Hi
Happy Friday!
It’s been another crazy, busy week in Cope-land. I’m juggling four writing projects all at the same time and somehow, miraculously, pulling them off. Well…I think I’m pulling them off. Time will tell.
I began rehearsals this week for my new solo play, "Grandma & Me." Covid willing, the new play will begin previews at the Marsh in San Francisco on Friday, September 9 and officially open on Saturday, October 8. This one has been a long time coming and it’s opening 2 1/2 years after it was originally scheduled (April
2020) because of the shutdown. They say things happen for a reason. With the extra time, I’ve been able to find a way to make a few scenes better.
I’ll be doing two final public readings of the play this weekend if you’d like a sneak peek. I’m doing a staged reading tonight in Alameda, CA at the Altarena Playhouse at 8 PM and a “sit down read” on Sunday at Book Passage in Corte Madera, CA at 1 PM. I hope that you’ll join us if you can. Masks are required at both venues.
On another note, since the play is about single parenting, I’m looking for single parent support groups and organizations in the Bay Area. I’d like to invite them to come out in September. If you belong to such an organization or you know of one, please shoot me the name and contact info at [email protected].
Got to check out a few things this week to tell you about…
MOVIES
I went to see writer/director Jordan Peele’s latest thriller, "Nope," this week. "Nope" is about a pair of African American siblings (played by the wonderful Daniel Kaluuya and Keke Palmer) whose family has trained horses for film and TV on a remote southern California ranch since the birth of the movie industry. Things get eerie when unexplained phenomena begin to transpire in the skies above the ranch. It’s
an edge of your seat kind of movie, so be prepared.
I think that Peele is becoming the new Alfred Hitchcock in that he possesses the ability to make what you don’t see scarier than what you do, eventually witness on the screen. It’s a great film. I want to see it again because I am sure that there are nuances I missed.
DEFINITELY GO
TELEVISION
This week, I’d like to give a shout-out to one my favorite shows of the last seven years as it concludes its run. Like most of America, I was addicted to Bryan Cranston’s now iconic performance as Walter White, a high school chemistry teacher with terminal cancer who decides to cook meth so that he can leave his family financially secure in "Breaking Bad." Mr. Chips meets Scarface is how creator Vince Gilligan
famously pitched the series. It’s brilliant and considered one of the best television series to ever grace the medium. That said, I was a little apprehensive when I heard that Gilligan’s team was working on a prequel series centered around White’s shyster lawyer, Saul Goodman. I didn’t have much hope that it would be worth watching. Boy was I wrong.
For seven years, using the same mix of crime, comedy and tragedy, "Better Call Saul" has taken viewers on a ride we don’t want to get off of as it showed us the metamorphosis of small-time conman Jimmy McGill as he gradually becomes a lawyer for a notorious drug cartel in New Mexico. If Bob Odenkirk doesn’t win the Emmy for his work this final season, it’s a crime. The way that he’s able to blend both broad
and nuanced acting (often in the same scene) is a sight to behold. A legitimate argument can be made that "Saul" might even be a better show than "Breaking Bad."
The supporting cast is pitch perfect and superb as well from Jonathan Banks as ruthless but principled enforcer Mike Ehrmantraut to Rhea Seehorn as Jimmy/Saul’s wife and partner in crime Kim Wexler to Giancarlo Esposito as the gentlemanly drug kingpin Gus Fring. In my book, they all deserve awards.
If you haven’t caught the show, it’s streaming on Netflix. Catch up. There are only three new episodes left before the series finale August 15.
BOOKS
I just restarted 100 Ways to Motivate Yourself by Steve Chandler. After the craziness of the last couple of years, I needed a kick in the pants to get my motivation back. I discovered the first edition of this book back in the 90s and it literally changed my life. I have recommended it here, on the
radio and to friends many, many times. Most people tell me it’s really helped to improve their productivity and the quality of their lives. Pick up a copy and see what these great life hacks can do for you!
COPELAND’S CORNER BLOG
The third edition of the weekly COPELAND’S CORNER blog dropped Wednesday and should be in your mailbox. If you don’t see it, please check your spam folder. This is the last edition that I’m emailing out. If you’d like to receive further editions, please subscribe for free here.
Incidentally, the COPELAND’S CORNER podcast is still going strong with over 100 episodes! Listen here or anyplace you get your podcasts.
Thanks for the time to catch up!
Talk to you next week,
Copie
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