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6/08/01: Say "bye-bye" to actress Suzanne Somers, because she's refusing proven chemotherapy to kill the cancer discovered in her lovely breasts. She claims, "I'm concerned about what chemo does to healthy cells." Yes, it kills them along with the cancer, doesn't it?" She's been duped into believing that the European potion Iscador, derived from the fungus Mistletoe, will force her breast cancer to kiss goodbye. And I'll wager that the treatment regimen for Iscador costs within 20% of what chemotherapy does. What a coincidence.
You would have thought that after billionairess Linda McCartney perished due to pursuing a cancer cure through similar alternative treatments, these people would wise up. In the early 1960s, prior to chemotherapy, my own mother had a cancerous breast hacked off, only to die three decades later of natural causes.
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6/07/01: Yesterday, I flip-flopped out to my old broiling oversized teflon and titanium reinforced Master Thespian mailbox that is swivel-fastened atop a two inch diameter heavy wall pipe pounded four feet into the caliche clay of the Sonoran Desert and finally firmly secured with ten kilos of quick setting concrete, and removed a medium well-done mailer from Phoenix based YoungArtists Talent Consultants addressed to "The Parents of . . ." I felt a moment of deja vu before I realized that, months ago, the phone number I dialed that was listed as the now defunct O'Brien/Rottman Talent Placement was "no longer in service" and requested callers to dial a 602-241-9282 number. Said number, that upon dialing, was cheerfully answered with a "Young Artists Talent Consultants." My gut feeling is to advise parents and children not to schedule an appointment for the upcoming YoungArtists 'cattle-call' auditions this Sunday, June 10th, 2001. I say this because 1) Their current phone number was referenced from the former O'Brien/Rottman phone number, 2) Their mailing was received only four days before the audition forcing quick action by ignorant 'hopefuls', 3) They carefully and clearly label themselves as a "Talent Consultant" rather than an "Agency", which would fall under SAG franchise rules, or "Talent Management", which would come under Arizona state law, 4) They are apparently using the old mailing list of O'Brien/Rottman because even my son's name is misspelled the same way and 5) Unlike a legitimate "Talent Agency" I can damn-guarantee you that they will be asking for thousands of dollars from the lucky - and I quote: ". . . 8 to 12% of the auditioning talent" they select!
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6/06/01: A silent class action lawsuit is working its way through California courts. Age discrimination, the suit claims, against older writers is rampant in the TV industry and senior scribes are pressing on with a $200 million lawsuit against the industry, reports My Generation magazine. Defendants in the case range from talent agencies to networks, from Disney to Viacom. I've never understood discrimination based on factors that cannot be modified, such as race, sex, or age. However I have known several of us old-timers (40+) to be set in our ways and hard to get along with. Perhaps that 'get along with' factor has something to do with not getting work? Who knows?
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6/05/01: Huzzah! If you love The Filthy Critic, like I love him for his truthfull and outspoken movie reviews, you'll be delighted he is coming to Phoenix! Well, actually, he's scheduled to be interviewed at 1:00 PM Tuesday (today) on KXAM radio, 1310 AM on your digital dial. He won't be allowed to use the pithy x-rated language he paints his reviews with, but it should be fun.
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6/04/01: Again, a tip of the hat to Kyle Lawson, for advising the Master about the scheduled October 2001 opening of the Prather family's third dinner theater in Mesa, Arizona. The other two Prather owned dinner theaters are the Dutch Apple in Lancaster, PA, and the Broadway Palm in Fort Myers Florida. The 500 seat, Mesa, Arizona, Broadway Palm West Dinner Theatre is promising to present Broadway favorites apparently using some local talent. Their season opening play bill lists, among others: Crazy for You, Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, Evita and Annie.
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6/03/01: Kyle Lawson, writing in Sunday's Arizona Republic reports that Ben Tyler is parting with Desert Foothills Theatre. As you may recall, Master Thespian appeared at Desert Foothills Theatre in You Can't Take it With You, produced under the auspices of Mr.Tyler as 'Managing Director'. Reading between the lines, it seems as if the wealthy hillside residents of Carefree and Cave Creek feared that Ben was creating a regional theatre rather than maintaining a demesne drama guild. And, it appears Ben felt his productions were hampered by the limitations of the Cactus Shadows High School stage, which Desert Foothill uses. Ben says he's going to keep busy by writing a follow-up to his highly popular play, The Wallace and Ladmo Show, other writing, voice-overs, directing and acting.
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6/01/01: Don't we all believe, "If only I made $20 million a year, all would be fine?" As you know, your Master Thespian has deep roots into the California movie scene.  And my informants advise me that some of the 'Top Ten' largest movers and shakers in Brentwood have just pitiful home lives. So, you see, even hundreds of millions of dollars won't make it right. That's why I always tell young people, "You've must do for a living what you would do for free." (So why I am pounding the sidewalks looking for a day-job in an industry I hate? It's all I know.) One non-verbal clue to a Hollywoodite's extreme unhappiness? Packing on the pounds like Liz Taylor at an All-You-Can-Eat Kentucky Fried Chicken buffet.
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