(Photo: Biography from “Fiddler” Program – May 1981) My friend, Hal Grant, called me today and said, “Nehemiah Persoff passed away, he was 102.” And then Hal went back to work directing a television show in Southern California. Nehemiah used to talk about ‘The Actors Studio’, and his teachers Stella Adler and Elia Kazan. And…
I know now never to underestimate the power of a half bottle of chianti and a blow dryer— they were the gateway to an evening with Caryn styling my hair like Danny Partridge from Hell. The evening concluded with a coma-like sleep and a dream of driving a wheelchair to my deceased parents’ house for…
LIFE WITH GUIDO A short film written by Gary De Mattei (Sound and Guido monologue begin) FADE IN: Old photograph of Guido’s Italian family; 1960s. FADE OUT: photograph FADE IN: Abrupt medium close-up of Guido holding and looking at the photograph. He is wearing a crumpled sports jacket and tieless shirt; the background is the…
What is a calling? Alright, I’ll bite. A calling is something you’re willing to sacrifice everything for. Well, that’s very cliché. Yes, it is. Terribly. What else? Dig deeper. Okay, let me riff here, you know, stream of consciousness stuff. Do it. Go. Okay, well, without the realization that you are driven by something greater…
The life adventures of Caryn Hartglass and Gary De Mattei started on July 4, 2006 — Gary was living alone at a little theatre in downtown San Jose. His personal life was a shambles. He lost his home of twelve years. That night he found himself trying to fall asleep again on the “Equity Cot”…