NY State Defenders Basic Trial Skills seeking actors to play: Construction Workers, Detectives, Client Bobby Jones
Actor Information About the Basic Trial Skills Program (BTSP)
The program takes place Saturday, June 7 through Friday, June 13, 2025 at Skidmore College in Saratoga, NY.
More specific time/place and roles available, located below.
The Basic Trial Skills Program is a week-long training for Public Defenders. It is a short but intense boot camp to prepare defenders, who are already practicing attorneys working in Public Defender offices, for trial practice.
The BTSP is run by the New York State Defenders Association (NYSDA), the Backup Center for New York’s public defense bar. NYSDA has many projects but one mission: to advance criminal defense for poor clients. Advocating for poor clients is not simply a win-lose legal proposition. NYSDA believes in Client-centered Representation as part of its dedication to social justice.
The Basic Trial Skills Program is designed to help attorneys with little or no trial experience become skilled in jury persuasion and to promote caring, humane representation. The program promotes long-term commitments to the representation of poor and marginalized people.
The BTSP Actors
Actors are integral to the program. In six role-play exercises, actors impersonate the client and other witnesses. During the exercises, the defenders-in-training will practice communication skills. The actors will improvise based on the facts of the case, a character profile and the teaching goals of the exercise. While the actors will be improvising within specified givens, the attorneys will practice as they have been instructed in the program. This design creates an interesting dynamic in which the actor is playing a role while the attorneys are functioning as themselves. Since its inception in 1989, the BTSP has earned national recognition for the realism of its actors in courtroom simulations. This realism allows the lawyers to practice their skills intensely, but without fear of their client going to jail.
Actors in the BTSP are paid a modest stipend for training and performance. They work as non-union independent contractors. Numerous Equity, SAG and AFTRA members have acted in the BTSP throughout the years.
The parts available are listed below. We will be casting multiple actors to play these roles, because exercises occur in seven small groups simultaneously.
Roles
The Client Bobby Jones:
Bobby Jones, defendant, 26 years old, male. We will consider actors between 20 and 35 depending on apparent age. We seek actors who are Black, Latino, Native American or White.
Bobby’s childhood was impoverished both materially and emotionally. He has difficulty managing his anger and his temper has caused him trouble with the law. Bobby has a history of domestic violence. He is accused of attempting to murder his live-in girlfriend. Actors playing Bobby must be able to understand and portray a man in trouble, with a troubled past, desperately clinging to his dignity.
Witnesses:
Male construction workers, age 25-40. Hard working, hard drinking. Powerful physique a plus. Must be able to realistically portray blue collar individuals without stereotyping.
Detective: age 35-50. Hard-nosed Crimes Against Persons investigator. Can be male or female, any race or ethnicity.
The Audition Process
Auditions will be scheduled at a time that works for both the actor and the casting director. The auditions are individual and usually take thirty to forty-five minutes. They are held at 40 Beaver Street, Albany, NY. Live auditions via Zoom will be considered depending on timing and circumstance.
Audition Preparation: The actor is given facts from the case to study. In the audition, the actor will then improvise with the casting director. During your audition, you will be asked to engage in several improvisatory role-playing scenarios during which you speak with either a prosecutor or defense attorney. Expect that you will be given some adjustments along the way.
Along with believable acting and the ability to improvise, knowing the facts of the case is essential for success. Also vital is the actor’s ability to understand exercise goals and fulfill them while improvising.
Acting in the BTSP is challenging but exciting work. Performers from a variety of backgrounds have succeeded: stage actors, camera actors, poets, performance artists and even people with no performance background.
If cast, memorization of the case details is essential to the success of the work. For Bobbys, memorization of case details as well as his personal history is essential to the success of the Basic Trial Skills Program.
Being a Teacher
The actor’s ultimate purpose as a role-player is to teach. We are seeking people who want to create vivid experiences for our learners. NYSDA is teaching public defenders in order to further social justice. We seek actors who have a bit of the Client and Defender in them.
Time and Place Info
The Basic Trial Skills Program will be held at Skidmore College in Saratoga. Please audition even if you don’t have ready transportation to Skidmore. The program will do its best to work to solve that problem if necessary.
The dates/days of work at Skidmore are:
For Detective Derek:
Saturday, June 7, 9 a.m. – 10:30 a.m. Training
Thursday, June 12, 8 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. Perform in Exercise w/Defenders
There will also be one 3.5 hours training session held in Albany. This will be scheduled in late April-early June at times that work for the actors and trainer.
Stipend TBA
For the Construction Workers:
Saturday, June 7, 9 a.m. – 10:30 a.m. Training
Thursday, June 12, 9:45 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. Perform in Exercise w/Defenders
There will also be one 3.5 to 4 hours training session held in Albany at the NY State Defenders Institute Offices Suite 500, 194 Washington Ave This will be scheduled sometime between late April-early June at times that work for the actors and trainer. Stipend TBA
For Bobby Jones:
Saturday, June 7, 10:30-noon
Sunday, June 8, 8AM—11AM. Perform in Exercise with Defenders
Monday, June 9 8AM-12:40PM.Perform in Exercise with Defender
Tuesday, June 10, Noon – 3:30PM Perform in Exercise with Defender
Friday, June 13 8AM-1:15PM. Perform in Exercise with Defender
The above dates, between June 7-13 are not flexible and you must be available for all of them.
In addition to the above, actors cast as Bobby Jones understudies will also work:
Saturday, June 7, afternoon, time TBA.
Sunday, June 18, afternoon, time TBA.
Thursday, June 12, afternoon, time TBA.
There will also be one full day training session to be held in Albany at the NY State Defenders Institute Offices 40 Beaver Street, Albany, NY. To be scheduled between mid-April and May at times that work for the actors and trainer.
Stipend TBA
If interested in auditioning, please send resume and headshot via email. Please know that a professionally done head shot is not necessary; a current photo that looks like you will do. If you have a reel posted on the web, please send the link.
Email your materials to: leigh.strimbeck@gmail.com