I have detailed in a prior post that my historical farce “Philosophus” was one of three finalists in the 2018 TNT POPS! New Play Competition, where it was slated to be produced by a member theatre of Texas Nonprofit Theatres.

Today, I am happy to report that “Philosophus” will be produced by Plaza Theatre, a wonderful theater in the city of Wharton, TX, which serves as the county seat of Wharton County.

The Plaza Theatre is the community theatre of Wharton. Their “central location and excellent accessibility help (them) attract audience and performers from throughout the region, including the nearby counties of Victoria, Fort Bend, Matagorda, Colorado, Brazoria, and Jackson.” The theatre building previously served as a hotel and then was converted into a movie theater in 1942, also named the “Plaza Theatre.” The movie theater itself lasted for over three decades before closing down in the 1970’s and then reopening as a live entertainment venue in 1990, courtesy of the Community Theater of Wharton.

“Philosophus” will be directed by Trace Morris and play one weekend, from February 22-February 24th.

You can read more here!

Yesterday, my historical farce “Philosophus” closed at Alleyway Theatre of Buffalo, New York! What a wonderful production – expertly directed by Neal Radice (assisted by Samantha Marchant), gorgeously costumed by Joyce Stilson and Todd Warfield, and perfectly acted by Chris J. Handley, James Cichocki, Christopher Standart, Emily Yancey, and Andrew Zuccari. I couldn’t have possibly asked for or dreamed of a better world premiere for this play.

“Philosophus” was Alleyway Theatre’s 148th production – one of many world premieres produced by this great theatre. It is truly rare to find such a great theater devoting itself (riskily) solely to new work, and it is an honor my work was chosen by them. Many thanks goes to Neal Radice for his trust and his guidance (he recommended some tweaks and tightening to the script that were enacted halfway through the play’s run).

Enjoy this wonderful montage of photos… the costumes alone speak a thousand words!

The world premiere cast of “Philosophus” – clockwise from upper-left: James Cichocki, Andrew Zuccari, Chris J. Handley, Emily Yancey, and Christopher Standart

Before it closes, don’t forget to pick up tickets to my show “Philosophus” at Alleyway Theatre of Buffalo, New York.

The play is a historical farce concerning a real-life event – the temporary imprisonment of the philosopher Voltaire in 1750’s Frankfurt.

The shows runs through October 6!

(I couldn’t agree more…)

Tickets available here!

Last evening, I had the great pleasure to attend “Curtain Up!” in Buffalo, NY – the official opening of the professional theater season. I was invited to attend a gala opening dinner by Alleyway Theatre, which was most enjoyable. The dinner is a major fundraising for the Theatre District Association, a not-for-profit community association “dedicated to the promotion of the health and well-being of Buffalo’s neighborhood known as the Theatre District.”

I’m especially impressed by the vibrant and collaborative theatrical community in Buffalo. The city has over 20 (by some count, 26!) theatrical companies in a city of approximately 250,000, with Alleyway Theatre being one of the oldest continually functioning theaters. The aforementioned downtown theatre district – a block-long stretch of restaurants and theaters – is a wonderful tribute to the arts in Buffalo and, frankly, a phenomenon that every medium-size city should emulate.

Very inspiring experience here in theatrical Buffalo!

Last night, I witnessed a magnificent opening for “my” historical farce “Philosophus” at Alleyway Theatre of Buffalo, New York!

I say “my” in quotations because a quick glance at the wonderful set, the colorful, period costumes, and – you can even get a sense of this in the picture below – the extraordinary acting talent of the marvelous actors and actresses who brought the show to life give me only part ownership in a truly effective and collaborative endeavor.

From the very start, the actors kept up a great pace with the show and the deft directing of Neal Radice, longtime Artistic Director of Alleyway Theatre, milked and squeezed as much comedy as possible out of every single moment. Neal’s idea to cast one of the two female roles with a man (Christopher Standart as the redoubtable Frau Schmidt) ended up proving to be a high point of the show and a casting option which I will permanently and officially write into the script. Also much thank goes to Samantha Vakiener, Dramaturg at Alleyway, for working with me on aspects of the script during rehearsals – and, hopefully, there will be a little more post-show refining to come!

As for the actors, it is difficult to express how well they performed without seeing the play for yourself (which I hope you do!). Chris J. Handley was a hoot as Voltaire, spraying out self-important speeches like a sprinkler without any seeming need to think or second-guess a single word. Emily Yancey was on her own planet as Voltaire’s “niece,” bouncing around the stage in a state of near-constant innuendo. Andrew Zuccari (who impressed me with the fact that he’s relatively new to acting) wonderfully balanced two characters across two different accents, juxtaposed so tightly together it’s a wonder he didn’t get vertigo. James Cichocki was wonderfully maniacal – yet also gloriously whiny and petulant – as the villain of the piece, and Christopher Standard was so rafter-shattering as Frau Schmidt that he could suitably terrify anyone within a 3-mile radius.

From left to right: Andrew Zuccari as “Dorn” (in this scene!), Emily Yancey as “Mademoiselle Denis,” Christopher Standart as “Frau Schmidt,” and Chris J. Handley as “Voltaire” (missing is James Cichocki)

Tonight, “Philosophus” will be a part of the Curtain Up! festivities in Buffalo, NY – the annual opening of the professional theatre season – where I will attend a gala dinner, the show, and then after-show festivities.

For tonight’s performance, tickets are already sold out – never unfortunate to see!

For future shows, you can get tickets here!

“Philosophus” runs through October 6.

Tomorrow night, my historical farce “Philosophus” opens at Alleyway Theatre in Buffalo, New York and runs from September 13th (not unlucky in this case) through October 6th!

I will be spending the opening weekend in Buffalo to see the show for the opening night and for the Friday performance during the Curtain Up! festival in Buffalo.

Alleyway is one of the few theaters in the country that solely – yes, solely – focuses on the production of new works.

Come over and see the show… 1 Curtain Up Alley, Buffalo, New York!!

In just a few days, my historical farce “Philosophus” opens at Alleyway Theatre in Buffalo, New York!

Here is a great sample of scenes from the show during some of its final rehearsals, courtesy of Todd Warfield, Resident Designer and Associate Director at Alleyway.

The wonderful, lush, period costumes you see were designed by the aforementioned Todd Warfield and Joyce Stilson, Literary Manager and Director of Public Relations.

Chris J. Handley as “Voltaire”

…and check out these photos from the show’s rehearsals!