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Get your tickets now!

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Tickets for my play “Encore Encore” have gone on sale!!!

Purchase TicketsInterested parties may also call TheaterMania at (212) 352-3101.

Single ticket prices for performances at The Gallery Players are $18 for Adults and $14 for Children 12 and under and Senior Citizens.

“Encore Encore” is being performed on the following dates:

  • Thursday, June 12 – 8pm
  • Friday, June 13 – 8pm
  • Saturday, June 14 – 8pm
  • Sunday, June 15 – 3pm

According to The Gallery Players: “Purchasing tickets in advance is strongly recommended as performances at The Gallery Players frequently sell out. Walk-up sales of any remaining tickets take place at the door 10 minutes prior to curtain with cash only.”

Great first read-through

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I traveled to New York City today to have my first meeting with the director of my play “Encore Encore” and our excellent cast of actors and actresses. I had a great time meeting the talented people involved in the production and engaging in some early discussions concerning the play and my inspiration for it. I was especially impressed by the success of the read-through and the great job work exemplified by the actors. It’s always tricky when you engage a script for the first time!

I am also grateful for the read-through because it brought to my mind various issues that I need to address before bringing the play to an audience. I am working with the director now to tweak little bits of the play and make sure that it’s the best that it can be for the June performance dates.

One of the best parts of theater is the process of collaboration – and I look forward to working with our cast and crew to make the piece the best that it can be!

More to come!

Cast and crew for “Encore Encore”

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I am very happy to announce that my play “Encore Encore” has a great cast and director!

For a director, I am pleased to be working with Paula D’Alessandris, Artistic Director of Mind The Gap Theatre, a theatrical company in New York City “dedicated to producing the best new British plays in NYC” and to encouraging “an exchange of new works between the US and UK.”

For a cast, we have a wonderful crew of actors and actresses, with a surprisingly international background, who are bringing their fresh talents to the Off-Off-Broadway stage and who are all enthusiastic about bringing Dorothy Parker and the Algonquin Round Table to life again.

 

Janette Johnston

Janette Johnston

 

Sergio Lodolce

Sergo Lodolce

 

James Lindsay

James Lindsay

 

Brad Howe

Brad Howe

 

Helen McMillan

Helen McMillan

 

Gary Kozak

Gary Kozak

 

Hugh Buller

Hugh Buller

“Encore Encore” Being Produced

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I had the great pleasure of learning today that my tragicomedy – “Encore Encore” – is going to be produced by The Gallery Players of Brooklyn, New York as part of their Black Box New Play Festival!

Gallery Players

The Gallery Players hosts a Black Box Festival every year to showcase new theatrical works. This year will be the 17th annual Black Box Festival. The festival itself will take place over several weekends in June (starting the weekend of May 29). “Encore Encore” will be one of two full-length plays featured in the contest. It will be performed the weekend of June 12 or the weekend of June 19 – actual date TBD.

Gallery Players 2

“The Gallery Players (TGP) has provided Brooklyn audiences with quality theater since 1967. Located in Park Slope but beloved on both sides of the Brooklyn Bridge, The Gallery Players is dedicated to producing classic and contemporary plays and musicals as well as premiering new works. Recipient of the Off-Off Broadway Review’s 2000 Award for Lifetime Achievement, and Innovative Theater (IT) awards for outstanding musical for Urinetown, Yank, and Like You Like It. The Gallery Players’ season comprises three plays and three musicals, covering a remarkably wide range of dramatic and comedic styles. The season finale is the annual Black Box New Play Festival, which gives world premier performances of works by playwrights.”

Thank you to The Gallery Players – and especially Black Box Festival producer Dominic Cuskern – for his wonderful opportunity! I am looking forward to working with Dominic and the play’s director in the upcoming weeks!

Playreading in PA!

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Tonight an excerpt of my play “Few Thy Voice” was read at The Shawnee Playhouse in Shawnee-On-Delaware, PA as a top finalist in the Shawnee Original Playwrights Series (SOPS).

I’m sorry to say that I was unable to attend the actual reading due to the long distance between me (Connecticut) and the playhouse (Pennsylvania) – but I was wishing them well from afar!!

Shawnee Playhouse 3I will keep my fingers crossed for the contest results – but I am very grateful to Shawnee Playhouse for hosting the reading and for sending me some feedback written by people on their ballots, such as:

  • witty dialog
  • good plot
  • lots of humorous lines
  • was interested to hear more
  • liked the opening

Thanks, Shawnee Playhouse!

Thank You, Eventide Arts!

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I attended the second and final performance of “Fifteen Men In A Smoke-Filled Room” today – another great job! The cast was even better than it was last night and the audience was very responsive. I even got the opportunity to meet two Math and English teachers of mine from my days at Cape Cod Academy in Osterville, MA!!

I would especially like to thank the following people:

  • Toby Wilson – Artistic Director of Eventide Arts – for arranging the reading and guiding me through the process
  • Shannon Goheen – President of Eventide Arts – for writing the press release and hosting the event
  • Ellis Baker – former Artistic Director of Eventide Arts – for his play suggestions and kind words
  • John Williams – Director of the play – for so expertly getting together the cast and rehearsing them to perfection
  • David Kaplan – President of the Kaplan Foundation – for sponsoring wonderful artistic opportunities for Cape playwrights

To all of you, a great, big

Thank You

Great performance last night!

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I was very fortunate to attend the first of two performances of my play “Fifteen Men In A Smoke-Filled Room” at Dennis Union Church.

I have a few impressions…

First, the Gertrude Lawrence Stage at Dennis Union Church Fellowship Hall is beautiful. It seats about 100 people and has a near-perfect level of theatricality and intimacy. I don’t think my play could have been performed in a better location or in a better environment.

Second, I was very impressed by the versatility and skill of the actors onstage. I was especially impressed by the actor playing Warren G. Harding (an associate of Harwich Junior Theater). Harding is a difficult character to play. It’s easy to make him into a whiny, boring, if well-meaning, individual, but not in this performance.

Above all, I look forward to seeing the show again tomorrow! It’s rare to get a chance to see two staged readings of a work. Most playwriting contests only result in a single reading. A second reading means I have a second chance to review the work and take it in after the initial experience. The end result is a much more knowledge-rich experience.

I’ll be back again tomorrow!

Check out my interview!

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I had the great pleasure of being interviewed the other day by Lee Roscoe of The Barnstable Patriot – a great local newspaper in Cape Cod. I often enjoyed flipping through the Patriot when I grew up on the Cape. It has a wonderful section on Cape Cod-based artistic events.

My conversation with Ms. Roscoe was extremely enjoyable. Sometimes I felt I was interviewing her rather than being interviewed by her. We talked very interestingly about our play interests and found a common bond in our admiration for the British playwright Peter Shafer.

Barnstable PatriotYou can check out the interview here!