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Founder Center Stage LA Founding member The Actors Circle, LLC Kevin McDermott was the founder of the former Center Stage L.A. and a founding member of The Actors Circle, LLC. Kevin has trained hundreds of young actors, dozens of whom are successful in television and film. In addition to being the on-set acting coach for the films Buffalo Dreams, Haven, Dudley Do-Right, Angus, Beethoven, Little Rascals, Free Willy, Beethoven's 2nd, All I Want for Christmas, Kindergarten Cop, Rocky V; Kevin was also the on-set coach for several of the young actors for the television shows Fudge and General Hospital.Kevin has directed and produced short films, video and stage productions including The Toast (an improvisational film). The Miracle Project (a documentary about autism and the theater), Nick Sterling-Catch Me If you Can (documentary on the fourteen-year old guitar prodigy, Nick Sterling - in production), The Case Against (a three camera cable pilot), Off Limits (a teen comedy pilot), A Dog and His Boy (an award winning children's short film), You've Got to be Kidding (L.A.'s first teen comedy improvisation group at the Laugh Factory).
For over sixteen years Kevin was a certified elementary and special education teacher working with children and teens with varied diagnosis of retardation, attention deficit syndrome, emotional disorders, physical challenges, autism and children with special needs, as well as teens in gangs and juvenile centers. Kevin has established theater-arts programs at a variety of private schools in New York, Colorado and California, directing dozens of plays.
Kevin's students are in demand and can be found in many of today's top films and television series. Kevin's students have won 5 EMMYS. Eleven of his students have been nominated for EMMYS, including Jennifer Landon , a two time EMMY winner for As the World Turns and Jonathan Jackson, a three time Emmy winner for General Hospital and ACADEMY AWARD nominee, Jason Reitman, for Best Director for Juno.
direct e-mail kevin@theactorscircle.com
310.800.5691
DEMO REELS All scenes directed, filmed and edited by Kevin McDermott. Reels are placed in random order. QuickTime PlugIn is necessary to play the videos in Quicktime. Quicktime PlugIn links are provided below.
Click on the picture to play the videos in Quicktime for Macintosh. Click on the link below the names to play videos in Windows Media Player for PC. The video for Windows Media Player will take a few moments to load. The quality in Windows Media Player does not represent the technical quality of the video. Quicktime Player, however, does allow for excellence in viewing.
Charlie Bodin
Miles Heizer Karen Landry
Darla Star David May
Connor Hance Jagger Chase
Laura Morgan Kyle McCreight
Tanner Perkins Rory McDermott
Cody Christian Al LeBrun
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Michelle Mullany Belle Burgess
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Bailey McGuire Shane Thomas
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Brennan Hillard Al LeBrun
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Luree Scott Celine Tien
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Madeline Martin Rory McDermott
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Jonah King Church Marcie Smolin
Tony Alberto Laura Morgan
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Kevin McDermott with Thursdays Child Productions
The Toast is a hilarious and poignant 63 minute improvisational film with 35 actors ages 5 to 75. Directed by Kevin McDermott, this improvisational piece was produced by Wendy Cutler, Charlie Bodin, Dee Marcus, Norman Marcus and Kevin McDermott.
Cast: Best Man - Charlie Bodin, Bride - Kelli Garner, Groom - Evan Grayson, Minister - Gary Anthony Williams, Mother of the Bride - Wendy Cutler, Father of the Bride - Al LeBrun, Brother of the Bride - Jake Dinwiddie, Grandma of the Bride - Dee Marcus, Mother of the Best Man - Lavina Dawson, Stoner Uncle - Andy Goldberg, Stoner Uncle's Son - Miles Marsico, Mother of the Groom - Lois Yaroshevsky, Brother of the Groom - Ben Hermes, Young Brother of the Groom -Jared Kusnitz, Gay Couple - Grady Hutt & Ricky Mabe, Minister's Nephew - Lafollette Marquis, Ex-Girlfriend of the Groom - Krystle Amberson, Son of the Caterer - Wayne Dalglish, Younger Son of the Caterer - Wallace Dalglish, No Friend of the Groom - Martin Starr, Cousin Gertrude - Shannon Woodward, Minnesota Twins - Kristina Lee Tepley & Jeni Nicole Blackwell, Older Cousin of the Bride -Caleb Moody, Saw "Socrates" the Musical - Stefanie Tepley, Bridesmaids - Casey Canoy, Stephanie Katz & Tiffany Hofstetter, Shrek Kids - Bianca Blades & Jazz Domingo, Stuttering Cousin - Arman Zajic, Jake's Ex Girlfriend - Chantilly Hofstetter, Teenage Hippy - Lauren Rigau, Little Cousins - Ethan Marcus (romantic six year-old) & Nermin Zajic, Wedding Singers - Grace Harper & Lonnie Laplant, Wedding Pianist - John Rosenberg, Waiters - Mary Luz Rigau & Larry Kusnitz and the Voice of the Videographer - Paul Willson.
Crew: Director and Editor - Kevin McDermott, Original Story Idea - Charlie Bodin & Dee Marcus, Producers - Norman Marcus, Wendy Cutler, Kevin McDermott, Dee Marcus, Charlie Bodin, Story Development - Wendy Cutler, Kevin McDermott, Dee Marcus, Charlie Bodin and all of our wonderful actors, Camera Operators - Andrew Cohen, Jeff Lengyel, Kevin McDermott, Lighting Design, Grip, Gaffer, Boom and anything else that needed to get done - Rick Dalglish, Grip, Gaffer, Boom Kenny Roberts, Hair and Makeup - Amber, Piano Stylings - Christopher Dawson & Fuzzbee Morse, Opening Song - Cinderleaf, "You Don't Know Me" - Arnold Walker, Sung by Michael Buble, Food Designers - Karen Kusnitz & Mary Luz Rigau, Production Advisor - Richard Salazar, Special Thanks - Nick Jameson & Grace Lutheran Church, copyright © Kevin McDermott, Norman Marcus, Dee Marcus, Wendy Cutler & Charlie Bodin.
No animals were harmed in the making of this film. Well, okay, there were no animals in this film. But, if there had been, they would have been treated with the utmost respect.
Alpha House
An improvisational drama set in a group home for troubled teens.
A DOG AND HIS BOY celebrates the joy of childhood imagination. It is a warm story appropriate for children of all ages around the world and the child in all adults. The film is a simple story of friendship between a lonely young boy and an abandoned dog. Through a series of three fantasy adventures, the two new friends take us back to the days of the mischievous Robin Hood, the adventurous pirate and the heroic cowboy. This short film shares the fantasy world between a boy and his dog through dynamic music, an engaging array of sounds and visually rich locations... without a word of dialogue.
AWARDS
The Chris Award (The 41st Columbus International Film and Video
Festival)
Telly Award
Jury Award (24th Annual New York EXPO of Short Film and Video)
Worldfest Charleston Finalist (The Charleston International Film Festival)
Certificate of Merit (Chicago International Children's Film Festival)
Award of Excellence Film Advisory Board
REVIEWS
"It's a sweet little film."
Simon Wincer
Director of "Free Willy" and "D.A.R.Y.L."
"The locations and music were beautiful... We were very impressed with eight-year-old Jesse Stock... (Jesse) displayed genuine talent without the use of dialogue."
Elayne Blythe
Film Advisory Board
"Great editing, direction and acting fuel this engaging short, which can be used in language arts classes and library programs."
Nancy McCrary
Booklist
"As a psychoanalyst of children... it is very clear to me that you capture in your film the essence of not only the fantasy life of this child but also the supportive and constructive relationship between a child and a pet... a job superbly done."
Marshall D. Schechter, MD
Professor Emeritus
Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine
CAST
The Boy
JESSE STOCK
The Dog
CRIMSON
CREW
Executive Producer & Director
KEVIN MCDERMOTT
Producer
SIMON BARRON
Director of Photography
RANDOLPH SELLARS
Editor
CID HUNTER
Illusion Television Productions
Music Composed and Performed by
AARON RANDALL
Crimson's Owner/Trainer
GREG MARCUS
Associate Producer
DEE MARCUS
Supervising Sound Editor
DAVID RAWLINSON
Post Production - Sound
WEST PRODUCTIONS, INC.
Special Thanks to DAVID JOHN WEST
For further information contact Kevin McDermott at kevin@theactorscircle.com
RUNNING TIME: 14 minutes. Color. In Stereo.
© 1993 by Kevin Robert McDermott