In this Masterclass, casting director Margery Simkin ('Avatar: Fire and Ash') will be working with selected actors in a live and observed work session. This will be preceded by a brief conversation on her career, moderated by Rochelle Rose, SAG-AFTRA Foundation, and will be followed by an audience Q&A.
These reservations are for Q&A participation and observation only.
BIO:
Originally from Metuchen, New Jersey, Ms. Simkin attended the University of California, Santa Cruz and graduated with a major that had nothing to do with film.
She stumbled --with the assistance of a friend of a friend-- into the job of production office grunt. Reading everything she photocopied, she gained invaluable insight into almost every aspect of film production.
Slight exaggeration (i.e., lying) led to her first casting-related position trolling NYC schools for children who looked like famous actors for a film. This led to an assignment to find non-professionals for the original FAME. More traditional casting work soon followed. She went on to cast such films as 'Beverly Hills Cop,' 'Top Gun,' 'Brazil,' 'Field of Dreams,' 'Twelve Monkeys,' 'Erin Brockovich,' 'Marley & Me,' 'Avatar' and 'Avatar: The Way of Water.' Her most recent TV work includes the award winning 'Star Trek: Discovery,' 'Star Trek: Strange New Worlds' and 'Blue Eye Samurai.'
Based in Los Angeles, Ms. Simkin has had the privilege of working with many great directors including Terry Gilliam, Frank Oz, Danny DeVito, Guillermo del Toro, David Frankel and James Cameron.
Performance seats at Masterclasses are not guaranteed. Please do not email or call us. We will not respond to queries regarding performing at our Masterclass series. Our team will reach out if a performance space becomes available.
SAG-AFTRA ID AND PHOTO ID are required for entry. You MUST bring your paid-up, valid SAG-AFTRA card or your receipt of current payment AND a photo ID for admittance. No admittance will be granted without your current card or receipt.
A confirmation does not GUARANTEE a seat. Seats are filled on a first come, first served basis. Programs are overbooked to ensure a full house. Please arrive early.
Check-in opens 30-minutes prior to the program. Entry or lining up outside the Meryl Streep Center for Performing Artists is not permitted before check-in begins.
No photography or audio/video recording permitted.
No soliciting (including giving out headshots, reels, business cards, scripts) or autograph seeking from guest speakers
When you register for a program you are expected to stay for the entire Q&A as a courtesy to our guest speaker(s).
There is no food or drink allowed in the SAG-AFTRA Foundation Screening Room. Only bottled water.
This program may include explicit, sexual, disturbing or offensive content and is intended for mature audiences only.
The SAG-AFTRA Foundation reserves the right to refuse admission or service to anyone.
For those have accessibility requirements, including Sign Language Interpretation, please email rsvp@sagaftra.foundation ( AND nyrsvp@sagaftra.foundation if you're attending a NY program) with a minimum of three business days' notice and you will be contacted.
Cancellations must be made by midnight prior to the day of the program.
Failure to fulfill a RSVPed reservation or arrival after check-in is completed will be recorded as a no-show.
Three no shows within a year will result in restriction from attending SAG-AFTRA Foundation Conversations or The Business programs for 90 days. The year is calculated from the date of the first no-show.
The no-show policy does not apply to WAITLISTED reservations – UNLESS you are moved to the RSVP list. If you have been moved to the RSVP list and will not be attending you must cancel by midnight to avoid being recorded as a no-show. Your status will be changed no later than midnight prior to the day of the program – to give you time to cancel.
Waiting List –
If you are on the waiting list and a spot opens up you will be moved to the RSVP list and notified via email (by midnight prior to the day of the program). You may also check your status at any time by logging into our website. By signing up for the waiting list you are telling us that you are want to attend the program so if that changes please cancel your waitlist reservation. If you are still on the waiting list the day of a program you are welcome to show up to see if space is available. You WILL NOT be recorded as a no-show if you are still on the waiting list and do not attend or if you show up and do not get in.
The SAG-AFTRA Foundation reserves the right to refuse admission or service to anyone.
The SAG AFTRA Foundation reserves the right to refuse entrance to any guests.
SAG-AFTRA members and guests invited to events will behave in a professional and courteous manner. Any violation of the rules or transgression of decorum will be subject to review by the programming team, which has sole authority to remove the member from present and future SAG-AFTRA Foundation programs for unprofessional, discourteous, threatening or similarly inappropriate behavior.
By booking this program I acknowledge I understand and will abide by these rules.
SAG-AFTRA ID and PHOTO ID are required for entry. You MUST bring your paid-up, valid SAG-AFTRA card or your receipt of current payment AND a photo ID for admittance. Â No admittance will be granted without your current card or receipt.
A confirmation does not guarantee a seat. Seats are NOT guaranteed. Programs are overbooked to ensure a full house.
Late arrivals will not be admitted.
No photography or audio/video recording permitted.
No soliciting (including giving out headshots, reels, business cards, scripts) or autograph seeking from guest speakers
When you register for a program you are expected to stay for the entire Q&A as a courtesy to our guest speaker(s).
There is no food or drink allowed in the SAG-AFTRA Foundation Screening Room. Only bottled water.
This program may include explicit, sexual, disturbing or offensive content and is intended for mature audiences only.
The SAG-AFTRAÂ Foundation reserves the right to refuse admission or service to anyone.
For those have accessibility requirements, including Sign Language Interpretation, please email rsvp@sagaftra.foundation ( AND nyrsvp@sagaftra.foundation if you're attending a NY program) Â with a minimum of three business days' notice and you will be contacted. Â
Cancellations must be made by midnight prior to the day of the program.
Failure to fulfill a RSVPed reservation or arrival after check-in is completed will be recorded as a no-show.
Three no shows within a year will result in restriction from attending SAG-AFTRA Foundation Conversations or The Business programs for 90 days. The year is calculated from the date of the first no-show.
The no-show policy does not apply to WAITLISTED reservations – UNLESS you are moved to the RSVP list. If you have been moved to the RSVP list and will not be attending you must cancel by midnight to avoid being recorded as a no-show. Your status will be changed no later than midnight prior to the day of the program – to give you time to cancel.
Waiting List –
If you are on the waiting list and a spot opens up you will be moved to the RSVP list and notified via email (by midnight prior to the day of the program). You may also check your status at any time by logging into our website. By signing up for the waiting list you are telling us that you are want to attend the program so if that changes please cancel your waitlist reservation. If you are still on the waiting list the day of a program you are welcome to show up to see if space is available. You WILL NOT be recorded as a no-show if you are still on the waiting list and do not attend or if you show up and do not get in.
The SAG-AFTRA Foundation reserves the right to refuse admission or service to anyone.
The SAG AFTRA Foundation reserves the right to refuse entrance to any guests.
SAG-AFTRA members and guests invited to events will behave in a professional and courteous manner. Any violation of the rules or transgression of decorum will be subject to review by the programming team, which has sole authority to remove the member from present and future SAG-AFTRA Foundation programs for unprofessional, discourteous, threatening or similarly inappropriate behavior.
By booking this program I acknowledge I understand and will abide by these rules.
