Melissa Lacey/Journal-World PhotoSinger-actor Mandy Patinkin didn’t pull any punches when he told Kansas University students about the circumstances behind his departure from the university 31 years ago.
He was doing a lot of plays “Man of La Mancha,” “Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead,” “Indians” but he was only enrolled in three hours of classes.
“The dean called me and said, ‘We have a problem. We’re an academic institution and you’re not taking any courses,'” Patinkin said, adding that he was encouraged to leave and enroll in a professional acting school.
Patinkin, who went on to spend two years at the Juilliard School and win Tony and Emmy awards, came back Wednesday afternoon to KU to speak to about 250 students and faculty members in Crafton-Preyer Theatre. He is performing tonight at the Music Hall in Kansas City, Mo.
“This is where I started. This is the last place my father saw me perform,” he said, explaining that his father died of cancer shortly after seeing him play Tevye in “Fiddler on the Roof.”
Patinkin recalled his decision to leave the CBS television series “Chicago Hope” so he could spend time with his children and reminisced about his collaborations with composer Stephen Sondheim on “Sunday in the Park with George” and working with Andre the Giant in the movie “The Princess Bride.”
Patinkin’s talk took a poignant turn when he started discussing what makes an actor or artist different from others.
“What we do and why we do it is for very personal reasons,” he said. “We are artists, and there’s a burden with that. We are more sensitive.”
Patinkin spoke about the number of artists who kill themselves and urged those in the audience who felt lost in their pain to reach out to teachers, friends and family.
“I was in therapy for 10 years and graduated, and then needed more,” he said. “I don’t want to ever hear that anyone has taken their lives.”
A person only becomes better by living life and learning from the joys and struggles it brings, he said.
“As a nation we have to get out and live,” he said, alluding to emotional upheaval after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks on the East Coast. “But we don’t have to do it any harder than anyone else. If you are happy and peaceful in your life, you will perform at your highest level.”
Melissa Lacey/Journal-World PhotoSinger-actor Mandy Patinkin didn’t pull any punches when he told Kansas University students about the circumstances behind his departure from the university 31 years ago.
He was doing a lot of plays “Man of La Mancha,” “Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead,” “Indians” but he was only enrolled in three hours of classes.
“The dean called me and said, ‘We have a problem. We’re an academic institution and you’re not taking any courses,'” Patinkin said, adding that he was encouraged to leave and enroll in a professional acting school.
Patinkin, who went on to spend two years at the Juilliard School and win Tony and Emmy awards, came back Wednesday afternoon to KU to speak to about 250 students and faculty members in Crafton-Preyer Theatre. He is performing tonight at the Music Hall in Kansas City, Mo.
“This is where I started. This is the last place my father saw me perform,” he said, explaining that his father died of cancer shortly after seeing him play Tevye in “Fiddler on the Roof.”
Patinkin recalled his decision to leave the CBS television series “Chicago Hope” so he could spend time with his children and reminisced about his collaborations with composer Stephen Sondheim on “Sunday in the Park with George” and working with Andre the Giant in the movie “The Princess Bride.”
Patinkin’s talk took a poignant turn when he started discussing what makes an actor or artist different from others.
“What we do and why we do it is for very personal reasons,” he said. “We are artists, and there’s a burden with that. We are more sensitive.”
Patinkin spoke about the number of artists who kill themselves and urged those in the audience who felt lost in their pain to reach out to teachers, friends and family.
“I was in therapy for 10 years and graduated, and then needed more,” he said. “I don’t want to ever hear that anyone has taken their lives.”
A person only becomes better by living life and learning from the joys and struggles it brings, he said.
“As a nation we have to get out and live,” he said, alluding to emotional upheaval after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks on the East Coast. “But we don’t have to do it any harder than anyone else. If you are happy and peaceful in your life, you will perform at your highest level.”
Melissa Lacey/Journal-World PhotoSinger-actor Mandy Patinkin didn’t pull any punches when he told Kansas University students about the circumstances behind his departure from the university 31 years ago.
He was doing a lot of plays “Man of La Mancha,” “Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead,” “Indians” but he was only enrolled in three hours of classes.
“The dean called me and said, ‘We have a problem. We’re an academic institution and you’re not taking any courses,'” Patinkin said, adding that he was encouraged to leave and enroll in a professional acting school.
Patinkin, who went on to spend two years at the Juilliard School and win Tony and Emmy awards, came back Wednesday afternoon to KU to speak to about 250 students and faculty members in Crafton-Preyer Theatre. He is performing tonight at the Music Hall in Kansas City, Mo.
“This is where I started. This is the last place my father saw me perform,” he said, explaining that his father died of cancer shortly after seeing him play Tevye in “Fiddler on the Roof.”
Patinkin recalled his decision to leave the CBS television series “Chicago Hope” so he could spend time with his children and reminisced about his collaborations with composer Stephen Sondheim on “Sunday in the Park with George” and working with Andre the Giant in the movie “The Princess Bride.”
Patinkin’s talk took a poignant turn when he started discussing what makes an actor or artist different from others.
“What we do and why we do it is for very personal reasons,” he said. “We are artists, and there’s a burden with that. We are more sensitive.”
Patinkin spoke about the number of artists who kill themselves and urged those in the audience who felt lost in their pain to reach out to teachers, friends and family.
“I was in therapy for 10 years and graduated, and then needed more,” he said. “I don’t want to ever hear that anyone has taken their lives.”
A person only becomes better by living life and learning from the joys and struggles it brings, he said.
“As a nation we have to get out and live,” he said, alluding to emotional upheaval after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks on the East Coast. “But we don’t have to do it any harder than anyone else. If you are happy and peaceful in your life, you will perform at your highest level.”
Melissa Lacey/Journal-World PhotoSinger-actor Mandy Patinkin didn’t pull any punches when he told Kansas University students about the circumstances behind his departure from the university 31 years ago.
He was doing a lot of plays “Man of La Mancha,” “Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead,” “Indians” but he was only enrolled in three hours of classes.
“The dean called me and said, ‘We have a problem. We’re an academic institution and you’re not taking any courses,'” Patinkin said, adding that he was encouraged to leave and enroll in a professional acting school.
Patinkin, who went on to spend two years at the Juilliard School and win Tony and Emmy awards, came back Wednesday afternoon to KU to speak to about 250 students and faculty members in Crafton-Preyer Theatre. He is performing tonight at the Music Hall in Kansas City, Mo.
“This is where I started. This is the last place my father saw me perform,” he said, explaining that his father died of cancer shortly after seeing him play Tevye in “Fiddler on the Roof.”
Patinkin recalled his decision to leave the CBS television series “Chicago Hope” so he could spend time with his children and reminisced about his collaborations with composer Stephen Sondheim on “Sunday in the Park with George” and working with Andre the Giant in the movie “The Princess Bride.”
Patinkin’s talk took a poignant turn when he started discussing what makes an actor or artist different from others.
“What we do and why we do it is for very personal reasons,” he said. “We are artists, and there’s a burden with that. We are more sensitive.”
Patinkin spoke about the number of artists who kill themselves and urged those in the audience who felt lost in their pain to reach out to teachers, friends and family.
“I was in therapy for 10 years and graduated, and then needed more,” he said. “I don’t want to ever hear that anyone has taken their lives.”
A person only becomes better by living life and learning from the joys and struggles it brings, he said.
“As a nation we have to get out and live,” he said, alluding to emotional upheaval after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks on the East Coast. “But we don’t have to do it any harder than anyone else. If you are happy and peaceful in your life, you will perform at your highest level.”
