News & Events

BEE – June 2018

Presented in partnership with The LES Shakespeare Company 
BEE
Created & Directed by Melody Erfani
Written by Sean Michael Welch

June 8-9, 15-16, 22-23 | 7pm
June 10, 17, 24 | 3pm
HB Playwrights Theatre
124 Bank Street, New York City

RSVP – Free!

BEE is the story of Izat, a young Iranian girl trapped in an abusive marriage in the 1940s. After years of suffering both physically and mentally at the hands of her spouse she knows the only way she will survive is if she is able to leave him. In an unprecedented move her father is able to use his influence to secure a divorce for her. Moving back and forth in time from 1940 to 2009, the story weaves together Izat’s struggles with her path to a happier life. Based on a true story and inspired by a collection of interviews from Middle Eastern immigrants and refugees.

www.lesshakespeareco.org

Join a Summer Class Today

Registration open until July 3.

Summer Term will run 10 weeks, June 13 – August 22, 2018. (No classes July 4)

BROWSE CLASSES

UNION DISCOUNT:* Industry union members receive 10% OFF Summer Term Classes. Present your membership card in the registration office or email a copy to registration@hbstudio.org.

INTAKE AUDITION / CONSULTATIONS: Interested in our upper level classes? Audition & consult with a panel of HB’s faculty on Friday, July 6 from 4:00 – 6:00 pm. For details and sign up info, visit Auditions & Prerequisites.

REEL SUBMISSIONS: Are you a working professional seeking a place to practice? Submit your reel for placement into our studio practice classes.

*Discounts valid for Studio Classes only; not valid for workshop offerings, full-time programs or merchandise. Discounts cannot be combined nor applied retroactively.

Race, Casting and Representation – A Panel Discussion & Live Podcast

PEOPLE WHO MAKE THEATER

Curated by Peter J. Kuo
Hosted by Peter J. Kuo, Melissa Slaughter, and Alex Chester.
Recorded live for the podcast We’re Not All Ninjas.
Featuring a panel of industry pros, including Annie Henk and Tonilyn Sideco.

Monday, April 30 | 3:30pm | FREE | RSVP
HB Studio, The Speech Room, 3rd Floor, 120 Bank Street

Join us for a panel discussion and live podcast recording about race, casting and representation in the theater, film and TV industry. This will be an intimate roundtable forum, with a Q&A with an invited audience.

Sound Engineering by Alexandra Chludzinska

About the participants: Continue reading →

PEOPLE WHO MAKE THEATER: The Immigrant Arts Coalition- May 7, 2018

A Conversation with Co-Chairs
Ayse Eldek Richardson & Christopher Massimine
Monday, May 7 | 7:30pm
HB Playwrights Theatre, 124 Bank Street
Suggested donation $5-$10
RSVP
The Immigrant Arts Coalition is a network of multi-disciplinary arts organizations and artists united to empower immigrant arts, advocate for diversity and fair representation of all cultures, and celebrate the immigrant arts contributions to American culture. Formed in July 2017, The Immigrant Arts Coalition recognizes the importance and ongoing contribution of artists and arts organizations, who represent America’s diverse cultural mosaic. Members – represented by artists and organizations – will serve as the united front for advocacy, audience development, and work to collaborate with ongoing and continuous shared programs.

Casting Call for GET MINES

“GET MINES” by Frank Delessio
A staged reading in HB Studio’s TRANSGRESSIONS Reading Series.

Schedule: Rehearsals May 1 & 2 with the performance on May 2, 2018.

A pregnant African-American woman is at odds with an envious client. With her livelihood threatened, and her character questioned, she can only hope that those around her see through the lie.

CHARACTER BREAKDOWN:

Kayla (29): African-American. Kayla is very sweet. Someone you can rely on. She’s six months pregnant. She’s a receptionist at a veterinarian clinic.

Niesha (24): African-American. Niesha is very feisty. She’s carefree and careless. She’s been in some trouble before. She is also a receptionist at a veterinarian clinic.

To schedule an audition, submit headshot and resume to Director Patricia Golden at: goldencasting@aol.com

Weekly Notice

Classes | Workshops | Calendar | DONATE

This summer, we are offering workshops that give actors an insight into showbiz. Each workshop is designed to teach the skills any acting professional needs to make the difference between getting a callback and signing the contract. This summer, learn from professionals who have already walked the walk and join a robust community of students who will become your industry peers. Register now with an Early Bird discount of 5% off all classes with code SUMMER25N, valid through May 31.

The Business of Acting
with Fran Kirmser & Alexis Suarez
June 13, 2025
Offered by popular demand, this one-day Business of Acting workshop will give you tactics for navigating and building your professional acting career and enable you to put your focus where it matters most.

Voice Over Auditioning
with Theresa Buchheister
June 23-29, 2025
This five-session workshop covers three distinct areas of Voice Over acting: cartoon/videogame, audiobook, and commercial. With pre-selected material, you will simulate auditioning in each category and be given direction and feedback in areas which you can practice and improve your skills.

First Steps: Beginning Your Journey as an Actor
with Richard Hoehler
June 18, 2025 – July 16 & July 23, 2025 – August 20, 2025
Whether you are new to acting or have some experience, this workshop is designed for those who are interested in exploring acting as a means of expression. Specifically designed exercises, improvisations, and micro scenes and monologues ease newcomers into the craft of acting, help discover one’s true self, and foster a strong connection with others.

Audition Technique for Stage & Screen
with Pat Golden
June 13, 2025 – July 18, 2025
Audition with confidence. Perfect your audition technique for stage or screen. Learn what Directors and Casting Directors are looking for in your theatre, film or TV audition. Prepare for your next audition by learning what Industry Professionals want to see in your audition.

Online Auditions & Self Taping
with Magaly Colimon
June 16, 2025 – July 14, 2025
Casting directors and agents have made a dramatic shift to online auditions — including pre-recorded self-taped submissions and live auditions on videoconferencing platforms such as Zoom. Learn how to adapt your acting to succeed in the virtual sphere.

Take the Stage: A Musical Theater Audition Workshop
with Chris Georgetti
July 21, 2025 – August 18, 2025
This hands-on 5-week course is for anyone looking to feel more confident walking into a musical theatre audition—whether you’re totally new or getting back into the groove. Each week is designed to break down a different part of the audition process and gives you tools for every step of the way.

Live at HB Studio

Acting the Song with Lorraine Serabian
Friday, May 30 at 3:45pm
Helen Gallagher First Floor Studio, 120 Bank Street, NY
Pay-What-You-Wish, $30 Recommended

Behind the Studio Doors: An HB Open House
Saturday, May 31at 2pm
HB Playwrights Theatre, 124 Bank Street, NY
Free

Singing Voice 1 with John Bowen
Sunday, June 1 at 2pm
HB Playwrights Theatre, 124 Bank Street, NY
Pay-What-You-Wish, $30 Recommended

A Conversation with Hadi Tabbal and Reza Salazar
Sunday, June 1 at 5pm
HB Playwrights Theatre, 124 Bank Street, NY
Pay-What-You-Wish, $30 Recommended

Independent Study Project Lab
Tuesday, June 3 at 7pm
HB Playwrights Theatre, 124 Bank Street, NY
Pay-What-You-Wish, $30 Recommended

HB Studio News

Faculty News

Reza Salazar‘s The Zora Project, a series of community workshops in collaboration with Tanya Birl-Torres that honors the legacy of Zora Neale Hurston, continues at The Shed with “The Fire Dance: Exploring Zora Neale Hurston’s Lost Choreographic Works” on June 21 and “Glitter in the Dust: Exploring the Work-Song Tradition” on July 19.

Jessica Hecht was nominated for a 2025 Tony Award in the Best Featured Actress in a Play category for her role as Suzanne in Eureka Day.

Janice Orlandi will serve as Movement Director for The Other Mozart at Edinburgh’s Fringe Festival from August 1-25.

Peter Francis James directs, and Charlotte Bydwell assistant directs, All’s Well That End’s Well at the Old Globe in San Diego from June 8 – July 6.

Daniel Pearce performs as Brabantio in Othello on Broadway (starring Denzel Washington and Jake Gyllenhaal) at the Barrymore Theatre through June 8.

Lisa Pelikan performs in Cracked Open at Theatre Row through June 28.

Alumni & Student News

Thiago Jimenez Is directing and performing in Last Queer Supper at a secret location in Brooklyn on May 24.

Amanda Peet stars in Your Friends & Neighbors, now streaming on Apple TV.

 

Volunteer for Spring Clean Up 2018!

Spring Clean up is just around the corner: April 24-27, 2018.
It’s a tradition carried on from the start of HB Studio, created by its founders — a time to give back, enrich the building where you practice, and meet other actors.

Key Students and SAs are required to volunteer for one shift, and the rest of the HB community is encouraged and invited to pitch in as well!

Please sign up for shifts here.

Thank you and we look forward to seeing you there!

Casting Call for SOMETHING EXTRAORDINARY HAPPENS

An HB Rehearsal Space Residency Project
by Vincent Parker

Rehearsals: April through May 25th.
Performance Dates: May 26th and 27th 8PM at HB Studio.
Genre: Drama
Synopsis: Recently separated Robert arrives at childhood friends’, Bill and Christine, suburban home looking for some answers. Instead of getting the answers he is looking for though, he discovers that his old friends are wrestling with a few questions of their own.

Characters: Continue reading →