Stan has been preparing for a career in entertainment since the age of 10, when he created his very own television network in his bedroom (counter programming, t.v. grid, advertising, you name it) in Southfield, Michigan. He even penned a monthly TV column for his junior high school newspaper.
After attending Cranbrook Summer Theatre School for five seasons and Hampton Playhouse for two, Stan headed to New York to get his BFA at NYU/Circle-in-the-Square drama program. He appeared on Broadway dancing behind Rudolph Nureyev and the Joffrey Ballet in Homage to Diaghilev at the Mark Hellinger Theatre. If you look closely you can see him in such films as The Chosen, Zelig and Risky Business. Stan worked in casting before moving to Los Angeles, where he’s been part of one of the longest running comedy writing teams, Zimmerman & Berg. Along with James Berg, Stan’s worked on many television series, including season one of The Golden Girls, Brothers, Fame, Hooperman, Something Wilder, Roseanne, Wanda at Large and the highly successful fifth season of Gilmore Girls. They penned the “Norman Mailer, I’m Pregnant” episode. Z&B (as they’re also known) have 2 WGA nominations to their credit — “Rose’s Mother” from The Golden Girls and the other for “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell”, the infamous lesbian kiss episode of Roseanne. Besides writing and producing many television pilots, Z&B rewrote Emmy and Peabody award-winning Annie for ABC. They have also written for film, including both Brady Bunch movies. The Brady Bunch Movie was honored by American Cinematheque. The Q&A panel with Jim, Stan, Shelley Long, Gary Cole and director Betty Thomas can be seen on youtube.com. Z&B created and exec produced two seasons of Rita Rocks, a half hour comedy series on Lifetime starring Nicole Sullivan and Tisha Campbell-Martin. The complete first season is out on DVD. In 2013, they rewrote Christmas Bounty an ABC Family movie. Z&B created Skirtchasers, a webseries streaming on tellofilms.com. The comedy stars Elizabeth Keener (The L Word), Barry Bostwick and Meredith Baxter. Stan made his scripted directing debut with this project, alongside Amanda Bearse, who also directed the series. secs & EXECS, his 2nd webseries for tellofilms, written by Jim & Stan and directed by Stan. It starred Sandra Bernhard, Daniela Bobadilla, Olivia d’Abo, Parvesh Cheena, Natalie Dreyfuss, Bayne Gibby, Miguel Pinzon, Matthew Smith, Travina Springer and Mindy Sterling. Sterling received a 2017 Emmy nomination for her role as “Shirla” in this webseries. They’re much talked about pilot script —Silver Foxes, a gay men’s Golden Girls, had an epic reading with George Takei, Leslie Jordan, Bruce Vilanch, Todd Sherry, Cheri Oteri, Daniele Gaither and Melissa Peterman. News of the event went viral with numerous articles printed and posted by such outlets as HuffPost, Foxs News, Boston Globe and ABC’s Good Morning America. Stan and Jim recently turned Silver Foxes into a play and had a virtual reading starring Takei, Gaither, Daniel Davis, Jim J. Bullock, Garrett Clayton and was directed by Michael Urie.
Stan returned to the theatre to direct the 30th-anniversary revival of Gemini starring Stephanie Faracy, Peter Onorati, Mindy Sterling and Joel Michaely at Celebration Theatre, A Tuna Christmas (LA Times Critics’ Choice and 2 StageSceneLA awards) with Mindy Sterling and Patrick Bristow at Theatre Asylum, Spike Heels (3 StageSceneLA awards including Best Director) at Actors Circle Theatre, Larry Blum’s solo show BLINK & You Might Miss Me at Asylum Lab, Hollywood Fringe, SF Fringe, Vancouver’s Chutzpah Festival, Hunters in Palm Springs, two successful performances at the Renberg Theatre in Hollywood, RSVP cruise and XL Cabaret in NYC. Stan won rave reviews for Entertaining Mr. Sloane (7 StageSceneLA awards including Best Director) starring Ian Buchanan, Olivia d’Abo, Emhrys Cooper and Robin Gammell at the Actors Company. BroadwayWorld recently honored both of Stan’s productions. Sloane won 3 — including Best Play, Best Lead Actress-Olivia d’Abo and Person to Watch-Emrhys Cooper. BLINK won 2 — Best Director and Best Lead Actor. He directed 2 shows for Hollywood Fringe 2014 — Susannah Blinkoff in Daughter Of… a musical memoir featuring her own original songs and her mom’s, Carol Hall (Best Little Whorehouse) at Three Clubs Lounge and MEET & GREET, a new comedy play written with Christian McLaughlin. After their sold-out run and winning Fringe’s Encore Producers’ Award and 3 Robbie Award nominations (Best Comedy, Best Director for a Comedy & Best Ensemble), the show moved to a full production at Theatre Asylum-Elephant Space. It ran for 5 months to packed houses with a cast that included Daniele Gaither, Teresa Ganzel, Carolyn Hennesy, Vicki Lewis, Brendan Robinson. The show garnered rave reviews and 3 Scenie Awards from StageSceneLA honoring the play, direction and ensemble work. Stan also received a nomination for Best Direction (Local Production-LA) from BroadwayWorld.com. The play recently had 2 staged readings at NYC’s Jerry Orbach Theatre. The cast included Rachel Dratch, Teresa Ganzel, Isabel Keating, Sherri Shepherd and Michael Urie. Stan directed the World Premiere of Paul Shoulberg’s play, Synthesis, which garnered rave reviews at the Dorie Theatre @The Complex in Hollywood. His next play, Yes, Virginia, which he directed and co-wrote with Christian McLaughlin starred Mindy Sterling & Ellia English, ran to packed houses in Spring 2017 and both actresses received Broadwayworld nominations. Stan had 2 plays at Hollywood Fringe Festival 2017. Pinata at the Lounge 2 and Pledge (his 2nd Paul Schoulberg play of the year) at McCadden Place Theatre. This show reunited him with actors Brendan Robinson and Daniella Bobadila. Stan directed his 5th play of 2017, the first revival of Justin Tanner‘s hit comedy play Heartbreak Help. The show starred Melissa Peterman, Teresa Ganzel, Sarah Gilman and Tony Award winner Marissa Jaret Winokur. It played the Dorie Theatre/Complex in LA Sept 2017, receiving glowing notices and 6 Broadwayworld Nominations. Pledge was remounted in early 2018 with Vanessa Marano (Gilmore Girls, Switched at Birth) and Elijah Nelson joining the cast. It again, Sold Out its run and received rave reviews. Warm Cheese, Teresa Thome’s autobiographical one-woman show, directed by Zimmerman, played at Grand Rapid’s LaughFest, also in Aug 2019. The show went on to win Best Script at United Solo Fest after it’s performance at Theatre Row in NYC Oct 2019. In Jan 2020, Stan created The Wendy Chronicles, 3 Wasserstein play readings in rep (Uncommon Women and Others, Isn’t it Romantic, The Heidi Chronicles) for JWT in Santa Monica with a cast of 15 that included Lucy DeVito, Andrea Bowen, Amanda Bearse, Mindy Sterling, Raviv Ullman and Mindy Cohn (as Wendy reading the Stage Directions). Stan later recorded these three same plays, but now with a cast of 30 (including Vanessa Marano and Ian Buchanan) for A Wendy Weekend for Playbill.com. The virtual event raised over $6,000 for TDF/The Wendy Wasserstein Project.
Stan conceived, adapted and directed, SUICIDE NOTES: In Their Own Words, which won a Hollywood Fringe Festival 2015 Encore Producers’ Award. The show starred Oliva d’Abo, Allie Gonino, Peter Onorati, Brendan Robinson. It’s a one hour theatre piece in the vein of The Vagina Monologues. There was a benefit/reading of the play, now entitled Right Before I Go, Monday Dec 4 2017 at NYC’s Town Hall. The all-star cast included: Ellen Burstyn, Judith Light, Michael Cerveris, Hari Nef, Maulik Pancholy, Alice Ripley, Lois Smith, Amber Tamblyn, Raviv Ullman and Vanessa Williams. A one-night benefit of the play was performed at The Ratner Museum in Bethesda, Maryland June 2018 and in Orlando at The Mezz in Sept on International Suicide Prevention Day. Stan performed in the piece as “The Narrator” in Orlando and for a two-night engagement at Claremont High School in Oct. That show was performed by high school students, faculty and school board members. He returned to Bethesda July 2019 to perform again, but this time with a mostly teen cast from The Achieve Project. Stan recorded this piece for the Quick Center/Fairfield University starring alongside Wilson Cruz, Hari Nef, Blair Underwood, Vanessa Wiliams and directed by Michael Wilson. This virtual performance ran on the Quick Center’s website in fall/winter 2020. Stan will be returning to his hometown of Detroit Oct 2021 to appear in a benefit performance at Cass Tech, produced by Amy Nederlander and L!ife Leaders. For info about the play or producing it in your area, DM on this website.
Stan’s theatrical company, Pop-Up Playhouse recently received 15 2018 Broadwayworld nominations for his plays Pledge, Knife to the Heart and The Diary of Anne Frank. The first season of his company opened with Pledge, then came his new circumcision comedy written with Christian McLaughlin Knife to the Heart at the Dorie/Complex Theatre in LA. The show starred Andrea Bowen, Anne DeSalvo, Todd Sherry, Josh Zuckerman. Zimmerman also directed. It received rave reviews and SOLD OUT it’s entire run. Wendie Malick returned to the cast for a LIVE reading this past spring for Play Per-View. Season 2 of Pop-Up Playhouse began with The Diary of Anne Frank starring a predominately LatinX cast. The show received 4 BroadwayWorld nominations including Best Play. It returned for a limited 2-month engagement this past Jan & Feb 2019 at the Dorie Theatre/The Complex. It played for a limited run at Temple Emanuel@ Weinberg Auditorium in Beverly Hills, CA the end of Oct 2019 and again at The Chutzpah! Festival in Vancouver in Nov 2019. It will play at Burbank’s Colonly Theatre in 2021. DM to discuss us bringing the play to your school or theatre. Yes, Virginia played in a new production Dec 2018 with Mindy Sterling and Arnetia Walker (Dreamgirls). The play had 2 Sold Out staged readings at Stagecrafters in Royal Oak, Michigan Aug 2019. Sterling and Walker reunite for a virtual benefit reading of the play Dec 2020. The play will have it’s Florida debut at the Melon Patch Players in Leesburg, FL Jan 2021.
Stan directed the music video for the band Whore’s Mascara‘s song “All I Want”. It played in Outfest’s BOOM! Music Festival and aired on LOGO’s New Now Next series. It was nominated for 3 PILL Awards (including Best Video and Best Director) and had a cameo by Laverne Cox.
Stan, also known as THE CASTING COACH, has run sitcom audition classes in LA, NYC, Dallas and Atlanta and coaches actors privately and does sitcom script notes/consultation sessions, both of which can be booked through this website. He teaches two monthly sitcom audition intensives. During Covid, Stan started teaching his 3-month Pitch-to-Page Sitcom Pilot Writing classes on Zoom. For info about any teaching: stan@zimmermanstan.com Stan also conducts his 3-week Sitcom Audition Workshop at: www.killiansworkshop.com
Stan directed 3 SOLD OUT staged readings of IT’S ON!, the tv theme song musical he conceived and co-wrote (w/Christian McLaughlin). It played at NYMF at the new Signature Theatre on W. 42nd St. in NYC. The cast included Jenna Leigh Green, Colin Hanlon, Curt Hansen, Sheryl Lee Ralph and Mindy Sterling. Special guest stars were Michael Urie and Paige Davis. www.itsonthemusical.com Stan directed the first reading at Garry Marshall’s Falcon Theatre starring James Carpinello, Nolan Funk, Megan Hilty, Sheryl Lee Ralph, Mindy Sterling and Alan Thicke. Christian and Stan wrote for the 21st DIVAS Simply Singing benefit at the Wilshire Ebell Theatre, which featured an original “Dreamgirls” reunion and the 22nd DIVAS show at the Nokia Theatre. Their first comedy play MEET & GREET, had a SOLD OUT staged reading as part of The Blank Theatre’s Living Room Series. The cast included Amanda Bearse, Teresa Ganzel, Carolyn Hennesy, John Paul Karliak and Kym Whitley.
On his own, Stan wrote for Emmy Magazine and appeared on camera as co-host/showrunner on Situation: Comedy, a Project Greenlight-type show about the making of a sitcom pilot. The series, co-produced by Sean Hayes, aired on Bravo. Under his solo production company Zimmerman Entertainment, he sold a half-hour single-cam comedy pilot, The New Twenty, written by Vanessa Parise to ABC Family and a first sale for Laura Eichhorn and their half-hour comedy, 15 To Life to YouTube. In a full circle moment, Stan’s consulting work took him to Moscow for four months in 2015 to help develop a Russian Roseanne series and to Budapest to work on a new sitcom for AMC Hungary in Nov 2018.
In another one of Stan’s many full circle moments, he can be seen acting again in Jay Zaretsky’s short film, Uno Mas on Funny or Die. He also appeared in multiple episodes of Oxygen’s All the Right Moves, a dance reality show starring Travis Wall. Stan is a frequent co-host on Ethan Dettenmaier’s weekly Combat Radio show and On the Rocks with Alexander Rodriguez (UBN, I Heart Radio). He has also been a guest on CNN’s Brooke Baldwin Show (multiple times), The Morning Beat with Jai Rodriguez & Mikalah Gordon, Mark Thompson‘s The Edge, Scott Fullerton’s Left of Str8, The Sheena Metal Experience, Sirius’ Frank DeCaro Show, The Derek & Romaine Show, IMRU on KPFK and can be heard on the podcast, Out on the Lanai. Stan has been a guest panelist for The Golden Girls at Disneyland Gay Days and D23 in Anaheim and for all 4 Gilmore Girls Fan Festivals in CT and Unionville, Canada. There, he created and starred in The Coffee Monologues along with Sam Pancake, Aris Alvarado, George Bell, Todd Lowe and Nick Holmes.
Stan can be seen in the new talk show Brunch Date with Stan and Kristen. Their special guests were Mindy Sterling, Liz Torres, Amanda Bearse and Candis Cayne. All 5 episodes can be seen for free at www.Tellofilms.com
Stan was a Special Guest on two Golden Girls Fan Cruises in Feb/March 2020 and will be returning for the Jan 2021 cruise. Contact: www.GoldenFansatSea.com He will also be mentoring writers at a castle in France in May 2022. Stan recently signed a deal with Indigo River to publish his book, “The Girls: From Golden to Gilmore”. In it, he will tell stories about all the wonderful women he’s worked with. And Roseanne. Please leave your email on this site if you want to be put on the pre-order book list.