Standing Around On The Job

WANTED: HOOKERS, THUGS, lawyers and thieves.

A courtroom scenario, perhaps?

Maybe, and then again, maybe not. It all depends on what kind of scene director Herb Mandell and the Casting Company need extras for in next season's episodes of Spenser for Hire.

Last Saturday, hundreds of fame seekers, from belly dancers to commodity brokers, gathered in Government Center to try out for bit parts in the upcoming detective shows.

One woman chewed her nails nervously as she stood in line. "Shit-all these people in front of me are professional actors!" she complained to the person behind her.

Indeed, some of those attending the tryouts were hard-core actors who brought with them elaborate portfolios and years of dramatic experience.

"As a belly dancer, I've gotten to play a lot of different parts," said Kathy Cashin, from Kingston, Mass. "One of my specialties is my Mae West interpretation," added the sometime singing telegram performer, who heard about the tryouts on WMGX radio station.

Cashin said it was only the cold weather that prevented her from wearing her gold and baby blue belly dancing outfit to the tryouts--the casting agent had to settle for a snapshot of her costume insted.

"I've had about six years of acting experience and just want any exposure," said 17-year-old Susan Bott of Masconomet Regional High School, who read an ad for the casting in the Salem Evening News and drove in from Byfield, Mass. for the tryouts.

And John Parker, an aspiring lawyer from Tobsfield, said his last starring role was six years ago, as the Bionic Man in a sixth grade play.

Another man who was auditioning said he "was almost cast as an extra in the beach scene for Jaws--this time I'm looking for a real part."

A group of bubble-gum-chewing Westwood High School sophomores said they had won a school lip synch contest with their performance of Julie Brown's "The Homecoming Queen's Got a Gun."

But most of those aspiring to a moment of fame on the Sony screen had no acting experience at all. Many had not even planned to come to the tryouts.

"Well, this morning I was asleep on the couch, and my aunt said, 'what are you doing today?' She told me to come down here and try out--it was a toss-up between this and basketball--I guess this won," said Lee St. Louis of Lawrence.

"This morning I just came to work with my father--I didn't even know this was going on, but when I saw it I decided to try out," said Anthony Zaniboni, an eighth grader at St. Peter's school in South Boston. "I've never acted before, but I tried out once as an extra," he said.

And one woman waiting in line, who had never acted before, said she was on her way to shop at Faneuil Hall when she saw the sign and decided to try out.

BUT ACCORDING TO HERB MANDELL director of The Casting Company which sponsors the tryouts, acting experience is not important in becoming an extra. Extra casting, he said, was an effort to find the right face.

"When you cast extras, you are looking for certain categories of people, not experience. You need to match backgrounds and looks--you want someone who looks suburban to play a scene in Newton, and they won't look good for a scene in South Boston," the director said.

"Now we're looking for blue collar workers, white collar workers, people who look like lawyers, judges, hoods, thugs--we're even looking for good hookers. We always need plenty of those on Spenser," added Mandell.

Mandell said he chooses extras based on the photograph and the four minute interview he has with each person. While his assistant discusses what the extras will do on any given day, he jots down notes on each candidate's appearance.

"We're looking for a good sampling of people--a good minority mix, and a mix of age brackets," he said. "We want people who are looking for extra work and want to have some fun. It's a good experience--you get forty dollars a day, and the lunch is terrific," Mandell said.

But some of those trying out for parts in the show, known for its star, Robert Urich, were looking for more than just a free lunch.

"As long as I get a love scene with Spenser, I'll pay them," said Cashin, the belly dancer, who approached Mandell during someone else's interview and invited him to her show.

And "a kissing scene with Robert Urich--or anything would be fine with me," said Cyndi Rosa, an acting major at Northern Essex College.

"My ideal scene would be one in which I got to hand something to Robert Urich--just so my grandmother can see," said Justine Serino, a Boston actress.

Still other Robert Urich fans turned the scene into an entrepreneurial experience.

Lynda Murphy of Andover, Mass., who brought her children to try out and to see the TV star, had brought a Polaroid camera with her to take personal pictures, but when she realized there were several people at the casting who had forgotten to bring photographs, she turned their loss into her financial gain.

"It certainly was not planned, but when I realized lots of people didn't have photos, I ran down to the camera shop and bought three things of film. Now I'm charging three dollars a picture--it's the American way. You don't just want to stand in the cold," Murphy said. And Murphy made more money in the two hours she took pictures for aspiring extras then they themselves would make in a day of work.

While the rest of the crowd waited in line for an interview with Mandell, supporters of the TV show collected signatures for the SOS--"Save our Spenser"--campaign.

According to supporters, the show has poor ratings and the network is considering cancelling it. They asked each candidate to submit a written statement explaining why the program should remain on the air, and comments ranged from "Robert Urich is a cool dude--he's talented and gorgeous," to "the camaraderie between Hawk and Spenser is a positive view for Boston, showing that men of color can work together to form a successful unit."

Bott argued that "Spenser should remain on the air because it employs Boston actors," and Murphy said the show was one of the only ones she let her children watch because "it's a quality show in the way they handle controversial subject matter. When Spenser kills someone he feels regret, and he hates to resort to violence. It's something my children can learn from, unlike Miami Vice, which seems to glorify violence," she said.

Those getting parts as extras in Spenser for Hire next season will be notified a few days before they are needed on the set, said Mandell.

"I'd really love to get a part," reiterated Bott. "Maybe this will be my big break."