ACTORS' & DIRECTORS' CORNER

I just read a review of 2 1/2 Men by a “communications professor” by the name of Robert Thompson.  He admitted that while watching and critiquing the show, he would rather be balancing his checkbook.

The fact is, 2 1/2 Men is the only truly honest depiction of male and female behavior in our current American and possibly worldwide culture. It deals with real-life situations, and the greed, dishonesty and scamming that goes on at all levels of society and industry, producing the norms of life today. Its popularity, continuing with huge audience followers watching reruns, deny the premise put forth by this professor of communications.Continue Reading Could “Two and a Half Men” Be Better Than Ever With Ashton Kutcher?

This is addressed to my professional actor friends, full members of the Screen Actors Guild, AFTRA, and Equity.

It is to say that I am tired of being invited by student directors to act in their videos, or films, for their benefit and for nothing.  This is a huge step backward to the very beginnings of these esteemed organizations, back to the twenties and thirties.  Student actors, go ahead.  Professional actors, STOP!Continue Reading Copy, Credit, Meals

When you get to my age, a refresher covering most aspects of an active life in the Showbusiness is always a good idea.  Also, the nature of the current showbiz tends to get away from you.  With that in mind, I noticed a 1 week movie-making course being given just down the road from me, at the premises of Universal Studios (which brought back memories of the House Calls disaster).
Continue Reading Career Overview

I have to admit that this is the only sitcom that I hurry home to watch. It’s a lesson in comedy writing construction, and one notices that it remains listed at the top of the public’s favorites after 7 years.

A lot of this is due to Chuck Lorre, and readers deserve to be linked

Excellent article in today’s NY Times, about the difficulty of cramming other people’s words into your brain, and making them come out as though you had just thought of them.

Learning lines

I never heard of having a prompter sitting in the first row, and mouthing your lines to you, as apparently Matthew Broderick has availed

Standup is tough. I know, I’ve been doing a few open mikes. My subject is Old Age. You have to make it funny. It’s the only medium I haven’t tried, and it’s very challenging, for it requires writing skills as well as performance with a hand mike, and a good sense of humor.

I see