The workshops bill themselves as opportunities for performers to read in front of professional casting directors for the purpose of receiving notes and guidance on their auditioning skills. But Feuer expressed the City’s position in a press conference as follows: “As the entertainment capital of the world, Los Angeles continues to attract thousands of aspiring performers from across the world. Unfortunately, pay-to-play casting schemes often exploit their dreams, purely for profit. My office will continue to crack down on those who would take advantage of performers desperate for work.” The performer’s union SAG-AFTRA issued a statement strongly supporting Feuer’s action.

The charges followed a year-long investigation in which a professional actor working as an undercover informant attended 13 workshops conducted by the five defendant companies. Many of the defendants are well-known casting directors and associates who have worked on shows such as Santa Clarita Diet, Criminal Minds and The Big Bang Theory, among others.