Young performers audition for film role

There may have been a young Meryl Streep or Brad Pitt among the child actors who auditioned Tuesday in Fremont for a coming-of-age short film. 
 
An open casting call for “Maiz” was conducted for two hours at the Empress Theatre.
 
“Maiz” is written by Fremont native Nate Johnson and is a fictionalized story of two young outsiders who become friends while working as corn detasslers. 
 
Auditions were conducted before a casting committee. Performers could also submit a “self-tape” from home. 
 
Howard Elementary student Hadley Fickbohm said she came to the audition because she thought it would be fun to be in a film. CJ Smith, a seventh-grader at Fremont Middle School, said the opportunity also appealed to him.
 
“I’ve taken an interest in acting recently and I wanted to see what it was like,” he said. 
 
Smith has performed in stage productions in Fullerton and Fremont. The son of Thomas and Jennifer Smith shared why he likes acting. 
 
“It is just fun to be with people who share the same interests as you,” he said. “Being in front of a crowd is fun.”