Who are we?
In 2014 Christine Willes and Jessica van der Veen, highly respected acting and coaching colleagues, co-founded CAST Victoria. They foresaw Vancouver Island actors wanting the choice to self-tape auditions, as casting directors had just started to accept auditions via the internet. Now of course, self-tapes are the industry norm. Christine retired in 2023. Her contribution to Canadian Theatre, Film & TV is immeasurable, not to mention her contributions to her fellow artists across Canada and beyond.
Current partners Jessica Van der Veen and Amanda Lisman bring decades of experience to their work, and have taught at such prestigious acting schools as Gastown Actors studio, the University of Victoria, Canadian College of the Performing Arts, the Victoria Academy of Dramatic Arts, and the Stratford Festival’s Teaching Shakespeare Program.
Private clients include Sarah Chalke (Roseanne, Scrubs), Zac Efron (Charlie St. Cloud), Shelley Hennig (Unfriended, When We First Met), Britt Robertson (Tomorrowland, For the People), Michele Scarabelli (Alien Nation, Star Trek: The Next Generation), Dylan Schmid (Shut Eye, 1922) and Scott Hylands (Night Heat, Fargo).
We bring our passion and expertise to your acting journey, whether you are well established or just beginning. Our expanded services include audition self-taping, (Victoria BC only), in person acting coaching, career consultation (Vancouver & Victoria BC, and Los Angeles CA), and Zoom or FaceTime coaching (global).
We look forward to giving you the confident edge you need in the highly competitive world of professional acting.
From time to time Jessica offers group classes. Please contact her directly for information.
A note to parents: Both Jessica and Amanda have completed criminal record checks for the purposes of working with your child. We understand the importance of your child’s health and safety.
