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CATALOG COPYWRITER BY DAY, SITCOM WRITER BY NIGHT, ERIE’S JOE GIACOBELLO WANTS TO BRING HIS 'MR. G' TO HIS HOMETOWN
Erie Daily Times Kevin Cuneo May 20, 1999
It’s not enough that everyone in Pittsburgh laughs at Joe Giacobello. Now Joe wants everyone in Erie, his hometown, to laugh at him, too. Giacobello, 32, is neither clown nor masochist, though he says the laughter warms him to the core. "When I started this project a year ago, I hoped for exactly this kind of reaction," Giacobello said. The project is "Mr. G," a four-part situation-comedy TV mini-series. "Yes, there is such a thing," Joe said. In January, it began running on PCTV, Pittsburgh’s community access television station, turning Giacobello into something of a celebrity. Now, the show is coming to Erie, where Joe hopes it will begin playing next month on the city’s community-access station. "I’m bringing the film up Memorial Day weekend, so I guess it’ll start next month," he said during a recent phone interview. Not only does Giacobello write, produce, direct, and star in "Mr. G," he also builds the sets and, if required, drives to the next city to drop off tapes of the show. The dark-haired, serious-looking Giacobello, born and raised in Erie, has always loved comedy. During the years he acted here, primarily at the Roadhouse Theater and Erie Playhouse, he preferred work with a comic flair. He even briefly tried his hand at standup comedy, and had some success. "What’s bad about standup is that everything can go south in a hurry," Giacobello said. As a performer, he’s more comfortable with a script. During a visit home last year, Joe told his family of his dream to create a sitcom. "My nephew, Jamie Pietras, suggested that I approach a community-access station in Pittsburgh, which is what led me to PCTV," he said. The directors of the station, always searching for fresh, original, interesting programming, were impressed by Giacobello. He’s a bright, charming young guy. A former school teacher who taught locally for several years, Joe moved to Pittsburgh in 1997 to work as a technical writer for Fisher Scientific, a large distributor of hospital equipment. "I write catalog copy by day," Giacobello said. At night, he turns into Carl Reiner. The backbone of Giacobello’s stage and TV work is the writing. When he went through the orientation process at PCTV, the instructors spotted his skill immediately. It’s why he was admitted to the second workshop at the station, where he learned to become a television producer. After he completed that part of his education, PCTV gave Giacobello the go-ahead to make his sitcom. "Right away, I placed ads in the Pittsburgh newspapers for actors and actresses," he said. Scores of performers responded, some of whom were angry to learn that Bello Productions was a one-man operation. Others were turned off by Joe’s rehearsal studio, which is approximately half of his single-bedroom apartment in Greentree. "A lot of actors asked me what I was paying, which, of course, is nothing," Giacobello said, still sounding suspicious of the materialistic nature of some performers. "The people I ended up with were a lot like me—actors from community theater used to working for the experience, the exposure, or just for the fun of it.” The show itself, set in modern-day Pittsburgh, centers around the life of Joe Giacomelli, a completely non-conventional school teacher. "It follows Joe’s adventures in the classroom, as well as his frustrations as a lonely single guy in the nineties dating scene," he said. Lest we think that the material is autobiographical, Joe immediately punctures the myth. "Oh, no, no," he said. "Yes, the names are similar, and yes, I was a teacher, and yes, I am constantly searching for a mate. But other than that, we’re nothing alike." Giacobello has a funny, understated sense of humor. It registered with his cast, all of whom were serious about their work in "Mr. G," but were also able to chuckle at themselves. When the troupe finally graduated form Joe’s living room to the studio at PCTV last January, Giacobello’s players were battle-tested veterans. Even the three actors age 17 and younger. "Originally, we committed to one show per month from January through June," Joe said. "It requires a ton of work, which we knew, but I think it went well," he said. Eventually, they ceased production after four programs, which is why it’s now billed as a comic mini-series. The technicians at the studio, impressed by Joe’s preparation and high level of professionalism, quickly became caught up in his enthusiasm. "We’d film on Saturdays, and let me tell you, it was intense," he said. First, Giacobello and his crew built the sets. "We limited the shows to just three scenes, because making the sets took so much time," Joe said. They tried to simplify where they could, without sacrificing too much quality. "At this level, you have to keep things simple, but the filming always went well, I thought," he said. "It took about five full hours every Saturday, which is a long time. The first "Mr. G." premiered five months ago, earning a near-rave review from "In Pittsburgh" magazine, which ran a flattering three-page profile on Giacobello. The writer, Lissa Brennan, praised "Mr. G." for its innovative humor and originality. She said the show made her laugh out loud. When "Mr. G" ran at 11 p.m. on Tuesday night, it created something of a buzz on Pittsburgh-area college campuses. The television critic from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, whose secretary inquired about the reason for my call, has yet to get back to me about "Mr. G." Giacobello admits they received better notices from media that "was not quite in the mainstream." The consensus is that the show brought a smile to the faces of most viewers. "I challenge anyone to sit and watch it and not laugh," Giacobello said, dropping his bemused tone and sounding more like Hulk Hogan. When I asked Joe if he’d received any calls or letters from the major networks, he said in an urgent voice, "No. Why do you ask? Have you heard anything?" No, I hadn’t, except from the people at PCTV, who loved the show. They’re used to a steady diet of fishing and cooking programs (but not necessarily cooking fish programs) and were charmed by Giacobello’s wit and the dedication of his troupe. As for "Mr. G," Joe describes it as an "odd-ball comedy with a dark side." The dark side allows him to take liberties with some of the show’s main characters that viewers wouldn’t see on a typical network sitcom. Giacobello’s experience with the show has taught him to constantly keep his eye out for new talent. "At Fisher Scientific, I work with a person named Tom Interval, who’s really a funny guy," Joe said. "In his spare time, he’s a professional magician, so he’s experienced at performing in front of large audiences." Joe cast Interval in the role of Mr. Woody, stuffy principal of the high school. Asked what his friends at work say about "Mr. G," Giacobello said that, since many of the employees live in suburbs of Pittsburgh, most haven’t had a chance to see it. "I’m making tapes of it for them," he said. Meanwhile, the theme song for "Mr. G," which was produced by a close friend of Joe’s in New York City, has become a popular tune in Pittsburgh. "We have a good laugh track, too," Joe said. He should know. It’s music to his ears. |
