Monthly Archives: November 2017

“Fifteen Men being produced!

Posted on by

I am very happy to say that my seminal work, “Fifteen Men in a Smoke-Filled Room,” is being produced by Elite Theatre Company of Oxnard, CA as part of their 2018 season!

Elite Theatre

Elite Theatre Company

Elite Theatre Company was founded in 1994 and “brings together the local talents of amateurs and professionals who share a passion for theater and who generously volunteer their time on the stage and behind the scenes.” Its complete season “includes 5 main stage productions, youth shows, classes and workshops and special one night only events.” The theatre has focused on promoting and developing new works for over twenty years. At least one of their productions every year is a world premier full-length play, alongside multiple one-acts.

“Fifteen Men in a Smoke-Filled Room” will run from August 24 through September 23. I’m very proud to see “Fifteen Men” attain this height after years and years (and years) of developmental work. This is the first “real” play I wrote (“real” being defined as “acceptable for public viewing”) and it has received numerous awards and recognitions. (This includes a staged reading that takes place on January 19, 2018 by Firehouse Center for the Arts in Newburyport, MA – come and see it!) In all that time, though, the play has never once been produced… until now.

Screen Shot 2017-11-30 at 3.34.39 PM

Thanks very much to Elite Theatre and its Artistic Director, Tom Eubanks!

“Philosophus” at Alleyway!

Posted on by

I have learned with tremendous pleasure that my farce, “Philosophus,” which just received a staged reading in Gaithersburg from Best Medicine Repertory Theatre, is being produced by Alleyway Theatre of Buffalo, New York as part of their 2018-2019 season!

Alleyway Marquee

Alleyway Theatre – “western New York’s theatre with a pulse”- is a well-respected theater in downtown Buffalo founded in 1980 by playwright, director, lyricist, and composer Neal Radice. Alleyway has resided since 1983 in “a portion of a former bus terminal building shared by the Buffalo Police Department in the heart of Buffalo’s Theatre District.” It is well-known for proactively seeking and producing new work – at least two full-length world premieres a year – along with a wide array of short plays.

Alleyway Theatre

“Philosophus” was the winner for best full-length play of the Maxim Mazumdar Competition. The competition was founded by Alleyway Theatre in memory of actor/playwright Maxim Mazumdar (1953-1988) whose “many contributions to the early growth of the Alleyway were artistically invaluable.” My quirky tragedy “The Beggar of Bethesda” was one of two finalists for the full-length play award in 2016, and it is an honor to be recognized doubly so by Alleyway this time around!

Philosophus at Alleyway

Many thanks to Alleyway Theatre and Neal Radice for this wonderful opportunity!

More news to come soon!

Thanks to Best Medicine!

Posted on by

Yesterday, I trotted on down to Gaithersburg, Maryland to see Best Medicine Rep do a staged reading of my farce “Philosophus” in the Community Room at Lakeforest Mall. The staged reading was directed by veteran director (and rabbi!) Stan Levin and starred Terence Aselford, Terence Heffernan, Deborah Lubega, Rebecca A. Herron, and John Morogiello.

Community Room

I was extremely impressed with the excellent work from the actors and director, who only rehearsed for the show starting the morning of the reading. It was easily one of the best staged readings of my work that I have ever witnessed. The actors were all wonderfully comedic in their roles and the director made good use of semi-staging to communicate theatricality and farce to the audience.

Philosophus Cast

From left: Evan Morogiello, Terence Aselford, Stan Levin, Rebecca A. Herron, Terence Heffernan, Deborah Lubega, John Morogiello, Colin Speer Crowley

Also, “Philosophus” received two mentions in the local press:

Many thanks again to Best Medicine Rep and John Morogiello!