DECEMBER 31, 1998
The Emily Variations
Emily Watson surprises even herself when playing unhinged women
News: Equity reports record earnings for '98
Feature: The pluses and minuses of working as theme park talent, with a complete listing of theme park casting info
Profile: Veteran Disney songwriters Richard and Robert Sherman
The Actor's Way: Last year's resolutions, and how I measured up
Stage and Screen: Anthony Drazan's film of Hurlyburly; John B. Benitz's planned civil rights film
Reviews: There's Something About the Sunday Show*; Men on the Verge of a His-Panic Breakdown; Both Barrels: A Salvo of John Forster Songs; Step Right Up!; An Evening of Bad Television; God Bless Us All, Everyone; Dolores and North of Providence; Jones'n; Infinite Cages
Working Actor: The Best (and Worst) in the West
JANUARY 7, 1999
True Grit
James Coburn returns with a vengeance in Affliction
News: SAG study shows underclass, disabled, and minorities portrayed poorly on TV
The Craft: The challenges of understudying
Profile: John C. Reilly
Actor's Actor: Greg Germann
Actors' Dialogue: James DeBello and Andrew Levitas
New York Notes: Serious and sexy British imports
Random Sightings by Polly Warfield: Theatre awards thoughts, post-Christmas
Reviews: The Really Spontaneous Theatre Company*; Enter Laughing
Tombudsman: Kickback agency, return addresses
JANUARY 14, 1999
Garlands '98
Honorees for excellence in the West Coast theatre
News: Maury Yeston's Titanic score comes West; SAG/Mormon pact
Actor's Taxes: Don't rely on W-2s
Profiles: Alfred Molina; Jean Claude Van Itallie
Actors' Dialogue: Danny Glover and Nobu McCarthy
Stage and Screen: Linda Purl's Broadway plans thwarted; Actors Alley's newest step to mid-size
Reviews: Titanic*; Blue Remembered Hills*; A Festival of New Short Plays; Amadeus; Annie; All About Steve; Pieces; Exit the King; Cabin in the Sky; Cyrano de Bergerac; Death, Life, and In Between; All This for a Wedding?
Tombudsman: Making an impression on casting directors
JANUARY 21, 1999
Pilot Season
Cherry Jones takes flight in Tongue of a Bird
News: Drabinsky and Gottlieb accused of fraud in Livent case; SAG staffers warned about vote tampering; Jerzy Grotowski (1933-1999); SAG reports deficit
The Craft: How adults play children
Actor's Taxes: Yes, you have to pay taxes
Profiles: Filmmaker Stephen Frears; Bruce Davison
Breakout Talent: Natasha Gregson Wagner
Random Sightings by Polly Warfield: Spoken interludes
Reviews: Yohen*; The Thousandth Night*; Skylight*; Three Days of Rain*; La Cage Aux Folles*; Art; The Motor Trade; Frida Kahlo; Scenes From an Execution; Gregory, Gregory; The Beauty Queen of Leenane; Profit; Vincent; Cleveland Raining; Sisters Matsumoto; Flyin' West; Tongue of a Bird; Phantom; God Bless Americana; Latins Anonymous
JANUARY 27, 1999
Subtle Impact
Joan Allen's understated artistry
Also Spotlight on Dance
Includes a look at successful West Coast dancers and a complete listing of dance training, companies, and agents
News: Garland awards a gala event featuring Carol Burnett; Teamsters get SAG, AGVA support to organize Vegas Trek attraction; ActorFest '99 approaches;
Actor's Taxes: On keeping good books
Profile: San Francisco's Z Space Studio
Directors' Dialogue: Sheldon Epps and Shirley Jo Finney
The Actor's Way: Veteran sitcom director Alan Rafkin
Stage and Screen: Marshall W. Mason and William Hoffman's Riga
Reviews: Ugly's First World*; Harry Thaw Hates Everybody*; Riga*; The Living*; Nixon's Nixon*; Amadeus; MonuMENTAL Cruelty; Heart of the World; The Cryptogram and The Old Neighborhood; Old Wicked Songs; Dream on Monkey Mountain; Alone at the Beach; Juno and the Paycock; Tartuffe; The Jack Monty Show; Sour Honey
Tombudsman: Mailing tips, Maple Street scam, soap dubs
FEBRUARY 4, 1999
Fifth Anniversary Issue
Cover Gallery and index, Feb. 19, 1998-Jan. 27, 1999
News: A look back at the year's big news stories; Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle award noms; Susan Strasberg (1939-1999); West Coast Talent managers convicted of grand theft; Gerard Alessandrini brings Forbidden Hollywood to Hermosa Beach
Actor's Taxes: No such thing as paid "under the table"
Feature: An overview of work opportunities at West Coast Shakespeare festivals
The Craft: Doing Shakespeare: poetry vs. action?
Playwrights' Dialogue: Dee Jae Cox and Pamela Forrest
Random Sightings by Polly Warfield: Garlands afterglow, Mamet musings
Reviews: The Rivals*; The All Night Strut*; Tenth Annual One-Act Festival*; The Belle of Amherst*; Rent*; Beyond Reasonable Doubt; Life on the Line; Of Mice and Men; The Fantasticks; The Beard; A Common Vision; The Lisbon Traviata; Collected Stories; John Fleck's Dirt; A Pinter Winter; Balls Out!; Expressions of the Spirit: Tales of the Brothers Grimm; Skylight; Lovers and Other Strangers; A Question of Faith; Pantophobia; The Rocky Horror Show; Miss Julie
Tombudsman: Child 'hood dreams, referral rules
FEBRUARY 11, 1999
Spotlight on Summer Training Programs
Includes features on summer intensives in Shakespeare, dance, comedy, direction, playwriting, arts administration, stage management, design and tech, and stage combat, as well as a complete Performing Arts Summer Study Guide and Theatre Internship Apprenticeship Guide
News: Sam Shepard's Eyes for Consuela comes Magic Theatre; Kids' Week at the theatre returns; 1999 Back Stage Bistro awards; Mercedes Shirley (1928-1999)
Actor's Taxes: Deductions and restrictions
Actors' Dialogue: Brian D'Arcy James and William Parry
Stage and Screen: Agent Josh Schiowitz; small theatre producer Leigh Fortier
Breakout Talent: Jennifer Simard
The Actor's Way: Director Michael Bloom
New York Notes: Funny (intentionally and un-) on Broadway
Independent Means: Filmmaker Darren Stein
Reviews: The Beauty Queen of Leenane*; The End of the Day*; Gross Indecency: The Three Trials of Oscar Wilde*; Sex, Death, and Other Annoyances*; Forbidden Hollywood*; Death of a Salesman; The Frankenstein Project; Suburban Motel (Problem Child and Risk Everything); The Rape of Djuna Barnes; The Gin Game; Streamers; Defying Gravity; The Music Man; Quartermaine's Terms; The Mask of Moriarty; Off the Strip; The Girlhood of Shakespeare's Heroines; My Fair Lady; Rashomon; A Flea in Her Ear; Eubie Waller's Last Rites
Tombudsman: Audition nerves, general interviews
FEBRUARY 18, 1999
Leading Woman
An in-depth analysis and appreciation of Meryl Streep's acting
News: New Frankenstein musical at International City Theatre; Paul Sills' Rumi
Actor's Taxes: The Qualified Performing Artist Deduction
The Craft: Big actors in small roles
Feature: Opportunities in Southern Cal children's theatre
Actors' Dialogue: Molly Ringwald and Brian Kerwin
Actor's Actor: Marianne Jean-Baptiste
Random Sightings by Polly Warfield: In-house talent
Reviews: Children of Eden*; Eyes for Consuela*; Frankenstein*; The Merry Wives of Windsor*; 1776*; Attack of the Killer Bs; Secret Society Girl; Deporting the Divas; Journeys Among the Dead; Jesus' Son: Emergency and Dundun; Mary Tudor; Visions and Lovers; Cahuenga Passages Vol. II; Albee's Men; Albee's Women; The Trial of One Short-Sighted Black Woman Versus Mammy Louise and Safreeta Mae; Actors on Acting: A Parody; Theives' Carnival; The Elektra Fugues; Once in a Blue Moon 2: My Gay Son's Wedding; Burning Desires; Pvt. Wars
Working Actor: Studio Lot Lore
FEBRUARY 25, 1999
Double Edged
Kelsey Grammer and Christine Baranski tackle meaty parts in Sweeney Todd
Also Spotlight on
British Alternative:
Training across the Atlantic
News: The Complete Works of Wm Shkspr finally comes to L.A.; Bay Area Working Women Festival
Actor's Taxes: Medical deductions; Bay Area Critics Awards Circle
Profile: Recollections of Grotowski
Stage and Screen: Enrico Colantoni; Anthony Caldarella and Henry Olek
The Actor's Way: Casting director Anthony Barnao
Actor's Actor: Rocco Sisto
Reviews: Floyd Collins*; King Levine*; Oh My Goddess!*; A Cabal of Hypocrites*; Billy Barnes Revued*; When I Was a Girl I Used To Scream and Shout; The Unsinkable Molly Brown; Oscar to Oscar; Asylum; Camelot; Grantwritings; Grace and Patience; Godspell; Measure for Measure; The Gatehouse; The Quiet Room; Macbeth
Tombudsman: Help for new agent, naughty Santa
MARCH 4, 1999
Looking for Richard Dreyfuss
What happened to brash, arrogant Richard Dreyfuss? He grew up
News: Robert Schrock leaves the Celebration Theatre; Jos Quintero (1921-1999)
Actor's Taxes: Charitable deductions
The Craft: Active listening
Profile: Edward Albee
Breakout Talents: Wayne Brady; Nick Moran
New York Notes: Dazzling Churchill and Pinter, shining Miller
Random Sightings by Polly Warfield: Martin Magner, Lucy Florence Coffeehouse, Visions and Lovers
Reviews: How I Learned To Drive*; The New Bozena*; Broadway*; Kindertransport*; The Inspector General; The Last Night of Ballyhoo; The Old Settler; Carry the Tiger to the Mountain; The Complete Works of Wm Shkspr (Abridged); Indian Ink; Groundlings Like It's 1999; The Shadow of a Gunman; Bloody Poetry; Hedda Gabler; Guantanamera; The Taming of the Shrew; North Street; Want's Unwished Work or A Birthday Play
Tombudsman: Video duping, obsessing on a specific role
MARCH 11, 1999
And the Nominees for Best Casting Aren't...
Our annual picks for would-be Best Casting Oscar nominees: Mary Gail Artz/Barbara Cohen, Rushmore; Barden, Hopkins, and Smith, The Last Days of Disco; Denise Chamian, Saving Private Ryan; Ellen Chenoweth and Kathleen Chopin, Affliction; Ann Gouder, Happiness, and Francine Maisler, Out of Sight
News: Antenna Theater sells audio tour division; SAG awards
Actor's Taxes: State and city vs. fed taxes
Feature: An actor's guide to the major performers' unions
Profile: Theatre critic Polly Warfield
Stage and Screen: Willard Carroll, Vilmos Zsigmond, and Meg Liberman seek Absolution
The Actor's Way: Casting director Debra Zane
Actors' Dialogue: Mark Bramhall and Michael Learned
Reviews: Cabaret*; Othello*; The Good Person of Szechuan*; Madame Butterfly: The Original Play*; Oh, Coward!*; Kindertransport*; I'm Not Rappaport*; The Root; To Gillian on Her 37th Birthday; The Woman in Black; Of Mice and Men; Starr Struck: A Musical Investigation; The Pirates of Penzance; Legacy; Hello, Dolly!; Moonchildren; Frank Rich Is Dead; Nunsense Jamboree
Tombudsman: Impact Casting complaints
MARCH 18, 1999
Greetings From Aspen
Suits on skis, comics on oxygen, and other bits from the U.S. Comedy Arts Festival
News: Assembly member Sheila Kuehl placates managers' fears about new talent bill; Matthew Frederickson of Premier Casting convicted of grand theft; Breakdown Services wins six-figure award from bootlegger; West Coast Musical Theatre Conference; L.A. Drama Critics Circle awards; Broadway dancer Sammy Williams returns in Too Old for the Chorus; Equity's new LORT pact; union loses Vegas Trek bid
Actor's Taxes: IRAs
The Craft: Hitting your mark
Playwrights' Dialogue: Allison Gregory and Steven Dietz
Stage and Screen: Filmmaker Eric Trules; Oscar production designer Roy Christopher
Random Sightings by Polly Warfield: Flattered by LADCC award
Reviews: The Zoo Story and The American Dream*; West Side Story*; The Last Hairdresser*; Fiorello!*; Sweeney Todd; Suitcase Tales; Ravenshead; California Schemin'; El Paso Blue; Big River: The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn; The Cotswold Boy; Chicago; In Heat; Medal of Honor Rag; Absolution; Kobro; The Empress of Eden; Collected Stories
Tombudsman: Bad photos, cattle calls
MARCH 25, 1999
Class Actor
Pete Postlethwaite keeps his head despite forays into the Hollywood stratosphere
Also Spotlight on Acting Schools and Coaches-Spring '99
A guide to finding the acting school or coach that fits your needs, with a complete listing of options in Southern and Northern California
News: L.A. playwright D. Paul Thomas' The Presentment premieres in Pasadena; an all-Latino Fool for Love; Del Close (1934-1999)
Letters: Unions have more than muscle; thanks for Best Casting issue
Actor's Taxes: Credits vs. deductions
Profile: Greater Tuna's Joe Sears and Jaston Williams
Actors' Dialogue: Jennifer Elise Cox and Alanna Ubach
Stage and Screen: Robert Foxworth; the Fountain's Stephen Sachs and Jacqueline Schultz
The Actor's Way: Acting teacher Larry Moss
Actor's Actor: Patti Cohenour
Humana Festival: Overview and reviews
Reviews: What the Butler Saw*; Fall Off Night*; The Cherry Orchard*; Play Strindberg*; Oedipus the King*; The Tempest; Singin' in the Rain; The Curious Savage; Day of Absence; The Two Gentlemen of Verona; Too Old for the Chorus; Psychopathia Sexualis; Venus; The Possum Play; 2; A Black Trilogy; If You Ever Leave Me... I'm Going With You!; Red, White, and Tuna; The Glory of Easter; Second Hand
Tombudsman: Suspicious sign-ins, ageism
APRIL 1, 1999
Chita Las Vegas!
Chita Rivera, still kicking in Fosse's Chicago; includes profile of co-star Ben Vereen and a look at Vegas' legit theatre plans
News: Megan Mullally's side project; the uncomfortable truths of Hanako; Stoppard's Invention headed for A.C.T.; Anne Hamburger named for La Jolla Playhouse helm; SAG income hits record $1.63 billion; Norm McDonald's social trouble
Actor's Taxes: Travel deductions
Feature: A look at university musical theatre programs, with a profile of UCLA's Ray Bolger Program in Musical Theatre and a listing of West Coast options
Actor's Actor: Joe Pantoliano
Random Sightings by Polly Warfield: Beulah Quo, Shaner's Fellow Traveller
Reviews: The Madman and the Nun*; Hedda Gabler*; Much Ado About Nothing*; Arcadia*; Lulu*; The Leader and The Bald Soprano; The Director; Master Class; Design for Living; The Presentment; Mere Mortals; Weho; The Other Bed; Passing; Mother's Day; Eleanor
Casting Ouch: Victor Kubitschek
Working Actor: Residual Vitality
APRIL 8, 1999
Cinderella Story
Character is the key to Matthew Bourne's choreography
News: Matthew Frederickson of Premiere Casting sentenced; play explores Balkan troubles; AFTRA starts cable talks and revamps dues; Lionel Bart (1930-1999); Gil Perkins (1907-1999)
Letters: Reaction to Aspen cover; Victor Kubitschek
Actor's Taxes: Options if you're late
The Craft: Playing "evil" characters
Independent Means: The L.A. Independent Film Festival raises its profile
Stage and Screen: Directors Lynne Littman and Hope Alexander
Breakout Talent: Poppy Montgomery
The Actor's Way: Agent Gene Parseghian
New York Notes: Depressing 1930s revivals
Reviews: Marriage Is Forever*; Hitler's Head*; The Magic Fire*; Blues for an Alabama Sky*; Dutchman*; Three in the Back, Two in the Head; The Shepard Project: Early Works by Sam Shepard; Solos in Harmony; Paper Son; The Conception; Alice Lost in Wonderland; Arsenic and Old Lace; Master Class; Shotgun; Sincerely Yours, Vincent; The Lady and the Clarinet; Are You Somebody?; 'Tis Pity She's a Whore; At Long Last Leo; Lackaday; Walking the Walls
Tombudsman: The Orange Curtain, making connections
APRIL 15, 1999
ActorFest
An official guide to ActorFest '99, a day for actors
News: The National Alliance for Musical Theatre Conference addresses new technology; SAG surveys Latino members; NEA artist residencies
Actor's Taxes: What if you're audited?
Feature: Los Angeles playwrights' groups, including listing
The Craft: Abusive acting teachers
Profile: F. Murray Abraham
Actors' Dialogue: Mimi Kennedy and Susan Sullivan
Random Sightings by Polly Warfield: A "new" Tennessee Williams play in Marin, Evelyn Rudie's 50th, Spare Change Prods.
Reviews: Long Day's Journey Into Night*; Heartbreak House*; Cinderella*; Chomolungma (The Mountain)*; Valley Song*; Fool for Love; Guys and Dolls; Having Our Say; Flow My Tears, The Policeman Said; Swifty; Notes; Bedroom Farce; A Lesson From Gauguin and Van Gogh's Ear; The Nanjing Race; Full Body Massage; Hanako; Grease; A Thousand Souls; An Immaculate Misconception; Gross Indecency: The Three Trials of Oscar Wilde; David's Red-Haired Death and The Irony Effect
Casting Ouch: No refunds from Hollywood Casting
Tombudsman: Auditing acting class, casting workshop runaround
APRIL 22, 1999
Spotlight on Young Performers: Teen Titans
The proliferation of teen films means opportunities for young (relatively) and fresh (more or less) faces; includes a complete listing of coaches for young performers in Southern and Northern California,
News: An individualized ActorFest; Alisa Fishbach to leave Theatre LA; DGA to fight runaway production; LA Weekly theatre awards; Broadway singer/songwriter Steven Lutvak's L.A. cabaret stop; Drama Desks
Feature: Bay Area playwrights opportunities, with listing
Stage and Screen: Gary Goldstein's Parental Discretion
The Actor's Way: Casting director Joey Paul
Actors' Dialogue: Jenna Leigh Green and Wilmer Valderrama
Reviews: Jack and Jill*; The Clairvoyant*; The Joy Luck Club*; Fantasy Festival XIII*; Dealer's Choice; Tallulah; Parental Discretion; Shenandoah; Top Shelf Shimmy; Will Strip for Food; The Fever; Bag Sonata; Lettice and Lovage; The Tempest; The Sneeze
Casting Ouch: United Setworkers Association
Tombudsman: Defaulting managers
APRIL 29, 1999
The Cronenberg Effect
Director David Cronenberg sees things in actors they've never shown before
News: Bay Area theatre festivals; Assemblywoman Sheila Kuehl defers management legislation; Woman as Battlefield digs into Balkan conflict; Collage Dance Theater gets site-specific
Letters: More L.A. playwrights' options
Actor's Actor: Michael Monks
Actors' Dialogue: Kelly Coffield and Amy Hill
Random Sightings by Polly Warfield: ActorFest, NoHo buzz, Carole Ruggier's Solos
Reviews: Someone's Knocking*; Hundreds of Sisters and One BIG Brother*; The Norman Conquests: Round and Round the Garden*; Radio Mambo*; The Family's Affair*; The Lion in Winter; Blessings: An Evening of Two Lee Blessing Plays; Frogs, Lizard, Orbs, and Slinkys; Resident Alien; The Envoy; The Dreamers; A Moon for the Misbegotten; McBride-Magic!; Tango Palace; Butch Cassidy and the Sunday Show; Indian Summer of Our Despondency; A Night in the Dells; The Rainmaker
Tombudsman: Community theatre props, casting workshops
MAY 6, 1999
Tired of Waiting
Frustrated by a lack of juicy roles, Aidan Quinn created his own in This Is My Father
News: Carolee Carmello rings Bells in L.A.; Tony noms; Marc Hirshfeld to join NBC as executive vp of casting
Actors' Dialogue: Shirley Knight and Kaitlin Hopkins
Stage and Screen: Playwright Eduardo Machado in Hollywood
Independent Means: Filmmaker Tony Bui and the changing face of Saigon
The Actor's Way: Image consultant Sam Christensen
Reviews: 900 Oneonta*; Ain't Misbehavin'*; Cirque Ingenieux*; Seven Guitars*; Dead Lawyers; Two Sisters and a Piano; Gum; Abundance; Shadowlands; The Women's Usher Board; Angels in America-Part One: Millennium Approaches; Six at Eight; The Boys Next Door; The Only Song I Know; The Hostage; Evita; Sisters Matsumoto; Orpheus Rox; Sardines: A Tin of Ten-Minute Plays; The Great Houdini
Working Actor: Not working can also make a difference
MAY 13, 1999
French Revolution
How French Stewart rocketed from the scrappy Cast Theatre to 3rd Rock From the Sun
News: Director/choreographer Larry Fuller revisits Evita; Deaf West's mounts The House of Bernarda Alba; Lars Hansen named to head Theatre LA; Taper's Gordon Davidson appointed to Nat'l Council on Arts; Circle X's Show and Tell echoes Columbine
The Craft: Commercial acting
Profiles: Betty Garrett on her 80th birthday; playwright Philip Kan Gotanda
Actor's Actor: Jeremy Northam
New York Notes: The awards deadline rush
Random Sightings by Polly Warfield: Pasadena Civic tea, busy Knightsbridge, Martin Magner
Reviews: Enigma Variations*; The Quick-Change Room*; Late Nite Catechism*; Man and Superman; Poseidon Adventure: The Musical; The Illusion; A Soldier's Play; A Shakespeare Revue; Woman as Battlefield; Kingdom; Self-Portrait Nude: The Love and Death of Egon Schiele; Ramblers; Widows; Jeffrey; Quest for the Ultimate Cool; Restitution; Measure for Measure
Tombudsman: Management scam
MAY 20, 1999
Ossie & Ruby
Ossie Davis and Ruby Dee have married artistry and family, showbiz and the struggle, for more than 50 years
ALSO Spotlight on Singing
The acting benefits of learning to sing; Open Mikes 101, with a complete listing of L.A. open mikes and showcase, and a complete listing of singing coaches for Southern and Northern California
News: The Unusual Suspects presents play with L.A. County Juvenile Hall; SAG, AFTRA in third summit; Yorba Linda CLO cancels season
Stage and Screen: Tracy Middendorf and Cameron Dye, Sammy Shore
Actor's Actor: Jack Kehler
Actors' Dialogue: John McCook and Bobbi Eakes
Reviews: The Elevation of Thieves*; Show and Tell*; Having Our Say*; The King and I*; Picasso at the Lapin Agile*; Bells Are Ringing*; The Witless Lady; The Moon Is Blue; Reefer Madness; The House of Bernarda Alba; Beijing Spring; The Hook and Ladder; The Chemistry of Change; Stonewall Jackson's House; Home Sweet Hell; The First Picture Show; A Question of Mercy; The Desert Song
Casting Ouch: Notices soliciting other services
Tombudsman: Crew complaint, more on auditing class
MAY 27, 1999
Two's Company
Samantha Mathis and Linda Lavin explore the challenges of the two-person Collected Stories
News: Bay Area playwright Prince Gomolvilas wins prize; Cast Theatre reshuffles staff; TCG opens new grant category
Letters: Deaf theatre diss, audition dos and don'ts, actors' mission
The Craft: The science of "chemistry"
Profile: Screenwriter/producer Bo Zenga
Breakout Talents: Saffron Burrows; Brian Beacock
Actors' Dialogue: Michael Mantell and Richard Schiff
Random Sightings by Polly Warfield: Betty Garrett's 80th, Lars Hansen update, Leland Crooke, Valerie Dillman
Reviews: Once in Doubt*; Misalliance*; Summer and Smoke*; South Pacific*; A Comedy Ensemble by Christopher Durang*; My One Good Nerve; The Master Builder; The Dance of Death (Part One); The First 100 Years; Collected Stories; On the Verge; Something Green; The Monogamist; The Foreigner; The Importance of Being Earnest; Tirade for Three and The Definite Child; Fat! (The Musical); Those the River Keeps; Those the River Keeps; Me So Sunday; Sex With Bob
Tombudsman: Scams averted, money back
JUNE 3,1999
Heather Report
This just in: Heather Graham's career is in full swing
News: A Noise Within moves to Cal State L.A.'s Luckman Theatre; Joe DiPietro and Jimmy Roberts' Men; runaway production bills move along
The Craft: Singing vs. acting
Feature: The agents vs. manager controversy, and how it affects actors
Actor's Actor: Lea Delaria
Actors' Dialogue: Brian Callen and Joe Rogan
New York Notes: All awards are out but Tonys
Reviews: Oo-Bla-Dee*; A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum*; I Must Be Mr. Boswell*; Cyberotica!*; Guys and Dolls; Travesties; Tryst and Shout; Camping With Henry and Tom; Rosmersholm; How To Succeed in Business Without Really Trying; Three Days of Rain; Equus; American Dreamchase Thru Nirvana Road; For Whom the Bridge Tolls; Who Wants Fame?; Montana Moose; The Rabbi and the Shiksa; Gunmetal Blues; Bad Habits
Tombudsman: Submission advice, calling service, attracted manager
JUNE 10, 1999
Peter Hall's New Direction
England's great theatre builder goes freelance-and brings Shakespeare to L.A.; includes a feature with L.A. directors and actors on the American way into the classics
News: Kuehl's overhauled anti-scam bill OK'd; Ron Link (1944-1999); South Coast Rep's Pacific Playwrights Fest; Tony award winners; NEA's Ivey pushes individual grants; L.A. Arts Directory published
Feature: An overview of extra work opportunities and trends
Actor's Actor: Alvin Ing
Actors' Dialogue: David Dukes and Anna Gunn
Stage and Screen: Groundlings Mindy Sterling and Jeremy Rowley
Independent Means: Writer/director John Sayles
Random Sightings by Polly Warfield: David Beaird, 900 Oneonta and beyond
Reviews: The Magic Fire*; Noises*; At This Evening's Performance*; The Mystery of Edwin Drood; A.K.A.; Bob's Office Party; The Complete History of America (Abridged); On the Jump; Love Is Always the Matter; Amateur Night at the Big Heart; Bob Funk; Guys and Dolls; Performance Anxiety; Burning Patience
Tombudsman: Summer blues, survival tips
JUNE 17, 1999
Pacino's Way
Hughie marks the star's eternal return to the stage
ALSO Spotlight on
TV Commercial Casting
A feature on casting trends toward realism; a rundown of different kinds of nat'l commercials and union policies, plus a complete listing of commercial casting directors in Northern and Southern California
News: The Tolerance Project; AFTRA inks PAX-TV pact; Charles Pierce (1926-1999); LACC's anniversary bash
The Craft: Actors' self-absorption
Stage and Screen: David Ogden Stiers; composer Dennis McCarthy
Actor's Actor: Jim J. Bullock
Actors' Dialogue: Jon Cryer and Ben Daniels
Reviews: Culture Clash in Bordertown*; Cabaret*; Running With Scissors*; The Boys of Mariel*; Loot*; A Chorus Line; Men; Communicating Doors; Seagull; Pulp Playhouse; Independence; Rebeck Revisited; Goblin Market; Stones in His Pockets; The Two Gentlemen of Verona; Show Boat; The Eighth Voyage of Sinbad; The Prom/Reunion; Finder's Fee; Shut Your Eyes and Think of England; Lost and Found
Tombudsman: Getting copies of student films
JUNE 24, 1999
Special Tribute Issue:
Actors We Love
Features: The Oregon Shakespeare Fest's peerless acting company; what American film actors can learn from their French peers; actors who are even better after their "comebacks"; duelling Broadway salesmen Kevin Spacey and Brian Dennehy
Appreciations/profiles: John Allsopp, Marco Barricelli, Kandis Chappell, Maggie Cheung, James Gandolfini, Rachel Griffiths, Catherine Keener, Cloris Leachman, Tracy Middendorf, Edward Norton, Sarah Polley, Jack Stehlin
News: Richard Israel named artistic director of the Celebration Theatre
Reviews: Measure For Measure and A Midsummer Night's Dream*; The Glace Bay Miners' Museum*; True West*; The Crucifer of Blood; Oklahoma Rigs; Arcadia; The Last Night of Ballyhoo; Castro and the Pitcher; Tribute; A Grand Night for Singing; Wild Kingdom; The Wizard of Oz; The Super Heroes; Groundlings: A Planned Community; Beirut; A Devil Inside
Working Actor: Who Do You Love?
JULY 1, 1999
Alexander's Technique
Jason Alexander's life after Seinfeld: It's still about the work
News: The Berliner Ensemble comes to America; "Astaire Bill" to protect images of deceased; AFTRA pensions more accessible; SAG hikes dues; Telemundo/AFTRA accord
Feature: The pros and cons of "networking" at industry workshops
Actor's Actor: John Cullum
Stage and Screen: Theresa Rebeck, Pasadena Shakespeare
New York Notes: Tonys bore but Off-Broadway family shows rise
Random Sightings by Polly Warfield: LACC memories, the Robbys
Reviews: Hughie*; Medea, the Musical*; Tartuffe*; Private Lives*; When Pigs Fly*; Freshman Year Sucks! and Sophomore Slump; For Lorne; Wet Weather Cover; Alice: Tales of a Curious Girl; Summer One-Act Festival; Other People's Money; Time Flies When You're Alive; Desperate Characters; Road to Ruin; Little Shop of Horrors; The Lark
Tombudsman: Bankruptcy, to call or not to call
JULY 8, 1999
"Play On!"
and Play Up
Sheldon Epps combines ambition and realism as artistic director of the august Pasadena Playhouse
News: A lively TCG conference in San Francisco; Anne Bogart and SITI come back to L.A. for Frameworks '99; Michael Kearns isn't afraid of Edward Albee; Stanley Soble (1940-1999); Allan Carr (1937-1999); Danielle Surrette (1969-1999)
The Craft: Creating an acting company
Feature: An overview of membership-based theatre ensembles in L.A., with a complete listing
Random Sightings by Polly Warfield: Remembering Ron Link, LACC reunion
Reviews: Sunday in the Park With George*; La Cage aux Folles*; The Merry Wives of Windsor*; Fog of War*; Where Did Vincent Van Gogh?; House Taken Over; My Romance; The Bug; Saint Joan; The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui; The First Good Day; Romeo and Juliet; In the Heart of America; Who's Afraid of Edward Albee?; Starfire; Broken Dreams; What the Rabbi Saw
Tombudsman: Costume tech, booking yourself, deferred pay
JULY 15, 1999
"Witch" Craft
In The Blair Witch Project, improv acting meets the art of film terror
News: The Young Actors Company mounts The Music Man; SAG cites Bloom Agency for trust deficit; Luis Alfaro remembers Stanley Soble; SAG, ACTRA pledge allegiance; rally against runaway prod'n
Profile: Ray Stricklyn and his memoirs
Stage and Screen: The Geers and their Theatricum Botanicum
Breakout Talent: Kirsten Dunst
Actors' Dialogue: Greg Proops and Colin Mochrie
Reviews: Cowgirls*; Bill and Eddie*; Merton of the Movies*; Father Time*; Forever Plaid*; Scooter Thomas Makes It to the Top of the World; Waiting for Godot; A Midsummer's Night Dream; Triple Espresso; Little Shop of Horrors; The Fantasticks; Beyond Therapy; Woman in Mind; The Merchant of Venice; My Fair Lady; Jesus Christ Superstar; Children
Tombudsman: Submission ratios, spreading talent thin, student film copies
JULY 22, 1999
"Roses" in Gangland
A look at the Actors' Gang's evolving style, from rock 'n' roll commedia to tender Tennessee Williams
ALSO Spotlight on Speech and Voiceovers
A look at hiring trends in voiceover, plus a complete list of speech and voice training in Northern and Southern California
News: Amazon.com gives indie filmmakers new market; the RAT conference heads for L.A.; Bobs Watson (1930-1999); Edward Dmytryk (1908-1999); Ronny Graham (1919-1999); Roberta Sherwood (1913-1999)
The Craft: Your body is your instrument
Profile: Director Mark Pellington
Actor's Actor: Richard Thomas
Actors' Dialogue: Dan Castellaneta and Nancy Cartwright
Random Sightings by Polly Warfield: Theatres and troupes on the move
Reviews: Stonewall Jackson's House*; Die! Mommy! Die!*; Road Movie*; Buddy: The Buddy Holly Story; Morning's at Seven; Thunder Knocking on the Door; The Marriage-Go-Round; Vietnam Chronicles: A Piece of My Heart; As You Like It; A History of Things That Never Happened; Grease; A Heart of Flesh; Miss Conception and Flying Nectarines, Zip Codes Pending; The Maiden's Prayer; The Two-Character Play; Prayer in a Bar; From Shirley Temple to Aimee Semple
Tombudsman: Job discrimination, foreign tax breaks, unemployed and bicoastal
JULY 29, 1999
Lili Goes Hollywood
On the verge of mainstream stardom, Lili Taylor keeps her indie spirit
News: J. Michael Bloom closes; RAT conference; Brian Cox does St. Nicholas benefit for Matrix; $98 mil marked for NEA; SSDC, LORT accord
Feature: Steven Leigh Morris on theatre in Moscow and Istanbul
Stage and Screen: M.D. Sweeney's Acme Comedy Theatre
Actor's Actor: Robert Goulet
Dialogue: Julia Cameron and Domenica Cameron-Scorsese
Reviews: Rough Crossing*; The Pirates of Penzance*; Life After Time*; Missing Footage*; Footloose*; The Unsinkable Molly Brown; Oklahoma!; Jane Eyre; A Chorus Line; Four Roses; Twelve Steps to Death; City for Sale; Carousel; The Night Thoreau Spent in Jail; Play On!; The Day They Shot John Lennon; Golden Boy; Desire; Terminal; Someone Who'll Watch Over Me
Tombudsman: Re-emerging in acting, manager scams, extras' break rules
AUGUST 5, 1999
Acting Complex
For John Turturro, acting is about soul-searching, not soul-baring
News: Miss Coco Peru is back; a new book on closeted theatre history
The Craft: Going over the top
Actor's Actor: Ellen Greene
Actors' Dialogue: Ann Hearn and Stephen Tobolowsky
New York Notes: Off-Broadway women
Random Sightings by Polly Warfield: Odyssey's Greeks, the joys of Play On!
Reviews: As Bees in Honey Drown*; St. Nicholas*; Pretty Fire*; Mere Mortals*; Cymbeline*; West Side Story, The Most Happy Fella, Bye Bye Birdie; Much Ado About Nothing; The Seagull; Tagteam Lovefest 2000; Beatrice; Four Roses; Boogie Oogie Fever; Jekyll and Hyde; The Possibility of Being; Flying Solo; Irina Abroad; A Funny Thing Happened On the Way to the Forum; The Balcony; Twisted Tweed and Poison Olives
Working Actor: Back to Reality
AUGUST 12, 1999
An L.A. Theatregoer's View of
the World
How Theatre LA's new director, Lars Hansen, plans to put L.A. theatre on the map, with a sidebar exploring the profile of the average L.A. theatregoer
News: Doolittle Theatre to become Latino theatre center; AFTRA gives Shelby Scott fourth team; agents seek better compensation
Theatre Makers: Fullerton CLO's Griff and Jan Duncan, AfroSolo Festival's Thomas Robert Simpson
Stage and Screen: Jeffrey Britting, B.J. Ward
Actors' Dialogue: Pamela Segall and Ellen Ratner
Breakout Talent: Donnie Wahlberg
Reviews: Tongue of a Bird*; Shakespeare's Villains: A Masterclass in Evil*; Miss Coco Peru's Universe*; Orphans*; A Chorus Line*; Forbidden Broadway*; Tracers*; King Lear*; Sight Unseen; The Taming of the Shrew; Eden; Beyond the Valley of the Bard; In Lieu of Flowers; Marat/Sade at the Drive-In; Sitting Pretty; Monster Stories; Bible Stories; Acme Swimsuit Edition; Red Breams and The Saint on the Couch
Tombudsman: Squashed closing credits, cover letter advice
AUGUST 19, 1999
Amy's View/
Judging Amy's Amy Brenneman on her collaborative career, from Cornerstone to film and TV; also a sidebar on the documentary Cornerstone
ALSO Spotlight on
Film and TV Casting
A roundup of fall TV season and its casting trends
Actor's Actor: Tyne Daly
Profile: Star Wars casting director Robin Gurland
News: Runaway prod'n rally; SAG nails down Coke resids; SAG pressured for board trial; Bill Hillman (1922-1999)
The Craft: Choosing the right monologue
Feature: New media opportunities, from CD-ROM to the Web
Random Sightings by Polly Warfield: Brits with "it," PFLAG flies high
Reviews: Friend of My Youth*; Till We Have Faces*; Bee-Luther-Hatchee*; Heroine Addicts*; Pericles*; Bent; The Adding Machine; Key for Two; The Scarlet Pimpernel; The First Picture Show; Play It Again, Sam; Stand-Up Opera; My Fair Lady; My Sister in This House; Hard Road Home; Back to School; Fighting the Gorilla
Tombudsman: SAG upgrades, non-union situation
AUGUST 26, 1999
The Diva Inside
Opera star Denyce Graves leads a mezzo revolution
News: Method Fest; SAG, MPAA deadlock on dead's rights; Masur seeks third term; DGA relaxes exit rule; Hispanic group lobbies media
Feature: The up-and-coming Utah Shakespeare Festival
Profile: Rapper-turned-actor LL Cool J
Stage and Screen: Charles Busch in Die! Mommy! Die!
Breakout Talent: Christian Campbell
Reviews: Aliens in America*; Amadeus*; Twelfth Dog Night*; Unidentified Human Remains and the True Nature of Love; The Affliction of Glory: A Comedy About Tragedy; Solo Gig2; Baseball; The Cheats of Scapin; StoryPeople; The Secret Garden and 42nd Street; Boom Town; Who Killed Kaspar Hauser?; The Dyke and the Porn Star; Temporary Help; Stucco People; Short and Sexy; Millennium's Eve; Chavez: Going Towards the Light; Miss Desmond Behind Bars
Tombudsman: Agent vs. manager, nutty phone calls, AIDS and unions
SEPTEMBER 2, 1999
Going Solo: A Primer
by Sandra Tsing Loh
To go onstage by yourself, you'd better have a good reason-make that a really good reason
News: SAG probe on ad resids; AFTRA comics boycott BET; Calif. anti-scam bill passes; Astaire bill controversy averted
The Craft: Shooting out of sequence
Feature: One theatre maker's take on Anne Bogart's Suzuki and Viewpoints training
Actor's Actor: Malcolm McDowell
Breakout Talent: Paget Brewster
New York Notes: Late summer nights
Random Sightings by Polly Warfield: The call of the silents
Reviews: The Hemingway/Dos Passos Wars*; Everyone's Friend*; Pride's Crossing*; Skylight*; Freeda Slave: Mask of a Diva*; Common Knowledge*; Say Cheese* and Writing Out Loud; Ninth Wave; Grease; Carousel and A Chorus Line; Real Girls; Emily; Butterflies Are Free; The Zoo Story and Hughie; The Last Laugh; The Ring and the Book; Subway
Tombudsman: Does talent win out?
SEPTEMBER 9, 1999
Illeana at Home
If Illeana Douglas seems comfortable with herself, it's because she acts for herself
News: Hollywood Reporter's YoungStar noms; Williams enters race for SAG prez; Theatre West unveils Wilder one-acts; ad biz rebuts resids claim; runaway prod'n bills sacked; Eliza Chugg (1930-1999)
Profiles: Director Andrew J. Robinson; playwright/pioneer Mart Crowley
Stage and Screen: Luciano Saber, Shawn Forry and Chip Bent
Independent Means: Hampton Fancher, Emir Kusturica
Reviews: Charley's Aunt*; The Merry Wives of Windsor*; Lend Me a Tenor*; Miss Saigon*; Sunset Boulevard*; Out in the Woods; The Three Musketeers, Much Ado About Nothing, and Henry IV, Part 2; Change Beds and Dance; Comedy on the Rocks (With a Twist); Doctor Faustus; The Wallace Shawn Theatre Festival; The Ladies of Camellias; The Everlasting Bonfire
Tombudsman: Don't move to L.A., ask questions
SEPTEMBER 16, 1999
Still Crazy After
25 Years
Will the Groundlings ever grow up? A profile of Will Ferrell, a look at alumni who have become successful writers, and a Q&A with casting director Tony Sepulveda, plus a listing of 25th anniversary events
News: Broadway legend John Raitt headlines concert series; Theatre Bay Area grows; Cast Theatre announces season; AFTRA comics vs. BET
The Craft: Mastering the "non-monologue"
Actor's Actor: Katherine Erbe
Random Sightings by Polly Warfield: Farce in Long Beach, Sossi Greeks
Reviews: The Philanderer*; The Tempest*; Preaching to the Perverted*; Bartenders*; The Marriage of Bette and Boo*; Pearls and Marlowe; Being at Choice; Uncle Jacques' Symphony; Kirk Du Soleil; Sins and Ages: Four Wilder One-Acts; Chess; The Threepenny Opera; The Life of Galileo; The Foreigner; Men's Singles
Tombudsman: Problems with Promotion Management Network
SEPTEMBER 23, 1999
Spotlight on Acting Schools and Coaches
News: The Blank Theatre Co's Young Playwrights Fest; SAG wary of CBS/Viacom merger; networks' "whitewash"; SAG members OK dues hike
Feature: Cirque du Soleil remains loyal to L.A.
Stage and Screen: Bill Rauch and Cornerstone Theatre Co.
Actor's Actors: Luis Saguar; David Engel
Actors' Dialogue: Robert Foxworth and Peter Donat
Reviews: Cyrano De Bergerac*; A Christmas Carol*; Over the Tavern*; Suddenly Last Summer*; Ancient History*; Glengarry Glen Ross*; The Faggot Museum*; Collected Stories*; Violet; End of the Watch; Properties of Silence; Grand Hotel; The Crucible; A Night Out With Young Playwrights; Pump Boys and Dinettes; Full Gallop; A Lie of the Mind
Tombudsman: Ethnic mix-up, getting into SAG
SEPTEMBER 30, 1999
Zahn His Way
Steve Zahn's career may be booming, but at his own pace
News: Ovation noms; CSA's informal Artios Awards; AFTRA, BET break ice; George C. Scott (1927-1999)
The Craft: Sexual nudity onstage
Feature: Downsized musicals find big-time success on L.A. stages
Profile: Director Catherine Breillat and Romance
Actors' Dialogue: Veralyn Jones and Gregg Daniel
Actor's Actor: Alan Blumenfeld
Breakout Talent: Pedro Balmaceda
Random Sightings by Polly Warfield: A Noise Within's new space, Wilde about Galligan
Reviews: The Hostage*; The Boys from Syracuse*; Dralion*; Poe: Out of His Mind*; The King and I*; Scraps; Leilani's Hibiscus; Burning Chrome; Amphibians; The Greeks; Art; South Pacific; The Firebugs; Visiting Mr. Green; You Can't Take It With You; Shopping and F***ing; The Letter Writer; In Walked Monk; Pal Joey; King Lear
Tombudsman: Credits check, lazy agents
OCTOBER 7, 1999
Mystery Man
From Poirot to Salieri, actor David Suchet plays the odd man out
News: Theatre 40's brief shutdown; Tina Landau's Space; ProAct vs. Performers Alliance; Lion King head for Hollywood; Moving Arts moves
Stage and Screen: Tony Plana; Billy Hayes
Actor's Actors: Daniel T. Parker; Petula Clark
Actors' Dialogue: Joseph Bologna and Renee Taylor
Independent Means: Steven Soderbergh's The Limey
New York Notes: Off-Broadway symbolism
Reviews: Side Man*; Under Milk Wood*; True West*; Swimming in the Shallows*; Communicating Doors*; A View From the Bridge*; The Glass Menagerie*; Wonderland*; Let's Face It*; The Royal Family; Gangster No. One; A Hotel on Marvin Gardens; Picasso at the Lapin Agile; Blood Wedding, Blood Wedding; Stolen Time; June Moon; The Diary of Anne Frank; Spoon River; The Bad Seed; Durang/Durang; Simpatico; Laughter on the 23rd Floor; The Life of Galileo; Blood Wedding; Bandido!; Babes in Arms; I Was the World's Most Famous Juggler; Roger Corman's A Bucket of Blood; Down the Road
Working Actor: Party Politics
OCTOBER 14, 1999
From the Heart
How the soulful Crimes of the Heart lured Faith Ford and Crystal Bernard to make their stage debuts
News: L.A.'s Equity 99-Seat Plan gets a makeover; Attic Theatre does ambitious repertory of gay classics; Polly Pen's Goblin Market comes to Long Beach; McNally's Corpus Christi comes to Santa Ana; John Joseph Haran (1961-1999)
The Craft: Mastering a Celtic accent
Profile: The Celebration Theatre's new artistic director Richard Israel
Actor's Actor: Yvette Freeman
Breakout Talent: Mena Suvari
Random Sightings by Polly Warfield: Raitt rates raves, Words and Music
Reviews: Amadeus*; Uncle Vanya*; Goblin Market*; Nosferatu*; The Beauty Queen of Leenane*; Golden Child*; The Cripple of Inishman*; Man ge Moli're*; Space*; Cyberqueer*; The Swollen Feet (Oedipus Rex)*; Women of Manhattan*; The Big Funk; Savage in Limbo; Me and My Girl; Bitter Women; Break of Day; Three Tall Women; Face to Face; Pre-Paradise Sorry Now; Texas; Solo Nights; Wonderful Town; Hardware: A Miracle Play; Steel Kiss; Lover
Tombudsman: Nicolas Cage lookalike, Utah pastures
OCTOBER 21, 1999
Danger: High Voltage
From Tommy to Hedwig, Michael Cerveris electrifies the rock musical
News: Davis signs Calif. anti-scam bill; Masur allies on ballot miscount; cancelled Servant of Two Masters finds new home; ambitious Sonora theatres' growing pains; SAG write-off debate
Stage and Screen: William Castle's legacy, John Saxon
Performance Focus: Michael Winters tackles Brecht's Galileo
Casting Principles: CFB Casting
Profiles: Director/producer Sydney Pollack; writer/producer Aaron Sorkin
Actors' Dialogue: Susan Egan and Anthony Rapp
FYI: The revised Equity 99-Seat Plan (the complete text)
Reviews: A Fairy Tale*; Spike Heels*; Marry Me a Little*; Trust*; Something in His Genes*; Blackbird; Lemonade; Flipzoids; The Angels of Lemnos; A Vampire Reflects; The 2nd Annual Original One-Act Festival; The Dying Gaul; Wait Until Dark; Defending the Caveman; Tallulah and Tennessee; Last Summer at Bluefish Cove
Tombudsman: Bad photographer, not booking
OCTOBER 28, 1999
The Taming of Tim
Tim Roth isn't just a gun for hire anymore
ALSO Spotlight on Photographers and Marketing Tools
A consumer guide to picking the right headshot photographer and video demo services, with a complete list of photographers, video demo editors, and resum services
News: SAG website brouhaha; Edge of the World theatre fest
Letters: Coaches dissed; reviewer out of line
The Craft: Working with children
Feature: Opportunities at theme park Halloween shows
Profile: Ulster playwright Gary Mitchell
Breakout Talent: Hilary Swank
Actors' Dialogue: Robertson Dean and Deborah Strang
Random Sightings by Polly Warfield: Sonia Lloveras-Verdier, Karen Kondazian
Reviews: The Swan*; The Memorandum*; Sweet Bird of Youth*; The Taming of the Shrew*; Songs and Stories From Moby Dick*; Do You Want To Know A Secret?*; The Fantasticks*; Terra Nova; Lust and Lunacy: Evening Red; Violet; The Servant of Two Masters; Sweetheart: A Musicale; Wit; Acts of Grace 3: Kitchens; Acts of Grace 3: Theatre; The Fall From Precious; Damn Yankees; Crimes of the Heart
Tombudsman: Demo dos and don'ts
NOVEMBER 4, 1999
Ovations at the Edge of the World
A clippable guide to Theatre LA's Ovation Awards, with a profile of the L.A. Poverty Dept., sound designer John Zalewski, honorees Jerome Lawrence and Robert Fryer
Also complete listings of Edge of the World Theatre Festival events
News: Prejudice against L.A. playwrights, Part One; L.A. City Council considers film/TV loans
Stage and Screen: Del Shores brings Sordid Lives to the screen
Actor's Actor: Frances Bay
Breakout Talent: Cindy Katz
New York Notes: High-stepping but empty danceathons
Reviews: Hedwig and the Angry Inch*; Being of Sound Mind*; The Piano Lesson*; Dear Liar*; God Eats Babys*; The Grass Harp*; Jodie's Body; Communicating Doors; The Merry Wives of Windsor; Greensboro: A Requiem; Bipolar by Thursday; Love! Valour! Compassion!; Desire Under the Elms; Crashing Heaven; Talk About Money; Cinderella; The Balcony; The Shroud; The Lisbon Traviata; Up a Tree
Working Actor: Thoughts on Industry Disarray
NOVEMBER 11, 1999
"Light" Minded
Frasier's David Lee and Dan Butler Light Up the Sky at Pasadena Playhouse
Also National College Guide to the Performings Arts
Includes stories about U/RTA programs, West Coast schools on the upswing, college dance, and complete listing of universities and conservatories with theatre and dance depts.
News: William Daniels is new SAG prez; Ovation Awards high on Reefer; prejudice against L.A. playwrights, Part Two; the 1999 YoungStar Awards
The Craft: Radio drama
Profile: Megan Mullally
Feature: The 12 Commandments of Auditions
Actor's Actor: Sandra Oh
Actors' Dialogue: Megan Drew and Will Rothhaar
Random Sightings by Polly Warfield: Ovation nominees brunch, recalling stage flubs
Reviews: Wrong Mountain*; The Illusion*; No Orchids for Miss Blandish*; Escape From Happiness*; Hillary and Soon-Yi Shop for Ties*; Joyful Noise*; The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby; Annie; Behind the Counter With Mussolini; The Psychic Life of Savages; The Gin Game; The Real Inspector Hound; Picasso at the Lapin Agile; Sweetheartattacks; The Country Girl; The 1940s Radio Hour; Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead; Phenomenal Acceleration; Polaroid Art
Tombudsman: Don't pay to play, reshoot (again)
NOVEMBER 18, 1999
The Natural
For Chlo" Sevigny, acting is a mystery-and she'd like to keep it that way
News: Pasadena Shakespeare Co. to lose home; Intiman's new artistic director Bartlett Sher; Daniels urges SAG unity; AFTRA's new dues; Texas Shakespeare Fest knifed
Feature: A critic's report from the first Edge of the World Festival
Actors' Dialogue: Georg Stanford Brown and Kathryn Dora Brown
Actor's Actor: Jason Lee
Stage and Screen: What actors can learn from talk radio
Independent Means: Chris Smith's American Movie
Reviews: Resa Fantastiskt Mystisk*; Louis Slotin Sonata*; The Path of Love*; Full Gallop*; Present Laughter*; Cinderella*; The Man Who Came to Dinner*; The Last Night of Ballyhoo; Our Lady of the Tortilla; Picasso at the Lapin Agile; All Alone Together-Solos in Harmony II; Hush; Old Sins, Long Shadows; New Wrinkles; The Summer Moon; Fiorello!; Chapter Two; Uncle Herbert; Once Upon a Mattress; The Cleaning Man; Handsome Men; Jaywalker; Jacques and His Master; Stark Raving Mad; Twelfth Night; Corpus Christi
Tombudsman: Sides solution, voucher protocol
NOVEMBER 25, 1999
Atom Examined
Filmmaker Atom Egoyan takes a new direction with Felicia's Journey
Also Spotlight on Agents
Advice on how to land representation, with a complete list of SAG-franchised agents in the Western U.S.
News: Daniels tightens grip at SAG; Steve Allen's Christmas Carol; Elaine Welton Hill (1954-1999)
Letters: More on radio drama; what about Peter Nieves?
The Craft: Playing historic figures, living or dead
Profile: Director/actor Randy Brenner
Feature: San Francisco Mime Troupe's Joan Holden reminisces on 40 radical years
Actor's Actor: Janet McTeer
Breakout Talent: Alessandro Nivola
Random Sightings by Polly Warfield: Ovations observations
Reviews: It Ain't Nothin' But the Blues*; Straight as a Line*; The Game of Love and Chance*; Spring Storm*; Noises Off*; Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat*; Broken Hearts*; Light Up the Sky*; Cash on Delivery; Somewhere in Between; Mariage Blanc; A Life in the Theatre; Broken Glass; Trashers
Tombudsman: Dubious dealings, L.A. dreams deferred
DECEMBER 2, 1999
In Good Company
Henry Winkler and John Ritter convene for a Neil Simon Dinner Party
News: NAACP's dramatic hearings on TV diversity
Actor's Actor: Peter Mullan
Breakout Talent: Mil Nicholson
Stage and Screen: Lynnda Ferguson produces a film, Wendy Worthington heads Theatre Neo (and recurs on Ally McBeal)
New York Notes: Rocking revivals, over-hyped new shows
Legislative Update: The complete text of California's new anti-scam law, AB 884
Reviews: Otherwise Engaged*; Bash, Latterday Plays*; Barrio Babies*; Almost Perfect*; Acme the Vampire Slayer*; Fame-The Musical*; Dream Boy; How the Grinch Stole Christmas; Shooting Porn; The Beauty Queen of Leenane; Shear Madness; Girls Talk; A Thimble of Smoke; A Christmas Carol; A Christmas Carol; Voices From the 20th Century; Theatre Hell
Tombudsman: Rude labs, what agents deserve
DECEMBER 9, 1999
Rules of Survival
Persistence pays off for Michael Caine
News: Double Angels in Sonoma County; ironies of NAACP's TV protest; UCLA film school online; Onassis play money; Madeleine Kahn (1942-1999)
Profile: Director Lasse Hallström
Actor's Actors: Julia Campbell; Ray Winstone
Actors' Dialogue: Marilyn McIntye and James Harper
Breakout Talent: Ames Ingham
Random Sightings by Polly Warfield: El Portal gala, Steve Allen's Christmas Carol
Reviews: Debt*; Singin' in the Rain*; Pointless*; Transcendental Wild Oats*; The Dinner Party; You Can't Take It With You; The Secret Garden; Naked Holidays; A Christmas Carol; The Pirates of Penzance; Babes in Arms; A Christmas Carol: A Ghost Story of Christmas; The Cricket on the Hearth; Mr. Allen, Mr. Allen; State-of-the-Art
Tombudsman: Getting upgrades, industry gifts
DECEMBER 16, 1999
Anniversary 6
Includes a look back at the year in news, an index of issues, and an alphabetical index of reviews, a list of need-to-know phone numbers and loyal advertisers, and a '99 cover gallery
ALSO Theatre Guide 2000
A complete and up-to-date guide to Southern California theatre spaces, companies, union plans, and support services
In the news: Agents lobby SAG to level field with managers; SAG's Daniels decries corporate greed; the year in news
Actor's Actor: David Pichette
Stage & Screen: Sally Kirkland in Frank Strausser's Powder Room Suite
Scrooges' Dialogue: Hal Landon Jr. & William Dennis Hunt
Feature: One critic's look back at amusing or maddening L.A. theatre mishaps
Reviews: Graduation Day*; The Matchmaker*; Picasso at the Lapin Agile*; Babes in Arms*; Light Sensitive*; A Christmas Carol; Tribe of Judah; Metamorphoses; Word for Word's Winter Festival; Scrooge; A Chorus of Disapproval; Scent of Rain
Working Actor: An Actor's Millennium