(VIDEO) CULLUM ADVICE ON LEARNING LINES

John explains that when he first started acting, he held the script, and didn't try to learn lines until the show was blocked.

This pattern changed as he became a professional. He found that it was important to start learning lines right away -- starting with the second day of rehearsal.

Nowadays, usually about a month before the actual rehearsals begin, he starts to memorize the lines. Using a small tape recorder, playing all the parts, he tapes all the dialogue. He works for a few hours everyday, pausing the recorder, reciting his own lines in the appropriate sequence, checking them for accuracy.

Later, every day before each and every performance, in his dressing room, John Cullum goes over the lines of the play.

HOT "NEWSWEEK" NEWS

Welcome back to my mail box Newsweek Magazine -- I missed you since you and the "Daily Beast" stopped the printed issue in October 2012, and became an online magazine.

Happy day -- my new Newsweek, with JFK, Marilyn, Liz, and DiMaggio on the cover, immediately intrigued me. I dove into the cover story, expecting ... well, at least some interesting revelations about these super celebs.

Nope. The cover story by the reporter focused on bestselling author C. David Heymann's latest book, "Joe and Marilyn, Legends in Love." The magazine's reporter stated that in this book, the author invented shocking intimate details as he described Joe beating up Marilyn, Joe wire-tapping her home, Joe stalking her.

On and on went the cover story, proving that each bestseller by Heymann was chock-full of lies, distortion, and non-facts.

Quoting other celebs, the reporter showed how Heymann's book on Barbara Hutton, "Poor Little Rich Girl," his revelations about Jackie, and JFK, his proof that RFK was her lover in "Bobby and Jackie" were mostly the author's inventions.


Also, according to the reporter, the revelations about Liz's love life were not based on her confiding in Heymann as he claimed -- Heymann's revelations were well-researched rumors. Similarly, his book about Caroline Kennedy and JFK Jr., and Heymann's
his second book about RFK, are page-turners, but the reporter tells the reader, "The facts are not facts."



Remember, our admiring these celebrities, wondering about them, learning some right facts and wrong facts about them is fascinating, but like entertainment -- it distracts us from the often boring, ordinariness of our own lives.

Hmm....

Writing a blog requires me to keep in tune with the times, to wonder about things that you and millions of others wonder about. Yes, Newsweek back in print is fun to skim, but I sense, though the title isn't used anymore, the "Daily Beast"  is still behind the scenes -- still specializing in gossip, nasty news, and dirty laundry.

If you want more of this to fill the nooks and crannies of your imaginary love life, you can get the current printed magazine online, or subscribe and get the digital Newsweek on one of your handheld devices. Or buy the books on Amazon. This bestselling author, who died two years ago, made millions on these books, and lives on in these tales he told, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing.

Obviously the "nothing" that was written by the very skilled, very savvy Heymann, is wonderfully absorbing entertainment.

HUMA AND THERESA

Wondering how Huma Weiner was doing, I found this photo of her with short hair, and found myself thinking about Theresa Kerry, wondering how she was doing these days.

Why in the world am I curious about two people I don't know? They're not famous, or major celebrities. Hey, I am curious about Susan Sarandon -- she's a real movie star in terms of talent and parts she's played in films -- she's  not doing big starring roles as often as she used to. Similarly, Goldie Hawn who's another favorite movie star whom age has affected. But I'm not wondering how Hawn or Sarandon are doing in the way I wonder about Huma and Theresa, who, because of not good events -- tragic events -- have had to disappear and recover. 

I Googled the Weiners -- they had moved to a less expensive condo -- I saw a reference and photo of Weiner taking his son to Union Square Park. It's just two blocks from my home so the Weiners are sort of like neighbors. I saw the photo of Huma again, with her new hairdo.

There were many photos that recapitulated the doings of "Carlos Dangerous" -- Anthony's  nickname for the girls he met on online while he was blithely promoting himself as a possible mayor of New York. There was a news alert about him opening a restaurant in Rockaway, NY. I found myself thinking louder than ever -- this guy is unrealistic, mentally ill.

I read an article by another blogger reporter (like me), who was looking for something hopeful about Huma. The article described how Huma has been working for Hillary. It pleased me, that Hillary whom I admire, continues to trust Huma's wisdom and creativity.

The only real news I found was another mention of Huma's new hairdo -- found myself wondering if Huma was changing herself to make herself more attractive? to him, or to herself?

And what about Theresa Heinz Kerry? With the daily news about her husband, John Kerry's doings as our Secretary of State, there hasn't been a word about her since September of last year -- her stroke, and then Theresa Kerry being rehabilitated at a rehab hospital.

Yes, I want to know how she's doing and if she's doing things with any of her very interesting projects, most of which have to do with women's issues and causes that have to with helping people.

Though there is no recent news about her, it's obvious, she isn't traveling with John; clearly she is not giving interviews; though I understand that she doesn't want to be in the news, I wonder if she's walking and talking completely normally. 

Maybe I'm wondering about her and Huma because I sense that other folks like me, admire these two women.

Yes! I figure others will be inspired as I will be inspired, when I know Huma Weiner and Theresa Kerry are full out, one-hundred percent functioning again, back to working -- doing what they can do -- as important women of the world.