Sharon Stone postpones casting call

Sharon Stone has announced that the open call for HIV-positive people to appear in a television commercial and documentary she will direct has been postponed due to Tuesday's events. The audition had been scheduled for September 19-20 in Los Angeles; new dates have not been set, although the project will resume as soon as seems appropriate. Stone--who has worked for years to raise funds and visibility for AIDS research, HIV service organizations, and gay rights groups--still plans to make her directing debut this fall with a television commercial as a public service announcement and a "making of" documentary created to raise AIDS awareness. Working with veteran Hollywood casting director Lynn Stalmaster, Stone will audition "regular people" who are openly HIV-positive for roles in the 30-second PSA, according to her agent, Karen Sellars of International Creative Management; those who appear in the commercial will also be interviewed for an accompanying "making of" film. "We have big plans for the PSA and the documentary," Sellars told Advocate.com. "This project will go on." The commercial is being underwritten by HBO and AOL-Time Warner.