In their element
W
alk into Ted Neustadt’s office on the eighth floor of Fordham Law School, brimming with vintage Broadway posters, Playbills, and the stray headshot or two, and there’s a good chance you’d assume you were visiting the work space of a veteran actor, not to mention a serious theater buff. And you’d be right: In addition to stints at a law firm and teaching at Fordham Law for more than 30 years, the associate director of the Law School’s legal writing program has also had a thriving career as an actor in theater, movies, and TV commercials. The students in his legal writing classes get the benefit of that experience: “I know how to put on a good show,” says Neustadt, wryly. Here, he recounts the memories behind his memorabilia. —Paula Derrow
Go Orioles! “I’m a big baseball fan,” says Neustadt, who grew up in Baltimore idolizing his home team’s third baseman, Brooks Robinson, known as the greatest defensive third baseman in major league history. Neustadt also played third base on his Little League team—that’s his Little League ball from 1967, on the left, when he was awarded Rookie of the Year; the ball is signed by Robinson and other Orioles stars at the time; the ball on the right is also signed by Robinson. Later, Neustadt played third base for his dorm’s softball team at NYU, then, later still, in a Broadway show league until lack of time and an injured shoulder put him out of commission. “But I still have dinner with old teammates once or twice a year.”
Collector’s editions. “I fell in love with theater as a teenager,” says Neustadt, who estimates that at the height of his obsession, he was seeing 70 to 80 plays a year. “At one point, I had a Playbill for every show I’d seen until I couldn’t lug them around anymore. I’ve saved about 50—those with sentimental value.” His most prized Playbill? “A Chorus Line—though it isn’t even a real Playbill; just five mimeographed sheets from the first preview at the Public Theater. I saw the show 11 times over its 15-year run, including the very last performance.”
Gin or vodka?Ask Neustadt which he prefers in his martinis and he doesn’t hesitate: “Definitely gin.” In recognition of his drink of choice, Neustadt’s students presented him with this shaker a few years ago. “I have a tradition of taking my classes out at the end of the year,” he says. “And I always have a martini.”
A word from our sponsor. “These are videotapes of commercials I’ve done,” says Neustadt, who “bailed” on his law firm in his 30s to pursue acting, at the urging of a friend who was a casting director. “Ironically, the day after I quit, I heard about the writing job at Fordham, and I thought, Yeah, I’ve always thought about doing that, and I’m certainly going to have a lot of free time.” But acting kept him almost fully occupied, as did teaching. “For 25 years, I did both. I got very lucky.”
Timing is everything. In 1994, Neustadt appeared in the off-Broadway production of All in the Timing while at Fordham. “I wasn’t on during the first act, so I’d sit backstage and grade papers,” he recalls. “The joke was, ‘Don’t bother Ted—he’s grading.’” The schedule was hectic, to put it mildly. “On Wednesdays, I had a 2 p.m. matinee and a 4 p.m. class, so after the matinee, I’d jump into a cab and come up to teach, then go back and do the evening show.”
Music man. “I walk in here at 8 a.m., turn on the music, and don’t turn it off until I leave at night,” says Neustadt, who listens while grading the student papers that cover most surfaces in his office. He shuns Spotify for his own collection, often scrolling through alphabetically. “Today I did albums that begin with B, starting with Bob Dylan, then on to Bruce Hornsby, then the soundtrack to Blue Skies, an old movie from the ’40s with Bing Crosby.” Like many of his students, Neustadt takes his music wherever he goes. “People here often tease me that if I’m talking to someone, I might take one earphone out so I can give them my full attention.”
Master of style. “Every law student and every lawyer has a blue book,” says Neustadt. “It’s the style guide for how to cite authority in legal documents. We use it all the time. I’m sure people will cringe when they see it in this picture.”Photo by Chris Taggart
In their element
W
alk into Ted Neustadt’s office on the eighth floor of Fordham Law School, brimming with vintage Broadway posters, Playbills, and the stray headshot or two, and there’s a good chance you’d assume you were visiting the work space of a veteran actor, not to mention a serious theater buff. And you’d be right: In addition to stints at a law firm and teaching at Fordham Law for more than 30 years, the associate director of the Law School’s legal writing program has also had a thriving career as an actor in theater, movies, and TV commercials. The students in his legal writing classes get the benefit of that experience: “I know how to put on a good show,” says Neustadt, wryly. Here, he recounts the memories behind his memorabilia. —Paula Derrow
Go Orioles! “I’m a big baseball fan,” says Neustadt, who grew up in Baltimore idolizing his home team’s third baseman, Brooks Robinson, known as the greatest defensive third baseman in major league history. Neustadt also played third base on his Little League team—that’s his Little League ball from 1967, on the left, when he was awarded Rookie of the Year; the ball is signed by Robinson and other Orioles stars at the time; the ball on the right is also signed by Robinson. Later, Neustadt played third base for his dorm’s softball team at NYU, then, later still, in a Broadway show league until lack of time and an injured shoulder put him out of commission. “But I still have dinner with old teammates once or twice a year.”
Collector’s editions. “I fell in love with theater as a teenager,” says Neustadt, who estimates that at the height of his obsession, he was seeing 70 to 80 plays a year. “At one point, I had a Playbill for every show I’d seen until I couldn’t lug them around anymore. I’ve saved about 50—those with sentimental value.” His most prized Playbill? “A Chorus Line—though it isn’t even a real Playbill; just five mimeographed sheets from the first preview at the Public Theater. I saw the show 11 times over its 15-year run, including the very last performance.”
Gin or vodka?
Ask Neustadt which he prefers in his martinis and he doesn’t hesitate: “Definitely gin.” In recognition of his drink of choice, Neustadt’s students presented him with this shaker a few years ago. “I have a tradition of taking my classes out at the end of the year,” he says. “And I always have a martini.”
A word from our sponsor. “These are videotapes of commercials I’ve done,” says Neustadt, who “bailed” on his law firm in his 30s to pursue acting, at the urging of a friend who was a casting director. “Ironically, the day after I quit, I heard about the writing job at Fordham, and I thought, Yeah, I’ve always thought about doing that, and I’m certainly going to have a lot of free time.” But acting kept him almost fully occupied, as did teaching. “For 25 years, I did both. I got very lucky.”
Timing is everything. In 1994, Neustadt appeared in the off-Broadway production of All in the Timing while at Fordham. “I wasn’t on during the first act, so I’d sit backstage and grade papers,” he recalls. “The joke was, ‘Don’t bother Ted—he’s grading.’” The schedule was hectic, to put it mildly. “On Wednesdays, I had a 2 p.m. matinee and a 4 p.m. class, so after the matinee, I’d jump into a cab and come up to teach, then go back and do the evening show.”
Music man. “I walk in here at 8 a.m., turn on the music, and don’t turn it off until I leave at night,” says Neustadt, who listens while grading the student papers that cover most surfaces in his office. He shuns Spotify for his own collection, often scrolling through alphabetically. “Today I did albums that begin with B, starting with Bob Dylan, then on to Bruce Hornsby, then the soundtrack to Blue Skies, an old movie from the ’40s with Bing Crosby.” Like many of his students, Neustadt takes his music wherever he goes. “People here often tease me that if I’m talking to someone, I might take one earphone out so I can give them my full attention.”
Master of style. “Every law student and every lawyer has a blue book,” says Neustadt. “It’s the style guide for how to cite authority in legal documents. We use it all the time. I’m sure people will cringe when they see it in this picture.”
Photo by Chris Taggart