“That Sordid Little Story” is my first “gig” with The New Colony. And, one of the most interesting project in my acting career.

I began to act in 1992 on a fluke. I was not much interested in theatre until the emergence of the International Theatre Festival in about 1985. On a bi-annual basis, over a period of 10 years, a dozen or so theatre companies from around the world would bring their cast, crews and technicians to venues here and treat Chicago to mind-bobbling experiences. World-renown companies from the United Kingdom, Ireland, Spain, France, Greece – you name it. About 50 -60 all told.

The very first show I saw was the ‘Dutchess of Malfi” starring Ian McKellon which knocked my socks off. I believe it was either N.T.E. or The Royal Shakespeare who performed all seven pieces in the War of The Roses in one weekend. One show Friday night – three per day on Saturday and Sunday. Robert LePage’s “Dragon Triology”, from Montreal, was performed in-the-round over the better part of the day and a Chinese Dinner was served at intermission. A new worl was opned for me – although it didn’t realize it at the time.

My world had been filled with story-telling. But, mostly visual. I was trained to draw when I was three, learned to read blueprints and do mechanical drawings when I was seven. Had advance ed architectural-drawing training and ended-up telling my stories through pictures.

For decades, I headed-up a design consulting firm which planned restaurant and hospitality projects in 45 of the lower United States, Canada and a project or two in Europe.
Of course every drawing of every project had a story and I often found myself translating them
from esoteric “constructionese” or “haute cuisinenese” to English – for technically-impaired non-readers.

For years, I was a key-note speaker and designed and conducted seminars for The National Restaurant Association, the American Hotel Association, the American ?Management Association, Michigan State University’s Graduate School. And, taught at City Colleges of Chicago and College of DuPage which was kind of storytelling – with a technical dialect.

My practice did well except during economic periods when development and building slowed down due to recessions. Like the economic devastation in 1982 which triggered a major impact on my family and personal life.

By 1991 I had rebuilt my practice and enjoyed assignments from many of the major hotel corporations in America. But, late that year, when the economy headed south again, I decided to avoid the storm, placed my trusted associates with other firms and went to Europe to finish a project which I thought might provide safe shelter. Only to find it was under-capitalized. It was fun and provided a ton of stories till this day.

When I got back and checked-in with friends and colleagues I quickly found them battened-down from the economic storm. One friend and colleague, an architect who closed his studio responded, “I going to study acting, why don’t you come along”? I laughed. “Acting – are you nuts? “



I enrolled in “The Player’s Workshop of the Second City” as it was called in those days, And, instantly plummeted from a level of “mastery” in my previous profession to “Rookie”. Talk about frustration! What I remember was the incredibly-gifted Martin DeMaat yelling “Jack, don’t push!”
Lee Houghton and David Murphy urging, “Who are you? Where are you? What are you doing? Listen!”. Then, Josephine Forsberg, who founded T.P.W. after she served as Second City’s liaison with Viola Spolin, cast me in her “The Gathering”. My first play! My first role? Jesus !

And the rest was history – I had been bitten. By the “stage-bug”. Bad! I got headshots, visited agents and was told, “You need dramatic training. Check-in with Stephen Icvich.” Another almost-two-years of “Stop pushing! Listen! What the hell are you doing?” I thought I might never reach “journeyman’s” level. But, I auditioned my ass-off. Got lucky more times than not. And, started to understand what I didn’t understand. When I taught, I remember one of my coaches telling me “When the student is ready, the teacher will appear”. The teacher was often already there; you just didn’t recognize it. Duh!

Several sets of headshots and a dozen scene-study classes later, with a score of “extra” and understudy credits I got to do some commercials and small independent films. One Nike spot with Michael Jordan which got me my Sag card.

I was asked to be Tommy Lee Jone’s “stand-in” in Natural Born Killers” and thought no way. “I’m an actor” then a casting director friend asked “Do you have any thing else lined-up for those five weeks?” “Have you ever watched Tommy, Woody Harrelson, Robert Downey, Jr. work just 10 feet away? Ah, no. I remember walking of-set one night with Tommy Lee – we were discussing horses and cattle breeds – when he told me his Dad taught him, “Son, when you sign-up on a man’s spread, you signed-up to give that man an honest day’s work. Every day. Make sure he gets it!” Another lesson. More stories to share.

That’s the thing I love best about acting – so there’s so much to learn. And, I try every day.
I don’t mean it ain’t fun. Because without that, learning can be perceived as tedious and scary.

But, how can you not have fun, when you walk –off stage and you’re bear-hugged by a cop from the audience. He picked me up in his arms, tears in his eyes and says, “Thanks man, for telling my wife my story. I lost my partner too, just like you. But, I could never get it out and you did that for me. I’m so glad they used real cops here too, not faggot actors.” I jumped in my van, did a U-turn in the middle of Clark St. and pealed away – just like the guys in the 18th district. Fun!

One night after a holocaust show, an Artistic Director from a major theatre told me in the lobby, “Jack, the moment you walked in with that Lugar, I thought – this is not good.” Or, when you play an old Dutch watchmaker, walk-off stage and acquaintances say, “Jack, what are you doing here? You weren’t in this play were you? I didn’t see you up there.” Fun!

When a hot wunderkind director says, “If you mean to hit Merrick with your cane, hit (but don’t hurt) him.” Or, when one of Chicago’s best actors (I call him Mr. Intensity), says, “Jack, you really talked to me tonight and I felt you”. And one of Chicago’s most seasoned Actors/Directors says, “Jack, you rode the road tonight, buddy – not just the hills and dales but the twists and turns too. Tomorrow night, if you want to, you might try ... I’m just saying …” Fun!

Fun! Fun! Fun! And lucky. Extremely lucky !


I’ve been lucky to work with dozens of creative, insightful and patient directors and crews.
And hundreds of talented and generous actors. Most, it seems, have come to Chicago from every corner of the country and some from abroad, to work and play in our internationally-famous sandbox. A few, like me, were born and raised here.

I was born on the near-northwest side – near Humboldt Park and Division St., where my mother shopped for dinner each day. European-style, given the myriad of vegetable stands, delicatessens, bakeries and meat markets – both regular and Kosher. It was a melting-pot neighborhood where I loved to watch my beautiful grandmother hold sway at the dime-store soda fountain and translate stories for her lady-friends. She spoke seven languages. English-to-Polish. German-to-Russian. Italian-to-Yiddish. The last time I saw her alive, in her 80’sm she sat on her stoop with two beautiful Puerto Rican kids. As I walked up, the boy said, “No Anna, mi gusto, it’s gusto ..? Yep, Spanish was next.

When I was ten, we were slightly uprooted to the Southside. My father’s clan lived near Comisket Field and The Union Stockyards, where, as a teenager, I cowboyed for three summers. Horses, cattle and sheep right in the city. I rustled a calf once, raised it all summer and cried when I sold “Junior” when I went back to start basketball workshops.

My Dad, who played semi-pro basketball, began to coach me when I was five or six, and suggested I continue in high school with one of his two buddies. I picked Johnny Ivers, who played for DePaul and used most of their “set”- offense patterns. “Jack, slow it up. Set it up. Cut, cut!”
The other guy, Eddie O’Farrell, preached “fast-break”. “Whip it out, pass it downcourt! Quick!””

One night, playing his team, I popped my first jumpshot from the freethrow line. It hit the rim and bounced straight up. My “man” was also guarding me. He leaped and caught it the crook of his wrist.and put it to the floor. I spun, raced to the other freethrow line and pivoted quickly to strip him. But, he was in the air, flew over my head and dunked it – in the 1950’s. He went on to play All-American at Notre Dame and the NBA. It was the longest night of my basketball career and made me wonder if I should have picked Eddie as my coach. But, the next year it didn’t matter.

I started hanging around with a gang. By this time the neighborhood had gone from 80% Irish to 1/3rd Latin. Mostly, we “partied” but every once in a while trouble brewed. Especially as we traveled around the Southside to sporting events, dances, parties and bars. We played hard and fought hard. I witnessed several murders and had a .38 cal held to my temple a time or two.
But, somehow I survived. Most of my compadres didn’t though. I later learned a number of them died in jail. Or, from alcoholism.

There was not much time for learning. Not much positive stuff at least. And, of course my grades plummeted from straight A’s in honor classes to “failed”. I failed an advanced Math course and was told, “Jack, you’re very good at Math, tell me the average of your 92 test score and 0 homework score?” “46, mam.” “Is 46 more or less than 70?” ‘Less, mam.”

The only thing I didn’t screw-up was my architectural drawing. It, and a few wonderful and understanding teachers saved me - literally. Given my grade situation, I put-off going on to college temporarily and went to work as a junior drafter in the engineering department of a hotel and restaurant turnkey supplier and contractor. At 18 I married a grammar school-mate. She picked-up where my teachers had to leave off, helped me on-track and together we had two wonderful sons. And, now four beautiful grandchildren. For almost 30 years, we lived the American dream.

James Lipton, Actor’s Studio (Bravo Network) Pivot?
What is your “favorite word”? Try
What is your ‘least favorite word”? Can’t
What “turns-you-on”? Learning
What “turns-you-off”? Arrogance
What sound / noise do you love? Laughter
What sound/noise do you hate? Slamming (doors)
Favorite “curseword”? M. F.
What other profession would you “love”? Pilot
What other profession would you “hate”? Prison Guard
What do you wish “God” would say: You tried, nice job