LOCAL ACTOR CARVING A NICHE IN HOLLYWOOD

Tad Atkinson, who left Ft. Wayne to pursue a career in film and TV, has already made a mark for himself in the short time he been in Hollywood. He has signed up with a casting agency in Beverly Hills and has been attaining steady work as a background actor, including a film called TOUCHED and the new Discovery Channel crime re-enactment series REASONABLE DOUBT. "I actually had a series of foreground crossings that the director really liked," says Tad, "because it gave the camera a real sense of motion."

Tad says that several things are in his favor as a background actor: flexibility (he works days as a substitute teacher), an excellent work ethic (apparently, background actors tend not to take their work seriously), and good comic timing. "Right now until April is an intensely active time for background actors now and I'm told that there's actually a shortage at this time."

The non-union rate is $54.00 for 8 hours ($6.75/hour). Nine to 10 hours earns time and a half, and 10-16 hours is double time.

Members of the Screen Actors Guild earn a base pay of $115.00 for 8 hours ($14.38/hour). Nine to 12 hours is time and a half, and 13-16 hours is double time. If a background actor with a SAG card works sixteen or more hours, he earns base pay -- $115.00 per hour.

The average shoot takes 12 hours.

"Paid extra gigs are so easy to come by out here that some folks simply do that for a living," says Tad. "It doesn't give you any time to pursue auditions for principle roles, but it does provide enough work to live on, especially for SAG members."

With all the work currently available for background actors, Tad could wind up being SAG eligible in three or four months, even if he only lands non-union work.

Tad has also been cast as an abolitionist at a Civil Rights park, is involved with the drama guild of his local Society for Creative Anachronism (SCA), and hopes to get into voiceover work.

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SONDHEIM REVUE TO BENEFIT SCRIBNER ADOPTION

Local performers Samantha Teter and Joel Scribner will produce a musical revue, AN EVENING WITH SONDHEIM, on Saturday, September 25 at 7:30 p.m. at First Presbyterian Theater. The show is a fund-raising venture to help with costs of their upcoming adoption of a daughter from China. Pending the appropriate paperwork, the couple hopes to travel to China in January and bring their little girl home in February or March.

The show will feature some of Fort Wayne's best theatre vocal talent performing music from Stephen Sondheim. Although subject to change, the current song lineup includes "America" from WEST SIDE STORY, "Agony" from INTO THE WOODS, and "Everybody Ought to Have a Maid" from A FUNNY THING HAPPENED ON THE WAY TO THE FORUM, as well as songs from GYPSY, SWEENEY TODD, ASSASSINS, ANYONE CAN WHISTLE, A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC, and more.

Tickets are $15 for adults and $12 for seniors and students and include a dessert reception after the show. To reserve tickets, call Samantha at (260) 403-7458.

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IPFW COMMUNITY ARTS ACADMY FALL CLASSES

The Community Arts Academy (CAA) offers classes in art, dance, theatre, and music every semester at IPFW, for both children and adults.

A few of the classes include: INTRODUCTION TO PLAYWRITING (grades 9-12), Saturdays, September 25-November 13, 3:00 p.m.-5:00 p.m. $99. ADULT BEGINNING JAZZ (18 years or older), September 11-November 13, 5:00 p.m.-6:30 p.m. $90. DRAMAGINATION (Grades K-2), September 25-November 20, 11:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. $79. YOUTH DRAMA (Grades 3-5), September 25-November 20, 12:00 p.m.-1:00 p.m. $79. THEATRE MASTERS (Grades 6-12), September 25-November 20, 1:00 p.m.-3:00 p.m. $99.

Registration and payment deadlines are one week before each class starts. $5.00 is added to the price those dates. Call Jane Frazier at (260) 481-6059 to register or for more information on these and other art, music, and dance classes offered this fall.