tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13593902.post4486302353696387517..comments2024-02-11T09:55:50.468-08:00Comments on The Eastside View: Ashland 4: Two American ClassicsCharles Sherehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10480432901356490235noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13593902.post-47372746542137036372008-09-21T07:43:00.000-07:002008-09-21T07:43:00.000-07:00By one of life’s constant coincidences, Mary has j...By one of life’s constant coincidences, Mary has just shown me this in yesterday’s Guardian. It’s from an interview with English playright and actor Sanjeev Bhaskar:<BR/><BR/>Which living person do you most admire, and why?<BR/><BR/>Alan Alda. He commuted from LA to New York for 11 years while he was in M*A*S*H so as not to disrupt the family, but also found time to advocate for equal rights for women. He's warm, witty, generous and, I'm honoured to say, a good friend.John Whitinghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16170335248108710190noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13593902.post-59298993742441348902008-09-21T07:09:00.000-07:002008-09-21T07:09:00.000-07:00Uncomfortable? Not a bit! And yes, we frequently m...Uncomfortable? Not a bit! And yes, we frequently made eye contact; we were almost in front of him. I felt honored by the intimacy—let me tell you a story.<BR/><BR/>One of the cast members was Rowena Cooper, an English actress [I know I’m supposed to say actor, but it sticks in my craw] whom Mary knew because she had taught her child. She told us that Alda had to leave the show earlier than planned because of a Hollywood commitment. It could not continue without him, and so the cast would loose several weeks’ salary. In compensation, Alda paid them all out of his own pocket.John Whitinghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16170335248108710190noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13593902.post-51688903829779358462008-09-19T16:06:00.000-07:002008-09-19T16:06:00.000-07:00Amazing. Wasn't that uncomfortable for you? Did yo...Amazing. Wasn't that uncomfortable for you? Did you ever make eye contact with him?Charles Sherehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10480432901356490235noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13593902.post-78150025504246677222008-09-18T03:41:00.000-07:002008-09-18T03:41:00.000-07:00I once saw a London production of Our Town in whic...I once saw a London production of Our Town in which the Stage Manager was Alan Alda. He delivered his monologs sitting on the edge of the stage; we were in the front row about six feet away. It was one of the most unforgettable theatrical experiences I ever had.John Whitinghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16170335248108710190noreply@blogger.com