I am thrilled to announce that I’ve been invited for membership in The Actors Center in New York. It is made up of a stunningly accomplished and talented group of people, and is a remarkable place to study and work. The current Artistic Director is J. Michael Miller, but the reins are being handed over to Ron Van Lieu, the current Chair of the Department of Drama at Yale University.
Many thanks to my friend John Rothman for nominating me, and to the Membership Committee for their consideration.
I’ve been trying to get into the audiobook world for years, and finally broke through, getting two books in one month. What I hadn’t fully understood, though, was how taxing the work can be. The latest volume I’ll be reading is thicker than the yellow pages, and we’ve got to get it done in four days.
After several hours of reading aloud, the mind goes numb. Try it some time and you’ll understand. The voice, too, strains and cracks, but that seems minor compared to losing all faculty for language. Read more…
Abundance surrounds me. When I think about the staggering wealth at my doorstep, the endless talents of my colleagues, and the limitless blessings my life has had, it boggles the mind. Even at my lowest points, it seems, a guardian angel descends from the heavens to cradle me.
Add to this my belief that our greatest efforts are the ones that lift others up, it would be natural that I become the most successful person I could possibly be, leading the way for others, showing the world that gifts bestowed can be turned into gifts given. My good fortune could benefit others. Read more…
It happens with alarming regularity. I wake in the night with a prattling thought, and toss and turn for a while, trying to relax back into sleep. Between pointless rolls of my body east and west I start coming up with ideas that, like Jack’s beanstalk, climb towards the heavens at steroidal speeds.
I spent the better part of the week in an intensive workshop-like writing process with a friend. We got an amazing amount done in a short period, but we refrained from the scripting of any dialogue, sticking solely to the outline process. Naturally, you start hearing lines you’d like to include. Read more…
I always know when somebody has an insightful suggestion for me because I want to punch them in the face. It’s likely generated from the frustrated realization that (a) it’s a good idea, (b) I should have figured it out myself, and (c) I’d rather not examine that particular aspect of my life. So when somebody told me recently to “allow space for the abundance that surrounds me,” and I subsequently wanted to toss her off a rooftop, I figured there must be something to it. Read more…
This is not a piece in favor of incompetence. Quite the contrary, it’s a call for competence via incompetence. Read on, you’ll understand…
I’ve had several discussions lately about timing. When do you do something, like, say, make a short film project. And certainly timing, and planning, matter. But more often than not, in waiting for the perfect moment, which of course never arrives, we don’t do anything at all. Read more…
I may be wrong about this one, and many will say I am, but looking at film posters around the city the other day, I had this overwhelming sensation that the difference between me and the many stars whose names were written across the top in block letters was negligible. I don’t mean the obvious – they have more money, are more famous, and so on – I mean that their ability to do what they do is not infinitely higher than mine, but that the difference lies in a few intangibles.
Please don’t misunderstand. These guys, and gals, have real talent, and great charisma, and an uncanny ability to navigate the waters. I’m just not sure they’re doing anything I can’t, and it’s been a long time since I felt that with such conviction.
Actors are perennially in search of two things: affecting an audience, and feeling personally significant. We can debate the order another time. In either case, there’s something relational at play, a need for emotions to stimulate the brain, or heart, or groin. (Again, we can debate the particulars later.)
In the best of circumstances, you’re working, on something you like, and you’re well paid. In these times you walk the earth with a lighter step. Traffic snarls are merely chances to listen to more music, rain is refreshing, and the dim-witted cashier is a person worthy of compassion. Read more…
I am thrilled to announce that I’ve been invited for membership in The Actors Center in New York. It is made up of a stunningly accomplished and talented group of people, and is a remarkable place to study and work. The current Artistic Director is J. Michael Miller, but the reins are being handed over to Ron Van Lieu, the current Chair of the Department of Drama at Yale University.
