ABOUT US
For the past twenty years, Tom McSweeney has established his name and reputation as a casting director for film and television both in Los Angeles and for the past decade in Australia. In addition to his "day job", Tom has actively pursued his other loves of teaching and in directing theatre productions. The year 2009 brings to fruition a dream of combining all these skills into one synergistic whole. Tom McSweeney Productions is not only a full service casting organization for film, television and theatre, but also offers in-depth training in acting for film and television. The company provides both on-going training as well as Short Courses, Workshops and Master Classes by industry professionals throughout the year. Private coaching and development of individual performers can be arranged. Programs for children and young adults as well as school holiday programs are offered.
Tom McSweeney Productions is focused on developing the next generation of actors by providing opportunities in training and establishing a link between working professionals and up and coming actors. The company espouses learning the craft by establishing mentoring programs. The company\'s credo is that "whatever you learn, you must return".
WHO WE ARE.....
TOM MCSWEENEY
With a career spanning forty years, Tom McSweeney is an Emmy Award nominee as well as a four time Artios nominee for his work in casting for film and television. To date, he has cast over two hundred feature film, mini-series and episodic television productions internationally. In 1994, Tom was elected to the Board of Directors of the Casting Society of America, serving for four years in that position before moving to Australia in 1998. He is the only member of the organization in the southern hemisphere. Beginning as an actor at the age of eight, he has performed in stage productions ranging from Shakespeare and Moliere to Tennessee Williams, and Arthur Miller. He spent several seasons as a company member at the Great Lakes Shakespeare Festival in the 1970\\\'s working with such talent as Tom Hanks, Meredith Baxter-Birney, Hal Holbrook and Colm Meaney. He has also worked extensively in musical theatre and opera as both a performer and director. Recipient of a four year acting scholarship, Tom obtained his Bachelor of Arts Degree in Directing in 1983. While still at University, he wrote, produced, directed and choreographed a series of late night cabaret revues. To date, Tom has directed over sixty stage productions and choreographed another fifteen musicals, revues and operettas. After graduating from university, Tom began teaching acting and performance, initially at the Kenneth C Beck Center for the Arts and then at the famed, Lee Strasberg Theatre Institute, where he was the Director of Children\\\'s Theatre. While at the Institute, his students included Oscar winner, Angelina Jolie as well as “The Brady Bunch Movie” and “Legally Blonde” co-star, Alanna Ubach. In 1989, Tom began teaching acting, script interpretation and audition technique throughout the US as well as in Canada. Since coming to Australia, Tom has continued teaching, holding Master Classes in Audition Technique in Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide, Perth, Darwin, Mackay, Brisbane, Newcastle and Auckland as well as on-going classes in Audition technique and Script interpretation on the Gold Coast. He has continued to direct theatre productions including the award winning GCLT production of Thornton Wilder’s classic “Our Town”, receiving a Dolphin Award for Best Director in 2001. He followed that with “I Do! I Do!” at Spotlight Theatre the following year. Tom acted as producer, writer and director of “Timeless: The Songs of Gershwin & Porter” which enjoyed popular success with a sellout season in July 2004. In 2007, Tom was the Director for “An Evening with John Frost, starring David Hobson, Tamsin Carroll, Rachael Beck and Rob Guest and the Queensland Pops Orchestra at the Concert Hall at the Queensland Performing Arts Centre. In 2008, he wrote and directed a workshop production of “Isn’t It Romantic – the Songs of Rodgers & Hart”, which was followed by a full two week season in February 2009 at the Cremorne Theatre at QPAC.
ANNA BAKEWELL
Starting her career in theatre production Anna worked in numerous capacities; Tour Manager, Company Manager and Associate Producer on productions both, in Australia and touring to New Zealand – with luminaries of the theatre and film world including Lauren Bacall, Rex Harrison, Claudette Colbert and Russell Crowe.
For over a decade Anna worked as a Theatrical Agent in both Sydney and Melbourne, managing the careers of actors/writers/directors/musical theatre personnel and voice-over artists; acquiring invaluable knowledge in the business side of the “biz”. Anna has taught for The Australian Film and Television Academy (TAFTA), the Children’s Performing Company of Australia, (C.P.C.A) and for independent Casting companies. As a Casting Director, Anna has worked on film and television projects for both the Australian and the US markets and has travelled extensively screen testing actors across Australia and in New Zealand.
ADAM KING
Adam has worked extensively as an actor, singer and dancer for the past eighteen years and has enjoyed a successful career in film, television and theatre. Adam is a founding member of such vocal groups as Hot Jelly, Masquerade, Inner Sanctum and Encore as well serving as the vocal coach for the Brisbane Bullets Mascot Team 5th Gear in 1998. He is an acting teacher for the National Academy of Performing Arts and has an extensive background in improvisation and theatre sports. Adam was previously the Entertainment Director at Warner Village Theme Parks Australia and also devotes his energy to being a writer/director for his production company, Random Bear Films.
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