This is the great theater, film & TV director Oz Scott. He was honored at Directors Guild of America last night, 4/28/22. I was honored to speak & ”praise him like I should.”
EARLY IN MY CAREER – BACK IN THE PLEISTOCENE – WHEN TV GUIDE CAME IN THE MAIL AND THERE WERE ONLY THREE NETWORKS AND FOX WASN’T ONE – A REPORTER ASKED IF I HAD A FAVORITE DIRECTOR I’D EVER WORKED WITH AND I SAID OZ SCOTT.
I DON’T KNOW WHERE THIS WAS PUBLISHED, BUT IT GOT BACK TO OZ, AND HE CALLED TO THANK ME AND ASK WHY DID I SAY THAT? AND I TOLD HIM WHAT I’M ABOUT TO TELL YOU NOW.
EVEN EARLIER IN THE PLEISTOCENE – IN THE LATE 70S – I’D BEEN IN A PLAY OZ DIRECTED AT THE EUGENE O’NEILL CENTER. WHICH IS KIND OF A PRESTIGIOUS EAST COAST SUMMER CAMP FOR NEW PLAYWRIGHTS. AND IT’S A BIG DEAL TO BE ASKED TO ACT OR DIRECT ONE OF THE PLAYS, SO I WAS VERY HAPPY TO BE IN A PLAY OZ WAS DIRECTING BUT I’D NEVER MET HIM BEFORE.
AND IT WAS THE FIRST DAY AND WE WERE STRUGGLING WITH A SCENE – YOU ONLY HAD A WEEK TO GET A PLAY ON ITS FEET IN A STAGED READING FOR THE COMMUNITY – AND IT’S TALKY FAMILY DRAMA ABOUT AN ENGLISH – OR WELSH – WAR BRIDE COMNG BACK HOME TO AMERICA TO LIVE WITH HER HUSBAND’S FAMILY. AND SHE THINKS IT’S GOING TO BE SHANGRI-LA AND INSTEAD IT’S A WEST VIRGINIA COAL MINER’S HOUSE WITH HIS DYSFUNCTIONAL PARENTS AND SISTER. BUT NONE OF US REALLY KNEW OUR CHARACTERS, AND WE’RE ALL ONSTAGE IN THIS FIRST SCENE WAITING FOR THE FATHER TO COME HOME FOR DINNER, AND WE’RE TALKING TALKING TALKING AND HAVE NO IDEA HOW TO BEHAVE TO MAKE ANY OF THIS WORK AND OZ STOPS AND SAYS. “OK, IN THIS HOUSE, WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IN REAL LIFE?’
AND THE PLAYWRIGHT’S, WHO’S RIGHT NEXT TO HIM BECAUSE THE O’NEILL IS ALL ABOUT SERVING THE PLAYWRIGHT, SAYS, ‘EVERY NIGHT WE HAD TO LAY A PATH OF NEWSPAPERS OUT BEFORE THE FATHER CAME HOME, FROM THE FRONT DOOR TO THE BIG TUB IN THE KITCHEN, SO NO COAL DUST WOULD SHED ON THE FLOOR BEFORE HE STRIPPED TO HIS UNDERWEAR AND WASHED OFF AT THE TUB.’
OK. SO NOW WE HAD A GROUP ACTIVITY THAT NONE OF US HAD EVER SEEN BEFORE ONSTAGE, LET ALONE PERFORMED. AND IT NOT ONLY SOLVED THE SCENE, IT UNLOCKED OUR CHARACTERS, THE FAMILY DYNAMIC AND THE WHOLE PLAY. AND ALL BECAUSE OF THE QUESTION OZ ASKED – ‘WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IN REAL LIFE?’ AT THE TIME, ABSTRACT EXPRESSIONISM WAS IN VOGUE IN NY AND IN THE LAST PLAY I’D DONE I HAD TO SPOUT A FULL PAGE MONOLOGUE UNDER THE DIRECTION I WAS GIVEN TO ‘RUN AROUND THE STAGE SCREAMING LIKE A CHICKEN WITH YOUR HEAD CUT OFF.’
I THINK THE TV MOVIES OZ DIRECTED FOR DISNEY THAT I WAS IN – MR. BOOGEDY AND MY ONLY EPONYMOUS ROLE, BRIDE OF BOOGEDY- ARE BELOVED HALLOWEEN PERENNIALS PRECISELY BECAUSE OZ GAVE THAT SAME TEXTURE OF REAL LIFE TO THE FAMILY AT THE CENTER, EVEN THOUGH IT WAS A STORY ABOUT INVISIBLE CLOAKS AND ECCENTRIC TOWNSPEOPLE AND A GLOWING GREEN MONSTER GHOST. AND THAT TEXTURE COMES FROM OZ. I WILL ALWAYS BE GRATEFUL I ENCOUNTERED HIM EARLY ENOUGH TO SEE HOW HE APPROACHED MATERIAL – TO HEAR HIM ASK ‘WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IN REAL LIFE?’ I STILL ASK MYSELF THAT QUESTION IF I’M SOLVING A PUZZLE IN A NEW ROLE. WHEN A DIRECTOR ASKS IT, IT INVITES ALL THE ACTORS IN A PROJECT TO DO THEIR WORK ON COMMON GROUND. I’VE BEEN BLESSED TO WORK WITH SOME GREAT DIRECTORS IN MY CAREER. BUT IF A REPORTER WERE TO ASK THAT SAME QUESTION TODAY – OZ SCOTT IS THE NAME THAT WOULD STILL COME TO MIND.