Overview

Every April, OCSA produces an Actors Industry Showcase, which features 12 to 18 of our talented students ranging from grades 7 through 12. Held at the Garry Marshall Theater in Los Angeles, these students perform for an invited audience of Los Angeles talent agents, casting directors and managers.

Nearly 80 to 100 high-level industry professionals attend annually, including representatives from CBS, NBC, Sony Pictures, CW Television, Warner Bros, Disney, Abrams Artists Agency, Osbrink, and several other boutique agencies. The intent is to connect the students with industry professionals who can help facilitate the next step in their careers.

This showcase is directed by casting director and OCSA alumnus, Rick Messina (MT, ‘95). Auditions typically take place in late September/early October. The final cast list is posted by mid-November. Rehearsals begin in January on Saturdays (2 per month). The showcase takes place during the last week of April.

Actors Showcase 2020-2021 Schedule

Audition today!

This opportunity is open to ALL OCSA STUDENTS in all conservatories and all grade levels. If you believe your child is ready and willing to take the next step professionally, please encourage them to submit their audition materials by clicking the button below. Audition materials include:

1-minute contemporary monologue self-tape
Headshot or school picture

Submit Audition Materials

The deadline for submissions is Friday, Sept. 18 at 11:59 p.m.

In addition to the students' monologue, a self-tape auditon should also include a brief actor introduction with the following info:

Full Name
Age
Conservatory
A little bit about yourself. What makes you, you?
Besides performing, what do you like to do?
What interesting information would you like us to know about you?
If you could cast yourself in a show, what would it be and which character are you?

Be sure to check out the Self-Taping Tips, Monologue Tips, and the Actor Resume Template below.

Self-Taping Tips Monologue Tips Actor Resume Template

Callbacks

Callbacks will take place on Saturday, Sept. 26 and notifications will be sent via email by Monday, Sept. 21. The cast will be selected by Rick Messina. Virtual rehearsals will begin mid-October and run through April on most Saturdays during those months (except holiday weekends). A professionally produced taping of students' showcase scenes will take place at the end of April (date and time TBD).

If you have any questions about this opportunity or about the audition itself, please email Actors Showcase Coordinator, Katy Jacoby, at katy.jacoby@ocsarts.net.

Rick Messina

Rick Messina currently works with Rachel Tenner as a casting director on the Amazon series Upload created by Greg Daniels. He also works as an associate casting director on the upcoming Netflix feature Red Notice starring Dwayne Johnson, Ryan Reynolds, and Gal Gadot, the upcoming Universal feature Fast & Furious 9, the upcoming Netflix feature The Midnight Sky directed by and starring George Clooney, the upcoming Apple + series Severance directed by Ben Stiller, season four of the FX series Fargo, the Apple + series Home Before Dark and the upcoming WB/Netflix series Maid directed by John Wells.

Mr. Messina is also the casting director on the MGM/VUDU series Mr. Mom and the upcoming Snapchat series Total Badass Wrestling produced by Scott Aukerman. He cast the Netflix special Michael Bolton's Big, Sexy Valentines Day Special, the Viceland series What Would Diplo Do? starring James Van Der Beek, the audience network series Hit The Road starring Jason Alexander, seasons three and four of the Seeso/Comedy Bang! Bang! series Bajillion Dollar Propertie$, the STARZ! series Blunt Talk starring Patrick Stewart, the Netflix documentary They’ll Love Me When I’m Dead directed by Academy Award-winner Morgan Neville and the independent movie After The Reality starring Matthew Morrison and Sarah Chalke.

Mr. Messina served as the associate casting director for the Sony feature Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle staring Dwayne Johnson, Kevin Hart, and Jack Black, the Universal feature Blockers, the New Line Cinema feature Keanu starring Jordan Peele, Keegan-Michael Key and Tiffany Haddish; the Disney feature Tomorrowland starring George Clooney, CBS films' Middle School, The Worst Years Of My Life, the FOX series The Grinder starring Robe Lowe and Fred Savage, the EPIX series Perpetual Grace, LTD starring Ben Kingsley; the Hulu limited series Catch-22 directed by George Clooney, the Netflix Series Wet Hot American Summer: Ten Years Later, season three of the EPIX series Get Shorty and three seasons of the hit Comedy Central series, Workaholics starring Adam Devine, Anders Holm, and Blake Anderson.

While in New York, Mr. Messina assisted on several Broadway shows, including Nine to Five, Wicked, Cry Baby, and Legally Blonde with the renowned casting director, Bernie Telsey. He graduated from Cal State Fullerton with a bachelor of arts in theatre arts/film with a minor in business, and is also an Orange County School of the Arts alumnus.

Katy Jacoby

Katy Jacoby is an OCSA alumna (MT, ’97). She majored in theatre arts and also pursued a minor in broadcast journalism at Temple University. After being the managing director of a Los Angeles and New York theater company for over 13 years, Ms. Jacoby decided it was time to venture out and start her own business to pursue her other passion, arts education. She created J&O Creatives, a studio that combines Broadway and industry professionals that offers musical theater, acting, auditioning, and screenwriting workshops as well as master classes for kids ages 8-17. Katy has directed, assistant directed, produced, and performed in over 30 plays, musicals, and festivals on the east and west coast.

You can find her in multiple independent films and some TV credits including, Days of Our Lives, General Hospital, Blunt Talk, The Mindy Project, Young and the Restless, The League and Fuller House. Along with having assisted Rick Messina in his casting office and in the Student Industry Showcase, she also teaches Acting for the Camera in the Integrated Arts Conservatory at Orange County School of the Arts.