theatre | Geekscape

Geek of the Week: J. Paul Zimmerman

by Deidra KathleenJanuary 6, 2020

Where are you from originally?
Originally, I am from Albuquerque, New Mexico.

How did you get into acting?
I got into acting because of my father. He was a longtime theatre and aspiring film actor. And some of my earliest memories are going with him to some of his rehearsals – sitting, watching, listening, and getting into it. And one day, I was watching – I think I was about five and I was watching Inspector Gadget on TV…And my Dad, he noticed me running around and acting out everything he was doing – you know everything you do when you’re a kid. And he stopped me and in a roundabout way explained that that was acting. That’s what he did – it was playing and having fun. He asked me if I wanted to give it a try. I was very young. It all sort of happened very fast. I was going on auditions and working – and it was a lot of fun!

What came first for you, theatre or TV?
Um, first for me to actually do was TV – but like I said theatre was definitely a very big part of it. It was always there and in my brain getting it started. But my first job was a McDonald’s commercial on television for Tiny Toons happy meal toy.

Can you name a couple or so actors you look up to and why?
My favorite actor is probably Bruce Campbell. I’ve never been able to find anybody to impress me or entertain me more than him. He’s got a charm. We can’t deny that. And he’s a very handsome fella. I appreciate his action skills and his comedy skills. He just – I don’t how else to describe it. He’s just always been a performer I’ve been drawn to – and sometimes I emulate. And one of my favorite moments trying to capture Bruce Campbell was when I got into the fight with Benny in the first HalloweenTown. I thought here I am fighting with an animatronic skeleton. I felt like Bruce Campbell in Army of Darkness. This – this is the big time!
And despite how much their styles are made fun of, I’m a genuine fan of [both] William Shatner and Arnold Schwarzenegger. I grew up watching them and have always been inspired by the passion behind their performances.

**Used with permission from J. Paul Zimmerman**

What is your Hogwarts house and why?
My Hogwarts house is Gryffindor. Why? I’m actually not sure. I took the test on Pottermore a couple times being very sure that I would come out Slytherin – probably because I took the test during dark feeling times and angry times…Maybe even wanting to come out as a Slytherin. But I got Gryffindor and I think it’s because I love people too much and I’m too honest.

If you could cast yourself in any movie or show you’ve ever seen, which one would it be and what role?
One of my actual dream roles – which seems more realistic now that there’s more of it on television – is to be a Star Trek character. I would like to be on a season of Discovery maybe or Picard…Or something new… My only stipulation would be that I would want to be a new character. I would not want to redo somebody’s character or play a younger or past version. I don’t mean to be a snob, but I would just love to add something to the Star Trek universe. Other than that, I would have to say I’m a big fan of those Snickers commercials that are, “You’re not you when you’re hungry.” I would love to do one of those commercials with Danny DeVito playing me when I’m hungry. I think that would be a good match up.

Why’d you pick these choices?
Well, to be perfectly honest, I am a big nerd. I love Star Trek, Star Wars, Doctor Who, Red Dwarf, Superman, and I could go on. I love many fandoms but you know, Star Trek I’ve been into for a long time. My sister got me into Star Trek when I was very young, so we have that to share and it’s definitely been one of my longest running fandoms besides Star Wars. And I’m just really happy to see that it’s back on TV and popular. I like the movies but I think it’s much stronger in its original television format and I would like to be a part of that history.

Okay, I know I’ve asked you about this before off the record and you were kind enough to tell me then, but I’ll ask now – how was it getting to work with Debbie Reynolds in HalloweenTown?
Getting to work with Debbie Reynolds in HalloweenTown was probably one of the best things that’s ever happened to me as a person, as a professional. It’s just something that I’ll never forget – especially getting to work with her on multiple films. The best way that I could describe Debbie is that she never seemed to take a minute off. And from the moment anyone saw her, she was at eleven with all this energy – going from joke to joke but then would sit down with you and then give you this worldly sage advice. She was always there, always present. She wasn’t one of those people who go off to their trailer between takes. She was there with us, part of the family – and that’s what it was. As soon as Debbie showed up, we were all family. She made us all feel so comfortable with each other and there was literally never a dull moment with her. There was so much to learn.
I miss her all the time. She became so much like a real grandmother. I lost my grandmother a few years prior, so when Debbie passed, it was like losing my grandmother all over again. She was amazing… She would go around introducing herself as, “Princess Leia’s mother.”
When she introduced herself to Emily* for the first time, she said, “Hello, I’m Princess Leia’s mother. Do you know who Princess Leia is?”
Emily said, “No.” Debbie said, “Well then I’m just some crazy old woman.”

*Emily Roeske played Sophie Piper in the HalloweenTown series alongside
J. Paul Zimmerman who played Dylan Piper.

That’s amazing. Snapping back to geeky things.
What are some of the geeky activities you partake in?
I love LEGOs. LEGOs, Magic: the Gathering, and Dungeons & Dragons when I’m lucky enough to be invited. I’m also a film geek. I’ve always wanted to be an artsy director like Stanley Kubrick or David Lynch.

Was there a time when you had to pick yourself back up whilst chasing your ambitions? Can you tell me about that time?
The time I had to pick myself up was a few years ago… I had retired from acting after fifteen years so I could travel and see if there was anything else I wanted to do. Eventually I realized I missed acting. I needed to come back but it took some time to save up and find a place. Then I reconnected with old friends who got me regular jobs and theatre gigs until I found my stride again…Getting started in this town is not easy, and I wouldn’t be where I am without the support of my friends.

Do you have a favorite quote that inspires you?
I always find comfort in the words of Bill Hicks: “Matter is merely energy condensed to a slow vibration, we are all one consciousness experiencing itself subjectively, there is no such thing as death, life is only a dream, and we’re the imagination of ourselves.”

What projects are you currently working on?
I am currently not working on any projects at this time but I am hoping to do some more theatre in the next couple of months. But for right now, I’m trying to catch up on some writing. I’m writing a sci-fi play that I would like to finish this year. I have a couple of screenplays in progress, TV series, and ideas for more screenplays that I’d like to make some progress on while I have the free time.

Where can people find you on social media?
Instagram: JPaulZim & Dr.Zimmerman
Twitter: @JPaulZim
Facebook: JPaulZim

Geekscape Interviews David Dean Bottrell About ‘Sci-Fest’ : The Science Fiction One-Act Play Festival Which Opens Tomorrow!

by Kari LaneMay 6, 2015

Sci-Fest is back with a stellar line-up! What is Sci-Fest you may ask? It is a science fiction one-act play festival that launches tomorrow! I was able to speak with David Dean Bottrell about the fest. David Dean Bottrell is probably best known for his role as the creepy and hilarious “Lincoln Meyer” on season three of “Boston Legal.” He’s also played villains and nutjobs on “Mad Men,” “Justified,” “True Blood,” “Bones,” “Castle,” “Criminal Minds,” “iCarly” and “Dig.” He did a lot of plays in New York, then wrote a bunch of screenplays for Fox Searchlight, MTV Films, Paramount and Disney among others. He teaches acting and is a founding producer of Sci-Fest LA.

Read on to learn more about Sci-Fest!
Congrats on Sci Fest’s successful first year and welcome back for year two!

Thank you! We’re very excited. Last year’s festival was such a success we sort of had no choice. We’re working hard to give everybody who came last year and even better slate of shows!

For those who may not know what Sci Fest is, could you please explain?

We are pretty much unique in the world of sci-fi events. The festival is four weeks long and consists of two rotating evenings of new, beautifully produced 15-minute sci-fi plays performed live on stage. Last year’s shows included a world premiere adaptation of Ursula Le Guin’s mini-masterpiece, “The Wife’s Story” and an innovative revival of Ray Bradbury’s classic, “Kaleidoscope.” The shows starred well-known actors from iconic Sci-Fi franchises like “Star Trek,” “The X-Files,” “Supernatural,” “Lost,” “Grimm,” “Heroes,” “Fringe,” “The Hunger Games,” “Stargate: Universe,” “Babylon 5,” “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” and “True Blood.”

How was the experience: creating and running a brand new sci-fi play festival?!

It was a little insane since, although all of us were theatre veterans, none of us had ever produced a festival before. The sheer number of people involved took some getting used to. There was a lot of juggling and some extremely long hours, but everybody from the producing team to the directors, designers and actors brought their best game. In the end, the incredible response we got from critics and audiences made it all worth it. We all learned a lot from last year and this year has been surprisingly smooth sailing. The shows are more ambitious this year but everybody’s up for the challenge.

Why a science fiction play festival? What makes this festival stand out?

Until last year, the idea of a a science fiction one-act play festival was unheard of. We were the first ones out of the gate. Unlike the cons for or Trek conventions, our focus is pretty much entirely on creating new Sci-Fi content. We’re also trying to celebrate the cultural history between Los Angles and the genre of Sci-Fi. The city is the hometown of a surprising number of Sci-Fi icons like Ray Bradbury and Octavia Butler. Plus Hollywood transformed Sci-Fi from pulp into a billion dollar global industry. There’s a lot to recognize and celebrate.

What is in store for this year? Anything new?

In addition to all these cool short plays, we’re doing two short story shows: THE ROSWELL AWARD for Best Short Science Fiction Story (Adult Competition) on May 24 and THE TOMORROW PRIZE for Best Short Science Fiction Story (L.A High School Competition) on May 16. We’re also doing this hilarious radio play from 1950 as sort of a fundraiser. If you donate at the $500 level you get a one-line role in the show and get to appear alongside all these incredible Sci-Fi celebrities. No acting experience necessary! It’s really fun. We’ve programmed a special weekend for our out-of-town fans called “Invasion Weekend” where they can see ALL the shows in one two-day period.

What plays are lined up for this year?

The elevator definitely went up this year. We’re producing new shows sent to us by Clive Barker and Neil Gaiman! We’re also producing 6 world premiere shows, a classic radio script and a revival of the oldest known science fiction one-act play, originally produced in 1917 to great controversy. The shows are also much more technically challenging this year. We’ve got a lot more special effects and crazy costumes. It’s sort of amazing.

Can you talk about some of the talent involved with this year’s festival?

We are again blessed to a huge and incredible line up of actors including: Walter Koenig (“Star Trek – The Original Series”), Eddie McClintock (“Warehouse 13”), Veronica Cartwright (“Alien”), Jeryl Prescott Sales (“The Walking Dead”), Armin Shimerman (“Star Trek: Deep Space Nine”), Tim Russ (“Star Trek: Voyager”) , Nazneen Contractor (“Star Trek: Into Darkness”), Dale Dickey (“True Blood”).

What is your involvement this time around?

I’m acting in one of the shows – a very cool play called “Turnover” and am again co-producing the Fest with my amazing producing partners, Lee Costello and Michael Blaha.

When is the fest scheduled for and where can people find more information?

All answers can be found at www.Sci-FestLA.com You can get info on the shows, donate money (which we need!) or buy tickets. The cheapest tickets (two-for-one) are available on May 7 & 8 (online only). The code word is BINARY. My advice is if you want to see the festival this year, get your tickets now. It’s going to totally sell out.

Geekscape Visits The Theater To See ‘Re-Animator The Musical’!

by Matt BlackwoodMay 3, 2012

You may wonder what to expect when going to see a musical play based on a horror movie. Yes, there are jaunty tunes. Yes, there are dance numbers. And oh yes, there will be blood.

Re-Animator the Musical, re-opening for a limited engagement at the Hayworth Theatre in Los Angeles today before beginning its international tour, is a perfect adaptation. It is at once a completely faithful re-imagining of the 1985 cult classic and a brilliantly original stage production.

The reason for this smooth transition is probably due to multi-talented director Stuart Gordon. Not only did he co-write and direct the original film, but he also has a strong background in theatre, having founded Chicago’s legendary Organic Theatre Company over 40 years ago.

Gordon directs a brilliant roster, including the entire original cast reprising their roles from last summer’s premiere run. Chris L. McKenna and Rachel Avery give charming and poignant performances as corrupted couple Dan and Megan; Jesse Merlin is a hilariously creepy Dr. Hill; George Wendt is, as usual, adorable; the chorus members are somehow chameleonic and notable.

But the star here is Graham Skipper as the titular re-animator himself, Dr. Herbert West. It’s an uphill battle taking on a role immortalized by the irreplaceable Jeffrey Combs, but Skipper makes the character truly his own. Whether singing or staring quietly, Skipper’s West is delightfully egomaniacal, but also cuter and more likable than the film version.

Graham Skipper as Herbert West and Jesse Merlin as Dr. Hill

The songs are bouncy and fun, but you probably won’t hear a standout number that will survive past the production. The music is catchy but pretty much never ends, giving the impression of a 90-minute medley, and the lyrics are almost too seamlessly interwoven into the story for the audience to appreciate their cleverness the first time around.

Of course, one of the unique things about this particular musical is its horror aspect. Gordon has re-teamed with the special makeup effects crew of the original film to reproduce all the decapitation, evisceration, and exsanguination that horror buffs will expect. In fact, there is so much gore that the first three rows are designated as a “splash zone”, complete with complimentary ponchos.

It should be noted that the effects here are ingenious, but this isn’t movie magic; it’s closer to a circus act. The wonder is not in the production’s ability to hide the strings, but in their ability to walk the ropes. Being up close and personal, you will see exactly how an effect is achieved, and you will appreciate the results all the more for it.

If you’re a fan of horror or musical theatre, and you’re planning on being in Los Angeles in the next two months, you can’t pass up your chance to see Re-Animator The Musical. You can buy tickets at http://www.reanimatorthemusical.com/tickets.html, and as a special bonus to Geekscape readers- if you buy tickets for this opening weekend, use the discount code 008 for 50% off ticket prices!