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Lights. Camera. Action.
Whether you are a new actor looking to improve your acting skills or a well-seasoned actor looking for community, Toledo Talent could be the organization for you!
Toledo Talent is a non-profit organization dedicated to supporting, educating and providing community for local actors and models within the Glass City.
“Advocacy and education are the biggest goals of Toledo Talent,” says Sadie Quinn, the co-founder of Toledo Talent and owner of NexGen Talent, a talent agency.
Teaching students the comprehensive steps to getting into the industry and alerting students on what to look out for in contracts are a few key components of the many industry skills that Toledo Talent implements into their program, explained Quinn.
“We want people to make back what they’ve actually invested in their classes,” she said.
Although Sadie Quinn and Zillian Black started Toledo Talent only three years ago, the organization has made an impact on local actors and models.
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Hanna Gerlica and Maurice McLester are actors/models in the community who regularly attend classes at Toledo Talent.
Hanna Gerlica, who was a background actress in Eenie Meanie, a movie that was partially filmed at Hollywood Casino Toledo, has attended classes at Toledo Talent since last year.
A few months after filming, Gerlica met Quinn and Black at a film mixer held by FilmToledo. Since then, Gerlica hasn’t left Toledo Talent’s side and has even signed with NexGen Talent.
Gerlica currently attends Sunday acting classes taught by Charles Wetzel where students have spent the past few weeks working on memory. Students would get a new script weekly and perform. Acting instincts is one of the many areas that the class will continue to explore, explained Wetzel.
While being a part of Toledo Talent, Gerlica has found that her confidence has grown as an actress, she explained.
“Toledo Talent is one of the best things that I’ve done for myself,” said Gerlica.
Maurice McLester would agree. McLester, an electrical engineer, has decided to pursue his dream of becoming an actor after decades of having a passion for the world of performing arts.
After searching high and low for talent schools, McLester stumbled upon Toledo Talent.
“So I said, well, let’s give it a shot, and I’ve never left because not only did I see the potential for where they’re going, but they have such a value that they’re adding by having so many different types of teachers, so many different types of classes, so many things that you could be a part of that you wouldn’t even know unless you actually gave them a shot,” said McLester.
Even though McLester has only been a part of Toledo Talent since January, he has found an agent and has had experience of being in commercials.
McLester currently attends acting classes on Thursdays taught by Chole Smallwood that will now be taught by Smallwood and Ashton Dominique.
Smallwood and Dominique’s Thursday classes involve the basics of auditioning, what an agency is, how to get involved with agencies and how to start getting work.
Currently students in Thursday classes are working on facial expressions while reciting a monologue. Throughout the monologue students are filmed primarily to work on emotional output, adhere to certain techniques taught in the class and gain experience of being in front of the camera, explained McLester.
“Any questions that I’ve had along the way, anything that I’ve been apprehensive about, they have been more than willing to walk me through the steps in order to succeed,” said McLester.
Sunday acting classes with Charles Wetzel are from 4 p.m.- 5:30 p.m. Monday acting classes with Samantha Ryan are from 6:00 p.m.-7:30 p.m. Thursday acting classes with Chloe Smallwood and Ashton Dominique are from 6:00 p.m.- 7:30 p.m. For more information on how to be a part of Toledo Talent click here to access their contact form.
