Comedian Gets "Lifetime Achievement Award"

80-Year Old Comedian Jack Rothman
at the Ice House Comedy Club in
Pasadena, CA.

Distinguished Retired UCLA Professor
Comedian Jack Rothman Receives
“Lifetime Achievement Award”
From NASW

Los Angeles, CA — The National Association of Social Workers (NASW), California Chapter, handed 80-year old distinguished retired professor Jack Rothman its highest honor: “Lifetime Achievement Award.” The award was given to Rothman this week (May 7, 2007) at the San Francisco NASW awards luncheon.

Most people in their 80’s usually take it easy and don’t start second careers.

But if you’re Jack Rothman, you’ve just celebrated your 80th birthday on your feet, winning a stand-up comedy contest at the famous Ice House club in Pasadena. He took first place, last January in the Uncle Clyde competition, downing nine other contenders, all of them young enough to be his grandchildren. This victory gains him a place in the year-end Grand Finals this November at the Ice House main room. Winning an award in comedy and social service doesn’t faze this senior on the move. Quips Rothman, “I guess I carry water on both knees.”

Rothman has conducted social research in several areas of human services such as, mental health, race relations, runaway and homeless youth. Although he retired from UCLA 10 years ago, he continues to contribute to the profession through consultation, guest lecturing and publications. But for his real passion he helps community organizations and volunteers rediscover the joy in civic engagement with his humor.

"Somebody has to replace George Burns, who went on doing great stand-up until he was 100 years old. Me, I'm only 80, so I'm looking out at a long career."

Rothman, who has written 25 books and was a pioneer in his field of community development, was nominated for the Lifetime Achievement Award by Sherrill Clark, a licensed clinical social worker, Academy of Certified Social Workers, PhD, Region “A” director, National Association of Social Workers; research specialist, California Social Work Education Center.

“Jack’s broad professional social work experience and demonstrated leadership in bringing university researchers and agencies together to evaluate and improve practices in humane and socially just ways,” said Clark. “Research and evaluation can be daunting for social agencies. There is a trend to see ‘the numbers’ as ends and to lose sight of the people involved.”

In her nomination Clark also said, “Jack’s conception of intervention research, involving good social work skills, involvement of the users and consumers, and core ethics merits a lifetime recognition award. He has a unique ability to see across methods and disciplines and to bring the synthesis to light for his students and for practitioners and because of that we can celebrate him as worthy of a lifetime achievement.”

Rothman’s dramatic shift from an academic icon to a comedy star has raised eyebrows. He takes it philosophically. He says that both professors and comics have a lot in common. They are both standing up there in front facing a skeptical crowd. But there is also a difference. The comic worries that his crowd won’t start laughing. The professor worries that his crowd won’t stop laughing.

Recently profiled in Los Angeles Times and Time Magazine two years before that, Rothman wants to help citizens and volunteers across America add new life to their jobs and organizations. He believes laughter is the right medicine.

“I want to bring comedy to grassroots organizations--civic and service groups,” said Rothman. “My aim is to enliven their meetings and activities and to help them with their needs, like membership retention, adding spirit to board meeting, brightening volunteer recognition nights, and the like.” He should know, because Rothman’s teaching and writing career dealt with improving community life--community organizing.

To keep up with Rothman’s activities, schedules and appearances visit Rothmans’s blog at http://JackRothman.blogspot.com.

UPCOMING SCHEDULE FOR JACK ROTHMAN:

The Baby-Boomers Plus group is performing on May 17th at Pomona College--the Rembrandt Society, and on May 20th--the 70th Anniversary lunch of the Workmans Circle in L.A.
Rothman is also booked for September 17th at Leisure Village and in June
at a retirees club (TBA).

Comedian Jack Rothman To Appear At Ice House Comedy Club

A New Wrinkle For An 80-Year Old
Distinguish Retired UCLA Professor

Uncle Clyde Comedy Series Winner Comedian
Jack Rothman Makes Special Appearance

What: Comedian Jack Rothman will make a special appearance at the Ice House
in Pasadena, returning to the venue where he placed in the
Uncle Clyde Comedy Contest

Who: 80-Year Old Jack Rothman, Distinguish Retired UCLA Professor

When: WEDNESDAY, April 11, 2007 8:45 – 9:15 PM

(please call for interviews before or after)

Where: Ice House

The Ice House Comedy Club

24 N. Mentor Ave.

Pasadena, CA 91106

Background:

Jack Rothman, author and researcher, has been a professor at the distinguished level at UCLA and currently holds emeritus status. He also has taught at the University of Michigan and the University of Pittsburgh. He has a Ph.D. from Columbia University, Teachers College, where he organized his studies around sociological analysis. He also holds a master’s degree in social work from Ohio State University.

Professor Rothman has had some twenty-five books on social and community issues published by leading companies (Wiley, Allyn and Bacon, Longman, Columbia University Press, Prentice-Hall and others). He has also published in the Nation, Los Angeles Times Op-Ed page, Social Policy, and The Humanist. After moving to Los Angeles, he turned his attention to the film industry, the dominant social institution in the region. He recently published, Hollywood in Wide Angle: How Directors View Filmmaking (Scarecrow Press). His New Wrinkle in life for the last five years has been standup-comedy and help organizations and nonprofit groups rediscover the joy in volunteer work. Jack Rothman, also works with a trio called the Baby Boomers Plus, which has become a hit amongst community groups.

For diversions, he can be seen surfing the Santa Monica beach bike path or doing off-hours stand-up comedy performances at clubs around Los Angeles such as the Comedy Store, the Improv in Hollywood, and the Ice House in Pasadena.

Opened in 1960, The Ice House has brought the finest in live entertainment to the San Gabriel Valley for over 42 years.

During that time, over three million people have "discovered" the stars of today and tomorrow in our intimate showroom. In the 1960s, Folk music was in its prime, and The Ice House was America's top folk club with acts coming from all over the country to play and sing.

[Editors: Please call for to do advanced interviews with Comedian Jack Rothman @ 818-340-5300 or 818-618-9229. For more about Ice House Comedy Club visit:http://www.icehousecomedy.com/

Comedian Jack Rothman Retains MAYO Communications

Distinguished Retired UCLA Professor-Turned-
Comedian To Compete In 2007 Comedy Contests

***

Oldest-Up-And-Coming Comedian Jack Rothman Brings Comedy
to Grassroots Organizations-Civic and Service Groups

Los Angeles, CA — Many people in their 80’s usually spend their birthday sitting down to a glass of hot milk. But if you’re Jack Rothman, you’ve just celebrated your 80th birthday on your feet, winning a stand-up comedy contest at the famous Ice House club in Pasadena. He took first place in the Uncle Clyde competition, downing nine other contenders, all of them young enough to be his grandchildren. This victory gains him a place in the year-end Grand Finals in November in Seattle.

Realizing that he is older than most comics, Rothman muses, "Somebody has to replace George Burns, who went on doing great stand-up until he was 100 years old. Me, I'm only 80, so I'm looking out at a long career." Rothman has hired MAYO Communications, an LA-based national publicity firm to get the word out that life begins at 80 and when you retire, anyone can help improve community life.

For Rothman, life has not been totally a laughing matter. He is a professor emeritus at UCLA, a researcher, and an author of 25 books. Rothman is the leading scholar, internationally, in his field of community change strategy. But for him, comedy has been a real change and it has been a gift. In fact, on his 75th birthday, he received a certificate for a comedy class from his children.

“I guess they figured if I’m going to be telling jokes, I might as well learn how to do it better,” he explained. Rothman has learned well, making appearances at the Hollywood Improv, the Comedy Store on the Sunset Strip, Pasadena’s Ice House, and at pubs and coffee houses all over Southern California.

Rothman’s dramatic shift from an academic icon to a comedy star has raised eyebrows. He takes it philosophically. He says that both professors and comics have a lot in common. They are both standing up there in front facing a skeptical crowd. But there is also a difference. The comic worries that his crowd won’t start laughing. The professor worries that his crowd won’t stop laughing.

Recently profiled in Los Angeles Times and Time Magazine two years before that, Rothman wants to help volunteers across America rediscover the joy in their jobs and organizations. He believes laughter is the right medicine.

“I want to bring comedy to grassroots organizations--civic and service groups,” said Rothman. “My aim is to enliven their meetings and activities and to help them with their needs, like membership retention, adding spirit to board meeting, volunteer recognition nights, and the like.” He should know, because Rothman’s teaching and writing dealt with improving community life--community organizing.

But wait, there’s more. Jack Rothman just finished directing his first film—with ten other student directors--in a UCLA Extension course, the Craft of Directing. The film, “Leaning Curves,” is a 25-minute short portraying college life. Instructor Richard Friedman says that it is the best of the student films he supervised.

Rothman has signed up to join the crew of an upcoming feature Friedman is directing, with a shift of subject matter to the serial murder genre. Rothman is pondering over whether he will be able to write in some comedy dialogue. Since he retired as a UCLA Professor, Rothman has indulged his life-long interest in film, authoring a well-reviewed book, Hollywood in Wide Angle: How Directors View Filmmaking.

When casting calls, it is definitely not curtains, but lights, action and camera for Jack Rothman.

To keep up with Rothman’s activities, schedules and appearances visit MAYO Communications visit www.MayoCommunications.com or www.MayoPR.com.

Editors note: For a copy of the book, images and radio/TV media interviews please contact George McQuade or Aida Mayo at MAYO Communications, Los Angeles, 818-340-5300 or 818-618-9229.]