Matt vs. the Academy

A few nights ago, I joined some of my cast mates to frequent a local Central Pennsylvanian bar. Unfortunately, I was turned away at the door for not having the correct I.D. You see, the law states that not only must all patrons be over the age of 21, but they must also be carrying an appropriate form of identification in order to confirm their age. Even if you clearly appear to be of age, you must still carry one of three acceptable forms of I.D., namely a military I.D., a passport or a state-issued I.D. (which includes a driver's licence). Well, I'm not in the military, my passport is back in New York and my driver's licence is from Australia. So, no luck there. I did, however, have my Green Card with me, but the gentleman behind the bar was kind enough to inform me that it was not state-issued. True. In fact, it is federally-issued, which you would think would hold more weight than mere state-issued items, but alas, his hands were tied. To add insult to injury, he made it...

Happy Anniversary! Last week marked one year since the inception of Matt vs. the Academy. Hurrah! I want to thank you all for reading thus far, especially during this slower period of recent weeks. You'll be glad to know (or maybe you won't care) that Mid-Life: The Crisis Musical opened last week and so I am finally free of rehearsals and therefore experiencing some free time. I have taken advantage of said free time by continuing with my review of the 1940 Best Picture contest. Next up is... Our Town Director : Sam Wood Screenplay : Thornton Wilder, Frank Craven, Harry Chandlee (based on the play by Thornton Wilder) Starring : William Holden, Martha Scott, Fay Bainter, Beulah Bondi, Thomas Mitchell, Guy Kibbee, Frank Craven Academy Awards : 6 nominations 0 wins Grover's Corners is a typical small town in early 20th century New Hampshire. Quiet, simple living is the order of the day. Our narrator introduces us to several of the town's residents and their daily routines...

I'm back! Yes, I realise there has been a rather elongated pause leading up to this post. It has been a very hectic time for me recently. While I have been performing My Fair Lady, I have also been rehearsing Midlife: The Crisis Musical , the next show to be staged at the Allenberry Playhouse . Consequently, I have essentially been without a day off for two weeks. The only free day I had was last Monday, and that was spent in New York City with my darling wife as well as some family who were visiting from Australia. Plus, some good friends from home, Steve, Susie and Amanda , were also in town for an improv festival, allowing for a long overdue catch-up. It was an enjoyable break from the hustle of rehearsals, but it left me with no time for this project. Thus, today was a relaxing day off in which I finally found some time to watch another nominee from the 1940 Best Picture contest... The Letter Director : William Wyler Screenplay : Howard Koch (based on the play by W. Somerset M...

Another week of My Fair Lady performances nearly over and since this project is moving at a more leisurely pace during this period, it means you have plenty more time to vote on the next year of review. We're heading to the 1990s next and the poll is over there to your right. This week, I managed to find some time to watch the eventual winner of the 1940 Best Picture race... Rebecca Director : Alfred Hitchcock Screenplay : Philip MacDonald, Michael Hogan, Robert E. Sherwood, Joan Harrison Starring : Laurence Olivier, Joan Fontaine, George Sanders, Judith Anderson Academy Awards : 11 nominations 2 wins, including Best Picture Yet another 1940 nominee dealing with class differences, Rebecca relates the tale of Max de Winter (Olivier), an upper class gentleman who begins a love affair with a delightful young woman who apparently has no given name (Fontaine). The whirlwind romance proceeds to marriage and Max brings his new bride to his country home, which does have a name - Manderley....

For those who have not been paying attention, I'm currently performing in My Fair Lady at the Allenberry Playhouse. That's me on the right playing Colonel Pickering. Last week was a hectic week of final rehearsals, but our first few performances were received very well. Four more weeks to go! With such a busy schedule last week, there was little time left for this project, or anything else, for that matter, but now that the show has opened, things have settled down again. In fact, today, a few fellow cast members and I made the most of our first day off in two weeks by taking out the tubes and rafts for a slow trip down the Yellow Breeches . On the weekend, I had a chance to catch another 1940 Best Picture nominee... Kitty Foyle Director : Sam Wood Screenplay : Dalton Trumbo and Donald Ogden Stewart (based on the novel by Christopher Morley) Starring : Ginger Rogers, Dennis Morgan, James Craig Academy Awards : 5 nominations 1 win, for Best Actress (Rogers) Young working class ...