Hello my dear FODs (Friends/Family of Doug)!
Happy Memorial Day Weekend everyone! Just the right time to break out the picnic blanket and neglected white trousers in honor of our loved ones who have served in the armed forces, but hold on! Before you run outside to reupholster the lawn furniture and spray-paint the grass green for the guests, pour yourself a citrusy zima and settle in for this monthly e-journey, and when we reach the e-conclusion, oh yes, there will be the usual 2 (by which I mean five) items of interest for FODs!
Makin' Movies...
The Hard Kill
I brought my multiple character mojo to film work, playing a mafia doctor, a rabbi, a corporate lawyer and a concierge in a movie script reading of B. Jeffrey Madoff's The Hard Kill.
Written and directed by B. Jeffrey Madoff, casting by Lewis & Fox Casting, with Matthew Bomer, John Doman, Milena Govich, Gregory Itzin, Kevin Kilner, Arthur J. Nascarella, John Barilla, Robin LeMon, Curt Karibalis, Patrick Murney, Bones Rodriguez, and me!
Cool story about this one: after my audition and our goodbyes, I was at the elevator when the casting director came running out to tell me I got the role. Man, I've been waiting for that one to happen my entire career.
The Cycle
I'm kvelling up a storm! The short film The Cycle, in which I played a diplomacy-deficient police officer last fall, has been selected as one of 5 finalists in the HBO Short Film Competition to be held at the 2010 American Black Film Festival in Miami, FL on June 24. (Note: the word "kvelling" is not used anywhere in the film.) Based on actual events, The Cycle takes place in the modern-day Bedford Stuyvesant section of Brooklyn, and brings the fallout from an ongoing gentrification process to life through the stealing of a little girl's bicycle. The movie is written and directed by Roy Clovis, produced by Mundo Loco Films and cast by Liz Ortiz-Mackes of Casting Solutions. The cast includes Randy Baisden, Dracyn Blount, Corinne Bobb-Semple, Tanesha Gary, Lynda Gravatt, James Holloway, Sharon Hope, Dennis Johnson, Phyllis Johnson, Royce Johnson, Justin Jones, Jaymes Jorsling, Leopold Lowe, Christine Renee Miller, Tomike Ogugua, Surfin Percy, Sheila Tapia, Benja K. Thomas, and me (as Officer DeLuca).
The Barnstormers 9.0
I'll be returning for the 2010 season (my ninth season, tenth year!) with The Barnstormers. I'll be playing Hysterium in A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, La Flèche in The Miser, and Sasha Smirnoff in Room Service. Tamworth, New Hampshire--here I come!
Here's the info:
WHEN:
A FUNNY THING HAPPENED ON THE WAY TO THE FORUM: July 6-10, 2010
THE MISER: July 20-24, 2010
ROOM SERVICE: August 3-7, 2010
Performances are Tuesdays-Saturdays at 7:30pm,
with Saturday Matinees at 2:00 pm
WHERE: The Barnstormers Theatre
100 Main Street, Tamworth, NH, 03886
See below for directions or go to the
Google Map
COST: $15-$29.50 depending on performance and location in the theater.
TICKETS: Call the Box Office at (603) 323-8500 or e-mail tickets@barnstormerstheatre.org.
Cavorting with Composers and Whisking about with Wordsmiths...
My FOD Composers and Wordsmiths continue to bring amazing things into the world and I get to be their vehicle! Here's the latest:
The Witches of Lublin
A reading (with live music) of a "Feminist Magic Realist Klezmer Musical Radio Play": The Witches of Lublin by Ellen Kushner, Yale Strom, and Elizabeth Schwartz. The cast included Adrienne Cooper, Chris Delaine, Fiona Jones, Anne Bobby, Sam Guncler, George Guidal, Barbara Rosenblat (who, by the way, was just the recipient of two more Audie Awards!) and me as a Polish noble in love with a Jewish girl.
How Green Was My Valley
I got to do a performance at The Actors Studio! Based on the novel of the same name, this musical version of How Green Was My Valley was directed by Ben Krywosz with music by Roger Ames, lyrics by Elizabeth Bassine, and libretto by Ron Hutchinson. (Roger Micone supported us on the drums). The choral arrangements were just stunning and I was lucky enough to have several FOD's involved in the project! I played one of the young sons who is a miner/bridegroom and later on played a power-hungry deacon. The cast included Joel Abels, Nisa Ari, Sam Arlen, Joan Barber, Renee Claire Bergeron, Ellen Bullinger, Chris Carfizzi, Brian Myers Cooper, Jon Gellert, Wren Marie Harrington, Tim Jerome, Jonathan Hays, Michael Hopewell, Lili Klein, Lisa LaMothe, Eric Larivee, Jackie Martino, Celeste McClain (check the bottom of this e-mail for more on her jewelry too!), Matt McMahan, me, Julia Thurston, Kevin Urban, and Chris Vettel.
La Gioconda
You know the Mona Lisa? Well I'm her husband and this Leonardo da Vinci has really got my goat because he's taking too long to paint her. I'm so mad that I'm going to sing a FABULOUS SONG! Writer Ed McNamee and Composer Donya Lane have created a wonderful musical, La Gioconda about the life of Leonardo da Vinci. I recorded a bunch of songs for them, finishing in two days rather than the scheduled three. I was alone for the recordings, but two other fabulous FOD's were also part of the project: Brian Long and Logan Tracey!
Calvin and Hobbes and Back to the Future: The Musicals!
It's time for the composers and lyricists finishing up the second year of the BMI Lehman Engel Musical Theatre Workshop to present the four best songs from the musicals they have been creating and I'm lucky enough to be participating in two of them!
Calvin and Hobbes: Based on the comic strip Calvin and Hobbes by Bill Watterson. Music by Brian Allan Hobbs and Lyrics by Jeff Bienstock with Adam Spiegel as Calvin, me as Hobbes, Brittney Lee Hamilton as Susie and Sierra Rein as Mom (and director!) Thanks to Oran Eldor for playing for us!
Sorry, guys, this one already happened. It was great!
Back to the Future: Based on the 1985 movie Back to the Future. Music by Adam Spiegel, Lyrics by Daniel Wolpow, music directed by Rachel Robinson. With Christopher Brick, Paul Daniel Cloeter, Rob Krausz, Lyle Colby Mackston, Alyssa Malgeri, Kris Nolte, Matthew Schatz, Forest VanDyke, Emily Walton, Rebecca Weiner, Melissa Zimmerman, and me as Doc Emmett Brown!
Coaching with Clients...
Such clients I've got! In my side career as a career consultant with The Savvy Actor, founded by two fabulous actor/business mavens Jodie Bentley and Kevin Urban, I have been helping my savvy clients set up systems for themselves to treat their acting craft as a business through classes, coaching and seminars. (Yes, we coach by phone, too.) Recently, my clients have been getting callbacks for national tours, booking films, learning French, and getting things DONE. Interested in doing this work for yourself? Click this link to set up a free half-hour intro session with me. I also recommend our amazing book The Savvy Actor Career Manual. Let's get your career going too!
And speaking of getting your career going, my next webinar: Mailings - Faster, Smarter, Cheaper! is coming up on Sunday, July 11 at 8:00 pm Eastern Standard Time and you can be there from your own computer. Click this link to register for this webinar!
Dougbytes
***I've been studying voice with the amazing Jeff Halpern. In the past few readings and recordings I've done, I've been singing F's above Middle C! This is a huge deal for me. Oh, Jeff is just great. And guess who just started studying with Jeff too? Alexandra de Suze!
(Surely you've heard of Alexandra de Suze!)
***On Mondays at 8:00 a.m. I have a phone gathering with fellow voice actors Brett Barry, Cristina Doikos, Tercio Bretas, Marc Garber, Lucien Dodge, Maggie Phillips, and Jamie Hurley. We have our own demo CD! Let us know if you would like one for your casting needs.
***I continue to sing Sunday mornings at The Madison Avenue Baptist Church with choir director Paul Stephan, singers Helen Lyons, Karen Rich, Christopher Preston Thompson, Brian Long, and Alexandra de Suze!
(Surely you've heard of Alexandra de Suze!) The congregation is led by the fabulous Reverend Susan Sparks. The sermons are now podcast! (The choir is not.) Head towards the bottom of this e-mail for information on Susan's exciting new book!
***Animator extraordinaire Ken Truhan has completed the animated storyboard and continues to create the animation for the second installation of DougToons (Give him time, this one takes a bit longer and there are a lot of characters)! In this episode, the character Doug is sent on an audition by his agent, only to find out that he is applying to be a henchman to the evil Mr. Mayhem! If you have yet to see the work of animator Ken Truhan, writer Crystal Skillman, producer/engineer Brett Barry and voice actor me, the first installment of DougToons is also on YouTube. Please log on to the YouTube site, give it a rating, and share with your friends!
***CHAMBERET FOR EQUALITY!
What do we want? MARRIAGE EQUALITY!
When do we want it? NOW!
When will we do the planned benefit? UM...LATER!
The Chamberet will indeed return, this time as a fundraiser for Marriage Equality New York, but it has been postponed from June to some time in October/November. We started booking other work and wanted to make sure we didn't slap you with something sloppy. So, be patient a little longer and Jennifer Wren, Marissa Rosen, Karla Mosley, Michael Morgan, and I, along with Musical Director Paul Stephan, violinist Yury Shubov, and Director Ilana Becker, will bring the work of my FOD composers and lyricists to the masses. To tide you over until then, go to YouTube and enter "The Chamberet" in the search engine or just Click Here for some of the bits a friend was able to get with his video camera.] I love my husband and value the commitment we made before the rabbi and our friends and family, so it's time to take action and raise some dough. Still in the planning stage. More details to come.
Please Don't Panic! I'm busier than a corset at a Renaissance Faire-- but for you, I'll find the time. Should you need me to speak the spot, give face time for the photo, or sing the song, let's create something great together.
And now the monthly Two (by which I mean Five) Items of Interest for FODs...
You deserve a little Lovin' from me to you...
After clearing out over 1,000 e-mails on my flight down to St. Thomas a couple of weeks ago, I began using the "touch it once rule" with my e-mail Inbox. I am no longer allowing myself to read an e-mail and deal with it later. If I'm looking at the e-mail, then I am either responding to it, deleting it, or filing it into my to-do system THEN AND THERE. My e-mail box has been clear for almost a month now and I can't tell you how much this has decreased my stress level. Treat yourself to this one.
There. Thou has been coached.
You deserve a professional chef to make you dinner...
FOD J. Ricardo Sanchez is a remarkable chef and has a great offer. If you're willing to host a cooking class in your home, you get a free meal and lesson! It's a great alternative for you and your friends/family rather than the usual movie, bowling, bar-hopping, or cow-tipping. You can reach Ricardo by e-mail at cuisinier10@yahoo.com. He is based in Milford, PA and willing to travel 2 hours in either direction (that includes New York City.)
You deserve to be adorned in shiny things...
Since it is Renaissance Faire season, shouldn't you be in chain mail? Well, FOD Celeste McClain can do that for you. Not a full suit of armour, but definitely necklaces and bracelets. In fact, the bracelet that I always wear is one of her creations. Her handcrafted jewelry can be 14k gold-fill, sterling silver, niobium and bronze. Prices on request. Take a look at her work at her Facebook jewelry album or e-mail her at celestemcc@comcast.net.
You deserve a good book to read...
Two FODs published in the same week!
Emily Winslow has penned The Whole World, which is at once a sensual and irresistible mystery and a haunting work of psychological insight and emotional depth (okay, that's off the book jacket, but it really is a dead-on description). Emily has kept her circle of supporters "in-the-know" throughout the entire publishing process with e-mail updates, which has made this novel even more precious to me. I'm in the middle of it and it is a key part of my life right now. You can treat yourself to this book right off her website at emilywinslow.com.
AND the fabulous Reverend Susan Sparks has written Laugh Your Way to Grace: Reclaiming the Spiritual Power of Humor. Susan is a part of my life every Sunday as I sing with the Madison Avenue Baptist Church and I do get a good deal of spiritual food from her. It is time to break the paradigm of a supreme being who has no sense of humor. Feed your soul and get this book right off her website at susansparks.com.
You deserve financial guidance...
Of course I must brag on my husband. After eighteen years as an actuary, Shawn brought his industry savvy to the people side of the business five years ago to be a financial advisor. His business has grown wonderfully and he is helping a lot of people start to save money and protect their loved ones. Have you been reading the news lately? Perhaps it's time to talk with him. He knows his stuff, will not try to sell you something you don't need, and is quite easy on the eyes. Send him an e-mail at scowls@mac.com to start the conversation.
Life is good here. Allow me a quick story before signing off. One Sunday, I had just finished the church gig, Susan had preached a particularly good one (which, as always, I put through my kosher filter), and I was feeling full of the spirit despite the rain as I walked to a client meeting. Right outside the Marriott Marquis hotel, I see a gentleman with a microphone and amplifier doing his redemption pitch for Jesus. Not being familiar with the section of the Bible that says, "...and thou shalt scream my name at people in the Subway Cars," my defenses are usually up on these occasions. But on this day I saw a guy in the rain sharing his beliefs in a country that prides itself on free speech. So, I walked over and held my umbrella over him for a bit. He said thank you and resumed his pitch. Then, about a minute into it, I had a realization. My purple umbrella that I was holding over this man was emblazoned with the logo for Marriage Equality New York. Somehow, I don't think he would have revelled in the irony. I slipped away with him a little drier and none the wiser.
Nathaniel Louis Izakson and Zachary Searle, welcome to the world!
Lisa Grzych and Eve Cimmet, thank you for having been in this world and for living your life courageously.
Take some breathing time for yourself, tell me your birthday, hug a veteran, and thanks for being in my life. Please let me know what's going on in yours!
Enjoy Yourself!
Doug
Doug Shapiro
Fearless Mensch
(917) 929-0998
www.dougshapiro.com
doug@dougshapiro.com
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Tuesday, June 15, 2010
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