Interview with Edward Stasheff

Each month we'll interview a member of the Sine Fine Film company, asking the same or similar questions, and learn more about the actors and crew. This month I'm interviewing Edward Stasheff who's been with the company from the beginning in 1996.

 Q: How did you get involved in SFF?  And what possessed you to keep coming back for more torture?

A: You’re my sister. And um...you’re my sister?

Q: What was your favorite part to play?

A: Cordero because I got to look all badass and I had an eye patch that switched sides.

Q: What was your favorite filming day?

A: There really isn’t one that stands out more than the others.  I remember the days that were really rough but the fun days sort of blur together.  But, I guess the day we filmed the big dance number for King of Elflin’s Daughter stands out because it was really fun, and there was a rainbow in the sky.  Great weather, beautiful sunset and it was just really fun.

Q:  What was your least favorite filming day?

A:  Oh wow...um...the really late one in Mind Games when we had a big fight and you fired me.  It left the worst taste in my mouth, so to speak.

Q: What is your dream role?

A: To be Jaba the Slut – be fat and fun and have hot chicks sitting in my lap.  Or maybe write another script.

Q: What’s your favorite production to watch?

A: The Dragon & The Unicorn because it was well written – very mythic – and it was one of the most coherent scripts for that time.  The flashbacks/time-travel sequences worked well.  Annamarie did a great job as the evil chick and it was just a lot of fun to watch.  

Q: What’s your favorite costume, accessory, or prop?

A:  My favorite costume was Cordero’s outfit.  My least favorite was the Ali-Jinjil outfit because I kept tripping over the damn thing!

My favorite prop was the six feet tall golden sword in King of Elflin’s Daughter and the poison bottle in Pandora’s Box because I had so much fun with it. My least favorite prop was the eye patch I wore as Cordero because I couldn’t remember which eye I put it over.

Q: Who’s your favorite actor co-star/actor you’ve worked with?  

A: As actor – Tanino as Esteban because he’s hilarious and Annamarie in the King of Elf because we had lots of fun doing the “Shakespeare” version of a scene.

As a director – Chris Lamb was great to work with in Mind Games and Jacob MacLeod in Quatrain – he came up with a lot of really funny ideas.  Overall the three psi-squad actors were really great to work with as a group because they took direction well and play off each other well.  They understood the characters and worked as a unit. 

Q: What was it like writing and directing Mind Games?

A: Hummbling.  It was fun though and we managed to pull off some really neat shots, We got to film in the Planetarium and press a lot of buttons.  There was the kiddie-Car-of-Death – that was fun.  Also, that’s when I realized the importance of sound design – there were lines you just couldn’t hear. Boom mics might actually be helpful. 

As for writing Mind Games, I’d written the script before for another project and rewrote it as a separate movie but for a long time I didn’t have an end for it.  It wasn’t done and I having the actors read it and Annamarie saying “No! Where’s the rest?!?”

Q: What was it like writing and directing for Quatrain?

A: Writing was fun - trying to come up with something that could work any number of ways. I knew what I wanted the twist to be but it had to be vauge enough to work for other people and situations, so it was very challenge. 

What I remember most about directing was having to hurry up and film before we lost the light while shooting the scenes in the back of my truck.

Q: Sum up each production you’ve been in using only one word or short sentence.

A:

 DESTINY:

Cheesy smile.

DESTINY II:

Ouch. (If Eleanore says “jump into those bushes” – DON’T!)

THE KING OF ELFLIN’S DAUGHTER:

Shakespearan Parody

THE PERFECT COMBINATION: 

Why don’t you give me a copy so I can watch it?!?

MIND GAMES:

Getting kicked off the project

PANDORA’S BOX:

Black Death Liquor

EIDOLON:

Was I in that?

THE CURSED DESTINY OF PANDORA’S GIFT BOX:

Shake it shake it shake it Turn!

QUATRAIN:

We’re losing the light!

Q:  Top 5 favorites: 

Favorite Color - Blue

Favorite Movie or TV Show – Babylon 5

Favorite Song or Band/Artist - Enigma

Favorite Food or Drink – Anything that comes out of my smoker (well, almost)

Favorite Holiday – Not sure I have a favorite,  If I had to pick one it would be my birthday because that’s when I get to do my smoke-a-thon.  So I guess Smoke-a-thon Party day is my favorite.