The Columbia 30 - Part 2
The next week I attended the Columbia Pictures luncheon with all the other young hopefuls. Lots of tasty food and smiles for the cameras while reporters interviewed the director, Joshua Shelley. It turns out he would handle the scene study class in the afternoons. Mary Carver would do the morning class which would focus on movement and speech. It was a 9 to 5 schedule, Monday through Friday. I was about to find out this acting stuff was serious business. VERY serious. No acting class since could ever compete with what I went through in this Program. Michael Shurtleff's class came close a few times, but this one was way more work and humiliation. It was never what I would describe as fun and that's on a good day. There were plenty rough times to come. I was very inexperienced and of a rebellious nature which made things worse.
In a few days we went to a small theater on the Columbia Pictures Ranch Lot where they filmed westerns. The studio carpenters had made some adjustments and additions to the building's design to accommodate our class. There was an elevated proscenium stage, no curtains, overhead stage lighting and they'd created a graduated raised audience seating for us. There were also back stage rooms which could be used as a greenroom area for costume changes and waiting to go on stage. On the other side of the building were Josh and Davi's offices. We entered and there was another long banquet table set up for more food and refreshments. The creator of the Talent Program was there, Daniel Melnick, president of Columbia Pictures, also a successful executive producer who'd created many original high quality television series. I was sitting right across from him at the table. Some of the male students and I were discussing something to do with the strong smell of dog shit—why this was brought up as a subject at a luncheon I don't remember—but it was. Melnick, thought we meant marijuana and asked us if it was good shit. I turned to him and said well actually we were discussing the canine variety. The casual offhand way I replied to the head of the studio like I was trying to shock him was pretty damn stupid. But that's me. If I can put my foot in my mouth, it'll accommodate. The startled look he returned said it all: I was a cocky asshole—I was!
At this first meeting in the theater I got know some of the other actors. I was sitting next to Drake Hogyston a former minor league baseball player who was interested in getting into show business. The topic of where people were going to say came up and I remember Drake looked at me and said something about sharing a place. He smiled. His smile made me wary of him. It was the smile of a con man. Maybe I was wrong—but that's the feeling that hit me like an instinct. Many years later I was to see this side of Drake. But not now. I didn't let him know that I already had a place. Instead I felt more comfortable offering another actor named Jeff Schafrath accommodation for a few days until he found his own digs.
The training began. First Josh had 2 actors face one another and read from a script trying to just say the lines but allow natural feeling to come into them from what they were getting from one another. It was based on an exercise acting mentor Sanford Miesner developed in New York, aka “The Miesner Technique”—so you'd learn to actually listen to the other actor and react in a real manner to their feelings in the moment. I didn't know what they were doing at the time. Of course I felt if given the opportunity I could do it better—Mr. Confidence—HA! Boy was I delusional. I really didn't know anything about this art of acting, but thought I did. Life was about to teach me a big lesson.
First day of Mary's class I started out by doing well in an improv, but Josh's afternoon scene study was another matter. In my first scene I played Alan from William Inge's “Picnic”. Jeff Schafrath, staying with me at my place, played Hal. He'd starred in his High School's production of this play. We got some laughs at the start of the scene when I climbed on his back and yelled “Who's winkin' blinkin' and stickin'?” But soon I slipped up and started playing a “character” acting very poorly. The audience saw me making fun of the role or perhaps I should say not taking the role seriously and groaned at me. Joshua stopped the scene and I was lectured on my bad performance. I remember thinking that the other actors were just a bunch of sheep. That they were all just going along without questioning Josh's teaching. Yeah, I didn't know what I was doing. I didn't understand naturalistic acting. I was used to playing wild comedy characters in crazy skits, but had never tackled this higher form of acting. So I fell squarely on my ass. I was stung and confused. I just couldn't grasp it. One thing I did start noticing, and perhaps this is only my perception, but it seemed we were always being tested more than being taught. At least that is the impression I got from Josh. Like he was holding up a hoop of fire and saying who'll jump through first?
My scene partner Jeff and I were sitting in my little studio apartment that evening when the phone rang. It was my gal pal Josie. She screamed at me “WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING?!” I looked at Jeff. I'm sure even he could hear her cause he gave me a look. I said to her “Meet me by the pool in the courtyard.” I told Jeff I needed to go talk to someone for a moment. In the courtyard I saw the door on the other side come flying open and Josie barreling out. She bolted right up to me and started yelling, “What the fuck do you think you're doing? You know my kid brother Joey's here and needs a place to stay!” I realized she meant I shouldn't have Jeff staying with me and give priority to her brother. I didn't recall her mentioning this arrangement before. Maybe I just forgot, but I don't think so. Anyhow I had to put out this fire and fast before it raged out of control.
End of Part 2
