Category Archives: Playwright/Screenwriter

Episode 011 – Off Off Topic – Midnight Cobbler

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empire_state_nyc

The Empire State Building – NYC

I’m heading to New York City in less than a week to capture a bunch of podcast interviews and see old friends.  Here’s a shot of one of the most beautiful buildings in the world on a night when it was showing off my favorite colors — the deep blues.

In this short and sweet episode I tell one of my New York stories — about going to a midtown luxury apartment building at midnight to meet a complete stranger for freshly made peach cobbler!

Don’t forget the upcoming “live” podcast event at The Drilling Company Theater, 236 West 78th Street, 3rd floor on February 11th, 2014.  I’ll be interviewing Artistic Director, Hamilton Clancy.  The event is free. Donations welcome.  Come be a part and then hang out afterwards.

Topics covered in the podcast:

  • NYC here I come! (0:00)
  • The flood (6:27)
  • Live Podcast at the Drilling Company of Tuesday, February 11th at 7 PM (9:44)
  • The midnight peach cobbler story (10:28)
  • Exceptional people in New York (16:20)

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

Episode 005 – Cameron Watson writer/director of film, “Our Very Own”

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cam_watson_our_very_own_posterThe multi-talented Cameron Watson wrote and directed the film, Our Very Own, which was a valentine to his small hometown of Shelbyville, Tennessee.

If you want to be truly inspired by someone who did not give up on his dream of making his indie film, listen to this interview.

cameron_watson_our_very_own_cameraIt has a happy ending… a deal with Miramax… and you can stream this film right now on Netflix.  It stars Allison Janney, Keith Carradine, Cheryl Hines, Jason Ritter, Autumn Reeser, and Beth Grant.

Cam’s latest project is a new weberies called Break a Hip which sounds hilarious and is in post production now.  Here’s the Facebook page.

Topics covered in the interview:

  • My introduction of Cam (0:00)
  • Sweet story about a high school kid doing a monologue from my play, Home of the Great Pecan  (4:58)
  • Interview with Cameron Watson begins (7:38)
  • Growing up in small southern town with supportive parents (19:44)
  • Spaced Out – Cam gets cast as the heroic captain of the “ship” (20:37)
  • Horton Foote campaigns for Cam in The Widow Claire (23:55)
  • The move to Los Angeles, a work-a-day actor (25:40)
  • The writer/director emerges — Cam performs a story about his hometown (27:19)
  • Cam forms a writing group/support group (31:24)
  • Our Very Own — the next steps, a great supportive core group (33:14)
  • Shelbyville welcomes the production; casting the film (40:51)
  • Allison Janney and the Independent Spirit Award (44:43)
  • What’s the film about? (46:57)
  • How Miramax found the film (48:45)
  • Mary Badham cameo – Scout from To Kill a Mockingbird  (52:18)
  • Keith Carradine comes on board and writes a song with Nancy Griffith (55:42)
  • The other musical number in the movie – shades of Pippin — by Bob Stillman (58:50)
  • Shiny Shelbyville — shooting in the town and finding period cars (102:11)
  • The new webseries with famous friends, Break a Hip (105:35)

lbs_12_09_13I reached goal one in my weight loss quest (during Turkey month, no less).  Hopefully, more updates coming soon!  I’m shooting for the next 10 pounds.

Write me if you’re working to achieve one of your goals — OffOffWorld@gmail.com.

 

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!