Podcast Episodes – Off Off Pod

Stephen Bittrich and Brad Coolidge after whacking some golf balls.

My good friends Brad and Melissa Coolidge helped me transition to Austin. That’s the kind of lovely, awesome folks they are!

And they also happen to make thoughtful, exciting independent movies.

In part one of this two part interview I talk to Brad about the movies he and his wife have been producing or co-executive producing (along with their partner, Todd Labarowski). These include, What Maisie Knew (with Julianne Moore, Alexander Skarsgård and Steve Coogan – inspired by a Henry James novel), Prince Avalanche (directed by Austin filmmaker David Gordon Green and starring Paul Rudd and Emile Hirsch, Joe (with Nicholas Cage and again directed by David Gordon Green), The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby: Him AND Her (which can now be seen as intended in the big markets like New York — and a combined version “Them” is playing in some smaller markets), Manglehorn, (with Al Pacino, Holly Hunter, Chris Messina, directed by David Gordon Green) and The World Made Straight (with Noah Wiley, Minka Kelly, Haley Joel Osment, and Jeremy Irvine). These last 2 films have not yet been released.

In part 2 of the interview we’ll talk about Brad’s experiences directing a “creature feature” horror film. So keep an eye out for part 2 coming soon.

If you’re in New York or other select cities go see The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby: Him/Her. Click here for tickets in New York.

Topics covered in the interview:

• Hello to Brad, an introduction (3:51)
• Death of a Popstar a short film, Glasgow Film Festival (5:19)
• What Maisie Knew, co-producers (8:05)
• The move to Austin, Prince Avalanche (10:17)
• The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby: Him AND Her, shooting in NYC, Dreambridge (14:25)
• Joe, Nicholas Cage comes down early to Austin to prepare (21:45)
• The World Made Straight (24:45)
• Manglehorn, shot in Austin (27:35)

David Marantz and Stephen Bittrich in the webseries OFF OFF.

Dave and I have been working on projects together for a while... in fact he is one of the stars and a co-producer of the webseries I created, Off Off.

But in this interview we concentrate on his newest triumph, Audio Book Narrator. At this time of this interview he’s narrated 51 books on Audible.com. (Check out his page!)

Dave Marantz at work narrating books

I should also mention that Dave is now starring as Malvolio in the Drilling Company’s Shakespeare in the Parking Lot production of Twelfth Night. (I hear he’s quite fetching in yellow cross-garters.)

For more information about Dave, check out his website.

Topics covered in the interview:

• Hi Dave! (2:18)
• Our Drilling Company Theater roots (5:24)
• The Whisper Room – Sound Booth (8:45)
• Dave’s impulse to be in the arts (10:03)
• His job helping lawyers take depositions (15:50)
• The voice-over artist is born, Audible Books (19:25)
• The first book, Raising Stony Mayhall, by Daryl Gregory (Audible’s “Zombie Book of the Year 2011) (23:38)
• Literary porn and truck drivers (28:51)
• A new Neal Asher project, science fiction writer (31:22)
• Characters with unique voices, keeping characters straight, the job’s biggest challenges (38:12)
• The engineer, the studio set up (45:00)
• Recent book, Innovative State: How New Technologies Can Transform Government by Aneesh Chopra (49:50)
• The money aspect of the job (52:45)
• Being naked on stage, Take Me Out (56:00)
• “Most interesting or bizarre or horrible audition story” (1:03:14)
• Health Insurance story (1:09:53)
• Shout out to the webseries Off Off (1:11:53)

Kel Haney on left and Ann Talman on the right

My friend Ann Talman has been developing her solo show, Woody’s Order! for a few years (well, arguably her whole life) about her relationship with her family and in particular her brother, Woody.

Woody’s Order! will be performed on Monday, September 29th at 9 pm in the 5th Annual United Solo Theatre Festival on Theatre Row. Click here for more details.

I was very pleased and excited to interview Ann and her director, Kel Haney, in New York.

Topics covered in the interview:

• Hello Ann and Kel — how they met — Ensemble Studio Theater (1:51)
• Matt Hoverman Workshop — How to Create Your Own Solo Show (4:20)
• Working on new work, solo work (7:07)
• The development and evolution of the sola show (8:55)
• What’s the show Woody’s Order! about? (13:47)
• How Kel got the theater bug (26:10)
• A director who likes to read! (30:54)
• How Ann got the theater bug, imaginary friends (33:36)
• Trying to give Woody a normal life — frustrations, sex (43:00)
• Doing Little Foxes on Broadway with Elizabeth Taylor, audition story (48:12)
• Kel meets Woody (51:02)
• Al Pacino meets Woody (55:24)

Less than a week after moving to Austin, I headed to New York to doggy-sit for my friends, Margo and Bill. So I captured this interview with Ann and Kel while in NYC.

Karen Moline’s Novels

Here’s part 2 of Karen Moline’s interview. We get right into it talking about celebrity interviewing for the magazines she worked with. Don’t forget to check out Karen’s books, fiction and non-fiction, on Amazon.

By the way, the director of The Long Good Friday (that we blanked on) was John Mackenzie.

Please go to Karen’s website for more information about her at www.KarenMoline.com.

Topics covered in the interview:

• Treating celebrity interview subjects fairly (1:57)
• Getting pawed by Brian DePalma (3:54)
• Writing a biography of Bob Hoskins (5:22)
• Who would play characters in the movie version of Lunch, Alex Kingston (15:26)
• Getting the inspiration for Belladonna staying at Castle (24:16)
• Staying true to what you’re good at (35:00)
• Who would Karen interview now – Hilary Clinton. Finding interesting people (36:51)
• Adoption reform, www.pear-reform.org (46:21)

I moved to Austin! More on that later. My parents are selling their beautiful home. Take a look at this cool website I made for them, www.TennesseeMountainRetreat.com.

Scott Baker is truly one of a kind on this earth. He is the barker or bally master for the Coney Island Freak Show in the summers. In the winters he is often (when not acting in films or plays) Santa Claus in one of the big department stores. He was in the legendary show Oh! Calcutta! for 12 years on Broadway, and he also did some porn acting in the 70s-80s! Quite an amazing and varied life!

He and I met doing theatre Off Off Broadway at the Drilling Company years ago, and he was my muse there in the beginning when I was writing a lot of bizarre comedies for which he was so perfectly suited. He added his unique stamp to all of those short plays.

Interestingly the interview took a dark and serious turn when we talked about his experiences being mugged in NYC. NYC is a safer city now, but the area where he’s lived (and in other areas around the 5 boroughs) the city has gone through some major changes through the years.

I promise you will enjoy this talk with Scott Baker!

Topics covered in the interview:

• Intro (0:00)
• Hello Scott! How we met — Two Eggs and La Mouche (3:49)
• Bally Master a short documentary film about Scott Baker (8:17)
• The Coney Island Freak Show — three kinds of freaks (12:00)
• Early inspirations, Frank Lentini and Gilbert Mysto Magic Set (16:30)
• How to learn how to pound a nail into your head or eat fire, Coney Island Side Show School (20:32)
• Winter job, Santa Claus (24:56)
• How Scott got to New York (25:51)
• Scott performs in adult films – “Rupert!” (27:23)
• Oh! Calcutta! on Broadway (33:12)
• How Times Square has changed, being mugged by gunpoint (37:30)
• “Bizarre, Interesting or Horrible Audition Stories” (44:00)
• Kitschy interests and new project: Elvis, Santa, John Wilkes Booth, Frankenstein (50:43)
• Cancer survivor — of the soft palette (55:16)
• Remembering director, Richard Harden (59:29)

As usual my buddy Sal Clemente (of Ultrasonic Rock Orchestra) who wrote the podcast theme song, “Here We Go Again,” plays us out. URO has a concert coming up. Click the link to find out more!