Scrapbook/Timeline

A Quick Note.

Cambridge, Ontario, Canada 1959-1977
1959	This isn’t exactly an acting event, but just for reference I was born on August 25, 1959.
1964	I enter Stewart Avenue Public School in Galt (later Cambridge), Ontario.
1967	Play: Goldilocks and the Three Bears (Author unknown — ‘Papa Bear’ — Stewart Avenue School play)
December 1971	Play: Reindeer on the Roof (by Mildred Hark and Noel McQueen — Husband — Stewart Avenue School Xmas play)

1972
1971-72	Various Plays My Grade 8 year in public school is the first time I really got interested enough in acting to join the Drama Club. Unfortunately I can’t remember a dang thing about it except that we did five plays that year, and in four of them I was “The King.” Among the gang: Fred Shubert, Mike Royston, Janet Cassels.
September, 1972	I enter Glenview Park Secondary School Galt (later Cambridge), Ontario. Life changes.
December 1972	Play: Trinity Church Christmas Nativity Play (Author Unknown — Shepherd — Trinity Church, Galt, Xmas Play)

1973-4
	My second year of lying low (see my Glenview Notes above).

1975
Fall 1975	Play: The Golden Doom (by Lord Dunsaney — Guard — Glenview Park Secondary School Drama Club)

1976
c. January to c. April 1976	Play: Second (by Brian Van Norman — The Sergeant — GPSS Drama Club)
April-May 1976	Play: The Galt Play (by The Company — Various Roles — Grade 12 Drama Class Project)

1977
September 1976 to May 1977	Play: Clowns (by Brian Van Norman — The Ringmaster — GPSS Drama Club)
c. February 1977	Film Shoot: unknown (by ? — One of two brothers chasing chickens — Conestoga College student film)
April 1977	Play: Everyman (by Anonymous — Goods — Grade 12 Drama Class Project)
Spring-Fall 1977	In the spring of 1977 I graduated from Glenview Park. That fall I was admitted to the University of Waterloo Drama Program, chaired by the inimitable William Chadwick, with acting instruction by Tom Bentley-Fisher, Movement by Suzanna Lobez (nee Dobson), Voice by Patricia Bentley-Fisher, Theatre History by Maarten Van Dijk, Theatre Tech by J. Mark Kelman.

University of Waterloo Drama Department Waterloo, Ontario Fall 1977 to Spring 1979
September 10, 1977	First day of classes at Waterloo. Besides the people I’ve already mentioned, the cast of characters would come to include: Joel Kaiser, Mike Royston, Earl Steiner, Bonnie Burnett, Anthony Mancini, Terry Ingram, Marta Ingram, Bruce Fowler, Tim Robertson, Marina Endicott, Jane Pilkey, Christine Jackson, Jolanta Polkinghorne, John MacKenzie, John Pacocha, Wendy Subity, Carl Scott, Cathy May, Susan Forrest, Karen Woolridge, Christopher Newton, Wayne Hudson. (I know I’m leaving plenty out ... this is just an first rough list, from memory. I’ll make a better list later.)
October 1977	Play: Mother Courage and Her Children (by Bertolt Brecht — The Chaplain — U of W Drama Dept. mainstage production)
November 1977	Sound FX: The Crucible (by Arthur Miller — contributed a few sound FX — U of W Drama Dept.)
November 1977	Dance Performance: The French Way (by ? — Monsieur Arbeau (host) — U of W Dance Department Recital)

1978
March 1978	Plays: The Feast of Dionysus and The Big Scene (by Arthur Schnitzler — Norbert Falk (Scene) — U of W Drama Dept.)
April 1978	Sound Design: The House of Bernarda Alba (by Gabriel Garcia Lorca — U of W Drama Dept.)
November 28 to December 2, 1978	Play: Under Milk Wood (by Dylan Thomas — 2nd Voice, Mr. Waldo — U of W Drama Dept.)

1979
January to March, 1979	Play: The Diary of a Scoundrel (by Fyodor Ostrovsky — Neel Fedoseitch Mamaev — U of W Drama Dept.)
Summer-Fall 1979	During the summer school break of 1979 I made the decision not to return to U of Waterloo, but to instead move directly to Toronto, Ontario - just sixty miles away - and there start pursuing an acting career. I arrived in Toronto in November of 1979, and basically hung around doing not much of anything for a good couple of months before, finally, I began to meet some fellow actors and start working in plays.

Toronto, Ontario, Canada Fall 1979 to Summer 1982
November 1979	First acquaintance, in a bar on Yonge Street (the Duke of Gloucester, to be exact), with James Falcon, actor. He tells me about Buddies in Bad Times, a new theatre group being put together by Sky Gilbert, and says they’re doing a Patti Smith show in a few months. I get the phone number, resolve to call.
December 1979	I call, meet, and audition for Ken McDougall and Sky Gilbert. They cast me in “Art/Rat,” my first play in Toronto.

1980
January to February 1980	Play: Art/Rat (by Sky Gilbert, based on the writings of Patti Smith — Various Roles — Buddies in Bad Times at the (now defunct) Cinema Lumiere on Bloor Street)
February 1980	Comedy: The Festival of Fools (by The Company — Various Roles — Eaton’s Centre Courtyard) Also Original Music
February 1980	Film Shoot: The Musical Box (by ? — murdering husband — Ryerson University student film)
March 1980	New headshot.
March 1980	Play: The Rules of the Game (by Luigi Pirandello — Neighbor — Harbourfront Theatre)
April 1980	Play: Sophistication, Ah! (by Robert Sherwood — Various Roles — can’t remember the venue)
April 1980	Video Shooting Begins: Video Control (by Steve Brandman — Johnny — original comedy/drama at various locales around Toronto for McLean-Hunter Cable Television)
April-May 1980	Play: Phone Calls to J.D. Salinger (by Sky Gilbert — J.D. Salinger — Buddies in Bad Times “Rhubarb!” Festival) Also Sound Design
May 1980	Play: The Visit (by Jack Mather — Wendell Packer — can’t remember the venue except it was a church in Toronto)
May 1980	TV Shoot: For the Record (CBC — air traffic control inspector)
May-June 1980	Play: Elizabeth I (by Paul Foster — Various Roles — The Young Company of Ontario)
July 1980	Play: Saved (by Edward Bond — Harry — The Young Company of Ontario)
October to November, 1980	Play: E.C.U. (by Neil Munro — Frank — Toronto Free Theatre)
November 1980	Play: One-Niner-Six-Niner (by Linda Pakri and Paul Robertson — Various Roles — Buddies in Bad Times “Rhubarb!” festival) Also Sound Design/Original Music

1981
January 1980	New headshot.
February 1981	Workshop: No Wounded (by Paul Robertson — not in cast, as playwright only — The National Arts Centre, Ottawa, Ontario)
March to April, 1981	Play: Bent (by Martin Sherman — Nazi Captain — Toronto Truck Theatre)
April 1981	Video Shoot: Brave New World (by Michael Hollingsworth — Darwin Napoleon — VideoCabaret International)
May 1981	Play: Art/Rat (by Sky Gilbert — punk, musician — Buddies in Bad Times as part of the Toronto International Theatre Festival) Also Original Music
July 1981	Play: The Bride & The Butterfly Hunter (by Nissim Aloni — Mr. Getz — Nephesh Theatre Co.)
July 1981	TV Shoot: Klondike Days (CBC — cellist)
August and September 1981	Play: Kaddish (by Allen Ginsberg — Allen Ginsberg — Nephesh Theatre Co. independently (August), and later (September) at Theatre Passe Muraille, Toronto)
October 1981	Play: Rats on the Roof (by Ken McDougall and Paul Robertson — Merv Sheroomerang — Buddies in Bad Times “Rhubarb!” Festival) Also Sound Design
November 1981	Play: The Awakening (by Antanas Skema — Pijus Karnavicius — Arts Club Theatre at 549 Yonge Street, Toronto) Also Sound Design
December 1981	Play: Scrooge! (by Jack Messinger, Ron Wiseman, Michael Macina — Bob Cratchit — VideoCabaret International at 549 Yonge Street, Toronto)

1982
February 1982	Revue: The Tom Tube Show (by The Hummer Sisters — sound man — VideoCabaret International at 549 Yonge Street, Toronto)
February 1982	Play: 1984 (by Michael Hollingsworth — sound man — VideoCabaret International at 549 Yonge Street, Toronto)
March 1982	Play: As You Like It (by William Shakespeare — Duke Senior — Young People’s Theatre)
May 1982	Play: Rebecca (by Daphne du Maurier — Maxim de Winter — Todmorden Mills Theatre)
June 1982	TV Shoot: The Hidden Intruder (by Paul Robertson — director — McLean-Hunter Cable Television)
September 10, 1982	Linda and I Move to New York City.

New York City Fall 1982 to Fall 1990
	A brief word about “Staged Readings.”
November 1982	Staged Reading: The Waiting Room (by ? — Narrator — 13th Street Theatre)
December 15, 1982 to January 2, 1983	Play: Scrooge! (by Michael Macina, Jack Messinger, Ron Wiseman, with a song added by myself — Ebenezer Scrooge — 13th Street Theatre) Also Original Music (1 new song added to score)

1983
February 1983	Staged Reading: Khatmandu (by ? — Ben — 13th Street Theatre)
March 1983	Original Music: The Crocodile Who Lost His Tail (Sabata Krokodill) (by Heljo Mand — New York Estonian House/Cultural Days 1983)
March 1983	Film Shoot: Shadows (by Dean Merriman — Detective Bill Dekker — NYU Graduate Film/Merriman Films) Note: The film Shadows was completed but not all at once. Filming was delayed several times due to various constraints on time and money. Additional entries will appear below.
October 1983	Play: Off Beat (by Lee Dunne — Officer Johnny Dolan — Intar II) Reviews

1984
January 1984	Play: The Feast of Dionysus (by Arthur Schnitzler — Felix Staufner — Quaigh Dramathon)
February 1984	Film Shoot: Shadows (as before)
April 1984	Film Shoot: Before the Concert (by Ben Woythaler — Herman — NYU Student Film)
April 1984	Play: Cat! Cat! Cat! (Kass! Kass! Kass!) (by ? — sound design — New York Estonian House/Cultural Days 1984)
April 1984	Play: The Dark Lady of the Sonnets (by George Bernard Shaw — the Beefeater — British-American Theatre)
June 1984	Plays: The Festival of Bacchus and The Big Scene (by Arthur Schnitzler — Dr. Guido Wernig (Bacchus) and Konrad Herbot (Scene) — Arts Club Theatre/18th Street Playhouse) Reviews. Also Sound Design.
August 1984	Staged Reading: Firefly Die (by Jeffrey Hatcher — George Bitterman — Merely Players/St. Clement’s Church)
September 1984	Play: The Enchanted (by Jean Giradoux — The Inspector — The Floating Repertory Co.)
October 1984	Film Shoot: Shadows (as before)
October 1984	Reading: Deathwatch (by ? (not Genet) — Walker — 6th Sense Gallery)

1985
January 1985	Play: Curse of the Starving Class (by Sam Shepard — Taylor — The American Moment/Elmwood Playhouse, Nyack, NY)
February 1985	Film Shoot: It’s Your Psyche (by Andy Day — Game Show Host — NYU Student Film)
February 1985	Staged Reading: Firefly Die (by Jeffrey Hatcher — Harvey Oliver — Merely Players/St. Clement’s Church)
March 1985	Film Shoot: Shadows (as before)
May 1985	Play: The Awakening (by Antanas Skema — Pijus Karnavicius — Arts Club Theatre/Courtyard Playhouse) Reviews. Also Sound Design.
September 1985	Film Shoot: Shadows (as before)
November 1985	Play: The Play’s the Thing (by Ferencz Molnar, trans. by P.G. Wodehouse — Sandor Turai — Arts Club Theatre/Courtyard Playhouse) Reviews. Also Sound Design.
December 1985	Staged Reading: Morningside Lions (by Jeffrey Hatcher — ? — Merely Players/St. Clement’s Church)

1986
January to June, 1986	Film Scoring: F.8 (by Dean Merriman — original music — Merriman Films)
February 1986	Play: Moonchildren (by Michael Weller — Mr. Willis — William Redfield Theatre)
April 1986	Staged Reading: Just Sex (by Rob Neukirche — Martin the hairdresser — TOMI)
June, July and August, 1986	Linda went to the Williamstown Theatre Festival this summer as a directing apprentice. Though I auditioned as an actor, I was turned down (sniff). Instead, I visited on weekends and, in the meantime, spent the next three months going through an intense (and wonderful) living-room-rock-star existence with my good friends Steve Gunderson and Rosemarie Lindau. From dawn to dusk, week after week we’d meet, write and record songs on my home 4-track. After 12 weeks we had nearly 16 finished recordings. And by God, they’re pretty good ones, too. Wanna hear them? Go here.
June 21, 1986	Cabaret Performance: Paul and Rosie Lindau (in Lakewood, New Jersey, at the Estonian House for Jaanipaev (“June Day” or St. John’s Night))
August 1986	Staged Reading: Fifteen Minute Intermission and Better Than The Lead (by Jeffrey Hatcher — Actor in “Intermission,” Agent in “Lead” — Williamstown Theatre Festival)
October 1986	Cabaret Performance: The Estonian Wedding Song (by Paul Robertson, Steve Gunderson and Rosemarie Lindau — singing and performing our own songs — Don’t Tell Mama) Original Music
October to November 1986	Play: Butley (by Simon Gray — Ben Butley — Arts Club Theatre/Courtyard Playhouse) Reviews. Also Sound Design.
December 1986	Cabaret Performance: Estonian House Xmas Party (with Rosemarie Lindau)

1987
January 1987	Film Shoot: The Baker’s Tale (by Tarquin Cardona — The Baker — NYU Student Film)
February 1987	Play: Topsy and Bunker (The Cat Killers) (by Jim Hansen — Bunker — Second Stage)
April 1987	Staged Reading: Television Play (by Dale Johnson — Jack Brewer — The Playmarket, Theatre Row)
April 1987	Film Shoot: Brothers (by Thom Massengale — Joe — NYU Student Film)
May 1987	Staged Reading: Blue Dissonance (by Dan Herda — ? — Actors’ Outlet)
May 1987	Play: Just Sex (by Rob Neukirche — Martin the hairdresser — Second Stage)
May 1987	Film Shoot: The Red Herring (by Ari Taub — WWII Submarine Captain — Hit and Run Productions) (filmed aboard the USS Ling in Hackensack, New Jersey)
June 1987	New headshot.
June 1987	Play: Hughie (by Eugene O’Neill — ‘Erie’ Smith — Arts Club Theatre/Our Lady of Vilnius Church) Also Sound Design

1988
4 weeks Nov ‘87; 4 weeks Feb ‘88	Play: The Midnight Conversation (by Friedrich Durrenmatt - The Executioner - Arts Club Theatre/OLV Church)
April 7 to May 5, 1988	Play: The Feast of Dionysus (by Arthur Schnitzler - Felix Staufner - Arts Club Theatre/OLV Church) Also Sound Design
May 11, 1988	Sound Design: Conversation with a Cupboard Man (by Ian McEwan, adaptation by Val Hendrickson - The Ohio Theater’s 5th Annual TWEED New Works Festival)
June 13, 1988	Video Shoot: Correcting a Fellow Employee (by Dick Pepperman - DuPont Industrial Worker - Dick Pepperman Productions at the (huge) DuPont plant in South New Jersey)
June 25 & 27, 1988	Play: What’s A Girl To Do? (by James Hansen - Jack - Double Image One-Act Play Festival, Samuel Beckett Theatre)
July 1, 1988	Sound Design: Today I Am A Fountain Pen (by Israel Horowitz - Independence Theatre Company, Fort Lee, New Jersey)
July 26, 1988	Film Shoot: Shuttered Windows (by Thom Massengale and Paul Robertson - Father James Willoughby - NYU student film)
August 25, 1988	Sound Design: Fault Line (by ? - Independence Theatre Company, Fort Lee, New Jersey)
September 25, 1988	On this date the musical “Suds,” written by my good friends Steve Gunderson, Melinda Gilb and Bryan Scott, opened on Broadway (literally right on Times Square) at the brand-new Criterion Theatre. Will Roberson directed, and the cast included Steve, Melinda, Susan Mosher, and Christine Sevec. It was nothing short of a completely wonderful, surreal experience, to have close friends opening a bona-fide Broadway Musical which they had created themselves; and it is still a fond memory that I’m very pleased with and proud of.
October 3, 1988	Film Shoot: Religion, Inc. (aka A Fool And His Money) (by Daniel Adams and Michael Mailer - Joseph - Chronicle Films)
October 27, 1988 to January 1989	Play: The Awakening (by Antanas Skema - Pijus Karnavicius - Arts Club Theatre at OLV Church; with special performances given in Hartford, Connecticut and Boston, Massachusetts) Also Sound Design
December 1988	Video Shoot: Polish Love Secrets (by Andrea Odezynska and James Schamus - Stefan - Independent project)

1989
January 31, 1989	Clearly this was a very golden time in my life. Here’s two more friends opening a Broadway show: Kathy Najimy and Mo Gaffney in “The Kathy and Mo Show - Parallel Lives” off-Broadway.
February 1989	Sound Design: Tides (by ? — Playwrights’ Theatre of New Jersey)
February 1989	TV Shoot: One Life to Live (ABC — homeless man)
March 1989	Plays: Two Stars and They Love Me, They Love Me Not (by Michelle Monahan (Stars) and Elizabeth Burling (Love Me) — Mr. Davis (Stars), Jonathan (Love Me) — The Madison Young Playwrights’ Festival)
July 1989	Staged Reading: Intermission (by Jeffrey Hatcher — Barry, Richard, and the New Yorker — Arts Club Theatre at OLV Church)
July 1989	Staged Reading: Scoot, Death! Scoot! (by Saulius Saltenis — Antanas Satas — Arts Club Theatre at OLV Church)
August 1989	Reading: Topsy and Bunker (The Cat Killers) (new full-length version, by Jim Hansen — Bunker — Arts Club Theatre at OLV Church)
August to September, 1989	Sound Design: Miss Evers’ Boys and Breaking The Tie (by David Feldshuh (Boys) and N. Richard Nash (Tie) — sound design only — Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation Conference at Princeton University)
August 1989	Cabaret Performance: Arts Club Theatre’s End-of-Summer Party (various contributors — host and emcee — Arts Club Theatre at OLV Church)
October 1989	Play: Appetite (by Jim Hansen — Howard in “Howard and Vici” — The West Bank Theatre Cafe)
October 1989	Pre-production begins on T&B the movie.

1990
January 1990	Film Shoot: Topsy and Bunker (The Cat Killers) (by Jim Hansen — Bunker — Top Bunk Productions)
Spring 1990	Just a quick note: in the fall of 1989 Linda and I separated, pending a divorce (we remained friends). I threw myself into the “Topsy and Bunker” movie, which occupied me thoroughly until the end of January. Then I slumped. Didn’t do much of anything until the summer, when I took part in a couple of readings at ACT. After that, nothing for nearly a year and a half. The fact is, 1989 had been a rough year. My father had died in May, Linda and I had split, and I had turned 30. I was sick of New York and wanted a fresh start; in particular, I wanted to move to the west coast. I had been for a visit already and liked what I saw; and my experiences with TV and film so far had shown me that L.A. was the place to be if you wanted to work in front of the camera. I did. So I became restless. It’s another story for another place & time, but circumstances resolved themselves nicely in the fall of 1990. By November I was on my way west.
July 1990	Staged Reading: The Year of the Jubilee (by Gatis Gudetis — Oto — Arts Club Theatre at OLV Church)
August 1990	Staged Reading: The Man With The Flower In His Mouth (by Luigi Pirandello — The Man... — Arts Club Theatre at OLV Church)
November 1990	Move to Los Angeles.

Los Angeles, California Fall 1990 - Present

1991
	Break time! Hiatus from acting.

1992
January to June 1992	Film Scoring: Topsy and Bunker (The Cat Killers)\ After lying fallow for all of 1991, Thom Massengale and I got to work on finishing Topsy & Bunker. The actual score was written by Butch Rovan, but Thom (now also living in L.A.) and I supervised, which meant a lot of meetings, etc., and trips to Butch’s house in Riverside, CA.
February to April 1992	Plays: Al’s National Theatre’s First Annual Festival of Five-Minute Plays (by various authors — various roles — Al’s National Theatre at Al’s Bar)
August to October, 1992	Plays: Al’s National Theater’s Continuing Festival of Five-Minute Plays (as before — more madness)
November and December, 1992	Plays: Les Girls de Maison de Champagne // Bookworms // The Wedding at Cana (by Robbin Harvey Trousdale (Maison), ? (others) — Mojo Bob (Maison), Mr. Fartney (Bookworms), Jesus Christ (Cana) — Al’s National Theatre at Al’s Bar) Also Original Music for “Les Girls”

1993
Early 1993	New headshot.
January 1993	Film Shoot: The Penal Colony (by Gary Ellenberg - The Explorer - American Film Institute)
August 1993	Staged Reading: Reality and Other Nightmares (by Victoria Karess - various roles - Inderbitzin Productions)
September 29, 1993	Staged Reading: Reality and Other Nightmares (as above - at the Tiffany Theatre, West Hollywood)
December 3, 1993	Film Shoot: The Shot (by Dan Hill - David Egoman - Independent)

1994
June 1994	Play: Reality and Other Nightmares (by Victoria Karess — various roles — Inderbitzin Productions and Theatre Geo)

1995
	To come.

1996
June to August 1996	Play: Visitations (by Lynn Manning — Dick Jones — Zephyr Theatre)

1997, 1998
	Hiatus from acting.

1999
April 1999	Plays: The Bald Soprano and The Leader (by Luigi Pirandello — Mr. Smith (Soprano) and the Leader — The Oliverian Theatre Group) Reviews.
July and August 1999	Play: The Lark (by Jean Anouilh — Cauchon — The Oliverian Theatre Group)
Fall 1999	New headshot.
Fall 1999	Play: Crazy Eights (by James Metropole — son of Ernie “Kid Punch” Miller — Metropole Theatre Works) Also Sound Design/Original Music

2000
Spring 2000	Play: Tiger On The Meadow (by James Metropole — Sam — Metropole Theatre Works)
September to November, 2000	Play: Tis Pity She’s A Whore (by John Ford — The Friar, Grimaldi — Odyssey Theatre)

2001
April 2001	Play: The Sea Gull (by Anton Chekhov — Shamraev — Circus Theatricals/Odyssey Theatre) Also Sound Design/Original Music
April 1, 2001	Reading: Poe Humor (an evening of humorous writings by Edgar Allen Poe — various roles — PoeForward at the Midnight Special Bookstore in Santa Monica, CA)
June 2001	Staged Scene: A View From The Bridge (by Arthur Miller — Eddie Carbone — Circus Theatricals/Odyssey Theatre)
July 2001	Play: Waiting for Lefty (by Clifford Odets — Harry Fatt — Lillian/Elephant Theatre)
October and November, 2001	Play: Three Sisters (by Anton Chekhov — Dr. Chebutykin — Circus Theatricals/Odyssey Theatre) Also Sound Design/Original Music
December 2001	Staged Scene: Frankie and Johnny in the Claire de Lune (by Terrence McNally — Johnny — Circus Theatricals/Odyssey Theatre)

2002
January to March, 2002	Play: Richard III (by William Shakespeare — Various Roles, plus original sound/score — Circus Theatricals/Odyssey Theatre) Also Sound Design/Original Music
March-July, 2002	Play: The Cherry Orchard (by Anton Chekhov — Pischik — Circus Theatricals/Odyssey Theatre) Reviews. Also Sound Design/Original Music
May-June, 2002	Play: A Midsummer Night’s Dream (by William Shakespeare — Oberon — Shakespeare L.A.)
May 2002	Sound Design: The Price (by Arthur Miller - Odyssey Theatre)
August 2002	Sound Design: Communicating Doors (by Alan Ayckbourn - Odyssey Theatre)
November and December, 2002	Play: Tradition (by Linda de Armond — Jim Kosninski — part of a Festival of One-Act Plays produced by Circus Theatricals at the Odyssey Theatre)

2003
Jan-Feb, 2003	Sound Design/Original Music: As You Like It (by William Shakespeare - Jack Stehlin, dir - Circus Theatricals)
Jan-Feb, 2003	Sound Design/Original Music: Therese Racquin (adapted from the novel by Emile Zola - Casey Biggs, dir - Pacific Resident Theatre)

2004
February 2004	Sound Design/Original Music: Macbeth (by William Shakespeare - Casey Biggs, dir. - Circus Theatricals/The Odyssey Theatre)
March 2004	Sound Design: Ourselves Alone (Steve Friedland, dir.)