How I Got to Madison Avenue. And beyond.

As with life, this blog is developing and changing. It began with a lot of stories that occurred on my career path from Albany to Madison Avenue and back.

There were some similarities to the AMC series "Mad Men," and then I went even farther back in time with a somewhat fictionalized version of growing up in Troy's Little Italy.

And now, a new development. As my free lance advertising and marketing career winds down, I'm becoming more interested in the theatre arts that my father and his 3 brothers helped instill in me as I grew up.

As a result, I've volunteered to help promote the Theatre Institute at Sage, and now, to continue a long-interrupted desire to be behind the proscenium, I've joined the newly formed Troy Civic Theatre, and was actually fortunate enough to appear in their first production.

So, I hope you'll enjoy the new stories that will develop from this latest turn.

Sunday, January 15, 2012

Full Circle

A convergence of things today, symbolized by the original Frisbie Baking Company (of Bridgeport, Connecticut) plate that started the game, the industry and the obsession.

Why the Frisbee? I just read that a convergence of factors, such as the rising wages in China, and the rising demand and price for oil, resulted in Whammo returning half of the manufacture of their flying disc back to the USA.

That's sort of a full circle coming full circle. And being able to write that sentence and still make sense is what I love about American English.

Other full circles to think about for today:

  1. Staging a comeback. Growing up in an extended family of amateur actors, and theatre lovers, I began following in those footsteps that resounded on the boards while I was in high school and college. My career took a turn toward writing behind the scenes, and for 50 years or so, I was an enthusiastic audience, always wondering if I could make it on the other side of the proscenium. Well, I recently found out that the answer is yes. I played a curmudgeonly judge for Troy Civic Theatre in December. Encouraged, I read at two other auditions this past week, and I've been selected to play a curmudgeonly grandfather (typecast?) in a student film based on an Isaac Asimov short story. Shooting tomorrow.

    Haven't heard anything from the second audition. Yet.

  1. Theatre comes home. Live entertainment – modern stage plays – did you ever wonder how they came about? Classical theatre declined in Europe and virtually disappeared by the middle of the sixth century, due in large part to the attacks on it by the Christian Church. And yet, theatre's resurgence was itself caused, in no small part, by that very institution! Passion plays and “Miracle Plays” developed out of simple re-creations of New Testament stories and the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecies, until they became more and more elaborate. Gradually, fictitious characters were introduced, symbolizing virtues and vices. And out of this came plays of comedy, tragedy and history. Music, of course, was always part of it all.

    And this April, (shameless plug alert) it all comes full circle as the Troy Civic Theatre presents “Godspell,” a delightful musical that is actually based on the gospel of St. Matthew, and is being staged in a church – the Chapel and Cultural Center on Burdett Avenue.

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