WB courting Tom Cruise for 'A Star is Born'

CruiseBeyonceWith execs buzzing about his performance as an 80s rock star in Warner Bros. and New Line's upcoming musical "Rock of Ages," Tom Cruise finds himself being courted by WB to topline Clint Eastwood's "A Star is Born" along with Beyonce. Cruise starts shooting Universal's untitled, Joseph Kosinski-directed sci-fi pic next week, and after wrapping production on that film, he's skedded to star in Doug Liman's "All You Need Is Kill" for Warners. While there haven't been any negotiations, let alone a deal, the studio has been talking to Cruise to gauge his interest in the project, a prospect that Cruise didn't immediately reject, given the chance to work with Eastwood for the first time. It's unclear whether WB would be willing to accommodate Cruise's schedule, but should he pursue the project, he'd play an over-the-hill musician who falls for a young singer who he's trying to help make a star. Over the past year, WB has eyed Christian Bale, Hugh Jackman and Leonardo DiCaprio for the plum part. Contact Jeff Sneider at jeff.sneider@variety.com

Basketball Ratings Go Lin-sane!

Charlie Sheen's return to television is imminent - his sitcom, Anger Management, will premiere at 9/8c on Thursday, June 28, FX announced Tuesday. Adding to the excitement/craziness, comedian Russell Brand's talk show, Strangely Uplifting, will debut the same night at 11/10c. Read More > Other Links From TVGuide.com Charlie SheenSelma BlairShawnee SmithRussell BrandLouieWilfred

'The Artist' and 'Hugo' Lead Academy Award Individuals who win

The Artist and Hugo introduced the 84th Annual Academy awards on Sunday with five wins each. While Hugo totalled up technical wins, The Artist introduced home honours to find the best picture, best actor, and finest director. Christopher Plummer, at 82, increased being the first actor to win an Academy Award. Upon locating the award, Plummer mentioned for the statuette "You're only couple of years older than me darling, where are you currently my existence?" Meryl Streep, Jean Dujardin, and former Back Stage author Octavia Spencer were honored with honours for performances too. The reveal, and host Billy Very, saved the evening classy and made to old Hollywood. Highlights incorporated Deposits signature musical number, a just what the audience thinks segment, a film-designed Cirque du Soleil performance, as well as the six-strong Bridesmaids ensemble showing together. Below can be a complete report on nominees and individuals who win. (Individuals who win are shown by getting an asterisk):Actor in the Leading RoleDemin Bichir in "A Far Greater Existence" George Clooney in "The Descendants"Jean Dujardin in "The Artist"*Gary Oldman in "Mess Tailor Soldier Spy"Kaira Pitt in "Moneyball"Actor in the Supporting RoleKenneth Branagh in "My Week with Marilyn" Jonah Hill in "Moneyball"Nick Nolte in "Warrior"Christopher Plummer in "Beginners"*Max von Sydow in "Very Noisy & Incredibly Close"Actress in the Leading RoleGlenn Close to the coast "Albert Nobbs"Viola Davis in "The AssistanceInchRooney Mara in "The Woman while using Dragon Tattoo"Meryl Streep in "The Iron Lady"*Michelle Williams in "My Week with Marilyn"Actress in the Supporting RoleBrnice Bejo in "The Artist"Jessica Chastain in "The AssistanceInchBethany McCarthy in "Bridesmaids"Jesse McTeer in "Albert Nobbs"Octavia Spencer in "The AssistanceInch-Cartoon Feature Film"The Kitty in Paris" Alain Gagnol and Jean-Loup Felicioli"Chico & Rita" Fernando Trueba and Javier Mariscal"Kung Fu Panda 2" Jennifer Yuh Nelson"Puss in Boots" Chris Burns "Rango" Gore Verbinski*Art Direction"The Artist" Production Design: Laurence Bennett Set Decoration: Robert Gould"Harry Potter as well as the Deathly Hallows Part 2" Production Design: Stuart Craig Set Decoration: Stephenie McMillan"Hugo" Production Design: Dante Ferretti Set Decoration: Francesca Lo Schiavo*"Evening amount of time in Paris" Production Design: Anne Seibel Set Decoration: Hlne Dubreuil"War Equine" Production Design: Ron Carter Set Decoration: Lee SandalesCinematography"The Artist" Guillaume Schiffman"The Woman while using Dragon Tattoo" Rob Cronenweth"Hugo" Robert Richardson*"The Tree of Existence" Emmanuel Lubezki"War Equine" Janusz KaminskiCostume Design"Anonymous" Lisy Christl"The Artist" Mark Bridges*"Hugo" Sandy Powell "Jane Eyre" Michael O'Connor"W.E." Arianne PhillipsDirecting"The Artist" Michel Hazanavicius*"The Descendants" Alexander Payne"Hugo" Martin Scorsese"Evening amount of time in Paris" Woodsy Allen"The Tree of Existence" Terrence MalickDocumentary (Feature)"Hell and AgainInch Danfung Dennis and Mike Lerner"In case your Tree Falls: An Account around the globe Liberation Front" Marshall Curry and Mike Cullman"Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory" Joe Berlinger and Bruce Sinofsky"Pina" Wim Wenders and Gian-Piero Ringel"Undefeated" TJ Martin, Serta Lindsay and Richard Middlemas*Documentary (Short Subject)"The Barber of Birmingham: Ft Soldier in the Civil Rights Movement" Robin Fryday and Gail Dolgin"God Might be the larger Elvis" Rebecca Cammisa and Julie Anderson"Incident in New Baghdad" James Spione"Saving Face" Daniel Junge and Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy*"The Tsunami as well as the Cherry Blossom" Lucy Master and Kira CarstensenFilm Editing"The Artist" Anne-Sophie Bion and Michel Hazanavicius"The Descendants" Kevin Tent"The Woman while using Dragon Tattoo" Kirk Baxter and Angus Wall*"Hugo" Thelma Schoonmaker"Moneyball" Christopher TellefsenForeign Language Film"Bullhead" Belgium"Footnote" Israel"In Darkness" Belgium"Monsieur Lazhar" Canada"A Separation" Iran*Makeup"Albert Nobbs"Martial Corneville, Lynn Johnston and Matthew W. Mungle"Harry Potter as well as the Deathly Hallows Part 2" Nick Dudman, Amanda Dark evening and Lisa Tomblin"The Iron Lady" Mark Coulier and J. Roy Helland*Music (Original Score)"The Adventures of Tintin" John Williams "The Artist" Ludovic Bource*"Hugo" Howard Shoreline"Mess Tailor Soldier Spy" Alberto Iglesias"War Equine" John WilliamsMusic (Original Song)"Guy or Muppet" from "The Muppets" Music and Lyric by Bret McKenzie*"Real in Rio" from "Rio" Music by Sergio Mendes and Carlinhos Brown Lyric by Siedah GarrettBest Picture"The Artist" Thomas Langmann, Producer*"The Descendants" Jim Burke, Alexander Payne and Jim Taylor, Producers"Very Noisy & Incredibly Close" Scott Rudin, Producer"The AssistanceInch Brunson Eco-friendly, Chris Columbus and Michael Barnathan, Producers"Hugo" Graham King and Martin Scorsese, Producers"Evening amount of time in Paris" Letty Aronson and Stephen Tenenbaum, Producers"Moneyball" Michael P Luca, Rachael Horovitz and Kaira Pitt, Producers"The Tree of Existence" Nominees being determined"War Equine" Steven Spielberg and Kathleen Kennedy, ProducersShort Film (Animated)"Dimanche/Sunday" Patrick Doyon"The Truly Amazing Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore" William Joyce and Brandon Oldenburg*"La Luna" Enrico Casarosa "A Morning Stroll" Grant Orchard and Sue Goffe"Wild Existence" Amanda Forbis and Wendy TilbyShort Film (Live Action)"Pentecost" Peter McDonald and Eimear O'Kane"Raju" Max Zhle and Stefan Gieren"The Shoreline" Terry George and Oorlagh George*"Time Freak" Andrew Bowler and Gigi Causey"Tuba Atlantic" Hallvar WitzSound Editing"Drive" Lon Bender and Victor Ray Ennis"The Woman while using Dragon Tattoo" Ren Klyce"Hugo" Philip Stockton and Eugene Gearty*"Transformers: Dark in the Moon" Ethan Van der Ryn and Erik Aadahl"War Equine" Richard Hymns and Gary RydstromSound Mixing"The Woman while using Dragon Tattoo" David Parker, Michael Semanick, Ren Klyce andBo Persson"Hugo" Tom Fleischman and John Midgley*"Moneyball" N Adair, Ron Bochar, Dork Giammarco and Erection dysfunction Novick"Transformers: Dark in the Moon" Greg P. Russell, Gary Summer time season, Jeffrey J. Haboush and Peter J. Devlin"War Equine" Gary Rydstrom, Andy Nelson, Tom Manley and Stuart WilsonVisual Effects"Harry Potter as well as the Deathly Hallows Part 2" Tim Burke, David Vickery, Greg Butler andJohn Richardson "Hugo" Make the most of Legato, Joss Williams, Ben Grossman andAlex Henning*"Real Steel" Erik Nash, John Rosengrant, Serta Taylor andSwen Gillberg"Rise in the Planet in the Apes" Joe Letteri, Serta Lemmon, R. Christopher White-colored and Daniel Barrett"Transformers: Dark in the Moon" Scott Farrar, Scott Benza, Matthew Butler and John FrazierWriting (Modified Script)"The Descendants" Script by Alexander Payne and Nat Faxon & Jim Rash*"Hugo" Script by John Logan"The Ides of March" Script by George Clooney & Grant Heslov and Love Willimon"Moneyball" Script by Steven Zaillian and Aaron Sorkin Story by Stan Chervin"Mess Tailor Soldier Spy" Script by Bridget O'Connor & Peter StraughanWriting (Original Script)"The Artist" Put together by Michel Hazanavicius"Bridesmaids" Put together by Annie Mumolo & Kristen Wiig"Margin Call" Put together by J.C. Chandor"Evening amount of time in Paris" Put together by Woodsy Allen*"A Separation" Put together by Asghar Farhadi By Jessica Gardner February 27, 2012 "The Artist" PHOTO CREDIT The Weinstein Company The Artist and Hugo introduced the 84th Annual Academy awards on Sunday with five wins each. While Hugo totalled up technical wins, The Artist introduced home honours to find the best picture, , and greatest director. Christopher Plummer, at 82, increased being the first actor to win an Academy Award. Upon locating the award, Plummer mentioned for the statuette "You're only couple of years older than me darling, where are you currently presently my existence?" Meryl Streep, Jean Dujardin, and former Back Stage author Octavia Spencer were honored with honours for performances too. The reveal, and host Billy Very, saved the evening classy and made to old Hollywood. Highlights incorporated Deposits signature musical number, a just what the audience thinks segment, a movie-designed Cirque du Soleil performance, as well as the six-strong Bridesmaids ensemble showing together. Below can be a complete report on nominees and individuals who win. (Individuals who win are shown by getting an asterisk):Actor in the Leading RoleDemin Bichir in "A Far Greater Existence" George Clooney in "The Descendants"Jean Dujardin in "The Artist"*Gary Oldman in "Mess Tailor Soldier Spy"Kaira Pitt in "Moneyball"Actor in the Supporting RoleKenneth Branagh in "My Week with Marilyn" Jonah Hill in "Moneyball"Nick Nolte in "Warrior"Christopher Plummer in "Beginners"*Max von Sydow in "Very Noisy & Incredibly Close"Actress in the Leading RoleGlenn Close to the coast "Albert Nobbs"Viola Davis in "The AssistanceInchRooney Mara in "The Woman while using Dragon Tattoo"Meryl Streep in "The Iron Lady"*Michelle Williams in "My Week with Marilyn"Actress in the Supporting RoleBrnice Bejo in "The Artist"Jessica Chastain in "The AssistanceInchBethany McCarthy in "Bridesmaids"Jesse McTeer in "Albert Nobbs"Octavia Spencer in "The AssistanceInch-Cartoon Feature Film"The Kitty in Paris" Alain Gagnol and Jean-Loup Felicioli"Chico & Rita" Fernando Trueba and Javier Mariscal"Kung Fu Panda 2" Jennifer Yuh Nelson"Puss in Boots" Chris Burns "Rango" Gore Verbinski*Art Direction"The Artist" Production Design: Laurence Bennett Set Decoration: Robert Gould"Harry Potter as well as the Deathly Hallows Part 2" Production Design: Stuart Craig Set Decoration: Stephenie McMillan"Hugo" Production Design: Dante Ferretti Set Decoration: Francesca Lo Schiavo*"Evening amount of time in Paris" Production Design: Anne Seibel Set Decoration: Hlne Dubreuil"War Equine" Production Design: Ron Carter Set Decoration: Lee SandalesCinematography"The Artist" Guillaume Schiffman"The Woman while using Dragon Tattoo" Rob Cronenweth"Hugo" Robert Richardson*"The Tree of Existence" Emmanuel Lubezki"War Equine" Janusz KaminskiCostume Design"Anonymous" Lisy Christl"The Artist" Mark Bridges*"Hugo" Sandy Powell "Jane Eyre" Michael O'Connor"W.E." Arianne PhillipsDirecting"The Artist" Michel Hazanavicius*"The Descendants" Alexander Payne"Hugo" Martin Scorsese"Evening amount of time in Paris" Woodsy Allen"The Tree of Existence" Terrence MalickDocumentary (Feature)"Hell and AgainInch Danfung Dennis and Mike Lerner"In case your Tree Falls: An Account around the globe Liberation Front" Marshall Curry and Mike Cullman"Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory" Joe Berlinger and Bruce Sinofsky"Pina" Wim Wenders and Gian-Piero Ringel"Undefeated" TJ Martin, Serta Lindsay and Richard Middlemas*Documentary (Short Subject)"The Barber of Birmingham: Ft Soldier in the Civil Rights Movement" Robin Fryday and Gail Dolgin"God Might be the larger Elvis" Rebecca Cammisa and Julie Anderson"Incident in New Baghdad" James Spione"Saving Face" Daniel Junge and Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy*"The Tsunami as well as the Cherry Blossom" Lucy Master and Kira CarstensenFilm Editing"The Artist" Anne-Sophie Bion and Michel Hazanavicius"The Descendants" Kevin Tent"The Woman while using Dragon Tattoo" Kirk Baxter and Angus Wall*"Hugo" Thelma Schoonmaker"Moneyball" Christopher TellefsenForeign Language Film"Bullhead" Belgium"Footnote" Israel"In Darkness" Belgium"Monsieur Lazhar" Canada"A Separation" Iran*Makeup"Albert Nobbs"Martial Corneville, Lynn Johnston and Matthew W. Mungle"Harry Potter as well as the Deathly Hallows Part 2" Nick Dudman, Amanda Dark evening and Lisa Tomblin"The Iron Lady" Mark Coulier and J. Roy Helland*Music (Original Score)"The Adventures of Tintin" John Williams "The Artist" Ludovic Bource*"Hugo" Howard Shoreline"Mess Tailor Soldier Spy" Alberto Iglesias"War Equine" John WilliamsMusic (Original Song)"Guy or Muppet" from "The Muppets" Music and Lyric by Bret McKenzie*"Real in Rio" from "Rio" Music by Sergio Mendes and Carlinhos Brown Lyric by Siedah GarrettBest Picture"The Artist" Thomas Langmann, Producer*"The Descendants" Jim Burke, Alexander Payne and Jim Taylor, Producers"Very Noisy & Incredibly Close" Scott Rudin, Producer"The AssistanceInch Brunson Eco-friendly, Chris Columbus and Michael Barnathan, Producers"Hugo" Graham King and Martin Scorsese, Producers"Evening amount of time in Paris" Letty Aronson and Stephen Tenenbaum, Producers"Moneyball" Michael P Luca, Rachael Horovitz and Kaira Pitt, Producers"The Tree of Existence" Nominees being determined"War Equine" Steven Spielberg and Kathleen Kennedy, ProducersShort Film (Animated)"Dimanche/Sunday" Patrick Doyon"The Truly Amazing Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore" William Joyce and Brandon Oldenburg*"La Luna" Enrico Casarosa "A Morning Stroll" Grant Orchard and Sue Goffe"Wild Existence" Amanda Forbis and Wendy TilbyShort Film (Live Action)"Pentecost" Peter McDonald and Eimear O'Kane"Raju" Max Zhle and Stefan Gieren"The Shoreline" Terry George and Oorlagh George*"Time Freak" Andrew Bowler and Gigi Causey"Tuba Atlantic" Hallvar WitzSound Editing"Drive" Lon Bender and Victor Ray Ennis"The Woman while using Dragon Tattoo" Ren Klyce"Hugo" Philip Stockton and Eugene Gearty*"Transformers: Dark in the Moon" Ethan Van der Ryn and Erik Aadahl"War Equine" Richard Hymns and Gary RydstromSound Mixing"The Woman while using Dragon Tattoo" David Parker, Michael Semanick, Ren Klyce andBo Persson"Hugo" Tom Fleischman and John Midgley*"Moneyball" N Adair, Ron Bochar, Dork Giammarco and Erection dysfunction Novick"Transformers: Dark in the Moon" Greg P. Russell, Gary Summer time season, Jeffrey J. Haboush and Peter J. Devlin"War Equine" Gary Rydstrom, Andy Nelson, Tom Manley and Stuart WilsonVisual Effects"Harry Potter as well as the Deathly Hallows Part 2" Tim Burke, David Vickery, Greg Butler andJohn Richardson "Hugo" Make the most of Legato, Joss Williams, Ben Grossman andAlex Henning*"Real Steel" Erik Nash, John Rosengrant, Serta Taylor andSwen Gillberg"Rise in the Planet in the Apes" Joe Letteri, Serta Lemmon, R. Christopher White-colored and Daniel Barrett"Transformers: Dark in the Moon" Scott Farrar, Scott Benza, Matthew Butler and John FrazierWriting (Modified Script)"The Descendants" Script by Alexander Payne and Nat Faxon & Jim Rash*"Hugo" Script by John Logan"The Ides of March" Script by George Clooney & Grant Heslov and Love Willimon"Moneyball" Script by Steven Zaillian and Aaron Sorkin Story by Stan Chervin"Mess Tailor Soldier Spy" Script by Bridget O'Connor & Peter StraughanWriting (Original Script)"The Artist" Put together by Michel Hazanavicius"Bridesmaids" Put together by Annie Mumolo & Kristen Wiig"Margin Call" Put together by J.C. Chandor"Evening amount of time in Paris" Put together by Woodsy Allen*"A Separation" Put together by Asghar Farhadi

Pilot Season: Bryan Greenberg Lands Lead in CBS Comedy Pilot

Downton Abbey Critically acclaimed British drama Downton Abbey will switch into the Best Drama Series category for next year's Emmys, according to Gold Derby.The show had previously competed in (and won) the Best Miniseries category, but critics claimed the decision to compete as a miniseries was simply an effort to avoid fierce drama nominees like Mad Men, which this year will be competing for a record fifth straight win in the Best Drama Series category. With Downton joining the mix among other critical darlings Boardwalk Empire, Homeland and Breaking Bad, the category could be a fierce competition.Downton Abbey finale earns biggest PBS ratings in three yearsThe British import's season 2 finale, which aired Feb. 19, averaged 5.4 million total viewers, and posted PBS' biggest audience in nearly three years. It was the network's most-watched program since the 2009 premiere of Ken Burns' National Parks and was also more than double the average prime-time PBS viewership.

Veteran Actors Recall the Joys and Challenges of Summer Theater

Veteran Actors Recall the Joys and Challenges of Summer Theater By Simi Horwitz February 22, 2012 Photo by Don Most Don Most Recounting his experiences in summer stock, Conrad John Schuck is almost elegiac.His memories evoke images right out of a Judy GarlandMickey Rooney film in which the kids decide to put on a show in a barn. The living conditions were rugged, the money negligible at best, but boy did they have fun. Ten shows in 11 weeks and the opportunity to tackle a range of roles they wouldn't have the chance to play for another 30 years. And, man, were there charactersfrom eccentric directors to the summer-stock entrepreneurs, who ran their companies like little fiefdoms and always dressed the part. One was clad in a tuxedo, while another toted "what looked like a 4-foot cigar." Schuck also remembers a borderline-psychotic actor who was off her meds and appeared in the producer's office stark naked, proclaiming that she was a Blackfoot Indian princess. (Conrad John Schuck) A veteran actor whose credits include Broadway, film, and television, Schuck has little doubt that summer stock played a major role in his career. Though Schuck still performs in summer theater productions, the early years had the most lasting impact.His first experience was at the Denison University Theatre in Granville, Ohio, an on-campus theater providing students with the chance to try their hand at everything from musicals to classics. Occasionally guest actors were brought in, but for the most part the cast was exclusively college kids. Besides acting they also worked on the crew, mastering the fundamentals of sets, costumes, and props. By the time Schuck graduated from Denison University with a theater major, he knew something about the way a theater functioned, had performed in 50 to 60 shows, and was competitive in the professional world, he says. "In the summer theater we learned to do homework, be on time, have manners, and not be afraid to ask questions," he says. "It was a great primer."But most relevant, he earned his Equity card. He describes starring as El Gallo in a production of "The Fantasticks" at Denison, where K. Elmo Lowe, the managing director of the Cleveland Play House, saw him perform. Lowe was so impressed, he invited Schuck to repeat the role in Cleveland and become a member of the company for the 196263 season. In the interim, Schuck played Walt Dreary in "The Threepenny Opera" at the Woodstock Playhouse in upstate NY. When that production was extended two weeks, Schuck had the moxie to say he'd stay if he got his Equity card, and his strategy worked. By the time he arrived in Cleveland, "I was an Equity member," he recalls, laughing. "My salary was bumped up to $62.50 a week."Later, as a young professional he performed for three summers at the Cleveland Musicarnival, where he learned projection, among other skills. Housed in a tent, the theater-in-the-round sat 2,000, he recalls. In another summer-stock stint, he toured for 10 weeks throughout the Northeast and Chicago with the great comic Imogene Coca in Howard Teichman's "A Rainy Day in Newark." Since that time, he has gone on to appear in a host of films, including Robert Altman's "MASH," "Brewster McCloud," and "McCabe & Mrs. Miller," as well as in recurring roles on TV, from "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" to "St. Elsewhere" all the way back to "McMillan & Wife," starring Rock Hudson. On Broadway, he has starred as Daddy Warbucks in "Annie" and Buffalo Bill in "Annie Get Your Gun." Learning Curve (Lee Roy Reams) The Tony-nominated Lee Roy Reams, who has appeared in 10 Broadway musicals and dozens of regional productions, also recalls receiving his Equity card at an early age, compliments of summer stock. Indeed, he was between his freshman and sophomore years at the University of Cincinnati's College-Conservatory of Music when he performed with the James Alex Summer Theatre in Dayton, Ohio, thus scoring his union membership. Like Schuck, Reams valued summer stock for offering him the chance to appear in many productions, viewing the quick turnover as training him to think fast on his feet. He also gained an appreciation of all the roles played by onstage and backstage personnel. "You lived theater," he says. "And there was that wonderful camaraderie."The high point for Reams was the opportunity to meet and mingle with the stars who were routinely brought in to the productions. He worked with such mega-talents as Dorothy Dandridge, Dorothy Collins, Rita Moreno, Jane Powell, and Patricia Morrison, among others. The glitz and glamour aside, they offered object lessons in professionalism, he says. By example, they taught the value of a solid work ethic and were also a wealth of information about the NY stage. Reams continues to perform in summer theaters, most recently at MUNY in St. Louis, where he and Schuck played the comic gangsters in "Kiss Me, Kate."Don Most came to summer stock later in life. His first encounter occurred when he was already an established actor, best known for his nine-year gig as the merry prankster Ralph Malph in the hit sitcom "Happy Days." Indeed, in 1978 when he performed at Lakewood Theater in Madison, Maine, he had been entering America's living room for four years. Still, he was starstruck by the theater's storied history. It is one of the oldest in America, and "everyone from silent screen stars to Broadway stars performed there," he says, impressed even in retrospect. "I appeared in 'Barefoot in the Park' with Maureen O'Sullivan. It was a wonderful, idyllic experience. It was a theater on a lake with a diner across the street. We'd go there before the show, and after the show we'd go to a nightclub. We were living in cabins in the woods." Most tackled summer theater two more times, including a stint at the Westport Country Playhouse in Westport, Conn., appearing in a production of David Wiltse's "Doubles" that co-starred George Maharis and David Groh.Interestingly, summer stock was Most's first professional stage experience, though in many ways performing in a weekly sitcom in front of a live studio audience was similar, he says. But stock offered him the chance to play roles he never would have landed. It also served as a welcome relief from the grind of TV during his hiatus. In the years that have passed, Most has branched out into directing indie films, though he never regrets his summer-stock experience. He continues to believe theater is the purest form of acting.Then and Now The three actors agree that the heady experience they enjoyed may not be as intense today. When they were launching careers, acting conservatories and professional theater training at the college level was not as commonplace or all-encompassing as it is today. In many ways, summer stock filled that gap. By contrast, young actors today may start out with lots of training to their credit. Nevertheless, our veteran actors maintain that the stock experience is still invaluable if you come to it with a receptive mind. Reams is concerned that unlike his cohorts, who viewed themselves as innocents when they entered summer stock, some current newbie actors believe they're already professional and have all the answers. Further, they're thinking about monetary gain and their futures as television stars, all of which is counterproductive."You never know who you'll meet or how you'll grow artistically," he says. "You learn by doing. Pay attention to how things work for good and bad. Learn to work with other people and have patience with your own work. Be creative and enjoy the experience." He pauses to emphasize how important it is to be likable, and if you don't have anything pleasant to say, "shut up!" he says. "If you get a bad reputation, it travels with you.""It's a dues-paying time," Schuck suggests. "Find a way to make it work. Eating peanut butterandjelly sandwiches and sleeping on mattresses on the floor won't kill you. But performing in summer stock will give you the chance to immerse yourself in theater 24-7. We went into the theater because we loved the theater. Our goal was to be as good as we could be. Summer stock, with its limited time, limited finances, love, and enthusiasm, created an energy you don't see on the professional stage. It was a win-win situation." Veteran Actors Recall the Joys and Challenges of Summer Theater By Simi Horwitz February 22, 2012 Don Most PHOTO CREDIT Don Most Recounting his experiences in summer stock, Conrad John Schuck is almost elegiac.His memories evoke images right out of a Judy GarlandMickey Rooney film in which the kids decide to put on a show in a barn. The living conditions were rugged, the money negligible at best, but boy did they have fun. Ten shows in 11 weeks and the opportunity to tackle a range of roles they wouldn't have the chance to play for another 30 years. And, man, were there charactersfrom eccentric directors to the summer-stock entrepreneurs, who ran their companies like little fiefdoms and always dressed the part. One was clad in a tuxedo, while another toted "what looked like a 4-foot cigar." Schuck also remembers a borderline-psychotic actor who was off her meds and appeared in the producer's office stark naked, proclaiming that she was a Blackfoot Indian princess. (Conrad John Schuck) A veteran actor whose credits include Broadway, film, and television, Schuck has little doubt that summer stock played a major role in his career. Though Schuck still performs in summer theater productions, the early years had the most lasting impact.His first experience was at the Denison University Theatre in Granville, Ohio, an on-campus theater providing students with the chance to try their hand at everything from musicals to classics. Occasionally guest actors were brought in, but for the most part the cast was exclusively college kids. Besides acting they also worked on the crew, mastering the fundamentals of sets, costumes, and props. By the time Schuck graduated from Denison University with a theater major, he knew something about the way a theater functioned, had performed in 50 to 60 shows, and was competitive in the professional world, he says. "In the summer theater we learned to do homework, be on time, have manners, and not be afraid to ask questions," he says. "It was a great primer."But most relevant, he earned his Equity card. He describes starring as El Gallo in a production of "The Fantasticks" at Denison, where K. Elmo Lowe, the managing director of the Cleveland Play House, saw him perform. Lowe was so impressed, he invited Schuck to repeat the role in Cleveland and become a member of the company for the 196263 season. In the interim, Schuck played Walt Dreary in "The Threepenny Opera" at the Woodstock Playhouse in upstate NY. When that production was extended two weeks, Schuck had the moxie to say he'd stay if he got his Equity card, and his strategy worked. By the time he arrived in Cleveland, "I was an Equity member," he recalls, laughing. "My salary was bumped up to $62.50 a week."Later, as a young professional he performed for three summers at the Cleveland Musicarnival, where he learned projection, among other skills. Housed in a tent, the theater-in-the-round sat 2,000, he recalls. In another summer-stock stint, he toured for 10 weeks throughout the Northeast and Chicago with the great comic Imogene Coca in Howard Teichman's "A Rainy Day in Newark." Since that time, he has gone on to appear in a host of films, including Robert Altman's "MASH," "Brewster McCloud," and "McCabe & Mrs. Miller," as well as in recurring roles on TV, from "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" to "St. Elsewhere" all the way back to "McMillan & Wife," starring Rock Hudson. On Broadway, he has starred as Daddy Warbucks in "Annie" and Buffalo Bill in "Annie Get Your Gun." Learning Curve (Lee Roy Reams) The Tony-nominated Lee Roy Reams, who has appeared in 10 Broadway musicals and dozens of regional productions, also recalls receiving his Equity card at an early age, compliments of summer stock. Indeed, he was between his freshman and sophomore years at the University of Cincinnati's College-Conservatory of Music when he performed with the James Alex Summer Theatre in Dayton, Ohio, thus scoring his union membership. Like Schuck, Reams valued summer stock for offering him the chance to appear in many productions, viewing the quick turnover as training him to think fast on his feet. He also gained an appreciation of all the roles played by onstage and backstage personnel. "You lived theater," he says. "And there was that wonderful camaraderie."The high point for Reams was the opportunity to meet and mingle with the stars who were routinely brought in to the productions. He worked with such mega-talents as Dorothy Dandridge, Dorothy Collins, Rita Moreno, Jane Powell, and Patricia Morrison, among others. The glitz and glamour aside, they offered object lessons in professionalism, he says. By example, they taught the value of a solid work ethic and were also a wealth of information about the NY stage. Reams continues to perform in summer theaters, most recently at MUNY in St. Louis, where he and Schuck played the comic gangsters in "Kiss Me, Kate."Don Most came to summer stock later in life. His first encounter occurred when he was already an established actor, best known for his nine-year gig as the merry prankster Ralph Malph in the hit sitcom "Happy Days." Indeed, in 1978 when he performed at Lakewood Theater in Madison, Maine, he had been entering America's living room for four years. Still, he was starstruck by the theater's storied history. It is one of the oldest in America, and "everyone from silent screen stars to Broadway stars performed there," he says, impressed even in retrospect. "I appeared in 'Barefoot in the Park' with Maureen O'Sullivan. It was a wonderful, idyllic experience. It was a theater on a lake with a diner across the street. We'd go there before the show, and after the show we'd go to a nightclub. We were living in cabins in the woods." Most tackled summer theater two more times, including a stint at the Westport Country Playhouse in Westport, Conn., appearing in a production of David Wiltse's "Doubles" that co-starred George Maharis and David Groh.Interestingly, summer stock was Most's first professional stage experience, though in many ways performing in a weekly sitcom in front of a live studio audience was similar, he says. But stock offered him the chance to play roles he never would have landed. It also served as a welcome relief from the grind of TV during his hiatus. In the years that have passed, Most has branched out into directing indie films, though he never regrets his summer-stock experience. He continues to believe theater is the purest form of acting.Then and Now The three actors agree that the heady experience they enjoyed may not be as intense today. When they were launching careers, acting conservatories and professional theater training at the college level was not as commonplace or all-encompassing as it is today. In many ways, summer stock filled that gap. By contrast, young actors today may start out with lots of training to their credit. Nevertheless, our veteran actors maintain that the stock experience is still invaluable if you come to it with a receptive mind. Reams is concerned that unlike his cohorts, who viewed themselves as innocents when they entered summer stock, some current newbie actors believe they're already professional and have all the answers. Further, they're thinking about monetary gain and their futures as television stars, all of which is counterproductive."You never know who you'll meet or how you'll grow artistically," he says. "You learn by doing. Pay attention to how things work for good and bad. Learn to work with other people and have patience with your own work. Be creative and enjoy the experience." He pauses to emphasize how important it is to be likable, and if you don't have anything pleasant to say, "shut up!" he says. "If you get a bad reputation, it travels with you.""It's a dues-paying time," Schuck suggests. "Find a way to make it work. Eating peanut butterandjelly sandwiches and sleeping on mattresses on the floor won't kill you. But performing in summer stock will give you the chance to immerse yourself in theater 24-7. We went into the theater because we loved the theater. Our goal was to be as good as we could be. Summer stock, with its limited time, limited finances, love, and enthusiasm, created an energy you don't see on the professional stage. It was a win-win situation."

Bookies and Oscar Pundits Put Odds On The Artist, Obviously

The Academy Awards are not a contest, the humble nominees might demur, taking the high road through the gory scrum that is awards season. But do you really think, say, Glenn Close wouldnt cut a bitch for an Oscar? Alas, the odds are against her, literally; online books have her at as much as 100:1 odds to win her first statuette for Albert Nobbs. Take a peek at how the internets enterprising bookies have handicapped the 84th Academy Award nominees and adjust your bets accordingly. Oscar wagering is, of course, a natural byproduct of Hollywoods biggest night. After all, for some folks the Academy Awards are the sporting event of the season, and this Sunday is moviedoms Super Bowl the night our nation gathers around the tube to watch favored players, decked out in uniforms of black tie and couture, nodding gamely at the competition along the red carpet while hoping to be the one holding the hardware aloft in triumph at the end of the night. So whether or not you play along at home with your own Oscar pool or go in for the big bets, these odds should give you an extra leg up on predicting this weekends winners. This year the odds made by the experts line up for the most part with the prognostications of the awards watchers who contribute to the Gold Derby Oscar handicap (including Movieline's S.T. VanAirsdale, whose latest Oscar Index can be found here). That said, who among us isn't rooting for at least one or two upsets on the big night? The Artist has had a lock on Best Picture for months, and odds reflect the near-certainty that itll take home top honors. Running a distant second, according to the bookmakers and the pundits, is The Descendants, while Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close is the near-unanimous choice among betmakers and pundits for last place. Best Picture (Best odds selected from multiple sites via Oddschecker.com.) 1/9 The Artist 28-1 The Descendants 25-1 The Help 25-1 Hugo 50-1 War Horse 100-1 Midnight in Paris 100-1 Moneyball 100-1 Tree of Life 100-1 Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close Likewise, put money on The Artists Michel Hazanavicius to win Best Director (1/6 at Bodog.com) and you wont get much on a win, but bet on Terrence Malick (66-1 at Ladbrokes) and the dark horse could pay-off handsomely. A little more excitement is to be had in the Best Actor category, where favorite Jean Dujardin is fending off George Clooney in a close-ish race. And over in Best Actress, the ladies are duking it out in the more exciting category of the season, where Viola Davis reigns over Meryl Streep but a winning wager on The Girl with the Dragon Tattoos super, super dark horse Rooney Mara could be huge (303-1 at Betfair). Meanwhile, the pundits and the betting experts differ the most in Best Animated Feature, where the clear favorite is Rango; Oscar watchers betting with their hearts and minds (and knowledge of Academy voting habits) peg Puss in Boots and A Cat in Paris as the likeliest winners behind Rango, but betmakers put the odds on Chico & Rita in the case of an upset. Want less predictability in your Oscar betting game? You can also bet on which designer will be worn by the Best Actress winner (odds in favor of Stella McCartney, Valentino, and Yves Saint Laurent). For a full look at the odds on the Oscars in multiple categories, head to Oddschecker. [Oddschecker, Gold Derby]

Patric Verrone: Morgan Cox Award honoree

VerronePatric Verrone can't quite believe that he's locating the WGA West's Morgan Cox Award in recognition and services information for the guild."It's very flattering but furthermore surprising, since i have have appear like I've a lot more to accomplish,In . according to him. Verrone will probably be honored within the Authors Guild Awards' West Coast ceremony on Sunday within the Hollywood Palladium, joining the ranks of those scribes as Carl Gottlieb (film author of "Jaws") and Frank Pierson ("Dog Day Mid-day"). His professional career's experienced the world of "The Late Show," "The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson," "The Ray Sanders Show," "The Simpsons" and "Futurama.""Wonderful due respect to 'Futurama,' the most effective was coping with Johnny Carson since i have not required to show anybody just what the show involved,Inch he muses.Verrone's particularly pleased at joining the WGA's efforts to develop jurisdiction to the Fox animated shows, Comedy Central as well as the Tyler Perry shows. "Getting authors to the WGA remains incredibly satisfying," according to him.Verrone's participation with organizing animation inside the the 19 nineties introduced to his election for the board in 1999, serving two terms as secretary-treasurer and a pair of as leader like the 2007-08 strike, then another term round the board before losing the presidency to Christopher Keyser last fall.The needs of "Futurama" and raising three youngsters with his wife, Maiya Williams, keep him plenty busy. "As the kids get older, I'm greater than Confident with getting others undertake guild service." Verrone's also pleased that animation author Mike Reiss will intro him Sunday. "Mike's one of the funniest people I realize to make sure that makes my speech easier,Inch he adds.WGA Honours 2012Truth elbows out gags Good timing for WGA prexyHonoreesKress & McDuffie Eric Roth Tate Taylor Patric Verrone Zwick & Herskovitz Contact Dork McNary at dork.mcnary@variety.com