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Heidi Makes her Mark in a New Webisode for Performing Arts Studio West

Heidi portrays the "Hydrant Hound" in "Sir Glen and the Hot Dog."

It’s too late to be considered for this year’s , so we’ll never know whether could have nosed out Natalie Portman for Best Actress (I do know that I have not been able to call the dog “sweet girl” since seeing n).  But, awards or no, Heidi’s latest motion picture, Sir Glen and the Hot Dog, has just been released, and is coming immediately to a Patch near you!

As mentioned in her bio, is not just a columnist, but also a star of stage and screen.  Her first video project was a role as The Mean Dog the opening credits for the web series Sir Glen of Glenwood, produced by Performing Arts Studio West.  If you don’t know PASW, you should—the Inglewood-based organization provides training and career management for actors with developmental disabilities, and PSAWTV comes up with some of the hippest videos around. 

Sir Glen of Glenwood (Glen Poehlman) is a middle-aged man who believes he’s a knight from the Middle Ages, and gets himself into endless trouble trying to perform heroic deeds in the  fictional ‘hood of Glenwood.  His admirable motto: “Doing good is good!”  Heidi chases the hapless knight through the opening credits.

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Heidi started her association with PASW when she was invited to take part in one of their improv classes, so was excited when she was asked to return to play a major role in the third “Sir Glen” (SG3 to insiders). 

Or maybe she just remembered that last time she went to the studio she got her own bun-less In-N-Out burger on Cahuenga Blvd. in Studio City on her way home.  Either way, she was up for the challenge. 

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 All we knew then was that Heidi would play a “fire hydrant” scene that would call for her to lift her leg.  Even though she’s a girl, she’ll sometimes hop up against a tree and lift one leg in an alpha-dog attempt to mark the tree higher than the last dog – but could she do it on cue? 

With instruction from her Heidi’s former Hollywood trainer, Sue DiSesso Gordon, I spent some time trying to train her to do this move by tapping her back foot with a twig to the command “Boy Dog, Boy Dog!” 

Our girl was interested in the stick, but ignored the gender-bending instruction.  By the time the shoot rolled around, she still couldn’t do it. Not to worry.  I was told I could hold her leg up and  “special effects” would be employed in the form of a strategically placed Super Soaker water gun.

Did housedog Heidi pull off the street-pooch role, credited as “Hydrant Hound”? John Paizis, video creator (and executive producer with Randy Klinenberg), says yes.

“Just look at the results! Heidi's response to direction [by Chardell Brown] and her ability to demonstrate specific behaviors required by the script were spot on. She was a real pro and a joy to work with,” says John. “Everyone at PASW loves her. We hope to be able to use her talents in future projects.”

 And I’m no critic, but you’ve got to love a video that ends with a wacky frankfurter-themed musical number including the lyric: “Nuns, grab your buns.”

But Heidi and I were disappointed to learn that Sir Glen of Glenwood is a trilogy, so SG3 is the last episode, meaning that Heidi’s professional relationship with Sir Glen is over. 

But hey, how about a futuristic new series… say, SG-3D? We’re only asking.

(Click on the video under the photo for all three parts of the Sir Glen of Glenwood story!)

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