Actors Alliance of San Diego Welcomes TCG
(The photo above is from the San Diego Fringe Festival. This post is part of a series on San Diego theatre and culture.)
As the newly installed Managing Director of Actors Alliance of San Diego (AASD) I have received a crash course in the needs of local actors over the past few weeks. The various things I’ve learned have given me a clear idea as to what AASD has done to help Actors in the past (Actor Web Profiles, All City Auditions, Training Programs, Actors Festivals) and what types of things our Actors, not only need, but WANT, out of AASD.
AASD is in a unique situation, in that we are one of only five organizations in the United States that focuses specifically on helping actors. San Diego has always had a very vibrant theatre community which provides ample opportunity for AASD to get out there and help Actors get jobs, and with the TCG’s National Conference coming to San Diego, we will be able to step up and give our actors not only attention on a local level but also on a national level.
I am honored to welcome the TCG to San Diego. This is going to be a great opportunity for us to show everyone why San Diego is “America’s Finest City”. The TCG conference will reaffirm the artistic values that are already so prevalent in San Diego and help us to expand our horizons so we are able to produce more new works and provide more actors with paying gigs.
I am actively working to ensure that our San Diego actors will be able to showcase their talents during the TCG Conference (which if I didn’t mention it already, will expose our actors to not only local theatre companies but every major theatre company in the NATION).
I have kicked off my new job by creating and implementing a new Artist Development Program (participation information will be on our website soon). The Artist Development Program will feature workshops on how to develop, fund and perform your own works. Basically, how to self-produce a show. The Program will culminate in an Actors Festival where a select number of participants will performing sections of their own work during the TCG Conference.
AASD will also be hosting a second large audition in 2014. In March 2014 AASD will host the 27th All City Audition. As many of you know this audition allows actors to perform their best monologue(s) and a song in front every major house and casting director in Greater San Diego. With so many national companies coming to visit San Diego AASD will be hosting our first National Audition in June of 2014.
The Artist Development Program and National Audition Call will also directly lead to helping our local actors get International attention through our work with the San Diego Fringe Festival. The Second San Diego Fringe Festival will kick off in July 2014, just following the TCG Conference. AASD is working with San Diego Fringe Festival to give our actors local, national and international exposure to directors, producers, presenters, and management/agents.
2014 is going to be a phenomenal year for San Diego Theatre and Actors Alliance of San Diego is proud to be able to step up and be the voice for our actors.
As the AASD Managing Director Bryan Stanton is responsible for increasing the organizations visibility in the community and effectively communicating information regarding AASD to members and the community at large. Bryan is also responsible for managing the membership program, including creating and implementing member benefits and incentives; tracking and managing member retention; seeking out new members; and evaluating the needs of members. Additionally Bryan is responsible for the business and administrative tasks and duties necessary to run a not-for-profit arts organization; creating and executing the organization’s programs; writing grants; spearheading fundraiser events and ongoing fundraising programs; creating and maintaining educational programs; and the overall public relations and marketing of the organization.
Outside of AASD: A San Diego based Arts Educator and Music Director Bryan works as a Show Production Supervisor at Sea World San Diego where he is the Music Director for Shamu’s Christmas and Madagascar Live! Operation: Vacation and Director of SoundWaves at SeaWorld. Bryan holds a voice studio at his home in Chula Vista and works as Music Director for several youth theatre and not-for-profit theatre groups. Bryan has been seen in performances with Lyric at the Birch, San Diego Opera, Sea World San Diego, Legoland California, Point Loma Actors Theatre and SDSU Opera Theatre. Bryan holds a Bachelor of Music degree in Voice Performance from San Diego State University. Bryan is a member of the American Guild of Musical Artists and an alumnus of Phi Mu Alpha Music Fraternity.
