Jack Keller passed away March 17, 2020. I got to meet him when I "joined" the comedy troupe "Style Without Substance" that worked out of the Whole Theater in Montclair, NJ. I've written about the group here and there. It really was a wonderful time. We were young, talented, had enthusiasm and a solid base to work from. These guys were so talented, it was a pleasure to write for them all. And Jack, he was unique. He just had this presence and cadence that just made things funnier. He was friends and roomate with the troupe's director, Tom Gilpin, and they developed an interesting interaction which I enjoyed writing for.
Does anyone remember public access TV? It was like Youtube before Youtube. But you had to go to their studios and use their equipment to produce a show. I decided I was going to learn how to do it. You had to take a class. And then the plan was to tape some TV shows with the group to have a demo reel. I had to produce and direct a scene. I wrote an original bit and there were only two people I would consider to cast in it. Jack and Tom did me the biggest favor by coming to Staten Island from NJ to tape this bit. I won't say it went smoothly, but they made it work.
