In This Issue:
+ Director's Notes
+ Message from Allison
NEWS
+ Featured Member Posting: Editorial Director of MTV2/U - New York
+ Are you a community service volunteer? Apply for a $500 Harvardwood Heroes grant by Nov. 30th
+ Special discounts for Final Draft software and CreatorUp online courses for members
+ Harvardwood Literary Anthology is looking for YOU: Poets, Authors & Readers, take note!
+ SAVE THE DATE: Dec. 10th - Annual Harvardwood holiday party with Stanford in Entertainment
+ Exclusive offer through our partnership with Ameriprise Financial
FEATURES
+ Industry Successes
+ New Members' Welcome
+ Member Profile: Emily Halpern '02 & Sarah Haskins '01 (Co-Creators of TROPHY WIFE)
CALENDAR & NOTES
+ Calendar
+ Producing or performing in a show or concert? Share it with the Harvardwood calendar!
Director's Notes
November means it's time to dig up your Crimson gear and get ready for The Game; we'll be watching the big Harvard-Yale showdown in Los Angeles but cheering loudly enough to be heard at Soldiers Field! And if you live in Boston/Cambridge, you'll be able to attend an equally exciting sports event, our Nov. 13th talk with Jessica Gelman (of Kraft Sports Entertainment / The New England Patriots) and HBS Professor Andy Wasynczuk.
— Dona
Message from Allison
Apply to get $500 just for being your kind, passionate self! It’s our second annual call for Harvardwood Heroes. If you’re a full member who does (or is planning to do) community service — then you are eligible. What cause are you passionate about? What’s stopping you from getting involved? We hope this $500 grant will be just the inspiration you need to get going!! Use it in any way you see fit — even just to cover your groceries so you can free up time to volunteer. We made this program to encourage and support our members to get connected with their local communities — don’t miss out! Deadline is November 30th.
— Allison
Featured Member Posting: Editorial Director of MTV2/U - New York
The Editorial Director, MTV2/U On-Air Promos, provides creative oversight for all aspects of MTV2/U on-air promos, off-channel TV and digital campaigns and internal marketing communications. The Editorial Director oversees the editorial voice of the MTV2 brand, assuring that it is unique and always relevant to the audience. Additionally, the Editorial Director is responsible for editing, writing, and developing concepts for all promotion as well as setting editorial standards for cross-functional groups. He/she is responsible for channel environment, assuring the voice of the channel is consistent with the brand and series. In addition, the Editorial Director will manage episodic promotion for all series. The Editorial Director must have an in depth understanding of the production process. The position reports to the VP of Creative for MTV2/U… To view full posting, please visit: http://www.harvardwood.org/networking/apply_now.aspx?view=2&id=233952
Are you a community service volunteer? Apply for a $500 Harvardwood Heroes grant by Nov. 30th
Launched in 2013, the Harvardwood Heroes (HH) grant program aims to spotlight and support those members of Harvardwood who have made or plan to make an exceptional contribution to the community, specifically at the intersection of arts and service. These Heroes exemplify the mission of Harvardwood, demonstrating the power and purpose of the arts, media, and entertainment. We'll award $500 to each Harvardwood Heroes grant winner, and the funds can be used at each winner's discretion. For more program information and to apply, please visit: http://www.harvardwood.org/?page=heroes
Special discounts for Final Draft software & CreatorUp online courses for members
Full Members and Friends of Harvardwood can take advantage of two very exciting offers! All dues-current members will receive 25% off all courses offered by CreatorUp, an e-learning platform where anyone can learn to tell their story with video and to make digital media entertainment projects from top industry pros. In addition, screenwriters will be able to purchase Final Draft 9 screenwriting software at the student price, which is a savings of $120 off the regular price. It pays to be a Harvardwood member!
Harvardwood Literary Anthology is looking for YOU: Poets, Authors & Readers, take note!
Harvardwood Publishing is seeking short stories and poems for our next anthology, which will feature the theme of The Seven Deadly Sins. Pick one (or several!) juicy sins and send us your original work for consideration in this anthology. Deadline for submission is January 2, 2015; the entry fee is $15 per short story or poem. We also need volunteer readers and judges to evaluate the submissions we receive, so if you're interested, learn more here.
SAVE THE DATE: Dec. 10th - Annual Harvardwood holiday party with Stanford in Entertainment
The annual holiday bash, co-hosted by Harvardwood and Stanford in Entertainment, will be on WEDNESDAY, December 10th, so pencil the date in your calendars! We'll be keeping up the annual tradition of our holiday toy drive, so please bring new, unused toys to donate at the party. And also, holiday silent auction items will be featured at the party, so come prepared to bid for movie memorabilia, set visits, lunches with industry VIPs, and more!
Exclusive offer through our partnership with Ameriprise Financial
We are thrilled to announce a special offer through our partnership with Ameriprise Financial! Now through Dec. 15th, Ameriprise is offering Harvardwood members and the Harvard community an opportunity to receive a personalized Financial Plan at the special flat rate of $300! Financial Plans can include: goal tracking, debt management, major purchase planning, small business owner planning, tax planning, investment planning, and retirement planning. Also, Harvardwood has established a 529 Education Savings Group Plan for members that is being offered by Ameriprise for FREE (with no sales charge, typically 5.75%). Members who take advantage of this offer will have their membership dues covered by Ameriprise, with an additional $50 donation made to Harvardwood on their behalf. Contact Harvardwood Board Member Michael Persaud at [email protected] for more information!
Industry Successes...
Nelson Greaves '10 and Adam Sidman's '10 feature film Cybernatural was acquired by Universal this month for an April 10, 2015 wide release. Greaves wrote the script and produced, along with Timur Bekmambetov and Jason Blum. Sidman Executive Produced and was the Director of Photography. Nelson and Sam Chalsen '12 are also writing the pilot for POTUS, a drama in development at Fox, with Howard Gordon (Executive Producer of Homeland and 24).
Harvardwood President Allison Kiessling has sold her half-hour pilot, The Mighty Camilla, to ABC with Kristin Newman (Chuck, HIMYM) and Melissa Rosenberg (Twilight, Jessica Jones) executive producing. Congratulations, Allison!
Esther Chae's play So the Arrow Flies, a political thriller about an alleged North Korean spy and the FBI agent who interrogates her, is now published by NoPassport Press. Tony Award-winning playwright David Henry Hwang writes in the foreword, a "dazzlingly ambitious play, which explores nothing less than the identity of our world today." Read the full foreword. Book purchase info here. Find out about the book launch party on December 13th!
James P. Connolly '88 presents the 5th Annual Veteran’s Day Benefit Comedy Show, “Cocktails & Camouflage,” on Thursday, Nov. 6th at 8PM at Flappers Comedy Club, Burbank, CA. The event will raise funds for the non-profit group Veterans in Film & Television (VFT). Comedians include: local radio legend and KLOS DJ Frazer Smith, Dana Eagle (“Last Comic Standing” Semi-Finalist), Vietnam Veteran Blake Clark (Home Improvement), Dwayne Perkins (Conan), Jimmy Pardo (Conan, and the popular podcast “Never Not Funny”), Joshua "Beat Boxer" Silverstein (TED Talks), plus Special Guests and hosted by James P. Connolly (SiriusXM). Tickets are $20. If you cannot attend but would like to support the cause, you can Become A Sponsor or Send A Service Member or Veteran. For additional info, go to: www.jamespconnollypresents.com.
Mark Saltveit '83 published a long-form profile of Chip Kelly, the Philadelphia Eagles' head coach, at philly.com to considerable acclaim. "Long form" in this case means nearly 10,000 words in 11 chapters, with fetching illustrations, about this innovative and reclusive figure. More info here.
Robert Cain '84 has been honored as a Finalist in the 2014 Academy Nicholl Fellowship Screenwriting competition. His screenplay Gagarin was one of ten finalists from a record 7,511 entries. Also, Robert and Kevin Niu (Physics PhD candidate '14) have begun pre-production in New Orleans on Abattoir, a horror film with director Darren Lynn Bousman (Saw II, Saw III, and Saw IV). The film will begin principal photography in late October and is intended to be the first of a trilogy.
New Members' Welcome
Harvardwood warmly welcomes all members who joined the organization over the past month, including:
+ Arleen Aguasvivas, College, Boston/On-Campus
+ Julia Belanoff, College, Boston/On-Campus
+ Arjun Byju, College, Boston/On-Campus
+ Naddy Camacho, College, Boston/On-Campus
+ Ecaterina Canter, KSG, DC
+ Julie Coates, College, Boston/On-Campus
+ Alexis Del Toro, College, Boston/On-Campus
+ Lena Felton, College, Boston/On-Campus
+ Daniel Glickman, Faculty, NYC
+ Cybele Greenberg, College, Boston/On-Campus
+ Jonathan Hay, College, Boston
+ Nicole Hirschhorn, College, Boston/On-Campus
+ Vincent Jelani, EXT, Chicago
+ Tyler Klunick, College, LA
+ Lindsay Larris, FOH, LA
+ Isabel Lee, College, Boston/On-Campus
+ Gabrielle Long, College, NYC
+ Maricela Lupercio, College, LA
+ Kirkland Lynch, HLS, NY
+ Christine Mathieson, College, Other U.S.
+ Austin Milunovich, College, Boston/On-Campus
+ Howard Mitchell Jr., College, NY
+ Karen Numme, GSD, LA
+ Janis Ortega, GSE, LA
+ Ricardo Robledo, College, Boston/On-Campus
+ Sarah Rosenthal, College, Boston/On-Campus
+ Tim Souris, College & KSG, LA
+ Madison Stine, College, Boston/On-Campus
+ Virginia Stock, College, LA
+ Jeannie Sui Wonders, College, Boston
+ Ekaterina Tchebotareva, College, Boston/On-Campus
+ Brittany Wang, College, Boston/On-Campus
+ Lewis Wynn, College, Boston/On-Campus
+ Nathan Zielonka, College & SPH, Boston
*FOH = Friend of Harvardwood
New members in Los Angeles, the H-Y watch party will be a fun, informal way to meet other Harvardwood members! And if ANY new members in any chapters have specific questions about Harvardwood membership, contact Lano Williams ([email protected]), our Director of Membership Experience.
Member Profile: Emily Halpern '02 & Sarah Haskins '01 (Co-Creators of Trophy Wife)
by D. Dona Le
“Writing’s fun,” declares Sarah Haskins AB ‘01.
Emily Halpern AB ‘02, sitting across from her in their adjoining offices at The Walt Disney Studios in Burbank, agrees. “The early brainstorming and outlining stages, we do together, just sitting with coffee and talking—kind of like this.”
“Some light complaining, a little brainstorming,” Sarah quips.
This writing duo, co-creators of the ABC show Trophy Wife (2013-2014), met while they were Harvard undergraduates and Emily was dating one of Sarah’s friends. They didn’t know that ten years later, they would be successful writing partners, producers, and showrunners in Hollywood.
At Harvard, Sarah hewed closely to her Chicago roots and joined the Immediate Gratification Players, Harvard’s improv comedy troupe. Emily wrote for the Lampoon and worked part-time for David Mamet.
Emily, a Massachusetts native, made the cross-country move to Los Angeles to pursue writing after graduation. “There’s a lot of Harvard people [in Los Angeles] and a great network. Having so many college friends in LA made the move a lot easier.”
Shortly after Emily’s move to Los Angeles, Mamet created The Unit (2006-2009) and brought her on as a writer.
“With my time on the Lampoon, I was always interested in the comedy space,” says Emily, “but I really enjoyed being in the drama world, and I got to work for David Mamet, Shawn Ryan and some really great people. That was my first foot in the door—although all the comedy ideas I pitched on the show got shot down.”
In the meantime, after concentrating in American History & Literature, Sarah returned to her hometown to continue pursuing a career in improv and sketch comedy at renowned Chicago institutions, the Second City National Touring Company and i.O. Chicago.
“I wanted to be on SNL,” Sarah confides, “and I knew that a lot of people started at Second City and i.O., so I auditioned and went from there.”
Although she enjoyed her work in Chicago’s vibrant comedy scene, Sarah moved to Los Angeles in 2007 after being offered a job with Current TV as a writer for its weekly series, InfoMania. She became widely known for her role as the “Target Women” correspondent, a segment that made satirical commentary on media, products, and advertising directed at women.
While Sarah was forging a name for herself as a comedian and comedy writer, Emily was a full-time writer and story editor on Private Practice (2007-2013).
Having learned from a mutual friend that Emily was also living in Los Angeles, Sarah met with her for dinner and discovered “we had similar ideas and areas that we wanted to write about.”
And thus, their writing partnership was forged on the belief that working together would help them actually bring those common ideas to fruition.
“We both had full-time jobs,” explains Emily, “and we thought that having a person you were accountable to would help us stay on track.”
“We are now the two most disciplined people ever,” Sarah says, barely keeping a straight face.
Their first collaborative project was a feature called Booksmart, written in 2009. Natalie Portman’s production company, Handsomecharlie Films, signed on to produce the high school comedy, which follows two overachieving girls who realize that the only thing they haven’t accomplished is getting boyfriends, and so they resolve to do so by prom. The script is now at Annapurna.
“We wanted to do a teen movie that was from the girl’s perspective,” says Sarah, “especially a teenage girl who is not represented on screen a lot—a girl who is very smart and successful in all these ways, except personally.”
Sarah and Emily tackle the initial stages of any project, whether a TV pilot or a feature film, in the same room together. Then, after establishing the basic outline for each scene or section, each writer will work on her separate pieces of the draft. Having collaborated for over five years, they have developed similar writing styles that enable them to link those pieces seamlessly.
“When we first wrote Booksmart, you could tell who wrote which page because our voices were so different,” Emily admits, “but we’ve been working together long enough now that we have a really similar tone and voice. We’ve synched up now.”
They quickly followed up Booksmart by writing and starring in a comedy short, Dilf (2010). Also, Amy Poehler, who had read and loved Booksmart, enlisted the pair to adapt Lunch Lady, a graphic novel about a cafeteria worker with superpowers, into a feature; the project is in development with Universal.
Then, their writing careers moved into the world of television. In 2010, Sarah married writer Geoffrey Edwards, a life event that inspired the premise of their ABC show Trophy Wife, starring Malin Akerman, Bradley Whitford, and Marcia Gay Harden. Trophy Wife revolves around Kate (Akerman), whose former party lifestyle dramatically changes when she marries Pete (Whitford) and is abruptly thrust into a larger family unit with his two ex-wives and three children.
Asked whether there was any tension with the public knowledge that Trophy Wife was based on her life, Sarah laughs easily. “No one has been judgmental to my face.”
She goes on, “My family was comfortable handing that loose [family] structure to us, but then we fictionalized it. [Writing Trophy Wife was] about separating fact from what’s funny as a story, and exaggerating what’s already funny to make it funnier.”
Trophy Wife was widely praised by critics, especially for its memorable child characters. Albert Tsai, a young actor who plays Pete’s adopted son, was also nominated for a couple Best Supporting Actor awards.
Emily says, “The important thing to us was that the kids feel real because we’d seen a lot of kid characters who are much smarter than their age or have some quirky attitude. So we let the [child actors] inform their own characters a lot.”
Of course, the pair weren’t focused solely on making just the young characters realistic and believable.
“Going into it,” Emily continues, “we discussed wanting all the characters to feel real, and wanting the women, the ex-wives, not just to feel like ‘the villain’ or ‘the crazy one.’ We wanted them to be real, well-rounded characters who are coming together with different perspectives but the same goal: raising these kids.”
Emily and Sarah’s scripts, from Booksmart on, consistently feature strong, dynamic, and likeable female characters. Emily and Sarah themselves are distinguished and visible female showrunners in an industry traditionally dominated by men, in which gender imbalance remains an issue in both writers’ rooms and executive boardrooms.
That said, it seemed natural to explore their perspectives of feminism and how it relates to their work.
“To me, to be a feminist means that you believe men and women should have equal rights and be treated the same,” states Emily.
Sarah adds, “Maybe part of being a feminist is that you write women as people. When we write men, we don’t go, ‘Ah, we don’t know what to do!’ We write our characters, male and female, as people who have perspectives.”
As the co-creators of Trophy Wife, Emily and Sarah took care to create an environment conducive to developing all of their writers’ voices.
“It’s nice to be the boss in TV and to think, ‘Well, now that I’m one of the people who dictates the environment, how can we make this a great environment for everybody?’” says Sarah.
Sarah and Emily encouraged Trophy Wife writers to go on set when their scripts were shooting to ensure that the tone and their jokes were working well—and if not, the writers would have the opportunity to revise those jokes on the spot.
According to Emily, “Our general philosophy was, the more people can be empowered, the better for everybody.”
Sarah acknowledges that “it’s a good time for women in comedy and there are a lot of women who have paved the way” for other female writers, producers, directors, and showrunners.
Their next project, also for ABC, is a half-hour family comedy with Lee Eisenberg and Gene Stupnitsky (who were also Executive Producers of Trophy Wife) and will star Eva Longoria as an “affable meddler, a busybody who can’t help but get involved,” in Emily’s words. Or, as Sarah describes the character, “a nice Larry David.”
They are also developing another comedy pilot about estranged sisters who must reunite to care for their elderly father.
For the time being, Emily and Sarah will continue pursuing and producing TV projects, while the features they have written are in development. Which do they prefer, writing for TV or film?
“If we’re judging by who has produced and put our stuff on the air, then TV,” answers Emily. “In TV, even if your project doesn’t go forward, it’s a yes or no answer. But the feature world can be a lot more amorphous; your projects can be in development for a long time.”
Sarah adds, “And who has paid us more consistently? TV.”
“That said, in film, you have a lot of ownership over your material,” Emily concedes. “You’re really able to hold onto your voice in a way that you can’t always do in TV.”
But TV offers the benefit of structure, which is important for a pair of writers who initially partnered to create accountability and deadlines for themselves.
“There is not a ton of security in this business, but there’s something comforting about TV that you’re on a schedule,” Emily comments. “There are strict, hard-and-fast deadlines. You can have writer’s block, but come Friday morning, you’ve got to turn your episode in. Yes, writing is a creative process and you need to be inspired, but it’s also how you make a living, so you need to turn your draft in.”
Cultivating a strong and consistent writing career that pays the bills, as Emily and Sarah have done, is no easy feat.
Sarah’s advice for everyone starting out in their entertainment careers is, “When you’re not getting paid for it, you should be working on things you love and care about. That’s how your voice will come through. It’s important to write, direct, perform, and produce things you care about.”
Emily has a heartening piece of advice to add as well. “I think success in the industry is a combination of luck, skill, and timing, so it’s a question of persistence. If you’re pretty sure you’re talented, just stick it out because the stars will line up at some point.”
The stars certainly aligned the evening that this talented pair of writers reconnected in Los Angeles, and no doubt their collaboration will continue to yield many more laughs for comedy fans.
In addition to serving as Harvardwood's Director, D. Dona Le '05 is a small business owner of Sibia Admissions and Sibia Proofreading and a writer.
Calendar
***Featured Event*** BOSTON - Harvardwood Seminar Series: An Evening with The NE Patriots' Jessica Gelman and HBS Professor Andy Wasynczuk, Thurs., Nov. 13
What does it take to build a world-class sports organization? How do teams and leagues negotiate media contracts in an era of platform proliferation? And what role do advanced analytics play in the front offices of sports teams today? Come learn the answers to these questions and ask some of your own during an intimate conversation with The Kraft Sports Group's VP of Customer Marketing & Strategy Jessica Gelman and HBS Senior Lecturer of Business Administration Andy Wasynczuk. This event will sell out, so register soon here: http://www.harvardwood.org/events/event_details.asp?id=501594&group=
in Los Angeles:
C.L.A. invites Harvardwood to Fair Use in Filmmaking, Tues., Nov. 4
Join CLA, UC Irvine Law professor Jack Lerner, and members of the UCI Intellectual Property, Arts, and Technology Clinic for a seminar that explores the fair use of music, film, and other artistic works. Although filmmakers license most music, film clips, or art for use in their projects, they can make use of the fair use doctrine more often than they might know. In this program, Professor Lerner will delve into the practical applications of fair use, highlight the DMCA exemptions that allow documentary filmmakers to obtain footage from DVDs and online media, and go through the process of evaluating fair use. Professor Lerner will also examine court cases in which fair use was an issue, and how fair use has become more reliable and predictable over time.... For more details, please visit: http://www.harvardwood.org/events/event_details.asp?id=512588&group=
Harvardwood Heads To... the Premiere of ASHBASH: A LOVE STORY & Champagne Reception, Sat., Nov. 8
Join us at the Working Stage Theater at 1516 N. Gardner Street in West Hollywood on Saturday, November 8 at 6:30 p.m. for a screening of the award-winning documentary ASHBASH: A LOVE STORY, followed by a champagne and strawberry reception with the filmmaker, Heidi Sullivan '89, HLS '97. This “uplifting,” “thought-provoking,” and “laugh-out-loud funny” film tells the story of a single woman (Ashley) and her decision to celebrate her single life by inviting 200 guests to the wedding reception she never had (the legendary “AshBash”).... For more details, please visit: http://www.harvardwood.org/events/event_details.asp?id=516326&group=
Harvardwood Heads To... PEN Center USA's 24th Annual Literary Awards Festival, Tues., Nov. 11
PEN Center USA, a literary non-profit based in Beverly Hills, celebrates their 24th Annual Literary Awards Festival with host Aisha Tyler. Literary awards will be given for excellence in eleven categories, and four prestigious honorary awards will be presented. Actress/writer Amy Poehler will present the Lifetime Achievement Award to TV legend Norman Lear. Other honorees include Glenn Greenwald and Laura Poitras, Jose Antonio Vargas, and VICE Media.... For more details, please visit: http://www.harvardwood.org/events/event_details.asp?id=518846&group=
C.L.A. invites Harvardwood to Protecting Creativity: Collaboration Agreements, Wed., Nov. 12
People collaborate at all stages of development and production, but writers especially need to know the ins-and-outs of protecting their work product, particularly when they collaborate on the creation of "ideas," writing of scripts and pitching to producers. Learn how the basics of copyright law works when writers don't have collaboration agreements, the benefits of having an agreement in place before starting to work as well as how to approach things "after the fact." For more details, please visit: http://www.harvardwood.org/events/event_details.asp?id=512590&group=
Harvardwood Heads To... CardXchange LA Networking Event, Thurs., Nov. 13
After a successful launch party with over 150+ guests, CardXchange is excited to announce our second event! Join us at The Viceroy Hotel on November 13th for cocktails and conversation. It's never to early to start planning for your business. Pre-Order Tickets start at only $12 and are Buy One Get One Free! For more details, please visit: http://www.harvardwood.org/events/event_details.asp?id=512574&group=
Harvardwood Heads To... Behind-the-Scenes Tour of LA City Central Library & Lunch, Sat., Nov. 15
City Librarian John Szabo will provide a behind-the-scenes tour of the Los Angeles Central Library, listed as one of the most spectacular libraries in the world. He will provide glimpses of its largesse of treasures and the extraordinary ways in which libraries reach out to help transform Los Angelenos' lives. Lunch follows a short walking distance from the Library at the Border Grill. For more details, please visit: http://www.harvardwood.org/events/event_details.asp?id=512581&group=
Harvardwood Heads To... William Shakespeare: Renaissance Neurologist, Sun., Nov. 16
William Shakespeare’s plays and poetry contain references of interest for most medical specialties. This presentation will review many signs and symptoms of nervous system afflictions such as epilepsy, stroke and dementia. For instance, in Timon of Athens, Shakespeare displays clinically precise knowledge of the symptoms of syphilis, which can be now confirmed with MRI images. Also, in Twelfth Night, Toby Belch colorfully describes the symptoms of a cirrhotic liver. This talk will review both Shakespeare and the science behind such afflictions.... For more details, please visit: http://www.harvardwood.org/events/event_details.asp?id=512584&group=
C.L.A. invites Harvardwood to Legal Protections for Fashion Brands & Designs, Tues., Nov. 18
To succeed in the fast-paced fashion industry, insiders should have a basic understanding of the key intellectual property laws that affect both design and brand protection. Join CLA and representatives from the USC Intellectual Property and Technology Law Clinic for an overview of how intellectual property laws, including trademark, patent and copyright, intersect with the fashion world and what these laws mean for you and your fashion business.... For more details, please visit: http://www.harvardwood.org/events/event_details.asp?id=512591&group=
The Harvardwood H-Y Game Watch Party, Sat., Nov. 22
Don your Crimson apparel to cheer for Harvard's football team with other Harvardwood members, friends, and—dare we say it?—maybe even a few Bulldog supporters for THE GAME! We've got home-field advantage this year, and you can be sure that the home crowd will hear us cheering all the way from Los Angeles for a Crimson Victory! Admission is FREE; cash bar for full brunch menu and drink specials, including bottomless mimosas for $9.95.... For more details, please visit: http://www.harvardwood.org/events/event_details.asp?id=518820&group=
in New York:
Harvardwood Presents Joe Toplyn: Comedy Writing for Late-Night television, Thurs., Nov. 13
Four-time Emmy winner (and Harvard alum) Joe Toplyn was a writer for Late Night with David Letterman from 1983 to 1990. He then became the co-Head Writer for The Tonight Show with Jay Leno from 1993 to 1995, and followed this with the positions of writer and Head Writer for Late Show with David Letterman from 1995 to 2001. Attend this exclusive talk and booksigning for an insider's view of the range of techniques that underlie writing for late-night TV, from job hunting and joke writing to structuring a monologue. Advance registration is required... For more details, please visit: http://www.harvardwood.org/events/event_details.asp?id=507706&group=
Harvardwood Classical Salon: BRAHMS & HIS FRIENDS, Sun., Nov. 16
This concert will explore some of the extraordinary works for viola and piano composed by Brahms and three of the composers closest to him: Robert Schumann, Joseph Joachim, and Robert Fuchs. Pianist Yelena Grinberg will be joined by violist Edward Klorman. Space will run out, so register early for this intimate concert: http://www.harvardwood.org/events/event_details.asp?id=512252&group=
Harvardwood Presents JAY PILZER: A Six-String History of America, Wed., Nov. 19
Jay Pilzer is a Nashville based guitar dealer and song writer, and a retired history professor with a Ph.D. from Duke University. He will discuss the guitar's central place in the American experience, helping to define American society and acting as a harbinger and reflection of changes in the America's economy, culture, and politics.... For more details, please visit: http://www.harvardwood.org/events/event_details.asp?id=510864&group=
in the SF / Bay Area:
C.L.A. invites Harvardwood to Licensing & Merchandising for Creative Artists, Tues., Nov. 4
Join Dawn Newton and Daniel Schacht of Donahue Fitzgerald LLP for a discussion of the essential legal and business concerns that creative artists need to consider when entering into a licensing agreement. This workshop will cover legal questions and common deal points for merchandising agreements for clothing, souvenirs, and the like.... For more details, please visit: http://www.harvardwood.org/events/event_details.asp?id=512589&group=
Harvardwood Heads To... Harvard & Yale Night at the Opera, Sat., Nov. 15
Yale Club, Harvard Club and Harvard Business School invite you to Puccini's La Boheme on Saturday, November 15. San Francisco Opera is pleased to offer alumni a special 30% off regular ticket prices. Prior to the performance, please join Yale and Harvard alums for a joint networking no-host reception and private talk beginning at 6pm. The reception will have a cash bar and will take place on the Dress Circle level along the north promenade of the Opera House.... For more details, please visit: http://www.harvardwood.org/events/event_details.asp?id=512576&group=
Harvardwood Heads To... Asian Art Museum: ROADS OF ARABIA, Sun., Nov. 16
An eye-opening look at the largely unknown ancient past of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Roads of Arabia features objects recently excavated from throughout the Arabian Peninsula. These artifacts trace the impact of ancient trade routes and pilgrimage roads stretching from Yemen in the south to Iraq and Mediterranean cultures in the north. Private docent tour with admission to the museum before the general public, followed by coffee or lunch at the museum cafe.... For more details, please visit: http://www.harvardwood.org/events/event_details.asp?id=512577&group=
Harvardwood Heads To... the Harvard Club of SF Reading Group: THE GOD OF SMALL THINGS by Arundhati Roy, Sun., Nov. 23
A modern classic that has been read and loved worldwide. Equal parts powerful family saga, forbidden love story, and piercing political drama, it is the story of an affluent Indian family forever changed by one fateful day in 1969. The seven-year-old twins Estha and Rahel see their world shaken irrevocably by the arrival of their beautiful young cousin, Sophie. It is an event that will lead to an illicit liaison and tragedies accidental and intentional. Bring your thoughts and perspectives to a lively discussion.... For more details, please visit: http://www.harvardwood.org/events/event_details.asp?id=512578&group=
in Chicago:
Harvardwood Heads To... A Talk with Producer/Writer Sang Kyu Kim, Mon., Nov. 3
At this VentureSHOT event, Linda Frothingham interviews Sang Kyu Kim, followed by Q & A. After graduating from Northwestern University, Sang Kyu Kim abandoned his pre-med ambitions to pursue writing. After receiving his MFA from AFI, Sang went on to participate in the CBS Writers Mentoring Program and began his writing career on the Starz Series CRASH. His next writing job started him as a story editor on TNT's HAWTHORNE starring Jada Pinkett Smith. When the next season came around, he was so vital to the show’s success, he was promoted to Producer, jumping two credits, for Season 3. After that he went on to be a writer/producer on one of Television's most watched series, THE WALKING DEAD.... For more details, please visit: http://www.harvardwood.org/events/event_details.asp?id=518823&group=
Producing or performing in a show or concert? Share it with the Harvardwood calendar!
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