Page 1 - Cal Delta Spotlight - Spring 2014
P. 1
Cal Delta Spotlight
USC House Corporation of Phi Delta Theta | Spring 2014 | University of Southern California
Alumni Offce | P.O. Box 80828, Atlanta, Georgia 30366 | www.phideltatheta-caldelta.com
USC House Alumni From the Editor: For this edition of the newsletter,
Corporaton Spotlight: we’re shining the Cal Delta Spotlight on our brother Michael
McDonald ’87. From the hometown of Fullerton in Orange
County, CA, Mike has made a career in acting, and as a
A Word From Our President: comedian with specialties in sketch and stand-up comedy. He
A Message of Thanks is also an accomplished writer, director, and producer. Mike’s
resume includes projects such as MADtv, Scrubs,
Cougar Town, and 2013’s second-highest-grossing
hy do we comedy, The Heat. A one-time loan offcer,
W feel such a Mike found his calling after visiting L.A.’s
connection to Phi Groundling Theater with a friend. Starting
Delta Theta? Is off with the Groundling Improv Program
it the memories from 1992 to 1997, Mike has gone on to
of the best years work with some of the biggest names in
of our youth? the business. Read on to fnd out more!
The life-long
friendships? The Michael J. McDonald ’87
top-grade young men in the House
today?
These days I’m focused on another evidence of your work. A script may just be
reason: the generosity of so many What was being a part of Cal Delta like for gathering dust on a shelf, but you can dust it off
who care about the house. Since the you back in school?
Hazy - due to the fact that it was a million years anytime and send it to people anytime. I had an
Securing Our Legacy fundraising
campaign began a year ago, it has ago and I drank a lot of beer. instance where something I wrote ten years earlier
got made. It was a drama pilot that didn’t get
been humbling to see so many alumni picked up, but now I have a DVD as evidence...
step up to pay down the mortgage What experience in improv convinced you so there. With acting, you could have the most
debt on the house. To these brothers, that you had made the right career move?
we sincerely say that everyone who Probably the time I got to improvise with Phil amazing moment on stage and it evaporates into
the ether the minute the lights go out. Another
cares about the house owes you our Hartman. I joined the Groundlings (an improv good thing about writing is you can do it on your
gratitude and admiration. troupe in Los Angeles) where Phil had been a own, anytime, anywhere, whereas acting requires
It was a wise man who said, “One member several years before. I was asked to do
man gives freely, yet gains even a fundraiser with Phil and some other amazing other actors, a venue and an audience willing
to pay to see you.
more.” Abundance has a way of Groundlings - Tim Stack, Jon Lovitz, Mindy
fowing to the generous giver, and Sterling. Dennis Miller (not a Groundling) Is it diffcult
we certainly wish a full measure of performed too. I got to do scenes with all of
this sublime result for our generous these comedy idols of mine and, after the show, to work in a
creative group
alumni. Phil Hartman said I was funny. To be validated environment?
The campaign is scheduled to by a hero... it was just the best.
end soon, and we promise a strong I prefer
closing push to bring every alum an How do you prepare for a role? i m p r o v i s i n g
with a group to
opportunity to pay down our debt I n t h e beginning, I’d go all out to study any other form
and put the house on a sustainable people in real life, even if I didn’t have a role to of creativity.
fnancial path over the long term. prepare for. It was just in case I’d have to prepare
There is good news as well about for a role. It was a real slow start for me, so I had It’s the most
collaborative
other aspects of our chapter. Spring lots of spare time to walk around Venice Beach thing there is.
rush concluded in January with and observe people. I had a fascination with When you are
an outstanding pledge class of 15 freaks and weirdos. Nowadays, I still prepare...
Phikeia. Going into this school year, but I wait for the job offer to come frst. working with a
group you can
we knew that the house would have trust, there is no
a large graduating class of seniors. Are your parts often meant to be scene better feeling.
But thanks to the success of fall and stealers, or is that all you?
spring rush, the chapter will start next I’ve never set out to “steal a scene.” I (like most But improvising
on stage pays
year with more members than the 112 actors) look for the part that strikes me as most zero dollars.
it had going into this year. And for interesting, or the one that I relate to the most. So I have to
a look at the quality of the actives, Whenever an actor does that, they tend to give
read the Chapter Spotlight article their best performance. s u p p l e m e n t
that with TV
on page two about Will Jameson, and Film work. Mike and his co-star Sandra Bullock
who is running his own company What aspect of writing do you enjoy in Those are also headed into a meeting in LA for their
comparison to acting? movie The Heat.
USC House (Continued on Page 4) A great thing about writing is, you always have McDonald (Continued on Page 4)
USC House Corporation of Phi Delta Theta | Spring 2014 | University of Southern California
Alumni Offce | P.O. Box 80828, Atlanta, Georgia 30366 | www.phideltatheta-caldelta.com
USC House Alumni From the Editor: For this edition of the newsletter,
Corporaton Spotlight: we’re shining the Cal Delta Spotlight on our brother Michael
McDonald ’87. From the hometown of Fullerton in Orange
County, CA, Mike has made a career in acting, and as a
A Word From Our President: comedian with specialties in sketch and stand-up comedy. He
A Message of Thanks is also an accomplished writer, director, and producer. Mike’s
resume includes projects such as MADtv, Scrubs,
Cougar Town, and 2013’s second-highest-grossing
hy do we comedy, The Heat. A one-time loan offcer,
W feel such a Mike found his calling after visiting L.A.’s
connection to Phi Groundling Theater with a friend. Starting
Delta Theta? Is off with the Groundling Improv Program
it the memories from 1992 to 1997, Mike has gone on to
of the best years work with some of the biggest names in
of our youth? the business. Read on to fnd out more!
The life-long
friendships? The Michael J. McDonald ’87
top-grade young men in the House
today?
These days I’m focused on another evidence of your work. A script may just be
reason: the generosity of so many What was being a part of Cal Delta like for gathering dust on a shelf, but you can dust it off
who care about the house. Since the you back in school?
Hazy - due to the fact that it was a million years anytime and send it to people anytime. I had an
Securing Our Legacy fundraising
campaign began a year ago, it has ago and I drank a lot of beer. instance where something I wrote ten years earlier
got made. It was a drama pilot that didn’t get
been humbling to see so many alumni picked up, but now I have a DVD as evidence...
step up to pay down the mortgage What experience in improv convinced you so there. With acting, you could have the most
debt on the house. To these brothers, that you had made the right career move?
we sincerely say that everyone who Probably the time I got to improvise with Phil amazing moment on stage and it evaporates into
the ether the minute the lights go out. Another
cares about the house owes you our Hartman. I joined the Groundlings (an improv good thing about writing is you can do it on your
gratitude and admiration. troupe in Los Angeles) where Phil had been a own, anytime, anywhere, whereas acting requires
It was a wise man who said, “One member several years before. I was asked to do
man gives freely, yet gains even a fundraiser with Phil and some other amazing other actors, a venue and an audience willing
to pay to see you.
more.” Abundance has a way of Groundlings - Tim Stack, Jon Lovitz, Mindy
fowing to the generous giver, and Sterling. Dennis Miller (not a Groundling) Is it diffcult
we certainly wish a full measure of performed too. I got to do scenes with all of
this sublime result for our generous these comedy idols of mine and, after the show, to work in a
creative group
alumni. Phil Hartman said I was funny. To be validated environment?
The campaign is scheduled to by a hero... it was just the best.
end soon, and we promise a strong I prefer
closing push to bring every alum an How do you prepare for a role? i m p r o v i s i n g
with a group to
opportunity to pay down our debt I n t h e beginning, I’d go all out to study any other form
and put the house on a sustainable people in real life, even if I didn’t have a role to of creativity.
fnancial path over the long term. prepare for. It was just in case I’d have to prepare
There is good news as well about for a role. It was a real slow start for me, so I had It’s the most
collaborative
other aspects of our chapter. Spring lots of spare time to walk around Venice Beach thing there is.
rush concluded in January with and observe people. I had a fascination with When you are
an outstanding pledge class of 15 freaks and weirdos. Nowadays, I still prepare...
Phikeia. Going into this school year, but I wait for the job offer to come frst. working with a
group you can
we knew that the house would have trust, there is no
a large graduating class of seniors. Are your parts often meant to be scene better feeling.
But thanks to the success of fall and stealers, or is that all you?
spring rush, the chapter will start next I’ve never set out to “steal a scene.” I (like most But improvising
on stage pays
year with more members than the 112 actors) look for the part that strikes me as most zero dollars.
it had going into this year. And for interesting, or the one that I relate to the most. So I have to
a look at the quality of the actives, Whenever an actor does that, they tend to give
read the Chapter Spotlight article their best performance. s u p p l e m e n t
that with TV
on page two about Will Jameson, and Film work. Mike and his co-star Sandra Bullock
who is running his own company What aspect of writing do you enjoy in Those are also headed into a meeting in LA for their
comparison to acting? movie The Heat.
USC House (Continued on Page 4) A great thing about writing is, you always have McDonald (Continued on Page 4)
