In Veteran TV Writer’s Class, Comedy Doesn’t Always Come Easily

“I may work with seniors but I don’t accept myself as a senior. I’m still a kid,” says Ed Simmons, whose accomplishments include five Emmy awards.

The veteran television writer has done two tours of duty with the Older Adult Service and Information Center in the Fairfax District teaching comedy writing.

It’s a tough audience. The students, mostly Fairfax residents, mostly elderly Jews, include many immigrants from Eastern Europe whose lives have been shaped more by persecution, war and disaster than by emotions. For many, comedy doesn’t come easily.

But Simmons says he has discovered some ways to draw his students out.

“I refuse to teach writing ,” he says. “Instead of having them write about how the Cossacks took their village 50 years ago, I ask them to write about their first love affair. The ones who complained that they don’t know how to write, suddenly write.”

Simmons’ style, which could be categorized as more roar than bite, is to affectionately provoke his students into writing. But the teacher-student relationship is not just a classroom thing. He is their confidant and mentor. Some students call Simmons several times a week just to talk. And Simmons turns even the phone calls into writing.

Simmons demands energy and honesty from his students and nothing less from himself.

Sitting on his coffee table is the manuscript of his first novel--unpublished so far--a satire about the television business starting with the executive suite. Simmons doesn’t work much anymore--not unusual for older writers in Hollywood. He would prefer not to disclose his age--suffice it to say that his TV writing career spans more than four decades.

“Of course, I am angry about ageism in the business,” he says, “but nothing is going to help older writers for television. It’s a young business. I remember in 1983 I was asked to bail out the soon-to-be canceled ‘Mama’s Family.’ I happened to mention at the first network meeting that I wrote for the Martin and Lewis Show (1950), and this executive said he wasn’t born yet. The unfortunate part was that he wouldn’t look me in the eye for a year.”

Undaunted by the six rejections his novel has received so far, Simmons has started another. He has been getting rejections since he was 8, he says. When he was 9 he wrote a knock-knock joke, it was published, he received $2 for it, and a career was born.

Ed Simmons’ goal for his students is to leave them happy. “It’s so gratifying,” he says. “The main thing is the few hours of laughter and looking forward to the next time.”

For more information, contact the Older Adult Service and Information Center, fifth floor, May Co. Building, 6067 Wilshire Blvd. Call (213) 981-8967.