This Wednesday I’m reading my latest short story, The People in the Bushes, at Katherine Chua’s Unboxed Voices event.  And if you can guess what the art for the event is supposed to be, you’ll get free admission.

Just kidding, the whole event is free.

The People in the Bushes is a short story about someone who moves to New York City and finds guidance from the people who party outside his window.

Besides my story, Ari Vernon and David Mitnowsky will also be reading as well. By the way, David Mitnowky and I have both vowed to dance on each other’s grave. Wednesday may be very well be the final chapter in our ongoing feud.

Ask yourself what the name of Mary J. Blidge first album was?  Answer that question in your head, now here’s my response:

Unboxed Voices

Wednesday January 18^th, 2012  7PM

Linger Café & Lounge

533 Atlantic Avenue 12217

Between 3rd & 4th Avenue

Closest Subway stop is the Atlantic Avenue/Pacific Street stop.

The 2,3,4,5,B,D,N ,R and Q trains get you there, and there’s even an LIRR stop.

God speed.

Hey peoples,

As you can see, I had trouble deciding which symbol best represents British culture to me.

November 29^th till December 3^rd my work goes international. My new scene “Older Faults” will be presented as part of HEADLINES at the Corner Theatre in Bristol, U.K.

Since it’s in the United Kingdom, if I would have spelled theatre with an “er” at the end I could have been poisoned by the MI5.

Every scene in HEADLINES deals with a major news story in 2011. I chose to cover the Hurricane Irene scare in New York City.

Older Faults deals with the Hurricane scare, as well as addresses the issue of distractions. It is directed by long time co-conspirator Nancy Medina, staring Jason Bailey and Alexis McDougall.

“Older Faults” by J. Anthony Roman, part of HEADLINES

Corner Theatre @ The Little Black Box Theatre

Tuesday the 29^th to Friday, December 2^nd @ 8pm

Saturday, December 3^rd @ 3 & 8 PM

2 Chandos Road, Redland, Bristol, BS6 6PE (Whatever that means)

Ticket Prices can be found, along with information on all the other participating artists, at www.cornertheatre.co.uk

If you know anyone across the pond, send an owl their way to let them know about the show!

Cherio

Greetings humans,
My new short play, RED YELLOW OLEANDER IN MILK, goes up on July 24^th as part of Overturn Theater Ensemble (credit for not
calling them EST, please) and Culturefix’s Telephone Project.

The Telephone project works as so; The Culturefix chef cooked up a dish called Chinese Whispers (A name pushing the boundaries of political correctness for the game telephone). Then a composer turned in a piece of music based on the dish. This piece was sent to 16 artists. These 16 artists turned in 16 pieces of artwork. Each piece was then assigned to a different playwright. Us playwrights wrote sixteen one acts based on the art pieces.

My artist is the talented Alice Yang. Her piece is titled “Untitled”, which I learned is the name of all her work. Unfortunately the file of her artwork was too big to post here, plus I didn’t get her permission.

The play that it inspired is RED YELLOW OLEANDER IN MILK, it’s about how one piece of art can be perceived so differently by viewers.  An unlikely art collector and a scorned artist clash over what “Untitled” means to them.

It is directed by my frequent co-conspirator, Jill DeArmon.  It stars this talented perv called Dorothy Abrahams, and Rod Luzzi, who was in this crazy ass super bowl commercial,   http://magifilmworks.com/?p=377

Sharing the stage with me is a work by playwright Thomas Higgins with his play, HEARTBURN. Here
are the details and links to pick up tickets below.

Off the continent soon after this, so everybody have a great summer!
J.A.R
OTE and Culturefix Present Telephone: J. Anthony Roman’s RED YELLOW OLEANDER IN MILK:

July 24^th at 6:30PM

Culturefix

9 Clinton
Street between Houston and Stanton

TIX: $10

https://www.brownpapertick?ets.com/event/183008

Gadfly Online has been nice enough to publish one of my latest short stories. All of My Things is about a man in love with a muralist. You can access it here, this is the cover page, it will be here for a couple of days:

http://www.gadflyonline.com/wpblog/

This takes you directly to the story: http://www.gadflyonline.com/wpblog/?p=885

This is my first online published story, so if you wanted to post on facebook on my behalf, you wont get an angry email from me. And if you wanted to invite me over to your swimming pool this summer, or to Aruba, I wouldn’t react negatively to that either.  Stay cool brothers and sisters.

J.A.R

Thanks for everyone who came out to The Meet last week! We raised a nice amount of money for the space and had some great nights of theater.

As The Meet was ending, I received word of another ending coming this weekend. Backyart, the monthly arts show at Max Woertendyke’s home is coming to an end after more than 2 years of great work. Backyart will return for some projects, but it will be in a new location, and no longer a monthly show.

Having been a part of 13 Backyarts, I asked the Backyart crew if I can get in one last showing in before it closes. My wish was granted. This Saturday I will be reading a short excerpt from one of my newest plays Perv. Perv had a great reading last month at the Labyrinth Theater Intensive, and was performed by actress Ana Ortiz. I’m not as good an actress as she is, but it should still be a fun read.

Perv is about a sexaholic DJ/Music Producer who begins to question himself after he cheats on his favorite girlfriend.  

This should be a very celebratory, and emotional night. It all goes down this Saturday (August 28th) at 7PM.

Backyart is at 649 Metropolitan Avenue. Closest transport is the L to Lorimer. Admission is $15

Our 10 companies are preparing for THE MEET. This video captures some of them getting word and deliberating this journey. God speed to you all!

For more info on THE MEET, or to buy tickets, please scroll below or CLICK HERE!

CAN YOU DIG IT?!?!

Hello All You People…

I am proud to announce my new project, THE MEET! I coerced 10 theater/production companies into representing themselves over four nights at Center Stage, NY.

Each company will represent themselves in scenes no longer than 20 minutes. No other limitations on style or theme was given. Come out and see what these companies come up with, and cheer your favorite company on.

This is an exhibition, not a competition. But since each company has their own audience, own style, own reputations… and all on one stage. Well, I doubt they will do anything less than put their best foot forward.

Just added: STAGE OF FIENDS will be providing a nightly burlesque-y variety act named “The Witching Hour Burlesque”, which will feature flech, erotic poetry and theatre!

The Witching Hour Burlesque will start at exactly 7:30PM, all nights of THE MEET. This is for ADULTS ONLY! Attendance is optional with your ticket.

THE MEET takes place August 18th through the 21st, 2010 @8 PM. Here is the schedule:

AUGUST 18th & AUGUST 20th 2010:

Lighthouse Theatre Company presents…

 Observations of Hindsight

Observations of Hindsight combines live theatre and film to tell the story
of four people living in New York, whose paths cross for one second in time.
A second that will change everything about the way you feel when walking the
streets of this city.

Written by Anthony Caronna

Directed by  Anthony Caronna and Alexander Smith

With: Alexander Smith, Sarah Mcormick,

Anthony Caronna, Zach Galligan, Jonathan Tracey, Olivia Caronna, and Ethan Clarke

Boomerang theatre Company presents…

 How to Speak Man

 In the entire history of theater, from the Greeks to Shakespeare to

Shaw to the Wilson brothers (August and Lanford), only one play has

proclaimed itself the best of them all, a play born to increase our

understanding of ourselves, our souls and our world. This play,

however, is just funny and silly.

Written by Sharyn Rothstein

Directed by Ric Sechrest

With: Douglas Giorgis*, Ric Sechrest*, Dave Koenig, and Mark Souza

STuFF FiLMS presents…

STuFF Happens

 STuFF FiLMS is a smorgasbord of scintillating, splendiferous, socially irreverent and somewhat silly string of sketches…so

enjoy!

Written by Jonathan David, Ethan Aronoff, Jared Miller, Beth MacGregor, and Diana Cherkas, and Cooper Shaw

Directed by Gonzo and Jnony

With: Ethan Aronoff, Diana Cherkas*, Charlie Coniglio, Raymond Cordova, Jared Miller, Cooper Shaw*, Griffin Dubois, and Jonathan “Gonzo” Galvez

Red Elevator Productions presents…

 The Story of Little Sanchez and How We Lost our Mother

Written by Daniel Talbott

Directed by Portia Krieger

With: Daniel Abeles*, Craig Jorczak*, Anna O’Donoghue*, Claire Siebers, and Laura Ramadei

We Be 3 presents…

 Breaking Even

 ”Life is a long lesson in humility.” J.M. Barrie

 Directed by Anthony Augello*

Written by Concetta Rose Rella

With: Ricky Sosa, Jimmy Juste, Morgan Lynch, and Concetta Rose Rella

 AUGUST 19th & AUGUST 21st 2010:

Sneaky Snake Productions presents…

 an excerpt from 13 Variations on a Gun

 A tantalizing glimpse at Sneaky Snake Productions’ latest bewildering work-in-progress, an ambitious, logic-defying ballet of mystery and sound that draws inspiration from the board game Clue, Agatha Christie novels, and the illustrations of Edward Gorey and Eugene ‘Gene’ Thurston.

 Written by Chris Chappell

Directed by Paige Blansfield

With: Matthew Trumbull*, Jesse Wilson, and Richard Lovejoy

Impetuous Theater Group presents…

 SUMMER SONG

 Book by Crystal Skillman

Lyrics by Chris Bell

Music by Adam Cohen

Directed by James David Jackson

Choreographed by Summer Baldwin

With: Laura Gilreath, Ricky Lewis, Adam Cohen, Summer Baldwin, and Marissa Maislen

Regroup Theatre presents…

 Where There’s Smoke

 If the flames of passion die do we let our commitments go up in smoke?

 Written by Betty Pink

Directed by Patricia Runcie

With: Steve Remeika and Katherine Nolan Brown

Overturn Theatre Ensemble presents…

 And Eggs Cook

 A struggling tale of getting to know a person… when you bought them online.

 Written by Diana Stahl

Directed by Kristy Dodson

With: Jessica Kahler & David Winning*

The LabRats present…

Been Down So Long Looks Like Up To Us

 How long you gotta stay down before you crawl your way back up?

 Written by Lawrence Dial

Co-Directed by Melissa Rosenberger and Ana Maria Jomolca

With: Daniela Mastropietro*, Stephen Palgon, Adam Cohen, Melissa Rosenberger, Ana Maria Jomolca*, Sal Massari, Jessica Sherr, Meredith Autry*, Danielle Vettraino and Ty Phillips

 *=AEA

Tickets are on Sale NOW!!

$15

You can buy tickets now here:

http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/120123 (Price includes service fee!)

or

Cash only at the door!

All shows take place at Center Stage, NY
48 West 21st Street, 4th Floor, Dial 401#
Between 5th and 6th Avenues

All proceeds go towards Developing Artist Theater Company and Center Stage, NY.

Your email:

No one benefits from this. It is one place less to practice this art form that goes back to Neanderthals grunting stories in front of their tribe, illuminated by recently discovered fires. Today, when the right people wield the stage, their stories become just as important to us. I feel it’s my responsibility as a human and, or, Neanderthal, to try to help a theater in need when I see one. This note is for anyone who feels the same.

There are a lot more theaters closing down in this city than there are opening up. Its just simple mathematics. Most high rise condo developers don’t have theaters in mind when they design their retail space.  Hard working immigrants are not rushing to empty store fronts to open theaters, they’re opening Jamba Juices and Dunkin Donuts.

So until someone makes theater edible, tasty, and refreshing, we face this problem of diminishing theater space. But there is hope. And that hope is us. No point in waiting for someone to come fix the problem. The best one can do is support all you can when you know a theater needs it.

Center Stage, NY, or CSNY, is one of these theaters in our great city. The people at Center Stage strive to keep prices for artist at an affordable rate. This interest conflict with those who run the building Center Stage is housed in. So, it’s time to fight the bad guys and raise this rent.

I can’t begin to tell you what we loose if we lose CSNY. Many theater companies have started there, or went through the space. Labyrinth, Vampire Cowboys, Terranova, countless individual artists, and the entity known as J. Anthony Roman. If Center Stage closes, we loose everything that would have come after.

So if you would like to help, please do. You will not be judged on the size of your donation. Six cents to six figures will be accepted. To donate, please contact Jill DeArmon at jill@centerstageny.com  

And if you want more bang for your donation, this Sunday CSNY is having a series of events to benefit the space. This includes celebrity panels giving you information about life in the arts. Successful life. If interested, check out the facebook page:

http://www.facebook.com/#!/event.php?eid=118546604842921

 It all culminates with an old school all nighter which promises to be a great party. Starts at 8PM and goes for as long as it has to. $10 admission. If you can’t come to the party and still want to help,again, contact Jill DeArmon at jill@centerstageny.com

IN THE BOX PARTY

May 23^rd, 2010   8PM on

$10 CASH at the door

48 West 21^st Street between 5^th and 6^th Ave

4^th Floor, dial 401

My writing is back at Backyart! And since the weather is shaping up, one can enjoy Backyart as is was meant to be, in the backyard, soaking in the sun. Unless it rains. In that case, one can enjoy it in a cool basement surrounded by art. Either way you will be entertained, and a little sweaty.

This scene went up in March and had a great showing at Rebel Verses.  I’m thrilled its at Backyart.

Love:Underground is about a couple coming to the end of their long relationship and relizing their best days were spent within the Subway System.

It will be directed by Lia Woertendyke and features Jenny Gomez and Nic Grelli.

The fun starts at 7PM

BACKYART   649 Metropolitan Avenue

L train to Lorimer, exit at Metropolitan.