House)
12. The Special Prisoner by Jim Lehrer (Random House)
14. Off the Mangrove Coast by Louis L'Amour (Bantam)
15. Anil's Ghost by Michael Ondaatje (Knopf)
NONFICTION/GENERAL
1. Who Moved My Cheese?: An Amazing Way to Deal with Change in Your Work and in Your Life by Spencer Johnson (Putnam)
2. Flags of Our Fathers by James Bradley with Ron Powers (Bantam)
3. Ten Things I Wish I'd Known — Before I Went Out into the Real World by Maria Shriver (Warner)
4. Body for Life: 12 Weeks to Mental and Physical Strength by Bill Phillips and Michael D'Orso(HaperCollins)
5. Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom (Doubleday)
6. The Greatest Generation Speaks by Tom Brokaw (Random House)
7. Don't Make Me Stop This Carl by Al Roker (Scribner)
8. Me Talk Pretty One Day by David Sedaris (Little, Brown)
9. In a Sunburned Country by Bill Bryson (Broadway)
10. Payne Stewart by Tracey Stewart with Ken
Abraham (Broadman & Hölm丹)
11. In the Heart of the Sea by Nathaniel Philbrick (Viking)
12. Soul Stories by Gary Zukav (Simon & Schuster)
13. Duty by Bob Grasson (Simon & Schuster)
14. It's Not About the Bike: My Journey Back to Life by Lance Armstrong with Sally Jenkins (Putnam)
15. From Dawn to Decadence: 500 Years of Western Cultural Life, 1500 to the Present by Jacques Barzun (HarperCollins)
MASS MARKET PAPERBACKS
1. Hannibal by Thomas Harris (Dell)
2. The Perfect Storm by Sebastian Junger
(Harper Paperbacks)
5. Irish Robert by Norah Roberts (Silhouette)
6. Folinie Bay by Jayane Akrantz (Love) / EP
3. Irish Hearts by Norah Roberts (Silhouette)
4. Irish Rebel by Norah Roberts (Silhouette)
5. Eclipse Bay by Jayne Ann Krentz (Jove) (F-P)
6. The Testament by John Grisham (Dell Island)
7. Op-Center: Divide and Conquer Created by Tom Clancy and Steve Piecenik, written by Jeff Rovin (Berkley)
8. Star Wars: The New Jedi Order (Dark Tide II: Ruin) by Michael A. Stackpole (Del Rey)
9. Dr. Atkins' New Diet Revolution: How to Change Your Metabolism to Burn Fat More Effectively by Robert C. Atkins, M.D. (Avon)
10. The Saving Graces by Patricia Gaffney (HarperPaperbacks)
11. Pearl Cove by Elizabeth Lowell (Avon) (F-P)
11. Pearl Cove by Elizabeth Lowell (Avon) (F-P)
12. High Five by Janet Evanovich (St. Martin's Paperbacks)
13. Transfer of Power by Vince Flynn (Pocket)
14. River's End by Nora Roberts (Berkley)
15. Tomorrow's Promise by Sandra Brown (Mira)
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