Barry Pearl on the through line between CPO Sharkey and Grease

TVC 723.5: Actor, director, and producer Barry Pearl talks to Ed about teaching improv to special needs students at Inclusion Films (the film company, run by Joey Travolta, that teaches and employs people in the film industry who have developmental and physical disabilities); how actor and director Jerry Paris mentored Barry when Barry first came out to Los Angeles in the mid 1970s; Barry's experience working with Don Rickles on CPO Sharkey in 1976; and how being eliminated from the cast of Sharkey in the spring of 1977 turned out to be a blessing in disguise, because it set into motion the events that led Barry to be cast as Doody in Grease. Barry Pearl is getting ready to direct a new stage production of I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change that will run Wednesday, Feb. 18 through Sunday, Mar. 8 at the International City Theatre (located at the Beverly O'Neill Theater at The Long Beach Convention & Entertainment Center, 330 East Seaside Way, in Long Beach, CA 90802). For tickets and more information, call (562) 436-4610 or go to InternationalCityTheatre.org.