Monday, April 02, 2007

io, io, it's off to work we go

Of all the celebrities appearing at the Children's Miracle Network convention, I've been most looking forward to meeting Charna Halpern. I had read her book, "Truth In Comedy," when I first joined Einstein Simplified. The attendees at today's improv training workshop were split up into several smaller groups of about 25 each. My group's teacher was Joe Bill, co-star and co-creator of "Bassprov." The session was terrific. We played some improv games that will help us do better interviews by working on our listening and reacting skills. The similarity between improv and radio is one of the first things I wrote about when I started building my website in 2001.



I had a chance to ask Charna about the skull of Del Close, her late partner. While many people donate their bodies to science, Del wanted to donate part of his body to art. After his death, Charna was to give his skull to a theatre that would cast him as Yorick in "Hamlet." Charna told me to look up an article in "The New Yorker" in which she admits that she couldn't find anyone to remove Del's head and
skeletonize it. Instead she gave a replacement skull (stunt double?) to the theatre. I told her how I wished she could have sent Del to Knoxville to decompose at our famous Body Farm.

Just like last year, a few other familiar faces were spotted in the hallway today. I saw Levar Burton, John Schneider and Mary Lou Retton.



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2 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

Hey Frank,
Are you staying in the Wilderness Lodge? The lamp in the pic looks familiar. How is it you always manage to get your picture made w/ famous people? I'm always trying to decide if it's truly them as they walk away. I'm enjoying your vacation too, thanks for sharing:)

Polly

4/03/2007  
Anonymous Frank's Daughter said...

LAVAR BURTON!!!!

He's my hero! He taught me an appreciation for the written word at a very young age, not to mention all of the head-bands I wore over my eyes trying to look like Jordi from TNG!!

Tell me you got his autograph, Dad!

There are a couple of great books that I read after watching Reading Rainbow including The Giving Tree. there are many more..."but you don't have to take my word for it"...

4/07/2007  

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