Shadow Dancer

Behind every stage production, big or small, there are countless foot soldiers diligently carrying out assignments and tasks; some tedious and mundane, others precise and time essential. Theatre companies survive through the blood, sweat and tears of members willing to do what is asked so that their fellow actors onstage can tell the story and take the bows.

The Open Fist Theatre Company is presently staging Sam Shepard’s Curse of the Starving Class to rave reviews, and deep in the cavity of the enormous space is a company member who carries a resume in his hip pocket that would make you gasp.

Kim Mowrey joined the Open Fist Theatre Company just under a year ago. In that short time he has devoted his “talents” to stage managing and back stage crewing. The kind of work that doesn’t get to take a bow.

I somehow wrangled Kim last week to sit and discuss his career, in between his task of hemming up a pair of trousers and working frantically to shore up a livestock holding pen being used for Curse of the Starving Class.

Lars Beckerman:  Hello, Kim. Really appreciate you taking a breather and chatting.

Kim Mowrey: My pleasure. Can I go now?

Lars Beckerman:  Not just yet.

We settle in, but the bustle of the pre-show activity obviously tugs at his attention. When he engages, however, he is right there with me.

LB:  Let’s go to the beginning. When did you first discover your passion for all of this?

KM:  Well, I started dancing when I was six - my mom threw me into dance class because I had very round shoulders. It was a ballet class…to improve my posture. After the first class I was hooked. My mother is Swiss and my dad’s American, so I was raised half here and half in Europe. Any shows that had roles for kids, my mother would drive me to the audition. I got my Equity card in the early 60s. I did Sound of Music, Oliver, Carousel – all those shows with kids. When I got to high school I wanted formal training - I wanted to train in Europe close to my family who was living in Switzerland. So I went to drama school in London.

LB:  At the Royal Academy?

KM:  For my graduate year. My first two years were at a school called the Arts Educational Trust, which is in a section of London near St. Peters, which is where the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) is. Our school was sort of the recruiting ground for the RSC. So I worked with a lot of people who became famous.

LB:  Thoughts on studying in London?

KM:  The thing about British training that is so different from American training is the technique. American training seems to be about the interior work, British training gets to the interior work but not until you’ve done the exterior work.

LB:  Explain.

KM:  For example, if you got to class one minute late the door was locked. It was all about the discipline and the technique. What you had to do that made you a good actor so that when you got on the stage you could do all the fun stuff. Being on time, being prepared, being considerate of the other actors. So they work from the outside in and in the states you seem to work from the inside out.

LB:  And you’re teaching acting now at UCLA - any observations on your students?

KM:  Well, I can tell you this: I give them an immediate ‘F’ for texting.

We share a laugh. But it’s clear he is not joking.

KM:  The frustrating things is…they’re not thinking about how to be good actors, they’re thinking about how to become stars. Their mindset is “How is this class going to get me a series and make me a star?” What they don’t understand is that most people who become stars, most, also have technique.

LB:  And you’ve worked with some pretty amazing “stars.” Tell me about playing ‘Romeo’ in school – opposite Daniel Day-Lewis’ ‘Mercutio.’

Kim was somewhat reluctant to discuss the reclusive star but I still had to ask.

KM:  Yes. Traditionally in the British theatre, the two actors who played ‘Romeo’ and ‘Mercutio’ would switch off. It started with John Gielgud and Lawrence Olivier. Not that we were in that class…but we loved what we were doing so much we never did alternate. We started to rehearse each others’ roles, but found that we were both imitating each other. So…

LB:  Wow. That’s pretty flattering, isn’t it?

KM:  Well, we were both just students.

LB:  What do you remember most about him?

KM:  He had that wonderful voice. That wonderful articulation. He came on stage and you couldn’t look anywhere else. But he also had the technique. An absolute joy to work with. Very disciplined. Incredibly disciplined.

At this point in our conversation, Kim is called away to help repair a “urine” bag that is used in the production. I pass the time looking over a wonderful collection of black and white stills from his early stage work. With a sly grin and roll of the eyes, he returns.

KM:  It’s so funny. The smallest things can wreak havoc on an actor’s performance. I remember a show I did years ago – and the costumer changed laundry detergent in the middle of the run and I could just tell. My shirt smelled different. And I went up on my lines. I was totally lost.

LB:  Did you do mostly musicals?

KM:  Mostly musical theatre, yes. But I made a conscious decision to get out of the chorus by the age of 25. I told myself if I wasn’t speaking lines or doing solos by 25 then I was going to quit dancing. And I accomplished it. And it didn’t matter if I just came on and said “Dinner’s in the garden.” It didn’t matter. I had to speak. I did Chorus Line for a long, long time. Chorus Line changed everything. People realized we could speak, that we had thoughts. I was 24 when I first did Chorus Line. And I said: “From now on, I talk.” I was very lucky  because I had classical training. I could switch from doing Chorus Line to doing Romeo. The British training made you very versatile.

LB: You make the transition sound easy.

KM:  It was just a matter of being clear about what I wanted. When I got out of drama school, I ended up being in the chorus because I could sing and dance. But the people I was so fortunate to work with inspired me enormously - people that nobody knows anymore. I worked on two shows with Eve Arden (Oscar nominated Mildred Pierce, 1945). Nicest, most gracious woman I’ve ever worked with. And talk about technique. Discipline. Line perfect. Lyric perfect. Always on time, always ready. Then I’ve worked with other stars more recently. Forty minutes late. Don’t know their lines. Need cue cards. It’s a different, different world.

LB:  Is it the lack of theatre training?

KM:  That – and I think they just make too much money. Americans are very spoiled. When I first started out – in Applause with Eve Arden - I made $87.50 a week. It was 1974 in Sydney, Australia. When the show opened, they doubled it. But that’s eight shows a week. And I still managed to save money!

LB:  Now that’s discipline.

KM: My rent was only $18 a week, so…

LB:  My guess is you’re paying more now. (He laughs) When was your first exposure to Bob Fosse?

KM:  That was Pippin. In the mid 70s. We rehearsed for six weeks with some of the dancers from one of his productions, then he came over for two weeks and cleaned the show up and directed what was missing. Those were two of the most intense weeks of my life.

LB:  What was it like collaborating with Fosse?

KM:  You didn’t collaborate with Bob Fosse - you did what you were told. I mean, you were in the presence of greatness. He choreographed you down to your fingers. But, he gave you the reason that your finger had to be where he was putting it. And then he let you do it. It was wonderful. He also screamed a lot. Called people names. He threw things. But…I loved it. I just loved it. There are friends of mine who owe their entire careers to Fosse.

LB:  You must feel so blessed to have been exposed to that caliber of work. To learn from the very best.

KM:  It was amazing. There were three great choreographers in those days: Fosse (8 Tony Awards, Pippin, Sweet Charity; Oscar win for his direction of Cabaret); Gower Champion (8 Tony Awards, Bye, Bye Birdie, Hello, Dolly!); and Jerome Robbins (5 Tony Awards, The King and I, West Side Story). And they were all three nasty people, but they were all three geniuses - so dancers would kill to work with them.

LB:  “Genius” is a word that gets thrown around too much, but when you’re in the presence of it…

KM:  You just know. I’ll tell you an example. It was towards the end of Olivier’s career - I was still in drama school - and he was playing the father in Long Day’s Journey Into Night, and I got a ticket from a friend who worked in the box office – I was in the third row. The minute the curtain went up, and he started the first scene of that play, you knew – YOU KNEW – that you were seeing something that would never ever be duplicated. It was genius. And it was four hours of genius. You left the theatre with your hair standing up knowing that you had seen something historical. And that’s rare. Very rare. I don’t think it happens much anymore.

LB:  Well, as the Open Fist heads into the final weekend of Curse of the Starving Class, any thoughts on Sam Shepard?

KM:  Not a genius, but highly competent. That’s what I would say about Sam Shepard. How’s that?

LB:  And Curse?

KM:  The play is terrific. Especially now that it’s been revised. It’s much more accessible to audiences. What I find fascinating about the play is that there is not one moment of affection between any of the characters. Everyone is isolated in his or her own world. Not one moment of intimacy – so there’s not much to hang your emotions on. And that’s obviously what he (Shepard) wanted.

LB:  What would you like to see the Open Fist produce, any shows you’re aching to do?

KM: I think we should do some of the classics. I’d love to do another Shakespeare. I think we should do some Noel Coward. A restoration comedy. Some Moliere. Early American stuff – some Arthur Miller. We just did Stage Door and it was fantastic. A real crowd pleaser. I’m all for The Man Who Came to Dinner, You Can’t Take It with You – all that stuff.

LB: And what would you personally want to appear in?

KM:  I’d love to do an Oscar Wilde. The Beaux Stratagem, School for Scandal - those shows are funny…and they sell. I’d love to do Romeo & Juliet. I’d love to play ‘Friar Lawrence.’ That would make money.

We both crack up, knowing all too well that in the L.A. non-Equity (99 seat or less) theatre world, “make money” is merely a euphemism for “break even.”

LB:  Are your dancing days behind you?

KM:  Oh no! Although, I can’t really lift the girls anymore. But you bring up a good point – I’d love to do some musicals. Musicals sell and audiences love them. This is the perfect space for Cabaret. Or West Side Story.

LB:  And you know I have to ask, Kim.

KM:  Go on.

LB:  Any final thoughts on Juju the lamb? You’ve raised her since she was a…pup.

KM:  Like a child. I’m sending her off to her life after graduation!!!! When we first announced we were doing Curse, I said to my friend “Why the f*#@ are we doing a show with a live animal???” And now, you know, I just couldn’t live without her. She’s been really fun.

LB:  Seems to be the consensus. Everyone loves Juju.

KM:  Everyone loves Juju.

LB:  Well, Kim. This has been a real treat for me. Thanks so much for sharing your stories and continued success with the Open Fist. I hope I get to see you up on that stage real soon – dancing your heart out.

KM:  Thank you, Lars. You’re sweet.

Reticent Richardson in the Role of a Lifetime

I  read Catcher In the Rye in my younger years and it plastered my ribs like stucco. A novel for the ages. Later I would read and admire Franny and Zooey and Raise High the Roof Beam, Carpenters to confirm the brilliance of J.D. Salinger. A couple of summers ago, against my better judgement, I settled into Joyce Maynard’s At Home In the World, her brutally honest memoir about the secluded year she spent with the legendarily reclusive Salinger. Unfortunately, as is so often the case with many truly great artists, the actual person is far less appealing than the art.

Well, Los Angeles theatre has a Salinger of its own. But thankfully, in this case, the artist and the art both make the grade.

As long as I’ve covered theatre in Los Angeles, the name Laura Richardson has ubiquitously floated over the landscape. And, while she may not be as reclusive as the late Salinger, she is reluctant, nonetheless, to discuss her work. She is presently starring in Sam Shepard’s Curse of the Starving Class at the Open Fist Theatre in Hollywood. Don’t ask me how, but I managed (Finally!) to corner her last week outside an antique store in Silver Lake and she was generous enough to give me a few minutes.

Lars Beckerman:  Wow, Laura, we finally meet. Thanks for taking the time.

Laura Richardson:  You’re welcome.

LB:  How is the show going?

LR: (Long pause) Um, it’s going well. I’m hesitant to say it’s going great – I don’t ever let myself get too…happy. But, it’s going well. Yeah. It’s going well.

LB:  You’ve been working with the Open Fist Theatre Company since 2006. Your play, Doo Doo Love was a big hit there, an L.A. Times ”Critic Pick.” Last year you appeared on stage in Horton Foote’s Getting Frankie Married – and Afterwards. Do you have a preference between the writing and the acting?

LR:  I like ‘em both. I guess. I don’t know. I find as a writer, to be a little more nervous when a show is going up. It’s a different kind of fear than acting.

LB:  Can you compare the satisfaction between watching a cast perform a play you’ve written to being on stage and knowing you have just given a strong performance?

LR:  I would say they are similar. But again, I don’t like to celebrate stuff too much. (Another pause – then, realizing what she just said) That makes me wanna cry.

LB:  Scott Paulin directed you in Frankie last year. You have a long working relationship together – was he the reason you took the role of ‘Ella’ in Curse of the Starving Class?

LR:  Yes. I’ve done three Horton Foote plays with Scott – and  my play, Come Back, Little Horny, we put up at the Lost Studio together, directed by Martha Demson (Artistic Director at the Open Fist). This part (‘Ella’), I kept trying to stay away from it.  I had no intention of auditioning for it. First of all, I don’t like to compete, so I didn’t want to throw my hat in the ring and go up against all the great women we have in our company that are in my age range. But…I don’t get to a point where I’m thinking “I have to play that part!” I’m not that kind of actor. I’m not like that.

LB:  Tell me about the role of ‘Ella.’

LR:  I played the role in college. And I…didn’t really remember too much about it. Didn’t remember what I did. So…in revisiting it, after reading it again, I see the layers that I probably didn’t have before.

LB:  Is that simply a result of the years that have passed?

LR:  Yeah. I suppose. I’m older. (Laura rolls her eyes) Wiser. You don’t really know what you’re doing in college. College, it was like, just memorize the lines and go where they tell you to go.

LB:  What have you learned this time around, playing ‘Ella?’

LR:  I try to think of the big issue of the character, and how I relate to that. (Pause) To me…her big issue…is wanting to be free.

At this point in our conversation, Laura gets emotional and we stop for a bit. It is obvious that the role has crept inside her. I’ve seen the play three times now and her performance is not only heartbreaking, but transformative. She plays opposite Kevin McCorkle (playing the role of ‘Weston’) who also delivers the performance of his distinguished career. They play a married couple on the skids, struggling against economic circumstances and his alcoholism to not only save their failing farm, but to keep their family together. Their children are played by two exceptional young actors: Juliette Goglia, 14, plays ‘Emma,’ and Ian Nelson, 28, plays ‘Wesley.’  It’s a wonderful play, oozing compassion for American society and the inherent trappings of capitalism and the baby boom that the post World War II generation grappled with. 

We settle back in.

LB: I love the final scene of Curse of the Starving Class. The emotion – the forgiveness that both you and Ian convey is really brilliant. Is it a relief at that point, to be getting to the end of such an emotional journey?

LR:  Yes! It’s definitely a relief. It’s also a relief to know I don’t have to play the emotion. It’s always about just telling the story. And whatever comes up. It’s such a great play.

LB:  Well, whatever you’re doing, it’s working.

LR:  That’s nice. Thanks.

LB:  Anyone ever compare you to Judy Garland?

LR:  Oh, thanks. I love Judy Garland. I love all the old actresses. I’m an old film buff. I could spend years on the couch - watching those old movies. And I have!  

LB:  I have to ask you, what’s it like working with Juju the lamb?

LR:   I love Juju. Juju is adorable. (Pause) Fortunately, I’m not on stage with her that much.

We both laugh. But it still seems as though Laura might begin to cry. We forge on.

LB:  What’s next?

LR:  My new play is coming up in August. Life On This Couch. (Wide grin) Hmmm. Wonder what that’s about.

LB:  Also at the Open Fist?

LR:  Yeah. Very excited. And scared. And hoping I lose ten pounds, cuz that’s usually what happens.

She cracks up. I can tell she wants to get going. I’m losing her – but I’m still feeling like the cat that ate the canary.

LB:  Because of the anxiety?

LR:  Yeah. The anxiety – that’s it. I end up rolling around on the kitchen floor.

LB:  Well, Laura, this has been a real treat for me. (She sticks her tongue out at me) Continued success with Curse of the Starving Class and best of luck with your new play.

LR:  Thanks, Lars. Sorry I got so emotional.

I’m speechless. If only she knew that’s what makes her so good. Then, before I can look up from my note pad to say “thank you” – she is gone.

I’m suddenly reminded, as I gather my notes - satisfied - of one of my favorite Salinger quotes from Franny and Zooey.

“I’m sick of just liking people. I wish to God I could meet somebody I could respect.”

Curse of the Starving Class, one of Shepard’s best, runs at the Open Fist Theatre until June 4.

Stars Align for Cast of Shepard’s Curse

The dilemma for working actors in Los Angeles who long for the thrill of live stage work is picking the right projects and then hoping the paying jobs don’t throw a wrench in the plans.

Suffice it to say, producers and directors all over this town hold their collective breath as they ramp up to their openings, fingers and toes crossed that their cast makes it to the theatre to hear “Places!”

Sam Shepard’s Curse of the Starving Class opened last weekend at the Open Fist Theatre in Hollywood, and director Scott Paulin grinned from ear to ear as he watched his talented ensemble deliver – intact.

Paulin cast Open Fist stalwarts Laura Richardson and Kevin McCorkle as the feuding married couple in Shepard’s autobiographical social drama about a family whose world collapses around them as they struggle to hang on to their farm. Bruce Dickinson, John Lacy, Daniel Escobar, John Bobek, and Dennis Osborne round out the talented cast.

But the casting coup of this production of Curse of the Starving Class was snagging two outsiders to come on to the boards. Playing the sibling roles of ‘Wesley’ and ‘Emma’ are Ian Nelson and Juliette Goglia.

I sat down with the two young actors earlier this week to discuss their career paths, their introduction to Sam Shepard, and what they thought of working with Juju the scene stealing lamb.

Lars Beckerman:  So, how is the show going?

Ian Nelson:  Ladies first.

Juliette Goglia:  Ah, thanks. The show is going great.

LB:  Juiette, you’re 15, your stage work to date has been mostly musicals (she starred in last year’s production of Hello My Baby at the Rubicon). Were you familiar with  Sam Shepard before this job?

JG:  I was not. At first I was kind of afraid. You know, Curse of the Starving Class is the first straight play I’ve ever done. It’s a really intense play in general. But it’s pretty timeless. It’s not old-fashioned at all. My friends who have come have loved it. I’m working with really awesome actors. Getting a chance to kind of evolve into the character. Working with Scott Paulin has been really an eye-opening experience. I never thought you could dig so much beneath the surface. I think that’s what Scott has really helped me with. By dissecting every single little thing you get all the right nuances, and Scott has really helped us all with that.

Ian:  Working with Scott has been amazing. It’s been really, really great. He is fearless and he pushes me into areas that I was afraid to go.

LB:  He does create a safe environment for actors.

JG:  Exactly. I agree with Ian. I’ve grown a lot as an actor. Done things I didn’t think I could do.

LB:  Scott Paulin performed in Curse several years ago, playing your role of ‘Wesley,’ Ian, was that helpful?

Ian:  It’s interesting, because if he hadn’t told me I don’t think I would have known. He didn’t seem to have any preconceived way of how it should be played. It was like while we were working it seemed like he was making discoveries with me.

LB:  What is your theatrical background, Ian?

Ian:  I was studying at Playhouse West with Robert Carnegie. Doing mostly scene work. I put one show up, Lone Star. It was a small part. We put it up in a small 35 seat house for about a month and a half. But as far as honest, professional theatre, this is the beginning for me.

Nelson, 28, whose television credits include 7th Heaven, Ghost Whisperer, Private Practice, and Castle, is most known for his roles in the Lionsgate kiddie flick, Bratz (2007), and the critically acclaimed ultra low-budget indie film, Dakota Skye (2008).

LB:  I’ve heard a lot about this lamb, Juju. Any thoughts on working with Juju the scene stealing lamb?

JG:  At first I was like, she’s so cute, but she’s so loud. But now when I’m backstage with her I find myself having conversations with her. Like, “Yeah, Juju, I know how you’re feeling.” And she responds. She’s really smart.

LB:  You agree with that, Ian? Is Juju smart?

Ian:  Yeah. She’s smart. But she’s still a barnyard animal. (Juliette cracks up) She eats like a maniac. Very spoiled - she needs a lot of attention. The second we’re not around she whines and whines.

JG:  You can’t walk away from her backstage or she goes crazy.

Ian: First couple of nights on stage under the hot lights went straight to her head.

JG:  I think she was just playing us all at first. Now she’s stealing the show! Getting all the great reviews. She is adorable though.

Goglia has been working professionally in Hollywood since she was 7 years old. She played the memorable recurring role of ‘Little Girl God’ on Joan of Arcadia, as well as showing up in multiple episodes of the hit shows Desperate Housewives and Ugly Betty.

LB:  What’s next for you, Ian?

Ian:  Some projects I’m developing with a friend. Film stuff. Couple of pilot ideas. We’re in a really sweet spot right now to get a lot of people to see what we’re doing. Just a matter of time.

LB:  And you, Juliette?

JG:  I’m really interested in independent films. I’m always auditioning, always putting myself out there. It was a great thing that I had some down time because I got to be a part of this amazing show.

LB:  Thank you both for sitting with me.

JG:  Thank you. It was fun.

Ian:  Yeah. Thanks, Lars.

Blessed with All the Right Stuff

There are only a handful of actors in Los Angeles who straddle the fence of television and stage work as gracefully and successfully as Scott Paulin.

Paulin, 61, works steadily in episodic tv, most recently playing Stana Katic’s father, ‘Jim Beckett’ on ABC’s Castle. His television resume, acting and directing, totals nearly 100 credits, including series regular work on the short-lived but much decorated I’ll Fly Away, and some powerhouse guest starring roles, most notably The Twilight Zone, directed by William Friedkin, and the original Amazing Stories, directed by Steven Spielberg.

But when asked where the actor-director’s heart is, he does not hesitate. “Live theatre. It’s where it all started.”

Last year Paulin received rave reviews for his direction of the Open Fist’s Getting Frankie Married – and Afterwards by the late Horton Foote, a long time friend and colleague. He closed out 2010 directing Conor McPherson’s St. Nicholas, a one-man show starring Michael McGee. Earlier this year he teamed up with another long time chum, Nick Kazan, on Kazan’s riveting and provocative Mademoiselle God at the Ensemble Theatre in Atwater Village. In all three cases, Paulin’s reputation as an actor’s director was on full display, bringing out captivating and honest performances from his casts.

Now he is set to open another significant stage play by yet another long time colleague. Opening tonight at the Open Fist Theatre in Hollywood is Sam Shepard’s Curse of the Starving Class, the Los Angeles premiere of the newly revised Obie award-winning classic.

I caught up with Scott Paulin a few days ago in his westside neck of the woods, Santa Monica.

Lars Beckerman:  How’s life?

Scott Paulin:  Life is good. It’s sunny in Santa Monica, as it should be on opening night for Curse of the Starving Class.

LB:  Why this play, why now?

SP:  Well, Sam Shepard was a big part of the early days of my career. He was pretty responsible for some of the success I had getting started as an actor in the Bay Area. We did this play together, I played ‘Wesley’ in the Bay Area production of Curse of the Starving Class back in the mid 1970s – Sam didn’t direct it but he oversaw the production – it was a tremendous experience, very successful, got me a lot of attention up there. I loved the play then. It’s a play that takes place in Southern California, in the suburbs of Los Angeles, where I also grew up – the desert town of San Bernardino, which is similar to the setting of Curse, Duarte, just east of L.A. All of that made it very interesting to me. Not to mention the fact that Sam and I both had a great deal of success doing a film called The Right Stuff in the early 80s. So it just seemed like a really great fit for the Open Fist – and for me.

Scott played ‘Deke Slayton’ in the 1983 Oscar winning film The Right Stuff, opposite Shepard, Dennis Quaid, Scott Glenn, Ed Harris, and Fred Ward.

LB:  The Right Stuff had a great cast. What a thrill to be a part of that group.

SP:  Indeed. A really remarkable and life changing experience. Such great memories.

LB:  And to be working with your friend from the Bay Area theatre scene on such a high-profile studio film must have been pretty sweet.

SP:  Yeah. Sure was. 

LB:  Tell me about those San Fran days.

SP:  Sam was something of a fixture in the Bay Area theatre scene in the early 1970s. He was around a lot. I guess he had just come back from London, and he and his wonderfully eccentric wife were well-known to everybody in the Bay Area. He was writing plays for the Magic Theatre. He’d done some early stuff with them when he was living in New York and then he came west and kind of became their playwrite laureate where he wrote some of his best stuff.

LB:  So you played ‘Wesley’ back in that 1970s production. Now that you’re a little more mature do you find yourself relating more to the father character of ‘Weston?’

SP:  I do. It was interesting to realize that I’ve never seen the play. I’d never seen any scenes except the ones I was in. I guess I just wasn’t that actor who hung around watching other actors rehearse. I had never seen this play live before I took it on this time. And as a result, when I started working on the part of ‘Weston’ with Kevin McCorkle, I found all sorts of stuff that resonated in my own life. The ‘Wesley’ character, straight out of high school, is very far from where I am now in my life. Although I still love that role. And fortunately, we were able to find a wonderful young actor named Ian Nelson to play him in this production. Could not be happier with the work he’s doing. In fact the whole cast is just really, really good.

LB:  Tell me a little bit about your relationship with your wife, Wendy Phillips. Is she your number one collaborator?

SP:  She is, in every part of my life, my number one collaborator. She is my aesthetic backup. The truth of it is, it is important to me at some point in the process of directing to have her come in and iron out my mistakes.

Scott and Wendy worked together in the 1986 Emmy Award winning mini-series A Year in the Life. Wendy is currently teaching film at USC’s graduate school.

LB:  What conversations are you hoping to spark with your audience leaving the theatre after Curse of the Starving Class?

SP:  Funny you ask, because last night after the preview a couple came up to me, and had noticed in the program note that Sam had revised the play, some minor changes, nothing really all that significant - shortened the play a little bit. And they wanted to know how much had he changed or updated the play to make it fit today’s socio-economic climate. And the truth is, he changed none of that. It was this way from the beginning. This whole notion that real estate is an investment that can never go wrong. And of course all of the personal issues of a family facing bankruptcy. A family that can no longer hold itself together culturally because it has lost its footing economically. All of those things I would love to find that people were talking about in the lobby after the show.

LB:  What’s next for you, Scott? Do you have your eyes set on another piece?

SP:  I have my eyes set on a vacation with my wife. After that, I will be helping produce at the Open Fist this summer with their annual First Look Festival. And probably be back next season doing something at the Open Fist. I hope.

LB: Thanks so much, Scott.

SP:  You bet, Lars.

Board Talk with 3 of L.A.’s Finest Actors

Very happy to report early in the year 2011 that the theatre scene in Los Angeles not only has a pulse, but is as vibrant and energetic as it’s been in many years. 

Sure, year in and year out, the Mark Taper Forum, the Ahmanson, the Geffen Playhouse, and venues like the Pantages Theater stage quality productions with above average talent. But it’s the smaller theatre scene (or “99 Seat Plan” once called “Equity waiver”) in Hollywood that ebbs and flows. From North Hollywood to Toluca Lake, from Pasadena to Sierra Madre, and up and down Santa Monica Boulevard’s famed Theatre Row, you just never know what you’re gonna get when you step out on a friday night to take in a stage show. And for the fickle L.A. theatre goer who has myriad options pulling at their “disposable” income, it only takes one or maybe two dismal nights at one of the smaller theatres to keep them away for years.

But such is not the climate today as the renaissance is in full bloom.

I sat down recently with three Los Angeles stage actors at a coffee shop in Atwater Village to discuss their present shows, their philosophy on their work, and their joy of doing what they love to do most: perform live.

Derek Manson is currently starring in the 1930s screwball comedy Room Service (L.A. Times Critic’s Choice) at the Open Fist Theatre; Annika Marks is dazzling audiences as ‘Lulu’ every weekend in Atwater Village at the brand new Ensemble Studio Theatre in Nick Kazan’s Mlle. God; and Kevin McCorkle is in rehearsal to play the gargantuan role of ‘Weston’ in Sam Shepard’s Obie award-winning American classic Curse of the Starving Class, scheduled to open April 15 at the Open Fist.

Lars Beckerman:  Let’s start with the obvious question, taking as a fact that each of you came to Los Angeles to pursue film/tv careers, also taking as fact that there is no money to be made in non-equity theatre – so why are you doing it?

Group laughter. Group hug.

Lars B:  You go first, Derek. In the vernacular of your play, Room Service, “what gives?”

Derek Manson:  For the love!!!! (group chuckle) Well, the funny thing is I’ve only been out here seven, eight months (originally from Atlanta and then NY). When I came out here I wanted to do stage and voiceover work, hoping that work would lead to tv and film. I’ve been able to do three stage shows, and, amazingly, each one has topped the last. Working with some really great people. But you know, stage is what I’ve done my entire career, so… 

Kevin McCorkle:  Theatre is the heart of it. Of everything else we’re trying to do. It keeps the muscle strong, you know. Keeps me ready, keeps the chops sharp. It’s the collaborative process that is so powerful. That’s what I say to young actors, take care of each other – listen to each other – focus on each other – that’s the collaborative process. I get very inspired in the theatre.

Annika Marks:  When I came here from New York all of my friends were telling me L.A. would be a drought in terms of stage work – and nothing could be further from the truth. The talent and caliber of people I’ve been able to surround myself with and work with has been amazing. I feel so blessed. Absolutely loving it here.

LB:  Annika, your play Mlle. God was written by Nick Kazan and directed by Scott Paulin, two very established artists in this industry. How did they find you?

AM:  They came to see me in Behind the Gates at the Marilyn Monroe Theatre (Lee Strasberg Creative Center) last year. There is a wonderful, intense monologue at the beginning of the play. I think that was what got their attention.

LB:   Were you familiar at the time with Nick Kazan’s work (Oscar nominated for Reversal of Fortune, Frances, Fallen)?

AM:   I had a pedestrian knowledge of who he was and his dad and everything, but the real answer is “no,” I wasn’t that familiar with him. But I must say, he has been so incredibly generous and just…great. He is always available. As is Scott (director Scott Paulin). The two of them have just been so wonderful in helping me with this role. I mean, to work with two men who have accomplished so much in this business – it’s just been amazing. They have been so collaborative and supportive every step of the way.

Mlle. God (or Mademoiselle God) pays homage to 19th Century German writer Frank Wedekind and his ’Lulu’ plays (Earth Spirit and Pandora’s Box). His muse, ‘Lulu,’ was an insatiable free spirit who used her feminine talents and charm to create a world free of sexual boundaries or inhibitions.

Variety’s Bob Verini said of Marks: “The actress is wholly comfortable in her own, that is to say Lulu’s, sizzling skin. Balls out courage.”

LB:  How did you approach the character, ‘Lulu,’ and was the nudity required an obstacle?

AM:  The nudity was actually the easiest part of the show!

We all suddenly realized some of the coffee patrons surrounding us were more interested in our conversation than their own. So, like well-trained actors, we spoke up.

AM:  The nudity was about freedom for ‘Lulu.’ I had to wrap my head around that. That it was her way of achieving liberty. For me, I don’t know, I don’t struggle with vanity in my work. So the nudity was really easy. It would be totally different if it was gratuitous. You know, there’s nothing worse than watching an actor on stage, having to work nude, who is self-conscious – you feel so bad for them.

KM:   It’s about telling the story. What Annika just said about whether or not it’s “gratuitous” is everything. It has to be about serving the story.

LB:   There is nudity required in Curse of the Starving Class as well, right?

KM:   Big time. But again, when you’re working on Sam Shepard, you know, Sam freakin’ Shepard, on a piece as significant as Curse of the Starving Class, you know it’s all about story – so it’s like – jump on in the water! Let’s get wet.

LB:   Easy for you to say, you’re not the one gettin’ butt naked.

KM:  You got that right!

Big laugh – it’s beginning to almost feel like happy hour.

KM:  And consider yourself all lucky.

Shepard’s Curse of the Starving Class tells the story of an American family struggling to keep their California farm out of hock while everything around it seemingly conspires against them. The central character, ‘Weston,’ struggles with booze and his World War II memories, searching for something outside of his property line to restore his sense of purpose. Director Scott Paulin has described the role as a cross between Shakespeare’s ‘King Lear’ and the Irish poet Brendan Behan.

A tall order.

Advanced word is that Kevin McCorkle, an accomplished actor (and actual Calif. native!) with over 60 tv/film credits on his resume alongside a substantial stage career, is digging in for what he calls…

KM:   The role of a lifetime. I just feel so…fortunate. And truly blessed.

LB:   Speaking of ‘roles of a lifetime.’ Derek, you get to play the down and out producer ‘Gordon Miller’ in Room Service. One critic said in his glowing review of the play that he “…could not think of another actor in Los Angeles who could play this role but Derek Manson.” How’d that feel?

DM:  Yeah, that was, uh… (Kevin pats Derek on the back and reassures him it’s ok). That was pretty nice. Room Service is a fantastic story – there’s a lot of slapstick and screwball scenarios, but these are characters that are living during the depression, trying to be artists, starving for their art – literally – and it’s all being played for comedy. But once you sort of get in to that, and focus on the story, the laughs just kind of come.

KM:  My experience watching Room Service was, I felt like I was part of the show – eavesdropping on what’s going on – like I was a guest at the hotel. It was really a wonderful feeling. Great show.

LB:  You worked with two directors on Room Service, Ron Orbach and Bjorn Johnson. How was that?

DM:   A period piece like this, in the wrong hands, with the wrong performers, will feel as dusty as that worst couch in your apartment. I worked with Ronny (Orbach) on Laughter on the 23rd Floor (Neil Simon) ages ago up in Sacramento. Bjorn I did not know, but I’d heard nothing but great things. The way it worked out was that Bjorn worked on the choreography of the piece, the movement. The needs of the characters. And Ron focused on finding the funny. Finding the heart in specific moments. Bjorn was very thorough about “taking the air out” and picking up cues for the pacing. Finding the rhythm and pace on a play like this is everything. Ron would swoop in and give us an idea about something we’d forgotten. The two of them were great, never had any disagreements, always on the same page.

LB:   As far as you know.

DM:  True. As far as I know.

LB:   How do you three prepare for these roles, any secrets, any music?

AM:   I always make playlists for my characters. For my ipod. For ‘Lulu’ I had all this great sexy French music. Crazy music. And then backstage, the only prep I wanted to do was just love everyone I was about to go onstage with. So, I spend an hour before each show hugging everyone and telling them how funny they are, laughing at jokes, telling them how gorgeous they are – sitting on people’s laps. It’s fantastic.

KM:   That’s so great. That’s the collaborative spirit I’m talking about. Supporting each other.

DM:  With a piece like this, trying to jump into the style, the comedy, depression-era, what’s amazing about the music of that time was nobody had any money. And the lyrics from all these great tunes were like “I’m out of money…but I got plenty of love” or “Pennies From Heaven.” How people were making due with not very much, how they were getting by. Romantic stuff. And now we’ve been extended. So that’s pretty gratifying.

LB:  Any music informing your prep, Kevin?

KM:  Listening to old rock n’ roll. I like to go more for the imagery. I love to paint the picture, close my eyes and visualize the picture of what’s happening.

LB:  Well, what’s happening is you three are rockin’ it up on the boards, and I want to thank you so much for sharing your thoughts and your exceptional work.

Final group hug. Actors are big huggers.

Kickin’ it with Molly B.

Los Angeles is a transient town. More so than other major urban areas due to the fact that it hosts the entertainment industry – or just “the industry” as those of us in ”the industry” call it. Hollywood and a shot at fame and fortune lure most folks out here. Then “the industry” chews up most and spits ‘em out unceremoniously like chewing tobacco at a rodeo. Consequently, what I’ve come to embrace and relish more than anything else from my 23 plus years in Tinseltown is the lasting relationships I have with some of the survivors of the attrition guillotine.

Molly Bryant left the northern Chicago suburb of Wilmette, Illinois and moved to Los Angeles in 1985 to attend UCLA.  I came to Hollywood in ’87, and after a few years of sitcoms and tv commercial work found myself fortunate enough to be invited to work with the prestigious Actor’s Gang, a troupe made up of mostly UCLA theatre grads (including Molly) with considerable celebrity status in the L.A. theatre scene. It was in the 1995 Actor’s Gang production of Asylum where we met. My lasting memory of that bittersweet Judy Garland inspired satire (written by Mitch Watson) is that of Molly’s character making her final entrance, doing her nurse’s rounds in the mental ward to the sweet piano intro and opening lyric of Chicago’s “Color My World.”

“As time goes on, I realize – just what you mean - to me.”

So, no surprise then that it is music that brings us together this many years later. Molly and I sat down at a crowded Hollywood corner of Santa Monica Boulevard and talked about her wonderfully melodic new album Be Brave.

LB: Here we are, Molly. You are the first exclusive Lars Beckerman interview. So…hey, Molly.

MB: Hey Lars.

LB: Let’s talk about the title of your new album.

MB: Yeah. Be Brave.

LB:  Love the title. And as an actor myself, I get it. Right before the first track we hear you say softly “We can do this.”

 MB:  Yeah. I didn’t know if we should leave that it in there, but…it’s just such a great message. The title for the album is from a poem I wrote: “Be brave, be strong, sing the special song, while you have the breath to breathe in and out.” As artists we all have to be brave to put it out there. You know when you’re acting and up on stage, I used to get really nervous and start shaking. But when you sing you can’t fake it.

LB:  My introduction to you as an artist was as an actor, when did you transition to singing?

MB: Singing came first, actually. I used to sing in church as a kid, in the choir, so singing was first in my life.

LB: Who did you listen to?

MB:  Oh, God. Olivia Newton John, The Carpenters, the Beach Boys - Barry Manilow! You know, when you’re a kid you’re subjected to whatever your parents are listening to, so…my dad just loved George Carlin. He would sit there and cackle. I would just put my ears to the speakers and listen to Karen Carpenter. It was like crack.

LB:  I love the way Be Brave opens, the song “Careful” is very sweet and really pulls the listener in. With all the downloads and itunes and YouTubing of music, are kids today, or music consumers in general today, missing out on something by not hearing the entire album and how the artist sequentially assembles the songs?

MB: Oh yeah, I think so, don’t you? I used to love having the album to hold, and the lyric sheets and the artwork to stare at while I listened to the songs. And oh my God, if there were liner notes, even more groovy! But I’m guilty of it too. I want things faster faster faster.

LB: I guess we’re all guilty then. You write all of your own songs. You have a song on this record titled “Inspiration.” There’s a line about “…inspiration nobody knows where it comes from, you just pray that it come.”

MB: Yeah.

LB: Where do your find most of your inspiration, is there a method, do you have a place you go to tap in to it?

MB: No, not really. You just don’t know where it’s gonna come from. I had months and months where I just stared at the guitar. But, really, on a good day I just let my imagination go. I can be any character, any thing. But a lot of times, like anything else, it’s just about, you know, showing up. Even when nothing’s happening, cuz most times nothing is happening. Or there’s a lot of white noise going on. But you know, you just hang in there cuz you just don’t know when it comes – you just pray that it comes. But like any other writer, I write about what I know. So while I may write a totally imaginary love song, other times I write exactly what is on my mind at that moment.                                          

LB: But a song like “Moon in the Morning Sky” is obviously inspired by ‘Luke Skywalker.’ I noticed a lot of elements of the classic hero’s journey in your lyrics. Are you a Joseph Campbell fan?

MB:  Yes! Bob (Molly’s husband, R.A.White) turned me on to him years ago. Bill Moyers did a series of interviews with Joseph Campbell (The Power of Myth) and we watched them over and over on VHS in our little teeny hut – when we were first falling in love – our little bungalow off of Melrose. Such great memories. I think we are all wondering “Why the hell are we here?” and “Am I the hero of my own story?” Who doesn’t love the journey of ‘Luke’? Finding your ‘Obi Wan’  - come on, aren’t we all looking for our ‘Obi Wan’?

LB: You mentioned your husband, Bob. Did you two meet at UCLA?

MB: No, we actually met through Jack Black. The famous Jack Black.  Jack was at UCLA the same time I was – in the theatre department. Whole bunch of us - JR (Jason Reed), Michael Rivkin, Ria Pavia. Bob went to UCLA too but we didn’t know each other, he’s a little older than me (she laughs). But Bob and Jack were best buds. Bob actually taught Jack technical theatre at Crossroads (elite private high school in Santa Monica). So Jack invited Bob to come see “World Of Wrestling” at Royce Hall (UCLA) – that’s how I met Bob, dressed up as this crazy wrestling character. He was kind of in awe, all freaked out that I played these two different characters. Now 17 years married.

Molly and I both suddenly make mention of a strange energy permeating the bustling corner we’ve chosen for our chat. It’s one of those unavoidable urban corners that has been totally engulfed by corporate consumer chain entities (Starbucks, Supercuts, T-Mobile, AT&T, Panda Express, Payless Shoes, Target). But like so many parts of Los Angeles, the spit shine doesn’t erase the local flavor, and as in most parts of Hollywood there is no shortage of desperate wanderers bumping around, mumbling to themselves.

Which leads me to my next question.

LB: Tell me about your fascination with Crispin Glover? In your song ”Crispin Glover” you refer to “A Crispin Glover kind of day.” Explain.

MB: Oh, yeah. Crispin Glover.

LB: Don’t get me wrong. I love Crispin Glover too. But you wrote a song. 

MB:  A “Crispin Glover kind of day” means it’s usually a quirky kind of day, and it’s funny because we just seem to be on the same grid (lyric from “Crispin Glover” - ”He’s crossing my path, as we drive our cars, in the city like math, it’s an equation I’m trying to figure out.  A glitch in the Matrix.”) – I see him all over town, in his fancy maroon Checker (defunct 1960s American car, Checker Superba). And you know what’s amazing is that the day before I debuted that song at Highland Grounds (Hollywood music venue) I was at a roller skating party of John Reilly’s (as in John C.) and suddenly Crispin showed up – everybody was in roller skates that they rented, and he’s like wearing this suit and he has his roller blades and he’s skating around really fast, being so weird, not talking to anybody - just totally random – it was the universe trying to tell me something. So, I don’t know what it is but I just seem destined to cross his path forever. I love him. I know he’s so weird, but I just think he’s amazing. So I had to write him a song.

LB: I’m gonna be on the lookout for that maroon Checker (she laughs). You have a song called “Trapped.” It really speaks to the here and now, where we are with technology, the internet being so omnipresent. Here I am interviewing you for a blog and you’re promoting your music on Facebook, so we’re both very much integrated, I guess there’s no point in resisting it, right?

MB: Like the song says, “Take my photograph” - I can’t help it – I find myself just sitting inside all day, when I could be going for a walk or out enjoying the day. It’s insane. 

LB:  It is insane. All of the “free” media that is available to us through the internet, especially social networks like Facebook – for promotional purposes it has a massive upside.

MB: With Facebook I had to go through kind of a withdrawal because I went a little crazy with it for a while. But now I’m like “Hell yeah!” I’m gonna use it to promote the shit out of my music. Right? I love finding out about other people’s stuff on there. Somebody in Japan can listen to my album – immediately – that’s amazing to me.

Unlike so many Angelinos who are not natives – which is most of us – Molly and I share a love for the Los Angeles Lakers. She could very easily be a Chicago Bulls fan, like most Windy City transplants, but she bleeds purple & gold. Molly’s first album, Take It Easy (2003), featured a song declaring her ‘love’ for superstar Laker forward Kobe Bryant – putting herself out on the front line for scrutiny with Kobe being one of those “you either love him or hate him” athletes. Molly was unapologetic in her confession that she flat-out loved “the Kobes.” But then Eagle Rock landed on Laker Nation (2003), and we were all put in the uncomfortable position of defending our guy in a classic “he said-she said” infidelity dilemma. This many years later, whatever happened in that hotel room in Colorado is still a mystery, but Molly wasn’t about to let her hero off the hook.

LB:  Let’s talk about Kobe Bryant, shall we? A lyric from your new Kobe song, “Ode To Kobes,” or your Kobe sequel if you will, points to ”Too much pressure, too much privilege, too much available to take.” Why did you feel the need to revisit the topic? 

MB:  I had just written the first ‘Kobe’ song and everybody was really jazzed about it. I loved that song too. I just said I’m gonna sit down and write about Kobe. People loved it cuz I was just talkin’ shit about what I really felt. The white black thing. It almost wrote itself. It was a miracle. But the rape incident happened not long after that song – and it was like, shit – I had to have a response to it. My first Kobe song was a triumphant song – and now everybody, my friends especially, were all over me saying “How dare you” – like I was defending a rapist – so I wrote “Ode to Kobes” to, I guess, discuss it with myself – I was defending him in some respects – cuz we don’t know what happened. And I guess even if it did happen, I forgive him. I had to address it.

LB: We do have to separate the art from the artist.

MB: We put these people on pedestals. Everybody saying “yes” to them all the time. It must be creepy as shit. The money people, the agents. It must be so hard.

LB: You mentioned your relationship with Jack Black. His band, Tenacious D, has been instrumental in your career. Tell me about that influence.

MB:  We used to all write songs together. Me, Bob, Jack, Kyle Gass, Michael Rivkin - and I think Tenacious D has been an inspiration to me because of, you know, the way they could just tell a weird ass story. I remember when they first came on the scene and people just ate them up with a spoon. Very theatrical.

LB: My favorite song on Be Brave is “Sock It To Me.” Such a great tune, love the harmonica on it. What’s your favorite song on the album?

MB:  I have to say, I am so in love with “Can I Kiss You Tonight?” That solo that John Spiker does on the guitar. I love that it’s rockin’ - it’s just a rockin’ song.  And that’s Jason Keene on the harmonica in “Sock It To Me.” He’s great, an old buddy of Kyle Gass’ (Tenacious D).  And that chord progression is one that Kyle taught me. Really proud of that song.

LB:  John Spiker was big on this album.

MB:  My producer - the reason why this is so awesome. Met him through Kyle Gass when Kyle was on tour with Trainwreck (part of the Tenacious D family). Talk about being brave. Such a lesson of life – Bob and I were poor as shit, we had some nest egg money that we weren’t gonna touch, and we were thinking about making a video, but then Bob said “why don’t we take that money and make another album.” I was scared as hell! And I thought, oh my God, I wanna get John Spiker before he’s like the biggest thing going in music – he was working with the Dust Brothers, Steve Earle, The Beastie Boys – not yet as a producer, but it was so obvious to us that he was gonna blow up. So I was kind of afraid but I asked him and he said “Yes!” He is the reason this album sounds so great to your ears. He always bows back humbly, and says it’s the songs, but he is the reason. It was just a good marriage. I call him “The Maestro.” And he told me it was the best experience he’s had making an album. And the most fun. And to think I was afraid to ask him.

LB:  Nice. So what’s next?

MB:  I’d like to travel around and sing. We don’t have kids. Bob’s a writer, so… ya know, he can bring his laptop.

LB:  Sounds brave.

MB:  This is saving my life in this town. Acting I don’t have any control over. But I can play songs whenever I want. It’s keeping the artist inside me alive.

LB:  Thanks, Molly. This has been great getting caught up.

MB:  Thank you, Lars.