Eddie Izzard, Patton Oswalt, Lewis Black, Sarah Silverman and Tenacious D have been lined up to perform next Friday night, Dec. 14, at UCLA's Royce Hall in Write Aid, a benefit concert to help those impacted by the strike.
Tickets are $75; a block of discount tickets for entertainment union members in need will be available tomorrow. The event's been organized by the Marti Noxon, Dawn Prestwich, Nicole Yorkin and United Showrunner Committee.
According to the announcement sent to WGA members, the idea originated with the USC. Prestwich and Yorkin, executive producers of "The Riches," approached Izzard.
"I wanted to help because the WGA struggle is in the same area as the SAG struggle will be in a few months time," Izzard said. "We will also be negotiating over Internet residuals, so doing the benefit seemed like a good way of helping out and showing solidarity."
Tickets are on sale now: UCLALive.org, (310) 825-2101 or Ticketmaster.
More details to follow tomorrow. We'll blog them when they're announced. In the meanwhile, here is a clip to a recent Izzard interview, produced by Sunita Surajan at Variety.com.
-- Dave McNary
Turn Off Your WebCasts Now...
It appears that the only way to get the AMPTP and IATSE to understand the power of the Labor Minded America and world at large is to hit them where it hurts, and that is in their pockets. As they have done to all of us who work in the industry. True, the WGA offers loans to its members to get them through this crises, however, the remainder of the industry does not have this opportunity. People are going hungry and without medication. Yes, in the great State of California in the United States of America, people who have nothing to gain or lose by the outcome of the negotiations are the ones who are paying the dearest price.
TV stars jumped to the occasion to rapidly shut their shows down in solidarity, and in part in a fleeting moment for some free "PR" and news feeds. Let's call it what it really is, I know, I've been to all of the rallies in support myself, and watched as all of those interviews took place as close as two feet away. Not to diminish their shining moment or their sincerity, but time and again I was dissappointed about the lack of extended insight after a minute or two of their speaking. I myself know how one can forget and go blank when a microphone is shoved in your face, but when you write a speech please make sure you have a couple of qualified intelligent people read it for you first.
Again, for the AMPTP, you have time and again tried to take the pie for yourself. Everyday comes new technologies. As I wrote in my movie contracts as a performer, that my percentages would be based on all current and future technologies, forms of distributions, and physical hard copy formats, whether currently invented, currently in use, or not. I rewrite and modify all of my contracts. To leave it to others is leaving a door open for strangers to enter and remove your belongings and your future. To the AMPTP and IATSE, everyone deserves a piece of the pie, the most fortunate thing that exists is that with everyday we get a new pie. The Internet is another pie, tomorrow is another day.
When it comes to money, I once heard Bette Davis say that "we never would have asked for so much money if Jack Warner hadn't been so mean!" Recalling the reason movie stars made so much money anyway, her further recallection was, "We never expected that they would give it to us!" That said, the more mean, you- the AMPTP, the more mean you are to us now, the more we, "all of the industry," will ask of you in the future when you need us most. Like Elephants, we never forget.
America and the world at large, turn off your internet programs, and if need be, turn off your televisions too.
Peppi Turco
Hollywood, California
Labels: AMPTP, IATSE,Hollywood, Motion Pictures, Peppi Turco, Television, WGA, Writers Strike, WEBCAST
Posted by: PEPPI TURCO | December 09, 2007 at 01:11 PM
A friend of mine turned me on to a cool site that has introduced me to a world of opportunities to get rewarded on the side for my writing and directing skills. Cool opportunities for filmmakers and writers http://www.adooga.com - Im looking fwd to the Write Aid event!
Posted by: Rose Sheyenne | December 09, 2007 at 01:19 PM
A friend of mine turned me on to a cool site that has introduced me to a world of opportunities to get rewarded on the side for my writing and directing skills. Cool opportunities for filmmakers and writers http://www.adooga.com - Im looking fwd to the Write Aid event!
Posted by: Rose Sheyenne | December 09, 2007 at 01:19 PM
A friend of mine turned me on to a cool site that has introduced me to a world of opportunities to get rewarded on the side for my writing and directing skills. Cool opportunities for filmmakers and writers http://www.adooga.com - Im looking fwd to the Write Aid event!
Posted by: Rose Sheyenne | December 09, 2007 at 01:20 PM
How does this help people in the industry? I have read about this so called benefit but have not found out where to sign up. Any help out there?
Posted by: outta work | December 12, 2007 at 06:04 PM