Marc: Hello and welcome. My guest is Kyle Secor who plays Tim Bayliss on
 Homicide. Along with someone who's not on Homicide, but is important to
 the city and that is Megan Hamilton who helps run the Fell's Point
 Creative Alliance. And there is a marriage of sorts here. A creative
 one, of course. 
 Kyle: Hey.
 Megan: Hey.
 Marc: And the number is 410-662-8780 to talk with Kyle about Homicide.
 We've got about a dozen emails. I don't know if we can get through all
 of your questions for Kyle Secor. I'll get as many in as I can. But
 there's a purpose to today's show, besides Homicide and Kyle Secor, and
 that's to talk about Homicide Live, fifth year of a live program that's
 put on by the Felll's Point Creative Alliance. Five years, you've been
 doing this. 
 Kyle: It's incredible. We started out in the gallery of Margaret's
 restaurant with about 30 people in there. 
 Megan: We got 75 people in there. 
 Kyle: There were 75? And we had, like actors were cancelling right and
 left because of the schedule. So I thought it was gonna be just me and
 the three pieces I had written 10 years ago, just reading it. And
 periodically, an actor would come running up the stairs and say, "I can
 do something." And that sort of, we kept that whole spirit...
 Megan: Right. Right. We set up a bar in the office. And, because it
 started really late and it was sold out. And very fun! I mean, the
 actors are a talented bunch and there've been interesting things to do.
 And it's been a big success...
 Marc: It's amazing how much...I mean, these guys are funny. Clark
 Johnson...
 Kyle: Yes. (laughs)
 Marc: ...he is one of the funniest men. He's amazingly talented as well.
 Kyle: Yeah. Yeah.
 Megan: I liked his take on the Cannes Film Festival one year, when he
 talked about the noise the breast implants made. He had some great short
 stories. 
 Marc: So this year, Kyle Secor, Clark Johnson, Jon Seda, Richard Belzer,
 Callie Thorne, Toni Lewis, and Peter Gerety.
 Kyle: And I think there's going to be a couple more. I think that maybe
 Michael Michele will be coming on to do something. She's also a new cast
 member. And Giancarlo Esposito, perhaps. And a guy who plays Captain
 Barnfather, Clayton LeBeouf. So, you know. And he's promised to do some
 sort of thing on Y2K. Uh..
 Megan: A rap..
 Kyle: A rap!
 (Laughter)
 Marc: A rap on Y2K. 
 (Laughter)
 Marc: We do have a lot of Homicide questions, but lets begin by talking
 about Homicide Live and continue from there. This is, besides being a
 great evening, because it's sketches, and comedy, and drama and all
 that. Is there drama? Is it mostly comedy...
 Kyle: You know, it's a bigger venue this year and maybe one of the
 actors is going to get serious on us. Go, "Well, there's more people, I
 want to do some Shakespeare..." So, I don't know. There could be
 some...you never know. It seems to me there's going to be, a lot of
 people are going to do singing. And, you know, there could be some
 household appliances thrown in there...
 Marc: Houshold appliances?
 Kyle: Well, you know, dancing with household appliances. And Clark, you
 never know what he's going to do. And Richard is going to, Belzer he'll
 do some stand up. And he's also got a book coming out, so maybe he'll do
 something from that.
 (Laughter)
 Megan: So the cast is bigger, the venue's bigger. And actually, you
 know, the cause is bigger. It's not just a benefit for the Creative
 Alliance this year, it's also going to help support the future Patterson
 Cultural Center, and the Bea Gaddy Family Center. Of course, Bea Gaddy
 supports homeless and low-income folks with a variety of services,
 rehabilitation services. And, of course, Lola's, the  Baltimore
 Children's Museum will be a cause as well. So we have a lot of people
 who will benefit. 
 Marc: And Lola's her kids who have experienced murder, in their families
 and in their lives will be on, some of the kids. Next week after our on
 air fundraiser. 
 Kyle: So you have a fundraiser going on?
 Marc: Yeah, this week.
 Kyle: Oh, good. 
 Marc: It begins this week. This Thursday. Which means I'll be up at four
 in the morning. But that's okay.
 Kyle: Ah, you been sleeping too late anyway. 
 Megan: Sunrise is nice.
 Marc: I love sunrise. One of the best times of day. It is. I'm just
 getting old. Now, some questions from some of our listeners. It's amazing 
 the number of email questions that came in today. 
 Kyle: Yeah.
 Marc: We even got one, someone said."I read on the BBC that Kyle Secor's
 going to be on the Mark Steiner Show."  I have no idea where that came
 from... First question, from a listener was, "Is this your final season
 on Homicide?"
 (Laughter) 
 Kyle: Oooh. Um. So, anyway, I'm takin' the fifth on that one. You gotta
 keep the mystery goin'. Keep the mystery goin' and then you see what
 happens if the show comes back next year. We don't even know if the
 show's coming back...
 Marc: Every year it's been like that. 
 Kyle: It's been like that every single year.
 Marc: Unemployment will be rampant in Fell's Point, if the show doesn't
 come back. 
 Kyle: And everyone's hoping it will. Because, you know.  it's a terrific
 show. We keep a lot of people employed and it brings a lot of money into
 the state. And we keep some sort of dignity on the airwaves. 
 Marc: And even if the cast changes. I think of some of the new people
 like Toni Lewis, Jon Seda, Peter Gerety, Callie Thorne, they're just top
 actors to me.
 Kyle: Yeah, and you know it was a funny year this year. Finding out how
 to work the new people in the ensemble, finding how to write for the
 characters, find voices for them. And now, it's now starting to happen.
 It took a little bit of time, about halfway through the season it
 started happening. And so now we're...it'll be really exciting to see
 what's happening if they go on another year. 
 Marc: Your character, Bayliss, 
 (Kyle, at this point, makes an odd noise and there is laughter) 
 Marc: Detective Bayliss has been kind of in the background this year,
 more than last. Are you doing more directing than acting?
 Kyle: Well you know, with all the sexuality in the air, we had about
 fifteen different balls in the air. I think we got a little bit painted
 into a corner, and so the season developed that way. And for me it was
 great, because it gave me time to do many other things. But, again,
 after the second half of the season, I've started to work a little bit
 more.
 Marc: The character you have, who follows Zen. I know that you also
 follow Buddhism in your own life outside. And I watch Belzer's
 character, who is kind of crazed about the sixties, that's just Belzer. 
 (Laughter)
 Kyle: He is!  He's crazed. 
 (much laughter and overlapping conversation) 
 Marc: Are these real life stories, or what?
 Kyle: The writers listen very, very well to what our moods and our
 rhythms are...
 Marc: Some of the things that Belzer says as the character, are just
 Belzer.
 Kyle: Exactly. And that's what they do. The writers listen. And
 sometimes, the writers know what you're doing before you've even
 approached them. You say, "Hey, I wonder if you could just, you know,
 throw this thing in there" and they are already doin' it. Because,
 they've heard through other sources. So they keep their ears open in
 many different directions. Like My Favorite Martian or something, with
 the antennae...
 Marc: Speaking of antennae and My Favorite Martian. What's that about
 your hat?
 Kyle: Ah yes.
 Marc: Kyle has a hat on, with a circle, grey in the middle..
 Megan: It's a baseball cap.
 Marc: Thank you. A baseball cap, with two arrows going through it. And
 its a hobo symbol. However...
 Kyle: Ahem. However, on the KylePhiles. There is, someone wrote in and
 said, if you saw him wearing this hat on the show, and people, everyone
 did, it is a symbol of bisexuality. 
 (Laughter)
 Kyle: So that was the thing...
 Marc: Is it?
 Kyle: No! No, no, no. (laughter) Who will sleep with me now?
 (Laughter)
 Kyle: But actually, it's from a guy on the show, named Jeff Gordon, who
 works on our show with props. He also has a line of clothing and hats
 that he puts out. And he's gotten the trademark to a bunch of hobo
 heiroglyphics, you know, symbols that the hobos came up with. Which, you
 know all about from your hoboing days.(laughter) And he started putting
 them on hats. And this one here means "disappear quickly". So I guess
 the hobos would show up some place and they would see this graffiti, so
 they would know where to go. If there was a rich lady there, a mean dog,
 if there were police nearby, or something. I think it's very
 interesting. 
 Marc: Jeff is an interesting guy. He's always coming up with something. 
 Kyle: He's an idea man.
 Megan: Peter Gerety might be do some hobo stuff for us on Sunday March
 7th.
 Kyle: Yeah, yeah, yeah. We'll see. 
 Marc: We'll take some calls now.
 Kyle: Peter was a hobo, you know. He rode the rails...
 Marc: 410-662-8780. Kyle Secor is with us, so is Megan Hamilton.
 Megan: SEEcor.
 Marc: Huh? What did I say? S'COR? Is it SEEcor?
 Kyle: You said "S'COR" and I got used to it...
 Marc: One of the things I'm criticized for more than anything else is
 what I do to people's names. 
 Kyle: Really?
 Marc: I apologize. 
 (laughter)
 Marc: Doug, in Hartford County, you're on the air.
 Doug: I think that every good benefit show could probably benefit from
 some constructive blackmail. And, unless my wife has erased it, I've got
 videotape of Belzer on Saturday Night Live, in 1976 or '77. And he's
 doing things like an imitation of Mick Jagger as an old Yiddish man.
 (laughter)
 Doug: And I wonder how much he might pay to make sure it does not get
 shown at this event. 
 (laughter)
 Kyle: You know, actually, I would love to see him doing Mick Jagger as
 an old Yiddish man. So, sorry.
 (laughter)
 Megan: You know, a lot of the ticket price is tax deductible, two
 thirds. 
 Marc: And how much are the tickets?
 Megan: Tickets are 30, 60, 80, and 110. And two-thirds of the ticket
 price is tax deductible.
 Kyle: Are we having a standing room only, thing?
 Megan: Oh, and we have fifteen dollar standing room tickets.
 Kyle: Fifteen dollars for standing room only tickets. 
 Marc: What's a 110 dollar ticket?
 Megan: It's front and center. The Richard Belzer territory.
 Marc: Whoa.
 (laughter)
 Kyle: It means, that very popular thing, you know how actors when they
 talk a lot they...they send projectiles? Well you could possibly get hit
 by one of those. So that's what you pay 110 dollars for. 
 Marc: Salivate with Homicide. 
 Kyle: Yeah! 
 (laughter)
 Marc: Well, 110 bucks is not bad. 
 Megan: We also have a reception after the show, which is another ticket,
 at a hundred. Which includes music and hors d'ouvres, and meeting your
 favourite Homicide stars.
 Marc: Is this over at Margaret's Cafe?
 Megan: No, it's actually after the 8 o'clock show, in the lobby at
 Center Stage. 
 Marc: In the lobby at Center Stage?
 Megan: They're going to play some music for us, and Margaret's bringing
 some wonderful hors d'ouvres. It should be very elegant.  
Marc: Judy in Baltimore, you're on the air.
 Judy: Hi. I have a question for Kyle. I understand there's a Zen episode
 coming up. I wonder if he could say a little about that, without giving
 it away?
 Kyle: Oh, yeah. So this is..hmm. It's an episode that they decided that
 they were going to take my character and they were going to put him in a
 very heightened situation and just see how his beliefs hold up in a very
 extreme situation. A life and death situation and just see where he
 lands. And what was great about this is that I was able to use a number
 of different resources. Places like the Shambala Center and the Zen
 Community of Baltimore, and a teacher up in New York City. And we were
 able to sort of come together and create what I think is a fairly good
 representation of an inner city (Zen-Do?) people who are going out, and
 helping out in the prison system, and working out in the streets. Sort
 of like what Bernie Glassman does. A wonderful teacher who does these
 street retreats. 
 Marc: And your character's going to be...
 Kyle: My character's going to be investigating a murder that takes
 place. And it leads him to questioning his beliefs and seeking more
 guidance from some teachers. 
 Marc: And in Baltimore, isn't the Open Society Foundation or something
 working with an idea like that here?
 Kyle: You know, I'm unsure...
 Marc: Opening a Zen Center, I heard, or something, in the street.
 Kyle: Oh, is that right?
 Megan: They might be. They've been working on a lot of good things. And
 I probably should mention at this point, that Lola, of the Children's
 Memorial Museum is a Fellow with Open Society. 
 Marc: She's had a hard time, well, it's been difficult kind of getting
 that museum into the light. 
 Kyle: Yeah. It befuddles all of us, but it's hopefully starting to get a
 little more organized and, you know, we can start raising awareness a
 bit more. 
 Marc: Mary in Edgebridge you're on the line.
 Mary: I have a question for Kyle. It's more of a comment really. It's
 about, why we've seen so little of Tim Bayliss on the show is the fact
 that Frank Pembleton is no longer there. 
 Kyle: Well, trying find a partner to be with after you've had such a
 strong personality as a fellow partner, as a fellow actor. I imagine
 that could be a little daunting. But, it's..
 Mary: I think you're fine on your own, but it's been frustrating.
 They're's no Bayliss!
 Kyle: Weellll....no...
 Marc: The dynamic between the two characters, the two actors was just
 very gripping every week. I think in some ways it's hard to replace
 that. You've got to kind of find out where that fits in the new season.
 If you were just being plopped down with somebody immediately, and try
 to recreate that intensity, it isn't so easy. 
 Kyle: Yeah, it's tough to do. And, think they've started to find that.
 Again, after the first half of the year and, there's some interesting
 episodes coming up. The episode about Buddhism and then there's going to
 be another one that starts dealing with sexuality again. 
 Marc: The bisexuality?
 Kyle: Yeah...
 Marc: Good! You know, the show itself is so amazing. You don't often see
 programs on television that's so chock full of serious actors. I mean,
 some of the new ones. Callie Thorne, who I think is just.. and Toni..
 Kyle: Toni Lewis.
 Marc: Toni Lewis, and...
 Kyle: Jon Seda, and Michael Michele, Giancarlo Esposito...'
 Marc: Who I thought was just brilliant on stage in New York. I used to
 go to all of the plays he was in in New York. Just an incredible stage
 actor. Gripping on the live stage. 
 Kyle: And, of course, the irony is, when we're on the set, they're also
 the funniest people in the world. But we rarely get to see the humour
 that these people really possess in daily life. 
 Marc: What do you think of the criticism that Homicide has gotten; some
 columnists, some reviewers saying that this season has kind of felt
 like, some people criticize it as being Homicide Lite?
 Kyle: Yes. 
 Marc: That it was too much love affairs on staff, it's gotten away from
 some of the gritty issues. Is there much talk about that?
 Kyle: Yeah. It's the truth, so, there's no getting around that. Yeah,
 that's the truth. And a number of people, even Tom Fontana has spoken
 about that in the press. And, so, it's something that they tried, to
 see, you know, what it's going to be like, to look at love affairs
 between these people and what their relationships would be like. And I
 think it's something that, you know, to give the writers credit, if
 you've been on for seven years, you've got to push into areas and see if
 that's a viable area to go into. And what happens, you can see the
 product after it goes on tv, or you can see the product as it's being
 shot. And you can go, wow. This doesn't work. But, it's something we
 tried. To see where the edges of the envelope are. 
 Marc: And it's also kind of risky on television because, people, and
 this is not a slur against people. I like people a lot...
 Kyle: (laughing a lot)
 Marc: People tend to want consistency. To see what they know. 
 Kyle: Right, right.
 Marc: And when you're pushing the envelope, it can frighten some folks,
 but it can also make the show better, when you take some risks. 
 Kyle: But, you've got a number of critics in the country who hold
 Homicide as being this great show. The grittiness, the realism, the
 documentary style. And then you go into something about flirtations and
 love and they don't want to hear about that!  Like you said, they want
 to get back to that grittiness. (laughs) Well, forget them! (laughs)
 We're gonna do what we wanna do, okay?
 (laughter)
 Marc: And you heard that here, from Kyle Secor. Andrea in Davis,
 California, you're on the air.
 Kyle: Hey, Andrea.
 Andrea: Hi. This is a question for Kyle. I'm curious about what it's
 like on the set, with such a large ensemble of actors. Is there any kind
 of fun and practical joking that goes on and are there any funny stories
 you can tell?
 Kyle: No. Cause none of us like each other. (laughs) When we get
 together. You see, we probably only see each other, all together maybe
 once every couple of weeks when we meet and do those large scenes. By
 the time we get together, you can barely, uh, the filmmakers, the
 Director and the Director of Photography, and the ADs generally have no
 control over the cast. We haven't seen each other in a long time, we're
 all together, and it's basically chaos. Because you've got some
 incredibly mischievous people, and funny people. And you've got a
 football flying around the room people tackling each other. Richard
 Belzer constantly cutting up. You've got...you know, it's chaos. And I
 don't know how anyone films. Because I just got done directing, and I
 saw all of that going on and I just threw up my hands and thought, well,
 I'll be doing that in another week, so...
 Marc: I often do the same thing with my guests. I give up. 
 (laughter)
 Kyle: But it's great because that's the energy. That's an energy that
 you have to also time, and capture, and catch on camera. 
 Megan: And I think that's part of the energy that's comes across in the
 show...
 Kyle: (laughs) In the show, of course...
 Megan: Homicide Live...
 Kyle: In the Homicide Live thing we try to keep it as chaotic as
 possible. 
 Marc: Andrea from Davis, California, how are you listening to us? On the
 net?
 Andrea: Yes, on the net. Someone told me about it...
 Marc: Good. Well, I'm glad you joined us. 
 Megan: There's some really wired fans out there. We have folks coming in
 from all over the country.
 Marc: We've been getting emails from all over the country, all over the
 world. 
 Kyle: Megan was saying, last year, more so than the year before, there
 are people coming from around the country showing up at this Homicide
 Live event. Which flipped all of us out. People, I think from Alaska...
 Megan: Toronto...
 Kyle: Toronto
 Megan: We've got someone coming from Toronto this year. 
 Marc: That's Clark's home.
 Kyle: Yeah. Clark is the King of Toronto. 
 Marc: The King of Toronto?
 Kyle: Yes. The King of Toronto. 
 Kyle: I think some people came from San Francisco last year.
 Megan: That's happening again, we have people coming in from San
 Francisco, a big party from Cambridge, Toronto, down in Florida as
 well...
 Marc: And he's so darn interesting...
 Kyle: Who?
 Marc: Clark Johnson. His family is in exile in Canada as well. We'll let
 him tell that when he comes on.
 Kyle: He's got a great family, the kids...
 Marc: Yeah, they're terrific. 
 Marc: Karen in Bel Air, you're on the air. 
 Karen: Kyle, I met you at The (Die?) at a benefit for Lola. 
 Kyle: Oh, great..
 Karen: And you kissed me on the cheek. And I tell everybody..
 Kyle: Oh, that was you!
 Karen: I have a question for Megan. The benefit, how did you get it
 started? And, since I'm just a poor college student, can I bring a chair
 to the standing room only?
 (laughter)
 Kyle: Maybe one of those golfing chairs...
 Megan: I don't know how the people at Center Stage would feel if I sent
 them a bunch of people with folding chairs and shooting sticks, but...
 Kyle: (whispers) Do it anyway!
 Marc: What's a shooting stick?
 Megan: It's one of those pointy things they sit on to watch golf
 matches...
 Kyle: Ouch!
 Megan: The event actually grew out of the friendship between Margaret
 Footner (sp?) who's the Executive Director, and also the proprietor of
 Margaret's Cafe...
 Kyle: She's sitting here very quietly..
 Megan: She's lurking back here. And her friendship with Kyle who eats
 often at her cafe, and they're buddies. And they came up with this idea.
 Initially we thought we'd just have a reading. And we knew these
 Homicide folks are just great neighbors and fun people and talented
 people. But we didn't understand the breadth of the fandom out there.
 So, we had this small reading that we talked about, and it was packed.
 And we moved it to Vagabond Theatre and did it for another three years.
 And this year we're moving it to Center Stage. Because they're such a
 talented bunch, there's a wealth of material to work with. A lot of
 these writers are doing their own writing. Kyle as written some
 hilarious monologues. Clark has some really poignant, funny stories, and
 of course, Richard Belzer's talents...
 Kyle: Poignant stories??
 Megan: They were...
 Kyle: About breast implants!!
 (huge laughter)
 Megan: No fair!! I'm being persecuted here! Kyle, stop it! (laughs)
 Megan: It has been a fun event. 
 Kyle: And the great thing about having it at Center Stage, and my gosh,
 I hope we sell it out, is that, last year, there were a lot of people
 from Baltimore that weren't able to come, because of any number of
 reasons. Mostly because I think they were just busy that day...
 (Megan laughs)
 Kyle: But this year, everyone in Baltimore who ever wanted to see this
 thing live, can come this year. I don't know if everyone's going to be
 able to bring pointy sticks along, but...if you get a chance, come and
 see it. Because, also, I think we're going to find out this week if
 we're going to go on.
 Megan: Sunday March 7th. We have two shows, as well as the reception. 
 Marc: We're here with Kyle SEEcor..
 Kyle: Very nice.
 Marc: From Homicide where he plays Tim Bayliss, Megan Hamilton from
 Fell's Point Creative Alliance. For the fifth year in a row, Homicide
 Live has it's benefit for Fell's Point Creative Alliance, also for Bea 
 Gaddy, and the Children's Museum and Lola Willis. It's an incredible
 evening. And also, this year, the talented crew consists of Kyle Secor,
 Clark Johnson, Jon Seda, Peter Gerety, Richard Belzer, Callie Thorne,
 and Toni Lewis. It is always a phenomenal evening. Besides seeing the
 great talents involved in this tv program doing other things, you also
 get to benefit some really important groups in this town. 
 Kyle. Right, yeah. 
 Marc: The work that Lola's doing with kids in the Lutheran Church that 
 she's part of, on the east side. Creating the Children's Museum as a 
 memorial to all the kids who've been murdered in the streets of Baltimore. 
 It's a very powerful place to be. And Bea Gaddy and the stuff she's 
 done for the homeless in this city. It's real important stuff. Han 
 in Baltimore, you're on the air.
 Kyle: Han?
 Han: Hi. How you doing? My girlfriend lives with Jeff Gordon.
 Kyle: I've heard all about you, Han.
 (laughter)
 Han: Jeff is always saying, "We gotta get Kyle to come over to
 dinner..."
 Kyle: (laughs)
 Han: So, I figured I'd just go over his head. 
 Kyle: Well, we've got to get together, because I think we've got some
 very interesting things to talk about. And, actually, Marc and you would
 have some interesting things to speak about. Han, could you tell us what
 you do? If you don't mind...
 Han: What I do. Well, I'm a political activist. I do a lot of different
 kinds of work, but, basically, living here in Baltimore, I don't work on
 many Baltimore issues. I'd like to get more involved. I've been working
 on more national and international issues. 
 Marc: Like what?
 Han: Human rights, environmental justice, social justice issues. But
 what I do, basically, is, I work doing technical support and strategic
 consultation for groups that want to do direct action, non-violent civil
 disobedience, and that sort of thing. Groups will approach me and I'll
 help them, for instance, do a big banner hang to raise awareness about
 their issue. Or, they say they want to do some kind of occupation of an
 office to raise awareness and sort of up the ante during a campaign.
 I'll consult with them about the legal issues that surround that kind of
 thing. 
 Kyle: That's terrific.
 Marc: Can you tell us some of the groups you've worked with?
 Han: I've worked with Students for a Free Tibet, I've worked with
 GreenPeace, I work on their action team. I work with a group called The
 Ruckus Society also.
 Marc: Raucus?
 Han: Ruckus. 
 Megan: That's a good word. 
 Kyle: It is a good word.
 Han: The Ruckus Society is sort of the conduit through which I do this
 sort of work. They run training camps for human rights activists, for
 example. To bring a bunch of people together and show them skills and
 talk about strategy...
 Marc: Sounds like something we should all talk about someday.
 Han: Yeah. Actually there's going to be a human rights camp outside of
 DC in June. It will bring together human rights activists from all over
 the world. 
 Marc: Really? Well, I'd like to talk to you about that. I'm glad you
 joined us. 
 Han: Well (laughs) enough about me. 
 (laughter)
 Marc: It's the Han Show.
 (laughter)
 Han: Well, actually, I was so glad to hear you mention Bernie Glassman.
 I've always been fascinated by what he calls "plunges" the street
 retreats. And I was just wondering, because, Jeff hasn't gotten you over
 yet. What form of Buddhism do you practice?
 Kyle: I practice Zen, and there's a woman up in New York and I sit with
 her, her name is Pat O'Hara. And, it's been so rarely this year, but I
 sit with the Zen Community of Baltimore. 
        Ed's note: At this point, the transmission blacked out for a couple 
        of seconds.