I had studied improvisational comedy with Jo Forsberg at Second City in Chicago during a brief stay there in the late '60s. My friend Lynne Stewart introduced me to the Groundlings about ten years after that and I was fortunate enough to be admitted as a member in 1978. I stayed until 1982, eventually appearing in their weekend shows and for two years served as president of their governing board. I returned briefly in 1984 to help create and appear in "Olympic Trials" a special improvised detective mystery starring Phil Hartman in his "Chick Hazzard, Private Investigator" role - sort of a precursor to the "Max Jerome" character he played later in a series of television commercials. The Groundlings were honored to have been selected as one of the Los Angeles partipants in that year's Olympic Arts Festival which ran concurrently with the 1984 Olympic Summer Games in Los Angeles. It was the most fun I have ever had on stage.

While there I studied in workshops taught by Gary Austin,(the founding artistic director), as well as Tracy Newman, Tom Maxwell and Phyllis Katz. I had the pleasure of working with people like Lynne Stewart, Bob and Edie Mc Clurg, Hartman, Paul Reubens, John Paragon, Doug Cox, Shirley Prestia, Steve White and a whole lot of funny and inspirational actors.

The picture above was taken sometime around 1979, shortly after the theater on Melrose Avenue opened. That's me in the lower left corner. I had been taking cast pictures backstage and someone suggested I take a group shot. I set up my camera in the audience, assembled all of the members present, set the self timer and ran to the stage. The spot I ended up was the most convenient landing place. Sharp eyes may spot Phil Hartman - second row down, three over from the left. That's Cassandra "Elvira" Peterson next to him - second from left - at the right end of that row is John Paragon, one to the left is Paul Reubens.