European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - March 13, 1988, Darmstadt, Hesse By John Nielsen new York times a after spending 10 years in Pursuit of movie acting career. Ryan Sand has teamed to Lake show business in when he decided to look or n Job of a wailed. Hrs admits to was rallied Tony Rama a a restaurant look Oul this Adlor wallers in variety said Sands who is 33 so i drove Over to irm Universal Sheraton walked Inlo the ballroom and Chr Lirosi thing i saw was hundreds of actors Wail my around Lor interviews i though 1 yes i am standing in a cat lie can or waiters " Sands was hired. He now works the dinner shill at a fancy now restaurant within walking distance of Universal studios. He collects Large tips his Day Are tree and at night he Waits on powerful movie people with Luck he might someday he discovered. The Luck would Havre to to incredible however getting a Job As a waiter out Here is like Landing a part in a said Craig Tennis part owner of the los Angeles res Laurall residuals. Where Ever you go you find lines and interviews and people who want your resume. When we opened two years ago i took Oul ads in tha Trade pipers and immediately got buried. We had 10 jobs and i probably saw Iso wired the owners of Chicago s popular de Degwic s announced a franchise in los angles Las Soring at least 1,000 people lined up to apply Lor 100 waiter s jobs according to David Mazzorana Iho manager. Since May when the restaurant opened Mazzorana guesses that he has received 5.000 More applications. We set up trailers in the parking lot to interview people or a couple of Days. We brought in the casting director from Alice. Hal to show about a diner to help us Oul Lor a White eventually it got too crazy. These Days we gel our people on for generations legions of hopeful stars have wailed on tables in upscale restaurants near the studios in los Angeles Ano near new York s theater District hovering near a casting director Here a famous playwright there. On Good nights the lips can pay a Telephone Bill an acting coach or the rent. On per incl nights these actors can draw he attention or at least the business card of someone big in Tho business. There is definitely an Arl to gelling no licks said Susan Childrey the manager at cafe in Deus trois in Manhattan Bui first you must be hired. Cattle Calls arc now she Rule not the exception while promotional photographs Aie increasingly required in the Universal Sheraton ballroom last All Lor instance applicants were photographed quizzed interviewed . Divided by ago and sex and then told to Wail by All accounts these actor waiters arc almost exclusively Whilo this in cities Hal Are otherwise noted for demographic diversity. Several restaurant managers on both coasts said the problem Lay in Iho labor Pool that Blacks were not applying in significant numbers for waiters jobs possibly because they Al they would not be hired Mel Cavalier a 24-year old actor and one of several Black wallers at de Debevic s in los a Gauss. Sard the absence of minorities As wallers mirrors their absence As actors. In this Lown we be been brainwashed by the Blond and Beautiful thing he said. Cavalier said some of his customers briefly looked surprised to see him approaching their tables but thai in does t go any at older los Angeles restaurants and in new Yolk the hiring process is More sedate. Tony Kennedy who hires at Joe Allen prefers to Send Early front runners through a three Day audition at the restaurant in which they Are mowed around and weeded Oul. At in Deus trots. Childrey looks for everything during a tryout from verbal skills to peripheral vision. Restaurant managers and owners have Long been divided on the merits of actors As waiters. At the waiting game actors in Pursuit of a career be they Are personable Quick willed and Quick on their feet. At worst they Are Moody inexperienced and Likely to quil with lit he or no notice. In general they have Little in common with career wafers who. According to managers and waiters Are More experienced but can be less personable. A spokesman for the los Angeles Ollice of the screen actors Guild snid the number of aspiring actors in the United slates has doubled in the last 10 years to roughly 70,000. As slurs these people make an a visage just Over $10,000 a year Wilh 80 percent earning loss than $5.000 a year. On a Given Day no More than 15 percent of the would be actors in inn los Angler. Area arc working in Guild productions thirty percent earned nothing at Alt As actors in 1966 fortunately r most Guild members in new York and Angelus hold other jobs in the Indus Liy. Or with industries that support it. Those who work As waiters lend to be Rota Tive newcomers typically in their 20s and 30s. The amount of Money these people make varies wildly depending on the clientele Iho restaurant the salary and Iho shift. Tho Friday night shill at 8 Choice restaurant can easily yield $100 in lips White a breakfast Shilt at a so so restaurant can yield nothing some actors say the work in t bad. There s a built in support network when everyone around you has Tho same problems said Spencer Sullivan. 27, who works at Joe Allen in new York. People Are also wilting to cover for you it you gel an audition at the last minute " and Hen hero is thai Chance til discovery. Basically you do whatever you can gel away with which varies from restaurant to said Marlene Casamento 30, who works at residuals. Sometimes it docs gel pretty Subtle " the first subtlety is figuring Oul who s who among the clientele. Michael lever a 25-year-old newcomer to dalt s in los Angeles said he quickly Learned to Check credit cards for the names of production companies and studios. In most res Laurants in is written in Stone thai waders a i not Bunmy ask or acting jobs or otherwise assault diners. 8ut Here Are ways around this. Randall Harnoss. 29, an aspiring opera Singer and actor and David Mcdonald Sang to their cd Slomers on Iho Fate shill at cafe u n Deus trois Livor. Al dalt a has his re sub printed on his lip tray. To did have one waiter in Hare who absolutely ignored everyone else whenever an Impi Lant customer came in said Tom Bailey of la Loggia in los Angeles. We i ave another one who once marched Over and Laid a scrip Down on a Guy s table right after dinner every actor Wailer has horror stories. Sullivan at Joe Allen said she was once approached by a casting director Only to be my Hal she ought to gel her Teeth filed if she Ever wanted to get a part in Tho soaps. Sometimes however things work. Hartness Lor instance recently Sang to he Friend of a prominent opera director which led to 3 performance Al Carnegie Hall parts with regional opera companies and an Oiler to travel id West Germany and sing. The scrip Laid Dawn on the Lable at Bailey s restaurant was sold it turns out. Fla Rush Feroze 25. Wore a Blond wig to her Job Al residuals last halloween and was cast in an As Cyl unreleased movie when a casting director decided Hal she looked like Tina Turner. And Sands reported thai through the restaurant connection a landed a part in the oldest Rookie a lbs television series that has since been cancelled. I gave them my card and they hired he said. I played the part of a Ali ecu in lot Angeloni a Carru " to a come lust Rorm Sindi v tin lot Angl i actor to in the non Jick Nith Buon. Dould sigh fund or d Ultra Hornun i mid Rush pc Roic to t t a Jutca Elul sunday. March 13, 1988 the stars and stripes Pago 17
