I'm pleased to announce a reading of my Zombie pscyho-thriller play Homo apocalyptus in San Franscisco later this spring. I was contacted by a hip young director Kirk Johnson who proposed this collaboration as part of their New Play series. He works with The Garage Theatre and it promises to be an exciting night.

Labels: Homo apocalyptus, Reading

My new play BELLHAMMER will have a reading at Trustus Theatre in Columbia, SC on Tuesday evening, December 15.
BELLHAMMER is the story of a Christian Professional Wrestler named Sampson Bellhammer who stumbles upon the ultimate secrets of the universe. When he is tempted by fame and fortune, will he give in, or will he fight? Yup. He's gonna fight. And it's gonna get ugly.

BELLHAMMER is the thesis play for my MFA at Carnegie Mellon, and will have a workshop production in Pittsburgh in February, 2010. Check back soon for more details.

Labels: Bellhammer, Reading

I learned this week that my new ten-minute play, Organum, was selected for a reading at the 2010 Kennedy Center / American College Theatre Festival Region II Conference. Organum is the story of a travelling monk in medieval France who brings a beautiful and dangerous gift to a rich young lady: he teaches her the secrets of musical harmony, despite the Pope's official decree against it. The word "organum" comes from Latin (as in organs of the body) and describes this type of early music. It also carries with it the meaning that all the parts must work together to achieve the full potential of the whole.

This short play was developed specifically for the excellent Theatre Lab at Carnegie Mellon, and I am really proud that other CMU writers were also selected for this event.

Labels: Organum, Reading

I'm very glad to announce that my play PARADISE KEY will have a reading today in Columbia, SC, at the amazing Trustus Theatre. PARADISE KEY was selected as the winner of the 2010 Trustus Playwrights Festival, a nation-wide competition that receives hundreds of entries each year. Some notable past winners of this contest include David Lindsay-Abaire, Stephen Belber, Sarah Hammond, and John Tuttle. This reading is the first step in a year-long development process that will culminate in a full production next August as part of the theatre's 25th anniversary season.

Labels: Paradise Key, Reading

I'm thrilled to finally be presenting a staged reading of my new-play-in-development, Homo apocalyptus, here in Key West, FL. The reading will take place on Thursday, August 6, 2009, at 7:00 PM, at the old Key West Armory, the home of The Studios of Key West, which has been our generous host for a development residency this summer. This reading is the result of a tremendous amount of effort during this residency, but it also means that summer is drawing to a close, and my days in Key West are soon to end. (Hopefully I'll make it out, before the Zombies arrive...)

UPDATE: Here's an interview I had with Eric Holowacz, the gracious and hospitable Director of TSKW.

Labels: Homo apocalyptus, Reading, Residency

I'm excited to announce a reading of my new full length play, PARADISE KEY, coming up in exactly two weeks. It will be at the CMU School of Drama, on the third floor in the Brown Studio, on Wednesday, April 29th at 6:30 PM. No tickets are required, but you can contact me to learn more.

Labels: CMU, Paradise Key, Reading

My 10-minute play, JOY OF COOKING, had a staged reading this week as part of the Actors Theatre of Santa Cruz "Best of the Rest" short play competition. JOY OF COOKING is the story of a woman who must learn to cook in one night, or risk losing her marriage and maybe her sanity.

Labels: California, Joy of Cooking, Reading

If you’re in the D.C. area in early March, you should come check out my short play MORAL SUPPORT at the historic Lincoln Theatre. They are presenting 5 works in their first annual “Emerging Voices Playwriting Competition,” and MORAL SUPPORT was selected to receive a staged reading by a professional cast. The event takes place on Thursday, March 5, 2009 at 7:00 PM, and you can reserve tickets by email: rsvp@thelincolntheatre.org .

Labels: Moral Support, Reading

I'm looking forward to a reading of a new play I'm working on coming up in the next few weeks. The play is tentatively called DEVIL'S KEY, and it will be read at Carnegie Mellon University on Wednesday, December 3, 2008 at 8:00 PM, somewhere in Purnell Hall. This piece has deviated sharply from its original trajectory, so I'm excited to hear how it sounds.

The play takes place in 1951, in the sweaty back room of a U.S. Army safe house on one of the Florida keys. It only has two actors, a younger American investigator, and an older Doctor, who must both solve the mysteries of their pasts, in order to leave the room alive.

Labels: CMU, Paradise Key, Reading

So I have a reading of a full length play LOSING SLEEP coming up on Monday, November 9, 2008. This reading is being held by a group called Ten Grand Productions known for their independent and imaginative reworkings of big stories (like the Titanic.) While SLEEP isn't necessarily a Titanic event, it does have a lot of room in it for interpretation. I'm excited to see where they take it. The reading is open to the public, but I'd contact them first to check on tickets and availability.

Labels: Losing Sleep, New York, Reading

My 10-minute play, JOY OF COOKING, has been selected for the Actors Theatre of Santa Cruz "Best of the Rest" short play competition. It will receive a reading in spring 2009, along with a few other coice morsels. JOY OF COOKING is the hilarious story of a woman who must learn to cook in one night, or risk losing her marriage and maybe her sanity.

Labels: California, Joy of Cooking, Reading

When it rains it pours. I've got a reading of TRUMPET SOLO at the Warehouse Theatre in Greenville, South Carolina coming up Tuesday, June 24, at 7:00 PM. I love this theatre because of the care and precision the put in to their productions. Plus they're really cool.

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Labels: Reading, Trumpet Solo

I'm really excited to have a reading of a new play I'm working on at Trustus Theatre. This play, TRUMPET SOLO, is about a man who has a vision of the afterlife that rocks his view of reality. I'm honored to have the phenomenal actor Chris White in the role of Alan. Come check it out Monday, June 23, at 7:00 PM in the new black box.

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Labels: Reading, Trumpet Solo

So this tax day, having already filed and e-deposited our little return, I'm going to spend some time with friends at Trustus Theatre doing a reading of a new work in progress. This one is a comedy (hopefully) about death, family and gardening in the nude.

Labels: Reading

I had a great time in Texas last week, reading LOSING SLEEP at the Texas Repertory Theatre. It was really good to see them (including Wilbur the pug dog) and I was happy with the way the reading turned out. I always learn something new - something that I want to rewrite, something that I like now for different reasons - and it's great to have the validation that people who don't know me at all can somehow catch the vibe.

On a selfish note, I got an "Economy Plus" seat on the plane coming home, and had no one sitting next to me, so I had some time to make play edits while they were fresh in my mind.

Labels: Losing Sleep, Reading

So next week I'm heading out to Houston, TX for a reading of LOSING SLEEP with the Texas Repertory Theatre Company. I wrote the main role, John, with my friend Steve Fenley in mind. Steve is a remarkable performer and the company's Associate Artistic Director, so I'll be doubly glad to see old friends, and hear the play from their perspective.

Labels: Losing Sleep, Reading

I had some folks from Trustus help me with my new play, LOSING SLEEP. Artistic Director Jim Thigpen and I got some actors together to read it for me and talk about it. It will be during their annual Playwright's Festival, so that seems like a good time.

Labels: Losing Sleep, Reading