A Quote of the Day from Joseph Mitchell

Somebody runs a Joseph Mitchell Facebook page, and periodically posts one of his wonderful, understated, pitch-perfect quotes.

“I believe the most interesting human beings, so far as talk is concerned, are anthropologists, farmers, prostitutes, psychiatrists, and an occasional bartender. The best talk is artless, the talk of people trying to reassure or comfort themselves, women in the sun, grouped around baby carriages, talking about their weeks in the hospital or the way meat has gone up, or men in the saloons, talking to combat the loneliness everyone feels.” From his collection of short pieces, My Ears Are Bent

Peter Bellamy Portraits

Several years ago, Time Out NY had a feature on playwrights, and they sent a guy to my apartment to take a picture of me. At the time, my life was in a total uproar and when I met Peter at my door, I was wearing a hoodie and I don't think I'd shaved. He quietly said, "Do you want to change into something else? A lot of people are going to read this." I hustled off to put on something a little nicer.

We chatted and he did all those professional photographer things to put a subject at ease; talking about himself, drawing me into a conversation about something completely unrelated. (I don't like having my picture taken and it usually shows.)

He did take a very nice pic, though - one of my favorites of myself - and now it's up on his website. Definitely cool people on it; Andrea Lepcio, who I worked with at America-in-Play, Lynn Nottage, John Clancy, and David Ives with an excerpt from one of my favorite blues-killers, "Variations on the Death of Trotsky."

Roman Calendar and Entering the Breech

A few odds and ends...A NUMBER ON THE ROMAN CALENDAR, which was read at the Players Club in September, will be published by Applause Theatrebooks in their Best American Short Plays series next year. Thanks to Carter Jackson and Sarah Kate Jackson at d.i.r.t company, which produced the reading as part of their inaugural event. Also thanks to Jonna McElrath, Jim Ireland and Tom Lyons who are all so damn funny.

AND. First up event at American Lyric Theater's Composer Librettists Development Program. OK, that was long, what does that mean? My first work for opera, publicly presented; Freshly Brewed - The Art of the Aria, a Master Class with Mark Adamo. It's on Sunday, December 18, 1 PM at Opera America, 330 7th Avenue at 29th Street. I'm working with a wildly talented young composer, Theo Popov, and we'll be presenting an aria written for soprano Katherine Jolly. The whole thing is quite scary and exciting. Twenty bucks in advance, and ALT will throw in brunch.

Exorcism

Oh. My. God. The New Yorker has unearthed an unpublished Eugene O'Neill play from 1920. Staged in 1920, it looks like O'Neill destroyed all the copies he thought existed to placate his father. Found in some screenwriter's papers, a copy - the gift of one of O'Neill's wives, Agnes Boulton. So. Cool. Life is good.

Heavy Petting Below Houston

Next up, my beloved pals at Blue Coyote Theater Group take over Playwrights for Pets with HEAVY PETTING.

This evening of short plays will feature Matthew Freeman's "The White Swallow" (a sick and satisfying little piece) and also an excerpt from my upcoming full-length, "Coney." Casting is pending, but the running time of approximately one hour. It's down at the Access Theater (natch) on Thursday, October 27 and Friday, October 28 at 8:00 pm.

Important How-to-Get-There-And-Get-Tickets-Stuff: the Access Theater is at 380 Broadway, 2 blocks south of Canal Street. Tickets are $20 and can be purchased through SmartTix. You can call: (212) 868-4444 or visit this link on the website, which will take you directly to the HEAVY PETTING page.

Good Giving-Back-to-the-Community-Stuff: All ticket proceeds will be donated to Glen Wild Animal Rescue. Please visit their website to discover the wonderful work they do.

Mad World

They're in previews now, but I just have to dash off a quick love letter for one of my favorite actors (and human beings) - Vince Gatton, who is currently playing King John at the Access Gallery downtown.

Vince and I have worked together many times -Candy & Dorothy, Busted Jesus Comix - and more readings of other works than I could remember or count. He's a consistently surprising, inventive and soulful actor. His toolbox is full and he's crafty as hell.

In the title role, he's petulant, needy, manipulative, vindictive and vulnerable; a would-be Richard the Third undone by his own incompetence and bad luck. You want to strangle him and you feel for him. John's a lousy rotten prick and he still doesn't deserve the damnation that crushes him. (Shakespeare gets his cake and eats it, too. Jerk.)

It's an early Shakespeare, but it's a fascinating study in political machinations and collateral damage. People form alliances, double-cross each other, make threats, make nice, all the while the country goes down the tubes. Ross Williams directs and it's strong and sharp. They use multi-media but it doesn't feel like a gimmick; it actually adds to the storytelling in interesting and creative ways. The set design is the best use of the Access Gallery I've ever seen. Get tickets soon for this - it's filling up in previews and it closes Oct. 2.

A Number on the Roman Calendar, at the Players Club

Here are all the details.

On Monday, September 12th, d.i.r.t. company invites you to experience DIRTy SHORTs - our original short play staged-reading series to be held at The Players Club on historic Gramercy Square.

7 pm for cocktails and banter, followed by 3 original short plays.

This Mon September 12, short plays by Eric Fallen, David Johnston and Megan Mostyn-Brown.

After the readings, all are invited – encouraged, even - to stay and drink with the writers and cast, mixing and mingling conversations and friends till we close the place down.

A NUMBER ON THE ROMAN CALENDAR by David Johnston, features Jonna McElrath, Jim Ireleand and Tom Lyons.

Players Club address is 16 Gramercy Park South, which is E. 20th St between Park Ave South and 3rd Ave.

No reservations needed, and the reading is free.

Dress code is nice casual - jackets/ties, while welcome, are not required.