Today we’d like to introduce you to Larry Zeiger
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I came to San Diego for graduate school at San Diego State University in the early 70’s and studied Mass Communication with an emphasis on Cinema Arts, Television, and Journalism. After taking a teaching assistant job at Muirlands Junior High in La Jolla, I fell in love with teaching and was offered a job at Point Loma High School. At the time in 1975, the English Department was piloting a program creating English electives for juniors and seniors – so with the encouragement of staff and the principal, I developed Cinema as Literature and Musical Theater classes.
In the film program, students studied classic films, international films, and short films, wrote incredible papers analyzing characters, plot devices, and technical aspects. The final project included creating a short film. Many of my students’ films were ultimately showcased in film festivals in San Diego County as well as Palm Springs. Famous actors, directors, film editors were guests in my class including Oscar winning editor, Joe Hutshing, actress Janet Leigh, Marion Ross, film producer and former student, Chris Brinker, and many more. I would also take my students of field trips to LA to tour film studios and attend film events like the Student Academy Awards.
During the second semester, students studied Musical fims and attended musical plays at the Old Globe Theater, La Jolla Playhouse, San Diego Repertory Theater, Cygnet Playhouse, etc. The final project for the classes was to create an original musical production. The productions often played for three weeks or more to sold out audience – 5 performances a week.
I encouraged all students to participate and they became directors, writers, art designers, set directors, marketing directors, choreography directors, etc. Many of the cast members had never been on stage before and they all learned to
sing, dance, and act. Casts often included close to 100 junior and senior students each year. In 2003, possibly the most famous of all the musicals was the one they developed called STICKY FINGERS – A TALE OF SAKS, LIES AND VIDEOTAPE which was loosely based on Winona Ryder’s shoplifting experience at Saks 5th Ave. News articles appeared throughout the world including the New York Times, LA Times, La Republica in Rome, People Magazine, Entertainment Weekly – and on a nightly basis, media attended performances and interviewed students as well as myself. Winona Ryder sent people to film the show and liked it so much, she included the musical trial sequence in her AMC biography (we found her innocent, of course). Other musicals were based on upcoming elections, Electoral Dysfunction, and a musical that takes place in an art museum where the art comes to life titled Framed Illusions, another about a student at Princeton who falls down a rabbit hole and encounters a world she never dreamed about, plus many more unique plots.
The stories were so creative and sometimes up to 30 students would meet after school to develop the plot outline. I always
felt programs like this are essential for students to explore their creative and artistic potential and develop a love for the arts.
What is most inspiring to me today is former students of mine who are in their 30’s, 40’s, 50’s and dare I say, 60’s will tell me how they have been so impacted by these classes and have developed a lifelong love of cinema, theater, music, and art. Plus, former students now work in Hollywood creating films, being recognzied with Oscars, as well as Broadway stars,
recording artists, professional writers, TV executives and more.
After teaching for 33 years, I served on the Arts Advisory Board for the Centro Cultural de la Raza in Balboa Park for 3 years, then on the Board of Directors of the new San Diego Children’s Discovery Museum in Escondido for 8 years. Currently I serve on the Board of the Point Loma Hervey Library where I organize monthly concerts in their Community Room.
During retirement, I recorded 30 original songs, two of them – Meetchu in Machu Picchu and At the Bar – were made into music videos which were screened at film festivals in California and Florida. I also co-authored an original musical called
Sweating Palms – A Steamy Tale of Passion with a Coffee Aroma which I hope to one day have produced. In 2010, I co-authored a book called Nice Legs – A Pairing of Wine and Words and had multiple book signings. One of my stories, Fade In-Fade Out, was the winner of the Short Story of the Year in 2010 at the San Diego Book Awards. Most recently I co-produced a film titled, Fuego (Passion) which was screened in multiple film festivals throughout the United States.
in the early 2000’s I was the founder and first director of the Best Fest America Film Festival, Artistic Director of the Imperial Beach Film Festival, jurist for the San Diego Jewish Film Festival and host of the San Diego Waste No Water public service announcement competition. Most recently, I have exhibited my photography at a variety of venues in Little Italy and Point Loma in shows titled Edificio delle Illusioni, Open Windows, and City in Motion.
Awards I’ve received include San Diego Teacher of the Year, Old Globe Theater Award for Excellence in Education, San Diego Film Critics Society Award, San Diego Champion for Children Award, the National Academty of TV Arts and Sciences 33rd Annual Pacific Southwest Emmy Award, California Association of Teachers of English Outstanding Educator of the Year Award, North County Philanthropic Council Award for work at San Diego Chldren’s Discovery Museum, the Channel 10 Leadership Award, San Diego Film Critics Society Award,
Best Fest Student Film Festival Award for Support of Student Filmmakers, the California Golden Bell Award for top visual and performing arts program in California, and in 2022 I was inducted in the San Diego Music Hall of Fame.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
I’ve loved everything I’ve worked on but once in a while, you run into people who are difficult to work with.
In teaching, after 33 years, the emphasis was to focus on standardized testng and learning – which was not my
cup of tea. The arts were disappearing so I decided to leave teaching. I didn’t call it retirement (and never will).
I said I “graduated.” Fortuantely, in today’s world, they are now starting to realize that the arts are essential and more
programs are finally being developed.
Currently, I love the music scene in San Diego – there are so many talented musicians in our city and I love the jazz scene -especially Latin Jazz. I hope the City of San Diego will recognize the incredibly talented musicians who live here an one day designate San Diego as a CITY OF UNIQUE MUSIC!
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
Growing up in Cleveland Heights, Ohio, I was fortunate to have parents who encouraged me to attend music events, art exhibits, theater performances, musicals, and films as well as to read
Classics in literature. As a result, I fell in love with the arts at an early age. A history teacher at my high school, recognizing my passion for film and would organize screenings at a local theater which I loved. She became a role model for my future.
My sister was a talented pianist and violinist so I tried to follow in her footsteps and took piano lessons but for only a year. I then decided to teach myself piano and was, of course, in love with great composers like Henri Mancini, Antonio Carlos Jobim, Duke Ellington, Stevie Wonder and my favorite – the music of Sergio Mendez. By the time I was a senior in high school, I composed my first song, “Drifting” which I ultimately recorded on a CD in 2010.
I continued my love of the arts by studying cinema, music, theater, and pyschology at the University of Miami and then attended graduate school at San Diego State University where I wrote detailed papers on contemporary and classic films, wrote an original screenplay, and attended many film festivals.
Once I started teaching at Point Loma High School, I developed a curriculum based on my passion for the arts and having every student realize that music, theater, cinema, and all the arts are truly essential parts of all our lives. A highlight of my teaching career was producing and directing thirty-one original musicals which won multiple awards in California and were featured in news outlets including the LA Times, New York Times, People Magazine, Entertainment Weekly, and my students and I were interviewed on CNN and many other TV stations.
During the course of my teaching career, I organized several student film festivals at the school highlighting my students’ incredible film projects. I also organized a citywide film event, Best Fest America Film Festival. I was also the emcee and on the jury for the annual San Diego City Water Conservation Film Festival at the Fleet Science Center IMAX Theater.
After leaving teaching, I wanted to once again, give back to my community so I served on the
Arts Advisory Board of the Centro Cultural de la Raza in Balboa Park for three years, the San Diego Children’s Discovery Museum for eight years, and currently on the Board of the Point Loma Hervey Library where I organize monthly concerts featuring some of the most talented
Musicians in San Diego County.
Are there any important lessons you’ve learned that you can share with us?
I always felt that all students should have the opportunity to experience arts and culture and actively participate in creating exciting works of art whether it be through music, art, cinema, and/or theater. This also should not be a program for simply the most talented. I created a program where everyone was invited to participate and my basic philosophy which was on a poster in my classroom read “If you can talk, you can sing and if you can walk, you can dance.” I believe that this program also taught the students about the history of our world through a variety of perspectives. Whether it was learning about technical and creative aspects of cinema or how a musical is created, the emphasis was always on creativity. I also felt that it was essential to put students in leadership roles as directors, writers, scenic designers, marketing directors, music directors, videographers, storytellers, and more.
To borrow a bit from Malcolm Gladwell’s famous book, The Tipping Point, I strongly feel the most important lessons I learned and taught included being a good connector/networker, stressing innovation, and salesmanship (selling not only products but ideas and knowledge).
And I believe everyone should have an opportunity to learn and excel in whatever they choose to do.
After leaving teaching, I continued my passion for the arts by composing music and writing including an original musical which I co -authored and wrote all the music titled, Sweating Palms – A Steamy Tale of Passion with a Coffee Aroma which I’m still revising but hopefully someone will want to produce it! I also composed music and produced a double disc CD titled Meetchu in Machu Picchu and did several music events in San Diego featuring the the incredible San Diego musicians and singers. I also produced two music videos based on songs from the CD which have played in film festivals in California and Florida.
In addition, I co-authored the book Nice Legs – A Pairing of Wine and Words and the first story in the book, Fade In Fade Out won the Short Story of the Year at the San Diego Book Awards.
I continue participating in events and charitable foundation for the arts and humanities and local film festivals. Finally, my passion for photography (I’ve been taking pictures since I was given my first camera at age 10) continues, and I’ve had multiple photography exhibits in San Diego venues. Photography can be viewed at http://lzeiger.wixsite.com/zeiger-production
Lesson learned – Life is beautiful and always help others in need!
Contact Info:
- Website: http://lzeiger.wixsite.com/zeiger-production
- Youtube: Gotta Sing Gotta Dance
Image Credits
I have the rights and permission to use all photographs submitted
