louise on the left (coast)

Portrait of the artist: Miriam Margolyes, actor 'I've been very lucky – I've worked consistently and I haven't had to kiss a lot of people on stage' Interview by  Laura Barnett guardian.co.uk , Monday 3 January 2011 21.59 GMT   larger  |  smaller Miriam Margolyes. Photograph: Christopher Thomond for the Guardian What got you started? Me and My Girl Crucible,  Sheffield Until 29 January Box office:  0114 249 6000 Venue website You're born with the performing gene. I was a show-off at school, so it was inevitable I would become an actress. Who or what have you sacrificed for your art? Nothing at all. I have lived an entirely egotistical life, for myself alone. What's the best advice anyone ever gave you? Max Stafford-Clark once told me to "play the opposite". It's about showing a character's layers: when you're playing a happy person, you show them sad; when you're playing an angry p

Yesterday and today I get to play "Judge" at this year's CSULB 2010 TheatreFes t!   (Question I could see on the faces of the competing groups: Was I a "Kara, Randy, "E" or a SIMON???" (Answer:  None of them in person, since every performance was on paper.  So on paper I would say I was mostly Ellen, a little of Randy and a little of Simon.  I wasn't dressed in enough bling to be Kara.) So, yeah, yesterday I saw 30+ comedic scenes by So. Cal. High School kids, and today I get to see even more comedic monologues. Lots of great talent out there! Local theater kids everywhere need to step up their game because the competition is fierce! :o) (To learn more about the CSULB TheatreFest competition click here .) Today I get to judge Comedic Monologues today and I'm really looking forward to it! Such great energy out there and some really talented kids.  It's always a huge surprise who jumps out with the best performance.  I learn

I originally wrote this in the comments section regarding a former post regarding having seen Frozen River . However, I thought this comment was interesting enough, and certainly long enough, to merit it's own post and not just languish, buried in some random comments section somewhere. So, here it is, again with a little re-working in it's own private post. From Me to Prince Gomolvilas re: Melissa Leo in Frozen River: ...Yeah, it's (Frozen River) is a film which I think is incredibly respectful to all the characters in the film. Let's face it, (unfortunately) I think Winslet may win this year, because she's so well known, but I'm obviously loyal to those who've touched my life personally, and this time, I actually think Leo deserves to win. And, yes, I'm a fan of all the women nominated this year. How do you call any one actors work "the best?" You can't. But, you can choose who to honor that year. Leo was as good as any of the others