An interview with actor/director Melanie Mayron about her current role in Sandra Tsing Loh's off-Broadway play, "Madwomen of the West", and some of her other memorable parts.
I was in college during the thirtysomething years and missed it--but I will check out the streaming. I did want to let you know that you and I are both in the saw-Jane-the-Virgin-twice-through club! I love that show.
I was in high school and college during its run. I remember thinking how it depicted marriage as being really hard, my first inkling that there really are no fairy tale endings. I got married anyway. It didn’t last, but that ending wasn’t the tragedy I thought it was at the time. And relationships really haven’t changed much since then from what I hear and read.
Oh, shit. I see it says it's not available for view in my location. I wonder if it's only available overseas somewhere. Drats! I'll add a correction to the piece.
I found the first episode on You Tube and after that there seems to be just portions of other episodes. Although the one where Gary dies seems to be popular. That was a sad one. Maybe someday we’ll get to binge the entire series.
yes yes yes! I was a little young (in my 20s) and gobbled up thirtysomething and absolutely felt I was Melissa but in the go go 80s always thought I should be aspire to be Hope. Was traumatized by Elliott and Nancy (my own parents had a horrible divorce) and of course Gary's death. Got married (even though I had an angular haircut), had the family, became a widow in my 50s and now at 60 Melissa is finally my lodestar. Thank you so much for sharing the wonderful Melanie Mayron with us.
oh how I longed to have a life that looked like Hope’s. but, like you in my heart of hearts I liked Melissa’s better. Now, well on the other side of my 30’s (I was barely in my 20’s when the show was on) I’m living in a house I’m renovating after a not quite artistic but certainly nomadic life.
Oh yes! I was thirty-something during "Thirtysomething," newly married, worked as an advertising copywriter like Michael Steadman, was experiencing crazy ad agency bosses like Miles Drentell on the series, had a baby in 1991, and was thus obsessed with the show. Also, at the time I kind of looked like Melanie Mayron. I once saw her in Japanese restaurant on lower Columbus Avenue and had the nerve to approach and say: " People think I kind of look like you." She mildly agreed she could see the resemblance.
Hold up! Thirtysomething is now on Prime?! Every year or so I have done a so far unsuccessful search for it on my various streaming platforms.
I was a teenager when I watched thirtysomething religiously, and everyone (my parents, friends) thought my obsession with the show, and characters like Melissa and hope, was pretty weird. But I grew up in a rural, pretty poor mountain town and knew I'd be a first-generation college student, and I thought of thirtysomething (and Melissa) as a sort of guide/preview to the type of upper middle class adulthood that I aspired to, full of college-educated, hip, talk-y, and introspective friends.
Hopefully next they'll do Once and Again. Did you watch that? Another Zwick-Hersovitz written/directed show with a similar vibe about two divorced parents' romance.
I always loved and identified with Melanie’s character, Mellisa in 30-something, even though when the show was on I had abandoned my career to be a stay-at-home mom. I have always remembered her line from the show..”When someone you slept with dies, Death knows where to find you”.😌
Well I can't see the show --it seems to be sold out--but according to Amazon, I can purchase a DVD set of all 4 seasons for $258. I'm thinking about it. It's pretty much what one good seat to a Broadway show costs now. I do still have a DVD player. Hmm....
Ech...I wanted to see the play and looked it up and there seemed to be plenty of seats for the last few performances...so I was checking my calendar and thinking about when to go and whom to ask to accompany me...and now, a day or maybe two later, I think it's sold out. Maybe they'll extend...
Wait--I thought that Thirtysomething was now streaming on Amazon Prime...but it's not? Was it streaming and then they took it away? I evidently bought Season 1, so I have that to stream. But I thought I saw all 4 seasons listed there...but now they are not?
Oh so disappointing! Well at least I do have Season 1. I wanted my daughter to see it--she was my "Janey"...well, TBH, she was born just as the show was ending, but still...I wonder what she--now thirtysomething herself--would think of it. Are there DVDs floating around somewhere that could be purchased I wonder?
I have it online via Amazon Prime! I googled and supposedly "WeCare Media" can sell you all 4 seasons on DVD for...$259! Think it's a scam? Another site says you can get the same for just $55, but that one is identified as a scam for sure....I swear when I went to Amazon last night I saw all 4 seasons listed! I told my daughter (in LA) to watch it, and she got the "not available in your area" message. And I guess I was watching the Season 1 episodes I bought at some point, a few years ago.
Ah 30 something...I can hear and see the intro now...
Watching as a teen I found the show addictive and although I originally wanted to be Hope I am more like Ellyn these days.
I loved how, for me, it was a groundbreaking show with reality: how fucking difficult it is to raise a family, raise yourself and have strong relationships.
I'm curious what insights I'll get now that I'm 47. Sounds like a perfect excuse to rewatch. And thank you for the lovely interview 🫶
Wish I had known about this play sooner to be able to organize a visit to Manhattan. I was 30-something during the years of the TV show and planned my life to watch every week--would love to watch again on streaming if it was available. I was definitely aligned with Melissa.
A little over 10 years ago, I was working at a Post House. We put Thirtysomething "on DVD" so I watched every episode, I was hooked! Such a great show! (I was a kid when it was airing on TV). Thanks so much for this!
I *loved* Melissa and thirtysomething. I wanted an asymmetrical haircut from the moment she first appeared on the show!
Right? I never had the guts for that kind of haircut, but I did cut off all my hair into a pixie before leaving my first marriage.
To this day I wear earrings that don’t match! Her character shaped my style to this day.
Love that.
I was in college during the thirtysomething years and missed it--but I will check out the streaming. I did want to let you know that you and I are both in the saw-Jane-the-Virgin-twice-through club! I love that show.
Glad to know there's another of us. Oh, I really loved that show. So inventive and good.
I was in high school and college during its run. I remember thinking how it depicted marriage as being really hard, my first inkling that there really are no fairy tale endings. I got married anyway. It didn’t last, but that ending wasn’t the tragedy I thought it was at the time. And relationships really haven’t changed much since then from what I hear and read.
Yes, I think it held up a mirror, rather than prescribing ways to make change.
Good luck finding thirtysomething streaming anywhere. If you find it, please let me know!
I found it! It was recently added to Amazon Prime. https://www.amazon.com/thirtysomething-Season-1/dp/B002NW3CTY
You have made my day!! I gave it on DVD but don’t have a DVD player anymore! Thank you so very much!! ❤️
Oh, shit. I see it says it's not available for view in my location. I wonder if it's only available overseas somewhere. Drats! I'll add a correction to the piece.
I found the first episode on You Tube and after that there seems to be just portions of other episodes. Although the one where Gary dies seems to be popular. That was a sad one. Maybe someday we’ll get to binge the entire series.
me too! 🙋♀️
yes yes yes! I was a little young (in my 20s) and gobbled up thirtysomething and absolutely felt I was Melissa but in the go go 80s always thought I should be aspire to be Hope. Was traumatized by Elliott and Nancy (my own parents had a horrible divorce) and of course Gary's death. Got married (even though I had an angular haircut), had the family, became a widow in my 50s and now at 60 Melissa is finally my lodestar. Thank you so much for sharing the wonderful Melanie Mayron with us.
<3
oh how I longed to have a life that looked like Hope’s. but, like you in my heart of hearts I liked Melissa’s better. Now, well on the other side of my 30’s (I was barely in my 20’s when the show was on) I’m living in a house I’m renovating after a not quite artistic but certainly nomadic life.
<3
Oh yes! I was thirty-something during "Thirtysomething," newly married, worked as an advertising copywriter like Michael Steadman, was experiencing crazy ad agency bosses like Miles Drentell on the series, had a baby in 1991, and was thus obsessed with the show. Also, at the time I kind of looked like Melanie Mayron. I once saw her in Japanese restaurant on lower Columbus Avenue and had the nerve to approach and say: " People think I kind of look like you." She mildly agreed she could see the resemblance.
I love that!
There’s a lot going on in that Thirtysomething cast photo...omg Peter Horton.
I dated a guy whom I described to my friends as "a brunette Gary from thirtysomething." Lol.
Sounds devastating! I love it!
He was cute but nuts.
I have loved Melanie Mayron since I “discovered” her in Carwash, playing the role of a younger me. She touched my heart and tender heart.
I loved her in that, too.
Hold up! Thirtysomething is now on Prime?! Every year or so I have done a so far unsuccessful search for it on my various streaming platforms.
I was a teenager when I watched thirtysomething religiously, and everyone (my parents, friends) thought my obsession with the show, and characters like Melissa and hope, was pretty weird. But I grew up in a rural, pretty poor mountain town and knew I'd be a first-generation college student, and I thought of thirtysomething (and Melissa) as a sort of guide/preview to the type of upper middle class adulthood that I aspired to, full of college-educated, hip, talk-y, and introspective friends.
Same, re: streaming thirtysomething. Every year I looked. This year I found. Starting tonight...
Hopefully next they'll do Once and Again. Did you watch that? Another Zwick-Hersovitz written/directed show with a similar vibe about two divorced parents' romance.
Loved Once and Again!
Yes, I liked that one, too. I like everything they've done.
dang, can’t get to NYC right now - so sorry to miss this!
I always loved and identified with Melanie’s character, Mellisa in 30-something, even though when the show was on I had abandoned my career to be a stay-at-home mom. I have always remembered her line from the show..”When someone you slept with dies, Death knows where to find you”.😌
Oh, that's a great line.
Well I can't see the show --it seems to be sold out--but according to Amazon, I can purchase a DVD set of all 4 seasons for $258. I'm thinking about it. It's pretty much what one good seat to a Broadway show costs now. I do still have a DVD player. Hmm....
I'm tempted to get a DVD player and the disks!
Ech...I wanted to see the play and looked it up and there seemed to be plenty of seats for the last few performances...so I was checking my calendar and thinking about when to go and whom to ask to accompany me...and now, a day or maybe two later, I think it's sold out. Maybe they'll extend...
I hope so!
Wait--I thought that Thirtysomething was now streaming on Amazon Prime...but it's not? Was it streaming and then they took it away? I evidently bought Season 1, so I have that to stream. But I thought I saw all 4 seasons listed there...but now they are not?
It won't let me even buy season 1. It's such a terrible tease! https://www.amazon.com/thirtysomething-Season-1/dp/B002NW3CTY
Oh so disappointing! Well at least I do have Season 1. I wanted my daughter to see it--she was my "Janey"...well, TBH, she was born just as the show was ending, but still...I wonder what she--now thirtysomething herself--would think of it. Are there DVDs floating around somewhere that could be purchased I wonder?
You have season 1 on DVD, or online?
I have it online via Amazon Prime! I googled and supposedly "WeCare Media" can sell you all 4 seasons on DVD for...$259! Think it's a scam? Another site says you can get the same for just $55, but that one is identified as a scam for sure....I swear when I went to Amazon last night I saw all 4 seasons listed! I told my daughter (in LA) to watch it, and she got the "not available in your area" message. And I guess I was watching the Season 1 episodes I bought at some point, a few years ago.
Ah 30 something...I can hear and see the intro now...
Watching as a teen I found the show addictive and although I originally wanted to be Hope I am more like Ellyn these days.
I loved how, for me, it was a groundbreaking show with reality: how fucking difficult it is to raise a family, raise yourself and have strong relationships.
I'm curious what insights I'll get now that I'm 47. Sounds like a perfect excuse to rewatch. And thank you for the lovely interview 🫶
Glad you enjoyed that! Turns out I was wrong about it streaming...seems like it will still be a while for that.
Eventually we will be reunited with the gang!
Wish I had known about this play sooner to be able to organize a visit to Manhattan. I was 30-something during the years of the TV show and planned my life to watch every week--would love to watch again on streaming if it was available. I was definitely aligned with Melissa.
A little over 10 years ago, I was working at a Post House. We put Thirtysomething "on DVD" so I watched every episode, I was hooked! Such a great show! (I was a kid when it was airing on TV). Thanks so much for this!
Oh, wow. Yes, such a good show...gonna start rewatching on Amazon Prime tonight.