He fought depression, alcoholism and an attention disorder, but not to worry, Frank South isn't looking for your pity.

Instead, the former Hollywood TV producer, whose credits include "Baywatch Hawaii," would prefer you laugh with him as he performs his new one-man play, "Pay Attention — ADHD in Hollywood on the Rocks With a Twist."

The autobiographical production, on stage all this month at the Academy of Film & Television, is a rollercoaster ride through South's successful-yet-tortured years in network television.

"There is great humor in this, in our lives, and we can't have the power of seeing that and being alive and funny unless we accept the crazy part," said the 59-year-old South, who moved his wife and two children to Hawai'i in 2000 when he worked on "Baywatch Hawaii." He lives in Niu Valley.

ADHD stands for attention deficit hyperactive disorder, a condition that contributed to two nervous breakdowns before South was diagnosed at age 49.

It affects an estimated 3 percent to 5 percent of the world's population and is marked by persistent, impulsive or inattentive behavior. Those considered hyperactive find it difficult to stay still. To compensate, long-term sufferers develop coping strategies.

"We all have our little journeys," South said. "I spent 20 years in Hollywood. I had a very bouncy kind of career. And I drank a lot."

He went from being a New York performing artist to the lucrative and hair-raising world of TV. Among the shows he wrote, directed or produced: "Melrose Place," "Cagney & Lacey," "Hill Street Blues" and "General Hospital."

But it wasn't an easy time, and before he understood why, South frequently felt like he was on the verge of blowing up. Running a TV show required constant attention to a myriad of filming schedules, writing deadlines and editing needs. South had calendars four months ahead on his office walls.

"It was a lot to juggle, and I don't do that well," he said. "I would organize everything, obsessively, when I was running a show. If I didn't, I would lose my mind."

All his coping mechanisms fell apart in the final six months before his last breakdown. He had lost his job. He was in financial trouble. The company he worked for was being sued by an angry actress.

"Then I just snapped," he said. "When I was diagnosed, one psychologist said, 'With the number and severity of the disorders you are dealing with, it is surprising you are able to function at all.' "

Therapy and medication helped South find his balance. He got sober after moving to Hawai'i, where he continued to write long after the sun set on the "Baywatch" saga. A few years later, South's wife Margaret encouraged him to take an acting workshop that stressed solo performances and autobiographical stories.

"It felt like it was too confessional," he said. "I had to get over the embarrassment factor. Then you realize that if you look at yourself as a character, you can see the humor in it."

In his play, South portrays 15 different people, including his own son and his mentor, film director Robert Altman.

But taking on the role of himself was his only option.

"I felt this is so personal," South said, "that it becomes fiction if I give it to someone else to do."