Bonus – Episode 107 of Off Off Webseries

As some of you may know, I have a webseries that I do with my talented friends called Off Off about several guys in their late 40s/early 50s trying to keep an Off Off Broadway theatre alive.   This is an episode that was actually shot a while ago, but for various reasons didn’t get released until today!

Synopsis: With the looming threat of the theater space being either torn down or turned into office space, Carlton, Blake and Johnny meet up with Georgina,the owner of the building (who also happens to live in the apartment over head), to try and work out a deal to extend the life of the theater.

Guest starring:
Joan Barber
Pëtra Denison
Lexie the Dog

Series regulars:
Stephen Bittrich as Blake, the playwright
David Marantz as Carlton (aka Jim), the artistic director
Dan Teachout as Hank, the jack of all trades
Robert Arthur Wilson as Johnny, the actor
Dennis Gagamiros as Derrick, the costume designer
Lisa Peart as Sammie, the stage manager
Kendall Rileigh as Bethany, the intern

Series DP:
John Painz

 

Episode 019 – Corybungus – Off Off Radio Theater

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corybungus_posterWelcome to Off Off Radio Theater with the short play Corybungus written by Stephen Bittrich.

Hijinks ensue when a bookshop customer tries to return a defective “OED” (Oxford English Dictionary) because it’s missing words.  This fast moving skit is a nod to the works of Monty Python.

The Returns Man is played by Steve Sherman.

Mr. Weiner, the Customer, is played by Stephen Bittrich.

An interview with Steve Sherman coming soon in a future Off Off Pod episode!

Corybungus was originally performed by The Drilling Company in an evening of New York themed one-acts by Stephen Bittrich called Big Apples.

 

Episode 018 – Stephen Rosenfield of American Comedy Institute

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stephen_rosenfield1Stephen Rosenfield and I had a great conversation about comedy, how one can learn the craft, how comedians prepare and how he got his start.

Stephen is the director and founder of the American Comedy Institute where folks with the comedy bug can receive great training either by way of their monthly comedy classes or in their year long program.

I happen to know Stephen from working on the website for the school.  It’s a great resource if you’d like to know more about how you can join in!

Topics covered in the interview:

  • Intro  (0:00)
  • How we met through Ted Greenberg and The Complete Performer (2:13)
  • How it all began, working on the writing (4:58)
  • Growing up and being funny and the need to express yourself (7:39)
  • Being well rounded as a comedian, Louie CK (10:11)
  • Taking note of subjects and attitudes that are working (15:50)
  • Comedians that have reinvented their persona (19:48)
  • Comedians who seem to be making it up on the fly have worked hard to prepare  (22:03)
  • Stephen’s role as teacher, how to create a hyphenated career (25:50)
  • The One Year Program at American Comedy Institute (27:06)
  • Doing “bringer shows” (bringing in an audience to the clubs) and when comedy was “rock and roll” (32:45)
  • How to build and audience as a performer (39:15)
  • Keeping warm after bombing  (42:07)

As usual my buddy Sal Clemente (of Ultrasonic Rock Orchestra) who wrote the podcast theme song, “Here We Go Again,” plays us out.

Episode 002 – Off Off Topic with Erik Van Wyck

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In this episode which features my very good buddy, actor/writer, Erik Van Wyck, we go off topic a bit in a new segment I’m calling Off Off Topic.

Erik and Stephen

Forgot to take a pic in LA, but here’s a silly one of us from 2006 with my daughter’s stuffed bunny.

In a few weeks I’ll release Erik’s “official” actor/writer interview (including a great embarrassing story about a recent horrible audition), but we had such a nice long conversation for about 2 hours, and there were some bits where we went off the trail that were way too good to be scrapped …

…. thus Off Off Topic.

 

The segments include:

  • Intro — spooky, did I record a ghost? (00:00)
  • LA vs. NYC (09:10)
  • The Frenchman’s naked breast scam (20:20)
  • Canadians wrestle sarcasm (31:23)
  • The horrors of a kid’s playground (41:06)

ALSO… stayed tuned at the very end of the episode (50:32) for a musical treat.  My buddy Sal Clemente who wrote the podcast theme song, “Here We Go Again,” has a band called Ultrasonic Rock Orchestra which is performing a concert version of the rock musical JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR this Friday, Saturday, Sunday (11/22, 11/23, 11/24)  in Arlington, MA at the Regent Theatre.  He gave me permission to include the awesome song “Gethsemane” from their recorded album of JCS on the podcast.  The performer singing Jesus is Chris Cote.  Go to their website to hear other selections including Sal singing Judas… or even better, buy the album or see the concert to hear everything.  Check ’em out!

Episode 001 – Margo Martindale

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Hi, I’m Stephen Bittrich.  In this inaugural episode of Off Off Pod, I interview my buddy, actress Margo Martindale, who is known for such television shows as JUSTIFIED, THE AMERICANS, A GIFTED MAN, and most recently, THE MILLERS.  (As of this writing you can watch the latest episode of THE MILLERS for free online.).

She is also known for movies like  AUGUST: OSAGE COUNTY (Christmas, 2013), MILLION DOLLAR BABY, and DEAD MAN WALKING.

While temporarily rooming with Margo and being her assistant while she transitions into THE MILLERS, I ask what the day to day process is like for an actor working on a 4 camera sitcom and what the audition process was like.

The Margo section was taped on 10/30/13 in Los Angeles.

margoandstephen

And after the interview I talk about the origins of Off Off Pod, my inspiration Marc Maron from WTFPod and a little about the my growing pride in the words “Off Off.”

The theme song “Here We Go Again” is written and performed by my buddy Sal Clemente.  Here’s his band — Ultrasonic Rock Orchestra.  Check ’em out!