The Bill Raiten Blog

My wife decided to get laying hens and turkeys and I’ve been building and “potsying” around to make everything ready for them just as I’m getting the NST school ready. It’s amazing how the chickens remind me of what it is like trying to do too many things. They run about at weird unprovoked moments from the sound of a truck passing by just as I do when the phone rings when I’m in the middle of something; They sit quietly on the roost, fluffed up and comfortable just as I do settling into my plush chair with the N Y Times Arts and Leisure section; They come running as I call out “tseep, tseep, tseep and throw veggies and grass into their enclosure just as I come running when I see new email about the school on my monitor. Crazy isn’t it? Well Registration for the school will close this Saturday Sept. 6th at Noon and I hope we get enough responses to fill all of the classes. Acting, Scene Study and Musical Theatre Vocal are the most popular by far and look as if they will be a lot of fun……. Just like the chickens……..

WOW! What excitement. Since the article in the Weekly Packet five students have signed up for classes. Two are taking two courses and three are taking one course. It will be amazing if we get the 45 students we need to get this school off the ground. DANCING, SINGING, ACTING, MAKE-UP, STAGE COMBAT, SCENE STUDY……. What I wouldn’t have given for an opportunity like this when I started in the 1950’s. Lee Strasberg knew I could not pass the auditions for the Actor’s Studio and helped me audit at H B Studios and when Marcel De’tien DeCroux (I have no idea how to spell his name) Marcel Marceu’s teacher, came to teach in America at that time, they would not even let me audition to work with him because I wanted to use his lessons for comedy. Our School will work so differently. The joy of finding the talent within ourselves is the goal and what a joy that is. Well, I’ll keep you all posted as the list of students grows……. See ya’

Ross, who started my blog with the post “Hello World” had no idea that William B. Williams used to get on WNEW radio in N Y and announce: Good Evening World to start off his broadcast. He was the greatest and coined “Chairman of the Board” as Frank Sinatra’s nickname. His voice was the mellowest and sexiest on the radio………. But when I saw him in person I could not believe he belonged to that voice and that is why I love rehearsing plays in the beginning as if we are on the radio. The voice can take you anywhere and the listener imagines the appearance and the place……. Then we take it to the next level, the stage. Oh well ……. just some thoughts.

Hi All, 

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