Friday, February 17, 2012

 

SHATNER'S WORLD

SHATNER'S WORLD

SHATNER'S WORLD is more than pure entertainment -- and it is very entertaining: funny, interesting, and inspiring! -- SHATNER'S WORLD is a reflection on why and how entertainment becomes more than entertainment: art, inspiration, politics, humor, comfort and knowledge about life, love and death.

Shatner’s World: We Just Live In It is a one-man show written and performed by William Shatner -- with anecdotes about his life and his work and what they mean to him and to others -- and directed by Scott Faris.


William Shatner is 80 (b March 22, 1931), but he could pass for 40 or fifty. Most people think of him only for one or another of his many lives... Captain Kirk in Star Trek, or Denny Crane in Boston Legal. But his career is truly amazing. Some of his many credits are listed below. He has acted in Shakespeare; owned champion horses; starred in many films, written several novels...

He describes himself as an entertainer. This show, fundamentally, at its core, at its heart, is a muse on how -- just by trying to entertain well -- the vehicles in which he has appeared (pun intended) have fundamentally influenced and inspired major changes in human lives. He knows he can not take credit for the space program. But it is clear that Star Trek has been an inspiration to many of those involved.

He describes anecdotes from his long career in entertainment. Watching this show should be a compulsory element of the education of an actor. It describes the disconnect between the effect and impression that entertainment has on its audience, and the experience of being the entertainer. Shatner has the quality of understanding and commenting on both a subjective and objective awareness of his work that illuminates both (and he does it all with sophisticated and ironic humor). It provides examples akin to what Rita Hayworth meant when she (allegedly) said her trouble with men was that "They go to bed with Gilda (her sensuous character in the movie "Gilda") and they wake up with me." What Shatner has come to realize is essentially that "me" and "Gilda" are both important. They are different. "Gilda" is important to the audience that knows little about "me". But "me" is important, because without it there would be no "Gilda". (To apply to this show, of course, change "Gilda" to "Start Trek" and Gilda to Captain Kirk.)

Star Trek only lasted three years. His other series lasted a few years. That's a fraction of a 60+ year professional career. He's been broke -- even after he was famous -- divorced, in love. He seems to be happy now.

Shatner also muses on love and death (How do you play, "dying"? -- is something he really thinks and talks about) and the treatment of animals, and the nature of humor... all with jokes and (often ironic and self-deprecating) humor.

His delivery is casual; he seemed to fluff a few lines and swallow a few punch lines, but without seriously impeding the flow of the show.

He concludes the show with a nice talk-singing rendition of one song from one of his albums: He'd be great as Professor Henry Higgins in My Fair Lady!

I found the show illuminating, entertaining, and inspiring.

In fact, here's what it seems to me is so interesting: I think this show is inspiring both to comedian/actors ... And Rocket Scientists.  Not many shows on Broadway can say that.


Here's a selection of Shatner's enormous list of film and TV credits:

ACTOR
2011 Psych (TV series)
2011 William Shatner: Bohemian Rhapsody (video short)
2010-2011 $#*! My Dad Says (TV series)
2011 Horrorween
2010 Quantum Quest: A Cassini Space Odyssey
2008 Gotta Catch Santa Claus (TV movie)
2004-2008 Boston Legal (TV series)
2007 The Tuttles: Madcap Misadventures (Video Game)
2007/I Live Life (short)
2007 Everest (TV mini-series)
2006 Star Trek: Tactical Assault (Video Game)
2006 Star Trek: Legacy (Video Game)
2006 Star Trek: Encounters (Video Game)
2006 Over the Hedge
2006 The Wild
2006 Stalking Santa
2005 Atomic Betty (TV series)
2005 Last Laugh '05 (TV movie)
2005 Invasion Iowa (TV series)
2005 Miss Congeniality 2: Armed and Fabulous
2005 Lil' Pimp (video)
2004 Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story
2004 Chilly Beach (TV series)
2004 The Practice (TV series)
2003 A Carol Christmas (TV movie)
2002 Groom Lake
2002 American Psycho II: All American Girl (video)
2002 Shoot or Be Shot
2001 The Kid (TV movie)
2001 Bob Patterson (TV series)
2001 Osmosis Jones
2001 Falcon Down
2000 Miss Congeniality
1999-2000 3rd Rock from the Sun (TV series)
1999 A Twist in the Tale (TV series)
1998 Land of the Free
1998 Hercules (TV series)
1998 Free Enterprise
1997 Cosby (TV series)
1997 The First Men in the Moon (video) 
1997 Perversions of Science (TV series)
1997 Star Trek: Generations (Video Game)
1997 Star Trek: Starfleet Academy (Video Game) 
1996 Dead Man's Island (TV movie)
1994-1996 TekWar (TV series)
1996 The Prisoner of Zenda, Inc. (TV movie)
1993-1995 Eek! the Cat (TV series)
1994 Janek: The Silent Betrayal (TV movie) 
1994 Star Trek: Generations 
1994 TekWar: TekJustice (TV movie) 
1994 TekWar: TekLab (TV movie) 
1994 SeaQuest 2032 (TV series) 
1994 TekWar: TekLords (TV movie)  
1994 TekWar (TV movie)
1976-1993 Columbo (TV series)
1993 Family of Strangers (TV movie) 
1993 Loaded Weapon 1  
1993 Star Trek: Judgment Rites (Video Game)
1992 The Larry Sanders Show (TV series)
1992 Star Trek: 25th Anniversary Enhanced (Video Game) 
1991 Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country  
1991 Voice of the Planet (TV mini-series) 
1989 Star Trek V: The Final Frontier  
1988 Broken Angel (TV movie)  
1988 The Trial of Standing Bear (TV movie) 
1986 Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home
1982-1986 T.J. Hooker (TV series) 
1985 North Beach and Rawhide (TV movie)  
1985 The Ray Bradbury Theater (TV series)
1984 Secrets of a Married Man (TV movie)  
1984 Star Trek III: The Search for Spock  
1982 Airplane II: The Sequel
1982 Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan
1982 Visiting Hours 
1982 Police Squad! (TV series)
1980 The Babysitter (TV movie) 
1980 The Kidnapping of the President 
1979 Star Trek: The Motion Picture  
1979 Disaster on the Coastliner (TV movie) 
1979 Riel (TV movie)  
1978 Crash (TV movie)
1978 Little Women (TV series) 
1978 The Third Walker
1978 Land of No Return
1978 The Bastard (TV movie)
1978 How the West Was Won (TV mini-series)

... Lots more stuff ...

1973-1974 Star Trek (TV series -- 22 episodes)

... Lot's more stuff ...

1961-1965 The Defenders (TV series)

... Lot's more stuff including Twilight Zone & Howdy Doody ...

And, to start it off... 
 
1953 Space Command (TV series) 
1951 The Butler's Night Off

Much more as Producer, Writer & Director...



Here's a link to Shatner's movies, books and music on Amazon:




LINKS

SHATNER'S WORLD -- OFFICAL SITE
http://shatnersworld.com/

WILLIAM SHATNER'S  OFFICIAL SITE
http://www.williamshatner.com/

WILLIAM SHATNER on WIKIPEDIA
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Shatner

WILLIAM SHATNER on IMDB
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000638/


And, by the way...

GILDA on IMDB
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0038559/









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