This Can't Be Broccoli

For the last interview of 2019, I spoke with a friend who's decided to take a break from theater in 2020--the same thing I thought about doing when I first started this series. Them is an inspiring actor and director, and someone I'm going to miss having in the field for as long as they're on hiatus. Here's the interview: ME:  So you're really going to do it? THEM:  I'm really going to do it. ME:  You were the first person to message me when I said I wanted a break. THEM:  Yeah, and you're still going, you stupid @#$%. ME:  (Laughs.)  I have some more to say, I guess. THEM:  What a surprise. ME:  (Laughs.)  See, I'm going to miss this sense of humor. THEM:  Me ripping you apart all the time. ME:  I need that. THEM:  You can get that anywhere.  Lots of people love ripping to shreds. ME:  I'll be all right.  How are you going to be? THEM:  I'm...I've been reading all your interviews...

-- A Movie Studio Right After a Screening of a Rough Cut of Tom Hooper's "Cats" -- - Wow. - Yeah. - Wow. - Yup. - Wow, wow, wow. - Did, uh, wow--is Tom here? - No, he's still, uh, there's still--he's got more, uh, special effects stuff to do. - Okay. - So, you know, speak freely.  (Laughs, and laughs, and laughs.)  What do you--what do you think? - Um.  Is Andrew here? - No, we don't--we can get Andrew. - No, no.  Don't, uh, don't do that. - Okay. - So--uh--is anybody from the movie here? - In this room?  No. - Okay.  So--Wow. - Yeah. - Did, um--this is based on the show, right? - Yeah. - Yeah, pretty much. - And that--that was really popular, right? - It was very popular. - Very popular. - Ran for years. - Decades. - Set records. - Wow. - Yeah. - Wow, wow, wow. - Is this--could this--like, is it for kids? - Uhhh...I wouldn't say it's for kids. - It could be for kids. - It feels like it shouldn't be for...

We could all use a laugh during the holidays, right? Enjoy. ME:  I can't believe this is real. THEM:  I'll show you photos. ME:  When was this? THEM:  This would have been--2011?  2012? ME:  A truly great year for Christmas. THEM:  Clearly. ME:  Who decided to do a A Christmas Carol? THEM:  The board.  The board wanted a show that would make money.  Plain and simple. ME:  Christmas Carol is such a scam. THEM:  It definitely is. ME:  I mean, I will go see it every year and I still want to play Fred, but it's such a shameless money grab at this point. THEM:  Especially when the theater that's doing it is an avante garde theater. ME:  So it was one of those times where the artistic staff is like-- Oh, we'll do the show you want us to do, but we're going to do it the way we want and pretty much subvert everything in it? THEM:  Bingo. ME:  I am so sad I didn't see this. THEM:...

Things sure do move fast these days. Yesterday I posted what I thought was going to be the final interview about a college theater program and the Professor running it. If you haven't read the series, I suggest doing so first, in this order-- http://thiscantbebroccoli.blogspot.com/2019/12/theater-and-alumni.html http://thiscantbebroccoli.blogspot.com/2019/12/theater-alumni-and-professor.html http://thiscantbebroccoli.blogspot.com/2019/12/theater-and-college-student.html Now, what I couldn't tell you yesterday was that before I posted the interview, I had already been made aware that audio recordings were circulating providing proof that this Professor had been slandering former students to current students in and outside of class. I was aware that as I was posting my interview, four currently enrolled students were taking these recordings to the higher-ups at their school. What I didn't expect was that as soon as the Professor in question became aware of the...

The last two interviews in this series were among the highest-viewed and certainly sparked a lot of conversation. If you haven't read them, click on the following links: http://thiscantbebroccoli.blogspot.com/2019/12/theater-and-alumni.html http://thiscantbebroccoli.blogspot.com/2019/12/theater-alumni-and-professor.html At the end of the last interview, I asked if I could speak with one of the students currently enrolled at the college in question, and I was put in touch with someone midway through their junior year. Here's the interview: ME:  Hi, how are you? THEM:  I'm good, thank you. ME:  I appreciate you agreeing to speak with me. THEM:  There are a lot of us who want to talk to you, actually, because we--We're really upset about a lot of what's been said.  A lot of it is just--it's just lies. ME:  Well, we'll get to that.  I just wanted to ask you a few questions first since I don't know-- THEM:  Okay.  Yeah. ME:...

I have a few guilty pleasures in life, and most of them are directly related to the Food Network, but one of them comes around every year at this time. Best of the Year Lists I keep track of everything I read, watch, and listen to throughout the year, and then I post my favorites and argue with people about theirs--sometimes ruining friendships in the process. It's...a lot of fun. But this year, the list output from just about every publication and thinkpiece-creator has doubled because we're also closing out the decade. And I gotta tell you-- I am not mentally fit to assess this past decade. Now, I really can't remember if this is how I felt leaving the last decade, because I feel like we just dismissed having to assess that one due to our inability to give it a cute name. The aughts?  No, thank you. All I know is that this time around, I can't possibly go back and look at what movies came out when and which album is now ten years old and accept the f...

I've been doing these for awhile. ME:  So we're just going to get on a conference call. And I've never interviewed two people at once. ALUMNI:  How are you going to break this up?  They and Them? ME:  No, you're going to be Alumni and they'll be Professor. ALUMNI:  Isn't it alumna? ME:  I don't like the sound of that. ALUMNI:  (Laughs.)  We'll go with alumni. But last week's interview brought about such a big response that I decided to give the subject of that interview an opportunity to speak with the person I was supposed to be interviewing--his former student. ME:  Are you nervous? ALUMNI:  I am, actually.  It's so stupid. ME:  I don't think it's stupid.  Let's get him on the line. If you haven't read that interview yet, you should do that first by clicking here:   http://thiscantbebroccoli.blogspot.com/2019/12/theater-and-alumni.html PROFESSOR:  Hello? Here's the interview: ...