Sunday, December 7, 2014

I Was Working the Day Watch Out of Mathnet: Beverly Leech Answers Eight Eighties Questions

Mathnetters George Frankly and Kate Monday

Today’s Eight Eighties Questions interview is with Beverly Leech, an actress who most 1980s kids will remember as Kate Monday from Mathnet.  A parody of Dragnet, Mathnet was a segment of the mathematically-themed Children’s Television Workshop hit SquareOne Television.   She also worked on many other memorable 1980s shows, including Star Search, The Facts of Life, Matlock, Head of the Class, and Quantum Leap.  Her long and multifaceted career has included film and Broadway, as well. Just a few of her many credits include Frasier, Star Trek:  Voyager, JAG, Criminal Minds, Mad Men, and Rizzoli & Isles.  She has recently had memorable spots in the Nokia Lumia commercials “The Wedding” (which included a Jedi-like leap over a table), and “The Recital” (where she asks, “How’s this for a drama shot?” and delivers a wallop of a head-butt).  In addition to her own work in front of the camera, she is one of the most sought after acting coaches in Hollywood and is the author of Actor Muscle – Craft, Grit, Wit:  A Professional Guide to the Business of Acting.

Beverly was kind enough to take time out of her busy schedule to be the first interviewee of the Eight Eighties Questions series.

#1.  When you think back to your days on Mathnet, what is the first thing that comes to mind?

The first thing?  ‘The Angle of Incidence equals the angle of reflection’ – from “The Problem of the Missing Baseball,” season one of Mathnet.  Hey, I learned some things, too!
                                                                
#2.  What was the best thing that happened to you as a result of playing Kate Monday? 

Beverly Leech
There wasn’t any one “best thing” except that I grew up.  I grew up in all sorts of ways – as a person, as an actor.  I believe that our incomparable director, Charlie Dubin, was the kindest, funniest, toughest, and most interesting man I’d ever met.  I had very little experience on a film set, and in my ignorance, had no good habits that were a reflection of a “leading lady.”  Charlie literally grabbed me by the collar and plunked me in to a chair next to him and told me I wasn’t ever allowed to leave the set for any reason.  “Sit there, be quiet, and learn something.”  And I did.  Charlie had his early roots in vaudeville, and his stories between camera set-ups were hilarious.  I’ll always be grateful for his intervention and talent.  Janette Webb, our beautiful producer, was a lady in every sense of the word, and she very patiently smoothed out my Texan-tomboy-redneck manners … though, honestly, it took longer that she probably would have preferred.  Lastly, I can’t say enough good things about the writing team of Dave Connell and Jim Thurman – truly funny men, deeply committed, and always a joy to break out a new script. They are still my favorite writers to this day, and really taught me everything about timing and comedy.

#3.  What was a typical day of filming like for a five episode Mathnet case?

I’m very disciplined and like to wake up several hours before the early morning, 6am, calls to set.  I’d get up around 4 or 5 am, have coffee, move around and get my body awake – then review the day’s scenes with a bowl of cereal or hard boiled eggs.  I’d drive to set, go to makeup and wardrobe, then do a camera blocking with the director, and go back to the hair and makeup trailer to finish the prep. Joe and the guest star and I would run the scene lightly in the trailer, get to know each other a bit, then go to the set and wait for camera to be ready, rehearse some more.  Being on set requires patience – there’s a lot of waiting.  But under no circumstances can you get lazy and zone out on the intent of the immediate scene.  When camera is ready, you have to be, too.  So I wait like a pot that’s lightly simmering, just ready to go in to a full boil.  And since the dialogue was frequently difficult with zany tongue twisters and mathematic formulas, I was running those quite a bit.  At lunch, I don’t always eat with the cast and crew.  If it’s been a big morning and I’m feeling a little burned out, I will grab a tray but prop my feet up in the trailer for a power nap to rejuvenate my brain cells.  Then, eat lunch while I’m going through touch ups before camera again.  There’s nothing worse than losing your juice before the shooting day is over, so lunch time power naps are important for me.  “Losing your juice” means my mind and body begin to fade – I forget lines, I get slow or clumsy, and that by itself will kill comedy.  Comedy needs pace and timing, and my instrument needs to play to its tune.

#4.  My favorite episode of Mathnet was “The View From the Rear Terrace” [a parody of the Alfred Hitchcock classic Rear Window].   Kate was in a wheelchair recuperating from a leg injury, which she refused to reveal how it happened because she said it was embarrassing.  While at home, Kate was nearly killed by a time bomb that had been planted by a deranged criminal seeking revenge.  With seconds left to go, Kate is screaming her last goodbyes to George through the locked door as he tries to save her.  Thankfully he succeeded, and in my opinion it was the most intense episode in Mathnet history.  What can you tell us about that episode, especially the mystery injury and the bomb scene? 

This episode was one of my favorites as well – mainly because it was one of the few times we broke out of the traditional Mathnet script and circumstances.  It was perhaps the only time (?) we got to see Kate and George in their homes, not the headquarters or at the scene of a “crime.” They weren’t in uniform, which is a visual sign of authority, but in regular clothing – more human, more vulnerable, and we see them as friends.  In the past, they were always friendly and worked well together, but this time it was a deeper friendship, with more at stake.  And because of this situation, the production also relaxed the requirement of my character’s stoicism and “just the facts” kind of delivery.  I was allowed to move out from that emotionally, and it was a gratifying experience.  Joe Howard is simply wonderful to work with – always.  He is a very talented man, very humble, and a consummate professional.  I rather admire and look up to him, so it was effortless to transfer that real kinship in to our performance.

#5.  Kate Monday disappeared without a trace, and was literally never mentioned again.  Her disappearance was very upsetting to a lot of little Mathnet fans.  What happened?

Aw, gee. I hate answering this. It broke my heart to leave the show, it really did.  In the early years after my departure, I never answered anyone with a straight answer about why because I was very protective of the show’s image. But, it’s been 20 years, and it’s not that it’s some deep dark secret, it was just long and complicated. The short answer is: After several years of working under the same contract (which had started out very simple and tidy), headquarters in New York changed the shooting schedule, location, and the contract terms in such a way that I literally could not afford to do it.

The salary for Mathnet was very meager, but it was a labor of love, not about the money. And PBS/CTW had the wisdom at that time to shoot it on hiatus. [Hiatus is a rest period in between the shooting seasons of the industry.]  I made enough money in the other seasons to cover all of my expenses and my bills, and during the hiatus, I was able to afford to work on Mathnet.  Initially, Mathnet was shot in LA, and when they did it in New York, CTW/PBS covered the travel and modest living quarters.  Covering those travel expenses is industry standard, by the way, and routinely practiced by every major studio and production house.

It was no secret that my agents didn’t make a good commission on this gig, and pressured me to move on, but I really enjoyed doing the show and continued in spite of that.  However, the deal that was presented to me by CTW/PBS the last year was drastically different - the shooting schedule was going to be moved into pilot season, which would effectively take me out of the market during a highly lucrative time. Furthermore, in those days, you were exclusively tied by contract to a show: you had to be available at all times and you couldn’t do anything else. So I would not have had the ability to appear on any other shows (shows that paid my rent and bills). The other huge surprise was that they wanted me to literally move to New York to be considered a “local hire” - then they wouldn’t have to pay for my airfare, or housing, or per diem to eat. When all was said and done, my choices were to either leave my husband and newborn completely behind in California or take them with me and effectively cut off two sources of income (his and mine). Now, it comes down to math! After taxes and commissions to a teeny weeny salary, it left me with about 200 bucks a week. Can any single person live in New York on $200 a week?  Impossible.  We explained the situation in contract negotiations over and over again. I was willing to take the part, and I was even willing to take the money, but there had to be some kind of compromise that would allow me to afford to do it. If they kept the traditional shooting schedule at hiatus, for instance, I doubt there would have been a problem I’d have taken it in a heartbeat. But there wasn’t any compromise; they wouldn’t even pay for the plane ticket – totally contrary to industry standards. And we all know what happened next. It was very, very hard phone call. I didn’t allow my agent to do it, I handled it personally.  The producer and I both cried on the phone. I loved those people, and I had a really hard time stepping away. But CTW/PBS headquarters did what they had to do to meet their budget, and I did what I had to do to meet mine. Now, it’s been 20 years, water under the bridge. I don’t have any hard feelings about it at all, and I’m sure they don’t either. 

#6.  One of Mathnet’s trademarks was that Kate and George carried their calculators in holsters.  After your time on the show ended, did you get to keep them or your Mathnet badge?

Yes.  Props gave me the badge as a parting gift.  I have the badge in the special chest where I store all my precious memories.

#7.  Between acting, coaching, and writing, you’ve got a lot going on.  What can you tell us about your current projects?

Still pounding pavement as an actor, but I’m a classic actor and superstitious about divulging titles to specific projects. It jinx’ the audition.  I’m blessed to have terrific agents, both theatrically and commercially.  A lot of women my age sometimes stall out, but I’ve already renewed contracts and it feels good to still keep showing up and being allowed to use the gifts my higher power has so graciously given me.  I try to remember that when my ego gets petulant.  I currently work every week with a great actors/writers lab, The Actors Gym, run by Academy Award Winning writer/director, Bobby Moresco.  It’s a great group of highly skilled professionals and we develop new screenplays and television pilots, and workshop the occasional stage play - very invigorating.  Lately, I’ve been auditioning again for musical theatre which is a total surprise.  I’d had a series of shoulder surgeries the last few years and had literally stepped out of that very rigorous type of production.  But, I’m back, and who knew I still had singing chops?  As things slow down for the holidays, I stay busy doing staged readings for other writers – will be doing one this Friday, actually – an interesting film noir piece set in the South.  My husband, actor Christian Meoli, runs a rather successful venue called The Arena Cinema in Hollywood, giving independent film makers a chance to give their film a theatrical release. He’s the face and the brains of the operation, but I assist with the business aspects to keep the wheels running smoothly.  Yes, it involves MATH.

#8.  What piece of life advice would you like to share?

F. Scott Fitzgerald’s – ‘It’s Never Too Late’
“For what it’s worth:  it’s never too late, or in my case, too early to be whoever you want to be.  There’s no time limit, stop whenever you want.  You can change or stay the same; there are no rules to this thing.  We can make the best or the worst of it.  I hope you make the best of it.  And I hope you see things that startle you.  I hope you feel things you’ve never felt before.  I hope you meet people with a different point of view.  I hope you live a life you’re proud of.  If you find that you’re not, I hope you have the strength to start all over again.”

~ AND ~ I think  #6 and  #10 below are the most potent for me personally.

‘THE TEN RULES OF SHOW BIZ’
   1.    Take the money …
   2.    Eat when you can …
   3.    Nothing is in the bag, so keep your day job.
   4.    Never screw the stage manager.
   5.    Never turn your back on a producer.
   6.    Leave yourself alone, and work to be better.
   7.    Never share a vast idea with a half vast person.
   8.    Never forget what they’ve done to you, but never show you remember.
   9.    Never underestimate the bad taste of the artistically pretentious.
   10. Fame is what others give you. Success is what you give yourself. 


      Be sure to check out some of Beverly Leech's links:


       
     "Actor Muscle: Craft. Grit. Wit. A Professional Guide 
      to the Business of Acting" 2014 edition available in print
      at  Amazon.   

     "The Nuts and Bolts: Audition Technique for 
      Television & Film" MP3  Download at CD Baby.  Now on
      shelves at Samuel French/LA, Drama Book Shop/NYC, and
      Skylight Books.















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