So last week, I worked on a commercial. A big achievement in my career on its own. However, as I stood in the room waiting for my callback to begin, and was introduced to the director it struck me the director was unlike any commercial director I had worked with before. This director was a woman.
Now you're probably asking yourself, "What's the big deal about that?" And seriously, I wish I could say nothing. But the truth is I've only ever worked with men directors on commercials. As I stood there, I had to think about it. "Yes! This is the first time, the director was a woman."
And I thought some more, "Has this been true for the movies and TV shows I've worked on too?" I had to think back. My God! It's true, I could only think of one woman director I've worked with on a film. And that was just last month. There have been plenty of woman assistant directors, but no directors.
Then my next thought was. "Why should I be having this reaction? This shouldn't be a big deal." But when I thought about it more, I realized it was true. Then I questioned why haven't I ever worked with a female commercial director, especially in this day and age. Is it really that unusual? It's 2017. And I thought more, have I ever worked with a black commercial director? Nope. Again, worked with some black male directors on film projects. But not commercials. Why is that? Latino males? Yes. One. Because it was a commercial for Spanish language markets. On Films. Yes. Asian? Films. Yes. Commercials. No.
Again, on stage, I've worked with plenty of directors of all colors and genders. But then the theater world is much more progressive in that way. Still not perfect, but ahead of the curve in relation to TV and film. We've all been reading and hearing about the struggle from pretty much any groups that aren't made up of white men in the media in the last couple of years. And it's real. Of course, I'm a white male so do these words mean anything coming from me?
Yes, the mere fact that I thought to myself, "A woman director? I don't think I've ever worked with one on a commercial." But my next thought was, "Wow! Sad. It's 2017. I thought we'd come further than this." There's a reason women are being more and more vocal these days in their right to get equal pay and opportunities. Despite the progress made by the previous couple of generations of women and blacks and Latinos and Asians and LGBTQs, there is still along way to go.
The point that struck me the most standing in that room waiting for my callback to start was how sad it was that I had that thought at all. I shouldn't have those thoughts because there should be more women directors making commercials and TV shows and films, etc. I look forward to the day that I don't have those thoughts because it won't be the least bit unusual.
Thursday, October 5, 2017
Monday, September 11, 2017
Sixteen Years and it seems like another lifetime
My friend Gary re-posted a blog he wrote last year about the events following 9/11 in which he tagged me. It got me to thinking about that day and everything that transpired. He was among my close group of friends in New York. We spent the next few days following the attack on the World Trade Center in each other's company.
I remember the morning of September, 11, 2001 was a beautiful clear, early fall day. I worked full-time at the NFL as an administrative assistant and was also pursuing my acting career on the stage. It was a Tuesday morning so I had to be at work at 9am. But there was also an Equity Principal Audition (EPA) for the York Theatre Company's 2001-2002 season at their theater at St. Peter's Church art Citicorp on the corner of Lexington and 54th. The NFL office was on Park Avenue between 48th and 49th streets at that time.
My plan was to get in line for the EPA at York good and early, get an appointment for lunch time, then go to work and go to the audition on my lunch break. In NYC for Equity auditions, you typically have to be in line very early in the morning in order to get an appointment sometime later that day. We stood in line outside until the building was opened and then we proceed to go inside and down the elevator to the theater level. Once there, the line wind its way from the lobby, into the door to the theatre in the back row of the house and wound through each row of the auditorium and out the door at the from of the house back into the hallway off the lobby where the Equity monitor was set up at a table with the sign up sheet for the days auditions.
So here is the picture: a 144-seat black box theatre under a church in a modern high rise complex in mid-town Manhattan filled with actors standing in a line that weaves through each row of the theatre. Someone in the line has a radio of some sort (this is before iPods) and announces to the room that a place has hit one of the towers downtown. I immediately picture a little Cessna where maybe the pilot has passed out or had a heart attack and lost control of the plane (just like in Airport 1975) and hit the side of the building.
About 15 minutes later, we get word that another plane has hit the second tower. Someone in the room says, "We're being attacked!" A few people yell at him for suggesting such a thing. What an asshole. Way to make people panic, etc...
Then other's start checking to verify the info. It's true. Mind you, the line is progressing through all of this. A few people run out to check on their loved ones. I stay in line as it moves forward. I get my appointment time for later that day and leave. I head to work.
I walk up to Park Avenue and turn left towards downtown. Wherever there is a storefront with TV monitors in the windows, there are people gathered around watching it unfold. The towers are still standing at the point. When you look towards downtown, you can see the smoke in the sky.
I get to my office and sit down at my desk and start my usual Tuesday morning routine. I was responsible for sending credentials to all those who work games that are offsite, like umpires (who are local hires). I go about my day. All the execs have TVs in their offices. The TVs are on in everyone's offices. At one point, we receive an email blast that at 10: something we are all to go to the main conference room on our respective floors where someone from upper management would speak to us.
The conference room has a big projection screen on one wall. Its tuned in to the live coverage. As we are all standing there waiting for the Commissioner to come in and speak to us, we watch one of the towers go down on live television. Now I honestly don't remember at this point if that was the first or second tower we saw go down. I'm guessing it may have been the second one. This meeting had probably been called after the first one went down.
We watched in horror. I still remember Lisa Hatter getting on the phone trying to get one of the attorneys she worked for on the phone. He had gotten in a taxi to go get his wife who was in one of the towers trying to make her way out. She didn't make it.
Everything was shut down. We were stuck there. No public transportation in or out of Manhattan. The subways were shut down. I lived in Manhattan but way up in Washington Heights. An email was sen tout asking who lived in Manhattan and might be willing to let employees stay at their place if they couldn't get home that night.
I got a few emails from friends and family back home checking in to see if I was okay. I was fine. I was doing my job like I would any day. Because at this point, the NFL had not made a decision about that weekend's games, and wouldn't for another two days.
So I sat there working until finally at some point in the afternoon, it was announced that some of the subway lines were opened. I left and went home to my empty apartment on this beautiful sunny day. And I turned on the TV. There was no cell service because the cell towers were on top of the Twin Towed. Fortunately, in 2001 cell phones were not as ubiquitous as they are now. I had only owned one for about 5 months and barely even used it.
All channels were using the CBS 2 feed because unlike all the other major NYC channels, CBS had their tower on The Empire State Building. So essentially, everyone was using CBS's feed that day. I sat there watching as Building & went down on live TV. There was nothing else on TV. The only thing to watch was the events unfolding. My friends invited me to an impromptu service at their church on the Upper West Side. I declined because I'm uncomfortable in churches and with sermons.
So I stayed home, by myself. At one point I couldn't take it anymore and I turned off the TV and went outside for a walk. But even there I saw reminders. It was in the air for God's sake. I also lived about 3 and a half blocks from the George Washington Bridge which was all lit up like Cinderella's Castle at Walt Disney World at night. There were helicopters over head and military vehicles at either end. There was no escaping it.
Wednesday, everything was closed. None of us had to go into work that day. However, the EPA for the York Theater which was cancelled on Tuesday, would be happening on Wednesday and they would be honoring your appointment time from Tuesday on Wednesday. So I went to that. It was empty. Mid-town Manhattan was somewhat empty with only some restaurants and cafes open for tourists that were in town. Everything else? Closed.
I went back up to Washington Heights and met up with my friends Gary, Tracy and Mark. We wanted to hang out but there wasn't much to do but watch the events on TV. I couldn't take that. I needed a break. I suggested we go outside for a walk. So we did. We walked up from Fort Tryon Park in Washington Heights in to Inwood Park and then back down. As we were headed back down to Washington Heights, we detected a smell in the air. A sort of burning smell. Someone said it was from the Towers. I said that was impossible, we were too far away. As walked further down, I realized they were right. The winds were blowing in our direction. That's exactly what it was.
The next day Thursday, back to work. However, there was a bomb scare around lunch time and we had to evacuate. There were reports of bomb scares around Grand Central, Penn Station, Rockefeller Center and The Empire State Building. When we walked outside, we could see at least three other buildings nears being evacuated. My boss told me to just go home. I called Tracy and told her what was happening. She was afraid to take the subway by herself so we had gone to work together that morning. I waited for her so we could meet and ride home together.
I was scheduled to leave for a trip to London on Monday the 17th. My friend Mark called immediately after the attack on the 11th and told me to cancel my trip. I said no. That was silly. I would wait and see what played out over the next few days before making my decision. On Saturday, air travel returned to the United States and I would be able to make my trip on Monday to London. But at this point, I was scared at what world events might unfurl while I was there. What if London was attacked? What if the US declare war on whoever was responsible and I was stuck oil a foreign country away from my family and friends. So I cancelled my trip.
I went to Albany, NY and visited my family for a week instead. A couple weeks alter, I turned 40. A couple months after that, my father was diagnosed with ALS (Lou Gehrig's disease). My friend Mark and I decided to move to Los Angeles. Eventually, I moved to LA on my own. But turning 40, my dad's death and 9/11 were the main contributing factors. What was I waiting for? Life is too short. Go for it!
I have now been her e over 14 years. That's longer than I loved in NYC. And now NYC seems like another lifetime. Was that ever really my life? Did that really happen? It did. And every year on 9/11, I am reminded of that day and my life in NYC and my friends. Tracy, Gary, Mark, Jason (who moved to Baltimore only one week before the attack), Noelle, Michael and Peter. Tracy and Peter are the only ones of us left in NYC. I see them whenever I go back to NYC. I miss them. But I think this was the right move.
I remember the morning of September, 11, 2001 was a beautiful clear, early fall day. I worked full-time at the NFL as an administrative assistant and was also pursuing my acting career on the stage. It was a Tuesday morning so I had to be at work at 9am. But there was also an Equity Principal Audition (EPA) for the York Theatre Company's 2001-2002 season at their theater at St. Peter's Church art Citicorp on the corner of Lexington and 54th. The NFL office was on Park Avenue between 48th and 49th streets at that time.
My plan was to get in line for the EPA at York good and early, get an appointment for lunch time, then go to work and go to the audition on my lunch break. In NYC for Equity auditions, you typically have to be in line very early in the morning in order to get an appointment sometime later that day. We stood in line outside until the building was opened and then we proceed to go inside and down the elevator to the theater level. Once there, the line wind its way from the lobby, into the door to the theatre in the back row of the house and wound through each row of the auditorium and out the door at the from of the house back into the hallway off the lobby where the Equity monitor was set up at a table with the sign up sheet for the days auditions.
So here is the picture: a 144-seat black box theatre under a church in a modern high rise complex in mid-town Manhattan filled with actors standing in a line that weaves through each row of the theatre. Someone in the line has a radio of some sort (this is before iPods) and announces to the room that a place has hit one of the towers downtown. I immediately picture a little Cessna where maybe the pilot has passed out or had a heart attack and lost control of the plane (just like in Airport 1975) and hit the side of the building.
About 15 minutes later, we get word that another plane has hit the second tower. Someone in the room says, "We're being attacked!" A few people yell at him for suggesting such a thing. What an asshole. Way to make people panic, etc...
Then other's start checking to verify the info. It's true. Mind you, the line is progressing through all of this. A few people run out to check on their loved ones. I stay in line as it moves forward. I get my appointment time for later that day and leave. I head to work.
I walk up to Park Avenue and turn left towards downtown. Wherever there is a storefront with TV monitors in the windows, there are people gathered around watching it unfold. The towers are still standing at the point. When you look towards downtown, you can see the smoke in the sky.
I get to my office and sit down at my desk and start my usual Tuesday morning routine. I was responsible for sending credentials to all those who work games that are offsite, like umpires (who are local hires). I go about my day. All the execs have TVs in their offices. The TVs are on in everyone's offices. At one point, we receive an email blast that at 10: something we are all to go to the main conference room on our respective floors where someone from upper management would speak to us.
The conference room has a big projection screen on one wall. Its tuned in to the live coverage. As we are all standing there waiting for the Commissioner to come in and speak to us, we watch one of the towers go down on live television. Now I honestly don't remember at this point if that was the first or second tower we saw go down. I'm guessing it may have been the second one. This meeting had probably been called after the first one went down.
We watched in horror. I still remember Lisa Hatter getting on the phone trying to get one of the attorneys she worked for on the phone. He had gotten in a taxi to go get his wife who was in one of the towers trying to make her way out. She didn't make it.
Everything was shut down. We were stuck there. No public transportation in or out of Manhattan. The subways were shut down. I lived in Manhattan but way up in Washington Heights. An email was sen tout asking who lived in Manhattan and might be willing to let employees stay at their place if they couldn't get home that night.
I got a few emails from friends and family back home checking in to see if I was okay. I was fine. I was doing my job like I would any day. Because at this point, the NFL had not made a decision about that weekend's games, and wouldn't for another two days.
So I sat there working until finally at some point in the afternoon, it was announced that some of the subway lines were opened. I left and went home to my empty apartment on this beautiful sunny day. And I turned on the TV. There was no cell service because the cell towers were on top of the Twin Towed. Fortunately, in 2001 cell phones were not as ubiquitous as they are now. I had only owned one for about 5 months and barely even used it.
All channels were using the CBS 2 feed because unlike all the other major NYC channels, CBS had their tower on The Empire State Building. So essentially, everyone was using CBS's feed that day. I sat there watching as Building & went down on live TV. There was nothing else on TV. The only thing to watch was the events unfolding. My friends invited me to an impromptu service at their church on the Upper West Side. I declined because I'm uncomfortable in churches and with sermons.
So I stayed home, by myself. At one point I couldn't take it anymore and I turned off the TV and went outside for a walk. But even there I saw reminders. It was in the air for God's sake. I also lived about 3 and a half blocks from the George Washington Bridge which was all lit up like Cinderella's Castle at Walt Disney World at night. There were helicopters over head and military vehicles at either end. There was no escaping it.
Wednesday, everything was closed. None of us had to go into work that day. However, the EPA for the York Theater which was cancelled on Tuesday, would be happening on Wednesday and they would be honoring your appointment time from Tuesday on Wednesday. So I went to that. It was empty. Mid-town Manhattan was somewhat empty with only some restaurants and cafes open for tourists that were in town. Everything else? Closed.
I went back up to Washington Heights and met up with my friends Gary, Tracy and Mark. We wanted to hang out but there wasn't much to do but watch the events on TV. I couldn't take that. I needed a break. I suggested we go outside for a walk. So we did. We walked up from Fort Tryon Park in Washington Heights in to Inwood Park and then back down. As we were headed back down to Washington Heights, we detected a smell in the air. A sort of burning smell. Someone said it was from the Towers. I said that was impossible, we were too far away. As walked further down, I realized they were right. The winds were blowing in our direction. That's exactly what it was.
The next day Thursday, back to work. However, there was a bomb scare around lunch time and we had to evacuate. There were reports of bomb scares around Grand Central, Penn Station, Rockefeller Center and The Empire State Building. When we walked outside, we could see at least three other buildings nears being evacuated. My boss told me to just go home. I called Tracy and told her what was happening. She was afraid to take the subway by herself so we had gone to work together that morning. I waited for her so we could meet and ride home together.
I was scheduled to leave for a trip to London on Monday the 17th. My friend Mark called immediately after the attack on the 11th and told me to cancel my trip. I said no. That was silly. I would wait and see what played out over the next few days before making my decision. On Saturday, air travel returned to the United States and I would be able to make my trip on Monday to London. But at this point, I was scared at what world events might unfurl while I was there. What if London was attacked? What if the US declare war on whoever was responsible and I was stuck oil a foreign country away from my family and friends. So I cancelled my trip.
I went to Albany, NY and visited my family for a week instead. A couple weeks alter, I turned 40. A couple months after that, my father was diagnosed with ALS (Lou Gehrig's disease). My friend Mark and I decided to move to Los Angeles. Eventually, I moved to LA on my own. But turning 40, my dad's death and 9/11 were the main contributing factors. What was I waiting for? Life is too short. Go for it!
I have now been her e over 14 years. That's longer than I loved in NYC. And now NYC seems like another lifetime. Was that ever really my life? Did that really happen? It did. And every year on 9/11, I am reminded of that day and my life in NYC and my friends. Tracy, Gary, Mark, Jason (who moved to Baltimore only one week before the attack), Noelle, Michael and Peter. Tracy and Peter are the only ones of us left in NYC. I see them whenever I go back to NYC. I miss them. But I think this was the right move.
Friday, August 25, 2017
Show Opening and New Works
For the past two months I have been rehearsing a new play. An original piece called Somewhere in the Middle or Guess Who's Coming to Passover? Tonight we have our first preview performance at Crown City Theatre in North Hollywood. Official opening is next Saturday September 2. For more info, click here:
Crown City Theatre
Its been a challenging experience for me, having the opportunity to create a role in an original piece. Typically, I am in a well known play or musical that most everyone is familiar with. In the last two years I've been in productions of Hello Dolly, 42nd Street, How to Succeed, Putnam County Spelling Bee and The Odd Couple. You get the picture.
Not only am I working on a new piece, but the director is also the playwright so its especially daunting knowing that you are bringing his vision, his creation to life. Unlike an already published or well known piece, and depending on the author/director, you have some input on the development of the character. Its been a very nice experience. If any lines don't make sense coming out of my mouth, I can bring it up. If I have trouble with a line it will get cut or re-written as we fine tune the piece.
It's also a small ensemble piece, meaning there are only 6 in the cast and there are no lead roles. We are all equal. Its the story of a family: mother, father (me), college age daughter, teenage son and grandmother (my mother) and the daughter's new boyfriend who she brings home to meet the family. They are a white, Jewish-Christian family. The bf is Black, Muslim and Palestinian. Wacky chaos ensues. Just kidding. Chaos does ensue as the various family members argue the various sides of several issues including race, religion and the middle east. But its not wacky. Its thoughtful and intelligent with a great deal of humor thrown in. If you're in LA over the next 6 weeks, come see us. Tickets are only $20.
In other news, I've done some writing and I have ideas for sketches and short films I want to film. I have also thought about doing a vlog on youtube. But I'm having trouble deciding what it should be about. I have followed several on youtube. They always seem to be made by young people under 35. And their vlogs are not about anything in particular. They just show their lives. Every day they release a new video to youtube or maybe once a week. Its just their day. Nothing special. But hey are always well put together, nice editing, photography, music etc. But, again, nothing special. Just their lives.
And they get thousands of hits per video. Thousands! They get sponsors and merchandise. Just from posting videos of their days. Why is that? What makes them go viral? And why don't I see any made by people of my generation? Is there a market or need for that? Is this a generational thing just for the young whippersnappers out there?
If I were to do a vlog, what would you want to see on there? Something geared towards my generation? Something like education on how to use youtube? or the many apps and new technology that are out there? Advice? Ask Richard?
Write in and tell me what you would like to see on my vlogs. Seriously, write me and let me know what you'd like to see. And check out my updated website when you get chance:
RichardVanSlyke.com
Crown City Theatre
Its been a challenging experience for me, having the opportunity to create a role in an original piece. Typically, I am in a well known play or musical that most everyone is familiar with. In the last two years I've been in productions of Hello Dolly, 42nd Street, How to Succeed, Putnam County Spelling Bee and The Odd Couple. You get the picture.
Not only am I working on a new piece, but the director is also the playwright so its especially daunting knowing that you are bringing his vision, his creation to life. Unlike an already published or well known piece, and depending on the author/director, you have some input on the development of the character. Its been a very nice experience. If any lines don't make sense coming out of my mouth, I can bring it up. If I have trouble with a line it will get cut or re-written as we fine tune the piece.
It's also a small ensemble piece, meaning there are only 6 in the cast and there are no lead roles. We are all equal. Its the story of a family: mother, father (me), college age daughter, teenage son and grandmother (my mother) and the daughter's new boyfriend who she brings home to meet the family. They are a white, Jewish-Christian family. The bf is Black, Muslim and Palestinian. Wacky chaos ensues. Just kidding. Chaos does ensue as the various family members argue the various sides of several issues including race, religion and the middle east. But its not wacky. Its thoughtful and intelligent with a great deal of humor thrown in. If you're in LA over the next 6 weeks, come see us. Tickets are only $20.
In other news, I've done some writing and I have ideas for sketches and short films I want to film. I have also thought about doing a vlog on youtube. But I'm having trouble deciding what it should be about. I have followed several on youtube. They always seem to be made by young people under 35. And their vlogs are not about anything in particular. They just show their lives. Every day they release a new video to youtube or maybe once a week. Its just their day. Nothing special. But hey are always well put together, nice editing, photography, music etc. But, again, nothing special. Just their lives.
And they get thousands of hits per video. Thousands! They get sponsors and merchandise. Just from posting videos of their days. Why is that? What makes them go viral? And why don't I see any made by people of my generation? Is there a market or need for that? Is this a generational thing just for the young whippersnappers out there?
If I were to do a vlog, what would you want to see on there? Something geared towards my generation? Something like education on how to use youtube? or the many apps and new technology that are out there? Advice? Ask Richard?
Write in and tell me what you would like to see on my vlogs. Seriously, write me and let me know what you'd like to see. And check out my updated website when you get chance:
RichardVanSlyke.com
Monday, July 24, 2017
It's been three weeks! What am I doing with my life?
In my last blog, I shared that I had left my job of 11 years. My last day on the job was June 30. Today marks three full weeks since leaving the job. What have I been doing with myself since then?
Not a damn thing. Well, that's a slight exaggeration. I have been out hiking in the hills and I've taken my bike out on a couple of rides on the beach and along the LA River. And I've been going to the gym.
And last week was spent in my hometown of Albany, NY visiting family, which means I went to Saratoga Race Track and Lake George.
I have managed to roll over my retirement plan to an IRA and I have elected options for dental and eye care plans. But I still have not figured out the health care. I did manage to go online to the Obamacare site and to the CA State site and look around at all the options. Its overwhelming! And as soon as I put in my personal information, my phone starts ringing off the hook with calls from sales reps trying to sell me insurance plans. Within 5 minutes of putting in my info, the phone rang. And while I was on that call, the phone was ringing with another. I told the guy I wanted to research on the Internet and decide what I wanted. I hung up. Within the next 40 minutes, the phone rang several times. I continued getting calls every day through this past Friday. Today is the first weekday that it hasn't rung. Phew!
In the meantime, how is the acting career going? Well, I have the play I'm rehearsing. But we're off for the month of July so I'm on my own learning lines. Although I managed to get 2 of my 5 co-stars over to run lines one night. I'm interviewing for a directing job tonight. And I met the Artistic Director of another theater 10 days ago about directing and/or acting there next season.
But other than that...cricket. cricket. Hello? McFly? Is anybody there? This is what happens. I take time off so I can have the freedom to go to more auditions and not a single audition since I left the job. My last one was two days before I left the job.
I have no income at this point. But I do have a savings account. And there is the IRA. And I rolled over my retirement plan into an IRA to make it easier to access the funds IF NEED BE. its only for emergencies. But its there. So I'm not panicking. At the same time, I am worried. Because, well...there's no income!! And I am a worrier. This is tough. One of the reasons I've worked full time is because I need the daily structure in my life. Being freelance feels weird. Like I'm skipping school! "What's he doing home in the middle of the day?" "Why does that man have to time to be hiking during a work day?" Those are the voices in my head talking to me.
I've got a couple jobs I've applied for online. And I'll be spending the next couple weeks applying for more. Ideally looking for a couple of part time jobs to give me enough to live off of. Till then, I'm writing and learning lines. And submitting myself for everything that sounds remotely possible for me.
Not a damn thing. Well, that's a slight exaggeration. I have been out hiking in the hills and I've taken my bike out on a couple of rides on the beach and along the LA River. And I've been going to the gym.
And last week was spent in my hometown of Albany, NY visiting family, which means I went to Saratoga Race Track and Lake George.
Saratoga Race Track Opening Day
I have managed to roll over my retirement plan to an IRA and I have elected options for dental and eye care plans. But I still have not figured out the health care. I did manage to go online to the Obamacare site and to the CA State site and look around at all the options. Its overwhelming! And as soon as I put in my personal information, my phone starts ringing off the hook with calls from sales reps trying to sell me insurance plans. Within 5 minutes of putting in my info, the phone rang. And while I was on that call, the phone was ringing with another. I told the guy I wanted to research on the Internet and decide what I wanted. I hung up. Within the next 40 minutes, the phone rang several times. I continued getting calls every day through this past Friday. Today is the first weekday that it hasn't rung. Phew!
In the meantime, how is the acting career going? Well, I have the play I'm rehearsing. But we're off for the month of July so I'm on my own learning lines. Although I managed to get 2 of my 5 co-stars over to run lines one night. I'm interviewing for a directing job tonight. And I met the Artistic Director of another theater 10 days ago about directing and/or acting there next season.
But other than that...cricket. cricket. Hello? McFly? Is anybody there? This is what happens. I take time off so I can have the freedom to go to more auditions and not a single audition since I left the job. My last one was two days before I left the job.
I have no income at this point. But I do have a savings account. And there is the IRA. And I rolled over my retirement plan into an IRA to make it easier to access the funds IF NEED BE. its only for emergencies. But its there. So I'm not panicking. At the same time, I am worried. Because, well...there's no income!! And I am a worrier. This is tough. One of the reasons I've worked full time is because I need the daily structure in my life. Being freelance feels weird. Like I'm skipping school! "What's he doing home in the middle of the day?" "Why does that man have to time to be hiking during a work day?" Those are the voices in my head talking to me.
I've got a couple jobs I've applied for online. And I'll be spending the next couple weeks applying for more. Ideally looking for a couple of part time jobs to give me enough to live off of. Till then, I'm writing and learning lines. And submitting myself for everything that sounds remotely possible for me.
Sunday, July 2, 2017
The Next Chapter
I've been keeping this one to myself...mostly. As of two days ago, it became official. I am no longer employed full-time. Now this news is likely to concern some people. But the simple truth of the matter is I was miserable. Absolutely, 100%, out of my mind, trapped like a rat in a maze I couldn't get out of and afraid if I didn't do something soon I would crack and lose it miserable. There were some very, VERY low times in the last few years. I had to get out of there. And after years of contemplating, debating, discussing, threatening, ruminating, I finally took the step and gave my notice about two and half months ago.
Friday, I left my job of nearly 11 years. That's the longest I've worked anywhere and its been great for me financially. I've put some money away. I've got a nice retirement plan/401(k). I have a nice car. I live in a nice place and typically don't have to worry about my expenses. For all of that, I am extremely grateful. But my mental state was not good.
I moved here from NYC to further pursue my acting career on TV and in film. And when I came here I told myself, if I didn't succeed as an actor then come hell or high water I would work in the entertainment industry no matter what. So, how did I end up working in Legal Compliance for a large finance firm in downtown LA? First off, I wasn't aware that anyone moved to LA for anything other than TV or film. I mean why move here. That's all that's here, right?
So I came. I started temping almost immediately and was placed at one of the big studios. I got an agent. I went out on commercial auditions. I did theater. I did some really (And I mean REALLY) low budget movies. I temped at that studio for well over two years. And then it came to an end, but I was immediately called by another temp agency that saw my resume online and was placed within days of leaving my last temp assignment at the studio at a finance firm in Pasadena for two weeks. It lasted over three months. And then the day after that assignment ended, another agency called that also found my resume online. The next day I went to their office and registered and the following day interviewed at the finance firm downtown and two days later started as a temp. And here I am 11 years and three promotions later....burnt out.
You see at the same time, I was working in the theater...almost constantly. In two or three shows a year. And also going out on commercial and TV auditions. In recent years, its been tough to juggle. I'll go out on an audition during the work day and usually I'm back within an hour and a half. But every once in a while, I'm gone two hours, two and half hours. And every once in a while, my boss would notice and call me in wanting to know where I was. Stress. Anxiety. Anyone who knows me knows I can't handle a) stress, b) people not liking me and c) not being a perfect worker/employee/son/student/brother etc. I have to be perfect always, the good boy, the one who follows the rules and never does anything wrong. I cannot make mistakes, ever! It's a lot of pressure.
So take all this into an audition and well, you get the picture. As I sit there in the waiting room, I'm checking the clock. Why is this taking so long? NO! Don't take a bathroom break. I have to get back to work! What if I get stuck in bad traffic? How will I explain myself?
I don't need that energy at an audition. Now, I'll be honest, once I'm in the audition room, I leave all that outside. But as soon as I am out that door, I am OUT that door. The stress of trying to juggle the full-time job and the auditions was too much. Now, I may go weeks without an issue but then I'll go through a stretch where I may have a couple of weeks with multiple auditions and me coming and going from work. Not so great. And lastly, I'm not 22 anymore! I'm exhausted all the time.
I need some rest. I need to relax and I need to give myself some time to prepare for each audition.
I'm not independently wealthy and I will need to find another way to support myself. But at this point, I'm looking for something part-time so I can have some flexibility. I don't know what it will be just yet. I may open a store, or a franchise, or maybe work as a professional organizer. I'd like to teach acting to kids. Or maybe I'll just work as a barista at Starbucks. Who knows?
So if any of you know of a job or want to hire someone for some work around the house, let me know. I'm available.
Friday, I left my job of nearly 11 years. That's the longest I've worked anywhere and its been great for me financially. I've put some money away. I've got a nice retirement plan/401(k). I have a nice car. I live in a nice place and typically don't have to worry about my expenses. For all of that, I am extremely grateful. But my mental state was not good.
I moved here from NYC to further pursue my acting career on TV and in film. And when I came here I told myself, if I didn't succeed as an actor then come hell or high water I would work in the entertainment industry no matter what. So, how did I end up working in Legal Compliance for a large finance firm in downtown LA? First off, I wasn't aware that anyone moved to LA for anything other than TV or film. I mean why move here. That's all that's here, right?
So I came. I started temping almost immediately and was placed at one of the big studios. I got an agent. I went out on commercial auditions. I did theater. I did some really (And I mean REALLY) low budget movies. I temped at that studio for well over two years. And then it came to an end, but I was immediately called by another temp agency that saw my resume online and was placed within days of leaving my last temp assignment at the studio at a finance firm in Pasadena for two weeks. It lasted over three months. And then the day after that assignment ended, another agency called that also found my resume online. The next day I went to their office and registered and the following day interviewed at the finance firm downtown and two days later started as a temp. And here I am 11 years and three promotions later....burnt out.
You see at the same time, I was working in the theater...almost constantly. In two or three shows a year. And also going out on commercial and TV auditions. In recent years, its been tough to juggle. I'll go out on an audition during the work day and usually I'm back within an hour and a half. But every once in a while, I'm gone two hours, two and half hours. And every once in a while, my boss would notice and call me in wanting to know where I was. Stress. Anxiety. Anyone who knows me knows I can't handle a) stress, b) people not liking me and c) not being a perfect worker/employee/son/student/brother etc. I have to be perfect always, the good boy, the one who follows the rules and never does anything wrong. I cannot make mistakes, ever! It's a lot of pressure.
So take all this into an audition and well, you get the picture. As I sit there in the waiting room, I'm checking the clock. Why is this taking so long? NO! Don't take a bathroom break. I have to get back to work! What if I get stuck in bad traffic? How will I explain myself?
I don't need that energy at an audition. Now, I'll be honest, once I'm in the audition room, I leave all that outside. But as soon as I am out that door, I am OUT that door. The stress of trying to juggle the full-time job and the auditions was too much. Now, I may go weeks without an issue but then I'll go through a stretch where I may have a couple of weeks with multiple auditions and me coming and going from work. Not so great. And lastly, I'm not 22 anymore! I'm exhausted all the time.
I need some rest. I need to relax and I need to give myself some time to prepare for each audition.
I'm not independently wealthy and I will need to find another way to support myself. But at this point, I'm looking for something part-time so I can have some flexibility. I don't know what it will be just yet. I may open a store, or a franchise, or maybe work as a professional organizer. I'd like to teach acting to kids. Or maybe I'll just work as a barista at Starbucks. Who knows?
So if any of you know of a job or want to hire someone for some work around the house, let me know. I'm available.
Tuesday, May 30, 2017
Post thoughts on Hello Again (the show I directed)
I directed a production of the musical Hello Again by Michael John LaChiusa that closed this past weekend, after a four week run.
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| The cast and crew of Hello Again at Chromolume Theatre |
Now that a couple of days have gone by, I have time to reflect on the experience. For those of you who don't know unlike TV or film, once a show opens, a director's job is done. Typically. He or she might be called in to put in a new actor or actress after the show has been running for a while. But usually, the show is turned over to the stage manager once the show has opened. It is the stage manager's job to maintain the integrity of the director's vision from that point on. The stage manager will give notes if an actor has changed their blocking or the intent of a line or scene, etc.
So the last four weeks have been rather uneventful and not so stressful for me because, basically, my job was done. But this theater's policy is to guarantee all of its understudies two performances which meant we had to rehearse and put in all of them. But other than that, I had little to do.
The four weeks of rehearsal leading up to opening night was very stressful though.
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| Me "Directing" |
We had an amazing turn out for auditions back in March. The talent was outstanding and it was very difficult to cast this show because there were so many great performers there. But we came up with our ten actors and five understudies. Rehearsals went smoothly for the most part. We had difficulty sometimes with scheduling as the theater rents out its studios and stage to paying customers. Makes sense. So we might sometimes have to relocate to a different space from where we were originally schedule to rehearse.
The music for this show is very difficult. It styles span all 10 decades of the 20th century and the composers music is often dissonant which can make it hard for performers to learn. And its not an easy piece to play either. In addition, we performed on a very low budget. We could only afford one musician, the piano player also our Music Director. I have to give a major shout out to here to Brenda Varda my partner in all of this. She was in fact a last minute replacement for someone else. And we really lucked out. She worked so hard. I literally could not have done it without her. She blew me away. She played that score solo every single night. And she worked with the actors and whipped them into shape. There are some difficult harmonies. And there were a couple of harmonies that were not coming together. Two nights before we opened, there were still some harmony issues with a couple moments in the show. And I told her, if the actors involved cannot fix it by final dress, then those harmonies will need to be cut. They came together and never faltered from that day on. I love this woman!
I stress over everything. I stressed that I wouldn't have a music director. I stressed that I wasn't casting any friends that auditioned and they would hold a grudge. I stressed that the actors who were cast would quit out of frustration since this was such a low budget show and they might not like the circumstances. I stressed that there was no way we could afford to costume the show. I stressed that understudies might feel short changed. I stressed that one or more of the actors might refuse to let their understudy go on. I stressed the set wouldn't look good. I stressed we would run out of money and have no sets or no costumes. I stressed that I didn't have what it takes to direct this piece.
I was really scared I was over my head. And then I remembered something. I felt exactly this way the last time I directed. And the time before that. And the time before that. In fact every time I've directed, I have felt that way. Exactly that way. And the shows always turned out great.
And you know what else was pointed out to me? Most those things I was stressing about are out of my control. That's right. I can control what's on the stage. The look, the performances, the staging.
But that's it. All I can do is make sure my cast is well rehearsed and that they are comfortable doing what I have asked of them and doing what they bring to their roles. I provide a place for them to experiment and play and develop their performances. Its a collaboration between us. We work together to find their performances.
My cast was excellent through and through. They all brought their unique talents to their roles. The show looked good. It was very low budget. The set was minimal but it worked for us. The cast looked and sounded great. Again, thank you Brenda! The costumes were wonderful. They helped us in setting the time and place for each scene. We didn't need the sets to do that. We got three excellent reviews. This is an unusual piece and not for everyone so that's something.
Now that its over I breathe a sigh of relief and I move on to the next project. Well two projects actually, both as actor. I'm currently rehearsing Chaturbate the Musical for the Hollywood Fringe Festival as part of the NMI programs. The week before that opens I start rehearsals for an original play called Somewhere in the Middle at Crown City Theatre in North Hollywood, opening September 1.
So when is my next directing project? I don't know yet. Chromolume has asked me about a show for 2019. For now, I'm happy to act and write my next project. Another web series maybe? Or some shorts for youtube? We'll see.
Wednesday, March 22, 2017
It's Been Forever! Where Have I Been?
So one of the reasons for doing this blog was to keep my writing going. As it turns out, I have also used it as a sort of therapy to discuss some of my feelings, inner demons, insecurities etc. Sometimes just to talk about random things, trivia, well all the nonsense that takes up space in my brain, like anything entertainment related. I swear I could teach a full semester course on the history of television without ever having to crack open a book or write a single note.
So, what has eI been up to since my last blog over a month ago? Well, I have spent the last six weeks performing in an amazing production of the musical 42nd Street at the Candlelight Pavilion Dinner Theatre in Claremont, CA. Its been wonderful. I'm working with an amazing cast and crew and its been fun from the get go. This coming weekend we close. And then the sadness sets in. I've made some friends on this one that I think are going to be around for a while.
But am I resting on my laurels? No. The following week I start rehearsals on my next project, the musical Hello Again. No. I am not in this one. I am directing it. What? You've ever heard of it? You're not alone. It's by Michael John La Chuisa and its a short piece, less than 90 minutes and entails 10 scenes involving 10 hookups. Its based on La Ronde. Look it up.
So, yes I am directing a show. Not my first. Ive directed before. My last one was just over three years ago and it turned out great. Auditions were last week and we had an amazing turnout. And so untypical of most auditions, almost everyone who scheduled an appointment actually showed up.
We had 48 at callbacks and I had to do some fast eliminating to get through them all.
I feel I may have disappointed some friends who auditioned for me. And the truth is I was so excited to see so many friends and former colleagues show up. And to be honest going in to callbacks I pictured myself with a cast made up of a few friends. That didn't happen. And its hard. Im such a sensitive person that I'm fearful I let them down. But in the end there was someone else who brought something to the table that made all of us go...that's it! In reality, I could have cast most anyone who came to callbacks. They were all that good.
And now on to rehearsals. I'm thrilled with the cast we got. They are all super amazing. And like I said so were many of those who weren't chosen but we have to choose. That's the nature of the business. So what's going on with me? My insecurities are coming out in full force.
Oh yes, here we go again! Can I do this piece justice? Am I good enough to lead these actors who have put their trust in me? Have I bit off more than I can chew? So I think back to the last time I directed, and the time before that and the time before that and you know what? I felt exactly the same way. And they turned out fine. In fact half the cast of my last show (two of the four) came to audition for this one. And the third cast member contacted me to let me know he wanted to but was out of town all last week. The fourth cast member just moved to NYC last week.
So I think that is the best endorsement. Those who have worked with me in the past want to work with me again. OK, Charlie Brown stop talking and let me get to work. I've got a show to put up!
So, what has eI been up to since my last blog over a month ago? Well, I have spent the last six weeks performing in an amazing production of the musical 42nd Street at the Candlelight Pavilion Dinner Theatre in Claremont, CA. Its been wonderful. I'm working with an amazing cast and crew and its been fun from the get go. This coming weekend we close. And then the sadness sets in. I've made some friends on this one that I think are going to be around for a while.
But am I resting on my laurels? No. The following week I start rehearsals on my next project, the musical Hello Again. No. I am not in this one. I am directing it. What? You've ever heard of it? You're not alone. It's by Michael John La Chuisa and its a short piece, less than 90 minutes and entails 10 scenes involving 10 hookups. Its based on La Ronde. Look it up.
So, yes I am directing a show. Not my first. Ive directed before. My last one was just over three years ago and it turned out great. Auditions were last week and we had an amazing turnout. And so untypical of most auditions, almost everyone who scheduled an appointment actually showed up.
We had 48 at callbacks and I had to do some fast eliminating to get through them all.
I feel I may have disappointed some friends who auditioned for me. And the truth is I was so excited to see so many friends and former colleagues show up. And to be honest going in to callbacks I pictured myself with a cast made up of a few friends. That didn't happen. And its hard. Im such a sensitive person that I'm fearful I let them down. But in the end there was someone else who brought something to the table that made all of us go...that's it! In reality, I could have cast most anyone who came to callbacks. They were all that good.
And now on to rehearsals. I'm thrilled with the cast we got. They are all super amazing. And like I said so were many of those who weren't chosen but we have to choose. That's the nature of the business. So what's going on with me? My insecurities are coming out in full force.
Oh yes, here we go again! Can I do this piece justice? Am I good enough to lead these actors who have put their trust in me? Have I bit off more than I can chew? So I think back to the last time I directed, and the time before that and the time before that and you know what? I felt exactly the same way. And they turned out fine. In fact half the cast of my last show (two of the four) came to audition for this one. And the third cast member contacted me to let me know he wanted to but was out of town all last week. The fourth cast member just moved to NYC last week.
So I think that is the best endorsement. Those who have worked with me in the past want to work with me again. OK, Charlie Brown stop talking and let me get to work. I've got a show to put up!
Friday, February 10, 2017
The Career that Giveth and Taketh Away - Acting: It's not for the faint of heart
So far 2017, has been a mixed bag. I was excited coming into 2017 having booked roles in two films. A small but fun a part in a low budget parody film and a significant role in a USC film school student film.
I was especially looking forward to the student film because it would give me an opportunity to play against type. I typically play ineffective middle management or authority figures or goofy dads/neighbors, etc. In this, I was to play a sympathetic single dad to a gay teen son who is being bullied into a sexual relationship with another teen who threatens to out him. I was really looking forward to it. A week before Christmas, I was sent the shoot dates and I told them I was fine but I had a day job and would not be available during the week. A couple weeks later, I received emails confirming the shoot dates and times, transportation information and costume measurements. I made arrangements to take a day off for one day of filming. I worked on my lines.
And then the day before I was due to shoot, I received an email telling me that due to my last minute notification to them of my limited schedule, they could not use me. What?! Exactly, what was last minute? I told them as soon as they notified me of the shoot dates. They never said word one that there was a problem. They sent me a shoot schedule for Friday Saturday and Sunday. I took Friday off form work. They were in constant contact with me, adding me to the contact list, asking about dietary restrictions, talking with the wardrobe supervisor about wardrobe. No clue.
I wasn't sure how to react. I mean I was really looking forward to this. It was a great opportunity for me to show something I haven't on film yet. I sent an email asking if they had the right person. Or wondering what had happened. I was too impatient to wait for a response, so I called the student the email came from. I asked her what was going on. She said because I had conflicts they couldn't use me. ME: But you never said anything to me. I've been responding to all the emails you've sent regarding wardrobe, transportation, dietary restrictions, etc. You sent me a filming schedule on December 18 and I emailed back that I had a day job, so weekdays could be a conflict,. You then sent me a shoot schedule with shoot days of Friday Saturday and Sunday. I took Friday off from work to shoot. Not once did anyone say, three was a scheduling issue. You lead me to believe those were my shoot dates. If you had called me, I could have changed my schedule to fit your shoot schedule. And now the day before the shoot you tell me to my late notice of conflicts. What late notice? I told you three weeks ago as soon as you sent the shooting dates. HER: Well, we really loved your audition. We thought you were great. But we can only have the location for certain days and can't change it and our lead actor is only available certain times and couldn't change his schedule. ME: But you didn't tell me any of this. You've been communicating with me as if I had the part. HER: Well, we have someone else. ME: I thanked them for their time and wished them good luck with the project.
Frustrating! Did I mention I really wanted to play that part?
Film number two was also supposed to shoot in January. So far, I've heard nothing since I accepted the part and they sent me a copy of the script. It's now February. I'm beginning to feel like that might not happen. So a few days ago I sent an email asking if there were any updates on the filming. I've gotten no response back. Its been four days.
Oh Acting Career, you giveth and you taketh away.
These are the joys of being an actor. You feel good one day and then down the next,. You're only as good as your most recent work. And your self-esteem is so low that if you're not working, you feel pretty low. It's been a slow commercial audition period for me as well. So of course, my esteem is low presently.
Now on to the positive!
Tonight, I am opening a show on stage that I am very excited to be a part of. And it's going to be a really good one! 42nd Street at the Candlelight Pavilion Dinner Theatre in Claremont, CA. If you're in the neighborhood, come and see those dancing feet. It's going to be so good.
I was especially looking forward to the student film because it would give me an opportunity to play against type. I typically play ineffective middle management or authority figures or goofy dads/neighbors, etc. In this, I was to play a sympathetic single dad to a gay teen son who is being bullied into a sexual relationship with another teen who threatens to out him. I was really looking forward to it. A week before Christmas, I was sent the shoot dates and I told them I was fine but I had a day job and would not be available during the week. A couple weeks later, I received emails confirming the shoot dates and times, transportation information and costume measurements. I made arrangements to take a day off for one day of filming. I worked on my lines.
And then the day before I was due to shoot, I received an email telling me that due to my last minute notification to them of my limited schedule, they could not use me. What?! Exactly, what was last minute? I told them as soon as they notified me of the shoot dates. They never said word one that there was a problem. They sent me a shoot schedule for Friday Saturday and Sunday. I took Friday off form work. They were in constant contact with me, adding me to the contact list, asking about dietary restrictions, talking with the wardrobe supervisor about wardrobe. No clue.
I wasn't sure how to react. I mean I was really looking forward to this. It was a great opportunity for me to show something I haven't on film yet. I sent an email asking if they had the right person. Or wondering what had happened. I was too impatient to wait for a response, so I called the student the email came from. I asked her what was going on. She said because I had conflicts they couldn't use me. ME: But you never said anything to me. I've been responding to all the emails you've sent regarding wardrobe, transportation, dietary restrictions, etc. You sent me a filming schedule on December 18 and I emailed back that I had a day job, so weekdays could be a conflict,. You then sent me a shoot schedule with shoot days of Friday Saturday and Sunday. I took Friday off from work to shoot. Not once did anyone say, three was a scheduling issue. You lead me to believe those were my shoot dates. If you had called me, I could have changed my schedule to fit your shoot schedule. And now the day before the shoot you tell me to my late notice of conflicts. What late notice? I told you three weeks ago as soon as you sent the shooting dates. HER: Well, we really loved your audition. We thought you were great. But we can only have the location for certain days and can't change it and our lead actor is only available certain times and couldn't change his schedule. ME: But you didn't tell me any of this. You've been communicating with me as if I had the part. HER: Well, we have someone else. ME: I thanked them for their time and wished them good luck with the project.
Frustrating! Did I mention I really wanted to play that part?
Film number two was also supposed to shoot in January. So far, I've heard nothing since I accepted the part and they sent me a copy of the script. It's now February. I'm beginning to feel like that might not happen. So a few days ago I sent an email asking if there were any updates on the filming. I've gotten no response back. Its been four days.
Oh Acting Career, you giveth and you taketh away.
These are the joys of being an actor. You feel good one day and then down the next,. You're only as good as your most recent work. And your self-esteem is so low that if you're not working, you feel pretty low. It's been a slow commercial audition period for me as well. So of course, my esteem is low presently.
Now on to the positive!
Tonight, I am opening a show on stage that I am very excited to be a part of. And it's going to be a really good one! 42nd Street at the Candlelight Pavilion Dinner Theatre in Claremont, CA. If you're in the neighborhood, come and see those dancing feet. It's going to be so good.
Wednesday, January 25, 2017
Mary Tyler Moore
I've been debating to what to blog about for over a week now. Do I talk once again about my lack of a love life? Do I whine once again about feeling all alone in the world? Do I get political and talk about whats happening in this country as of January 21? Or do I talk about my acting career?
Today, I got an answer...Mary Tyler Moore. I've talked about my love of the TV shows I grew up and their stars. At the very, very top of that list are two TV sitcoms: The Dick Van Dyke Show and The Mary Tyler Moore Show. Both of course, starring Mary Tyler Moore. I've read the autobiographies of MTM, DVD and Carl Reiner. I've watched hours of interviews with all three of them as well as the creators and co-stars of both of their series. I know the story of how she got the part of Laurie Petrie when Danny Thomas remembered the girl with three names who auditioned as a replacement for the role of his older daughter on The Danny Thomas Show a year earlier. He didn't hire her because no one would believe a girl with that nose could be his daughter. He brought her in to Carl Reiner, she read one line, he grabbed her by the head and dragged her into Sheldon Leonard's office and said this is her.
She was a novice at comedy and 12 years younger than Dick Van Dyke. But she learned. She was originally supposed to be the straight man to DVD. But then they wrote an episode where she's thinks Rob would love her more if she's a blonde. So she dyes her hair blonde only to discover Rob loves his brunette wife. So she starts to dye her hair back before he gets home. He gets there and her hair is blonde on one side and brunette on the other. She starts crying through her lines. And the rest is history. In her book, she admits she stole the crying bit from Nanette Fabray who would eventually play her mother on two episodes of the MTM Show. The Dick Van Dyke Show was her college and she learned from Reiner, Van Dyke, Rose Marie and More Amsterdam.
Anywho, go to Emmy Legends to see the interviews. For me, DVD and MTM were the perfect pair. Absolutely believable as husband and wife. Sexy and sophisticated and talented to boot. They sang and danced in their living room. I wanted their life. I wanted them to be my parents!
She as well as two women Lucille Ball and Carol Burnett were my three comedienne idols. To me, they are the three greatest female TV stars ever to live. Then there's everyone else. My generation grew up with them. Daytime reruns of Lucy's shows and the Dick Van Dyke Show. Here's Lucy on Monday nights and Mary and Carol on Saturday nights.
Saturday nights in the 70s. As my sister reminded me today. We would take baths, or get our hair washed and sit downstairs in the family room with our parents and watch CBS: All in the Family, Mary Tyler Moore and Bob Newhart. And then we would beg our father to let us stay up and watch Carol Burnett. He would let us as long as we didn't give him a hard time about getting up for church in the morning. We always gave him a hard time on Sunday mornings. I would turn off my alarm clock, get back under the covers and shut my eyes when my dad came knocking on the door. I would pretend to be asleep and not wake up. He would walk over to my bed, calling my name, I wouldn't budge. He'd pick up the alarm clock, turn on the alarm and hold it up to my ear.
Loved those shows as a kid. But re-watching them as adult made me appreciate their talents. My fave eps of MTM: The Lars Affair, The Dinner Party, Put on A Happy Face, The Good Time News, Ted's Wedding, Once I Had A Secret Love, Mary Midwife, The Last Show.
The Dick Van Dyke Show: Coast to Coast Big Mouth, Pink Pills and Purple Parents, I'd Rather Be Bald Then Have No Head, It May Look Like A Walnut, The Curious Thing About Women.
Mary Tyler Moore was diagnosed with Diabetes back in the late 1960s and was an advocate and spokesperson for the Juvenile Diabetes Foundation as well as Animal Rights for many years. In recent years, her health declined quite a bit. She was losing her eyesight and had brain surgery a few years back. She hadn't been out in public in about three or four years.
I am glad that she is no longer suffering but boy will I miss her. At least we'll always have reruns and DVDs and streaming.
She was a novice at comedy and 12 years younger than Dick Van Dyke. But she learned. She was originally supposed to be the straight man to DVD. But then they wrote an episode where she's thinks Rob would love her more if she's a blonde. So she dyes her hair blonde only to discover Rob loves his brunette wife. So she starts to dye her hair back before he gets home. He gets there and her hair is blonde on one side and brunette on the other. She starts crying through her lines. And the rest is history. In her book, she admits she stole the crying bit from Nanette Fabray who would eventually play her mother on two episodes of the MTM Show. The Dick Van Dyke Show was her college and she learned from Reiner, Van Dyke, Rose Marie and More Amsterdam.
Anywho, go to Emmy Legends to see the interviews. For me, DVD and MTM were the perfect pair. Absolutely believable as husband and wife. Sexy and sophisticated and talented to boot. They sang and danced in their living room. I wanted their life. I wanted them to be my parents!
She as well as two women Lucille Ball and Carol Burnett were my three comedienne idols. To me, they are the three greatest female TV stars ever to live. Then there's everyone else. My generation grew up with them. Daytime reruns of Lucy's shows and the Dick Van Dyke Show. Here's Lucy on Monday nights and Mary and Carol on Saturday nights.
Saturday nights in the 70s. As my sister reminded me today. We would take baths, or get our hair washed and sit downstairs in the family room with our parents and watch CBS: All in the Family, Mary Tyler Moore and Bob Newhart. And then we would beg our father to let us stay up and watch Carol Burnett. He would let us as long as we didn't give him a hard time about getting up for church in the morning. We always gave him a hard time on Sunday mornings. I would turn off my alarm clock, get back under the covers and shut my eyes when my dad came knocking on the door. I would pretend to be asleep and not wake up. He would walk over to my bed, calling my name, I wouldn't budge. He'd pick up the alarm clock, turn on the alarm and hold it up to my ear.
Loved those shows as a kid. But re-watching them as adult made me appreciate their talents. My fave eps of MTM: The Lars Affair, The Dinner Party, Put on A Happy Face, The Good Time News, Ted's Wedding, Once I Had A Secret Love, Mary Midwife, The Last Show.
The Dick Van Dyke Show: Coast to Coast Big Mouth, Pink Pills and Purple Parents, I'd Rather Be Bald Then Have No Head, It May Look Like A Walnut, The Curious Thing About Women.
Mary Tyler Moore was diagnosed with Diabetes back in the late 1960s and was an advocate and spokesperson for the Juvenile Diabetes Foundation as well as Animal Rights for many years. In recent years, her health declined quite a bit. She was losing her eyesight and had brain surgery a few years back. She hadn't been out in public in about three or four years.
I am glad that she is no longer suffering but boy will I miss her. At least we'll always have reruns and DVDs and streaming.
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