Laura Cayouette will provide written feedback on the top five submissions and provide a consultation session with the actor who wins the challenge. Laura has over 20 years of experience as an actor and has appeared in such films as Django Unchained, Kill Bill, and Now You See Me; television shows including True Detective, Treme, and Friends; and over 60 commercials.
Laura’s book Know Small Parts: An Actor’s Guide to Turning Minutes into Moments and Moments into a Career, is packed with practical advice and wisdom about how to develop a built-to-last acting career. The book has received endorsements from the likes of Kevin Costner and Richard Dreyfuss and is an invaluable resource to actors and filmmakers alike: knowsmallparts.com, Twitter, Facebook
John Schneider will be sent the winning monologue for consideration. To many John is best known for playing Bo Duke on Dukes of Hazzard, but he’s also had recurring appearances on shows like Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman, Nip/Tuck, Smallville, 90210, Hot in Cleveland, and The Haves and the Have Nots, just to name a few.
John is also a producer and director. Some of his directing credits include Smothered, Smallville, and The Secret Life of the American Teenager. He is the owner of John Schneider Studios, a production and post-production facility about 45 minutes away from the Baton Rouge airport that is fully equipped for independent film production: johnschneiderstudios.com
Below are the judges who will be evaluating the submissions, arranged in alphabetical order:
Marie Delahoussaye-Diaz, producer and artistic director
For around five years, Marie has served as the artistic director of Acting Unlimited, a production company in Lafayette that has produced staged versions of Bat Boy: The Musical, Dr. Horrible’s Singalong Blog, and an original theatrical adaptation of Neil Gaiman’s The Wolves in the Walls. Neil himself contributed to the Kickstarter campaign for that production, a campaign which allowed Wanderlust Theatre Co. to produce a variety of puppets for the show, ranging from shadow puppets to Muppet-style puppets to full body, multiple person puppets.
Marie was also the venue manager for Theatre 810, the performance venue where Acting Unlimited shows were performed. She is currently working as a theatrical producer and media consultant.
Steven Esteb, writer and director
Steven directed Judd Nelson, Beau Bridges and Howard Hesseman in Dirty Politics, a dark comedy he wrote. His Baller Blockin’ film starred Lil Wayne went quadruple platinum in DVD sales. His film Heartland stars Laura Cayouette and John Schneider and is currently in post production.
Steven also hosts the Louisiana Screenwriters Bootcamp, a workshop designed to help writers take their scripts to the next level. Classes are in Baton Rouge, Lafayette, and New Orleans: louisianascreenwriter.com, Facebook
Veleka Gray, actress, instructor, screenwriter
Veleka has been a finalist judge for the Emmy Awards since 1972 and is a member of Women in Film and Television and was inducted into the Louisiana Hall of Fame in 2004. As an actress, Veleka shared the Broadway stage or screen with scores of luminaries and has appeared on shows like The Young & The Restless and As the World Turns.
She has been coaching actors for the past twenty years in New York, San Francisco, at the College of DuPage in Chicago, and, since 2000, all over Louisiana. She teaches weekly in Metairie, Baton Rouge, and Covington and produces demo reels for her students: actorsdemoreels.com, Facebook
Micah Haley: editor in chief of Scene Magazine and vice president of Scene Entertainment.
After working on films like The Loss of a Teardrop Diamond, The Open Road, and The Vampire’s Assistant, Micah accepted a position with the City of New Orleans as the Deputy Director of the Office of Film & Video. There, he worked directly with producers, studio executives and other filmmakers to bring millions of dollars in direct economic impact to the New Orleans area.
Jerry Katz: actor and instructor
Jerry teaches the same Ivana Chubbuck technique that brought success to Charlize Theron, Brad Pitt, and Jim Carrey and is one of the few acting instructors who has studied with Ivana and is personally accredited to teach her technique.
Jerry has appeared on shows like Nightique where he shares insights about acting. He offers classes in Baton Rouge and New Orleans: katzactingjoint.com, Facebook
Ashton Leigh: actress and instructor
Ashton is a SAG actress appeared in several films shot in Louisiana including a recent appearance on NCIS: New Orleans. Her starring role in The Woodshed was well received in the festival circuit, and she has been a featured model in various photo shoots for 225 Magazine.
Richard Dreyfuss and Laura Cayouette have been special guests at Ashton’s Broken Leg Acting Studio. Located in Baton Rouge, The Broken Leg Acting Studio provides professional video auditions for actors, as well as line buddy rehearsals, private sessions, and head-shots: The Broken Leg Acting Studio
Lance E. Nichols: actor and instructor.
Locals might recognize Lance from his work in Treme. He’s been in 29 episodes! Lance has over 160 credits in film and television and has also appeared in House of Cards, Curious Case of Benjamin Button, ER, and the recent relaunch of Fantastic Four.
He has made over 75 appearances on multiple award winning and critically acclaimed television series including: Cheers, Murder She Wrote, Matlock, Everybody Love Raymond, and Desperate Housewives. He has even appeared in a commercial with quarterback Drew Brees.
Lance periodically teaches acting workshops in New Orleans: Lance’s IMDb page, Twitter, Facebook
Joshua Overbay, director, producer, writer
Joshua directed the award-winning film As It Is in Heaven, selected as a “Critic’s Pick” by The New York Times. The film was also praised by The Hollywood Reporter. His short films have received 30 awards for his short films at various festivals, and his short, Transposition, was a 2009 National Finalist for the Student Academy Awards.
He has written for Indiewire, is an Assistant Professor in Film at LSU, and resides in Baton Rouge with his lovely wife Ginny Lee and his ever-joyful daughter, Annabelle: asitisinheaventhemovie.com, Twitter
Nick Savides, filmmaker, host and producer of The nsavides Podcast
The nsavides Podcast is focused on the art of creative collaborations. Guests on the show have won Emmys, an Oscar, a National Book Award, and a Pulitzer and have worked on films like 12 Years a Slave, Forrest Gump, and The Amazing Spider-Man. Nick is also a filmmaker in Baton Rouge and a co-organizer of the Screenwriters Down South.
Nick is running the #KnowMonologues Challenge and will offer feedback but will not be voting on the top submissions: podcast.nsavides.com, Twitter, Facebook
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