Crowds flock to Plano hoping to be cast in Superman’s shadow
By Erika Wurst ewurst@stmedianetwork.com June 22, 2011 7:36PM
Counting numbers to pass the time, Grace, 8, and her mom Deanna Auersch of Big Rock make it past 250 as they wait in line outside of Plano High School in Plano on Wednesday, June, 22, 2011 for a casting call to be an extra in the upcoming remake of the movie Superman. | Brian Powers~Sun-Times Media
Updated: September 29, 2011 12:55AM
PLANO — “Oh my gosh, these are a lot of people!” a tiny tot said Wednesday night as she rounded the corner outside Plano High School, where hundreds of silver screen hopefuls lined up to land a role in Warner Bros. new Superman film.
The line, which started forming at 11 a.m., continued to grow as the 6 p.m. casting call drew near.
“I’ve been Facebooking everybody, telling them, ‘Let’s be in a movie together,’” said Plano resident Monique Christy. The tactic seemed to work. Residents of the small town turned out in droves with their fingers crossed at landing a paid background role in the Superman sequel. Filming will take place in August throughout Plano and Chicago.
“It’s just really exciting. I hope I can be in it doing anything,” Christy said. “I told them they can even blow up my truck if they want to. It’s a beater.”
Once inside the high school, the casting process took just several minutes. Hopefuls were told to fill out a short application—with their names, ages, sizes, occupations and addresses, then stood in line to have a quick snapshot taken.
That was it.
The process of getting to that point, however, was the daunting task.
“This is fairly ridiculous,” one woman said with a roll of her eyes as spied the long, snaking line.
“Are we crazy, or what?” another woman shouted as she made her way across the lawn.
Those who submitted their applications online, via the casting company’s website, would likely say the woman was indeed a little nuts.
With a simple click of the mouse, online applicant submissions ended up in the same data bank as those who braved the long lines.
Casting company employees said more than 3,000 online applications have been submitted, but that the option isn’t stopping people from showing up in person at local casting calls.
Plano resident Mike Blackwell knew about the online option, but chose to show up in person on Wednesday.
“My son did it online,” he said, “but I wanted to come here in person.”
Blackwell’s friend, Plano resident John Gamble, said he felt his chances to be “found” were greater face-to-face.
“My buddy got found at a casting call, and he’s been in like four movies,” Gamble said.
Alycia Donais, of Sugar Grove, was in it for the fun, rather than for the potential of fortune and fame.
“You can’t go wrong screaming and running away from an explosion,” said the pierced 20-year-old. “Everybody has been talking about this for months.”
It isn’t the first time Plano residents have had Hollywood descend upon their town.
Larry the Cable Guy filmed “Witless Protection” in Plano several years ago. The allure of Superman, however, superseded the comedy film.
“It’s just so weird. This town is so small,” said 20-year old Giselle Solorio, who, along with her sister Angelica, 18, and friend Karina Mendez, 16, showed up early Wednesday. “
“Obviously if I have a chance to be a part of something this big, I will take it.”
Residents from across the suburbs had similar ideas. There were old folks and infants in line next to teens and toddlers. Parents huddled with their children under umbrellas, trying to keep freshly primped hair from frizzing in the rain.
Girls in sun dresses stood next to punk-rockers in skinny jeans and sneakers, and the elderly pushed their walkers through the wet grass and into the growing line.
Cars lined up along Abe Street waiting to park as the entire town seemed to flock to the block.
For Michelle O’Hara, the opportunity was ripe for peddling fliers to promote the Fox Valley Family YMCA’s Fine Arts Theatre Camp.
“We’re running really low on (participants),” O’Hara said. “I thought that here would be the best place to recruit.”
The camp needs more than a dozen additional participants for its summer production, which will take place at the Sandwich Opera House at the end of July.
With three weeks left until the mid-July camp dates, O’Hara is hoping to fill up all of her open spots.
“We’ve been doing this (camp) for 20 years, and we’re not going to cancel the show,” O’Hara said. “The show will go on.”
For those who fail to make it as extras on the silver screen, there’s still a place on the small stage, O’Hara said.
Children enrolled in grades 1 through 12 can participate in the YMCA’s two fine arts camps. For more information visit www.foxvalleyymca.org.
For those who couldn’t make it to the Plano casting call, online submissions can be made at afbackground.com/submit.
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