At work for the good of it

Steve Carlson with contributions from Georgia Engel

SENTINEL RADIO recently interviewed actress Georgia Engel, who has worked in the entertainment industry for more than 30 years—in television, theater, and film. You may remember her as Georgette on The Mary Tyler Moore Show. She has also been in many stage productions, from Sweet Charity to My One and Only, and now appears as Pat McDougal on the CBS Monday night sitcom Everybody Loves Raymond. Although most of her roles have been in light comedy. Ms. Engel has thought deeply about the entertainment industry and particularly about what is needed to give it uplift. Producer Steve Carlson first asked for her thoughts on what she has found to be of value in the world of entertainment.

I know from experience that entertainment can be refreshing, uplifting, illuminating, thought-stirring, comforting, and even healing. It also can be just plain fun. On the other hand, it can be of no value at all. And like any other field of human endeavor, it's the thought and motives behind the work that make entertainment either a blessing or not.

It helps me to think about what entertain means. It can mean simply "to amuse," "to divert," "to engage"—which means "to attract and hold influence." It can also mean "to keep or hold in mind," "to harbor in thought," and even "to cherish." The point is, what do we want to hold in thought in regard to what we choose for entertainment? A few years ago,

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