William Mapother

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A Picture Is Worth a Thousand Screams

Posted on: June 3rd, 2015 by wmapother No Comments

Actors: If you haven’t yet lost a role b/c you were too right for it, your day will come. Pity the lemur.

You can thank cartoonist Charlie Hankin for this. It appeared in The New Yorker, to which I am absurdly devoted.  It’s available framed via their online store.

i-m-sorry-we-don-t-want-a-ring-tailed-lemur-we-want-a-ring-tailed-lemur-new-yorker-cartoon

Posted in Acting Tips & Info, Funny Like Ha-Ha, NYC

Emotion-Reading Computers

Posted on: February 4th, 2015 by wmapother No Comments

Soon, your phone will soon read your emotions better than your partner does. Computers are developing the ability to read human emotions better than humans can.  The conequences are enormous.  It’s all in a great, scary New Yorker piecenew yorker cover, 2.2.15.

Posted in NYC, Random, Tech

Flattering, but Weird

Posted on: January 3rd, 2012 by wmapother No Comments

Here’s weird: Receiving attention at MOMA among Pablo & company.  

Posted in NYC, Random

Culture Made Easy

Posted on: December 2nd, 2011 by wmapother No Comments

Suggestion for actors #2,317:  Sign up for email newsletters of your local museums and cultural centers.
Among the many advantages:

•  They often have free events.
•  They’re a great opportunity to make contacts with writers and directors (It was at a reading by Adam Gopnick at LA’s Skirball that I met the NYC director who led me to NYC’s Public Theatre’s Shakespeare Lab which led me to the casting director who thought of me for Another Earth (more on that some other time.  You get the idea.)
•   The events are good to go with a date.  Or someone you want to be a date.
•  Pt. 2 of the line above:  They’re a good place to make contact with a date.
•  Did I mention that some of the events are free?
•  Filmmakers love it when actors see classic movies.  Such as those shown at museum.
•  You don’t have to trust yourself and/or take the time to view their websites.  Actors like it to be easy, right?

Some in L.A. to get you started:
Skirball
LACMA
Hammer
Getty

[This has been another in a continuing series of potentially helpful, hopefully commonsensical information to actors on practicing their craft or surviving while trying to do so.  I bear no responsibility for how this or any of my posts might ruin your life, lead you to law school, or make your parents sick with worry.]

For more suggestions to actors, click the ‘Info to Actors’ category at left.

Posted in Acting Tips & Info, Los Angeles, NYC, Recs

Portraits in Dramatic Time

Posted on: September 16th, 2011 by wmapother 4 Comments

I thought I’d posted about this back in July, but now I can’t find it.  WordPress monster hungry.  Feed me.

So here’s another try.  Though the NYC showing is past, I hoping the series goes on tour, both in the US and internationally.  Next stop might be London..

•  PORTRAITS IN DRAMATIC TIME – a series of hyper-slow-motion, silent short films by David Michalek.

The shooting of each film lasted only about ten seconds, but because they’re shot at 1,000 frames/sec (regular speed is 24 frames/sec), they play back verrrryyyy slowly, at anywhere from five to ten minutes.  They were broadcast on a mammoth, 85-ft x 45-ft outdoor screen at part of NYC’s Lincoln Center Festival in July, and it’s expected that they’ll go on tour soon.  William is in three of them.  Other actors included Patti LuPone, Alan Rickman, Holly Hunter, Liev Shreiber, and performers from around the world.  The Wall St. Journal piece includes a Mapother quote or two, and a HuffPo piece includes the photo at right and a video interview with David.  Finally, as a sample, the Rickman film is here, and videos from Slow Dancing, David’s earlier installation, are here.

Posted in Acting Projects, NYC, Photos of Wm, Press, Video (Online & Home)