Your Queen is in danger, Spock! All Nine London Test Posts About RETROSPECTIVE’s UK Premiere Obsessed with tests? Yes, but this post offers advice for all performing and presenting artists The words test and toast qualify as etymological cousins. Language experts think that the former word meaning originally “a piece of burned brick, clay, or tile” derived from the Latin “tosta, from torreō (‘to burn, […]
Month: May 2026
London Test # 9: “Time’s up; Pencils down”
The London Test comes to a close. How did we do? Well, WordPress says it will take you a four minutes read to find out
London Test # 8: “You’re going to love London audiences”
In 1978, fresh off the dissolution of a relationship – Pippa in Retrospective likes the old English word, Eaubruche for the breaking of a marriage – a good friend of mine, Reverend Tom Davis, suggested that a return to acting would restore my spirits. Tom suggested a meeting with Alan Brody, then the Chair of the Skidmore College Theatre Department. The college’s works functioned as a […]
London Test # 7: Claps and Clunks
The inevitable ‘balancing out’ of theatrical experience OR If you can’t stand the heat, why are you wearing that chef’s hat? Louis Catliff, a superb videographer/director/writer filmed our May 15th performance of Retrospective. Take a few secs to watch this clip of something else Louis did for us — the solicitation and recording of comments about the performance from audience members, which everybody now calls Vox Pop, […]
London Test # 5: Collaboration, Inspiration, Admiration
I wrote about the criticality of collaboration in the SubStack version of this stream of semi-consciousness. No need to repeat all that here, but this will keep the chain of posts about the London Test of bringing our play RETROSPECTIVE to the UK at Barons Court Theatre
London Test: 74 year-old Bronx Irish Catholic Guy Takes His Play to London
I’m tracking the test of opening our play RETROSPECTIVE — Tix here — in London after it’s fine short run at Broadway Bound Theatre Festival August 2025. Here’s the series up to opening night, May 14th. Here’s a reel to consider its charms: London Test #1: Taking RETROSPECTIVE to the Pub Finally in Barons Court […]
Not all self-promoters are the Antichrist
Self-promotion comes with the territory, but despite its pain for all concerned, is it actually a good thing? And does it make you the anti-Christ?