On April 27th, Lionsgate and AMC hosted a For Your Consideration screening of “Mad Men” followed by a panel discussion with Creator/Executive Producer - Matt Weiner, along with cast members Jon Hamm, January Jones, Elizabeth Moss, Vincent Kartheiser, John Slattery and Christina Hendricks. The panel discussion was moderated by Pete Hammond.
“Mad Men” is one of my favorite drama shows because of it’s character driven storylines, which often depend upon an ensemble cast and is set within a time period filled with historical moments during the 1960’s that have changed our society.
After the screening of a recent episode, creator Matt Weiner talked about his writing style, making sure that the payoff the show’s storyline is always earned. By revealing the aspects of characters that can sometimes be unsettling, “rather than run away from the story, it is the story”, said Weiner. Actor Jon Hamm said he likes that we, as an audience, “get to see what happens to these people as they face their consequences”.
All of the actors on the panel attributed their the well defined characters to the show’s writers, but it’s the performances of the cast, coupled with the show’s set and costume design is what makes this series so captivating. “Mad Men” is slated to return for season 3 in August, on AMC.
Tags: For Your Consideration
“Eve-olution”, written by Hilary Illick and Jennifer Krier, is currently at the Rep East Playhouse (www.repeastplayhouse.org). Directed by Mark Kaplan and starring Kelly Hawthorne and Andrea Shreeman, these characters share their perspectives on the transitions they face as they take on balancing the commitments of motherhood, family and their relationships.
Kaplan’s choice to infuse dramatic moments with edgy humor made this reminiscent of the style of most sitcoms, making it appealing to both the women and men in the audience by lightening up some of the dramatic moments. Most small theatre productions are on a limited budget and Kaplan was creative in his use of music and lighting to enhance the style of the show.
Only a few performances are left. The easiest way to obtain tickets is online or by phone at 661-288-0000.
Tags: Acting, Local Theatre
On April 23rd, The Sundance Channel hosted a “For Your Consideration Event”, featuring “Spectacle, Elvis Costello with… The Police”. Following the screening, Producers Sir Elton John and David Furnish were interviewed by Pete Hammond.
“Spectacle, Elvis Costello with…” is an interesting hybrid between a talk show and special performances, starring some of the best-known musical artists of our time. The episode about “The Police”, documented the evening before their final performance as a group, capturing musical history for future generations to enjoy.
During the panel discussion, Sir Elton John remarked that experience “galvanizes” an artist, preparing them for a long-term career and giving them an appreciation of the journey. In each episode of this Sundance Channel series, Costello’s interview session will typically reveal who influenced that musical guest as they discovered their own musical style. They also talk about experiences that may have prepared that performer for commercial success, allowing the artist to share their perspective in their own words.
This series seems well balanced, since it covers a cross-section of the music industry. Sir Elton John commented on how Mr. Costello’s relationships with other performers and his respect for fellow entertainers has enhanced the show, by allowing them access to diverse musical genres. David Furnish, credits Elvis Costello with being a “champion of authenticity”, giving each episode a style of it’s own.
Tags: Academy of Television Arts & Sciences, For Your Consideration
On April 17th, The Academy of Television Arts and Sciences had a screening and panel discussion with some of the creators and cast of HBO’s “Grey Gardens”, a film based on the documentary made by the Maysles brothers which tells the story of the relationship between “Big Edie” Bouvier Beale and her daughter “Little Edie”, relatives of the late Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy Onassis.
Panelists were Producer, Writer and Director - Michael Sucsy, Executive Producers - Lucy Barzun Donnelly and Rachael Horovitz, Writer - Patricia Rozema, Actresses - Drew Barrymore and Jessica Lange, Make-Up/Prosthetics Designer - William Corso, and Production Designer - Kalina Ivanov.
I’ve always been a big fan of period piece dramas because there are so many details that go into the storytelling. The moderator of the event, Joan Juliet Buck, who is an author and Vogue TV critic, aptly described this film as “ground breaking” for how it approached bridging the gap between real life characters who appeared in the documentary and the characters that were created to tell their story.
During the panel discussion, both Drew Barrymore and Jessica Lange talked about the preparation process for the portrayal of these two very unusual women. “To be able to work on a character like this was exciting because you could bring so many things to it…you could bring all your physical training… everything that you had ever studied preparing for something like this, this was great because it allowed you to use it all”, said Lange.
“Grey Gardens” takes place over the span of nearly 40 years, so I enjoyed that both the production design and make-up were seamlessly integrated into the story to keep the focus on the mother-daughter relationship. Barrymore and Lange gave truly dynamic performances giving us a glimpse into the possibilities of what may have lead to the eventual decline of these free-spirited, eccentric women.
Tags: Academy of Television Arts & Sciences, Acting, ATAS / TV Academy Events