>>> TONIGHT, WE'LL TAKE A BEHIND-THE-SCENES LOOK AT PUPPETRY WITH A MESSAGE, VISIT A MAN WHOSE LIVING HIS GOLDEN YEARS IN THE COMPANY OF OLD PIANOS, AND TALK WITH ONE OF VERMONT'S MOST PROMISING AND WELL-LIKED YOUNG ACTORS, RUSTY >> WELCOME TO "POINTS NORTH."

THANKS TO SEVERAL HIGHLY-TALENTED FILM DIRECTORS, VERMONT IS A HOTBED OF MOTION PICTURE ACTIVITY IN RECENT YEARS.

WE'LL INTRODUCE YOU TO ONE OF THE MOST PROMISING ACTORS LATER IN THE PROGRAM, BUT FIRST, A CAST OF NONHUMAN ACTORS DEVOTED TO THE MOST HUMAN OF MESSAGES.

>> ONE OF THE NICEST THINGS ABOUT CHILDREN IS THE WAY THEY RESPOND TO POSITIVELY TO EXAMPLES.

KIDS WILL USUALLY DO THE RIGHT THING IF IT IS PRESENTED IN A CLEAR AND HONEST WAY.

ADD ENTERTAINMENT TO THAT FAORM L -- FORMULA, AND YOU'LL SEE WHY OUR NEXT PERFORMERS HAVE BEEN SO SUCCESSFUL IN CONVEYING A MESSAGE TO A YOUNG GENERATION.

>> Reporter: IT'S ANOTHER TUESDAY NIGHT MEETING OF THE CHAMPLAIN VALLEY KIDS ON THE BLOCK.

MEMBERS ARE ORGANIZING THE NEXT FEW MONTHS OF PERFORMANCES, REHEARSALS, AND MOST IMPORTANTLY MAKING SURE EVERYONE HAS ACCURATE DIRECTIONS TO ALL OF THEIR EVENTS.

THESE VOLUNTEERS WILL SPEND TWO HOURS TONIGHT AND MANY MORE OVER THE NEXT SCHOOL YEAR VOLUNTEERING THEIR TIME TO BE PART OF ONE OF THE MOST UNIQUE PERFORMANCE COMPANIES IN VERMONT.

>> OUR VOLUNTEERS ARE THE HEART OF OUR ORGANIZATION.

MARY KAY AND I ARE JUST PART-TIME EMPLOYEES.

WE WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO DO THIS IF WE DIDN'T HAVE THE COMMUNITY MEMBERS THAT VOLUNTEER FOR US, BUT THEY'RE ALL INTERESTED IN EDUCATING CHILDREN ON THE DIFFERENT TOPICS THAT WE TALK ABOUT.

THEY GRAVITATE TOWARDS THE TOPIC THEY'RE INTERESTED IN THEMSELV THEMSELVES.

THAT HELPS KEEP THEIR INTEREST GOING.

>> TAKE A DEEP BREATH, JOE.

>> Reporter: CREATED IN THE WASHINGTON, D.C.

AREA IN THE MID 19 19730s, THE NATIONAL KIDS ON THE BLOCK PROGRAM ORIGINATED WHEN AN EDUCATOR REALIZED KIDS NEEDED SOME QUESTIONS ANSWERED.

WHAT BETTER WAY THAN THROUGH A LIFE-SIZE PUPPET.

THE PUPPET WAS ABLE TO TEACH KIDS AND ANSWER QUESTIONS THAT STUDENTS HAVE ABOUT A PARTICULAR SUBJECT.

AFTER ALL, IT IS EASY TO TALK TO A PUPPET.

THIS FOR-PROFIT ORGANIZATION DEVELOPS THE PUPPETS AND THEIR PROPS AND SELLS THEM TO INDEPENDENT KIDS ON THE BLOCK ORGANIZATIONS AROUND THE WORLD.

>> THAT'S NO REASON FOR YOU TO GO AROUND TELLING EVERYONE I'M A DRUG ADDICT.

THAT'S NOT REASON FOR YOU TO GO AROUND AND TELL EVERYONE THAT I'M A DRUG ADDICT.

>> YOU DON'T HAVE TO BE AN ADDICT TO HAVE A PROBLEM.

WHEN WE WERE HANGING OUT TOGETHER, DRINKING ALCOHOL WAS THE PROBLEM.

>> I HAVE A DAUGHTER WITH A DISABILITY.

BEFORE WE MOVED HERE ABOUT EIGHT YEARS AGO, ALL THREE OF US WENT TO THIS CONFERENCE IN MAINE AND SAW A KIDS ON THE BLOCK PERFORMANCE.

MY BACKGROUND WAS IN TEACHING, AND ONCE I SAW THAT, I THOUGHT THIS IS REALLY A GOOD VEHICLE FOR EDUCATING KIDS.

AND I KNEW KIDS NEEDED TO BE EDUCATED JUST FROM THE REACTIONS TO MY DAUGHTER AND THE KINDS OF QUESTIONS THEY ASKED.

WE HAVE KIDS IN SCHOOL WITH SPECIAL NEEDS.

THE OTHER KIDS ARE CURIOUS.

THEY'RE NOT GOING TO ASK THEM BECAUSE THAT'S TOO EMBARRASSING.

>> Reporter: CODIRECT OR MARY Y HAS BEEN WITH THE CHAMPLAIN KIDS ON THE BLOCK FOR 14 YEARS.

THESE PUPPETS FIRST ARRIVED IN 1982.

IN 1989, THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS REORGANIZED ALONG WITH A GROUP OF INTERESTED EDUCATORS AND PARENTS AND FORMED THE NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION CHAMPLAIN VALLEY KIDS ON THE BLOCK, AND IT'S BEEN GROWING EVER SINCE.

CURRENTLY, THERE ARE 11 PROGRAMS AVAILABLE RANGING FROM CULTURAL DIVERSITY TO PHYSICAL AND SEXUAL ABUSE, AIDS AND ALCOHOL, TOBACCO, AND OTHER DRUGS.

NO MATTER WHAT YOUR AGE THE KIDS ON THE BLOCK PUPPETS ARE ABLE TO TOUCH THE LIVES OF PEOPLE FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD.

>> SO, THAT YOU COULD HAVE MORE TIME WITH MOM AND DAD?

>> YEAH.

I GUESS I REALLY DON'T WANT TO HAVE CP.

>> OKAY.

WHO GOES IN THE MIDDLE?

>> DO YOU NEED ANOTHER SCRIPT?

>> Reporter: THE PUPPETEERS USE A JAPANESE STYLE, WHICH MEANS YOU CAN SEE.

THEY GEAR THEIR SCRIPTS AND PERFORMANCES FOR ALL AGES AND INTERESTS, INCLUDING ADULTS.

EACH PUPPET HAS HIS OR HER OWN PERSONALITY AND TRIES TO DISPEL MYTHS WHILE CONVEYING ACCURATE INFORMATION.

>> BOY, VALERIE, THANKS FOR HELPING ME OUT WITH THIS ALGEB ALGEBRA.

IF I DON'T GET A B ON THE NEXT TEST, MY WHOLE GRADE FOR THE TERM IS GOING TO GO RIGHT DOWN THE TOILET.

>> I THINK THE THING IS THEY'RE NONTHREATENING.

THERE'S JUST KIND OF A MAGIC ABOUT PUPPETS IN GENERAL.

YOU CAN TALK TO PUPPETS.

THEY'RE NOT GOING TO BE CRITICAL.

IT'S HARD TO GO UP TO SOMEBODY, TO A PERSON, AND ASK THEM THINGS ABOUT THEMSELVES, WHY THEY'RE USING, HOW THEY GET AROUND.

>> SURE.

SEE IT'S RED RING RIGHT.

I PUT THE RED RING ON MY RIGHT HAND.

THAT WAY I KNOW WHICH IS LEFT AND WHICH IS RIGHT SOMETIMES.

>> HEY, THAT'S PRETTY CLEVER, BUT TELL ME, JENNIFER, HOW COME WAY BACK WHEN YOU WERE SMALL NO ONE TAUGHT YOU LEFT FROM RIGHT.

>> THAT'S BECAUSE I HAVE A LEARNING DISABILITY.

>> A WHAT?

>> A LEARNING DISABILITY OR A LEARNING DIFFERENCE AS I LIKE TO CALL IT.

DOESN'T MEAN I CAN'T LEARN.

JUST MEANS THAT I LEARN IN A DIFFERENT KIND OF WAY.

>> Reporter: DEB LYONS IS THE GROUP'S OTHER CODIRECTOR AND HAS BEEN WITH THEM SINCE 1989.

SHE WAS INTERESTED IN EDUCATING KIDS ABOUT PHYSICAL AND SEXUAL ABUSE PREVENTION ANTICIPATED AW SO SHE WROTE A GRANT AND THE GROUP WAS AWARDED ITS FIRST $3,000 GRANT.

IT TRAVELS ALL OVER THE STATE AND JUST LAST YEAR PERFORMED FOR OVER 10,000 STUDENTS, PARENTS, AND EDUCATORS.

>> WE ADD NEW PROGRAMS EVERY YEAR TO EVERY TWO YEARS.

THAT HAPPENS WITH THE NEEDS OF THE COMMUNITY AND THE SCHOOLS AND WHAT SCHOOLS TEND TO BE ASKING FOR.

THEY'VE BEEN ASKED FOR SCRIPTS ON DRUG AND ALCOHOL INFORMATION FOR THE LAST THREE OR FOUR YEARS.

WE JUST DIDN'T HAVE THE MONEY AT THAT TIME TO BUY THE PROGRAM.

IT'S EXPENSIVE PURCHASE.

THE PUPPETS COST BETWEEN $750 AND $1200 EACH.

YOU NEED THREE OR FOUR PUPPETS FOR EACH PROGRAM.

THEN YOU PAY FOR THE SCRIPTS AND THE PROPS ON TOP OF THAT, SO IT IS A FEW THOUSAND DOLLARS JUST TO GET GOING.

>> SO WHAT AM I SUPPOSED TO DO?

>> WELL, YOU NEED TO HAVE A PLAN, PAUL.

FIRST, YOU NEED TO STOP USING DRUGS.

THEN YOU NEED TO COME UP WITH A BETTER WAY TO DEAL WITH YOUR PROBLEMS.

ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS ASK FOR HELP.

>> WELL, WHO AM I GOING TO TALK TO?

>> WELL, YOU COULD TALK TO A FRIEND JUST LIKE YOU'RE TALKING TO ME RIGHT NOW OR YOU COULD CALL A COMMUNITY DRUG HOTLINE OR A TEEN HOTLINE.

THOSE ARE JUST A COUPLE OF IDEAS.

>> OUR PREPARATION FOR OUR SCRIPTS TAKE A GOOD SIX TO TEN MONTHS.

WE'LL PREVIEW A SCRIPT FROM THE NATIONAL KIDS ON THE BLOCK, SEE IF IT IS SOMETHING WE WANT TO BE BUYING, FIGURE OUT HOW TO GET THE FUNDING FOR IT, WRITE THE GRANTS OR FIGURE OUT WHERE WE'RE GOING TO GET THE MONEY TO ADD ON A NEW PROGRAM, AND THEN WE DO RESEARCH IN THE COMMUNITY TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE ALL THE BACKGROUND INFORMATION THAT WE NEED.

SO, WE PICK AND CHOOSE, DEPENDING ON WHAT TOPICS THEY HAVE COMING OUT.

WE LOOK AT THE NEEDS OF VERMONT AND THE TYPE OF QUESTIONS AND DEMAND THAT WE'RE HEARING FROM THE SCHOOLS.

>> I WAS JUST WONDERING WHAT YOUR MOM WROTE TO YOU, BUT DON'T WORRY.

I CAN'T READ THIS.

IT'S NOT IN ENGLISH.

>> YEAH, THAT'S RIGHT.

MY MOM ALWAYS WRITES TO ME IN VIETNAMESE.

>> YEAH, BUT YOU'RE LIVING IN VERMONT NOW, NOT VIETNAM.

YOUR MOM SHOULD USE ENGLISH.

>> WELL, SHE IS LEARNING ENGLISH, AND SHE'S GETTING PRETTY GOOD AT IT TOO, BUT SHE DOESN'T WANT ME OR MY SISTERS TO FORGET THEIR FIRST LANGUAGE.

>> WE GOT NOM BECAUSE THERE WAS A LARGE GROUP OF VIETNAMESE MOVING INTO THE CHITTENDEN COUNTY AREA.

WE DIDN'T KNOW MUCH ABOUT VIETNAM.

WE STARTED AT LIBRARIES, PC GLOBE, THAT WHOLE THING, BUT WE ALSO ASKED PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY IF THEY WOULD SIT DOWN AND TALK TO US, IF THEY WOULD WATCH THE SCRIPT AND GIVE US FEEDBACK.

>> OH, OKAY.

HEY, THERE'S ONE MORE QUESTION.

THE PERSON WITH THE BLUE PLAID SHIRT ON.

>> WHAT DO YOUR HOUSES LOOK LIKE?

>> YOU CAN SEE FROM THE PERFORMANCES IT WORKS IN TERMS OF THM JUST TALKING DIRECTLY TO US AS PUPPETEERS.

THEY COME AND TALK TO US PERSONALLY, BUT ALSO THEY'RE -- IT OPENS THEM UP.

IT FREES THEM UP A LITTLE BIT TO THINK ABOUT IT A LITTLE BIT MORE.

IT ALLOWS THEIR CLASSMATES TO BE ABLE TO BE A LITTLE MORE FREE, TO ASK THE KINDS OF QUESTIONS THEY'VE ALWAYS WONDERED ABOUT.

>> OKAY.

ANY OTHER QUESTIONS?

>> THE PUPPETS THEMSELVES ARE SUPPORT FOR EACH OTHER, AND THEY'RE TALKING FROM A PERSONAL STANDPOINT.

ONCE THE KIDS SEE THE PUPPETS TALKING ABOUT THEIR OWN PERSONAL EXPERIENCE, THEN THE PUPPETS HELP BRING IT OUT A LITTLE BIT MORE.

WE HOPE THAT THE KIDS GET THE HELP THAT THEY NEED THROUGH THEIR FAMILIES AND THE SCHOOL SYSTEM.

>>> EVER WONDER WHAT HAPPENS TO AN OLD PIANO WHOSE PLAYING DAYS ARE APPARENTLY OVER?

WELL, IF IT IS LUCKY, IT WILL FIND ITS WAY TO THE HOPKINTON WORKSHOP.

HERB RESTORES PIANO.

SOMETHING HE'S BEEN DOING FOR OVER 35 YEARS.

WE VISITED THIS MASTER CRAFTSMAN AND LEARNED THERE IS IN FACT LIFE AFTER DEATH FOR A PIANO.

>> WELL, THIS IS A GOOD ONE FOR A WIND MOTOR.

THIS ONE IS A STEINWAY, WHICH IS ONE OF THE MORE RARE.

MOST PEOPLE KNOW STEINWAY.

STEINWAY MADE A GRAND PLAYER.

THERE'S A REPRODUCER.

BOARD AND PLANK IS GONE.

THIS ACTION HAS GONE OUT OF IT.

I'M IN THE PROCESS OF TAKING ALL THE OLD FINISH OFF.

>> THIS IS A PLAYER?

>> THIS ONE IS A PLAYER.

SEE HOW QUICK YOUR EYE IS.

THE INSTANT THAT POLE HITS THAT POLE, BING.

THAT SHOWS YOU HOW FAST THAT IS.

>> Reporter: BACK IN 1925, HERB'S DAD BOUGHT THIS WURLITZER GRAND PIANO.

THEN HERB INHERITED IT, JUST WHEN HE WAS LOOKING FOR A WAY TO GET OUT OF THE CONSTRUCTION AND HEAVY EQUIPMENT BUSINESS.

HE TAUGHT HIMSELF HOW TO RESTORE HIS DAD'S OLD PIANO AND BEGAN HIS NEW CAREER.

>> NOW PLAYER PIANOS WERE MADE IN WHAT PERIOD OF TIME?

>> WELL, THEIR BEGINNING YOU CAN NARROW IT DOWN TO ABOUT THE 1900.

THEY ACTUALLY WERE INVENTED, SO TO SPEAK, A LITTLE AHEAD OF THAT, BUT THE REAL BEGINNING IS ABOUT 1900.

THEN IT GRADUALLY PROGRESSED LIKE EVERYTHING.

IMPROVEMENTS WERE MADE AND SO ON AND SO FORTH DOWN THE LINE.

THEIR REAL HEYDAY WAS THE 20s AND ABOUT HALFWAY THROUGH THE 30s.

WELL, THIS IS THE IDIOSYNCRACIES OF THESE.

>> THIS ONE IS NO DIFFERENT, HUH?

>> SOME PROBLEM WILL SHOW UP AND IT WILL DRIVE YOU NUTTY.

YOU JUST HAVE TO BE A DETECTIVE.

>> HOW MANY PIECES DO YOU THINK ARE IN A PLAYER PIANO?

>> OH, BOY.

>> ON AVERAGE.

>> IN ROUND FIGURES, 40,000 TO 50,000 PIECES IN THE WHOLE THING.

>> THIS IS WHERE IT BELONGS.

>> NOT GOING TO GET ANYTHING.

OH, I KNOW WHAT THE TROUBLE IS.

I KNEW THAT.

>> WHAT'S THAT?

>> IT'S ALL PNEUMATIC.

IF YOU CAN PICTURE IN YOUR MIND THE INSIDE OF THIS WHOLE MECHANISM, THERE'S NO AIR.

THE AIR IS REMOVED FROM IT.

>> OKAY.

>> WHAT ACTUALLY MAKES THINGS WORK IS ALL THESE DIFFERENT TOOLS, WHEN THEY GO TO THE TRACKER BAR, THE PAPER COVERS THE HOLE UP ON THE TRACKER BAR.

THE HOLE COMES IN THE PAPER ROLL AND UNCOVERS THE TRACKER BAR HOLE THAT LETS AIR IN, WHICH GOES UNDER A POUCH, WHICH MOVES A VALVE TO MAKE WHATEVER THAT GOES TO WORK.

>> IT IS THE HOLES IN THE PAPER THAT DRIVE IT ALL?

>> THAT'S CORRECT.

THAT'S WHAT STARTS THE BALL ROLLING AS IT WERE.

NOW TO MAKE THE PLAYER ROLL, THEN THEY HAD ANOTHER SPECIAL PIANO THAT THE ARTIST SAT DOWN TO, AND THERE WAS A MECHANISM ON THAT THAT AS HE PLAYED THIS WOULD PERFORATE A MASTER ROLL, JUST WHAT HE WAS PLAYING.

FROM THAT MAST ER ROLL, THEN THY HAVE HAD A PERFORATOR.

THAT WOULD PERFORATE THE ROLLS, WHICH WAS SOLD TO THE PUBLIC.

SOMETIMES IT TAKES A LITTLE PLAYING TO LOOSEN THINGS UP.

THE VALVES GET SETTLED IN AND ALL.

>> WHAT CAUSES THEIR DEMISE?

>> A COMBINATION OF THINGS.

TALKING MOVIES CAME IN.

PHONOGRAPHS GOT BETTER.

RADIO CAME UP.

UNFORTUNATELY, THE DEPRESSION HIT, SO ALL THAT COMBINATION KNOCKED THE POOR OLD PLAYER OUT TEMPORARILY.

NOW IN THE LAST, WELL, SAY, 20 YEARS, THESE OLD PLAYERS HAVE BECOME MORE POPULAR BECAUSE A LOT OF PEOPLE HAVE BEGUN TO REALIZE -- YOU MUST REMEMBER THAT ANY OF -- IF YOU GO INTO A STORE AND BUY A TAPE OF THE OLD MUSIC, LIKE A CHOPIN OR SOME OF THOSE GREAT OLD -- MOZART AND BEETHOVE BEETHOVEN, YOU HAVE IT ON TAPE TODAY BECAUSE MOST OF THAT WAS RECORDED FROM THE OLD ROLLS MADE FOR THESE PLAYERS.

>>> A VERMONT-BASED ACTING PORTFOLIO HAS RISEN IN VALUE THANKS TO THES PPIANS LIKE RUST DeWEES.

THOUGH HIS PROFESSIONAL ATTENTION THESE DAYS IS FOCUSED ON NEW YORK CITY FOR NATIONAL COMMERCIALS, TELEVISION SHOWS, AND FILMS, RUSTY MAINTAINS A HOME IN MORRISVILLE.

WE RECENTLY VISITED WITH THE MAN REMEMBERED BEST AS THE UNFORGETTABLE ANTOINE THE LUMBERJACK.

HERE'S AN UPDATE ON AN ACTING CAREER BORN IN THE GREEN MOUNTAINS.

RUSTY, IT'S BEEN QUITE A YEAR.

YOU'VE BEEN IN A COUPLE OF MAJOR MOTION PICTURES, A COUPLE OF PLAYS, A LOT OF NATIONAL COMMERCIALS.

YOU'VE BEEN IN THREE VERMONT INDEPENDENTS AND A COUPLE OF OTHER INDEPENDENTS IN NEW YORK.

YOU HAVE YOUR OWN ONE-MAN SHOW.

A LOT IS GOING ON FOR YOU.

IT'S FABULOUS.

>> IT HAS BEEN A GOOD YEAR.

>> WHAT'S BEEN THE HIGHLIGHT?

>> THE HIGHLIGHT OF '96?

WELL, IT WAS THAT ONE SPAGHETTI MEAL I HAD.

HIGHLIGHT WAS THE OTHER NIGHT -- EASILY COULD HAVE BEEN THE FIRST NIGHT THAT WAS THE HIGHLIGHT.

I WAS ABLE TO WORK OVER THERE.

I DID FIVE SHOWS.

ONE AT THE PATRICK GYM.

I THINK THERE WAS 1,000 PEOPLE THERE.

THREE AT CITY HALL AND ONE AT FLETCHER LIBRARY.

THAT WAS A HIGHLIGHT.

I ALWAYS THOUGHT, MAN, IT WOULD BE FUN TO DO SOMETHING THAT FIRST NIGHT AND THEY TOOK ME THIS YEAR.

>> YOU WROTE ALL YOUR OWN MATERIAL FOR THESE PIECES.

IS PLAYWRITING AN INTEREST IN ADDITION TO ACTING NOW?

>> PLAYWRITING ISN'T AN INTEREST OF MINE, SCREEN PLAYWRITING, BUT THESE ARE SMALL LITTLE STORIES.

OVER THE YEARS, GROWING UP IN VERMONT AS I DID, I WORKED A LOT OF CONSTRUCTION, CONCRETE WORK, LOGGING, DUMP TRUCK DRIVING.

ALL THE FRIENDS YOU MEET, THE WAR STORIES THAT YOU HAVE OF WORK, I WOULD TELL THEM TO MY OTHER FRIENDS AND THEY WOULD LAUGH.

LITTLE BY LITTLE, I WAS THINKING, WELL, THEY'RE LAUGHING.

THIS GUY IS DOING THESE STORIES.

MAYBE I CAN PUT THESE TOGETHER AND THEY'LL COME OUT ENTERTAINING.

I HAVE A FRIEND WHO DOES A TALENT SHOW.

HE LET ME TRY THEM OUT.

YEAH, IT'S WORKING.

TOGETHER, SO PLAYWRITING ISN'T, BUT I THINK IT IS IMPORTANT TO PUT THE STORIES OF THINGS YOU'VE EXPERIENCED IN YOUR LIFE TOGETHER TO SEE IF THEY'RE ENTERTAINING.

>> CREATE CHARACTERS.

>> YEAH.

THEN FROM THE BASIC ONE THAT YOU START WITH, IT LEADS ON TO SOMETHING ELSE AND THEN IT LEADS ON TO SOMETHING ELSE.

RIGHT NOW IT IS FEEDING OFF OF ITSELF.

>> HOW DO NEW YORKERS TAKE TO THIS STUFF?

HAVE YOU TRIED THIS SOMEWHERE ELSE BESIDES VERMONT?

>> A FRIEND HAS SEEN IT A COUPLE TIMES.

YOU SHOULD TRY THIS IN NEW YORK.

I'M GOING TO TRY IT, I THINK, BUT I WANT TO GET ENOUGH MATERIAL THAT I KNOW WORKS UP HERE BEFORE I GO DOWN THERE.

IF IT DOES WORK DOWN THERE AT ALL, IT'S GOING TO BE UNIQUE BECAUSE I DON'T THINK DOWN THERE IN THOSE LITTLE COFFEE SHOPS, COFFEEHOUSES, WHEN THEY HAVE ENTERTAINER ENTERTAINERS, I DON'T THINK THEY HAVE SEEN ANYTHING QUITE LIKE THAT.

YOU DON'T HAVE TO BE FROM MORRISVILLE, VERMONT, TO GET THESE JOKES.

YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN?

>> PRETTY HUMAN.

>> YEAH.

>> YOU STARTED GOING TO NEW YORK ABOUT NINE YEARS AGO.

YOU'RE INTERESTED IN BEING AN ACTOR.

A LOT OF PEOPLE GO TO NEW YORK AND THEY DON'T MAKE IT.

YOU'VE BEEN IN COMMERCIALS AND MOVIES AND TELEVISION SHOWS.

WHAT MAKES YOU SO MARKETABLE DO YOU THINK?

>> WELL, A LOT OF LITTLE QUESTIONS IN THAT QUESTION.

I WENT THERE NINE YEARS AGO, AND FOR THE FIRST SIX YEARS, I DIDN'T REALLY PURSUE IT DOWN THERE PROFESSIONALLY BECAUSE A COUPLE OF CIRCUMSTANCES.

ANYWAY, THE LAST TWO, TWO AND A HALF YEARS I'VE BEEN DOING IT, WHAT MAKES ME MARKETABLE IS I'M A TYPE.

A GIRL WHO WANTS TO MARRY A DOCTOR ISN'T GOING TO WANT TO MARRY ME.

YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN?

ONE THING YOU HAVE TO KNOW IF YOU WANT TO BE AN ACTOR OR ANY TYPE OF BUSINESS IS WHAT YOU ARE SEEN AS IN THAT KIND OF BUSINESS OR WHAT YOU CAN DO.

IF I WENT DOWN THERE THINKING, MAN, I JUST LOVE SHAKESPEARE, I'M A ROMANTIC, I WANT TO PLAY THE ROMANTIC LEADS, I'M GOING TO BE LOST.

I'M GOING THERE THINKING I'M JUST A GOOD OLE BOY FARM BOY.

AND I AM A TYPE.

I DON'T LOOK NEW YORK AT ALL.

PEOPLE IN NEW YORK HAVE SAID YOU DON'T HAVE ANY NEW YORKNESS TO YOU.

THAT'S WHY YOU'RE LANDING SOME OF THESE THINGS.

THAT'S WHAT'S WORKED FOR ME A BIT.

LUCKILY, YOU HAVE THAT.

THERE'S SOME GUYS THAT DON'T LOOK ROUGH.

THEY'RE NOT COLLEGE BOY GOOD LOOKS.

THEY'RE SOMEWHERE IN THE MIDDLE.

THEY'RE NOT GOOFY LOOKING.

YOU KNOW THE PEOPLE WHO GET WORK BECAUSE THEY'RE GOOFY LOOKING?

IT'S TOUGHER FOR THEM.

>> YOU ALSO GET PRETTY SOPHISTICATED ROLES.

>> I THINK I'M FORTUNATE THERE BECAUSE ALTHOUGH I DON'T LOOK AT MYSELF AND PEOPLE DON'T LOOK AT MYSELF AS BEING THE SOPHISTICATED TYPE -- THE FUNNY THING IS YOU COMB THE HAIR AND PUT THE HORN-RIMMED GLASSES ON AND THE SUIT, IT CAN WORK.

I DO GET THOSE ROLES, SO I CAN PLEA BLEED OFF INTO OTHER AREAS.

I CAN DO THE RURAL VERMONT THING AND THE FARM BOY THING, BUT I CAN SPEAK IN A NEUTRAL TONE.

THAT HELPS TOO.

>> DID YOU ALWAYS THINK YOU WERE GOING TO BE AN ACTOR WHEN YOU WERE GROWING UP?

>> NOPE.

IT'S NOT ANYTHING THAT'S REALLY BURNING AT ME, YOU KNOW?

I WOULD ALWAYS DO IT IN THE COMMUNITY AREA.

THEN VERMONT REP RIGHT ACROSS THE ROAD HERE STARTED.

IT GOT A LITTLE MORE SERIOUS THEN.

IT WAS REALLY INTERESTING AND EXCITING.

>> WHAT DID YOU THINK YOU WERE GOING TO DO?

>> DIDN'T KNOW.

WHEN I WAS YOUNGER, I WANTED TO BE A BUS DRIVER.

MY DAD WAS A GREYHOUND BUS DRIVER, SO I WANTED TO DO THAT.

WHEN I GOT OUT OF HIGH SCHOOL, I GOT A JOB DRIVING SCHOOL BUSES AND DUMP TRUCKS.

STAYED IN THE STILL COMMUNITY FOR A COUPLE YEARS.

THEN CHAMPLAIN COLLEGE SAW ME PLAY BASKETBALL AND SAID WHY DON'T YOU COME PLAY BASKETBALL HERE.

SURE, WHY NOT.

HERE'S THE OPPORTUNITY.

I WOULD BE A FOOL TO LET THAT GO.

FROM THERE, I MET SOME PEOPLE INVOLVED IN LYRIC.

A FEW OF THOSE WERE INVOLVED IN VERMONT REP.

SOME OF THOSE PEOPLE WERE LIKE, THE SOME OF TYOUNGER PEOPLE AREO NEW YORK TO ACT.

I LIVED IN VERMONT LONG ENOUGH THAT SOMETHING ELSE WAS INTERESTING ABOUT THE CITY LIFE.

I CAN ALWAYS COME BACK HERE, SO I WENT DOWN THERE AND THINGS HAVE JUST KIND OF FALLEN INTO PLACE.

MORE THAN I'VE SEARCHED THEM OUT.

BUT THE PAST COUPLE OF YEARS, THEY'VE FALLEN INTO PLACE SO WELL THAT I'VE SAID YOU COULD REALLY GIVE THIS A REAL SHOT.

I FIND THE ACTING AND PERFORMING INTERESTING, BUT WHAT'S ALSO INTERESTING IS THE BUSINESS END OF IT, HOW CAN YOU MAKE IT KEEP GOING.

THAT'S AS INTERESTING AS THE ACTUAL PERFORMING TO ME.

THOSE TWO COME TOGETHER.

>> ARE WE GOING TO LOSE YOU TO NEW YORK OR DOES VERMONT STILL HAVE A HOLD ON YOU?

>> I WAS NEVER -- I MOVED NINE YEARS AGO, AND I NEVER REALLY LEFT.

I WAS DOWN THERE FOR THE FIRST YEAR WITHOUT COMING BACK MUCH, CHRISTMAS.

I SAID TO MY BOSS I HAVE TO GO BACK IN THE SUMMER.

I COME BACK ALMOST EVERY OTHER WEEKEND.

A SIX-HOUR DRIVE, BUT MY HOUSE IS HERE.

MY MOM AND DAD ARE HERE AND ALL MY REAL FRIENDS ARE HERE.

I SORT OF THINK I LIVE IN VERMONT.

THE MIDDLE OF THE WEEK.THERE IN- >> WHAT ARE SOME THINGS WE SHOULD LOOK FORWARD TO IN THE FUTURE TO SEE YOU, COMMERCIALS, TV SHOWS?

O I DON'T KNOW YOU'RE GOING TO BE HARLAND IN A FILM.

WHAT ARE SOME THINGS WE SHOULD LOOK FOR?

>> HARLAND IS A NICE-SIZED ROLE.

IT'S NOT A BIG ROLE.

"STRANGER IN THE KINGDOM," I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO THAT.

NORA JACOBSON DID A MOVIE THAT YOU WORKED ON.

"LETTERS TO MY MOTHER'S EARLY LOVERS," I HAVE A NICE SMALLER ROLE IN THAT.

DAVID RUTLAND "PRESSURE POINT," I HAVE ONE SCENE.

CHEVY, I DID A CHEVY ASTRO VAN AD RECENTLY.

I'M A YUPPIE FATHER WITH TWO KIDS.

"LAW AND ORDER" ON FEBRUARY 5th, I DID ANOTHER EPISODE WHERE I PLAY A LITTLE ARSONIST.

ONE LITTLE SCENE, BUT IT IS NICE.

>> GREAT.

THANK YOU SO MUCH.

CONTINUED GOOD LUCK TO YOU.

>> THANK YOU.

>> JOIN US NEXT WEEK WHEN WE'LL VISIT VERMONT'S OLDEST CENTER OF EASTERN SPIRITUALITY AND EXPLORE THE MYSTERIES OF ONE OF THE VOCAL WONDERS OF THE WORLD.

UNTIL THEN FOR ALL OF US AT "POINTS NORTH" -- >> FOR MORE CLASSIC PROGRAMS, VISIT