Feel the Burns

Last night, I saw Alice Hale, Maria de Vries, and Zach McCoy in my short play Burns Night in the Long Island City One Act Play Festival.

The festival is held at the Secret Theatre in Queens. Ilanna Saltzman directed the production of Burns Night, and if you missed the show last week, you can see it on Saturday at 8:00. We will also have future performances at 5:00 on Sunday, August 4th, and then at 8:00 on the following Sunday, August 11th.

Unfortunately, I'm not going to be able to see those performances, as I'll be out of town. Later this week, I'll be at the British Association for Romantic Studies' conference at the University of Nottingham. On the closing day of the conference, which is this coming Sunday, I'll be delivering a paper on the French premiere of Percy Shelley's play The Cenci and the impact it had on Symbolism.

The following week, I'll be at the International Conference on Romanticism at the University of Manchester. I'm giving a talk on Edmund Kean's influence on Lord Byron, particularly in relationship to his play Manfred. While I'm in Manchester, I'll also get a chance to see There Is a Light That Never Goes Out, a play about the Luddite rebellion, which is playing at the Royal Exchange Theatre there.

Initially, I had thought I would get back in time to see the final scheduled performance of Burns Night on August 11th, but as soon as I get back to the U.S., I'll be heading out to Chicago, where my one-act play The Love Songs of Brooklynites will be playing at The Theatre of Western Springs. That play runs August 8th through 11th, and I'll be there for the talkbacks after each performance.

If Burns Night is invited back for the semifinals of the LIC One Act Play Festival, I'll be there on August 21st, and the finals for the festival are on August 24th. If I don't see you there, perhaps I'll see you in Illinois!

Continuing Next Week...

Yesterday, my short play Burns Night opened at the Long Island City One-Act Festival at the Secret Theatre in Queens.

Maria de Vries did an excellent job reprising her role as Keira, which she originated in a staged reading at Urban Stages. Alice Hale is delightful as Keira's friend Steph, and Zach McCoy is hilarious as Steph's kilt-clad Scottish boyfriend Malcolm.

Unfortunately, our fearless director Ilanna Saltzman couldn't join us for opening night, but she'll be there next week for a 5:00 performance on Saturday, July 20th. I hope you'll join us!

Burns Night is being performed with several other short plays, including Seth Freeman's Tombstone, Victor Vauban Jr.'s The Second Coming, Jeremy Kehoe's Beardy McBeardersen, Ray Vagge's Service not Rendered, and Brianna Singer's Where's Avis?

Burns Night explores themes of friendship and romance as a celebration of Robert Burns and all things Scottish starts to go overboard at a suburban house in New Jersey. If you miss the performance next week, you can catch it the following Saturday at 8:00 on July 27th, or at 5:00 on Sunday, August 4th, or at 8:00 on the following Sunday, August 11th.

Below is a picture of me and the cast. Hope you can make it!

BURNS NIGHT Opens This Week

My short play Burns Night opens this Friday, July 12th, as part of the Long Island City One-Act Festival at the Secret Theatre.

The first show is at 7:30 pm. We're second on a bill of shorts that includes plays by Seth Freeman, Jeremy Kehoe, Brianna Singer, and others. Tickets are $18 in advance and $20 at the door.

Performances continue the following week at 5:00 on Saturday, July 20th, the next Saturday at 8:00 on July 27th, then at 5:00 on Sunday, August 4th, and finally at 8:00 on the following Sunday, August 11th.

Burns Night is a comedy that tells the story of two friends hiding out in a kitchen while a celebration of Robert Burns and all things Scottish starts to go overboard. Ilanna Saltzman is directing the play, following her directing a reading of the piece at Urban Stages.

Maria de Vries is reprising her role of Keira from the reading. Her other New York theatre credits include the Abingdon Theatre Company, Red Monkey, ATA, and Oxford Shakespeare. Most recently she appeared in Squirrel Screams and Other Dating Sounds by Lindsay Timmington. Her MFA is from UNC-Greensboro.

The role of Steph is being played by Alice Hale, who I originally met through Urban Stages as well. Alice's New York theatre credits include Golden Vanilla at New York Summerfest and A Hand Across the Bridge at the Planet Connections Theatre Festivity. She's appeared on television in ID's Hometown Homicide and in the Web series Northbound, The Uncanny Upshurs, and Public History. Her BFA is from NYU Tisch, and she has studied at Stella Adler Studio of Acting and Stonestreet Screen Acting Conservatory.

It's my first time working with Alice, and only my second time working with Maria and Ilanna, But they're all great. Rounding out the cast as Steph's boyfriend Malcom is Zach McCoy, with whom I've worked on multiple occasions. He appeared in my short play The State of Colorado v. Tennessee Williams, as well as readings of The Love Songs of Brooklynites. (Keep a look out for an announcement about that play soon.)

Zach's favorite stage credits include David in Love and Human Remains (Peter Jay Sharp Theatre at Playwrights Horizons - NYC), Bernard in Boeing, Boeing (Millbrook Playhouse - Pennsylvania), and Colin in The Birthday Boys (co-producer; Access Theatre - NYC). He is hysterical in Burns Night, so you don't want to miss him!

The Secret Theatre is located at 44-02 23rd Street in Long Island City in Queens. It is set back a bit from the street, so don't miss it when you walk by... and make it live up to its name! This is going to be a good show, so I hope to see you there.

And it begins...

Today, we had our first rehearsal for my short play Burns Night, which will be performed next month at the Long Island City One-Act Festival at the Secret Theatre in Queens.

Burns Night originally had a staged reading as part of the January Plays at Urban Stages. Ilanna Saltzman, who directed the reading, is directing the full production at the Secret Theatre as well. Maria de Vries will be reprising her role as Keira, while Alice Hale will be playing Steph and Zach McCoy will be playing Malcolm.

It's great to work with Ilanna and Maria again, and I'm psyched about getting to work with Zach and Alice as well. Last year, Zach was in a reading of The Love Songs of Brooklynites, and while I've never worked with Alice before, I'm a big fan of her web series Northbound.

Burns Night tells the story of two young women who have been friends for forever. They hide out in a kitchen while a celebration of Robert Burns and all things Scottish starts to go overboard. But as their lives and interests change and as romantic entanglements become more intense, can their friendship still stay what it used to be?

The play will be performed at 7:30 on Friday, July 12th, then the following week at 5:00 on Saturday, July 20th, then the next Saturday at 8:00 on July 27th, at 5:00 on Sunday, August 4th, and then at 8:00 on the following Sunday, August 11th. If we're invited back for the semifinals, they'll be on August 21st, and the finals are on August 24th.

I hope you can make it, and if you come, we promise not to feed you haggis!

And next up is...

Thanks to all who came out to see The January Plays at Urban Stages! It was loverly to work with director Ilanna Satzman and actors Heather Massie, Maria de Vries, and Doug Rossi.

It was also an honor to share the stage with other great theatre artists, including Bara Swain, Daniel Damiano, Barbara Blumenthal-Ehrlich, Kim Sharp, Dev Bondarin, and Russell Jordan. Here's a picture of the whole gang!

Now that The January Plays are over, I'm moving on to my next project. My play I Hate You: A Love Story will have a staged reading at 7:00 pm on Sunday, January 15th at IATI Theater, 64 E. 4th Street. Dev Bondarin is directing, and the cast includes Doug Rossi and Sandra Maren Schneider.

The reading is free and open to the public, so please come!

January Plays

As a reminder, my short play Burns Night will have a staged reading tomorrow, January 8th, at Urban Stages.

Burn Night is being performed with five other short pieces as part of The January Plays. Ilanna Saltzman is directing the reading, which stars Maria de Vries, Heather Massie, and Doug Rossi.

The readings will be at 2:00 and 4:00 at Urban Stages, 259 W. 30th Street. Burns Night will be accompanied by The Most Uncomfortable Meal Ever by Samuel Plotkin, The January Gem by P.C. Allan, The Women's "Follow Your Dream" Club by Jack Feldstein, The Lepors by Daniel Damiano, and New Year's Rezzies by Barbara Blumenthal-Ehrlich.

We had a great rehearsal today, so it should be a good show. Hope you can make it!

Burns Night

My short play Burns Night will be receiving a staged reading next month at Urban Stages!

Ilanna Saltzman will be directing the reading, which will feature Doug Rossi, Heather Massie, and Maria de Vries. The reading is free, and you can get more information at the Urban Stages website.

Urban Stages will be presenting the play at 2:00 and at 4:00 on Sunday, January 8th, not on the actual Burns Night. (That would be January 25th.) The play will accompany five other short works that all have to do with the month of January.

Other playwrights represented will be P.C. Allan, Barbara Blumenthal-Ehrlich, Daniel Damiano, Jack Feldstein, and Samuel Plotkin. I hope to see you there!