On Stage! A reading for Photoplay

Last Sunday May 17, I performed in a reading of Maria Micheles' new play, Photoplay.  

The reading was apart of DAPLab Spring 2015 Reading Series in Association with The Alumni Play Development Program.  

On the DAPlab's Facebook page they describe themselves as:

DAPLab is a collective of alumni Playwrights of The New School (grads of The Actors Studio Drama School and The New School for Drama). Our group purpose is to provide a safe, supportive and creative environment for script development. We are an intimate circle of similarly-trained professional playwrights. We understand the delicate nature of early stage work, the tenacity required to move a story forward to a completed first draft and the sometimes tedious nature of the revision process. We offer functional, effective feedback for all stages of the writing process - placing equal value on listening to our peers' work as on hearing our own.

On the event page, Photoplay was described as:

Written by Maria Micheles

Directed by Margaret Stockton

Picking up photography and once bumping into Arbus’s work, Ann sets out pursuing marginalized individuals to photograph. Traversing the various boroughs mesmerized by the world that unfolds when one has a camera, she goes farther than her peers, exhibiting and selling her work. But just when she starts achieving success, Anne begins to battle what she believes was brought on by the subject matter of her photos, and is forced to choose between photography and escaping succumbing in the manner Arbus did. 

Featuring Laura Rohrman, Liz Amadio, Patrick Williams, Lauren Salvo, Jarel Davidow, Margaret Stockton and Jonathan Weirich. 

RSVP at alumni.playwrights@gmail.com
This is a FREE event!

I've known Maria Micheles for many years.  We were originally introduced through mutual friends.  I've been in many of her readings and one acts, and always enjoyed her unique and original perspective.  Maria and I haven't worked together in a long time, so when the opportunity arose to sub for another actor I jumped at the chance.  

Also, at the reading was the actress Kaitlin Bailey.  Kaitlin and I shared a laugh about doing a comedy sketch of Maria's called the Miss Un-America pagent, about eight years ago.  The sketch was a scathing commentary about distorted American family values and the exploitation of women.  I had played the slimy host and Kaitlin a contestant, plus in the audience of the reading was Peter Dizozza who had provided the live music of that sketch.  The reading provided a small reunion of sorts.

After the reading Peter uncovered an old Youtube video of one of the performances.  So, if you have the time, energy or determination, I'm sure you can find the clip.  

In Photoplay, I read for three roles, the veteran mother's child, Gerry, and Willie.  Maria's show is really interesting, especially the exploration of Diane Arbus' work and I hope that the play is developed soon for a much larger audience.  

There was a slight confusion at the end.  The rewritten scripts didn't include the last couple of pages.  The three of us read off of one script.

Sunday was a bit humid, and my hair had had enough.

Kaitlin and I acting together again, under different circumstances.

Right before the performance.

Writer Maria Micheles listening at our rehearsal before the show!