ABC ENTERTAINMENT TELEVISION GROUP'S TALENT DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT HOSTS NEW TALENT SHOWCASE IN NORTH HOLLYWOOD, CA

Eighteen Actors to Perform for Industry and Network Executives on December 6

As part of its ongoing effort to find and develop culturally and ethnically diverse talent and actors with disabilities, the ABC Entertainment Television Group's Casting Project offers the latest in its series of talent showcases featuring promising actors performing in a series of one-act vignettes. The showcase will be held MONDAY, DECEMBER 6 at The El Portal Theatre Center for the Arts, 5269 Lankershim Boulevard, in North Hollywood, California.

Spearheaded by vice president of Talent Development Programs Carmen J. Smith, ABC executive vice president of Casting Gene Blythe, senior vice president of Casting Keli Lee and manager of Talent Development & Casting Randi Chugerman, the showcase is produced in partnership with AFTRA, East West Players, Media Access, Nosotros, The Robey Theater and SAG.

The talented cast of eighteen was selected from among the more than 700 actors who auditioned. Actors were selected based upon auditions that were held all across the country, including Atlanta, GA, Albuquerque, NM, Raleigh-Durham, NC and San Antonio, TX. The showcase features a multi-ethnic and multi-faceted cast. Although not open to the public, casting directors, agents and other industry professionals will view the performances, which will be directed by Bennett Guillory and Mike Gomez.

The actors to be featured are Theodore Borders, Nicole Cavazos, Richard Chiu, Brett Claywell, Sandra Echeverria, Frank Faucette, Aaliyah Franks, Chris Gardner, Janina Gavankar, Phillip Jeanmarie, Maya Hazen, Sunil Malhotra, Meghan Markle, Alejandro Rose-Garcia, Marc Anthony Samuel, Stephen Swan, Ann Stocking and Datari Turner.

The ABC Entertainment Television Group's Talent Development Department is committed to discovering and nurturing new and diverse talent and is exemplified through many of its programs, including The Casting Project, The ABC/Disney Writing Fellowship, The Talent Development Scholarship and Grant Program, The ABC/DGA Directing Fellowship and The Entertainment Associates Program.