MORTIFIED
stars adults sharing aloud their most
embarrassing, pathetic and private teenage diary entries, poems, love
letters, lyrics and locker notes...In front of
total strangers.
A/V Room:
"Everyone's A Critic" on The Mortified Shoebox Show [YouTube]
and an
excerpt of "The Grandma Letters" on the
Parental Guidance Suggested episode of
"This
American Life"
"Mortified - Live"
Los Angeles, CA
King King
6555 Hollywood Blvd., Hollywood, CA 90028
Thursday, June 19,
2008
8:00pm -
$12 advance, $15 at the door
Reading from my high
school journal, I'm performing an excerpt called; "The Guiding Liza"
about watching soap operas, ditching classes and hanging out with 'Aunt
Liza' (Minnelli). If you've heard this before, it's a new version, if
you've never heard it...it's funny.
MORTIFIED
stars adults sharing aloud their most
embarrassing, pathetic and private teenage diary entries, poems, love
letters, lyrics and locker notes...In front of
total strangers. [tickets]
[information][The Mortified Shoebox Show]
Ninth
Annual LACER Spelling Bee 2008
May 5 - 15, 2008
Created and hosted by Will, the 9th Annual LACER
Spelling Bee brings together hundreds of middle school youth throughout Los
Angeles. Four schools will hold semi-finals then bring their top four
to the finals on May 15th. Go to
LACERstars.org
for more information.
"News
To Me" on CNN
May 5, 2008
News To Me: Get Mortified!
CNN's Eric Lanford talks to Mortified creator
David Nadelberg about all thing Mortified our most embarrassing
childhood moments. [click
here for video]
Everyone's A Critic
The Mortified
Shoebox Show
Will Seymour -
Journal
If you are a fan of fist fights, Liza Minnelli, drama clubs,
"Eight Is Enough,"
and shoplifting, this episode of the Mortified
Shoebox Show is for you.Teenage outcast Will Seymour (circa 1980) faces harsh critics when he
moves to a new school. Seeking refuge, he joins the drama club. Only to
discover everyone's a critic.
The Mortified Shoebox Show is comic
excavation of the strange and extraordinary things we created as kids.
A mix of concert clips, animation and more using real letters, lyrics, poems, journals, lame rap songs, home movies and more.
Produced by David Nadelberg and Neil Katcher.
Watch the episode on
YouTube or visit
Funny or Die. Watch, comment, and please give it a VOTE!
Race
for the Cure - Update
Thank
you so much for your support of my Mom and our
family. Donations for this
event were rolling in from one amazing person to
another. Family, friends,
colleagues, friends of friends, and a few
strangers/people I haven't met yet. Thank
you, thank you, and thank you.
It
was a beautiful Sunday, December 2nd, and
inspiring in so many ways. Survivors, fighters,
brothers, husbands, and
daughters dressed in everything from serious running
gear to pink stockings, feathered
boas and short-shorts. The day brought home
to the heart the scope of what
breast cancer can do to a
family. Like every kind of cancer,
it effects the whole family and the community around
them. Anyway, like I was saying, thousands
of people. Amazing.
I went with a hoodie
with 'peace' written in
masking tape. Mom was in layers and layers of
pink and cream, her chair was all sparkles so, she (and
the wheelchair) got a lot of attention.
Catherine and Liz were in serious
running gear, except for the inexplicable pink eye
masks. You could see and
feel the hope and determination ofeveryone participating as we
were wheeling through
Balboa Park.
Hard to impart what
the day meant to us all but want to thank you for being
a part of it.Here are
some Fun Facts just in case
you want to geek-out with me on the money and all:
104 donors to the
"Jogging for Judy" team raised$18,655.00 for The Komen
Foundation funding both research and women needing
services in the San Diego area.
Out of the 473
teams, "Jogging for Judy" was number one in
San Diego. For
awhile. Then, the morning of the race, we were
taken over by ProFlowers. While we were at the
top, it was fun, breezy and kinda Rosy (I'm just
saying).
A total of 11,824
participants raised a record-breaking $1.8 million
dollars for breast cancer research, treatment and
support.
Thank you.
Race
for the Cure "Jogging for Judy"
Balboa Park, San
Diego
Sunday, December
2, 2007
I Am Not Afraid of You and I Will Beat
Your Ass
As my Mom bravely battles cancer I'm
learning more and more about this disease. Words like metastasized,
anger and courage have new meaning. This little fun fact blows me away:
one in eight women will be stricken with breast cancer in her lifetime.
My Mom is a Bald Miracle
Thanksgiving week she started round-three
of the Eli Lily Study and the results of last weeks tests are in. Tumor
Frightening Friday (as we call it) has worked to the extent that the
dominant masses within her breast, lungs and liver have significantly
decreased in size. This is good.
Here's the
catch. Because the cancer has metastasized to the extent that it has,
the tumors will shrink but
they won't go away. If we want to keep the cancer at bay, she
will have to stay in some kind of chemotherapy. So far so good - she
plans sticking with the study to further shrink each area for as long as
she can tolerate it and as long as the cancer is responding to it.
The good news is, and the best part, is
we're having a great time together. Enjoying the time at the hospital,
in the backyard and at the kitchen table eating, telling stories and
playing cards.
Anyway, about this Sunday
The Race for the Cure® raises money to
fund education, screening and treatment programs for thousands of women
and supports the national search for a cure. If my
own Mom had access to appropriate diagnostics and a
doctorwith a keen eye on detail,they might have caught the cancer that Mom has
been fighting before it spread.
The Race for the
Cure® raises
money to fund education, screening and treatment programs for thousands
of women and supports the national search for a cure.
A group of friends, family and colleagues are organized to participate in this event
to raise money, awareness and support Mom's fight with Breast Cancer.
If you can, Register, Donate, Pledge and Join the
"Jogging for Judy" team,
led by Elaine Regan,
Lusardi Construction Company,
with Robert Campau, Kathryn Janz, Mark Regan, Liz Seymour and myself.
With all of our friends, family and partners-in-crime donating
to the "Cancer Sucks"
page we have raised $2,080 as
of this morning (Thursday) putting the
"Jogging for Judy" team at a total of $10,500 (and in
the Top 5).
Better get to Livin'
The
LACER Afterschool Programs'
12th
Annual Fundraiser Brunch
The Highlands @
Hollywood & Highland
6801
Hollywood Blvd., Hollywood, CA 90028
Sunday, November
4th, 2007
10:30am
$100, 12:30pm $20
This
annual fund-raising event will feature a VIP Brunch, Silent Auction and
awards (Thaddeus Smith - The Music Box) as well as a show featuring LACER youth and artists.
Produced
and directed by Founding Member and Artistic Director, Will Seymour, the
Music Hall show will include performances in dance, theater, spoken word,
guitar, drums, and much more. Support this award-winning non-profit
that has served the youth of Los Angeles since 1995.
[Tickets & Info]
"Mortified - Live" Los Angeles,
CA
King King
6555
Hollywood Blvd., Hollywood, CA 90028
Wednesday, June
27,
2007
8:00pm -
$12 advance, $15 door
I'm reading an excerpt from
my high school journal called "The Butler Did It." I'm
still cutting school, shoplifting, obsessively
watching soaps, hanging out with "Aunt Liza" (Minnelli), getting beat up and generally hating life
but then something great happens. I
get cast as the lead in the school play! Okay, perfect
right? Well, not so much. The opening night of "The
Butler Did It" was savagely reviewed by the South Tahoe Tribune saving
the worst for last...my performance. Funny. Sad.
Wrong and, yeah, Mortifying.
Come share the
uncensored teen horror thatis
"Mortified." The show where folks get up to read from their
childhood diaries for the cringing amusement and
rollicking laughter of you-the audience. Mortified has had a great run at the
Make Out Room and other venues around the country, so come check it
out. Reading
from his high
school journal, Will is performing an excerpt called; "The Butler Did It" about
watching soap operas, ditching classes and hanging out with 'Aunt Liza'
(Minnelli) - and an ill-fated appearance in a High School Play. [website: www.sfindie.com][buy tickets
online]
"Mortified - Live"
San Francisco, CA
The Make-Out Room
3225 22nd Street, San
Francisco, CA 94110
June 15 & 16,
2007
8:00pm -
$10 advance, $12 at the door
Reading from his high
school journal, Will is performing an excerpt called; "The Guiding Liza"
about watching soap operas, ditching classes and hanging out with 'Aunt
Liza' (Minnelli).
MORTIFIED
stars adults sharing aloud their most
embarrassing, pathetic and private teenage diary entries, poems, love
letters, lyrics and locker notes...In front of
total strangers. Listen to an excerpt of "The
Grandma Letters" on NPR's "This
American Life",
[tickets & information][the make-out room]
[check out the blog, nicotine and mint]
Leslie
William Freeman
(1932-2007)
In Loving Memory
May 24, 2007
Dear Friends,
Today, our wonderful "Poppa" Les
passed away peacefully at home with his loving family surrounding him.
He was full of Joy, he left his garden green, sprouting everywhere and
rich with color. This house, that he repaired and embellished so
artfully, will always be a sanctuary for our family and his memory.
Our family would like to
extend our heartfelt thanks
to all who have given support, for your
generosity and care this year and especially these last four
months. We've have much to be thankful for - especially the The Elizabeth Hospice Foundationstaff. A memorial service will be held
in Oceanside, California on June 8th.
I knew the best guy there was.
With Love, Will
"Mortified - Live" Los Angeles,
CA
King King
6555
Hollywood Blvd., Hollywood, CA 90028
April 18,
2007
8:00pm -
$10 advance, $15 door
I'll be reading
"The Grandma Letters" in the April Mortified show at King King -
letters my grandmother
and I exchanged
when I was in high school. I
was miserable at the time (my parents had just
gotten divorced, we moved, no friends)
and so was
grandma. We consoled each other through the mail.
MORTIFIED
stars adults sharing aloud their most
embarrassing, pathetic and private teenage diary entries, poems, love
letters, lyrics and locker notes...In front of
total strangers. Listen to an excerpt of "The
Grandma Letters" on NPR's "This
American Life", [tickets & information]
EARTH
POP
A
Multi-Media Play
March 29,
30 & 31, 2007
The
LACER Afterschool Programs
presents "Earth Pop" created by Cristina Frias, produced by Will Seymour
through the California Arts Council - Artists in Schools, L.A. Cultural
Affairs Department and The Hot Topic Foundation.
"The Earth has a fever!" A group of friends are surrounded by litter, trash and pollution...and
they are part of the problem! When one of them turns into a toxic
mutant - it's up to them to save the Earth!
The school's auditorium has been declared an environmental disaster!
Scientists are working to clean up the mess and warn LACER not to
continue - but the show must go on!"Earth Pop" is full of fun, messy kids, intrepid reporters, frustrated
teachers, giant jelly-fish, mad scientists and melting masses of plastic
and cardboard that need to be recycled! For
more information, a map and show details - visit the
"Earth
Pop" webpage.
"The Crazy Uncle Joe Show"
The
Groundlings, Los
Angeles, CA
March 14,
2007 - 8:00pm - $10
The Legendary Groundlings Long-form Improv Show; no director, no games, just funny.
Cast:
Jim Cashman, Roy Jenkins, Ted Michaels, Annie Morgan, Brian Palermo,
Carrie Seim and Will Seymour.
[Tickets &
Info]
"The Crazy Uncle Joe Show"
The Groundlings,
Los Angeles, CA
January 24, 2007
- 8:00pm - $10
The
Legendary Groundlings Long-form Improv Show; no director, no games, just
funny. Cast: Ted Michaels,
Annie Morgan, Brian Palermo, Edi Patterson, Will Seymour and Mitch Silpa. [Tickets &
Info]
2006 ▼
Bookstore Event - San Francisco
A Different Light Bookstore
489 Castro Street
San Francisco,
California 94114
December 15, 2006 - 7:00 pm
Reading excerpts of "The Guiding Liza" from the book MORTIFIED,
a Q&A and book signing to follow.
Bookstore Event - Los Angeles
A Different Light Bookstore
8853 Santa Monica Blvd.
West Hollywood,
California 90069
December 14, 2006 - 7:30 pm
Reading excerpts of "The Guiding Liza" from the book MORTIFIED,
a Q&A and book signing to follow.
"Mortified - Live" Los Angeles
King King, Hollywood
December 11, 2006 - 8pm
Will performing "The Guiding Liza" from the book MORTIFIED along with
performances by Anne Jensen, Krista & Keleigh Lanphear, Niya
Palmer, SaschaRothchild, Jason Smith
and Sean Sweeney
with Special Guests Elijah Wood, James Denton
and more!
Mortified: Real Words. Real
People. Real Pathetic.
Simon & Schuster/Simon Spotlight
Release Date: November 28, 2006
November 2006 - Actor Will Seymour gets personal redemption through public humiliation this November
with the Simon & Schuster/Simon Spotlight release of the book Mortified:
Real Words. Real People. Real Pathetic. capturing the most
embarrassing and private teenage diary entries of its contributors.Recently featured on National Public Radio’s (NPR)
This American Life,
In Will Seymour's
chapter—whose mother was an assistant to the
legendary
Liza
Minnelli and whose cousin issupermodel Stephanie
Seymour—we read embarrassingly real and personal journal entries from
his
bullied, angst-ridden teenage mind, a high school freshman
in the book’s chapter, “The Guiding Liza.” In
the ultimate 80's flashback, Seymour chronicles obsessive compulsive
shoplifting excursions, a succession of happenstance celebrity meetings through
his mom’s job with Liza Minnelli, and an addiction to
a soap opera that leads to the every day attempt to cut school.
Created by David Nadelberg, the book
is an anthology of people's actual childhood writings, ripped from the pages of
their lives and shared with total strangers. It's based on the national
theatrical hit with
the same name, where actors and ‘real people’ read aloud to a live audience the
excruciating details of their most embarrassing teenage diaries.The result is a uniquely honest,
hilarious collection that is equal parts comedic and cathartic.
Now available on
Amazon.com and in stores everywhere November 28.
[Press]
"Mortified - Live" San Francisco
The Make Out Room,
San Francisco, CA
November 17 & 18, 2006
- 8pm
I'm reading an excerpt from
my high school journal called "The Butler Did It." I'm
still cutting school, shoplifting, obsessively
watching soaps, hanging out with "Aunt Liza" (Minnelli), getting beat up and generally hating life
but then something great happens. I
get cast as the lead in the school play! Okay, perfect
right? Well, not so much. The opening night of "The
Butler Did It" was savagely reviewed by the South Tahoe Tribune saving
the worst for last...my performance. Funny. Sad.
Wrong and, yeah, Mortifying. See you at the Make Out room.
[Tickets &
Info][GetMortified.com]
LACER's 11th Annual Fundraiser
Brunch
The Music Box @ The Fonda
6126 Hollywood Blvd., Hollywood, CA 90028
Sunday, November 12, 2006 - 10:30am to 2pm
Join the LACER Afterschool Programs
in their 11th year of Award-Winning service to the youth of Los Angeles. Recognized by the National
"Coming Up Taller" award from the President's Commission on the Arts and
Humanities, LACER provides Arts and Literacy programming to thousands of youth,
free, every year. The Fundraiser includes a silent auction, raffle,
opportunity drawing, brunch and appearances by the LACER youth in Dance, Spoken
Word, Theater & Music, as well as Wallace Langham (CSI), California State
Assemblymember Jackie Goldberg, L.A. City Council Members Tom LaBonge and Eric
Garcetti and many more! Produced, Directed, and
hosted by Will this big ol' chunk of do-gooder fun is held at
The Music Box
- call (323) 957-6481 for tickets and information.
7:00 p.m. Red Carpet Arrival /
7:45 p.m. Screening
The LACER Afterschool Programs
in partnership with the Screen Actors Guild present a unique cinematic event: the
premiere of filmmaker
Patrick Hasson's short film collection at the
Egyptian Theatre
created by 'Mr. Patrick's MovieMakers Workshop.'
"Police Investigative Group," is
a punch-you-in-the-face thriller where two detective
groups (the boys vs. the girls) are mired in a murder mystery. To solve it
they shake it up, and knock LA around - 70's style - in this crime noir/comedy, written,
directed and staring the youth in "Mr. Patrick's MovieMakers Workshop" at
The Bancroft Stars Afterschool Program. Patrick Hasson, Director; Patrick Hasson & William
Seymour, Producers;
Sharon Stricker, Executive Producer. Please
come support
these creative youth and the amazing filmmaker/instructor Patrick Hasson.
"Mortified - Live" Los Angeles
King King, Hollywood
Wednesday, June 14 and Thursday,
June 15, 2006
Reading from his high school journal,
Will is performing an
excerpt called; "The Guiding Liza" about watching soap operas, ditching
classes and hanging out with 'Aunt Liza' (Minnelli).
MORTIFIED
stars adults sharing aloud their most embarrassing, pathetic and
private teenage diary entries, poems, love letters, lyrics and locker notes...In front of total strangers. The show runs in several cities (LA, NYC, SF)
and has been featured by the likes of"This American Life", "All Things Considered", The Los Angeles Times
Magazine, Gawker, Flavorpill & more.
New Location: King
King Hollywood[tickets & information].
"This American Life"
May 19-21, 2006
"Parental Guidance Suggested" Stories where kids actually want their parents to look out for them.
Act Two:A story about a boy
who's not getting enough attention from his parents. He decides to go over their
heads: to his grandma. In "The Grandma Letters"Will
Seymour reads letters he and his grandmother exchanged when he was in high
school. He was miserable at the time (his parents had
divorced, they moved, he had no friends) and so was
his grandma. So they consoled each other through the mail.
"Mortified - Live" Los Angeles
The M Bar, Los Angeles
April 20 and 22, 2006
Will is
reading a new piece from my high school journal, an excerpt called;
"The Butler Did It" about a high school play savagely reviewed by the
city newspaper. [tickets & information]
"New York is
Bleeding"
South Coast
Repertory
March 27, 2006
Appearing as "Eggman" and other roles in "New York is Bleeding" by
Said Sayrafiezadeh, directed by Kate Whoriskey as part of
South Coast Repertory's NewSCRipts Reading Series. 7:30 pm in the Julianne
Argyros Stage at the South Coast Repertory.
[tickets &
information]
Stepfamily Talk Radio
February 6, 2006
Will's interviewed on
Stepfamily Talk
Radio Network! Check it out but, oh, get ready. It's a dark, dark
tale! (Thank you Lisa Cohn & Jann Blackstone-Ford for a great time talking
about a crappy childhood and making it meaningful for others)
2005 ▼
"Mortified
- Live" San Francisco
The Make Out Room,
San Francisco
December 5, 2005
Get
MORTIFIED with
Will in San Francisco! REAL people reading REAL diaries! Will
reads from his high school journal,
in a excerpt called; "The Guiding Liza" about watching soap operas, ditching
classes and hanging out with 'Aunt Liza' (Minnelli). UPDATE: If you shoplift and
decide to steal some
Vivarin and
get caught, you'll have to pay a fine and you won't get to keep the
bottle...at least that was the deal back in 1980.
LACER's 10th Annual Fundraiser Brunch
The Music Box at the
Fonda
November 20, 2005
The LACER
Afterschool Programs
celebrates 10 Years of service to the youth and families of Los Angeles with
a silent auction, brunch and show at the Music Box Theatre on Hollywood
Blvd. Appearances by Ozomatli,
and Assemblymember Jackie Goldberg with performances by LACER Artists, Youth
and Alumni...and me, get your tickets now at
LACERstars.org!
"Mortified
- Live"
Los Angeles
The M Bar,
Los Angeles
November
16 and 18, 2005
Will is
reading a new piece called "The Grandma Letters" - letters to and from his
Grandma...bad jokes, cutting school and lots of bad information from both
sides. As heard on NPR's
"This American Life",
MORTIFIED
is a comic cringe-fest where people share their most embarrassing and
private teenage diary entries.
"The Caucasian Chalk Circle"
South Coast Repertory
September 2 - October 9, 2005
Appearing as
the Corporal, the Monk, an axe-wielding hermit, and a legless man among others in
Bertolt Brecht's classic "The
Caucasian Chalk Circle" directed by Kate Whoriskey at the Tony Award-Winning
South Coast Repertory.
"Mortified
- Live"
Los Angeles
The M Bar, Los Angeles
July 27, 2005
Will is
reading from my high school journal about cutting school, shoplifting, soap
operas and hanging out with "Aunt Liza" (Minnelli) at this special encore
performance of "The Guiding Liza"
I Am Not Afraid of You and I Will Beat
Your Ass
Here's the
catch. Because the cancer has metastasized to the extent that it has,
![Will Seymour [photo by Natalie Young]](images/William_Seymour_Update.jpg)
![Will Seymour [photo by Natalie Young]](images/William_Seymour_whome_sml.jpg)