Oct. 19, 2004 – Fans of shows like "Ally McBeal," "The Practice" and its provocative new spinoff "Boston Legal" – for which actors James Spader (Alan Shore) and William Shatner (Denny Crane) have already won Emmys – will have a rare opportunity to get behind the scenes with Robert Breech, senior vice-president of David. E. Kelley Productions.
The Forum, in conjunction with the Reichhold Center for the Arts, will present a lecture-demonstration by Breech, at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 10, at the Reichhold Center for the Arts. Anyone with an interest in the dramatic arts, onstage or backstage, as a writer, photographer, film editor or set designer, is urged to attend. Admission is free.
David E. Kelly is the creative genius behind many award-winning television series, and Breech his principal collaborator. The two first met in 1986 while working on "L.A. Law." Since then, Breech has had producing and/or consulting roles on all of Kelley's drama series, including "Picket Fences," "Chicago Hope" and "Ally McBeal." The shows he produced have won seven Emmy Awards.
As executive producer for eight seasons on "The Practice," Breech was involved in every aspect of the show and was responsible for the creative vision. Mr. Breech oversaw a team of 10 full-time writers who fleshed out ideas and further researched those ideas until the team collaboratively formed two similar story lines for each week's drama.
Breech also served as operating chief, insuring the translation between technical and creative departments. In pre-production, Breech brought all departments together, supervising and coordinating the diverse elements that made up the weekly, hour-long television drama. Once pre-production and production were completed, Breech also supervised the post-production, including editing the final cut that David E Kelley watched and that was later submitted as the final broadcast version.
Breech is now a consulting producer on ABC's "Boston Legal," the spin-off from "The Practice," which had its debut Oct. 3. He is also working on the development of a new David E. Kelley legal reality show slated to begin in November.
During the lecture-demonstration, Breech will discuss the creative process that goes into the production of a one-hour drama within the Kelley organization. This process as described by Breech includes three, overlapping phases of production, the prep, principal photography, and post-production. He will further explain the relationship that exists between the writers, producers, and actors; the physical demands of production and the give-and-take among the writers and legal advisers. This discussion will culminate in a series of entertaining clips depicting scenes that illustrate the topics that will be discussed. A question-and-answer segment will follow.
Breech received a B.A. from Stanford University, a J.D. from the Loyola University School of Law and an M.F.A from the Peter Stark Motion Picture Producing Program at the University of Southern California.
This event is sponsored by The Forum, the University of the Virgin Islands' Reichhold Center for the Arts, the Virgin Islands Council on the Arts, and Sapphire Beach Resort.

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