Suzanne Bertish's Favorite Performances

Suzanne Bertish's Favorite Performances February 26, 2012 Photo by 20th Century Fox Vanessa Redgrave in "Julia" I feel that we are most influenced by great performances when we are young. Of course we continue to be blown away by great work as we mature, but it's when we're young that we are making the big discoveries. As we grow older, the road narrows inevitably, and our perceptions become more nuanced. I could say Irene Worth in David Hare's "The Bay at Nice," Al Pacino in "The Merchant of Venice," Maggie Smith in Ingmar Bergman's production of "Hedda Gabler," Alan Rickman in "John Gabriel Borkman," Susan Sarandon in "Thelma & Louise"try to imagine a woman whom that performance has not inspired!and Ian McKellen in "Macbeth" are all great performances I've seen over the years.But thinking more deeply about it, I'd have to say that Peter Brook's production of "A Midsummer Night's Dream," which I saw when I was about 20, had a great impact on me. I've carried it through my whole life in the sense that it exemplified what I want theater to doit took my breath away. It had magic. Ben Kingsley, Alan Howard, Patrick Stewart, and Frances de la Tourwere in it. It played in London in 1970 and on Broadway in 1971 and then a world tour. The purity of Brook and the kind of theater he gave us with this "Dream" led to the work of directors like Simon McBurney and Robert Lepage and more recently John Tiffany, who staged "Black Watch" for the National Theatre of Scotland and the musical "Once." That kind of theater thrills and moves me. The production was such a celebration of life and the human imagination through the words of Shakespeare.So often we see productions of Shakespeare where concepts are imposed. You could look at Brook's "Dream" and say, "He imposed a lot." But if you really examined Brook's "Dream," it all came from his dialogue with Shakespeare. The theater is a collaborative art, and all the elements came togetherperfectly. It's rare that that happens, but it did here.He set the play in a white box, and it was full of magic, literally as well as metaphorically. There were people spinning plates and walking on stilts; Oberon and Titania were on trapezes; Puck juggled. But it felt like all this came from Brook's thoughtful interaction with Shakespeare, not as though someone "cleverly" said, "Let's set it in Antarctica." I think audiences can feel the difference between a director saying, "Hey, look at me, look at what I can do" and something less egotistical that comes from a dialogue with the text, something pure. With the latter, that's when theater can influence, feed, and change culture.I suppose if I had to pick one single performance that affected me, I would have to say Vanessa Redgrave in the film "Julia." She stripped away everything but the essential. The connection between her and Jane Fonda in the one scene at the little railway caf is extraordinary. We can feel the love coming from Redgrave as Julia. I was young when I saw it, and I thought, "That's what I aspire to." Of course when discussing Vanessa Redgrave, we can't disassociate the woman from the actress, and Redgrave herself is a hero to many people for her blinding courage as a woman and her extraordinary gifts as an actress. I observed it in that film and later onstage when I had the privilege of working with her. She has what is glibly called "technique," but with her it is utterly invisible, as if it were not there, as if she had thrown it away in the service of finding the truth freshly every night.You see, one can admire technique, one can be dazzled by bravura, but one is moved and maybe changed by truth.Suzanne Bertish can be seen on Broadway in Manhattan Theatre Club's revival of "Wit." Her NY theater credits include "Nicholas Nickleby" (Olivier Award), "Skirmishes" (Theatre World Award), "The Art of Success," "The Memory of Water," "Rosmersholm," "Salome," "The Molire Comedies" (Tony nomination), "The Vagina Monologues," "Measure for Pleasure," and "Kin." She's appeared in many London productions for the Royal Shakespeare Company, the Old Vic (Clarence Derwent Award), and the National Theatre and in the West End. Suzanne Bertish's Favorite Performances February 26, 2012 Vanessa Redgrave in "Julia" PHOTO CREDIT 20th Century Fox I feel that we are most influenced by great performances when we are young. Of course we continue to be blown away by great work as we mature, but it's when we're young that we are making the big discoveries. As we grow older, the road narrows inevitably, and our perceptions become more nuanced. I could say Irene Worth in David Hare's "The Bay at Nice," Al Pacino in "The Merchant of Venice," Maggie Smith in Ingmar Bergman's production of "Hedda Gabler," Alan Rickman in "John Gabriel Borkman," Susan Sarandon in "Thelma & Louise"try to imagine a woman whom that performance has not inspired!and Ian McKellen in "Macbeth" are all great performances I've seen over the years.But thinking more deeply about it, I'd have to say that Peter Brook's production of "A Midsummer Night's Dream," which I saw when I was about 20, had a great impact on me. I've carried it through my whole life in the sense that it exemplified what I want theater to doit took my breath away. It had magic. Ben Kingsley, Alan Howard, Patrick Stewart, and Frances de la Tourwere in it. It played in London in 1970 and on Broadway in 1971 and then a world tour. The purity of Brook and the kind of theater he gave us with this "Dream" led to the work of directors like Simon McBurney and Robert Lepage and more recently John Tiffany, who staged "Black Watch" for the National Theatre of Scotland and the musical "Once." That kind of theater thrills and moves me. The production was such a celebration of life and the human imagination through the words of Shakespeare.So often we see productions of Shakespeare where concepts are imposed. You could look at Brook's "Dream" and say, "He imposed a lot." But if you really examined Brook's "Dream," it all came from his dialogue with Shakespeare. The theater is a collaborative art, and all the elements came togetherperfectly. It's rare that that happens, but it did here.He set the play in a white box, and it was full of magic, literally as well as metaphorically. There were people spinning plates and walking on stilts; Oberon and Titania were on trapezes; Puck juggled. But it felt like all this came from Brook's thoughtful interaction with Shakespeare, not as though someone "cleverly" said, "Let's set it in Antarctica." I think audiences can feel the difference between a director saying, "Hey, look at me, look at what I can do" and something less egotistical that comes from a dialogue with the text, something pure. With the latter, that's when theater can influence, feed, and change culture.I suppose if I had to pick one single performance that affected me, I would have to say Vanessa Redgrave in the film "Julia." She stripped away everything but the essential. The connection between her and Jane Fonda in the one scene at the little railway caf is extraordinary. We can feel the love coming from Redgrave as Julia. I was young when I saw it, and I thought, "That's what I aspire to." Of course when discussing Vanessa Redgrave, we can't disassociate the woman from the actress, and Redgrave herself is a hero to many people for her blinding courage as a woman and her extraordinary gifts as an actress. I observed it in that film and later onstage when I had the privilege of working with her. She has what is glibly called "technique," but with her it is utterly invisible, as if it were not there, as if she had thrown it away in the service of finding the truth freshly every night.You see, one can admire technique, one can be dazzled by bravura, but one is moved and maybe changed by truth.Suzanne Bertish can be seen on Broadway in Manhattan Theatre Club's revival of "Wit." Her NY theater credits include "Nicholas Nickleby" (Olivier Award), "Skirmishes" (Theatre World Award), "The Art of Success," "The Memory of Water," "Rosmersholm," "Salome," "The Molire Comedies" (Tony nomination), "The Vagina Monologues," "Measure for Pleasure," and "Kin." She's appeared in many London productions for the Royal Shakespeare Company, the Old Vic (Clarence Derwent Award), and the National Theatre and in the West End.

Hollywoods 2012 Oscar Party Roundup

Monday, February 20 8:00 PM:Vanity Fair and Juicy Couture: Celebrating 20 Years of Vanities Siren Studios, 6063 W. Sunset Blvd. Tuesday, February 21 6:30 PM: Red Carpet – Harvey Weinstein Celebrating Sir Charles Chaplin 7:30 PM Dinner,Chateau Marmont,8221 Sunset Blvd. 7:00 PM: Vanity Fair and Montblanc Tribute to Grace Kelly Party Hotel Bel-Air, 701 Stone Canyon Rd Wednesday, February 22 8:30 PM Global Green USAs9th Annual Pre-Oscar Party Avalon, 1735 N. Vine St 7:00 PM Oxfam America presented by Vanity Fair and Ermenegildo Zenga Chateau Marmont,8221 Sunset Blvd. Thursday, February 23 6:30 PM: Oscar Wilde:U.S.-Ireland Aliancehonoring the Irish in Film Party Bad Robot Studio, 1221 Olympic Blvd 7:00PM: Eva Longoria Foundation & Vanity Fair Party Beso in Hollywood, 6350 Hollywood Blvd. 8:00 PM: Paramount Pictures Nominees Party SoHo House Private Room, 9200 Sunset Blvd 8:00 PM: Hollywood Dominos 5th Annual Pre-Oscar Gala Sunset Tower Hotel, 8358 Sunset Blvd TBD: Alfre Woodward Oscar Dinner honoring Viola Davis and Octavia Spencer TBD Friday, February 24 4:00 PM: The British Film Commissions Reception Celebrating the British Oscar Nominees Barbara Hays Residence 5:00 PM:Fifth Annual Women in Film Pre-Oscar Cocktail Party Cecconis West Hollywood, 8764 Melrose Ave 6:00 PM: Warner Bros Pre-Oscar Party Soho House,9200 W Sunset Blvd 7:00 PM: Martin Scorsese & The Film Foundations Cocktails and Hors d Oeuvres The Lawn at Hotel Bel-Air,701 Stone Canyon Rd 7:30 PM:UTA Oscar Party Home of Jim Berkus 7:30 PM: WME Oscar Party Home of Ari Emanuel 9:00 PM: CAA Oscar Party Home of Bryan Lourd Saturday, February 25 11:30 AM: Montblancpresents Princess Grace of Monaco Jewelery & Watch Collection Bel Air Hotel, 701 Stone Canyon Rd 11:30 AM Reception/12:00 PM Luncheon/1:30 PM Film Independent Spirit Awards 2030 Ocean Ave, Santa Monica 6:30 PM: ABCs 2012 Pre-Oscar Reception and Dinner SLS Hotel, 465 S La Cienega Blvd. 7:30 PM: Charles Finch and Chanel Pre-Oscar Dinner Madeo, 8897 Beverly Blvd 8:00 PM: Motion Picture & Television Fund ‘Night Before’ Party Beverly Hills Hotel, 9641 Sunset Blvd 9:00 PM: The Weinstein Company Pre-Academy Awards Party Soho House, 9200 Sunset Blvd Sunday, February 26 4:00 PM: Cocktails-Dinner, Elton John Aids Foundation Oscar Viewing and After Party Pacific Design Center, 8687 Melrose Ave 4:30 PM: In Style Viewing party Boa Steakhouse, 9200 W Sunset Blvd TBD: The Envelope Please- Oscars Viewing Party TBA 4:00 PM: Red Carpet-Dinner: ‘Night of 100 Stars’ Oscar Party Beverly Hills Hotel, 9876 Wilshire Blvd 4:00 PM: Annual Children Uniting Nations Awards Viewing Dinner & Celebration Private Beverly Hills Estate 5 PM: Vanity Fair Oscar Viewing and After Party Sunset Tower, 8730 West Sunset Blvd 5:00 PM: 84th Annual Academy Awards 8:00 PM: Governors Ball Hollywood Kodak Theater, 6801 Hollywood Boulevard 7:00 PM: Oscar Viewing Party – Paley Center for New Media TBD 10:00 PM: Madonnas Party to celebrate the Academy Awards TBD 11:00 PM: Patrick Whitesell Oscar After-Party Home of Patrick Whitesell 11:30 PM: Relativity After Party Residence

Oscars 2012: Why '50/50' Deserved A Best Picture Nod

Nine films are nominated for Best Picture at the Academy Awards this year, begging the question: who deserved a tenth spot on that list? Oscars 2012: 10 Spot answers that question, as the MTV Movies team highlights some of 2011's greatest films and argues why they deserved a nod as the tenth Best Picture nominee. Director Jonathan Levine's affecting "50/50" would be worthy of recognition if, for no other reason, than transcending an unfortunate shorthand (It's a cancer comedy!) to earn its place as a well-regarded piece of cinema. But what makes the dramedy truly Oscar-worthy (and a decided snub on the part of the Academy) is that it's a film greater than the sum of its (very good) parts, touching on a buffet of themes (life, death, love) without the oft-requisite side of stinky cheese. Inspired by his real-life battle with a rare form of spinal cancer, screenwriter Will Reiser introduces us to 27-year-old Adam (Joseph Gordon-Levitt), who's facing his own diagnosis and 50/50 odds. And the young man's support system is a motley crew to say the least—well-meaning best friend Kyle (Seth Rogen), high-strung mom Diane (Anjelica Huston) and therapist-in-training (and potential love interest) Katherine (Anna Kendrick). Though Kendrick delivers an earnest performance reminiscent of her Oscar-nominated turn in "Up in the Air," it's Gordon-Levitt who's the tortured force behind "50/50." The actor is so much everyman Adam that it's sometimes hard to remember he isn't actually Adam. Even when improvising—like he and Rogen did for the memorable head-shaving scene—he wears Adam's strife like it's a bespoke suit. And it's no wonder considering the well-measured material he has to work with. Reiser provides a script that expertly toes the line between comedy and tragedy (and what a thin line it can be). Whether it's a light-hearted scene in which Adam tries to use his diagnosis to pick up a woman or a morose moment in which a fellow cancer patient's seat in treatment is tragically empty, Reiser knows when to employ humor and when to let the emotion of the moment carry a scene. For many, "50/50"'s Adam serves as a sort of surrogate for the cancer patient in their own life, providing a level of empathy and catharsis few films can. "The Descendants" is another such film that hurts so good and it deservedly earned a nod from the Academy. So where is "50/50"'s? The MTV Movies team has the 2012 Oscars covered! Stick with us for everything you need to know leading up to the awards show, and on Sunday, February 25, we'll put you on the red carpet and bring you all the winners.

VIDEO: Watch Ricky Martin Spice Up LMFAO on Glee

Heather Morris, Ricky Martin and Harry Shum Jr. Ricky Martin is wiggling his way to Glee and he's not doing it quietly. In a sneak peek at Tuesday's episode, airing at 8/7c on Fox, Martin's character isn't afraid to show his passion ... for music and performs a bumping (and did we mention bilingual) rendition of LMFAO's "Sexy and I Know It." Glee spoiler pics! Ricky Martin, Rachel's two dads and Mercedes' choice Although we've heard this song about 167 too many times on the radio recently, we'll hand it to Martin and his on-screen alter ego for showing the New Directions how to bust a move. Who knew Rory had it in him? And Finn, well, his dancing doesn't look as dorky as usual. Watch Martin's full hip-shaking performance below: Does this video make you want to party rock? Or is it trying too hard to be the next "Forget You?" Sound off in the comments!

Crackle orders first scripted series

Crackle is following Netflix and Hulu as the latest digital-only programmer venturing into long-form scripted series. The Sony Pictures Entertainment-owned brand has greenlighted six episodes of a half-hour anthology series in the vein of "Creepshow" and "The Twilight Zone" examining unexplained phenomena. The working title is "The Unknown." The series' executive producers are "Sons of Anarchy" producer Chris Collins and former LucasFilm development executive Steve Tzirlin. Sony will go into production on "Unknown" in March for release sometime later this year; no talent is attached yet. The episode order brings Crackle into the increasingly crowded club of digital entertainment services. Netflix is kicking off a slate of scripted series next month beginning with "Lilyhammer" and continuing into next year with the adaptation of BBC drama "House of Cards" and the revival of Fox comedy "Arrested Development." Last month, Hulu moved into scripted series as well with the comedy series "Battleground." While scripted is the most expensive form of programming, the payoff could come in generating greater interest from consumers and advertisers looking for differentiated content amid a sea of commoditized library fare on digital platforms. Crackle signaled last May its intent to get into scripted series, ordering several scripts for consideration from the likes of the producers of the former CBS series "Ghost Whisperer." Since launching in 2007, Crackle has subsisted on a mix of short-form originals along with hundreds of TV series and movies from "Donnie Brasco" to "Seinfeld" episodes from the Sony library. Targeting young male viewers with ad-supported content, Crackle is available across a range of connected devices, most recently joining XBox Live in a voice-controlled format powered by Kinect. Contact Andrew Wallenstein at andrew.wallenstein@variety.com

Dissecting Alcatraz's Mysteries: Who Is Lucy, Really?

Sarah Jones and Jorge Garcia Lucy is alive! Kind of. Though the third outing of Alcatraz didn't provide an answer as to whether Dr. Lucy Banerjee (Parminder Nagra) woke up from the coma she slipped into following the sniper shooting, we did get a glimpse into her 1960s past on the island. Not only was she a psychologist, but she planned to reform the prisoners of Alcatraz with... memory-erasing experiments?! That's just one of the new mysteries that Alcatraz introduced this week. Let's take a look at the others: Dissecting Alcatraz's Mysteries: How many '63s are working with Hauser? Why doesn't Hauser (Sam Neill) go semi-public with the information about the '63s? When Cal Sweeney (Eric Johnson), a '63, falls back into his old habit of robbing banks, Rebecca (Sarah Jones) & Co. are forced to help him escape lest the cops catch him and figure out who he really is. Sure, it may sound crazy to admit there are some time-traveling convicts on the loose, but maybe if Hauser just filled in a few San Francisco higher-ups, they could catch the '63s quicker. Just us? How did Lucy think she could rewire the prisoners? At Deputy Warden E.B. Tiller's birthday party, Dr. Lucille Sengupta (or Sanguppy, as Dr. Beauregard called Lucy) explains that she plans to get to the root of each of the prisoners' problems by tapping into their memories. By erasing whatever memories that triggered their criminal activity, she believes she can rewire them to be good. But how? Was all the bloodletting from the previous episodes part of the plan? Was Lucy's memory-tampering experiment part of the cause of the '63s' disappearance? Again, what's with the numbers? As evidenced by the first three episodes, the Alcatraz producers seem to have a fascination with the No. 3. Sniper Ernest Cobb (Joe Egender) went on a shooting spree over three days, Kit Nelson (Michael Eklund) kidnapped boys for three days before killing them, and Sweeney wooed three banks tellers to rob three banks. And there's a preoccupation with No. 11: Diego (Jorge Garcia) was kidnapped at age 11, the last time he drove was age 11 and Kit killed 11-year-old boys. Parminder Nagra's reaction to Alcatraz premiere: "Already? You're killing me off?" What's inside the room that the mysterious keys unlock? Whoever is pulling the strings have now sent both Jack Sylvane (Jeffrey Pierce) and Sweeney after large silver keys, even though the two '63s have no idea why they're so important. Hauser has an idea: These keys may be the clue to "how the prisoners jumped." However, the keys are laser-cut and came from a time before that piece of technology existed, so how is that possible? The keys apparently unlock a secret door in the lower part of the prison. Could this be the unexplained "downstairs" that Thomas Madsen (David Hoflin) mentioned in the series premiere? What burning questions do you have about Alcatraz? And will you be tuning in to find out the answers? In case you missed our previous Dissections: Week 1: Who are the '63s? Week 2: How many '63s are working with Hauser? Alcatraz airs Mondays at 9/8c on Fox.

Nominee reaction: Rooney Mara

Although many critics have praised Rooney Mara for making the role in "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" all her own, Mara said she still felt the pressure of being compared to Noomi Rapace's work in the Swedish rendition."I think if (Rapace's) performance had been 15 years ago there would still be that pressure (because) it's such an iconic performance and loved by so many people," Mara said. "I had my own idea of what I wanted the role to be. In the end I was able to make it my own and I think (director) David (Fincher) had a lot to do with that." Contact Justin Kroll at justin.kroll@variety.com