The A-List | Our Bios
PETER RAFALOW BARBARA COKUS
Barbara Cokus - casting director
Barbara’s gritty production career began in the sandbox at the tender age of five. It was in that sandbox, which is presently preserved for posterity in the Smithsonian Institute, with measuring cup in hand, she pretended to star in her very own Tide Laundry Detergent commercials. Barbara furthered her theatrical side in high school where she was a member of the drama club and performed in high school musicals. It was there that her nickname, “Star,” was born (well, actually, the nickname was derived from her tennis game, but Barbara likes to claim her stardom is from her commanding screen presence).
After stops at a commercial decoration company, an advertising agency, a local public broadcasting station (where she was Associate Producer of the nationally distributed 13-part “All American Jazz” series) and talent booking agency, Barbara eventually determined that the business called “show” was where she was happiest. She landed a job where it seemed all her skills and talents would be called upon. So, for more than 18 years, Barbara worked for an independent television production company that required her to be the secretary, receptionist, casting director, location scout, craft services manager, shipping and receiving agent and accounts payable & receivable officer. While she appreciated the job’s diversity, Barbara longed for the opportunity to really sink her teeth into the production and management of projects, in addition to doing the thing she loved best – casting talent. “I experience a vicarious thrill from working so closely with actors whose talent inspires me. And I feel very fortunate that central New York has such a remarkable pool of talented actors for me to draw upon.”
In November 2003, Barbara joined the creative team at Notion Pictures where her creative ambitions were fulfilled. “There’s a great deal of satisfaction that comes from being involved in a project from beginning to end – from participating in its development and throughout its evolution – and I appreciate the fact that I’m given that opportunity here.” Now, on any given project, Barbara may cast the talent, coordinate stylists, arrange for a costume designer, hire a translator and/or voice-over narrator, select the music, scout the location and hunt down the props. “I still get excited whenever I see a television commercial featuring our work. And I’m always very proud of the fact that I helped to make that happen.”
For the past 4 years, Barbara has also been an assistant producer of Women’s Voices, a women’s issues program that began as an hour-long radio program on a local NPR affiliate and which transitioned to an hour-long television show on Time Warner Cable and, finally, to a half-hour “talking heads” program on PBS (WCNY-TV). Women’s Voices has been honored twice with Clarion Awards for “best women’s issues program.” Barbara is also committed to serving her community and has served on the Board of Directors of the Mental Health Association of Onondaga County for the past 5 years, chairing the Nominating Committee and several event committees and she has been recognized with the President’s award for outstanding Board service. Barbara also speaks regularly to young performers interested in pursing work in television commercials.
PETER RAFALOW BARBARA COKUS
