Purdy-Quinlan Studios

Purdy-Quinlan Studios is owned and operated by Jodi Purdy-Quinlan, a member of the Screen Actors Guild since 1986 and a director at Diane Purdy's Children's Theatre Workshop, Inc. since 1980. Jodi has been working in the field of 'casting' since 1980 and has personally introduced 100's of talented children to New England, New York and Los Angeles Casting Directors.

Jodi's most recent credits include: Casting 10,000 extra roles in the feature film "The Game Plan" starring "The Rock"; casting 1,500 extra roles in the feature film "Pink Panther 2" starring Steve Martin; casting 1,500 extra roles in the feature film "The Lonely Maiden" starring Christopher Walken; casting 1,300 extra roles in the feature film "Real Men Cry" starring Ethan Hawke and Mark Ruffalo and casting 1,700 extra roles in the feature film "Bride Wars" starring Kate Hudson and Anne Hathaway.

Her credits include casting 16 girls between the ages of 11 and 13 as an "Angel Choir" in the Warner Bros. feature film "The Departed" being directed by Martin Scorsese and starring Jack Nicholson, Martin Sheen, Alec Baldwin, Matt Damon, Leonardo DiCaprio, Mark Wahlberg and Robert Wahlberg. Jodi also cast an additional 25 kids between the ages of 4 and 18 in the film and 150 men and women.

The scene was shot at the Marriott Long Wharf Pier in Boston and featured Jack Nicholson, Martin Sheen, Mark Wahlberg and Robert Wahlberg.

In 2002, Jodi held auditions for boys and girls of various ages to appear in a variety of roles in the Academy Award Winning Warner Bros. feature film "Mystic River" directed by Clint Eastwood and starring Sean Penn (Best Actor), Tim Robbins (Best Supporting Actor), Kevin Bacon, Lawrence Fishburne, Laura Linney and Marsha Gay Harding.

Jodi introduced then 14-year old Andrew Mackin of Weymouth to the Boston and New York casting directors and they introduced him (via videotape) to Clint Eastwood and he was cast as one of the killer's "John O'Shay" in the film.

In addition, Jodi cast 30 six to seven year old boys and girls as the "First Holy Communion Recipients" in the film, as well as 4 altar boys and an additional 100 men, women and children for the scene.

Jodi worked with Boston and Rhode Island casting directors on the Showtime original dramatic series "Brotherhood" during the first season.

In her 28 year career working in the casting industry, Jodi has given 1,000's of children and adults opportunities to audition and perform in print ads, television commercials, feature films, television programs, industrial films, educational videos and professional theatre productions.

In 1970, Diane Purdy gave her 9-year-old daughter, Jodi, the opportunity to audition at Curtain Call Theatre (CCT), a community theater located at 398 Bridge Street in Bicknell Square, North Weymouth (present day Bridge Antiques). Jodi was cast as one of King Arthur’s wicked half sister, Morgan LeFay’s faerie imps in CCT’s production of “Camelot”. Diane, who played Morgan LeFay, was so moved by Jodi’s enthusiastic portrayal and passion for the theatre, she decided to open a children’s theatre for Jodi and other local children in her North Weymouth home. In 1970, the first Diane Purdy’s Children’s Theatre Workshop (CTW) productions were staged at the Third Universalist Church in Bicknell Square (now Unitarian Universalist Church of Weymouth, www.uuweymouth.org ).

In 2004, CTW came full-circle when Jodi opened Purdy-Quinlan Studio’s across the street in Bicknell Square. Purdy-Quinlan Studio’s has offered a wide-range of programs, including productions of Diane Purdy’s original plays (www.playsplus.com) in the style of Diane’s ‘drama-by-doing’ method of training. In addition, there has been workshops for “On-Camera Acting Techniques” for those students interested in auditioning for roles in television and film. There have been seminars on the business of professional acting and so much more! Jodi continues to offer students and adult the opportunity to audition for movies, commercials, television and professional theatre through Jodi Purdy's Casting Connection.

A letter from Diane Purdy more

Local Actor, Casting Director and Instructor Can Get You There

Purdy-Quinlan Studios, an activity and learning center was founded by Jodi Purdy-Quinlan for the purpose of giving actors, both young and old a space to hone their craft.

Jodi, a founding member of Diane Purdy’s Children’s Theatre Workshop, Inc. and a member of the Screen Actors Guild, has been acting on stage since 1970 and acting for television and film since 1980. In addition, she has over 20 years experience as a director of children’s theatre and as a casting director for film, television and professional theatre.

“When I was six years old, I wanted to sing the Beatles song “Yesterday” on Dave Maynard’s television show, “Community Auditions.” It was the 1967 version of “Star Search” and “American Idol”. I would bug my mother constantly, but she was the mother of four and back then nobody left suburbia to go into Boston. She kept throwing out excuses, “oh we have to wait until your hair grows in some more….let’s wait until your teeth come in.” I was devastated. I would watch the show week after week, just hoping I’d have a turn. Poor me, it would take another ten years for me to get past that ‘goofy’ stage.

“I also wanted to be on “Romper Room”, “Captain Kangaroo”, “Boom Town” and “Zoom.” My mom finally quieted me down by opening her children’s theatre, I now had a venue to let off all that creative energy. It was the best thing that could have happened to me.”

In 1981, Cliff Robertson came to Boston to cast, direct, star and shoot a sequel to “Charlie” a role that won him Best Actor in 1968. He was looking for 10 kids to play ‘Southy-types” in a playground scene in South Boston. My mom was called by her friend, Herb Mandell of “The Casting Company” in Boston. She sent in exactly 10 kids that fit exactly what they were looking for ‘blondes, redheads, blue, green eyes, freckles’ and 7 of our kids were cast in the movie. My mom also got a role.”

I auditioned for a part as a teenager and after I read Cliff Robertson came out and asked me to read for the lead opposite him. I was blown away. My mom and I stayed in Boston for a couple of hours to read the script and then went back to the casting office. While waiting there was a group of older guys waiting to audition for roles. I kept staring at this one guy, he looked so familiar. I finally went up to him and said, ‘do I know you from somewhere?” and he replied “not unless you shoot pool, kid.”

“Well, to my surprise, it was DAVE MAYNARD, the guy from “Community Auditions”! I couldn’t believe it. It took me 14 years to get my first professional audition and here was Dave Maynard to witness it all!! Everything had come full-circle. I got the role as the teen, but as much as Cliff Robertson loved my reading, I just looked way to young, even at 20 to pass for a college student who the much old “Charlie” has a crush on.”

“That was the beginning of it all and I soon joined the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists and then the Screen Actors Guild. I have since cast 100’s of kids and adults in film, television and theatrical productions.”
It has been very fulfilling for me to be able to send kids on auditions and now that I have my own professional studio, I look forward to becoming more actively involved in the business of casting kids!

"Please stop by and visit Jodi at Purdy-Quinlan Studios during our hours of operation to learn more about our programs being offered now and in the near future." Openings are still available for our children's theatre workshop programs, please see the CTW page and fill out our on-line registration form.