HOOKS RECOMMENDS
"American Beauty", the new flick starring Kevin Spacey and Annette Benning, is a how-to manual for film-acting students. Spacey is a remarkably talented and confident actor, and his command of the film medium grows with every project. When you watch his work on camera, notice in particular how, in his close-up shots, you frequently see his thoughts and emotions shift and change. The camera will cut to him for a reaction, which he delivers -- and then he goes further, the reaction itself changing into a different thought. It is a camera technique he uses very effectively. Brando used to do it, too, and it is worth studying if you have in mind spending time in front of the camera.

HOOKS STUDENTS WORKING
MARNIE LEVEE (s.stdy - current) is appearing in the Eastenders Repertory Company production of "Waiting for Lefty" at A Traveling Jewish Theatre, 470 Florida Street, San Francisco, Oct. 14th-Nov. 7th. For info call (510)482-5054, or check their web site http;//www.eastenders.org. JEANETTE HARRISON (f/tv - '99) is in MacBeth at Actors Theatre in Santa Rosa (North Bay) and runs through October 23rd. For tickets, call 707-523-4185. She also recently completed principal roles in "After a Long Period", a student film, and indie flick "Almond Tequila." KEVIN LASIT(f/tv - '91) completed a V/O for Knight Video promoting the "DreamCast" by Sega. PHIL SHERIDAN (f/tv - '97) did a v/o on a training CD for GRS. LUBA (all classes '86-'90) appeared in "Duke Ellington and Me" during the recent San Francisco Fringe Festival. INGRID CHEN (all classes- '98-'99), newly arrived in LA, landed a commercial for El Torrito. GARY DOUGLAS (comml - '99) was cast in a role in the independent film "Deadville". JESSICA HART (comml - '99) is appearing in "Micetro", presented by Bay Area Theatresports, October, the 10th and 24th, at 8 pm. DOREEN CHOU CROFT(s.stdy - '91) shot a commercial for Raley's Supermarkets. STEPHEN MCHENRY (s.stdy - '99) is appearing in the Western Stage (Salinas) production of "The Front Page", through Oct. 23rd. Call (831)755-6816 for ticket info. GLORIA ALBA (s.stdy - current) is on-camera in a Miracle Ear commercial and recorded a v/o for Red Envelope. MOLLY VIEBROCK (comml - '96) shot a spot for Bank of Santa Clara. PEACHES HUTCHINSON (comml - '96) was cast in a student film entitled "You Talking to Me?" KURT KROESCHE (s.stdy - '96-'98) is in the Neil Simon play "The Good Doctor" at the Bus Barn Stage Company in Los Altos, running through Oct. 30th. For info, call (650)941-0551. MARC MAISEL (s.stdy - current) has been cast in "One Flew Over the Cookoo's Nest" at Palo Alto Players. The run is Nov. 5 - 21, and tickets go on sale Oct. 19th. For reservations, call 650 329 0891

CRAFT NOTES
VOYEURISM TELEVISION

Did you hear about the new hit tv show in the Netherlands? I'm not making this up. Nine Dutch citizens have agreed to live together for one hundred days in a house monitored continually by 24 television cameras and 50 microphones. All of their activities, except for the most intimate, are recorded and edited into a half-hour, prime time program entitled "Big Brother." It's a real life "Truman Show"! During the 100 days of voluntary captivity, six of the of the nine will be "evicted", by group vote, designed to increase tensions, hostilities and, I suppose, theatrical appeal. The final 3 remaining house residents will be subject to a vote by the television viewing public, the winner of which will receive $118,000.

In the U.S., we already have a similar voyeuristic program with "The Real World" on MTV, and there's a sorority in Florida that is broadcasting 24 hours per day over the Internet on a pay-per-view basis -- although one must presume the sorority sisters are in pursuit of the raincoat crowd, not mainstream audiences. What's going on here? Is voyeurism a legitimate entertainment form and, if so, what's the appeal? Are we turning into a world of lookie-loos? What joy can there be in watching people on television eating their actual breakfast, washing their actual clothes, replacing their actual toilet paper in their actual bathroom and taking actual naps?

Drama involves a suspension of disbelief on the part of the audience, so we can eliminate voyeurism from that category. Indeed, it is the knowledge that what is going on is real that makes voyeurism appealing. This is a primary difference between documentaries and fictionalized drama.

Maybe voyeuristic television is a cousin to rubbernecking a car wreck? We never seem to tire of slowing up the freeway traffic so we can get a lingering look at the other guy's misfortune on the side of the road.

I confess I'm a sucker for the "Most Dangerous Police Chase" shows on Fox-TV. What's that say about me? That I secretly long to be a cop? That I'm glad nobody is shooting at me? I used to jokingly contend that a producer would have a sure-fire hit show by televising nothing but car crashes caught on video. I stopped chuckling when I saw just such a show appear, again on Fox. And what do you make of those mail-order videotapes with titles like "Faces of Death", which presumably contain actual death scenes caught on video?

My reaction to these developments is dismay. 21st Century man appears to be much in need of validation. We may be getting to the point where we are uncertain what it means to live on this earth unless we can tune in and watch others of our type crashing, kissing, changing clothes and bathing.

Stephen Crane wrote one of my favorite short poems, and his words are in my head when I think of the new hit show in Denmark.

A man confronted the universe
"Sir," he said, "I exist!"
"However," replied the universe,
"that fact does not create in me a sense of obligation."

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