“WTF?!?” or “A Strategically-Timed Pic to Promote A MODEST SUGGESTION”
If you are trying to figure out what the f*ck is going on in this picture, you’re just gonna have to come see the show.
Honestly… it is so worth it.
We had a terrific meet-and-greet last night for A Modest Suggestion, and now that we’re beginning our mad descent into the rehearsal process, we only thought it’d be appropriate to introduce you to the fine lads we have onstage.
Aren’t they a handsome lot?
* * * * *
JEFF AUER - Jeff has performed in independent films, national commercials and recorded numerous voiceovers for radio and television. Stage credits include: ACTC’s As Is and “The Return of Odysseus” in Won and Lost, Right Cross Rhapsody, Buddy Becker’s Big Uncut Flick (2009 FringeNYC), Tough Guys Don’t Shoot Blanks (2008 Fringe NYC), and Vice Girl Confidential (Best Ensemble - 2006 FringeNYC). His screenplay The Incoherents is currently in development with Perfect Weekend. www.pw.net
BOB GREENBERG - This Improv Comic, Stand-Up, Actor & Clown has been making people laugh for years. Film: Dark Corner, The Tailor, Sad Sack Sally, Glow Ropes, Freax of the City, Heartbreak Hospital, Big Money Hustlas and Maid In Manhattan. TV: SNL (with Jim Carrey in Opening Monologue), Lights Out, The Next Best Thing, Late Show with David Letterman, Late Night with Conan O’Brien, LateLine (Al Franken), Primetime Live (Diane Sawyer), Guiding Light and Law & Order. Regional Theatre: The Odd Couple, Pomp Duck & Circumstance (Circus), Harvey and Running In The Red. On Broadway: Hosted THE 39 STEPS Talkback Tuesdays, Winner of The 39 Steps1st Annual Alfred Hitchcock Look-A-Like Contest & Hosted the 2nd & 3rd Contests. Off-Off Broadway: The Jazz Singer. Bob stars as “Ralph Camden” in New York Dinner Theater’s The Honeymoaners. Bob is also a member of the Friars Club.
ETHAN HOVA is a founding member of Exit, Pursued by a Bear, where he recently played George Tesman opposite Billy Porter and Jeff Whitty in The Further Adventures of Hedda Gabler. Other New York productions include King Lear (EPBB), Arok of Java (EPBB), Spinning the Times (59E59), Rhinoceros (Brooklyn Lyceum), multiple Youngblood Brunches (Ensemble Studio Theatre), and the original production of A Modest Suggestion at Columbia University. Ethan can also be seen and heard on episodes of ER, E-Ring, NCIS, and the feature film Accepted. He’s a graduate of Carnegie Mellon University and thanks Ken for this opportunity and his continued support.
RUSSELL JORDAN makes his Apple Core Theater Company debut in this production. Other Theater Row: Beirut (Athena Theatre Company), Tower of Toys (Aurora Theatre Ensemble). Other NY Theatre: Big Black Mexican Woman (Metropolitan Playhouse), Hell and High Water… (MultiStages). He is a Maieutic Theatre Works (MTWorks) company actor, last seen in Absinthe (part of their 2012 National Newborn Festival). He would like to extend his deep appreciation to Walter, Allison, and the entire ACTC family for the opportunity to “play” with such a talented cast. Follow Russell on Twitter at @RussJordan and sign-up for his newsletter at http://www.bitly.com/rjnewsletter. Russell is a member of AEA.
JONATHAN MARBALLI is currently a performer at the Upright Citizens Brigade performing monthly as a member of the Maude team “Beige.” He is also a former member of The Flea Theater’s resident acting company (the Bats). His last show there was The Great Recession with world-premiering one-acts by Will Eno and Adam Rapp, directed by Jim Simpson. Other New York work includes: Hamlet reading with Alec Baldwin (Fundamental Theatre Project), Toby in Twelfth Night and Cloten in Cymbeline with Frog & Peach and Henry V and Measure for Measure with Shakespeare in the Parking Lot. He has also worked with Miscreant Theatre, Terra Firma, Berkeley Rep, and others. Film/Web: UCBComedy, CollegeHumor, Onion News Network, and others. Jon has also performed at the Del Close Marathon, the Boston Improv Festival and the Providence Improv Festival with his indie team “The Garys.” www.jonathanmarballi.com
ROBERT W. SMITH has been away from the theatre for a number of years. Now retired from the health department he’s once again become involved in acting. He returned several years ago and in the past two and a half years he has appeared in over 30 short films. While most of them have been for student directors at NYU, Columbia, SVA, Brooklyn and Hunter Colleges, Fairfield Univ. and NYFA. Robert has also appeared in It’s All Relative, Lakota Films, LLC; Rust, Guinea Pig Pictures; Adrift, Companion Pictures; The Gays, BTB Productions; and The Meet, 3PS Productions. This past fall he returned to the stage, appearing as Les Kennkat in Boy Gets Girl at the Access Theatre. Robert is a member of AEA, AFTRA and SAG.
A Hairy Situation
Last month, I performed the role of a homeless person in Jackob G, Hofmann’s TOWER OF TOYS as part of the 2011 Samuel French Off Off Broadway Short Play Festival. The role required that I wear a beard (gulp!) and let the hair on my head grow back in (double gulp!).
(Above: Me, and cast mates Victoria Vance (l.) and Jacqueline van Biene, in a tech rehearsal of TOWER OF TOYS.)
A few days before TOYS was to perform (it was a one-day performance and I had vowed to go back to my clean-shaven self immediately afterward), I had an audition for a Public Service Announcement. I went in… with “the hair.” And I got a callback. The callback was a few days after the TOYS performance. All my folks in the business basically said that I must attend the callback with… “the hair.” I did. And I was hired for the job.
(Above: Me and my “family” in holding on set of Sprout’s KINDNESS COUNTS Public Service Announcement shoot.)
In the transportation vehicle that carried my “family” back to New York (our shoot was in New Jersey), I showed them an electronic version of my headshot stored on my iPhone, proudly stating, “I am going back to this look tomorrow!!!”
So, a few days pass… and I have yet to shave “the hair.”
Actor-friend, Robin Madel, maybe a day or two later suggests that I take some character photos with “the hair,” so I would have these optional “looks” as part of my portfolio.
(Above: The “looks” with…”the hair.”)
Time goes on. And I’ve since shaved and am back to my clean-shaven “office-friendly” self.
And now, this…
A few days ago, actor-friend Michael Valentine reaches out to me to advise that he’s working on a “multi-ethnic version of Popeye” and that he was thinking that I would be great playing the role of Popeye’s father, Pappy. He goes on to ask if I would be OK with his “comp-ing” a photo of me so I could see how I might look. Well, lo and behold…
(Above: Me as “Pappy.”)
Aside from the fact that Michael is just amazing and his vision to even “see” me as this character is beyond awesome, it begs this question: Has the time come for me to change my brand to include a beard and/or hair on my head? I must say, I’m finding myself nowadays being considered for more opportunities with “the hair” than without it.
Hmm. A hairy situation, indeed.
Let the (Samuel French OOB Festival) games begin!
On July 18, 2011, I attended the Samuel French Off Off Broadway Short Play Festival Meet & Greet. With playwright Jackob G. Hofmann and actor Victoria Vance. Victoria and I will perform in Jackob’s play TOWER OF TOYS on Saturday, July 23, 2011.
The OOB Festival logo, official poster, and placard displaying all of this year’s plays.
Me, Victoria, and Jackob. (Jacqueline van Biene, our third cast member, had a prior engagment and could not attend this event… we missed you, Jax!)
Shot of me before the start of the evening’s events.
And me… clowning.
Click here for additional TOWER OF TOYS info (including ticket ordering info). Hope to see you there!
Me, and my (5 o’clock) shadow….
To learn more about TOWER OF TOYS check out the July 2011 edition of Russell Mail.
My favorite lines from THE EAST VILLAGE THEATER FESTIVAL
I’ve had such a great time performing on the Metropolitan Playhouse stage as part of their EAST VILLAGE THEATER FESTIVAL. But as the saying goes: all good things…. yadda, yadda, yadda.
Before the final performance of my show, THE EAST VILLAGE CHRONICLES, VOL. 7, I wanted to bid my characters adieu, and share my favorite lines said by each.
STAINED GLASS by Lawrence DuKore
ORLANDO (played by Sidiki Fofana):
You the police?
CLINTON (played by me):
Yeah, I’m part of the Special Wheelchair Unit.
BABY MARTY by Bryce Richardson
PAUL (played by me, talking to the infant son of ZACH, played by Paul Bomba*):
See that, Remy? Marty leans likes that because he sucked too much out of his bottle. Probably going to ask you for one of your diapers, too.
BIG BLACK MEXICAN WOMAN by Alberto Bonilla
JOHN (played by me, talking to SUSAN, played by Teresa Stephenson*):
When was the last time you ever met a Jewish family with names like Jesús, María, and José?
Thank you to the actors rounding-out the cast: Gordon Kupperstein*, John Fennessy*, Ralph Pochoda*; director Andrew Firda; stage manager Liz Richards*; Lighting Designer Christopher Weston; Costume Coordinator Sidney Fortner; Sound Designer Michael Hardart; and Metropolitan Playhouse Producing Artistic Director Alex Roe, for making this show possible.
And thank you to our playwrights for their amazing words. (Shout-out to Robert Anthony, playwright of THE PHILOSOPHERS. This was the one play of the show in which I did not appear.)
Our final performance is Saturday, June 25, 2011 at 3 pm. Click here to purchase your ticket.
Photos by: Beth Wexelman
* denotes member of Actors Equity Association
My Inaugural Vlog :: Celebrating Summer …and a Cheer from BACKSTAGE!!!
On Tuesday, June 8, New York City was in the grips of its first heatwave of 2011. I took off from the survival job and hit the streets with actor-friend Robin Madel to enjoy the heat in the best city in the world. Who knew that before the night was done, I would whip out my iPhone and record what would be my first vlog?
And as I write this post, who knew that my work in EAST VILLAGE CHRONICLES would receive a Yay! from BACKSTAGE?
In his article, BACKSTAGE’S Karl Levitt writes: “Alberto Bonilla’s “Big Black Mexican Woman” is a joy. Both the attractive [Teresa] Stephenson and the talented [Russell] Jordan play this original material to its zany hilt .” (You can read Mr. Levitt’s full post here.)
Here’s a still of me and Teresa in action in BIG, BLACK MEXICAN WOMAN:
(Photo courtesy: Beth Wexelman)
BBMW’s JOHN is one of three characters I play in EVC. Come check me out.
Remaining show dates and times:
Friday, June 10, 2011 at 7:30pm
Saturday, June 11, 2011 at 7:30pm
Sunday, June 19, 2011 at 3pm
Monday, June 20, 2011 at 7:30pm
Saturday, June 25, 2011 at 3pm
You can purchase tickets online at http://www.metropolitanplayhouse.org/EVTF2011
Yay!
New favorite on Mixcloud.com
The Pathfinder by Kr4ken on Mixcloud
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