Don Spiro was elected to The Lambs April 20, 2016, after recommendations from Kevin Fitzpatrick and Scott Glascock. Don has worked at various positions in the film/tv/entertainment industry and is a member of various professional organizations.
After graduating from Temple University in 1991 with a Bachelor of Arts in film and television studies, Don moved to Hollywood and started working as a production assistant on low budget features and documentaries, focusing on cinematography.
After working for several projects in camera and lighting departments, Don joined the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees locals 600 (International Cinematographers Guild, formerly Local 659), as a camera assistant. That same year he joined Local 728 (Motion Picture Studio Electrical Lighting Technicians), as a lighting technician/lamp operator.
Some of the TV shows Don worked on were Malcolm In The Middle, Popular, Nip/Tuck, The Shield, and Monk, and some of the feature films were Deadfall, Deep Impact, Tremors 4, and Memento.
When not on large projects, Don helped shoot and light many low budget independent projects, using his years of experience working on union projects, and joined the Society of Operating Camera Operators as an associate member. He shot interviews for documentaries Flying Saucers Over Hollywood: The Plan 9 Companion, and H.P. Lovecraft: Fear Of The Unknown, and has been recently working on post-production for a documentary about the sci-fi subgenre “steampunk.”
Between shows, Don would practice lighting and hone his skills by shooting still photos for his friends in the entertainment industry, photographing their album covers, poster art, and live events. In the late 1990s he became involved and interested in documenting the lowbrow arts and subcultures of burlesque, sideshow, and vintage communities.
After moving to the East Coast, Don decided to focus on still photography, changing his Camera Guild classification to unit still photographer and working on several small productions before semi-retiring after the 2008 Writers Strike to focus on live event promotion and production. He still shoots projects and portraits for friends and coworkers.
From 2009 until 2016, Don hosted “Wit’s End,” a monthly speak-easy style live jazz evening, first with Diane Naegel, then with Kevin Fitzpatrick after Diane’s passing in 2011. He and his wife, Rachael, both fans of Art Deco style, were married near the top of the Chrysler building. As a hobby, Don publishes a small press magazine called Zelda (originally created by Diane Naegel), dedicated to Jazz Age lifestyle, arts, and culture for the worldwide vintage community.
An amateur cocktail historian, Don has also earned a living as a professional bartender and still keeps connections through the United States Bartenders Guild and various spirits industry events. In October of 2016, he and Rachael began hosting monthly absinthe tastings combined with live variety acts at The Red Room in the East Village. He occasionally tags along with the East Coast Doughboys, a group of World War One living reenactors and living history interpreters managed by Kevin Fitzpatrick.
Don has always been interested in entertainment history, especially that of film, television, nightlife, and vaudeville, and was thrilled to be invited to join The Lambs. The birth of his son, Jack, in September of 2022, has been the beginning of a new adventure, and he can’t wait to bring his entire family to the clubhouse. As a Lamb, Don has served on the Lambs Council and as assistant to Lambs historian Kevin Fitzpatrick, spoken at the Lambs on the history of burlesque in New York City, and co-sponsored several new members.