Valuable Lies or Assertions

Confucius says:
(or maybe he didn’t)

“Women who really don’t like to do it should marry a very old man.”

(Those women); They’d be best served however if their search for a marriage partner stayed clear of any resemblance to my family lineage fowarded on by my mother's side.

Long before the advent of Viagra, or the advice emanating from your television set suggesting you visit a gal named “Cialis,” or recommended substances referenced as "sexual enhancers," my mother's side of the family had as its stem a very long line of Romanian gypsies. Mom's people found their own special way of adding delight to their already spitfire lifestyle. Medically, they all defied scientific reason for their extreme longevity.

My mother's father, Sam Siegel, spent the greater part of his adult life chasing down any and all of the opposite sex he deemed available. In his mindset, I do believe that meant anyone who could walk unassisted. As Sam Siegel spoke no English, he did his philandering almost entirely by making use of his animal magnetism and a set of the most piercing green eyes ever seen in the borough of Brooklyn. Samuel Siegel emigrated from Romania to the United States some time in the late eighteen hundreds. He was one of eight children to make the long ocean cruise. It was this same Sam Siegel who managed to teach a seven-year-old child to play cards; specifically “Pisha Paysha,” and “Casino,” the games of his choice.

Pisha Paysha - (Yiddish) a card game for two players one of whom is usually a child; the deck is placed face down with one card face upward; players draw from the deck alternately hoping to build up or down from the open card; the player with the fewest cards when the deck is exhausted is the winner.

Cassino, also known as Casino, is an Italian fishing card game for two, three, four players in two partnerships, or even theoretically five players. It is the only one to have penetrated the English-speaking world, via Italian immigrants to America. First recorded just before 1800 (1797), it seems to have been heavily elaborated in 19th century American practice. It is mostly played by two with a standard deck of playing cards, being the object of the game to score 21 points by fishing up cards displayed on the table. It is very similar to and probably descended from the Italian game, "Scopa."

Sam’s closest friend was his next-door neighbor and barber, an Italian immigrant who, like Grandpa, was unable to speak a word of English. Their life together was family, food sharing, non-stop smoking, drinking, and playing cards. How in the name of hell they were able to pull it off, I’ll never understand. While Grandpa was able to converse in an assortment of eastern European languages, Jimmy was strictly Italian speaking. (I never knew Jimmy’s last name. To me he was always “Jimootz”; that’s what Sam called his friend, and so to was how I referred to him.

'Til the day he died, Sam called his card games “Kerosene” and “Scopa.”

Since he was illiterate in the English language, he became dependant on those around him for what was thought to be a correct pronunciation. His source for up to date information was word of mouth from the relatives, and a literary dose from the Yiddish newspaper “The Daily Forward.”

Even at seven years of age, grandpa relied on me as his teacher. In many ways, I became far too advanced for a child of seven; if you get my drift. But when it came to numbers, my grandpa Sam could cipher with the best of them, regardless of the coinage, denomination or the country's realm. Sam knew money. In retrospect, I can see now what a great contradiction he must have been to his Jewish immigrant friends.

From the time the Siegel clan landed on the shores of these United States of America, the total assimilation began. They strove to learn the language and to take part in the cultivated dream almost all of them shared. Why Sam resisted learning how to speak English is a difficult thing to comprehend. Perhaps because he was so surrounded and inundated by people there at his beck and call, speaking English was not a necessity in order for him to survive. From day one in Brooklyn, New York, the capitalist approach fit him to a tee. Work hard, make the money, raise a family and be free to worship and take part in whatever you wanted to, with one exception: Socialism. This was in itself the most difficult thing for the newly-arrived family to understand.

Many of those eras' immigrants were skilled with needle and thread. The sweatshops became a source for survival for many of the neighborhood families. The ability to run a sewing machine wasn’t a useable trait for any of my grandfather’s siblings. They made it by buying and selling used furniture, and ultimately graduating into the world of collectibles and fine antiques.

It was not yet the turn of the century when a less than sophisticated populace struggled with much of the pain they had first experienced in Europe. The difference between Europe and the United States was enormous for the Siegel family. They quickly learned how to play the capitalist game. They all worked long hours, and still managed to play hard. None of them were remotely interested in anything resembling what they had run away from in Romania; especially not anything that smacked of socialism, or communism.

The Daily Forward

The publication began in 1897 as a Yiddish-language daily issued by dissidents from the Socialist Labor Party of Daniel DeLeon. As a privately-owned publication loosely affiliated with the Socialist Party of America, Forverts achieved massive circulation and considerable political influence during the first three decades of the 20th Century.

I found out from an older cousin, the two reasons for Sam Siegel reading the Daily Forward. One, it was printed in the Yiddish language, and two, Sam could make good use of it for lining the birdcage he always seemed to have. (Another of those things I can’t tell you too much about. He liked canaries. What can I say?)

I know for sure my grandfather didn’t agree with the newspaper's editorials. One of the English words he picked up along the way was “bullshit.” I always knew when he was ready for a card game. He’d finish reading the paper and I'd hear him say, “Bullshit.” Consequently, I find myself doing the same thing. While I never turned into a skilled card player, I did master the use of the word “bullshit” as passed on to me by Sam Siegel.

If you could see my face as I write this piece, you’d perhaps understand what fun the old guy brought with him.

And as one final recollection I offer another visual :)

Late one afternoon on an early autumn day I headed over for a card game with you-know-who. As I arrived at his house; the first level of a two-story building, situated on top of his two furniture stores I found Sam and Jimootz on the top level of the stoop, holding court (having a party) with four rather attractive older women.

It turned out, the ladies had each brought a sampling of their own cooking to the party for the boys (Sam and Jimootz) to enjoy. They welcomed me as I was simultaneously given a heaping plate, and motioned to sit down. It only took a moment or two for even a very young kid to figure out, these partiers were having a great time while not being able to converse in the same language. I guess a genuine smile is an effective communication skill regardless of the language.

Many years later, I became privy to an article having to do with life expectancies; the differences between men and women and the era they lived in. Low and behold right there before me was the year 1940;the year of Sam and Jimootz’s party on the stoop in Brooklyn. And here are some of my discoveries:

* Women considerably outlived men (perhaps explaining the number of older women who seemed to always be around my grandfather).

* Most men had very long and arduous workdays. Few of them could spend their days sitting on the stoop.

… and about the movies you might be interested in the following:

(1940)

* February 7 - Walt Disney's animated film Pinocchio is released.

* February 10 - Tom and Jerry make their debut in the animated cartoon Puss Gets the Boot.

* May 17 - My Favorite Wife is released.

* May - A reproduction of "America's First Movie Studio", Thomas Edison's "Black Maria," is constructed.

* July 27 - Bugs Bunny makes his official debut in the animated cartoon A Wild Hare.

* October 15 - The Great Dictator, a satiric social commentary film by and starring Charlie Chaplin, is released.

* November 13 - World premiere of Walt Disney's Fantasia, the first film to be released in a multichannel sound format (see Fantasound). The film also marked the first use of the click track while recording the soundtrack, overdubbing of orchestral parts, simultaneous multitrack recording and lead to the development of a multichannel surround system.

Top grossing films (U.S.)
Rank Title Studio Actors Gross
1. Fantasia* Disney/RKO Deems Taylor $98,000,000*
2. Pinocchio* Disney/RKO $84,000,000*

Academy Awards
* Best Picture: Rebecca - David O. Selznick, United Artists
* Best Actor: James Stewart - The Philadelphia Story
* Best Actress: Ginger Rogers - Kitty Foyle

And so it proved out as not just a memorable year for a very impressionable child, but arguably the beginning of the major animation industry as we know it today.

And so, all of that being said, if I were reading the aforegoing piece and I didn’t know the author, perhaps there would be a degree of wonder over what it all, or part, had to do with acting, or specifically voice over. Well, the bottom line for me is a simple one. Reflection, pure Stanislavski, and recapturing moments of what I refer to as “silent joy.”

“Silent joy,” is what comes to me when I float or sometimes even charge back to an era of complete calm. Like so many children of the depression, our parents and grandparents took the brunt of the suffering. But to most of them, the life and times of the depression lifestyle were far less painful than what most of them left behind in what they all referred to as the "old country." These turn of the century brand new Americans lived, bred, and bore the children of our greatest generation ever. My creative skills stem from much of my “silent joy.” What a blessing to recapture moments to serve me well.

Sum and Substance

“Sum And Substance”: An often-used phrase; it’s probably an impossibility to come through any of today’s school systems without hearing this popular mathematical term. In fact, simply stated, it’s nothing more than the aggregate of two or more numbers being determined by plain and simple addition: (like) The sum of 6 and 8 is 14.

But the above has to do with school, when simple rules prevail; when one and one must add up to the sum of two; and when it doesn’t, if you’re the student presenting the alternate answer, the outcome will be a grade certainly in the fail category. As a matter of fact… in the real world, true incorrectness brings with it the same results as any remedial study being taught in our schools today. A wrong answer is just what it is: a wrong answer; that is, unless you’re attempting to be:

A) A "PCer" (politically correct).
B) A politician making a speech.
C) An actor in a play where the outcome doesn’t make any sense at all.
(or)
D) Someone who tries to make rhyme or reason out of any subjective form; including acting.

It appears to me, what applies to us in order to live any form or even a modicum of a successful life, would be the ability to understand the spoken and written word in the language of one's heritage.

Within the confines of what I have chosen to pursue, a career of being a director and educator, it occurred to me many years ago the language of my heritage was not completely singular.

My substance is the body of words created by every language I become privy to, and therefore the sum of which generates an ability to honestly communicate with those experiencing the intention of my given direction.

As an example, I could compliment an actor by saying, “You’re the summe,” from old French, or “summa” from the Latin; but instead I choose to say, “You’re the top.” The actor, in turn says thank you without knowing he or she has benefited by no less than the heritage of three or more languages.

Without belaboring my point regarding heritage, here’s another short example of what can be gleaned from the origin of a word or phrase. An actor about to read for a role in a play is given a side to study. The side, in addition to the lines he or she will be reading, contains a short description of the scene to be played.

The person who wrote the description must have been a lawyer, or a politician. After reading the breakdown, our actor was thoroughly confused. It read: "Jeb expresses his opinions based on his broadly comprehensive gist of the situation."

Da harv’s translation: Jeb’s simple substance was his many years of telling it like it is. He reckons it’s the truth! In this case, "reckons" and "sum" are synonymous.

Note: You've heard cowboys say the phrase “I reckon it’s the truth.” What you’re hearing is far more than singular. It’s Old World French, as well as Latin, as well as South West. And guess what… it doesn’t stop there.

ORIGIN: Old English (ge)recenian [recount, relate] ; related to Dutch rekenen and German rechnen ‘to count (up).’ Early senses included [give an account of items received] and [mention things in order,] which gave rise to the notion of ‘calculation’ and hence of ‘coming to a conclusion.’

And so I write of sum and substance as my own personal way of clearing what separates fact from fiction. I listen as closely as I can to what each of us as individuals deem of importance.

If you are an actor by trade and your substance is what is offered as the truth, regardless of its origin, then and only then will the sum of your performance bear with it the quality of the success you may seek.

The Experienced Actor

Most experienced actors; the successful ones, that is, enjoy being given performance notes by a director. Make no mistake... giving an actor performance notes is a distinct craft within itself. Some consider it to be the art of psychology at its highest state. Some actors have been known to be a little touchy, considering any suggestion to be a personal criticism. If an actor feels that way, the chance of improving his or her performance diminishes dramatically.

Each of us is equipped with a great listening device. It's called a brain. (Well, actually the ears come first. Even actors have them.) Albeit, not all actors use what they were endowed with: The ability to listen. While the brain allows us to listen to and cipher information, some human beings have a habit of turning off their receptors before the message is complete. As a director, my strongest virtue must be patience. When an actor interrupts to say they get it, and I haven't had the time to complete my notes to them, I almost always doubt their ability to win the job. I'm rarely surprised; most likely the next take will be a waste of my time. Not that I feel my words or advice are the end all in assuring an actor's success, but many actors have the malady I refer to as "premature election." They're willing to move on to what they feel is a new read, when in fact they've secured and mollified themselves with the old.

Few actors have any real understanding of how commercial voice casting works. There is much more to it than putting out a casting call in an attempt to find a certain sound. Oftentimes our casting team is involved in a multi-person casting meeting with the powers that be. I'm referring to the possibility of a writer, producer, creative of some type, and even the sponsor's representative; all offering a malaise of information. These are a group of supposedly intelligent personalities attempting to set forth information, which will solve all of our directional and casting needs. They think! Following the conference call, we begin putting together a statement in writing which we intend using as the substance of our casting call to go out to the variety of voice agents we deal with.

(As an aside... many of the voice agents are also guilty of "premature election." They often fall into the "we know what they're saying" before we say it category. And then there is the problem of the agents submitting what they have in their stable even if the actors being submitted aren't remotely right for our call.)

Professionally, we have been practicing our trade for thirty years. That alone should guarantee the actors would be tuned in to what we have to say to them.

I Never Met Ruth Suffield

To the best of my knowledge there is no person I’ve ever met by the name of Ruth Suffield. I have no idea where the name came from. There was and is a person I wrote to who by no stretch of the imagination happens to be an extremely well thought of professional writer. I have chosen the name Ruth Suffield as her nom de plume; actually when she writes she does use her real name, and certainly not the pseudonym I’ve chosen for her. It’s just that Ruth is really a very private person who has a tendency to become annoyed easily when her privacy is invaded. Ruth tolerates me because I’ve known her since before she was able to get away with being an impertinent crab-ass. In other words… I knew her when she was a little crab-ass and couldn’t get away with anything resembling her current attitude. I value Ruth’s assessment of things as much as any other person in this world.

*

To: Ruth Suffield
From: da harv
Re: Carmen Belasco request for information regarding her creative writing pursuit.

(Ruth, please excuse the formality of this letter. Nowadays, one never knows who will come in contact with what we might pen.)

Dear Ms. Suffield,

I write to you as one professional to another. Certainly I recognize that the term professional is all in the eyes and ears of the beholder. I find it similar to the subjectivity of an art form of any kind. One person reads a book, or views a painting and can do nothing but gush accolades, while, on the other hand, the very next reader, or viewer of the same work offers that they have never come in contact with a more repressive load of shit. And so you have the tribulations of those of us who have chosen the pursuit of any creative art form as a way of life. I think you would agree, we must all acknowledge the subjectivity of the world we live in.

I have been in receipt of a request submitted to me by one of my many fans, Carmen Belasco, asking if I might take the time to answer some questions regarding her endeavors in the search for an answer to a series of questions first posed to a struggler named William Shakespeare. It appears that our Ms. Belasco finds herself in a similar state of mind that I too experienced many years ago. Her quandary, as you might expect: Who, what, why, when, where, and of course, how, are the total ingredients of her not-yet-all-consuming-conundrum.

I know you must have a few vital inquires of your own, before attempting to answer her five basic questions. Since that would be impossibility, I thought I might offer some of what I have to say to her, or any other individual seeking answers regarding the subjective world in which we exist.

1. When did you begin writing with the intent of becoming a published author?

Answer: I began at age thirty-five.

2. Had you taken writing classes at that time to get focused again, or was writing something you always did throughout your life?

Answer: I was born with an appreciation for everything and anything creative.

I have never taken a writing class.

I have written or expressed my honest emotions for the better part of the last thirty years+.

Spare time has little or nothing to do with my spare time as a writer. (I began making presentations to other students in the second grade. Most of the material that I used in those formal presentments were written by me.)

3. Why did you think your writing was good enough to be published? Did you just start writing about things that interested you and then asked members of your family to give you their feedback?

Answer: Stories that I would relate to friends about my past experiences would often draw laughter and tears, and surprisingly to me, complete attention from those listening to what I had to say.

I began having an idea or two for a TV show. I joined forces with another young guy and between the two of us began knocking out a few treatments for television shows. At the time I was already in the industry as a Stage Manager in a variety of shows around town.

The only relative that had anything to say about my work was my then wife, who also functioned as a rewrite person for me.

I really never gave much thought to how good my writing actually was.

4. How do you know if it’s just the “idea” of writing that makes you think you can write, or if you really can write?

Answer: I write for myself. I don’t expect people to either like or understand where da harv is coming from. In my opinion, the only reason a person may determine if what they write will ever be able to support their lifestyle, is if they are content with their own work.

Each and every day some of my lines are put to paper, and stored away in the deep dark environs of a hard drive, that may some day be either celebrated or serve to corroborate my off-balanced disdain for the average person. I might point out that the average person has served as a welcome target for the spewing of ridicule that so richly enhances my life.

5. (And what follows is Ms. Belasco’s most ardent series of run-on questions, each requiring a degree of supposition, making an answer or even an educated opinion, more arduous a task than my personal sagacity could do justice.) If you get to the point that you want to dedicate time to writing, how do you know if you would be a good freelance writer for a magazine/local newspaper, or a three liner sentimental greeting card writer, an author of a children’s book? (I know I can clearly define things things that I am not interested in writing; like a novel for example, but what are the tools that you use to define yourself, or is that not even something you worry about in the early stages of writing?)

Answer: (At first I prayed for guidance. Then a calm came over me as I realized that I wasn’t God, and that my answers to her questions weren’t required to be God-like. All I could do was honestly recall and forward some of my experiences, in hope that Ms. Belasco might find solace and meaning within da harv’s literary trials.)

Magazines/local newspapers/three line sentimental greeting cards, or the author of a children’s book. How do you know?

You know your work is acceptable (good) after you continuously submit your work to these venues, seeking acceptance.

I could fill drawers with turndowns from all of the above. I would write an unsolicited piece, send it out and continue to write not waiting for any one company to send back anything resembling their appreciation. All I did was write and send; over and over, write and send. I became accustomed to opening the mail being well prepared for the rejection notice that I knew would be there. One day, to my surprise, the full size envelope containing my writing also contained an offer. I had written a celebrity interview with an actor named Mike Connors. They (the editor of the newspaper) required that I rewrite the article with a third party removed format as opposed to first person singular. That same afternoon I completed the rewrite and hand-carried my work to the newspaper office (I really wanted to frame the papers $125 check, but we needed it to eat).

The lines that I wrote for a local greeting card company were as risqué as my mind could create; still a payday.

At this stage of the game my writing has included radio copy as well as a few eulogies. I have written lines for stand-up comics and have registered the lyrics for six songs. I have written letters of complaint, letters of congratulations, and letters of sympathy. And after all this, I have only single certainty to offer Ms. Belasco. This time it isn’t da harv as the scribe. “To thine own self be true,” must be credited to another author of substance. But that phrase all by itself is the most important verbiage I’ve ever become a believer in.

What I have to share with people, succinctly stated is the most important commodity in my possession: It is my truth. Each and every line I write, or say, or give in the way of my direction to people represents da harv’s truth. While some may not appreciate my truth, and may even vehemently disagree with what I’ve brought forward, they nevertheless, in the long run, find something within my attempt at communication.

Place honest words on paper, and then send the paper away from you. Your honest words will ultimately stimulate love in the form of approval. Never put a price on your work as the criteria for determining your skills as a writer. Never, ever, value the input of any person who tells you that you have little or no writing skills. Be a journeyman writer. That is to say… write with your mind and heart simultaneously without thinking which of these two beautiful God-given reservoirs you're drawing your creativity from. If it’s your thought, then at that moment in time you have equaled and achieved the single most important substantive purpose that any of us have in this lifetime. Bequeath that thought, send it out there in whatever form you so desire. This truthfully will be the determining factor as a guide to what you will continue to write.

*

And in closing, I’d like to thank you, Ms. Suffield, for taking your time. I look forward to your response. I value the thoughts of any successful person, especially a person who has been a participant in so many of our wonderful life experiences.

Cordially, and with a degree of growing respect, I remain yours truly,

Harvey Kalmenson
AKA: da harv

*

Letter from Ruth:

Dear da harv,

Please offer these words to Ms. Belasco:

Stop asking so many questions. What was right for me or for Mr. Misplaced is not necessarily the correct thing or method she should pursue. Tell her to do what I did; take up drinking. Single malt scotch, if she can afford it would be the best advice I might offer. Make sure she doesn’t do something stupid like getting married. No matter how stupid the topic might appear to be, write about it. Save everything you write. Never throw anything away. Just store the shit in a box and every so often come back to it. If and when you come back to the shit you’ve written and you find it to be still a good read; take it from me, you haven’t grown one bit. If you fall in love with your own work, you’re not taking enough chances with the subject matter. When I stopped getting people all riled up, I simultaneously lost favor with the same people who were in love with my work to begin with.

If my words of advice are help, then fine and so be it. If my words don’t mean anything to Belasco, I really don’t care that much anyway.

Stay well,

You know who

What If

What if I don't make it in show biz? Have I wasted my years of training?

What about my singing, dancing and elocution lessons? Have I wasted all that money and training?

At Kalmenson & Kalmenson, we follow not only the Stanislavsky method of progressive study, but also the theme of social grace and proper living etiquette as prescribed by the world's most accredited philosophers and behavioral scientists. Our students come from all walks of life as well as being aspiring actors. Our successful Kalmenson Method has been a working key, helping people to better their communication skills from the basic social relationships through corporate board rooms all over the country and, in some cases, with students now living in other parts of the world. Many prominent doctors and attorneys have come to us as a social and communication enabler.

So whether an individual makes it as an actor or merely improves their lifestyle... our method will continue to bolster the strengths of the human condition, while softening the downside of our day-to-day communication problems.

The Competitive Life: A Precept for Living

Don’t compete! It isn’t necessary or required. Being well schooled or being in the habit of practicing your craft is your requirement in order for success to happen; that is to say… if it ever happens. For what we do or contrive to do as actors is our addiction to nothing more than a personal dream. Ultimately, we may or may not reach fruition because of the hard work I profess to be our most necessary ingredient for even a chance at success. The fallacy of it all, simply stated, is society's assessment of the meaning of success.

For the masses, success has as its equivalent only one descriptive word: money.

The other day a well-known actor very succinctly summed up our world in a nutshell. When I asked him how things were going he responded with, "It’s time for me to hit the lottery again.” The actor I’m referring to was coming off a tremendous run in a network television series. In the past, I had heard him thank God for his luck to have experienced such great success. Yes, he’s a good actor, by no means a great one. As John Houseman might say, our actor is a journeyman. He recognizes the frailty of our profession. Some of our strongest brethren never experience acclaim or monetary rewards comparable to their strenuous efforts at reaching for the stars. In other words…the expertise you develop is absolutely a necessity in order to maintain your own sanity. You are the one who must be satisfied your attempts at success are at least well founded.

Interviewin' da harv

Interviews can be fun and informative, especially when the interviewer has done their homework.

Yi Tian not only enjoys her work, but shows up thoroughly prepared as a professional interviewer. I found her questions to be well thought out, and substantive. I do believe most actors may gain something from what follows.

You can find the interview here. I welcome your feedback.

-Harvey Kalmenson