Official Blog of Actor TIMOTHY J. COX

Audition for Mac Rogers' ASYMMETRIC In Philadelphia on Monday, February 6th

2012-01-27T12:36:00.000-08:00

Mac Rogers is an amazing playwright...a man I have always wanted to work with.

We're sort of acquaintances. We met briefly in 2004 when he saw the Astoria Performing Arts Production of MEASURE FOR MEASURE and again in 2007 when he saw 12TH NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD.

Lately, he has been working with my good friend Synge Maher on the NORTHPOINT Prison Program as their resident playwright and has been making great strides with the program.

Well, I am thrilled to announce that I have snagged an audition for Mac's next play, a world premiere titled ASYMMETRIC, referred to in the audition posting as ''Picture THE 39 STEPS, but as a serious drama''.

It is being produced by the New City Stage Company in Philadelphia.

The audition will take place on the evening on Monday, February 6th.

Looking forward to this one.

Collectivitus Project SPACE CATS

2012-01-27T12:08:00.000-08:00

Back in September, I had mentioned that writer / director Tyrus Holden has pitched a fun idea called SPACE CATS to me. I am happy to announce that the project is currently in the writing stages.

When more details emerge, I shall share.

Stay tuned.

Oscar Nominated Actor James Cromwell on THE ARTIST

2012-01-26T13:52:00.001-08:00

I wanted to share this...because hopefully it will encourage you to see the now 11 time Oscar nominee THE ARTIST (it is THAT good).

Also, Mr. Cromwell says a lot about acting and what makes good acting in his comments.

Enjoy!

Why the Quietest Movie of My Career Is Making the Most Noise
By: James Cromwell, Actor

I was first attracted to being in the silent movie The Artist for the most unexpected reasons. Firstly, I love ideas that don't usually get traction in Hollywood and this was certainly an idea that seemed like a risk. I also knew from the start that this was not just an homage to a bygone era, it was going to be a story that would be as contemporary today as it was back in the early days of the "talkies." In and around the beautiful love story was a nugget of an idea that appealed to me as an actor -- the idea of the world moving on without you and the knowledge that we actors are all too aware of -- that we are replaceable.

Looking back now, I was probably the most likely among my 67 fellow ensemble actors to find myself in this black-and-white silent film. And why? My mother, actress Kay Johnson, was in Cecil B. DeMille's first two films with sound. My father, John Cromwell, was an established Broadway director and actor. He had made his motion picture debut in The Dummy, in 1929, one of the early talkies. During the transition from silent movies to talking pictures, it was realized that theater directors really knew how to work with speaking actors, so many made the move West. As a result my father was brought out from New York to Hollywood, and so began the next stage of his career as a director. In a sense this movie is my homage to my parents' story.

The Artist is about the metaphor of silence and the result is that which the audience imagines. With a silent film, what goes on in the theater is the audience creating the story, taking their cues from what's in the frame onscreen, from the power of the musical score and from everything they bring into that movie palace themselves.

The Artist, of course, is a love letter to Hollywood. The film evokes with great power the enchantment that is at the core of all film. The Artist shows that the power of film is not diminished by a presentation that is outside the normal, modern human experience. This is a black-and-white world and one where human speech is missing and yet it captures us and allows full play to the gamut of our emotions.

Like the creation of those early silent films, the film-making process on the set of The Artist was far from silent. We actors had dialogue, the set was filled with music and the brilliant director Michel Hazanavicius could be heard sharing his vision during the entire 39 day shoot in Los Angeles. It could have been any set in Hollywood, only on this set, those sounds were not recorded. One might ask, besides the lack of sound, what else is different about acting in a silent film. For one, an actor has to adjust to the faster film speed by sustaining the expression a fraction longer so the audience can adjust their perceptions. Gesture replaces inflection, yet the performance still somehow reads completely natural.

Ultimately, acting on any film set is telling the truth while pretending it's fiction, it's often very difficult to do with words anyway because they so rarely mean what we use them to say.

James Cromwell is an American film and television actor best known for his Oscar-nominated role in BABE, LA CONFIDENTIAL, THE GREEN MILE and the series, SIX FEET UNDER. He plays Clifton, the beloved chauffeur in THE ARTIST, directed by Michel Haznavicius.

The Process of MAY VIOLETS SPRING

2012-01-26T05:18:00.001-08:00

With the informal reading of MAY VIOLETS SPRING set to take place this coming Monday in the apartment of director Katherine Carter, I must take a moment to discuss the joy I have had during this workshop process.

Sitting around with talented actors, reading a script, discussing it, breaking it down in every possible way…with everyone bringing their best to the table…it’s been such a pleasure. This kind of thing energizes you as an actor…energizes me at least…makes me want to get back out there on the stage. Processes like this one keep me hungry and yearning for more. This is why I do what I do.

The cast will be meeting an hour before the reading on Monday to go through and discuss any final changes with the script.

A Return To LINDA LETHORN AND THE MUSIC BOX

2012-01-25T11:54:00.000-08:00

Writer / director Meg Skaff of LINDA LETHORN AND THE MUSIC BOX has asked me to come back to shoot another scene, a brief one, with my character Purple Green on Saturday, February 4th, which I agreed to immediately.

Jhoe Davis Phone Interview

2012-01-24T05:16:00.001-08:00

Jhoe and I chatted for about 40 minutes last night, speaking about our respective backgrounds and what we’re trying to accomplish in our respective career paths.

Jhoe commented on things that he enjoyed in my work and it seemed that he most liked my quiet performance as Dr. Orwell in THE WATCHERS the most, so what he would like to do is meet with me to continue our discussion, likely on camera, as part of Jhoe’s ‘’Just Actors’’ series on his website, where actors show off their work, characters and things like that, plus also discuss their work.

It could be interesting, so I agreed to meet Jhoe at his place on Saturday.

MAY VIOLETS SPRING Returns Tomorrow

2012-01-24T05:15:00.000-08:00

Back with MAY VIOLETS SPRING tomorrow night.

Phone Interview with Director Jhoe Davis Tonight

2012-01-23T13:25:00.000-08:00

Tonight, I have a phone interview with director / cinematographer Jhoe Davis.

I had responded to an online posting of his last week and now we’re going to chat, see what kind of project(s) he has coming up that I may be a fit for.

If you wish to view samples of Jhoe’s work, please visit his website http://jdmax.com/

Audition On Saturday Afternoon for Comic Web Series SPONSORED BY

2012-01-23T10:45:00.000-08:00

On Saturday afternoon, I will be reading for a role in the comedy web series SPONSORED BY, which follows the team of Double You Marketing as they confront the daily struggles of the corporate world.

The project is being led by Ben Sandomir of Sandomir Films.

THE GOOD MAN Re-Shoot This Sunday

2012-01-23T06:32:00.002-08:00

THE GOOD MAN Re-Shoot is all set for this Sunday back at the home of actor Darrin Biss.

MAY VIOLETS SPRING

2012-01-23T06:32:00.001-08:00

Last Fridays’ rehearsal consisted of another read through of a revised script (lots of cuts) with the entire cast. To me, the play moves at a swifter pace now and continues to be an interesting experiment, but Jim Parenti feels that the script has a long way to go.

With that said, he and Katie Carter have decided not to have a public reading of the script on February 6th and will instead have an informal reading at Katie’s apartment on Monday, January 30th.

I think the script has a lot of potential and I think Jim and Katie have made the right decision. Now, they can take the time they need to work on it without the pressure of play festival deadlines.

Back on Wednesday.

MAY VIOLETS SPRING Returns Tonight

2012-01-20T07:15:00.000-08:00

It’ll be nice to jump back into MAY VIOLETS SPRING tonight.

I hope to have more details on the February 6th reading after tonight.

CHANGE OF PLANS Update – None In Months

2012-01-19T11:39:00.000-08:00

CHANGE OF PLANS is a film I completed principal photography on in the middle of this past June.

It was a good shoot…very smooth, with director James Woll running an organized set. The role I played was an interesting one…kind of a villain, which was fun to play.

After a number of emails to James though, which have received little to no response in the past couple of months, I’ve decided to write off the completed film and the filmmakers, as I have not received an update from James since October and can only assume that the film will never be completed.

Oh well...It’s not the first time I’ve worked with a person who calls them self a professional filmmaker and then turns out to be the exact opposite.

SEAN MEEHAN

2012-01-19T05:23:00.001-08:00

As many of you know, I have worked with director / cinematographer Sean Meehan a number of times (OVER COFFEE, THE BEACHCOMBER, MOLESKINE SPEC COMMERCIAL) over the last couple of years (and hope to work with him again real soon).

Sean is great to work with, a real pro and one of the most easygoing guys that I have ever met in this business. It’s a joy, as an actor, to have the knowledge that when you show up on Sean’s set, you know that you are going to be in good hands.

Sean is currently living in Boston right now, but that wouldn’t deter me one bit from jumping on a train and heading to Boston to play a role, large or small, in one of his projects.

Here is Sean’s new demo reel, which showcases how good Sean is. The reel features clips from numerous works, including THE BEACHCOMBER and the MOLESKINE SPEC COMMERCIAL.

MAY VIOLETS SPRING – Off Until Friday, January 20th

2012-01-17T06:01:00.000-08:00

Rehearsals for MAY VIOLETS SPRING will return on Friday.

MAY VIOLETS SPRING – Two

2012-01-12T06:28:00.000-08:00

Last evenings’ rehearsal dealt mostly with cutting the script down considerably, because as you may know, that Shakespeare guy can get a tad wordy.

Our focus was the royal court scenes, involving myself as Polonius, Chris Kateff as Claudius, Diana Zambrotta as Gertrude and Sam Dash as Laertes…and we trimmed quite a bit.

Get to the point, that’s what I say.

Now...Shakespeare purists may scoff at the idea of cutting the language the way we’re doing so far. Personally, while I love the language, I favor telling the story more and I think we're telling the story in a fresh and exciting way.

It’s already proving to be a fun process…very laid back, relaxed and collaborative. Everyone is bringing their thoughts and opinions to the table. In these kinds of things, to me, there are no wrong answers...there's not even any right answers...just choices...and hopefully strong ones.

Thanks Katie and Jim for letting me be involved.

Off for a couple of days. Looking forward to jumping back into the mix next week.

Audition for A HEART OF GOLD on Sunday, January 22nd

2012-01-11T06:02:00.002-08:00

On Sunday, the 22nd, I will be reading for a role in A HEART OF GOLD from director Arianna Penzo, about a man; Jack, who is on the 'fast track' in life, but unhappy. He is very successful -- yet, isolated and lonely. He eventually runs into a blind artist, Henry, who through his uncanny sense of people and beauty, influences Jack to change the important things in his life. I will be reading for the role of Jack’s business partner, Jordan, who loves his job, but his family comes first.

MAY VIOLETS SPRING - One

2012-01-10T05:49:00.001-08:00

Last evenings’ first rehearsal for MAY VIOLETS SPRING was a lot fun…to get together with people to read some Shakespeare sold me.

The cast of 6 read the play, which, thanks to Jim Parenti’s cutting, should could in with a running time of about 100 minutes or less at the public reading, which is set for February 6th.

After the reading, we chatted a little about what we all got out of the adaptation, with plenty of thoughts and ideas coming from everyone in the room. I'm happy to say that there's a lot of great stuff to think about and work on.

Dissecting Shakespeare, specifically HAMLET, is something that has been going on for over 400 years. With all the mystery that surrounds the play and its title character, it’s easy to see why. As a fictional character, more time has been donated to the study of Hamlet than any other character in all of literature, with the possible exception of Sherlock Holmes. I don’t think anyone has ever cracked the case as far as HAMLET is concerned, but I don’t think that’s the point of the analysis or in Jim’s case, this new adaptation is concerned. The fun in what Jim has done with this adaptation is that it forces us, the actors…and the audience, the ask new questions about the characters, their relationships, their motivations. It’s exciting to work on and I can’t wait to get back into the mix on Wednesday night.

Here is The Cast List for MAY VIOLETS SPRING (in alphabetical order)

Timothy J. Cox as Polonius / Ghost/ Player King / Priest
Sam Dash as Horatio / Laertes
Chris Kateff as Claudius
Michael Goldsmith as Hamlet
Maura Hooper as Ophelia / Gravedigger
Diana Zambrotta as Gertrude

Director: Katherine M. Carter
Adaptation By: James Parenti
Stage Manager: Elise MacPherson

THE GOOD MAN Re-Shoot Rescheduled for January 29th

2012-01-09T06:33:00.002-08:00

The re-shoot of Mike Sgroi’s film THE GOOD MAN, originally scheduled for Sunday, January 22nd, has been moved to Sunday, the 29th.

MAY VIOLETS SPRING Starts Tonight

2012-01-09T06:33:00.001-08:00

Tonight is the first rehearsal for MAY VIOLETS SPRING and I’m looking forward to the chance to work with director Katherine Carter again.

All rehearsals will take place at Katie’s apartment, so that certainly saves money on rehearsal spaces.

Tonight, we’ll read the play and discuss what Jim Parenti has done with his adaptation and what we hope to accomplish with this experiment.

I am excited that my good friend and frequent colleague Chris Kateff has joined the project.

For this presentation, I shall be reading Polonius, the Ghost of Hamlet’s Father, the Player King and a Priest.

It should be a lot of fun.

Updated Acting Reels

2012-01-09T06:32:00.000-08:00

Aside from being an all around lovely and amazing person, my girlfriend Jamie Barlow is also quite the seasoned professional in film and video production. Over the years, Jamie has worked in all levels of production, from production assistant, video editor, graphics operator and as an assistant director. She currently works as an assistant director and graphics operator for ABC News Now.

Check out Jamie’s website, that has plenty of samples of her work, at JamieBarlow.webs.com

This past weekend, Jamie was nice enough to take a look at my demo reel, which I have decided to split up into two small reels, one dramatic and one comedic.

Here They Are:

Dramatic Reel:

Timothy J Cox Dramatic Reel from Timothy J. Cox on Vimeo.

Comedic Reel:

Timothy J Cox Comedic Reel from Timothy J. Cox on Vimeo.

Thanks to Jamie for taking the time to re-edit these and again to Sean Meehan for his original work on my reel months back.

LINDA LE THORN Shoot - Done In 30 Minutes

2012-01-06T09:25:00.000-08:00

The LINDA LE THORN shoot this morning moved smoothly and efficiently. We were done in 30 minutes!

It was great to work with Meg Skaff again, even though it was only brief.

Meg hopes to have a cut ready by March.

MARTY AND DOUG’S NEW RELIGION PART 2 Script

2012-01-05T08:20:00.001-08:00

This morning, I had the pleasure of reading the script for the upcoming sequel to All Things Random’s MARTY AND DOUG’S NEW RELIGION, penned by Dan Conrad.

I don’t want to give anything away, but I will say that the script is very funny and that the project is going to be a lot of fun, but we are a long way for pre-production on this project. GREG’S GUARDIAN ANGEL comes first!

I have been named ‘’Associate Producer’’ for the project, but I am especially looking forward to my acting duties, as both God and the Devil in this sequel, which continues the antics of Marty (Greg Vorob) and Doug (Dan Conrad) as they try to spread the word…and also pick up women.

Cast members returning from the original include Liam Campbell Dunn (OVERCROWDED) and Lisa Peart (BEYOND A REASONABLE DOUBT).

Stay tuned for more on this.

MAY VIOLETS SPRING To Begin On January 9th

2012-01-04T05:17:00.000-08:00

I received word from director Katherine Carter that MAY VIOLETS SPRING, which takes a fresh look at HAMLET is set to begin rehearsals on Monday, January 9th.

As previously mentioned, the rehearsals will involve a lot of table work and analysis of the adaptation presented by actor James Parenti.

I’m looking forward to experimenting with this new look at an old classic.

Rogue Cinema Review of TERRY KENDALL AND ORANGE GREEN

2012-01-04T04:57:00.000-08:00

Film Reviews: Terry Kendall and Orange Green (2011) - By Mathew Saliba

Posted on Tuesday, January 03, 2012

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

It's been often lamented how the world of genre film is bereft by the presence of female directors. But with the advent of the "Women in Horror Appreciation" movement, we are seeing all kinds of female filmmakers coming out of the woodwork producing films. Whether the quality of said films are worth the accolades they receive is another question entirely, but the fact that more women are producing genre films is certainly something worth celebrating indeed.

Enter Meg Skaff, the director behind the delightfully quirky genre mashup, "Terry Kendall and Orange Green." Here is a film that combines elements of drama, black comedy (no pun intended) and serial killer thrillers and does so with a gusto that should put a smile on any lover of indie horror cinema.

The story follows Terry Kendall (Brit-Charde Sellers), a young black woman who works at the Pioneer Supermarket in Brooklyn, New York. She arrives at work promptly at 9:30am every morning with the hope that one day, her hard work and diligence will pay off in the form of a managerial position down the road.

One night when she finishes work, she takes the subway home and encounters a man by the name of Orange Green (Timothy J. Cox). At first their encounter is about as meaningful as any encounter you're likely to face when you meet a stranger on the subway whilst going to work. But he takes a very keen interest in Terry. An interest that quickly turns into the homicidal stalker variety. Every day at 2pm, he finds Terry, no matter where she may be working/hiding and asks her where he may find the chicken breast. In one particularly amusing scene, he asks this while standing to the side of the chicken section.

These daily encounters of the absurd eventually lead up to a twist that I won't give away here. I have to admit that given the quirky nature of the film, it does sort of come out of nowhere as the tone seems out of place with the absurd humor that I enjoyed for three-quarters of the plot. It's also a little disappointing as I thought there'd be something related to the fact that he keeps asking for chicken. But alas, we get an ending straight out of a typical slasher film, which isn't necessarily a bad thing, just disappointing.

The performances are the real highlights of the film with Brit-Charde Sellers giving a very natural and realistic portrayal of a woman driven to her wit's end by Orange Green's pestering. Timothy J. Cox, proving himself to be the Johnny Depp of indie cinema in his ability to play almost every conceivable role a scriptwriter can come up with, gives another tremendous performance imbuing his character with a genuine sense of creepiness.

For more information on how you can download a free copy of the film, check out Director Meg Skaff's website at: http://www.megskaff.com

GREG’S GUARDIAN ANGEL Shooting Set For Mid-March

2012-01-03T07:58:00.002-08:00

Principal photography for the All Things Random / Phalanx Film & Video production of GREG’S GUARDIAN ANGEL is set to take place in the middle of March.

A date for the read through before shooting is still not set, but I expect that to take place at the end of January.

LINDA LE THORN AND THE MUSIC BOX Shoot This Friday

2012-01-03T07:58:00.001-08:00

I will be heading to Brooklyn on Friday morning to shoot my brief scene as Purple Green in LINDA LE THORN AND THE MUSIC BOX.

I’m thrilled to be working with writer / director Meg Skaff again and know that the finished film will be great!

THE YEAR IN REVIEW

2011-12-28T11:02:00.000-08:00

To be honest, it’s been a very good year.

Sure, there were some things that didn’t go well (the film BURIAL comes to mind off the top of my head) but overall, it was a very positive and productive year. Many of the films and plays I appeared in this past year received great reviews, which is always nice. Most importantly, the works were seen, which means more than the press, although the press was nice.

I’m hopeful that 2012 will be even more successful.

Projects on the horizon for 2012

MAY VIOLETS SPRING with Katherine M. Carter and The Other Mirror

LINDA LE THORN AND THE MUSIC BOX with Meg Skaff

GREG’S GUARDIAN ANGEL with All Things Random

MARTY AND DOUG’S NEW RELIGION, PART II with All Things Random

KINGDOM COME with Two Man Crew Productions

Who knows what else will pop up this coming year!

Trailer for LINDA LETHORN AND THE MUSIC BOX, Plus Orange and Purple Green Pictured Together

2011-12-28T05:35:00.001-08:00

Here is the link to the trailer for Meg Skaff's newest film LINDA LETHORN AND THE MUSIC BOX

http://vimeo.com/33980348

Also, here is a picture of me as both Orange Green and Purple Green.

THE GOOD MAN Re-Shoot On January 22nd

2011-12-27T05:21:00.001-08:00

Due to some technical issues, I will be re-shooting my brief scenes as baddie Warren Conrad in director Mike Sgroi’s short film THE GOOD MAN on Sunday, January 22nd. I’ll be heading back to New Jersey with Mike to the home of co-star Darrin Biss to re-shoot my scenes. We had a good time shooting the first time around, so this should be a piece of cake.

LINDA LETHORN AND THE MUSIC BOX Next Friday, January 6th

2011-12-27T05:20:00.001-08:00

Next Friday, I will be heading to Brooklyn to shoot a brief scene in Meg Skaff’s newest film LINDA LETHORN AND THE MUSIC BOX, where I will be playing Purple Green, the brother of Orange Green, the character I played in TERRY KENDALL AND ORANGE GREEN.

It’s one brief scene, so it should only take a few hours.

Next Project: MAY VIOLETS SPRING

2011-12-19T06:00:00.003-08:00

At the start of the new year, I shall re-uniting with director Katherine M. Carter to work on MAY VIOLETS SPRING, a new project with her brand new company The Other Mirror, who also produced her recent adaptation of MADAME BOVARY, which was just fantastic, by the way.

MAY VIOLETS SPRING is a new rendering of Shakespeare’s HAMLET, adapted by my MIDSUMMER co-star James Parenti. As you may recall, I did an informal reading of HAMLET a few months back, with a cutting done by Jim. Since then, Jim has been working on the adaptation and MAY VIOLETS SPRING is the fruit of his labors.

Here are Jim’s thoughts on the project:

This adaptation of one of Shakespeare's most famous, most loved and most hated tragedies turns the story inside out. Working within the framework and style of the original play, I've reshaped the text, removed and combined characters, and added lengthy passages of original verse. I've made one other major structural change: Ophelia is now aware of all the circumstances of Hamlet's situation. She's now a more active part of the story, becoming a co-protagonist rather than a complication. This re-imagining of the play examines the present-but-slighted theme of responsibility- to oneself, to one's romantic partner, for the unforeseen consequences of one's actions- in times of extreme duress.

We’ll be rehearsing three days a week and then there will be a reading for the public.

I will be playing both Claudius and Polonius, which should be very interesting. Both are great roles, especially Polonius, which has been a dream role of mine for ages, so the chance to investigate the character from a new perspective should be a lot of fun.

Stay tuned for more information on this.

For information about The Other Mirror, please visit http://www.theothermirrortheatre.com

THE ASPHALT CHRISTMAS Comes To A Close

2011-12-19T06:00:00.001-08:00

The three final performances of THE ASPHALT CHRISTMAS this weekend all went wonderfully and we went out in style (and a full house) for the final performance yesterday afternoon, which was attended by a number of my good friends, including director Katherine M. Carter and her boyfriend Nick Ronan; playwright Mya Kagan and her boyfriend, actor Alex Pappas and director of 12th Night of the Living Dead, John Hurley. Thank you all for attending and to everyone who showed their love and support of this production.

We put this wonderful show together in one month. When director Larry Lesher told me about the project, all he said was that the script wasn’t quite finished yet, but that it was going to be funny. I had seen two of playwright Todd Michael’s previous productions and enjoyed them, so I knew that he’d write one heck of a script. After he got my good friends Chris Kateff and Matt Harris involved, of course I was hooked.

Everyone who made a creative contribution to the production deserves high praise. We all worked hard and we created one heck of a product that I am damned proud of.

Prior to the beginning of this process, Todd was told by an individual, who shall remain nameless, that this show was ‘’un-producible.’’

Oh, really?

I would like to direct that individual to the 6 great reviews we received, including being chosen as the ‘’Holiday Pick’’ by nytheatre.com and the consistently great houses we received, with audiences (friends, family and complete strangers) loving every minute of this show.

But I guess that individual who made that ‘’un-producible’’ remark knows better?

Nope.

Last Night's Show

2011-12-17T06:55:00.000-08:00

After Thursday night's fantastic audience, it's easy to get spoiled and expect that kind of reaction always...doesn't always happen. The show last night was pretty solid and the laughs came, but not as much as the previous night.

Great news...we are getting close to selling out our final 3 performances, which is exciting. Nothing better than playing to full houses, especially at the end of the run.

Off to the theate in a bit for prep for the 2PM matinee.

Ryan's Review.com Review of GUNDERSON'S

2011-12-16T07:11:00.000-08:00

GUNDERSON’S
Description (from imdb.com):
Max, about to start his first week of teaching health at a middle school, finds out he has a rare venereal disease with only one symptom.

Major Cast:
Max Azulay as Max, Dan Azulay as Dr. Grossman, Jeremy Fernandez as Ray, Eoin Cahill as Simon, Mike DeGasperi as Carl, Timothy J. Cox as Principal Cox

Special Features:
None

Written by Max Azulay, Matt Porter, Phil Primason and Mallory Westfall
Directed by Matt Porter

Wow, what a sucky doctor’s office visit. Max, getting a routine check-up required to be a teacher, finds out that he has “one of the newest STDs on the market:” Gunderson’s. The only symptom: The Gunderson Twitch. Now, he has to start teaching a bunch of middle-schoolers about health, and part of his curriculum is VDs… including Gunderson’s.

GUNDERSON’S is a movie with very, very little action but it moves at a quick pace regardless. It reminds me of the early films of Kevin Smith; lots of talking and not much doing, but the talking is so well-written and funny that it draws you in anyway. I love the fact that one of Max’s close friends – he sits around with his buds, drinking beer in the woods, and going over his newly discovered ailment – is also a student in his class. The dialogue is very witty and very naturally delivered, and overall the acting is strong.

The video is obviously HD, and looks really good, and the shots are well-planned and look good. Like Smith, there is not a whole lot of camera movement, but there is enough to keep things visually interesting. The sound is not as good as the visual aspects; the music is often too loud, and the dialogue seems to have been recorded with an on-camera mic, so it is not as crisp or as loud as it should be. Don’t get me wrong; G’S sound is not so bad as to make the film unwatchable, not even close, it just does not stand up to the quality of the other aspects of the film.

G’S does a lot of good things for a low-budget film. Especially finding not only a bunch of kids to be in a movie all about a STD, but also finding a talented child actor that can hang with the big boys. The filmmakers were able to secure good locations and good participation by a class full of young extras. The acting quality is also very good on this film, well about the average low-budget. Azulay carries the weight of the film easily as the lead, but all of the supporting actors are also strong. I especially enjoyed the young man, and Cox’s rendition of the middle-school principal that so desperately wants to be cool (but is so obviously not) is also a standout.

Overall, I really enjoyed G’S. It was a well-scripted, well produced dialogue driven comedy that was a lot of fun to watch. I am interested in seeing other things made by this group of talented filmmakers.

Overall 7.5 / 10

G’S on the IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2007390/

G’S is not for sale.

G’S for viewing online: http://player.vimeo.com/video/25697122

G’S site: http://dialtonepictures.com/

Ryan's Review.com Review of THE WATCHERS

2011-12-16T07:10:00.000-08:00

THE WATCHERS
Description (from imdb.com):
After several strange encounters a man begins to question his own sanity in search of what he believes is the truth.

Major Cast:
Jeff Moffitt as John Porter, Timothy J. Cox as Dr. Orwell, Peter Francis Span as Mysterious Man, Darrin Biss as Phil

Special Features:
None

Written by Jeff Moffitt and Sy Cody White
Directed by Sy Cody White

THE WATCHERS delves into a genre that low-budget films often shy away from: the suspense thriller. Doing these reviews, I watch lots of comedies, and even more horror flicks, but it is not too often that I get a suspense thriller. This is a genre of film that does not necessarily require a large budget, so it does surprise me how infrequently independent filmmakers choose to attempt this sort of film. On the other hand, a suspense thriller is not nearly as “easy” of a genre to do. Not to say that making a low-budget comedy or horror is an easy task, but with a thriller every little thing must be right to achieve the overall feeling needed to make the film effective, and this perfectionist need becomes even more imperative when you add in the “psychological” element to the thriller.

TW tells the story of John, a man who is either under surveillance for something he is unaware of, or is becoming a paranoid psychotic. Either way, he is seeing Dr. Orwell (a little heavy handed of a moniker for a “they’re watching me” kinda movie, but a nice nod nonetheless) to try and get his life straight. Between visits with the Dr. and the rest of his ever-increasingly erratic life, John continually attempts to get in touch with his estranged wife and daughter and mend some unknown past hurt. The stress of his life compounds the stress caused by his possible stalkers, and combined his life falls apart.

The scripting for TW is tight. When you make a psychological thriller you have to drop hints at what’s truly happening without giving up the ghost too early; TW does a decent job at this. I figured truth out before the film came out and said it, but it was not plainly obvious, it did manage a bit of subterfuge. TW does a good job of building the story and the suspense in a limited (just under a ½ hour) running time; the character development is not as fulfilling, but if the film gave too much about the characters it would be much easier to give away the plot. The dialogue is well scripted and functional, nothing too snappy but this is not the kind of film that you would expect repeatable lines from.

On the technical side, there were a lot of things TW did well. The direction by White is solid in both the visual aspects and in the direction of the talent. Moffitt is very believable as the disheartened protagonist, carrying the suffering of an unknown loss in his eyes. Cox is also strong as Orwell, as he projects caring and warmth into his character, the one shoulder John has to rest his troubles. The video quality and sound recording was also above par for this budget level, and it’s always great when you can feature a recognizable big city (NYC) in your film.

However, there were some things that TW did falter on. The biggest sore spot for me was the visual effects. If you are going to make a low-budget film, you need to know your limitations. If you cannot afford to film an explosion, or if you do not have access to someone that can make a believable explosion, don’t feature an explosion. TW has an explosion that came across so fake to me, that it completely pulled me out of the story and ruined my suspension of disbelief. Normally I wouldn’t make such a big deal out of something like this, but the fact that TW did everything else SO WELL made this shortcoming much more readily apparent to me. There are ways to get around a scene like this without going cheesy – put it in the background, put it off-screen, make is something that we learn about from a bystander but we do not see – any of these options would have kept my interest in the film from be wrenched away and kept my attention on the plot instead of being diverted to the effects. There were also a few minor characters that did not have the acting chops of the major players; this is to be expected in a low-budget film, but again the disparity in the quality between the key actors and the back-up also made that lowered quality stand out so much more.

Overall, TW is a strong film that delves into a less oft portrayed genre in the low-budget world, and does it pretty well. The quality of much of the film is well above par for the budget level it is created within, and for the most part TW gets things really right. Normally such high quality would be a boon for a film with a low budget, but with TW that high quality makes the few low points seem so much lower. TW was a good low-budget psychological thriller, and with just a little more planning, a little more restraint, a little more design, it would have been great. I look forward to seeing what these talented filmmakers can do in the future, and definitely hope to see more from them.

Overall 6.5 / 10

TW on the IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1729237/

TW is not for sale.

TW site: http://twomancrewproductions.weebly.com/

Ryan's Review.com Review of OVER COFFEE

2011-12-16T07:09:00.000-08:00

OVER COFFEE
Description (from imdb.com):
Andrew only comes to work for one reason, and that reason is Carla. She may not know it, but he’s crazy about her and will do anything for her – something he might have to prove sooner than he thinks.

Major Cast:
Erik Potempa as Andrew, Jocelyn DeBoer as Carla, Michael Oberholtzer as David, Timothy J. Cox as Hamilton Rice, Mallory Portnoy as Laura

Special Features:
None

Written and Directed by Sean Meehan

OVER COFFEE is a sweet little story about an office romance-to-be, and what a guy will go out of his way to do for the girl he crushes on. Carla is the office admin, and has to deal with not only the standard scheduling / prepping / running things, but also has to have hard-ass boss Mr. Rice’s complicated coffee order perfect and hot when he comes in the door. Andrew would love to show Carla just how much he likes her, while David would just like to show Carla (and any other female) to his bedroom. Mr. Rice comes in with little warning one day, and Carla has not had a chance to get all her other stuff done, much less get the über-complicated coffee, giving Andrew the chance to step up.

With a running time of only about 15 minutes, OC does a good job of character development in a short span of time. The dialogue is natural and snappy; it’s no Tarantino, but it definitely has some style. All of the actors are strong; Oberholtzer as David could have stepped right out of OFFICE SPACE (“Gonna show her my ‘o’ face” could have been one of his lines), and I loved the juxtaposition of Cox’s very controlling Mr. Rice, who is in turn controlled by his mother.

The story was fun, and I loved the thieving coffee woman. There were a couple of logical issues that go to me though. For example: what kind of gainfully employed person would not have a credit, or at least a debit, card? And on the very slight off-chance that there really is a person like this, I have a hard time believing that they would not have cash in hand. On the other hand, I realize that with any of this the central conflict of the story would not be there… but you always could have had a sign on the cash register that says “Credit Card Scanner Down, Cash Only” and then I would not have wasted all of this brain power on this!

The video quality was very good, and the composition of the images was pleasing. There was good use of handheld video – some movement to the shots but it wasn’t THE BLAIR WITCH PROJECT – and good sound quality. The lighting was a bit spotty; in some shots it is very natural and unobtrusive, while some other shots are not as well lit and the lighting’s much more apparent.

Overall, I enjoyed OC. It was a fun little flick that moved at a good pace and never got boring, and you’ve got to love a character that is mean to everyone because they’re mommy is mean to them at home!

Overall 7 / 10

OC on the IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1672176/

OC is not for sale.

OC for viewing online: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MpVBOQL3cLI

OC site: http://www.overcoffeemovie.com/

The Perfect Audience

2011-12-16T06:26:00.001-08:00

If an award can be given to the best audience, it would have been given to last nights’ crowd, as they enjoyed the hell out of the show. They jumped on the band wagon early on and enjoyed the ride for all 80 minutes. It was a real pleasure to perform for them.

Back again tonight…with hopefully an audience that is just as spirited.

Best if Off-Broadway Review of THE ASPHALT CHRISTMAS

2011-12-15T10:30:00.000-08:00

OFF-BROADWAY REVIEW OF THE ASPHALT CHRISTMAS

Reviewed by Ron S. Covar
Published 2011-12-15

Dark Christmas

White. Merry. Happy. What do these words have in common? They usually precede the word Christmas. But asphalt is a word which we don't normally associate with Christmas. That's why a show called The Asphalt Christmas makes an intriguing title. It grabs you right away.

Grayce Productions' The Asphalt Christmas is about a young girl who gets possessed by the devil (complete with the infamous 360-degree turn of the head a la Linda Blair in The Exorcist), causing her to harm people she dislikes. In the end, she eventually gets rid of the devil in her and, as a bonus, she also gets reunited with her estranged mother.
With its glittery costumes, cross-dressing actors, nun and priest characters, numerous references to old movies and occasionally risqué dialogue, The Asphalt Christmas reminds audience of Charles Busch's The Divine Sister which was seen last season at Soho Playhouse.

The Asphalt Christmas indeed provides a slew of references to relics from a bygone era: singers and songs (Cole Porter, It's De-lovely); movies (Casablanca, Double Indemnity, I'll Cry Tomorrow); iconic names (Kowalski); Broadway tunes (Send in the Clowns); Hollywood trademarks (Kirk Douglas' cleft chin, Rosebud). This show is not meant for the twitter generation which is not likely to catch the humor in all these. This is probably part of the reason why some of the punchlines which were meant to elicit laughter fell flat.

But this parody does not stop at movie references. Director Lawrence Lesher stages it like a B-movie. Louis Lopardi's light and sound design are reminiscent of late night horror movies. Even the actors' deliberately campy acting would delight Ed Wood.

In the context of today's off-Broadway casting trend which leans heavily on smaller cast, The Asphalt Christmas' cast of nine actors, with some playing double or even triple roles, can be considered a Cecil B. De Mille production in scope.

The show's talented actors are effective in their respective roles. David L. Zwiers as Sister Mary Bernadette is a riot with her un-Christian antics. Nancy Kellogg Gray as Sister Mary Joseph is delightful to watch as an authentic-looking nun who is prone to accidents. Matt Harris as the annoying brat, Mickey Loomis, provides the perfect foil to the ambitious Veda Munson, played by Jessica Luck with just the right blend of sweetness (until she descends to Linda Blair territory). As Dixie La Hiff, playwright-actor Todd Michael struts the stage with such panache which could put the Kardashian sisters to shame. Timothy J. Cox displays versatility in his triple roles. Brian Hopson is equally impressive in three totally different characters. In her dual role, Courtney Cook is funny as the obligatory sexy character. Chris Kateff as Father O'Day is effective as the only seemingly sane character which provides the common thread in this show’s highly convoluted plot.

David L. Zwiers' vintage costumes are appropriate for the show's period and genre. Joemca and Todd Michael's The First Syllable of Christmas is the Greatest Syllable of All, which serves as the final song number, is a showstopper, literally and figuratively.

Todd Michael's complex script serves the audience with a huge dose of coincidences and multiple subplots borrowed from old movies. Although one does not expect to see the usual character arc and logical plot development in a show of this genre, one wishes that the team of Michael and Lesher have upped the ante and not let this show be just a rehash of everything we have seen before. Still, this show is silly fun.

This Asphalt Christmas is as darkly funny as any show could get this holiday season. A dark Christmas. Like the color of asphalt.

The Return Of The Show

2011-12-15T04:44:00.000-08:00

The return of THE ASPHALT CHRISTMAS last night was a spirited one.

It was as if the cast hadn’t had a break at all. We came back together and gave, what I consider, our best performance of the entire run.

We played to a house of 40 (not bad at all for a Wednesday night) and everything just felt right.

I’m hoping for an even bigger crowd tonight.

Another Quazen.com Review of THE ASPHALT CHRISTMAS

2011-12-14T11:49:00.000-08:00

Theatre Review: The Asphalt Christmas

Published on December 14, 2011 by Emily Cole in Theatre

Looking for something naughty AND nice this Christmas season? Emily Cole suggests you head over to the Studio Theatre at Theatre Row Studios in Manhattan and see Gracye Productions’ new concoction The Asphalt Christmas, a glorious 80 minute giggle-fest that parodies film classics from the 30’s 40’s and 50’s.

Looking for something naughty AND nice this Christmas season?

Then I suggest you head over to the Studio Theatre at Theatre Row Studios in Manhattan and see Gracye Productions’ new concoction The Asphalt Christmas, a glorious 80 minute giggle-fest that parodies film classics from the 30’s 40’s and 50’s and for some added fun, The Exorcist.

The production, which runs at Theatre Row on 42nd Street until the 18th, is about Veda Munson (Jessica Luck) who raises holy hell at St. Celestine’s Parish when she becomes possessed by the devil, causing injuries to numerous students who stand in her way to glory at the upcoming annual Christmas pageant, directed by the parish’s new curate Fr. Patrick Dennis O’Day (Chris Kateff) a former song and dance man who left his partner Eddie Knight (Timothy J. Cox) in the dust to take up the priesthood. O’Day’s faith is tested when he becomes infatuated by Veda’s long lost mother, a burlesque star named Dixie La Hiff (Mr. Michael), who happens to be engaged to O’Day’s former partner Knight, who is now a film quoting copper. Hilarity ensues as Fr. O’Day not only does battle with the devil, but with his own inner passions and feelings for Dixie.

The Asphalt Christmas is presented as a farce in the tradition of the films of Mel Brooks and the sketches ofThe Carol Burnett Show where the performances are all grounded in reality, yet there is complete chaos taking place on the stage.

The whole affair is seamlessly directed by Lawrence Lesher, who keeps things moving along at a break neck pace.

Mr. Lesher is also to be commended for employing many wonderful visual bits into the production that called to mind comparisons to the theatrical productions The 39 Steps and Greater Tuna, specifically the classic head spinning scene from The Exorcist, as well some amusing bits involving a bird on a stick that taunts actor Timothy J. Cox.

Solid performances come from Mr. Michael, Mr. Cox and Chris Kateff as Dixie, Eddie Knight and Fr. O’Day, respectively, each driving all of their scenes with enthusiasm and energy. Mr. Cox also scores in two brief supporting turns as an embittered convict about to face the electric chair and as a harried stage manager at the burlesque house where Dixie works. Brian Hopson, Courtney Cook and Matt Harris are also standout, with Mr. Hopson and Ms. Cook excelling in a number of colorful character turns, while Mr. Harris earned well deserved laughs as a scrappy juvenile delinquent, especially in one of the evenings’ funniest scenes, where Mr. Harris tries to do battle with Jessica Luck’s demon, only to get beaten up pretty bad, with hilarious results.

David L. Zwiers’ costume designs sparkle, while Louis Lopardi’s sound designs add style and flair to the proceedings.

A real holiday delight, The Asphalt Christmas runs at The Studio Theatre at Theatre Row Studios until December 18th.

Tickets are available at Telecharge.com

For information on the production, please visit www.gracyeproductions.org

THE ASPHALT CHRISTMAS Returns Tonight

2011-12-14T06:27:00.000-08:00

While it has been nice to rest for a few days, I am now chomping at the bit to jump back on stage again in THE ASPHALT CHRISTMAS which returns tonight.

AUTOPHOBIA Completed

2011-12-14T06:26:00.000-08:00

Writer / Director Chai Dingari forwarded me an online copy of AUTOPHOBIA, which has been re-titled THE MISOGYNIST, last evening, which I watched right away and I was very happy with the finished product. My role as Frost, the agent to photographer Harlan (wonderfully played by Pascal Yen-Pfister) whose life and career are slowly unraveling, was brief, but I think I scored my points. I had a great time working on the film with Chai and Pascal and hope for the chance to work with both of them again.

Vote For THE ASPHALT CHRISTMAS

2011-12-12T11:07:00.001-08:00

The Asphalt Christmas needs your help!

We're trying to secure nominations for the New York Innovative Theatre Awards and we need your help.

Please take a moment to visit and sign up (takes seconds) at http://www.nyitawards.com

After you've signed in, please click ''Vote'' on the left hand side of the page. You will then see a list of shows. Scroll down and you will see The Asphalt Christmas. Follow the directions and submit your vote.

Thanks so much for your support and be sure to spread the word!

AuthSpot Review of THE ASPHALT CHRISTMAS

2011-12-12T07:20:00.000-08:00

Gracye Productions’ THE Asphalt Christmas Celebrates The Magic and Wonder of Theatre

Nicky Howard reviews Gracye Productions’ THE ASPHALT CHRISTMAS, a parody of Christmas films, written by Todd Michael and directed by Lawrence Lesher.

When discussing parody, I believe that there are two schools of thought on the matter.

There’s the ‘’mindless parody’’, where there’s not much of a plot, but really only a flimsy clothesline to link gags and where the characters are not really characters, but nothing more than targets for punchlines.

Take the Scary Movie films for example, where it tried to link various horror film scenarios together in a comical way. It made an attempt at cohesive story lines, well at least the first film did and sometimes it worked, but after a while, it got stale and the films and their comic bits became driven by scatological based humor, which can be funny, but it also gets tiresome, as evidenced in other parody attempts like Disaster Movie and Not Another Teen Movie (and many others of that oeuvre) which all proved to be dismal misfires in the genre, mostly because they relied only on the scatological and on nothing else.

Like any good film or play, story is everything, even in a parody. Just look at the classics like Airplane and The Naked Gun, which were able to combine some scatological with the clever and still engage the audience with the story, something films like Disaster Movie and Meet The Spartans were not able to accomplish.

To this critic, caring nothing for the high box office receipts some of these films have acquired, feel that many of these films of late have given the art form of ‘’parody’’ a bad name. Yes, I called it an art form.

In discussing the other school of thought, which I shall call the ‘’detailed parody’’, let’s take the theatrical production of The 39 Steps, which I had the pleasure of seeing both in London and here in New York a few years back.

While not a parody per se, it did, quite perfectly, present a wonderful send up of that original Alfred Hitchcock film, which was not a comedy, but the production elevated that original source material and proved to be hysterically funny because of it’s quick pace, intelligent and imaginative staging and most impressive of all, a certain reverence and dedication to the period and style that was being parodied. I don’t get that feeling from the Scary Movie films.

What made The 39 Steps so marvelous was that it was all in the details. The staging, the costumes, the casting. The details equaled more laughs and that attention to detail is what’s makes playwright Todd Michael’s latest piece The Asphalt Christmas, which sends up the Christmas films of Bing Crosby, spliced with the gritty films of Cagney and The Exorcist, so rousing a success.

Michael’s tale follows Patrick Dennis O’Day (Chris Kateff), a one-time vaudevillian who after the demise of the art form, has broken up his act with partner Eddie Knight (Timothy J. Cox) and answered God’s call to become a man of the cloth. On his next assignment at St. Celestine’s though, O’Day finds that his faith is about to be tested, in more ways than one, chief among those are the demonic possession of a young student (Jessica Luck) in his parish, who bears a striking resemblance to the evil Patty McCormack in The Bad Seed and a possible romance with a burlesque star (playwright Michael) who happens to be the possessed student’s long lost mother and the fiancé of O’Day’s former partner, Eddie, who is now a cop with a penchant for quoting movies.

Throw in a few nuns, some rascally teenagers, a creepy groundskeeper in the Karl Lee Childers mold, drunken priests, heads spinning (yes), pigeons on sticks (yes) and other farcical lunacy and you have The Asphalt Christmas.

Joy was what I felt as I left the Studio Theatre at Theatre Row Studios last evening after attending a performance of Mr. Michael’s riotous production that featured all of that and much more including imaginative staging and direction from Lawrence Lesher, a funny and sharp script by Mr. Michael and a team of professional performers who play every moment, comic or otherwise, for all its worth.

The production, playing at The Studio Theatre until December 18th, is a great example of the ‘’detailed parody’’ I was speaking of earlier. Like The 39 Steps, this is a production that truly celebrates the magic and wonder of theatre.

When you incorporate farce into a parody, which director Lesher incorporates throughout, you need a solid script and Todd Michael’s is a real winner here, with a story as smart as it is entertaining, with dialogue that crackles with wit, grit and even a little heart. If you’re a fan of classic movies, this is one production that you will appreciate and adore.

Michael’s script is brought to life by veteran comedy director Lesher, who keeps the laughs coming for the entire 80 minute production, which zips along, but never feels forced or rushed. He also keeps the comedy/ farce grounded in reality, which only adds to the humor and at times, downright lunacy. Lesher also managed to incorporate (with hilarious results) the famous head spinning scene from The Exorcist that had me and many others rolling in the aisles. It was one of many ingenious visual treats incorporated into the production. The production also benefits from some strong and imaginative sound design by Louis Lopardi.

Lesher also scores big because of his casting and his team of actors, across the board, are fantastic, each investing their roles (several actors play 3-4 different roles) with variety, energy and imagination. Leading the pack is the extraordinary Chris Kateff, who brings humor, charm and warmth to his performance as the Bing Crosby inspired Father Patrick O’Day. Playwright Todd Michael is equally skilled comically in his performance as Dixie La Hiff, a burlesque performer with a heart of gold. With the arch of his eyebrow, Michael receives uproarious laughter and applause. Razor sharp in three supporting roles is the solid Timothy J. Cox, who soars in the play’s prologue in a great turn as death row inmate Moose Kowalski, a tough guy in the Cagney mold; in a brief turn as a crotchety burlesque house manager and finally, magnificent as Eddie Knight, a Robert Stack-esque cop, with a habit of quoting movies again and again and again. Mr. Cox was involved in one of the evenings’ funniest visual bits. I won’t give it away, although I will say it involved him and a pigeon on a stick. Matt Harris is also stand out, playing it broad as the degenerate kid Mickey Loomis, a combination of Mickey Rooney from Boys Town and Lennie from Of Mice and Men and it works marvelously with Mr. Harris proving to be an astonishingly gifted comic actor. Of the remaining cast, Courtney Cook, Brian Hopson, Jessica Luck, Nancy Kellogg Gray and David L. Zwiers (who also designed the vivid costumes) all deserve immense praise for their high-spirited performances.

The Asphalt Christmas plays at The Studio Theatre until December 18th, but hopefully this will not be the last time we see this production, director Lesher, playwright Michael and this amazing cast in action.

For information on tickets to The Asphalt Christmas, please visit the production’s official website at www.gracyeproductions.org

Quazen.com Review Of THE ASPHALT CHRISTMAS

2011-12-12T07:01:00.000-08:00

Off-Off Broadway Theater Review: The Asphalt Christmas

Published on December 9, 2011 by NYCTheaterLuvah in Theatre

Gracye Productions’ new parody The Asphalt Christmas was a charming and delightful homage to the classic films of the 30’s, 40’s and 50’s.

The farce / parody The Asphalt Christmas, which opened Thursday evening at The Studio Theatre at Theatre Row Studios, was a charming and delightful homage to the classic films of the 30’s, 40’s and 50’s, with specific references to the Christmas films of Bing Crosby, the gangster films of James Cagney and the tearjerker films of Spencer Tracy. Oh, and there’s references to a little known film from the 70’s called The Exorcist.

Playwright Todd Michael, a veteran of these types of parodies for a decade in New York City, crafted an amusing tale about kindly priest Father O’Day (Chris Kateff), a burlesque diva (Mr. Michael) and her demonically possessed chiild (Jessica Luck) who wreaks havoc on the nuns and students of St. Celestine’s Parish as it prepares for its annual Christmas pageant.

The production was directed with precision and flair by Lawrence Lesher, who proved with this outing that he is not afraid to go the outrageous route, as evidenced by his staging which integrated Linda Blair style head spinning, a pigeon on a stick for an amusing bit late in the play and many more visual treats that you would have to see for yourself to enjoy.

Added to the mix are a score of unique characters, from a ruler wielding nun (David L. Zwiers), to a creepy, giggly groundskeeper (Brian Hopson), to a cine-phile cop (Timothy J. Cox) and many others.

Playwright Mr. Michael and Director Mr. Lesher have given us a sharp and detailed parody production, with many of the scenes sparkling with the fire of the early Warner Brothers pictures that made Cagney and Bogart stars. Mr. Lesher did an exemplary job of keeping all of the scenes moving at a solid pace and his staging was well complimented by Louis Lopardi’s appropriately overly dramatic music, which was edited together from the classic scores of numerous films, adding tension to all of the scenes, but more importantly, adding to the comedy and lunacy.

The outrageous characters created by Mr. Michael were brought to life by an outstanding cast with favorites including Chris Kateff, who anchored the production with a strong performance as Father O’Day, performing quite the feat, as he somehow managed to play the straight man wonderfully amongst a complete sea of madness, but it was the innocence and honesty that he brought to the role that made the characterization such as success. Courtney Cook was also a favorite, scoring big time in her portrayals of a Rosalind Russell stylized newspaperwoman; as dingbat burlesque star Bubbles Flamour and was a hoot as the boozy Heloise Fralick, the mother of one of the children victimized by the possessed students’ demonic powers. Another stand out was Matt Harris as wicked juvenile delinquent Mickey Loomis, inspired by the Whitey Marsh character in Boys Town, made famous by Mickey Rooney. Mr. Harris was engaged in a number of physical comedy bits throughout the show and he proved more than expert in that physical comedy department. My hands down favorite though was the fantastic Timothy J. Cox, who hit the bulls-eye with three great character turns, changing skillfully from the tough as nails death row inmate Moose Kowalski; to the cantankerous burlesque stage manager Ziggy and finally to his wonderful turn as the movie quoting cop Eddie Knight. In all three of his characterizations, Mr. Cox had the style and delivery of classic Hollywood down pat.

Rounding out the great cast are Nancy Kellogg Gray, Brian Hopson, Jessica Luck, playwright Mr. Michael and David L. Zwiers.

Mr. Zwiers is also to be commended for his outstanding costume designs, which added color and flavor to the characterizations and to the entire production.

The Asphalt Christmas plays at the Studio Theatre at Theatre Row Studios until December 18th.

For information on the production, please visit www.gracyeproductions

Used New York Review of THE ASPHALT CHRISTMAS

2011-12-12T05:31:00.001-08:00

Gracye Productions Presents “The Asphalt Christmas”

Posted on December 10, 2011

By: Jessica Tiare Bowen

When you think of any theatrical production that has the word “Christmas” in the title, usually images of Tiny Tim, baby Jesus, or jolly ol’ St. Nick come to mind. Wholesome, pure characters that evoke the reason for the season, albeit a bit stereotypically. For those of you who have had your dose of wholesome for the season, scrap watching reruns of “It’s A Wonderful Life”, and get down to Theatre Row Studio to see your not-so-typical Christmas performance, The Asphalt Christmas.

Presented by Gracye Productions, The Asphalt Christmas is a play written by Todd Michael and directed by Lawrence Lesher that tells the story of St. Celestine’s annual holiday pageant in New York City, circa the roaring 1950’s. Replace the Virgin Mary with a possessed fifteen-year old girl, throw in her long-lost burlesque queen mother, a singing priest with a past, a few very eccentric nuns, and a very special janitor, and you have the perfect ensemble for your slightly off-kilter Christmas play! The Asphalt Christmas explores the season-appropriate themes of forgiveness and love, with a side of betrayal and lust thrown in for good measure.

The cast must be applauded for their amazingly high-energy performance. Several of the performers played multiple roles, never missing a beat. I was particularly enamored by Brian Hopson’s portrayal of the character Willard, the very special janitor. I’m quite sure in all my year’s of theater-going, I’ve never seen someone’s lips snarl quite like his. It may sound trivial, but trust me, you’ll be laughing so hard your side will hurt.

For a true theatrical treat, turn off “A Christmas Carol”, throw on your favorite reindeer sweater, and head down to Theatre Row to let “the power of Christmas compel you”. For holiday laughs like these, we’re quite sure Tiny Tim will understand.

WHERE: Studio Theatre at Theatre Row
410 West 42nd Street
New York, new York 10036
WHEN: Showing through December 18th, 2011
TICKETS: $18, may be purchased online.

Opening Weekend A Success!

2011-12-12T05:30:00.001-08:00

The opening weekend for THE ASPHALT CHRISTMAS went very well. Houses were of medium size, with the exception of Saturday night, where we were close to full capacity. Saturday nights’ performance also proved to be the best received performance of the run so far. We’re riding high on the great review by Martin Denton of nytheatre.com, as well as a another nice review from the site Used New York, which I shall be posting shortly.

Back on Wednesday.

nytheatre.com Review of THE ASPHALT CHRISTMAS

2011-12-09T12:51:00.000-08:00

nytheatre in review by Martin Denton

The Asphalt Christmas: My Holiday Season Pick

The Asphalt Christmas, the new holiday-flavored comedy/parody/satire by Todd Michael, will NOT remind you of the True Meaning of Christmas, nor will it challenge your assumptions in a transgressive way about dysfunctional holiday family gatherings, nor will it deconstruct or merrily discombobulate holiday cheer and its iconography. No: unlike the umpteen dozen December shows in NYC that do one or more of those things, The Asphalt Christmas is happy to simply do one thing extremely well: give the audience a rip-roarin' fun and funny evening. I highly recommend it for anyone who is od'ing on Christmas Spirit in any form.

Because, although Christmas is part of the title and a Christmas pageant is an important part of the plot in The Asphalt Christmas, this delicious ersatz film melodrama of early '50s vintage is not about Christmas at all. What it is about—like all of Todd Michael's marvelous plays—is The Movies, in all their silly, glitzy glory. Usually Michael focuses on just one or two films which he mashes up to make something weird and hilarious (for example, his recent Right Cross Rhapsody improbably melded Golden Boy and 42nd Street together). This time, Michael has poured literally dozens of classic flicks into the stew: everything from Holiday Inn to Going My Way to The Singing Nun to The Exorcist to (natch) The Asphalt Jungle is in the mix, along with lots of others (including some I probably didn't catch). And there's some Broadway here as well: the opening vamp of the 1932 Ethel Merman song hit "Eadie Was a Lady" is used quite brilliantly, for example, as is a reference to an iconic Merman role later on.

The plot is astonishingly complex, considering how neatly it's all tied up in just 80 minutes. Let me try to summarize. 15-year-old Veda Munson is a student at St. Celestine's School in New York City in 1950. She's a favorite among the sisters who run the school, but lately any student who has crossed her has ended up in the hospital. Father Patrick Dennis O'Day, the new curate assigned to St. Celestine's, finds out that Veda's long-lost mother is none other than Dixie La Hiff, a stripper at Pishky's Burlesque. He manages to reunite mother and daughter, exorcise the devil that has taken possession of Veda, and triumphantly stage the school Christmas pageant, despite all sorts of obstacles, including a gangster breaking out of prison, a drunken Irish priest mentor, a teenage boy with a crush on him, and the very formidable Sister Mary Bernadette, a large nun with shockingly bright red lipstick who is the mother superior.

As always, Michael's dialogue and plotting mines familiar cliches in fresh ways and juxtaposes things that shouldn't go together (a burlesque queen and a ruler-wielding nun, for example). The result is near-non-stop laughter.

Michael takes the role of Dixie La Hiff, another of his trademark tough-talking-dames-with-a-heart-of-gold. Also in drag is David L. Zwiers as Sister Mary Bernadette, who is just as much campy fun. Chris Kateff is charming as the constantly ambivalent Father O'Day (and shows off a fine tenor singing "Toorelora"), while Jessica Luck is dead-on as the sometimes sweet but mostly preternaturally evil Veda. Matt Harris is fun as the inept Mickey Loomis, the kid who is taken with Father O'Day, and Nancy Kellogg Gray is very funny as the dithery Sister Mary Joseph. In multiple roles are Timothy J. Cox (particularly spot-on as Eddie Knight, Dixie's fiance, a vaudevillian-turned-cop), Brian Hopson (as an assortment of nasties), and Courtney Cook (who excels as both Dixie's dressing room-mate at the burlesque house and the mother of one of Veda's rivals).

The enterprise is directed by Lawrence Lesher and produced by Gracye Productions, with economy and spunk. On-target costumes are by Zwiers, and an appropriate and helpful soundscape is provided by Louis Lopardi, who also designed the lighting.

With commercialized Christmas cheer bombarding us relentlessly from about Halloween on, these days, a Christmas show that's not about Christmas is a surprisingly welcome treat. As is anything Todd Michael and company dream up. The Asphalt Christmas is my pick for this holiday season.

Opening Night

2011-12-09T07:07:00.000-08:00

The opening night for THE ASPHALT CHRISTMAS went fairly well.

We played to a nice sized house and people seemed to enjoy themselves, but, overall, the run didn’t feel 100 percent perfect to some of my colleagues (is it ever?), although I felt okay with my own performance. I felt relaxed and at ease in the work, which is when I work best.

No worries if my colleagues felt off...the joy of theatre is that you get to do it again. Every night is an opening night, because it’s new and fresh for the audience and for us the actors.

Pictures From Last Evening's Final Dress of THE ASPHALT CHRISTMAS

2011-12-08T08:20:00.001-08:00

2011-12-08T08:19:00.000-08:00

THE ASPHALT CHRISTMAS – Final Dress Rehearsal

2011-12-08T06:55:00.000-08:00

Eight people attended last evenings’ final dress rehearsal, including actress and colleague from THE TEACHER’S LOUNGE, Deja Aramburu, who attended the production with her boyfriend Daniel. They enjoyed the show very much and I would like to thank them for their support of the production.

Overall, I thought the evening went very well, although we do need to shave about 3-4 minutes from the running time, but that can be easily fixed by picking up cues.

As we enter opening night, I feel very positive about the show and know that people are going to enjoy themselves. The cast is still having a good time, so if the audience sees us having a good time, they will have a good time.

Pictures were taken from last evenings’ performance, so I should be posting them on here and on my website soon.

THE ASPHALT CHRISTMAS - Tech Part Two

2011-12-07T10:40:00.000-08:00

After finishing some cue to cue issues left over from the previous night, we ran the entire show for the first time in the space and aside from some expected bumps with scene changes, the run went pretty well.

For me, it felt great to run the show in the space and yes, there are things to improve on (always is) but overall, I feel very good about the show.

Back again tonight for the final dress rehearsal, which will include a few audience members, which will be great to play to.

LINDA LETHORN AND THE MUSIC BOX

2011-12-06T10:31:00.001-08:00

I will be shooting my scene as Purple Green in LINDA LETHRON AND THE MUSIC BOX on January 6th.

GREG'S GUARDIAN ANGEL Update

2011-12-06T10:30:00.000-08:00

The reading for GREG'S GUARDIAN ANGEL has been moved to mid-January, but shooting to take place in February.

THE ASPHALT CHRISTMAS - Tech Part One

2011-12-06T06:04:00.001-08:00

Last evening was cue to cue night and the start of tech week for THE ASPHALT CHRISTMAS. Most people call it ‘’hell week’’, but to me it’s only hell if things aren’t running smoothly and organized and our cue to cue was, while long, pretty smooth going all the way through. With the help of every actor in the show, we able to easily maneuver all of the scene changes with a minimum of fuss.

The evening was mostly for Louis Lopardi, our hardworking and trusty sound designer and light board operator, who worked his butt off from noon to when we ended at 10:30 last evening and the hard work has really paid off. Louis’ sound designs are fantastic, capturing the mood of the piece perfectly. It adds so much to the scenes and to the show as a whole. Thanks for the hard work, Louis!

After rehearsal, the cast was treated to a very nice email message from actor, writer and producer Todd Michael, who said the following:

You all are the most talented, wonderful and funniest group of people I've had the pleasure to work with. It's an honor and privilege to be on stage with each and every one of you!

Thanks, Todd!

Back again tonight for a run through with costume pieces. I get to sport my fedora as Eddie Knight, so I’m real thrilled about that.

THE ASPHALT CHRISTMAS – Twelve and Thirteen

2011-12-05T05:02:00.001-08:00

This past weekend, THE ASPHALT CHRISTMAS had its final two rehearsals in the Ripley Grier Studio. With each run, the show gets more and more solid and as we begin tech at The Studio Theatre at Theatre Row Studios this evening, I feel very confident about the show and where it is heading.

Now is when the fun really begins!

THE ASPHALT CHRISTMAS Returns Tonight

2011-12-03T05:28:00.000-08:00

Rehearsals for THE ASPHALT CHRISTMAS return tonight nd I'm thrilled to jump back in after a few days rest. Tonight and tomorrow will be our final rehearsals at Ripley Grier Studios, then we move to the Studio Theatre at Theatre Row Studios. The plan is to get 4 runs in over these next 2 days.

THE ASPHALT CHRISTMAS - Eleven

2011-11-29T05:08:00.001-08:00

We knocked a few minutes off of last evenings’ run, which shows that we, the cast and the production as a whole, are going in the right direction.

Now, we have a few days off, as both director Larry Lesher and actor Chris Kateff will be out of town.

Back on Saturday night, for hopefully 2 runs of the show. We’ll have 2 more runs of the show on Sunday before we move into the Studio Theatre on Theatre Row for the start of tech.

THE ASPHALT CHRISTMAS - Ten

2011-11-28T05:23:00.001-08:00

We are drawing nearer to our December 8th opening and excitement with the show continues to brew.

The cast reconnected last evening to run the entire show and it’s really taking shape with everyone continuing to relish the characters they are playing. I’m certainly having a good time. The show is so much fun to perform in and to watch that I can’t wait to get it in front of an audience.

We’re back to run the show again tonight and then we are off until December 3rd.

Here is a link to the website for the show, designed by a friend and colleague of Todd Michael’s: http://www.gracyeproductions.org/

GREG'S GUARDIAN ANGEL Reading Set For The Morning of December 11th

2011-11-25T11:43:00.000-08:00

On the morning of Sunday, December 11th, I will be heading to NJ to participate in a reading of the comedy short GREG'S GUARDIAN ANGEL for All Things Random and Phalanx Film & Video. I do have a performance of THE ASPHALT CHRISTMAS that afternoon at 3PM, but the reading shouldn't go too long.

As previously mentioned, Greg Vorob and Elmer Santos will star as Greg and his guardian angel respectively, while I will be playing Greg's boss in his office job who pops up briefly.

Film Threat Review of GUNDERSON'S

2011-11-25T07:52:00.000-08:00

GUNDERSON’S

****
Year Released: 2011
MPAA Rating: Unrated
Running Time: 13 minutes
Directed by Matt Porter

Written by Max Azulay, Matt Porter, Phil Primason, Mallory Westfall

Starring Max Azulay, Dan Azulay and Timothy J. Cox

Review By Mark Bell

Max (Max Azulay) has recently been diagnosed with Gunderson’s, a new STD that afflicts the genitals and causes the occasional twitch. Most don’t take to a sexually-transmitted disease diagnosis happily, and Max is no different. Well, maybe a little different; he’s a middle school health teacher.

Gunderson’s is supposedly a small storyline from a different project, and despite it definitely lining up with that feel, like you’ve been dropped right in the middle of a much bigger narrative, it works. It works because the film is really funny, and when you go the absurdist humor route and pull it off, you can forgive an awful lot. Make me laugh, and it doesn’t necessarily need to make sense anymore. Plus, and I’ve said this before, if you establish that the rules of the universe onscreen are warped, you can do what you want as long as you respect and work within that warped framework.

And I’ll admit: I love gibberish in totally inappropriate contexts. Watching a middle school health teacher go off in front of his class, treating them as if they’re older than where his maturity stalled, gets a cheap giggle or three out of me. Expand and elevate that foundation with well-written and delivered comedy, and you’ve got me on your side.

If this is really a small bit of a much bigger film, than I want to see the bigger film already. Maybe that’s asking to be disappointed (maybe this is the best bits), but I like what I’ve seen so far, and I want to see more!

THE ASPHALT CHRISTMAS - Nine

2011-11-24T05:27:00.000-08:00

We ran the show last evening again, but without actor Chris Kateff, who is traveling for the Thanksgiving holiday.

Personally speaking, I feel better with each run, but there’s always room for growth and improvement.

After the holidays, we’ll be running the show several times. We’re pretty lucky in that we’ll have 4-5 rehearsals in the Studio Theatre performance space before opening, so I'm not worried.

Just a few weeks until opening. Very exciting!

Inspiration From James Cagney

2011-11-23T06:55:00.001-08:00

I watched the classic film ANGELS WITH DIRTY FACES last evening, as a means of trying to find inspiration for my role as death row inmate Moose Kowalski in THE ASPHALT CHRISTMAS.

I hadn’t been clicking in the role…I felt something was missing and then I started to watch the great James Cagney last evening and I received all the inspiration I need.

One of the greatest actors of all time, Cagney was so tough (even when he was down, out and defeated). If you crossed James Cagney is a James Cagney picture, chances were that you weren’t going to make it out alive. He always brought his experiences of growing up on the streets of New York to every role he played and he never lost that toughness. Watch any of his performances and you’ll see an expert in the art of acting.

Here’s two great quotes on acting from Mr. Cagney

There's not much to say about acting but this. Never settle back on your heels. Never relax. If you relax, the audience relaxes. And always mean everything you say.

All I try to do is to realise the man I'm playing fully, then put as much into my acting as I know how. To do it, I draw upon all that I've ever known, heard, seen or remember.

Back with rehearsal tonight.

THE ASPHALT CHRISTMAS - Eight

2011-11-22T05:22:00.000-08:00

Last evenings’ rehearsal was a short one for me, since actor Chris Kateff was away at an event and most of my scenes are with him.

We did run through the second half of the play and like the first half, is really starting to take shape.

Things with Eddie Knight continue to progress. I really enjoy all the characters that playwright Todd Michael has crafted and I’m having a good time with Eddie Knight. He’s not as broad (comic wise) as some of the other characters in the play, but hopefully the subtlety that I am bringing to the role earns me some laughs.

Ziggy and Moose Kowalski are also fun characters to play. These are pure supporting roles...they come on, do their thing and then they're gone.

Back again Wednesday night.

Possible Reading of GREG'S GUARDIAN ANGEL On December 11th

2011-11-21T06:29:00.000-08:00

It's not set in stone yet, but the hope is that the cast of GREG'S GUARDIAN ANGEL will meet on the morning of December 11th to meet and read the script.

More to come on this soon.

THE ASPHALT CHRISTMAS - Seven

2011-11-21T06:28:00.000-08:00

We did a stumble through of the entire show last night and taking into account that we stopped a few times, we still managed to run the show in one hour and twenty eight minutes, which will obviously go down the more we run it.

It was nice to watch scenes come alive. If there’s one thing about this show, it pops with a lot of energy.

Back again tonight.

THE ASPHALT CHRISTMAS - Six

2011-11-17T05:23:00.001-08:00

Last night, we worked every scene in the play…ran it two to three times and with each run, it got better and better. The show continues to take shape and I couldn’t be more thrilled.

Off till Sunday.

THE ASPHALT CHRISTMAS - Five

2011-11-16T06:00:00.001-08:00

Rehearsals for THE ASPHALT CHRISTMAS continue to go very well.

Last night, we concentrated on all of the physical scenes of the play. We ran them over and over again to cement them in our minds as comedy is all in the details and in being specific, so repetition is important.

In other news, I am happy to report that tickets for the show are already listed and on sale on a number of sites, including Theatremania, TheatreOnline, nytheatre.com and TDF. Org, where tickets are currently on sale for the discounted price of $9. Thanks to our press agent Raquel Perazzo for all of her hard work thus far.

Back with rehearsal tonight to stumble through and clean up any trouble spots.

GREG'S GUARDIAN ANGEL Update

2011-11-15T13:59:00.000-08:00

Director Dan Kowalski is in the process of setting up a table read of GREG'S GUARDIAN ANGEL for next month.

Production on the film will likely take place at the start of 2012.

THE ASPHALT CHRISTMAS - Four

2011-11-15T11:41:00.000-08:00

Four rehearsals in and the show is already coming together, looking pretty solid. I feel that I am going in the right direction with all three roles in the production so far, but of course, there's always plenty of more work to do.

Back again tonight.

AUTOPHOBIA Update

2011-11-14T06:02:00.000-08:00

I heard from director Chai Dingari regarding the status of the short film AUTOPHOBIA and it's coming together nicely.

The deadline for submitting to the Tribeca Film Festival is December 2nd so Chai has to
have a cut by then.

He should be nearing completion this week and can hopefully send me something next weekend.

THE ASPHALT CHRISTMAS - Three

2011-11-14T05:19:00.000-08:00

We finished blocking the play last evening and followed that up by reviewing the play from the beginning. The review went very well, as we managed to revisit the first three scenes of the play. We shall continue our review this evening.

After one full week of rehearsals, already the mood is quite positive, with everyone bringing a lot to the table. There's also a lot of laughter in the rehearsals, which always makes for a harmonious process.

Lines...Lines...Lines

2011-11-12T06:50:00.001-08:00

Lines for THE ASPHALT CHRISTMAS are coming along nicely. It'll be nice to return to tomorrow's rehearsal with 4 scenes memorized. Then I can start having fun with all three of my roles.

Rogue Cinema Review of ARGYLE

2011-11-12T06:48:00.000-08:00

Film Reviews: Argyle (2011) - By Brian Morton

Posted on Thursday, November 03, 2011

Small towns are a very different kind of a place. Everyone knows everyone, your business is always public business and when there’s a scandal the town all bands together to keep it a secret. Well, in the new movie from Dial Tone Pictures, Argyle, a small town fights to keep itself from becoming known as the home of an infamous serial killer….but that’s not the whole story here.

Charlie is a documentarian, he’s just finished a doc that he’s particularly proud of and is excited to hear that a famous doc maker is interested in his work. When this controversial filmmaker calls Charlie, he asks Charlie to go back to his hometown of Argyle and film a portion of a movie about serial killers. It seems that a notorious serial killer was born and bred in Argyle and its Charlie’s job to go back and make a short film about the origins of this monster. The problem is that no one in Charlie’s hometown remembers him…except his parents and his best friend, the town is rallied against him making any movies about this town embarrassment and, finally, he’s been saddled with a boom operator who not only doesn’t want to be there, but is actively agitating the townspeople!

Argyle is the first in a proposed mini-series, and I really hope to see more of this. The acting is very good, the story is good and I really liked the characters, Charlie is very home-spun and down to earth and his friend, Max, has the potential to be a very, very funny character! I’d love to see more from small town Argyle. I’m giving Argyle 3 ½ out of 4 cigars, and it lost that ½ a cigar for being too short for my tastes…I really wanted a bit more. You can visit small town Argyle for yourself by heading over to http://www.dialtonepictures.com.

Screen Shots From THE GOOD MAN

2011-11-11T12:33:00.000-08:00

Here are a pair of screen shots of me as the evil Warren Conrad in Mike Sgroi's THE GOOD MAN.

THE ASPHALT CHRISTMAS - Lines

2011-11-11T05:38:00.000-08:00

I have already started work on lines for THE ASPHALT CHRISTMAS and am happy to report that I have three scenes down and three more to go.

Back with rehearsal on Sunday night.

THE ASPHALT CHRISTMAS - Postcard

2011-11-11T05:37:00.000-08:00

THE ASPHALT CHRISTMAS - Two

2011-11-09T05:20:00.000-08:00

Blocking of the entire play continued last night and now, we have only the last scene of the play (8 pages) left to block, so we are moving along at a very nice pace so far and director Larry Lesher has stated that he loves the energy that everyone is bringing to the project.

Time to start memorizing.

THE ASPHALT CHRISTMAS - One

2011-11-08T05:03:00.000-08:00

Last nights' rehearsal was a lot of fun and we accomplished quite a bit. We managed to block 25 out of the 58 pages in the script, so it is certain that the entire play will be blocked at the end of this week.

Larry is already shaping comic bits and the entire cast is game. Lots of talented people here. It's fun to watch the work already taking place.

Back again tonight!

THE ASPHALT CHRISTMAS Starts Tonight

2011-11-07T05:30:00.000-08:00

I will be heading to the Ripley Grier Studios at 520 8th Avenue this evening for my first rehearsal for THE ASPHALT CHRISTMAS, where we will jump right into the blocking of the show.

Can't wait!

NY NUTS 6 Closes

2011-11-07T05:29:00.001-08:00

The NY NUTS 6 play festival came to a close last evening and it was bittersweet, as I really enjoyed performing in BEYOND A REASONABLE DOUBT, although I am, admittedly, a little sore from all the physical comedy that the play required. Totally worth it.

I hope for the chance to work with both Bara Swain and Lisa Peart again…as soon as possible. Both were wonderful to work with.

Pictures from the production coming soon.

NY NUTS 6 - Performances

2011-11-05T06:53:00.000-07:00

The NY NUTS 6 festival continues to be a lot of fun, with people reacting strongly and positively for BEYOND A REASONABLE DOUBT. Last nights' show felt very strong, with the audience laughing pretty much all the way through.

Back again tonight!

THE ASPHALT CHRISTMAS Script

2011-11-05T06:51:00.000-07:00

I read the script to THE ASPHALT CHRISTMAS in one sitting and loved it. I'm going to have a ball playing death row inmate Moose Kowalski (great name), burlesque stage manager Ziggy and movie quoting cop Eddie Knight.

I get to jump right into these roles on Monday.

Bookstove.com Review of The ''NY NUTS 6'' Play Festival

2011-11-04T10:54:00.000-07:00

Theatre Review: Aching Dog Theatre Company’s "NY Nuts 6”

Published by Peter Sanderson, November 4, 2011

The latest festival of short plays from the Aching Dogs Theatre Company was an evening of hits and misses.

The Aching Dogs Theatre Company premiered their festival of short plays, titled NY Nuts 6 last evening at the Hudson Guild Theatre (441 West 26th Street, between 9th and 10th Avenue).

The festival, which takes place for this weekend only, consists of 8 original short pieces, between 10 and 20 minutes in length and is sponsored by the New York Hotel Trades Council AFL-CIO.

The plays presented were:

Bling Bling! by Alicia Frank

Rooftop by Tammy McNeill

Housekeeping by James Armstrong

Beyond A Reasonable Doubt by Bara Swain

Crisis by Pamela Scott

Divine Intervention by Don Creedon

The Rehearsal by Roberto Mugnai

Jerry Springer Is God by Matt Pelfrey

Short plays are hit or miss with me. I think of short play hit makers like David Ives and Rich Orloff, who seem to make it look so easy and I have wondered for years how they do it. I applaud all playwrights who venture into this challenging area of theatre, but some are much better at it than others. It’s hard enough for a writer to construct an interesting story for a full length play, but for one that’s supposed to be only 10 minutes? What I’ve learned from watching and reading the David Ives’, the Chris Durangs’ and the Rich Orloff’s of the world is that for these kinds of pieces, you need to hook the audience right away. If it’s a comedy, get the laughs out there fast and keep them coming. Good acting and direction also helps. You need to engage and in the case of last evenings’ presentation from the Aching Dogs Theatre Company, some were more successful than others. Overall it was a night of hits and misses.

Bling Bling! by Alicia Frank was the first play of the evening and sadly, I was underwhelmed. For the life of me, I can’t even tell you what the play was about because it was so stunningly incomprehensible that I thought it was nothing more than a play about 3 women who get together to sing and dance. Actresses Nina Rochelle, Brenda Crawley and Elizabeth Dilley invested their roles with considerable energy and gusto, which was appreciated, but ultimately Ms. Frank’s play didn’t engage me, as I was uncertain as to what her characters intentions were. What were they fighting for? What was the story? Director Debra Ann Register did what she could to keep things moving along, but overall, I walked away from Bling Bling! more confused than anything else.

Rooftop by Tammy McNeill was more to my liking. Here was a two-hander about two males, one of them, Tom (Dan Sickles) is about to end his life because he feels that his life is in shambles, but before he decides to end it all, he gets a heavy dose of tough love from his friend Brian (Collin Leydon) who tries to remind him of how good he has it. Ms. McNeill’s play was sharply written with plenty of humor and heart, nicely directed by Tim Ruddy and superbly acted by both Dan Sickles and Collin Leydon.

James Armstrong’s Housekeeping had a lot of potential and did feature a spirited comic performance from Nicole Marie Stultz, as a woman who takes the word ‘’housekeeping’’ to another level when she decides to literally take over a hotel room occupied by Sultan Mahmud’s harried businessman. Sadly, what hampered the production was a very thick accent. Mr. Mahmud’s very thick accent to be exact. Now, Mr. Mahmud is not a bad actor, but his accent was so thick that I could only understand about 20 percent of what he said therefore I couldn’t really follow what was going on in the play. The casting of Mr. Mahmud in a leading role in a comedy proved deadly for the production and I was heartbroken, as obviously, Mr. Mahmud is not to be blamed, but director Sandra Cummings does deserve all of the blame as she did one heck of a disservice to playwright Mr. Armstrong, Ms. Shultz and especially to Mr. Mahmud.

Bara Swain’s quirky, but endearing Beyond A Reasonable Doubt, starred Lisa Peart and Timothy J. Cox, as a soon to be married couple spending the night before their wedding in a small hotel room in Chinatown. Peart’s Olivia is having wedding jitters, but have you ever seen a bride-to-be so jittery that she morphs into the cast of Law and Order: Special Victims Unit? Her fiancé Lloyd (Cox) probably hasn’t, but he loves Olivia no matter what, so with the will and determination of a hostage negotiator, Lloyd tries to bring her back to reality with love and with care. It was a charming piece, thanks largely to the adorable pair of Peart and Cox, who elevated the material with their winning and energetic performances.

In Crisis by Pamela Scott, a father (Eliud Kauffman) has his hands full one afternoon dealing with his ex-wife (Darcy Reed), while on the verge of becoming a Dad again with his current fiancée (Michelle Ebner) who wants the first marriage to be annulled. The daughter, Jennifer (Bridget Rooney) is stuck in the middle, uncertain where she fits in all of this and who she is going to be living with when the dust settles. Obviously, there’s a lot of tension between these characters, but Ms. Scott’s play soared because of its humor and always having its heart in the right place. The production received a boost from director Susan Pilar, and from her cast, all of whom did very nice work, especially Bridget Rooney who sparkled as Jennifer.

Divine Intervention by Don Creedon is about Grainne (Diana Craig) who has been married five times, who just hasn’t met the right guy I guess, so for the first time in 31 years, she visits her local priest, Father Divine (Jeffrey Mitchell) with some shocking admissions. While Mr. Creedon’s play was perceptive and witty and while Jeffrey Mitchell had nice moments as Father Divine, overall the production plodded along with no real energy or enthusiasm, largely due to ponderous direction, specifically a very slow pace, from director Walter Michael DeForest.

The Rehearsal by Roberto Mugnai suffered the same problem as Housekeeping. Here was another case of a thick accent in a comedy that proved deadly for the production. Sadly, the accent, which belonged to playwright / actor Roberto Mugnai was one of the many problems with the production. For example, the casting of playwright / elder actor Mugnai opposite the young Michelle Ebner, who are supposed to be getting married might have worked if the play addressed the fact that the woman is marrying a much older man. But it doesn’t, so it looked more than a little awkward. Regarding the play itself, it dealt with Mugnai and Ebner as Marvin and Valarie, who show up at their church for their wedding rehearsal, but their priest (Sana Hem Keith) is running late and while waiting, the couple begins to bicker. The bickering escalates into all out war, bringing demise to their engagement and thank God, because this was one unpleasant couple. In fact, Mr. Mugnai’s entire play was so unpleasant and quite mean, with characters that were downright grating on the nerves that frankly, I couldn’t wait for the play to be over. There was a running (unfunny) gag of both parties constantly cussing in the church, causing other parishioners to shush them. It was a cheap attempt at laughs. I wanted to shush them as well, because trust me, it was not funny.

The final show of the evening, Jerry Springer Is God by Matt Pelfrey was about a group of twenty-somethings who, at the urging of Tex (Vance Clemente) decide to stage a fight in the hopes of getting picked to be guests on The Jerry Springer Show. Unfortunately, Tex’s friends don’t share his enthusiasm and abandon the idea, but when RC (Greg Prosser) learns that Jim (Oz Agu) has been sleeping with his girlfriend, Tex has everything he needs and of course, a big fight ensues with everyone engaging in Springer-style antics. A likable cast has a lot of fun with the material handed to them by Mr. Pelfrey. You would that think that the whole Jerry Springer phenomenon is too 1999, but it’s still quite topical and very amusing.

Like I said before, I applaud all playwrights who venture into this challenging area of theatre, but to reiterate, some are much better at it than others.

The NY Nuts 6 festival plays its final performance this Sunday.

For information on the Aching Dogs Theatre Company, please visit www.nyhtc.org/secured.php?page=aching_dogs

Opening Night A Success!

2011-11-04T10:52:00.001-07:00

Last evenings' opening night was a rousing success for all of the shows in the ''NY NUTS 6'' festival. We played to a large house, which gave each show a warm reception.
I thought BEYOND A REASONABLE DOUBT went very well and am thrilled that people enjoyed it.

I get to do it all over again tonight!

THE ASPHALT CHRISTMAS Cast List and Other Info

2011-11-03T05:43:00.002-07:00

Director Larry Lesher plans to get a script in my hands today, which I am looking forward to. According to Larry, the reading on Tuesday night went very well. Looking forward to joining the madness.

Here is the cast list for THE ASPHALT CHRISTMAS

Courtney Cook (Torchy Farrell / Bubbles Flamour / Heloise Fralick)
Timothy J. Cox (Moose Kowalski / Ziggy / Eddie Knight)
Nancy Kellogg Gray (Sister Mary Joseph)
Matt Harris (Mickey Loomis)
Brian Hopson (Warden / Willard / Father McLaughlin / Joe Loomis)
Chris Kateff (Father Patrick O'Day)
Lawrence Lesher (Director)
Jessica Luck (Veda Munson)
Todd Michael (Dixie La Hiff aka Phyllis Munson / playwright)
David Zwiers (Sister Mary Bernadette / costumer)

Tuesdays' Tech and Last Night's Final Dress

2011-11-03T05:43:00.001-07:00

The last two nights have been spent in the Hudson Guild Theatre space. It’s been a little chaotic for the festival, as getting things like scene changes to flow seamlessly takes time and practice.

Speaking only for BEYOND A REASONABLE DOUBT, I feel that Lisa and I have adjusted to the space and continue to have the same fun with the play and our roles that we had in the rehearsal rooms in the previous weeks. People seem to be enjoying the show as Lisa and I have received numerous comments and compliments of the work from actors and directors in the other shows.

Here’s some great news! Last night, Bara Swain informed Lisa and I that the play is going to be published in the ‘’Best Short Plays 2012 addition’’ and that our names are going to be listed as the original cast. It was another nice birthday gift (I had many yesterday).

Tonight is the official opening. It’s always exciting to have another opening. I know it go very well.

Tech Rehearsal For NY NUTS 6 Tonight

2011-11-01T05:27:00.002-07:00

Last evenings’ final rehearsal of BEYOND A REASONABLE DOUBT with writer / director Bara Swain went very well. We ran the show two times…even had an audience member for the second run…an actor from one of the other shows in the festival…and then we called it a night. Thankfully, the audience member laughed…so that’s a good sign. Actress Lisa Peart and I feel very good about the show and are excited that tech week is here.

Tonight will be our first time in the Hudson Guild space, which is exciting. It’s a bigger space then we have been working with so Lisa and I plan to get on the stage right away this evening and make any necessary adjustments. I’m not that worried.

Tomorrow is the final dress rehearsal, which will be open to the public…so it’ll be nice to have people in the audience before the official opening of the festival on Thursday.

THE ASPHALT CHRISTMAS To Begin Rehearsals This Week

2011-11-01T05:27:00.001-07:00

The cast and director Larry Lesher are set to meet for a readthrough of THE ASPHALT CHRISTMAS this evening, but I will be unable to attend due to the tech rehearsal for NY Nuts 6.

According to Larry, the script is finished and will be sent out to the cast today, so at least I will have a chance to read the script.

The Independent Critic Review of TERRY KENDALL AND ORANGE GREEN

2011-10-31T08:30:00.000-07:00

By Richard Propes

It's not often that one can use the words "light-hearted," "stalker" and "thriller" in the same sentence, but thanks to writer/director Meg Skaff such is the case with the short film Terry Kendall and Orange Green.

Terry Kendall (Brit-Charde Sellers) is your average, ordinary young woman living Brooklyn and working her ass off at a local grocery store. Life is pretty normal ... at least until a rather unusual man starts showing up every single day at exactly the same time with exactly the same question.

Rather than turning Terry Kendall and Orange Green into your typical psychological thriller, writer/director/D.P. Meg Skaff has managed to craft a darkly humorous film that defies genre and expectations with both horrifying and uncomfortably humorous results. Having a compelling story isn't always dependent upon actual spoken dialogue, a fact evidenced by Skaff's involving story here involving a bubbly, youthful grocery store clerk and a mysterious stranger with no clear intent. While Terry Kendall most certainly speaks, it's her actions that actually speak volumes about her increasingly fragile mental state. Similarly, the mysterious stranger says far more than is spoken with a simple question involving chicken breasts.

Sellers is perfectly cast as Terry Kendall, embodying a young woman who is simultaneously freaked out by this punctual stalker yet ultimately too distracted by everyday life to become overly panicked about it all. It could be tempting to play this all for high drama, but Skaff and her cast are clearly going for a sense of normalcy here and Sellers projects it perfectly.

On the other hand, character actor Timothy J. Cox goes against his usual type by playing the mysterious stranger, Orange Green. Until the film's closing moments, one is never quite clear whether this deceptively charming and clean cut man is actually dangerous, completely harmless or possibly just a socially awkward chap with some sort of special needs. While this isn't the type of role that Cox usually goes for, he stretches himself with tremendous success here and it'd be nice to see him explore this direction again.

Kimberly David is also terrific in a supporting role, and Anna Calabrese narrates the film in a way that is most unusual yet adds another layer of absurd normalcy to everything that goes on. Skaff serves as D.P. for the ultra-low budget short, her lensing nicely capturing the BedStuy are in which the film was shot with pristine imagery and an almost eerie lightness. The production values are rock solid throughout, a remarkable achievement given the film's modest budget.

A relative newcomer with two shorts to her name this year, Meg Skaff may or may not ever find her way into the Hollywood inner circle but hers is a visionary cinematic voice with a clear sense of story in both its visual and oral presentation. Currently finishing her B.F.A. at the Pratt Institute, Skaff is a filmmaker whose career it will be a joy to see unfold in the years to come.

NY Nuts 6 This Week

2011-10-30T17:36:00.000-07:00

Aching Dogs' NY NUTS 6 Play Festival plays this week and I'm thrilled to be appearing in Bara Swain's BEYOND A REASONABLE DOUBT with the wonderful Lisa Peart.

I'm happy to report that for the run of the festival, of the 8 total plays being presented, we will be going on at the end of the 1st act, before the intermission, which is great.

The last rehearsal before tech is tomorrow night.

BEYOND A REASONABLE DOUBT – Four

2011-10-28T13:08:00.000-07:00

Rehearsals for BEYOND A REASONABLE DOUBT returned last evening for more run throughs and tweaks.

Monday is the last rehearsal until tech on Tuesday and Final Dress on Wednesday.

The show is very ready!

BEYOND A REASONABLE DOUBT Is Back Tonight

2011-10-27T06:18:00.000-07:00

It's back to BEYOND A REASONABLE DOUBT tonight. The festivals starts next week and I feel pretty positive about the show right now. Lisa and I are ready for this one!

Movie Vine Review of TERRY KENDALL AND ORANGE GREEN

2011-10-24T05:23:00.002-07:00

Review By Kent Stockton

Director Jim Jarmusch once said,’’ I have no desire to make films for any kind of specific audience. What I want to do is make films that... tell stories, but somehow in a new way, not in a predictable form, not in the usual manipulative way that films seem to on their audiences’’.

Filmmakers like Jarmusch, Terry Zwigoff and Henry Jaglom (and many more) have been making their films…telling their unique stories for decades, with characters that are more real to us the audience then we’d probably care to admit. These are characters we know, people we see every day, people the filmmakers hint we may even be. Their stories and approaches may not be for everyone, but they are their stories and if you’re to look at the canon of the aforementioned filmmakers’ works, you’re never going to see them copy themselves. Every story is fresh, different. It’s why I love the movies.

It always amuses me though that because these filmmakers works are not ‘’mainstream’’ in the Spielberg / Bruckheimer sense that marketing people, who usually miss the mark when it comes to really breaking down a film, any film, feel the need to slap labels like ‘’quirky’’ or ‘’edgy’’ on them to help in sales and promotion.

Dear Marketing People: Those two words are like nails on a blackboard to independent artists. Consult a thesaurus and find new words.

I know Jim Jarmusch despises the words ‘’quirky’’ and ‘’edgy’’ when critics talk about his films and independent film in general , so I will do writer / director Meg Skaff an incredible service in the following review of her short film Terry Kendall and Orange Green and not refer to her work as ‘’quirky’’ or ‘’edgy’’. I will say at the start that it is an extremely well made short film.

Skaff’s short, which clocks in at around 15 minutes, takes a glimpse into the life of vibrant twenty-something Terry Kendall (Brit-Charde' Sellers) who goes about her life in a typical twenty-something fashion. She works hard and is a highly regarded employee at her local supermarket, but when a mysterious man (Timothy J. Cox) begins to stalk her at the supermarket and in the park on her days off, her life begins to unravel.

Skaff doesn’t shape her film as a mystery / suspense film like one would imagine from that description. Her film does not feature a frightening Jerry Goldsmith-style musical score to titillate and keep the audience on edge, but instead Skaff shapes her film as a sort of slice of life piece about a young woman trying to survive her every day life, who happens to be pursued by a stalker. This works wonderfully as when the surprises do happen, you as the audience are and should be taken by surprise as well.

The casting of Timothy J. Cox as the stalker sells this point, as Cox, who is not an intimidating looking man, but a kindly looking, average sized man, so rather than frighten with size, Cox’s stalker instead manages to menace actress Brit-Charde' Sellers, quite good as Terry, with charm and perhaps most frightening of all, silence. While stalking Terry at the supermarket, Cox just stares at Terry, sometimes smiling, sometimes not, often asking the same question over and over again ‘’Can you tell me where the chicken breast is?’’, slowly driving Terry insane. It’s a great performance and Cox is to be commended for finding more to do with the stalker role than just go the ‘’crazy, insane’’ route.

The Bedford-Stuyvesant area of Brooklyn is where the film is set and Skaff uses it to great effect, especially the Pioneer Supermarket, where most of the film takes place.

Skaff’s camera work is solid throughout, especially in a superbly shot, well lit sequence at the end of the film, during a confrontation between Terry and the stalker.

Definitely not predictable or manipulative, Terry Kendall and Orange Green is a truly original, imaginative film, crafted wonderfully across the board by smart young writer / director Meg Skaff.

For information on Meg Skaff’s work, please visit her website at http://megskaff.com/

BEYOND A REASONABLE DOUBT – Three

2011-10-24T05:23:00.001-07:00

Saturdays’ rehearsal for BEYONG A REASONABLE DOUBT may have been one of the most enjoyable rehearsals that I have had in recent memory. When you leave a rehearsal and your sides hurt from laughing, you know it’s been a good rehearsal.

As always, Lisa and I ran through the show a number of times. It was great to have writer / director Bara Swain there to tweak a few things, mostly blocking issues, which are always easy to fix. Aside from the adjustments, Bara provided laughter, which of course, was a lot of fun to play off of.

BEYOND A REASONABLE DOUBT Today

2011-10-22T08:35:00.000-07:00

It's back to Ripley Grier Studios today for another rehearsal of BEYOND A REASONABLE DOUBT.

Writer / director Bara Swain will be back, so Lisa Peart and I will have a chance to show her what we've been working on since our first rehearsal with all three of us last week.

Chris Kateff Joins The Cast of THE ASPHALT CHRISTMAS

2011-10-21T17:24:00.000-07:00

This is almost turning into a RUN FOR YOUR WIFE reunion.

My good friend, the very talented Chris Kateff will be joining the cast of THE ASPHALT CHRISTMAS, with the aforementioned Larry Lesher, who will be directing the production, the hilarious Matthew Harris and yours truly.

I can't wait.

New York Nuts 6 Postcard

2011-10-21T10:04:00.000-07:00

Here is the postcard for New York Nuts 6, the play festival that features BEYOND A REASONABLE DOUBT