2-22-11

Discussion – Have you suspected that you could really have enjoyed sports, or writing or painting, but have somehow been unable to pursue these things? Are you aware that there might be aspects of you that you’ve been unable to surface, access and enjoy? Do you know what stops you, what might have caused you to hide some of yourself, from yourself? In this show I talk about why this happens, give an example and introduce the concept of The Relationship Contract …

Review – Sharon Lesley reviews the farce Boeing Boeing currently on stage at the Asolo Repertory Theatre in Sarasota FL Interview – Brian Torfeh stars in Boeing Boeing and also in La Bette, which run concurrently at the Asolo. Brian’s father rebelled against his parent’s wishes for him; he pretended to be studying engineering while actually pursuing acting. A wife an family made it impossible for him to continue as an actor, but this is what he hoped for his son. Brian did the opposite; he decided to study Law instead acting, as his Dad had hoped. But Brian really is and has always been an actor. Several years into college, his academic advisory pointed out that while he hadn’t taken any courses in his major, he had been in about 14 plays. Brian accepted who he really is and has never looked back.

February 1, 2011

David Hirson doesn’t know when he decided that he was a writer because looking back it seems that he was always a writer; by the age of 10 he was “filling notebooks with ideas and thinking about what he wanted to write. “ He thought of it as “playing.” At 27, David decided to write his first play. Thinking that, as a first time playwright he had do something unusual if he was going to get anyone’s attention, David chose to do something that no one had done; to write a play all in rhyming couplet. The result was La Bette, which not only won the Tony but has continued to play all over the world; most recently in London and New York, and now at the Asolo Repertory Theatre in Sarasota. Listen to this thoughtful and compelling interview which chronicles the remarkable story of La Bette’s creation, journey to Broadway and the way in which it impacted David’s life.

January 18, 2011

Interview – Danny Scheie (pronounced Shay) was 4 or 5 years old when his parents took him to see Julie Andrews in Mary Poppins and when he saw her dancing with a cartoon penguin he thought “I must do that!” When family friends asked him to sing a song, he sang the entire score of a show, so Danny was a performer from the very beginning. Although his parents tried to dissuade him from a career as an actor, Danny says that even as a little kid Danny he was “driven to perform.” At present Danny is appearing as Valere in the Asolo Repertory Company production of La Bette. It is a role which very few people can play and Danny is brilliant in it. In this interview, Danny is not only funny and charming but thoughtful and philosophical, making this not only a delightful and endearing but terrifically interesting interview. For a lively discussion of the intent of the play, La Bette, listen to Bryan Torfeh’s interview next month