It never stops. Fear of the next, unknown, thing is always there. It may be slight but very few things that we take on as totally new come without fear. Funny, eh? How do we deal with this? In the words of my friend Erik King "If you're scared to do it and it matters … Read more
Tonight at 6pm I will start a new acting class in Thousand Oaks, Ca. It's certainly scary but it's also really, really, exciting. I tell the story of walking into the Neighborhood Playhouse 24 years ago a complete newbie. I was told by my Community College acting teacher that I should get into The Neighborhood … Read more
That's the title of the new Michael Buble song and video. This is one of the things I preach about when I discuss what makes one an artist. I make the point that I believe what makes an artist an artist is the fact that artists allow themselves to be inspired and they take it … Read more
I've coined a new term. An acronym for the next generation… You're all welcome to use it as long as you attach proper credit, like; "This YANK (as Markus Flanagan calls them) generation of actors…" or " YANK actors , as Markus Flanagan correctly named them, …." I'm kidding of course. Use at will. Just … Read more
Yesterday I sat with my teacher form the Neighborhood Playhouse. William Alderson has been teaching Meisner's technique for, well, 30 plus years. I'm sitting in and watching because I wanted to brush up on how to teach the technique. I'm starting a new class and I thought it would be a good idea to hear … Read more
The hype of the Oscar's is always bigger than need be if you ask me. Our industry's biggest marketing tool is the award show, and Oscar holds the place of being the most valuable of all the awards. The reason for this is the theory that since it's only industry professionals voting for their own, … Read more
Tonight George Clooney, someone I call a friend, hosts a telethon to raise money for the people and relief efforts in Haiti. Yes, this is entertainment which is why it's appealing, but why do we look forward to this event? The star power? The album from artists that will jam together for the first, and probably last, … Read more
I'm always shocked when I see how so many Americans dress, especially those in the hip-hop and celeb ranks. It's as if their stylist told them that dressing like everyone else and wearing as many labels as they can really separates them from the crowd. Fashion tips from magazines, and the red carpet dialog about which … Read more
Years ago after hearing one of his speeches I bought a book called The Words of Martin Luther King Jr. So today I preemptively include a few pieces here that I always thought related to the artist's struggle. Surely our struggle is a privileged one but inspiring words are inspiring words and feeling a little less lonely … Read more
I saw the below post on Suzanne Ford's column for the Examiner.com site and it made me think of all the ways I've tried to "be honest" yet say something nice after a show that was lacking. I've learned how to do it now, but it takes a bit of time before you become aware … Read more