PATTI SMITH! ELON MUSK! NAPOLEON! & IMPROV!!! IMPROV SHOW! (SAT Dec 5th) GUL/4x4 IMPROV (TH Dec 3rd) & (SUN Dec 6th)

December is upon us like a heavy snow that most folks in South Florida will only 

experience in rem sleep. Give thanks for those sandy beaches that await! Think of the Improv scene you could create with characters on a beach buried in manufactured snow... 

Boarding the plane to return to South Florida airline attendants lined up ticket holders in wheel chairs for early boarding. They refused my offer to host wheel chair races in the terminal nor did they appreciate the humor of it. That too would make an interesting 

Improv scene premise. 

A handsome elderly man and his wife stood in the aisle before me as I entered the plane. I offered to help them place their carry-on bags in the overhead compartment. The man’s wife declined for him sighting his virility while he continued to sweat profusely while struggling to get the bags up over his head. I would file these rich character archetypes in my brain for use later in Improv scenes. Life offers so many opportunities for transformation into art. 

He who fears being conquered is certain of defeat-Napoleon In IMPROV make BOLD CHOICES! Bold choices leave no room for fear or defeat!

Happening this Week: 

THURSDAY 

GUL Improv comedy drop-in workshop will be happening TH evening. THURSDAYS

TH (Dec 3rd) and every TH GUL Improv Comedy drop-in workshop 7-9pm at 5 Star Premier Residence 8500 Sunrise Blvd. Plantation FL 33322 Only $10 ($5 first time attendees) We will go over games to be played in SAT evenings show plus I’ll answer any questions. For those not in the show you will get plenty of play time cause as you know TH is a night of games and light skill work 

SATURDAY

SAT evening (December 5th) another free GUL/4x4 Comedy Improv show 8pm at 

Circle of Friends 4603 N. University Dr. Lauderhill FL 33486. If you’re not in the show please come out and support your fellow Improvisers. There will be some new games, additional cast are playing and some roles are switched for variety. There will also be a jam at the end that audience is invited to join! Everyone plays! The games and cast are attached to this email. All cast members are in at least 3 games!!! Cast members please try to bring at least one person! It’s a FREE! Show.  Details below.

SUNDAY

then SUN it’s the 4x4 Improv Comedy drop-in workshop SUNDAYS

SUN (Nov 22nd) and every SUN 4x4 Improv Comedy drop-in workshop 2-4pm at Circle of Friends 4603 N. University Dr. Lauderhill FL 33351 Only $10 We will start drilling down on long form concepts and do some object work to grow your game! SUN is skill work, exercises and a game. Recommended for Improvisers with some experience. 

SAT SHOW (Dec 5th) DETAILS

Location: Circle of Friends & Stars 4603 N. University Dr. Lauderhill 33351 

Cast member call time: 7pm   (We will run tops and bottoms!)

Show time: 8pm

Dress: Black slacks or dark jeans/trousers if no black, black button down top, black dress shoes

If you have any questions or concerns please don’t hesitate to email, text or call me. I’ve put everyone in at least 3 games! Helene won’t be with us this time. She’ll be 

celebrating her Birthday! HAPPY BIRTHDAY Helene! 

Patti Smith, NYC poet, author and musician: I waited patiently to meet her. It was a long wait, hours in fact… Finally Smith read from her new book at the time and 

unexpectedly introduced Red Hot Chili Peppers bassist Flea. Smith played a few songs with him. I could tell she was tired and uncomfortable with crowds. When I got up in front of her, I said I was in South Jersey when you were in South Jersey, I was also in Philly when you were in Philly, I was in NYC when you were in NYC and I was in Detroit when you were in Detroit…She looked up at me for a brief moment. It was providence she replied. Then her press agent pressed me to move on.

In IMPROV when we establish an emotional connection with our scene partner a scene can go anywhere. One thing is for certain, that the scene will be interesting! In IMPROV take your time establishing the connection if a character appears that parallels the press agent even better cause you have the conflict needed to heighten the scene. 

Innovation is not easy. It takes hard work, great timing and some serious gumption - Elon Musk (Inventor, Investor, Business Magnate; Tesla Motors, Paypal, founder Space X)  

In IMPROV feel the rhythm of the scene, plant yourself in the now then raise the stakes. Be relentless! Never give up! Take chances! Dare to fail!!!

See you in the movies or in the popcorn line! It’s your choice...

Best

Greg

Greg Philippi

Director
GotULaughing/4x4 Improv Comedy

323-829-1117

Ianclearspot@gmail.com 

COMEDIAN SINBAD! BLACKBEARD'S BLACKSMITH SHOP! NAPOLEON! KIM GORDON of SONIC YOUTH?!

THIS WEEK'S TH evening, SUN afternoon drop-in classes, SUN evening show info! (What a show?!) Comedian Sinbad! and last but not least Blackbeard’s Blacksmith Shop! Ey' Captain!!! plus IMPROV tips and comments!

It’s amazing how many things you can do when you’re just pretending -Kim Gordon 
(bassist with post-punk rockers Sonic Youth) -In IMPROV we strive to play as kids once again, letting go of life and it’s heavy burden’s by blocking out daily surface noise for the few hours we are in class or on stage. Then we can tap into our subconscious and discover the many treasures stored there. 

Sinbad; It’s Just Family aired on the WE television network. It was a short-lived comedy/reality television show focused on Comedian Sinbad’s life. I was cast as a Hollywood studio exec with one day on set and several lines of dialogue. In our scene Sinbad pitches a script idea to me suggesting Halle Berry play the role of his wife. I arrived on set the morning of our taping and after going through hair and makeup we began rehearsal which consisted of running our lines a couple times. After the second or third run through I replied in a droll stoic tone that I actually didn’t see Halle Berry in the role of his wife but felt that Oprah was a better match. Sinbad laughed. It was a comedic moment that broke the ice and added a natural element to the shoot. It was also an action taken after I'd read the room! Because time is money in film and television my comment could have backfired causing tension with the Director and/or the star or even could have been cause for my firing. The results however helped the scene, allowing us to shoot the scene quickly with a relaxed air, saving both time and money.

In television as in IMPROV it is important to read the room and get a feel for the mood of those around you before taking any action. In IMPROV we check in with our scene partner (or should) at the top of the scene before speaking.

THURSDAYS
TH (Nov 12th) and every TH GUL Improv Comedy drop-in workshop 7-9pm at 5 Star 
Premier Residence 8500 Sunrise Blvd. Plantation FL 33322 Only $10 ($5 first time attendees)  TH game play is in full swing covering some of the games in our next couple of shows as well as light skill work. Even if you’re not in the upcoming show this workshop is gonna be fun and full of laughter! TH is an evening of games & light skill work.  ALL LEVELS!

The English Channel is a mere ditch - Napoleon In IMPROV Have confidence in yourself and support your scene partner!  The audience will be invested in the scene and in your succeeding. The task at hand will seem much smaller. 

SUNDAYS
4x4 Improv SUN (Nov 8th) and every SUN Improv drop-in workshop! 2-4pm at Circle of Friends 4603 University Dr. Lauderhill FL 33351 Only $10 This week we’ll do object and space work, solidify scene partner connections, dig deeper into the Invocation exploring what drives it and play a game if time allows. If you truly want to grow your Improv come to this workshop! SUN is skill work, exercises and a game. Recommended for Improvisers with some experience. 

NEXT SUNDAY EVENING PERFORMANCE
SUN Nov 15th show is at 6pm at Circle of Friends 4603 N. University Dr. Lauderhill FL 33351 FREE!!! Performer call-time is 5:15pm. Dress is black button down top (dark blue if you do not own black) and dark jeans or slacks or a dark skirt.  Be comfortable in clothing that allows you to move. This is our first performance in awhile and it’s designed to knock the cobwebs off and make us shiny.

Since this is an early show, you can eat before or after. The show will last an hour and there will be a short open jam at the end in which I’ll invite audience members to join us for games and/or scene tag at the end if there is enough interest. I counted at least 40 chairs so we should have plenty of seating. The show is FREE. Please invite friends, fans, family and even other Improvisers. Kids are welcome at this show! The address is Circle of Friends and Stars 4603 N. University Blvd. Lauderhill FL 33351 Think of this show as a big pre-Thanksgiving party! Let’s have fun!!!

NOTE: There will be regular class Sunday 2-4pm and I might add those attending will be warmed up and ready to rock!  If you did not yet sign up for the December 5th shows and still want to play you will be able to sign up this week.

Look for the SUN show roster to arrive in a separate email coming tonight. If you have any questions or if I’ve put you in a game you don’t want to play or have a question about please see me privately and I’ll do my best to address your concerns.

Standing in at the edge of the French Quarter in New Orleans I stepped glanced up to see Louis Armstrong park in the distance, marked by its name arching over the entrance, all lit up with small bulbs and reaching out of the jet black night. I could feel the park’s past and it’s present having been where slaves were brought on Sunday’s and allowed to mingle with those from other Plantations. Just down the street from Louis Armstrong Park sits Blackbeard’s original blacksmith shop where he purportedly traded in stolen goods. Today the original blacksmith shop is an open air bar serving drinks by candle light.

As an IMPROVISER you should be able to take an audience to a location through your object work, dialogue and interaction with your scene partner. How would you convey this location?

See you in the movies!
Best
Greg
Greg Philippi
Director
GotULaughing/4x4 Improv
323-829-1117
ianclearspot@gmail.com 

IMPROV! OINGO BOINGO! YOKO ONO! & THE WHISKY-AU-GO-GO! DANNY ELFMAN!

This week we start to prep for several upcoming GotULaughing/4x4 shows! Everyone is welcome to play (details below)! TH we’ll play games and explore the truth of the scene. SUN we’ll continue to build your IMPROV skill level! Plus Oingo Boingo!!!

A dream you dream alone is only a dream. A dream you dream together is a reality -Yoko Ono  -In IMPROV the group mind is when scene partners or an entire Harold team are all on one accord, in sync, understanding and/or even foretelling one another’s thoughts and actions as the narrative unfolds on stage. 

THURSDAYS

TH (Nov 5th) & every TH GUL Improv Comedy drop-in workshop 7-9pm at 5 Star 

Premier Residence 8500 Sunrise Blvd. Plantation FL 33322 Only $10 ($5 first time attendees)  This week we’ll squeeze in several games plus light skill work and lots of laughs!!!  TH is an evening of games & light skill work.  ALL LEVELS!

Behind a wooden door off the second floor balcony and up a second set of stairs is the Whisky-au-go-go green room where new wave rockers Oingo Boingo were preparing to take the stage. The entire A&M records upper echelon who had just signed the band were nestled along the balcony at small tables patiently waiting for a taste of their investment. I’d been meeting with members of Oingo Boingo for several weeks preparing an in depth feature on their climb from street performers utilizing poetry, jugglers, unicyclists and fire breathers and a sound molding elements of french cabaret with quirky rock. Eventually Danny Elfman, lead vocalist and main writer would leave to compose motion picture scores after coming to the attention of film Director Tim Burton. Elfman’s composing credits to date include TV shows from The Simpsons theme to films like Spiderman and Batman. I still have a mental picture of Elfman doing sit-ups and deep knee bends in the green room that night which was a far cry from the band’s tough quirky street image. Eventually my article would come out in several music publications though Elfman called me initially nervous that my revealing the band’s behind the scenes changes might alienate members of their fan base. It had no affect. There music was their truth. 

In IMPROV we the audience believe in what we see on stage when you the performer believe in the world you have created on that stage. Your truth becomes our truth. 

What the eyes see and the ears hear, the mind believes - Harry Houdini (illusionist) 

In IMPROV the reality of the scene becomes the audiences reality when justified! If those on stage believe then the audience will…

SUNDAYS

4x4 Improv SUN (Nov 8th) & every SUN Improv drop-in workshop! 2-4pm at Circle of Friends 4603 University Dr. Lauderhill FL 33351 Only $10 This week we’ll continue focusing on short form scene work, we’ll also work on long form opens and introduce Harold “first beats”. I also hope to play Grandpa’s Attic time allowing. SUN is skill work, exercises and a game. Recommended for Improvisers with some experience.

PERFORMANCES

We have several upcoming performances at the SUNDAY 4x4 rehearsal space. Shows will be an hour long with a jam at the end and free to the public. The short open jam at the end will allow audience members interested in playing to join us on stage. I’m hoping these shows will get the group prepared for several larger rooms. 

Tentative show dates and times are Sunday November 15th 6pm-7:30pm and Saturday December 5th with two shows back to back. First show will be 8-9pm followed by a second show 9:30-10:30. There will be a sign up sheet TH and SUN. Once you have signed up to be in a show you are required to attend at least one TH or SUN workshop each week leading up to the show unless you have special permission by the instructor stating otherwise. 

HAROLD TEAM

I will be putting a long form team together that will rehearse once a week for the purpose of performing The Harold and possibly competing or appearing in shows with other long form teams throughout south Florida and possibly beyond. Rehearsals are tentatively going to be held before SUN 4x4 workshop though this may change. There is no charge to be on the Harold team though it is at the Director’s discretion. I may hold auditions and I may just choose performers depending on interest. We need 7-8 dedicated performers to do a Harold. If there is not enough interest within the GotULaughing/4x4 family I will reach out to others in the Improv community.  

See you in the movies!

Greg

Greg Philippi

Director

GotULaughing/4x4 Improv

323-829-1117

ianclearspot@gmail.com 

Tina Fey was once just Elizabeth Statmatina Fey from PA. You Could Be Next!

Calling All Writers, Directors, Actors, Improvisers & comedic storytellers! 

Ever listen to the news only to have the headlines playback with a comical twist in your mind? Ever stand in the grocery check out line listening to the cashier and find yourself fighting the urge to answer her mundane chatter as a silly character? Ever wondered how restaurant wait staff might react if you ordered an exotic item not on the menu and then gave the waitress detailed prep instructions?

If like me, youʼve had similar thoughts, then you have a unique perspective on life that the most successful comedy television writers, producers, directors and actors also possess and if thatʼs the case then Sketch Comedy for the Web and Stage, a six week, hands-on course, beginning Saturday October 12th, and running six consecutive Saturdays from 3-5pm, must be calling your name!

Sketch Comedy for the Web and Stage will be held at 9 Muses Art Center 7139 Oakland Park Blvd Lauderhill Florida. This course will provide the tools and insight for artists interested in creating and promoting Sketch Comedy in a professional manner. Sketch Comedy for the Web and Stage will also explore the effective use of comedic timing, character development, choosing topics that can be grown into multiple episodes easily, playing to niche audiences, the elements of story and how they relate to hitting the beats and the promotion and marketing of material created in class. ill be given a hand- out supporting the curriculum.

Sketch Comedy for the Web and Stage will be taught by Greg Philippi, a SAG/AFTRA actor from Los Angeles who has created several web series and has written and appeared in numerous sketch comedy pieces that have had extensive web hits. Aside from sketch comedy, Greg has extensive experience in improv, a comedic form that is an essential component in writing solid comedic scenes. As an improviser, Greg has trained with The Upright Citizens Brigade, The Second City, The ImprovTrick, Monkey Butler Comedy, Comedy Theater Sportz, and iOWest. Greg also has experience on the other side of the camera as a network TV executive, music business executive, and reality show producer. His varied background allows him to give insight into the business side of the industry.

Sketch Comedy for the Web and Stage cost is $120 entire course or $25 per class walk-in fee (payable at the beginning of each class). Following the 6 week course, students will have the opportunity for continued participation in an ongoing sketch group. For advance registration go to www.GotULaughing.Weebly.com and look for the paypal link. Contact Greg at soflorida.comedy@gmail.com

Fires Of August Entertainment

soflorida.comedy@gmail.com

323-829-1117Calling All Writers, Directors, Actors, Improvisers, Comedians & Storytellers!

Riddle Me this and Riddle me That?!

It was a pleasantly warm, dry southern California evening when I slipped into the City Wok for healthy Chinese cuisine (only in southern California right?!). The eatery was buzzing with activity. I spied actor/comedian Frank Gorshen across the room. I’d seen celebrities before but Frank was a legend in my book. He’d had a career spanning several decades as a comedian, often appearing on the Ed Sullivan show and he’d left an indeliable impression on my brain after all those evenings as a kid curled up in front of the set watching Adam West as Batman with Frank as The Riddler. He was the definitive Riddler, a character that Jim Carrey undoubtably borrowed from in his portrayal of the Riddler years later.

As I finished my meal and stepped out into the parking lot Frank was standing on the curb lighting a cigarette. It was just he and I and the stars on a clear night. Not wanting to disturb him I simply stopped and expressed how much I appreciated what he’d brought to the screen in his work. In legendary form he took a puff on his cigarette leaned over and said thanks kid, thanks a lot in a gritty character voice unmistakenly Frank, like a wine with a long east coast finish. A week and a half later he was dead. He seemed so vibrant, but looking back I think he knew he was on his way out and was at peace with that fact. As he stood on the curb that night outside the restaurant he was digesting a memory. I unwittingly provided the icing...

Thinking back on that evening I’m not sure why it made such an impression on me but it did and is in fact a moment in time burned into my brain. I guess cause life is like that, here today and gone tomorrow. Take it all in like a big full course dinner only not so much as to make you sick but just enough to be satisfied. Enjoy every minute, the ups and the downs. It’s always been about the journey. I know that much. For some it’s world travel and sumptuous cuisine and for others the comfort of their favorite chair and a good book. For still others there’s that space somewhere in between.

Life is an amalgam of rhythm and art. There’s art in the stars and the cracks in the sidewalk behind a lost diner. There’s art in everything. There’s rhythm in everything too from the sound of a voice to the wind to the movement of the waves on a beach. It’s all about patterns and numbers. The patterns of our life and discovery of what was and is now present.

Sure there is a dark side to life but that has a pattern as well and an erie art to it but the balance of dark and light in my life keeps the patterns alive as I discover the days unfolding before me... In the days ahead I’m going to strike out on a journey in words that I’m hoping to share on these pages. For those that join me I salute you and welcome your presence for no two eyes see the same thing exactly the same way and that’s what makes life interesting. That’s what makes it a pleasure to wake up in the morning and take in the morning air, well that and a good cup of strong black coffee from a well seasoned Barista...LOL

BLOOD, BODIES and RACISM in the HEART of HOLLYWOOD!

It’s blood, bodies and racism in the heart of Hollywood Tuesday evenings for the month of September, delivered in a sweaty black box theater setting, the way urban theater should be experienced. Family values be damned ta’ hell! The Boondock Sisters is a violent, fast paced stage romp that takes audiences from the green hills of Ireland, where a phone call sets the stage for the blood-letting rampage of two lasses, to the back alleys of Boston’s North End, in a shoot first, ask questions later story that includes hitmen, priests, police the FBI and one scary badass female assasin.

Bodies begin piling up as Niela and Cassidy embark on a quest to rid the city of two legged pests while Italian king pin Joseppi Yakavetta (Papa Joe) battles russian crime lords for turf and Boston’s finest launch an investigation under the tutleage of a smug, affected FBI Investigator.

The girls, both one step ahead of the police and one step ahead of the syndicate, practice their penchant for fightin’ as they paint the city red literally, while reciting ominous latin verbage, unleashing their own brand of justice on the underworld. Unwittingly the king pin calls forth the murderous iL Duce who soon reigns more violence down upon a city already awash in red sauce and lead.

TheTuesday evening cast features Jack Starr as Agent Paul Smecker, Rebecca Crews and Ruth Allyn Anderson as sisters Niela and Cassidy, Devon Coull as the inculpable Rocco and guesting as the Chief, Ian Willoughby as Officer Greenly, Russian Mobster Checkov, the Priest and Italian mobster Geno, a man of many faces, Natalie Nastulczykova as Officer Dollapoppaskalious aka Dolly, The Dutchess (iL Duce) and Doc, Tim Stafford as Officer Duffy and mobsters Vincenzo and Hojo and Greg Philippi as Joseppi Yakavetta (Papa Joe) and Da’.

Together the cast deliver this one act black comedy to the steps of the confessional with vigor and a dash of brain splatter, culminating at the moment of iL Duce’s dance of death bringing another lawless legend to justice. The Boondock Sisters; Irish angels or societal menace? Perhaps the reality is something in between. Either way, if you’re headin’ for Boston, better strap on your kevlar vest.

The Boondock Sisters stage play is influenced by and adapted from The Boondock Saints by the show’s Director Jesse Kennedy and will be running Tuesday nights in September at 8pm at the Tre Stage 1523 N. LaBrea Ave, Hollywood 90028. Tickets are $20 at the door with discounts available. Entertainment industry professionals with business card admitted FREE. Refreshments served (maybe). For more information contact the Tre Stage theater 323-850-7827.

Grown-ups in Sandbox of Life! (as Actors in Music+Music in Actors)

In 1970 the UK art rock band “The Pretty Things” (then on the Warners label with previous releases on Fontana, EMI and Motown offshoot Rare Earth) became Rolling Stone Magazine’s only pick for album of the year that didn’t show platinum or even gold sales numbers. Hey it happens...

Nine years later (1979) a young inquisitive NYU grad (namely me), called Led Zeppelin’s Swan Song headquarters in Manhattan looking for a job and ended up booking an audition appointment to sing for Swan Song execs and with “The Pretty Things” on a Union City NJ soundstage. Still a haze after all these years as to whether they were replacing their lead vocalist who just quit, or attempting to put a frontman on “The Pretty Things” offshoot “Metropolis” (also signed to Swan Song) is not clear but there was deeper meaning afoot which I'll get to in a paragraph or two...

I do recall that many of those awaiting their audition slot that day were quite nervous. I hadn’t a clue so wasn’t nervous till I took the stage immersed in how large it was as I stood in front of several Marshall Stacks. A few were only offered one song or worse were cut off mid-song and immediately escorted off stage. I made it through one tune and was asked to do a second, confident in my command of the material and enjoying the experience. However, at the end that day, I was Pistachio and they were buying chocolate. Oh well…The best part is that I wasn’t even a lead vocalist but a guitarist!

Years later I became an actor today see clearly many acting parallels to the events above. As an actor you might arrive at an audition as one flavor say Pistachio but the folks hiring have a taste for another say Vanilla or Chocolate. Then there are those performances where you’re delivering Pistachio but it may be a little melted. In other words it’s not your best performance or maybe you misinterpreted the sides. At least you made a choice or did you? Choice of course is another discussion all together but one thing is for certain that with out it your audition, hell your life, is gonna be pretty damn boring. There are those who make choices but just don’t do the work and you certainly can’t deliver any flavor whatsoever if you haven’t done the work.

Last week I was prepping for an audition as the lead in a new web series. The script appeared to be well written. The sides consisted of 2 ½ pages of straight dialogue which in and of itself is quite a challenge. I was excited and worked hours on it. The dialogue began w “a greeting”. I believed that greeting put me in my scene partners’ office. I made a choice. Nowhere in the script did it say nor imply other wise. That led me to make other choices as well that would affect my approach and ultimately my performance. The day of the audition I walked in the room and was informed I was to appear on the phone not in person in someone’s office. Once again I made adjustments to my approach utilizing the new information and made a choice. Next I was told to ‘have fun’ with an emphasis on the word fun which allowed me the freedom to add further adjustments. Therefore I made even more choices which might impact an animated conversation with someone on the other end of the phone. Nowhere in the script did it say otherwise. After getting through the massive amounts of dialogue and returning home I learned my dialogue was supposed to be a long message. I was supposed to be leaving a freakin’ message!

I’ve always been taught right or wrong make a choice. No choice translates to “boring” and I’d made a definite choice only this time it was evidently the wrong choice. I received no adjustment, no light bulbs going off that I’d brought a new dimension to the project just that I’d made the wrong choice. Sometimes you eat the Bear and sometimes the Bear eats you…

I say you have two choices. Build a better mousetrap, take each challenge as a karmic lesson to overcome and meet every failure with a possible solution or you can find a dark corner and huddle in a mass of depressed flesh. It’s your choice. I’m back in the saddle. Life is an adventure and it is the journey I live for and learn from. Success is but a byproduct of an exciting journey. This boy ain’t waitin on the bench or standin’ on the sidelines. I’ll see you in the game.
Greg
To connect and say hello:
www.GregPhilippi.com
www.twitter.com/GregPhilippi
www.IMDB.me/gregphilippi
www.facebook.com/IanClearspot

SELF INFLICTED SABOTAGE, A GUN SHOT TO THE HEAD

Quite a sobering title for this weeks self deprecating diatribe. Challenges and pressures in life come at us from every direction. Sometimes we plow through and sometimes we’re stopped in our tracks in need of re-grouping. Sometimes we see ourselves as loyal subjects prepared to do battle but in reality we are far from that. Our subconscious tells us we’re not worthy and we sabotage ourselves even though we have the tools for success hand and the ability to command an audience with the king. Do I not deserve success? Do you not deserve success?

I attended a class several evenings back and came out feeling rough like an expired can of store bought chili that suddenly finds itself in the midst of a 5 star chef chili cook-off in the southwest (where Chili should be king no less)! I had died with my boots on. It was as though I’d had open heart surgery without a doctor. Ouch! I then proceeded to further add to the bruising and beat myself up on the way home and the rest of the evening before bed as well as the following day. I awoke the next morning with a sabotage hangover from the previous evenings fight and subsequent destructive behavior. There was and/or is no one else to blame but me, myself and I.

You see I hadn’t put in the time necessary for my once pristine memory to absorb the dialogue and digest (that is analyze) the subsequent objectives, moments before, secrets and so on amidst the pages of dialogue before me. Somewhere, somehow I’d allowed halitosis of the spirit aura to flush away the golden light we all have access to. In plain English I crashed and burned. You could say my flight missed the runway. You see I didn’t do the work, spend enough time on it, really immerse my body, mind and soul in it cause I didn’t think I had too for the desired results but here’s the kicker, I convinced my subconscious I had. Sly huh…

I put this out in the universe in hopes that someone reading this blog will not fall into the very same pit I allowed myself to slip into and then wallow in, not for one second. My life journey with all its’ twists and turns has the potential to deliver priceless growth. All of us have such potential and it befriends or confronts us everyday, depending upon our outlook on our constantly unfolding life experience. As performers we are for the most part sensitive creatures that all too often go through our day wearing many layers of armor just so we can attempt to appear like we’re not wearing any. I’d better go put my study hat on and get to work…I ain’t goin’ down again, at least not without a fight…


TAKING COMMAND WITH A SURGICAL STRIKE, CREATIVELY

Additionally should we not also consider the possibility that maybe our creative receptors are clogged from time to time and a rejuvenated mind might give rise to deeds of perfection?

I awoke this morning with a call to arms ringing in my head, amass the Teddy Bear army and ready them for battle! As Supreme Commander of the magical realm my mind stands at the ready on the edge of a vast alternative reality as far as one’s imaginative radar extends. I thought soon I shall command loyal legions of a stuffed menagerie, my stuffed menagerie, loyal legions that responded in turn with a resounding silence. They can not talk. But first I must arm these battalions of the battle hardened so their dance on the edge of darkness will be devastating for all who stand in their path. What powers shall we deliver unto them? Take your place atop The Suitcase Throne, center of the garage universe, where decisions of merit are made and orders carried out. If life were only that simple…However, on screen we can make it appear that way. Its’ called film making and the demand for content is on the rise as the small screen begins to take hold of a market in turmoil.

Study and create. Do the work before it does you. Get back on your feet and never leave yourself for dead while there is still a creative breath to be had. O.k. so now that I’m out of my head let’s go to work!

IN THE BELLY OF THE BEAST! (Sometimes You're On-Fire and Sometimes You Get Burned!)

Villains are fun to play. They have so many intricate layers and they’re usually quite intense. Utilizing your character as the vehicle for your actions, you can act upon thoughts in films and/or on stage you wouldn’t dream of acting upon, let alone even thinking, in real life. It all starts out rather fun but eventually the laughter shared backstage envelopes a more serious tone which in this case affects my sensibilities as an actor. A villainous character portrayal on stage night after night begins to meld the realities of the character into your own temporarily. It is at that point the nuances of darkness in my character tug a bit at my soul and my inert sense of right and wrong. The situation is both fascinating and a bit disconcerting.

Last week I played the “motivation” game. That is giving my character a unique motivation and captivating moment before in that short space in time I waited offstage to enter the scene. The last couple of performances I’d adjusted the darkness of my character dialing it back slightly. I began playing to several comedic moments which had been getting results from the audience in the form of laughter albeit fleeting and fractious on occasion and raucous on others.

There is a scene where I write a check for a fairly large amount of money. The other day the audience seemed to be in a near death trance. All quiet on the western front I said to myself under the lights, with the exception of a gentleman somewhere in the front breathing with the help of an oxygen tank. It gave the scene an ominous fleeting Darth Vader frame. It was at that moment I began writing the check. I wanted the audience to feel me writing that check, to feel what it’s like to have such a check written to you and in your hand.

The audience remained silent as I wrote and wrote and wrote…The seconds ticked on like hours but I was determined to elicit a response from them. After quite sometime the laughter finally came for I was no longer pretending to write this large check but I delivered and not a moment too soon. I was up on that stage to be real and to entertain and I damn well did. The entire cast did. It’s moments like that where each cast member drives the next upward and then all are as one. It’s a taste of eastern philosophy on the boards…I like to think I accomplish this every evening. It’s just that some audiences are a bit more challenging than others.

We’re now in the belly of the beast, halfway through our run. I keep thinking of this analogy that life is like a merry-go-round. Sometimes you’re up and sometimes your down but the cycle continues either way. Sometimes you fall off but you can always get back on and sometimes on a really good day, you get to stop along the way, take a breath and appreciate your mount. Eventually the music stops and we all get off…

THE DRESSING ROOM DYNAMIC AS A HOLDING CELL

Sometimes it bugs me when I’m sitting in the dressing room, a room full of actors who auditioned to be part of a production, actors who have rehearsed for weeks and then they state nonchalantly that they’re not really actors as they sit there applying their makeup just before stepping into the spotlight. I think they’re giving themselves a license to fail cause they are saying I don’t have to be professional I’m not really actor.

In case you haven't heard, I'm in a play. My subsequent appearance on the boards clarifies any misconception of who I am for I am an actor. I have been and still am a music supervisor, a professional musician, a producer with experience producing musical artists and even an occasional project in the realm of television, a marketing specialist including traditional, street and digital marketing as well as promotion and also including work in the realm of branding strategies.

My only experience in a holding cell (thank god) has been my appearance in the windowless, hot box dressing room which I find somewhat comforting in this show with it’s lack of rodents and roaches that so many Hollywood dressing rooms offer at no additional charge.

We just went through our first weekend of shows after a 12-14 week rehearsal schedule which is the longest I’ve ever rehearsed for any show. By the time we were on stage muscle memory had taken over after so many rehearsals. Opening weekend ticket sales were brisk which was very positive cause we’ve got a fairly good sized theater to fill. It is amazing how varied the energy has been at each show thus far. It affects all of us up on stage. The other day I heard an elderly woman talking loudly during a pensive moment in the stage action. I thought perhaps we had some improvised dialogue spew from one of the cast members. There was brilliance in the performance when a fellow cast member had a meltdown forgetting his speech but made something up and recovered beautifully with the help of another Thespian who entered at an appropriate moment feeding that actor the comfort of familiar lines to get him back on track. The audience was for the most part none the wiser. At another performance one of the cast could barely get his lines out as thoughts of hot juicy tender fried chicken with a fresh crispy outside kept popping into his head while on stage. I wanted to work fried chicken into my lines in a salute to his gourmet consciousness. After our last show a woman came up to me in the parking lot. As she approached I readied myself for a compliment on the show. She asked me how to retrieve her hidden key from key device used to start a keyless ignition that wasn’t cooperating. Turns out the manufacturer hides the key within the keyless device itself for rapid deployment in the event that their electronic door command doesn't respond. There was no mention of the show but I’d done my Good Samaritan deed for the day.

And what of those actors in the dressing room stating "I'm not really an actor"?! An actor is an actor, if only for those fleeting moments he or she appears on stage and in front of an audience. If you look at it any other way you're robbing your yourself and more importantly your robbing your audience, many of whom may have just paid to see you perform and they want to see an actor! An actor who makes such statements cause they’re not earning a living acting would benefit from a look at the actual statistics with regard to earning a living as an actor. Most of us should actually be called “professional auditioners” cause we spend a much greater percentage of time auditioning than actually acting in projects. And with regard to earning a living I'm not speaking of background work but actual jobs with dialogue.

Literally only 1% of actors earn the exciting salaries we all hear about and dream about someday earning while 11% of all actors roughly earn enough to scrape by. The majority of actors make under $35,000, way under. 80% of all actors don’t even have professional representation cause there are not enough agents or professional management companies to go around. It’s a tough racket made even more challenging these days with less pilots being shot overall and of those an even smaller portion being shot in Southern California. Add the damaging effect of reality television to the shrinking list of available roles and the growing number of film stars accepting television roles which was once practically nil and the challenge is even greater. Sharon Stone is appearing in Law and Order SUV in the next couple of weeks, Lawrence Fishburn is a CSI cast regular, Forest Whitaker is appearing on television and even Dustin Hoffman is slated for television. In todays marketplace, even if you have a brilliant audition and look the part there is a greater possibility you will still not be cast. However, opportunities for actors to create their own vehicle to showcase their talents on the small screen are rising to offset disappearing opportunities in other areas. Content is king in the digital media marketplace and digital media is demanding an even greater amount of it…


Appearing in a stage play there is plenty of time in the dressing room to exchange stories about the goings on in your week. This serves several purposes. It can provide possible source material for any standup comics amongst the cast, is rather uplifting when you compare notes and hear that other actors in the cast are in the midst of similar struggles to your own and such conversation can provide an inspiration for new goals and a greater focus in your own life. Dressing room banter can also provide a source of guy time for those actors such as myself who don’t have a lively social calendar of buddies they hang with and lastly an opportunity to pimp information on any number of subjects from subject experts in those fields as the opportunities arise.

After a recent show I was attempt to relax and began seeing people in the halls of my home that aren’t really there. One might wonder, were they ghosts? angels? spirit guides or maybe just leftover digestive enzymes swimming about in the brain from an over stimulation of my frontal lobe during the performance? I’ll let you know when I do.

Should you attend you may find my character a bit un-likeable. What can I say except, there’s only so much you can do with your like-ability quotient when you’re a greedy, murdering adulterer. Se la vie. I’m really not a bad guy. I get to let out all that darkness under the lights so I sleep well at night. For tickets go to www.conejoplayerstheater.org. and don’t forget to use GOD12 for a discount. See you under the lights! Feel free to write me, comment or stop by after a show to say hello. Was hoping to work in a picture of my dogs but I’ll save that for another post. Oh and if you do stop by after the show or write me please feel free to recommend the winning lottery numbers, there’s a big jackpot in the coming days!

DYING TO GET IT RIGHT

Heaven is a state of mind, another dimension or to some maybe even a sea of dark chocolate. For Joe Pendelton it’s a realm where the spirit resides when his body is accidently taken by an overzealous angel before it’s time. “I only want what’s comin’ to me” he states but once he meets and begins to fall for Bette Logan he just can’t seem to find an acceptable replacement though angelic guide Mr. Jordan wants him to know he’s still himself inside and states emphatically “It’s just like “donning a new overcoat”.

Heaven Can Wait is a play about the antics of one Joe Pendelton, snatched from his body like a wine before it’s time. It’s about unrequited love, stocks bonds and greed and the fight game…The 1941 film “Here Comes Mr. Jordan” is based on the 1938 play which was produced on Broadway after the film, not to be confused with an unrelated 1943 film starring Don Ameche and Gene Tierny of the same name that takes the stars to hell. A subsequent 1978 film entitled “Heaven Can Wait” reflects an updated version of the stage play with some changes in direction, though keeping much of the plays premises intact.

Heaven Can Wait features an accomplished ensemble cast with award winning Director Lucien Jervis at the helm. Cast members include; Daren Dukes as Joe Pendelton, Bob Farber as Mr. Jordan, David Tinsley as 7013, Greg Philippi as Tony Abbott, Linda Shaver as Julia Farnsworth, Dawn Meyers as Bette Logan, Paul Newman as Max Levene, Penny Krevenas as Mrs. Ames, Martha Hules as the maid, Nat Gertler as Inspector Williams, Elena Mills as the nurse, Ken Endress as the Doctor and Ian McLean as the plainclothesman.

Conejo Players Theater boasts 180 comfortable plush (well sort of) almost stadium seating seats (they’re nice anyhow), fabulous lights and a Hollywood set like no other in Ventura County plus the costumes of Shawn Lanz. The show is Produced by Ken Patton and Paul Duffy.

Heaven Can Wait
April 23-May 15
Conejo Players Theater
351 S. Moorpark Rd. Thousand Oaks CA
3 blks south of the 101 Freeway on Moorpark

Thursdays 8pm $16
Fridays 8pm & Sundays 2pm $18
Saturdays 8pm $20
For tix www.conejoplayers.org or call 805-495-3715
Use code GOD12 for discount tix

Acting is to Auditions as Icing is to Cake

The other night I drove into the city for an acting audition stopping at a favorite Chinese food haunt and proceeded to close out the meal consuming a traditional Fortune Cookie and in my zealousness half the fortune as well…From what I could make out (the uneaten half) read something like “A project you’re (missing bitten half) … (next line) will receive (missing bitten half)… Having just come from an audition I saw this not as the indiscriminate digestion of mere wood pulp but a sign from the heavens. Yes, the universal consciousness, smiles down upon me this night. I guess that’s a good way of seeing the glass half full.

In this land of youth driven culture that celebrates the 20 something mind and often the 20 something mind coupled with sex, there is a movement neath the covers toward really celebrating our elder statesmen, as audiences grow in age and more importantly as audiences grow in tolerance of all ages.

Overnights for the latest NCIS episode show 17.6 million viewers, numbers which should put the show in second for the night. However, NCIS appears in third place for the night due to a 3.4 share in 18-49 year old viewers while Lost which only garnered 8.8 million total viewers claimed that second position for the night ringing up a 3.8 share in 18-49 year old viewers. Years past the 18-49 year old share would have almost always mirrored overall viewers for most shows. Television audience demographics as a whole are skewing older as niche programming and viewing habits also take hold.

While working at ABC Television, I once had a conversation with the late Vic Mizzy (composer of both the Adams Family and Munsters television themes among many others). Some 20 odd years ago this movie music great complained that he couldn’t get interest from any studio or production company to compose anything, even with his very successful track record…Mizzy felt he had such creativity to share but the system didn’t even want to hear it because he was too old. For what it’s worth I told him I’d have hired him if I could have…

Flash forward to 2010. A Betty White fan in Texas starts a fan page suggesting Betty White should be given a chance at hosting Saturday Night Live. The fan page takes off virally garnering over 500,000 fans nudging the Producers of the NBC stalwart series to take note. Now sometime in May of this year, Betty White has been booked to host Saturday Night Live. At 88 years old, Ms. White is somewhat of an anomaly. The point is that the world today is instantaneous. With the advent of real time social networking the collective consciousness takes on a whole new urgency. It appears we’re speeding toward on demand programming customized to our individual needs by us and for us…

So what does this all mean for the here and now? Definitely change for one and that for the time being we’ll all have to peddle a little faster to keep up!

Greg is appearing as Tony Abbott in Heaven Can Wait at the Conejo Players Theater in Thousand Oaks from April 23rd – May 15th Thursday – Sunday. Call theater for showtimes and ticket availability or just write me direct Greg@firesofaugust.com.

EVEN SEA SLUGS CAN BE INTERESTING (though a bit slippery to hold…)

While doing laps around the Beverly Hills High School track one afternoon I spied an older gentleman dressed in sweats with a towel tucked around his neck and donning an English driving cap. I felt his energy from the moment I arrived and though focused on my own training I was drawn to him. He appeared to be mumbling to himself and oblivious to the outside world. By the second mile I was acutely aware of his incredible focus. He appeared to be concentrating, working from within on some problem perhaps, but doing so with laser precision. It didn’t hit me till a few laps later that this man was an actor learning dialogue and developing his character on that track.

Somewhere between my second and third mile and this was some years ago, I realized it was Burt Lancaster. To this day that afternoon has made an indelible impression on me. I learned that even after all the success a screen legend enjoys, he still must work hard at his craft and still give 150% in doing so.

My journey thus far has been on both sides of the camera. I’ve tasted success and failure, hard times and good but one constant throughout the journey has always been that the people I meet and places I’ve visited make life interesting…

A chance meeting in an elevator or at a gas station with someone far from the world of entertainment is often a valuable source for character development as an actor as well as a rich addition to the fabric of my journey.

And life is full of “stuff”. My life is no different. The typical acting coach will tell an actor that if they’ve had a bad day or some misfortune or are depressed they should use all that “stuff” in their performance. That same acting coach will also tell you if you’re angry use it or if you’re sad use it and so on. They’ll explain that adding your “stuff” to a performance will make that performance rich. If you’re that actor going through the “stuff”, that turmoil you feel inside may not be so easy to use in an audition or performance. The advice to use your “stuff” may be sound advice. However, we’re not always comfortable wearing all the armor needed to do so. It does get heavy.

So tonight I’m gonna take off my armor,set my stuff aside and relax a little bit before tomorrow's challenges present themselves...Of course all that happens sometime after a long night of rehearsal giving 150%. It's hard work being a murdering adulterer. Oh yeah,that's my character Tony Abbott in "Heaven Can Wait". We open April 23rd at the Conejo Players Theater in Thousand Oaks.

CREATING HOLLYWOOD FAME IN THE DIGITAL AGE?

Recently creating Hollywood fame in the new digital age was the topic of a successful Pasadena Convention Center seminar entitled the Hollywood Hook-up; Creating Hollywood fame in the new digital age.

Speakers included Shadow Mihai, Esq. Entertainment Attorney and Producer/Director of four independent feature films and Co-Creator and Director of the online series “Coming 2 Hollywood”, marketing guru/actor Joseph James, artist Manager Cordell Capone currently representing several Grammy Award winning singers and Casting Director Anna Miller.

Actors, musicians, singers, models and dancers were in attendance, all with a single purpose, to build their Hollywood celebrity and move their careers forward.
Actor Greg Philippi, an attendee with an industry resume in both the creative and business sides of entertainment commented; “The seminar was a pleasant surprise. Building my brand in the digital age has proved to be an exciting challenge in the face of an ever changing technology landscape that is constantly providing both new hurdles and new opportunities for exposure, distribution of product and the ability to immerse one self into the creative process. There seems to something for everybody at this type of industry event. From an actor’s standpoint the Hollywood Hook-up provided a platform from which to network with potential scene partners, a means to share valuable casting and production tips, analyze market trends and to really spur creative thought. With changes in technology moving at lightning speed it won’t before long before we’ll need to have another just to stay current”.

Does talent translate to fame or do those who’ve achieved fame then have an opportunity to show their talent? How do we re-define and monetize an industry that is being turned upside down with a never ending sequence of rapid fire innovations? Is it possible to monetize “change”? As fast as these questions are answered new questions raise themselves. One thing is for certain, now is the time to think digital. What are your thoughts?

Walk Another Mile On That Dusty Road, Gary Lee Michael will be Waitin'!

Recently I was in North Carolina on business and a friend introduced me to a Country Music artist who had the most incredible story. We sat down and talked for maybe half an hour as his story unfolded before me. Some of the details were as follows;

In the first year and a half of his professional career, Gary Lee Michael, was nominated for Most Promising Male Vocalist of the Year and Independent Songwriter of the Year by the MIRL (Major Independent Record Labels Association of Nashville) as well as the CMA “Eagle Award”. Gary also won the EIA (Entertainer Indie Association of Nashville) award, was inducted into the Alabama Country Music Hall of Fame and given an honorary membership to the CMA. In 1991, Gary was also appointed States Representative of the Southeast Region for the CMA.

Gary’s first single was “Daddy’s Little Girl”, a song that touched the hearts of people all over the world. This was evidenced when “Daddy’s Little Girl” became the most requested song for three weeks in Ireland. First lady Barbara Bush even sent a card thanking Gary for writing such a touching song. Radio personalities responded with great praise as well and to this day people still ask Gary about the song. The video was shown on CMT, “Shot Gun Red”, and “The Morning Show” in Birmingham Alabama. “Daddy’s Little Girl” was followed by “Wish You Didn’t Love Him The Way I Love You” and a third single entitled “Hometown Boy” that soared into the top 20 reaching #19 on the Billboard charts and #8 on the Cash Box charts.

Gary’s most exciting moment in country music came when he looked at the charts and saw his song “Home Town Boy” at #19 with a bullet and Garth Brooks “Two of a Kind” at #20 with Vince Gil’s “Pocket Full of Gold” at #18.

Little did Gary know that several weeks later his promising career would come to a screeching halt…

Gary began playing and singin’ in the church at age four, tutored by his parents Roy and Mildred Sikes of Matthews North Carolina. Roy and Mildred played eleven musical instruments between themselves. Later Gary would master the guitar, bass guitar, piano and lap steel with proficiency. Musical talent had been bred into him.

At sixteen, Gary started playing bass guitar for a gospel group, which is when he began to write songs. Gary had a penchant for ballads and songs that he felt were meaningful. In his own words Gary recalls “I love up-tempo songs but my heart is in the ballads…” Gary was a shy boy and a little afraid to ask girls out. With the help of his guitar he overcame his shyness… “There was this shopping center near where I grew up. Everybody would ride through cruising, and just look at each other, but hardly anyone would ever pull over and talk. One night I was about out of gas, so I pulled over and got out and sat on the hood of my car with my guitar. Next thing I knew, there were girls everywhere. It was so funny, all the were still riding by looking and here I was, surrounded by all the girls.”

One evening while Gary was playing a song he had written, a man walked up to him inquiring as to whether he had other songs. After playing a few, Walter Bailes introduced himself. The Bailes Brothers vocal group were a Nashville staple, and second only to Roy Acuff at the Grand Ole Opry until they left to promote the Louisiana Hay Ride. Walter Bailes was also a hit songwriter having written many of the Kitty Wells hits. Walter took an interest and told Gary he might be able to do something with his music. With Walters help Gary got on “The Country Boy Eddie Show”, a syndicated television show. Tammy Wynette had gotten her start on his show. Walter also help Gary get on Ernest Tubb’s “The Midnight Jamboree” a radio show out of Nashville airing on WSM FM radio. Gary also secured a guest spot on “The Grand Ole Opry Warm-up Show”.

Gary performed and held company with some of the biggest names in country including Garth Brooks, Randy Travis, Porter Wagoner and Ronnie Milsap.

Six days away from finalizing his deal with Warner Bros, Gary suffered a near fatal car crash. He remembers to this day, the sounds of the crash and fighting to free himself from the car before an explosion…He’d lost it all under the wheels of a tractor trailer.

Evidently Gary has a newly recorded self- titled release that is to come out on indie label Fires of August in the summer or fall of 2008. He's working with Producer and music marketing pro Greg Philippi out of Los Angeles. According to Gary, lyrical themes and melodies for a sophomore effort are already flowing fast and furious as he prepares to promote his initial release.

-Nick Danger