Q & A : MELANIE MAYRON: ‘directorsomething’

In this week’s episode of “thirtysomething,” Tuesday at 10 p.m on ABC, Elliot (Timothy Busfield) gets his first chance to direct a commercial.

The episode also marks the directorial debut of Melanie Mayron, who plays Melissa, the show’s single, struggling commercial photographer.

Though regulars Ken Olin, Peter Horton and Timothy Busfield have all gotten their chance behind the camera, Mayron is the first female member of the cast to direct the series.

The Philadelphia native made her film debut in 1974’s “Harry and Tonto” and has appeared in such films as “Girlfriends” and the acclaimed TV drama, “Playing for Time.” Mayron received a best supporting actress Emmy in 1988 for her work on “thirtysomething.”

Mayron was interviewed about the trials and tribulations of being a first-time director by Susan King.

Have you wanted to direct an episode for a long time?

I asked (Marshall Herskovitz and Ed Zwick, the executive producers) last year to direct. It didn’t work out, and then I asked again the beginning of this year. I figured I’d just keep asking (laughs). They could always say ‘no,’ but they said ‘yes.’

There was an item in New York magazine suggesting that Herskovitz and Zwick were reluctant to use women directors. Is that true?

We’ve had three women directors, plus myself. I don’t know if there’s a problem. There are a lot of wonderful women directors out there that could certainly do a wonderful job. I don’t know what the reason is at all.

Did the producers come to you with this episode or did you pick it?

I was supposed to do one they told me about months ago-it was the Emily Dickinson episode (which aired April 10). About five weeks ago, Ed Zwick called me up and said you’re not going to be doing that one, you’re going to do one where Elliot gets to direct for the first time. It was just sort of a scheduling thing.

I had started the prep-the preproduction time-and I still didn’t have a script. It got a little last minute.

How can you prepare if you don’t have a script?

Well, you can’t really. But they did get it to me pretty much right away. I had comments about the script, and I wanted certain changes. This show required getting a star because Elliot is directing a commercial and calls Hollywood for a really big star. Then it came to who can we get who is a really big star? It seemed like the whole prep was what star are we going to get? We were not cast until the night before. One of the roles was cast while I was on the set. That stuff gets a little too much.

Is the series that much of a challenge every week?

This show has 62 scenes in it, and I guess it’s only about 46 minutes of actual air time. They (the producers) basically said it was the hardest show they had production-wise in the three seasons. Everyone said Ed Zwick should have done this one-he’s directed ‘Glory.’ He’s moved the Confederate Army around! (laughs).

My first day I had two cameras on location in San Pedro. I had 10 principal actors and about 25 extras. We did 52 camera setups in a 10-hour day and wrapped on time. I was prepared. I had a shot list that I handed out to everybody. If the actor has a problem, you ran into a problem because of the time element. ‘sually on our show, when IUm being directed and I have a problem, there is time to talk, because it’s just two people in the scene, and there aren’t many scenes in the show. I had a miniversion of TGlory.’ It was unbelievable. It is real sort of guerrilla filmmaking.

Was that the worst day of filming?

The second day. That day we were in downtown L.A. We had one camera and a crane and 15 principals and another 25 extras. It was a nightmare. I just heard the show was short, so we have to add. They’re going to write some stuff and shoot some more stuff.

After this experience, you could probably direct “Glory II”?

Listen, I can’t believe what I learned about myself. I learned how much I didn’t know. I learned how much I knew. I was good with the actors. I found I knew what I wanted when I wanted it and knew when to stop and go on.

Are you in this episode too?

Melissa makes an appearance now and then, but she had no lines (laughs). I don’t know how Danny DeVito does it. If I had to walk and talk at the same time and have to say ‘action’ and ‘cut,’ we would be in big trouble.

I know you have been involved in writing screenplays for quite a while. Didn’t you write and produce one of your features?

I co-wrote and produced “Sticky Fingers” with Catlin Adams, who directed it. I learned a lot writing and producing with Cat. I spent as much time as I could in the cutting room with her. All the producing experience that I had helped. The fact that I have been a nice Jewish girl all my life helped me being a director (laughs). Everything helps.

By the way, did you ever get a famous actor for the episode?

We didn’t get one because the star had to act like a real jerk, and no star wanted to portray themselves being a jerk. I kept saying, ‘I will play it. I’ll play the star from Hollywood. Let Melanie Mayron go to Philadelphia and give Elliot a hard time.’ They felt it was a little too much. We got an actor, Charlie Rocket, to play the star.

There’s talk that Melissa is going to get her own series. Any truth to the rumors?

There has been talk, but it’s been real premature. It’s a nice thought but getting a show together takes a lot of elements and the right people. No one really knows what is going to happen.