Bowie Youth Gets a Shot at the Big Time

Six-year-old Bowie resident Joshua Black’s acting career started about two years ago, when he began quoting television commercials verbatim around the house and at school.

His father, Dewayne, figured with a memory like that, they ought to put it to use.

This weekend, Black will join more than 20 of the most promising young actors in the metropolitan area, who will get a chance to meet with industry bigwigs at the Youth Talent Workshop and Panel Discussion, hosted by talent recruitment firm MdM Studios.

“He told me ‘I want to see myself on TV,’ so I said okay, let’s work on that,” said Black’s father. Since then Black, who just finished kindergarten at Grace Baptist, has acted in a local play and the trailer for a feature film, but this weekend could be his chance at the big time.

MdM has assembled a panel of four top talent agents from New York, Los Angeles, and Charlottesville, VA to join company spokesperson and Hollywood mom Kim Biel to offer training, advice, and possibly contracts to MdM’s top clients, according to MdM co-owner Michael McDavitt.

Prospective actors will have the chance to read a monologue, do cold copy readings, be interviewed, and possibly do some scene work at Sunday's workshop, said McDavitt. Each child will also receive evaluations and have may have the opportunity to be recruited or sign contracts.

“These people are heavy hitters, industry leaders,” said Dewayne Black, who is looking forward to the advice he and his son will receive on advancing his acting career.

McDavitt’s mother and business partner, Diane McFarland, is responsible for signing more than 60 of her talented clients around the world, including A-list actress Jessica Biel, spokesperson Kim Biel’s daughter, and Felicity’s Keri Russell.