Every actor has a survival job when they start out, right? Well, for the past 5 or so years, my survival job has been at the American Red Cross, teaching a variety of CPR/AED and First Aid classes. I absolutely love teaching, and I really believe in this organization – preparedness IS the key to surviving the unexpected and helping others in need of medical attention. To that end, we fully embrace all opportunities to encourage others to get trained.
This morning I had the opportunity and honor of representing the American Red Cross on The Martha Stewart Show as part of their “20 More Things You Should Know” series. Martha believes everyone should know “How to Perform CPR” – and I agree!
Martha Stewart and Lipica Shah are seen in this photo from the production of "The Martha Stewart Show" in New York on Wednesday, February 29, 2012. Photo: Rob Tannenbaum/The Martha Stewart Show
It wan’t my first time on a multi-camera set (and, thanks to my training from Stonestreet Studios, I knew exactly how to function and not look like a newbie!), but it was definitely my first time on a live set – no retakes, no second chances. Gotta admit, the adrenaline rush was thrilling! There was a structure to the segment, but no script, so there were quite a lot of elements to juggle: my Red Cross talking points, a demonstration on the mannequin, answering any of Martha’s questions, and working in any additional terms, phrases, or key points whenever the segment Stage Manager asked – he had a white board, on which he’d write the terms I needed to incorporate and then hold it up underneath the camera.
It was definitely an exercise in time management and flow, and I had a fabulous time. I thoroughly enjoyed meeting and working with everyone on set, and especially the actual taping with Martha – she’s such a character! Check out the segment below, and then visit www.RedCross.org and sign up for a CPR class near you!
CLICK HERE TO SEE LIPICA ON “THE MARTHA STEWART SHOW”
(An edited – and slightly less funny, if I do say so myself – version is available on The Martha Stewart Show website)
“I was very comfortable with Lipica and was very pleased with the segment!” ~Martha Stewart
“Lipica was wonderful! She had a great sense of timing and fit everything in. We can’t say enough good things about her. The segment exceeded our expectations.” ~JoAnn Kaufmann, segment producer