I am teaching at The O'Neill Theater Institute

And I am incredibly excited.

Beginning Monday, June 15, for two weeks I will be teaching Playwriting at The O'Neill TheaterMakers Summer Program. For two weeks I will be working with three bright college students within a collaborative, project-based process. And we will be working in the same soil through which some of the greatest American playwrights came to blossom.

I don't know how I got so lucky, but I plan to make the most of it.

I look forward to meeting my students, my fellow teachers (Michael Cadman, Acting; and Yuriy Kordonskiy, Directing), and the rest of the good people at The O'Neill. It will be an education as well for me, and the assignment will require my best listening skills, my sharpest collaborative acumen, and the tippy-top of my imagination.

In creating as challenging, dynamic, and as fun as process as possible for my students, I look forward to sharing my generosity with the rest of the talented, creative folks in Waterford, and will do my best to stay humble, thankful, and gracious for one of the most exciting opportunities in my life.

Rock on,

========
ROMERO

ICE HOLES as part of CAT Tales 2008

As part of CAT Tales 2008, the good folks of City Attic Theatre asked fellow playwright Melissa Gawlowski and I to write three serial plays to be included as part of their second biennial Playwriting Festival.

Melissa sent me a wonderfully fun play, full of world explorers, an Inuit, and the North Pole. My response was to write a follow-up piece (largely about Erik the Red, game show contestants, and an Inuit who continually fishes into the ice) Ice Holes, which will then be followed by another Melissa Gawlowski play to end the serial.

It should be great fun!

The three short plays will be performed during the festival (one play each night), and followed by a staged reading of the finalists' plays for this year's festival.

City Attic Theatre are the lovely folks who first produced The Most Beautiful Lullaby You've Ever Heard off-off Broadway (May - June 2007) and they are lovely, talented, highly outstanding people.

All of the fun details below:

..................................................


On the momentous weekend of Fathers Day, Flag Day, and Friday the 13th, City Attic Theatre presents…

CAT Tales
our second biennial Playwriting Festival!

From over 200 entries, three scripts were selected for our reading series. In addition, the Festival will open with a reading of company member Jeff Scot Carey’s new play Paint.

In a new twist to this year's Festival, CAT Tales 2006 Winner Greg Romero and CAT resident playwright Melissa Gawlowski have collaborated to create a series of three short pieces, which will be performed as staged readings at the beginning of each evening.

Festival Schedule:

Friday, June 13th at 7 p.m.: Paint by Jeff Scot Carey
Can you forgive and love the brother that you'll never understand? How much can you learn and change while still staying true to yourself? And how much can you give without giving up?

Saturday, June 14th at 3 p.m.: Touch by Drew Larimore
A young man living in the forest and dwelling on a painful secret befriends a park ranger and her eccentric aunt, who are fighting to save their home in the woods from an encroaching coal company. Over time, the three learn to make peace with their pasts and forge a new beginning.

Saturday, June 14th at 7 p.m.: Parens. by Alexander Danner
For years, Eloquence and Bill have been ferrying recorded messages between their grammar-obsessed parents, who never speak face-to-face. But after a decade of silent cohabitation the family is at a breaking point, and the parents must face their misguided rituals of communication or divide their family forever.

Sunday, June 15th at 7 p.m.: Lost Nation by Tira Palmquist
Evan Drake returns from Iraq as his rural hometown wrangles with the construction of a new "big box" store, which promises new jobs at the expense of farmland in which their history is literally buried. As Evan comes to grips with what haunts him from the war, he finds himself pulled into the battle for this town, for its people, for the land itself.

CAT Tales will be held at the Stella Adler Studios, located at 31 West 27th Street (between 6th Ave. and Broadway), 2nd Floor.

==========
ROMERO

VALENTINE'S DAY to be included in Philly Fringe

My short solo-performance work, Valentine's Day, will be part of the 2008 Philly Fringe Fest. Originally produced by Red House Arts (Austin, TX) in February 2007 (originally performed by actress Melissa Ann Rentrop and directed by Chris Humphrey) as part of The Last Castrato Valentine's Extravaganza, the revised work will be produced by The Burn Ward Theater Company and directed by collaborator and partner-in-crime, Andrew J. Merkel.

Valentine's Day is about a woman, Opal, who decides every Valentine's Day if she's going to kill herself. This year, she makes lists, she makes pizzas, she rollerskates, and she's afraid of hula-hoops.

The Burn Ward is a theatrical group/outgrowth from a handful of talented, enthusiastic students/alums/dragons from Drexel University. I look forward to working with and getting to know these folks.

In addition to Valentine's Day, we will be producing two works from local Philly writer Eamon R. McIvor-- Mittens Descending, and Big Red Button.

The good times will be in view of the public on September 5th and 6th at 7pm and 10pm each night-- more production details forthcoming.

In the meantime, I look forward to getting back to work on a short piece I have alot of affection for and to continuing to get to know and work with more Philly artists.


=======
ROMERO

More MILKY WAY Photos

The good folks of The Cardboard Box Collaborative recently sent me photos from our September 2007 production of my play, The Milky Way Cabaret. These photos (taken by Paola Nogueras) capture the fantastic worlds we created and is a great reminder of the wonderful work done on that production.

Kudos again to all.

Cherie A. Roberts as "Travlin' Alice". Design work by Stephen P. Hungerford (set, lighting), Andrew J. Merkel (lighting) and Jamie Grace-Duff (costumes)

Charlotte (Katy O'Leary), Lorraine (Brittany Brazill), Travlin' Alice (Cherie A. Roberts), and Amazin' Arnie (Daniel Higbee). Design work by Stephen P. Hungerford (set, lighting), Andrew J. Merkel (lighting) and Jamie Grace-Duff (costumes).

Buzz (Steven Wright), Charlotte (Katy O'Leary), and Travlin' Alice (Cherie A. Roberts). Design work by Stephen P. Hungerford (set, lighting), Andrew J. Merkel (lighting) and Jamie Grace-Duff (costumes)

=========
ROMERO

SHOVEL to be presented on June 3rd

My short piece, Shovel, will share a bill with three other new plays as part of Philadelphia Dramatists Center's Project, "Primary Stages: 4 x 4". The 4 x 4 project is a forum to develop new works by staging them inside of a four-foot by four-foot space.

The work I'm developing, Shovel, is a 10-15 minute solo performance-piece about a woman who tries to dig up pieces of her memories in between moments of blacking-out. Her story is told through script and Butoh-based movement, all confined to 16 square feet.

The rehearsals have been fruitful and challenging, and director Andrew Merkel and performer Cherie A. Roberts are really doing brave work. After Saturday night's rehearsal, I am very eager to see how this project lands on an audience.

The work will be presented at 7:30 pm on Tuesday, June 3rd, in the Meeting House Theater at the Community Education Center (CEC) in West Philadelphia (3500 Lancaster Ave).

You can find more information about the event at PDC.


=====
ROMERO

Another LULLABY completed

On Saturday May 17th, 2008, the curtain came down on another production of The Most Beautiful Lullaby You've Heard. It's third production, I thank the good folks of Audacity Theatre Lab for continuing the life of a play I love very much and hope to continue sharing with the world.

Thank you Brad, Ruth, Jeff, Paula, Tyson, Jeff Hernandez, Cassidy, and the rest of the awesome people that made this show happen.

Jeff Swearingen, Tyson Rinehart, and Paula Wood.

Tyson Rinehart and Paula Wood.

Jeff Swearingen, Tyson Rinehart, and Paula Wood.

Tyson Rinehart, Jeff Swearingen, and Paula Wood.

For additional information about the show, visit Audacity Theatre Lab.



=====
ROMERO

LULLABY opens/continues in Dallas

On May 7th 2008, The Most Beautiful Lullaby You've Ever Heard continued its journey with Audacity Theatre Lab's smart, sharp production in Dallas, Texas.

Director Brad McEntire and performers Jeff Swearingen, Paula Wood, and Tyson Rinehart have done good work, finding the clarity of this play, staying truthful to the script, and delivering a very strong show.

Big thank yous to all of them for their hard work and dedication.




I attended the opening weekend's productions and was moved, particularly by Friday night's show. The production made me re-enthusiastic about this play and hopeful for its continued life through continued brave productions.

The Dallas production runs through May 17th, nightly at 8:15 pm and an additional performance on Saturday at 5:15.

It is my hope that more people go out and see the good work these guys are doing:

The Most Beautiful Lullaby You've Ever Heard
by Greg Romero
Produced by Audacity Theatre Lab
Directed by Brad McEntire
Performed by Jeff Swearingen, Paula Wood, and Tyson Rinehart
at Risk Theatre Initiative
3605 Ross Ave
Dallas TX
Tickets $ 10 - 15
(214) 621-9683
www.myspace.com/audacitytheatrelab.com


=======
ROMERO

Send Me on a Journey and I Will Write You a Play

An Open Fund-raising letter (please donate!):

...................................................

Dear Friends,

First of all-- THANK YOU!

When I recently asked your help for my project Radio Ghosts, your response was HUGE. My collaborators and I received enough gifts to cover almost all of our costs-- a serious accomplishment considering the project ended up needing $ 2,000 to complete.

With your help we were able to pay for travel expenses, acquire necessary materials, rent rehearsal and performance venues in Philadelphia AND New York City and present a highly successful presentation in TWO cities!

Additionally, it was really nice to re-connect with many of you and re-establish a correspondance (how are you doing?). Plus, all of the wonderful notes and cards and messages were outstanding. I still have all of them and plan to do something highly creative with them.

In short-- You Rule.

So....I come for your help again, this time for a journey that will last the next THREE years.

Three years?

Holy Moly!

The press release below explains in more detail, but the short version is that Dallas-based company, Audacity Theatre Lab, has agreed to produce THREE of my plays over the next THREE years.

You heard that right.

Three plays. Three years.

Yowsa!!

We're calling this project 3P/3Y and it launches in May 2008 with a production of The Most Beautiful Lullaby You've Ever Heard.

This is a HUGE undertaking and we need your help to make it happen.

:)

So how can you help, you might ask?

Audacity Theatre Lab has flown me in once to help with the production process for Lullaby. To help out, I have volunteered to raise enough money to fly me back to Dallas for opening weekend (May 7-10!).

Thus, my immediate goal is to raise $ 300.

However-- because I am feeling ambitious, Audacity Theatre Lab and I have agreed that any additional funds raised during this ask will go directly to additional 3P/3Y needs.

With that in mind, I am setting the goal to raise $ 2,000.

And because I'm asking something from you, I want to EARN your gifts.

So, to symbolize the incredible journey ahead (and because I love road trips), here's what I want to do.....

Philadelphia and Dallas are roughly 1,500 miles apart. I need you to donate enough miles to get me from Philadelphia to Dallas.

Using the immediate goal of $ 300, you can donate miles for 20 cents a piece! For a dollar, you will send me five miles! For a hundred dollars, you will send me 500 miles!

And here's the fun part:

I will map your donated miles, beginning from my house in Philadelphia towards my destination in Dallas. And whichever city I land in (whichever city you send me to!), I will write you a play inspired by that city and send it to you in the mail.

How about that?!

I will write a play for YOU and mail it to you.

How long of a play? (you might ask).

It depends on how many states you send me through. I will write you a page for every state that your gift makes me pass through.

For example!:

When you donate 50 dollars-- at 20 cents a mile-- you've just sent me 250 miles! Which means...you've sent me to Mount Jackson, Virginia!

Imagine a play written just for you about Mount Jackson! This would be a 4-page epic being that your gift sends me through Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, and Virginia.

And if that's not good enough, for just over 100 bucks, I will write you a 5-page play about Blountville, Tennessee!

Or-- if you prefer, you can pick your own destination. Say-- you want me to write you a play about Washington DC. DC is 150 miles away! For $ 30, I would write you an awesome play about Washington DC! And the play would be 3 pages because I'd have to pass through Pennsylvania, Delaware and Maryland!

How fun is that?!

And all the while (let us not forget), you will be contributing to the production of THREE PLAYS over the next THREE YEARS!!

Everyone Wins!! Could there be anything better?!!

So what do I do to hop aboard this train? (you might ask)


Here's how we make it happen:

1. Send donations (and fun notes) directly to me (by May 1st):

Greg Romero
214 Beck St
Philadelphia PA 19147

2. When I receive your gift, I will email you, confirm receipt, and let you know which city I'll write your play about (and how long the play will be).

3. I will mail you your completed play by the end of June, 2008.

It's that simple!

A play just for you! And THREE PLAYS over the next THREE YEARS for me!

:)

Thank you in advance for making this happen!

Sincerely,


ROMERO

3P/3Y Collaboration

Below is a recent press release sent out by Audacity Theatre Lab in Dallas, Texas. It is CLEARLY really good news.

Life is good.

..............................

DALLAS – Audacity Theatre Lab is proud to announce a special commitment to Philadelphia-based playwright Greg Romero. Called 3P/3Y, Audacity has pledged to develop and produce three of Mr. Romero’s plays over the next three years.

3P/3Y kicks off this May with ATL’s production of THE MOST BEAUTIFUL LULLABY YOU’VE EVER HEARD. First produced off-off Broadway by City Attic Theatre in May 2007, the play received a second production with Specific Gravity Ensemble in Louisville, Kentucky, in September. This will be the play’s Regional Premiere in Dallas. A semi-finalist for the Princess Grace Award, LULLABY is a non-linear exploration of a young couple’s relationship as they journey through their broken pasts, broken futures, broken skin, and across worlds to find the beautiful place together inside of the knives.

"LULLABY comes to Audacity Theatre Lab at a perfect time in the play’s life. Having been through two productions with it, it’s time now to discover how well the play stands up on its own without too much of my parenting. I feel fortunate to be able to hand the play off to the folks of Audacity Theatre Lab, who I completely trust to carry the play through this particular rite of passage with a daring and brave production," comments Romero.

In 2009, Mr. Romero and ATL will develop and produce his play THE MILKY WAY CABARET, a work originally commissioned and produced by The Cardboard Box Collaborative in Philadelphia, of which Mr. Romero is currently a Resident Artist. THE MILKY WAY CABARET is a wonderfully careening piece with assassin clowns, an alcoholic magician, an ex-hula hooping homecoming queen, a dildo-wielding club owner and a daughter who travels back in time, through black holes, to try to save her father’s life.

Romero says," I highly anticipate the work ahead on MILKY WAY. ATL’s production of this play will be MILKY WAY’s second time before an audience and, through collaboration with ATL, I look forward to using what I learned from the play’s original production to create an improved draft of the play. Brad and I have already begun talking about ideas for further development of the script, how to build workshop time into the production process, and for the best ways to tackle the play’s second journey. A larger, more sprawling play than LULLABY, MILKY WAY will be an opportunity to work with more of an ensemble and to involve myself more within the collaboration. THE MILKY WAY CABARET is the ideal play for a second production with Audacity Theatre Lab.

The third installment in the three-year plan is an as-yet-unnamed project commissioned especially for and in collaboration with Audacity Theatre Lab.

"Of the three plays with Audacity, I might be most excited about the third one. This third production will be an opportunity to create something from scratch, inspired by the artists I am currently working with. It will be an opportunity to write something for the specific strengths (and fears) of the company, an opportunity for a deeper collaboration with the talented artists of Audacity, and a way for me to continue to stretch myself by writing a little bit inside of the performer’s voice," says Romero.

ATL Artistic Director Brad McEntire says, "I believe important, dynamic art often grows out of fruitful, mutually beneficial artistic relationships. That’s what we want with Greg."

"I am highly excited about 3P/3Y." says Romero. " As a working playwright for the past eight years, I have learned the importance of creating artistic friendships that are built on trust, truth, and continued inspiration. Brad and I (and actor Jeff Swearingen) share a similar commitment to our work, our work ethic, and our vision for the theater. We are embarking on a brave commitment to continue an intense artistic conversation together over the course of three years and through the production of three plays. It is my hope and expectation that this engagement will stretch and challenge all of us in ways that will help us all become braver, sharper artists."

"It is admittedly a bold step for a new company, but we believe in Greg. He has a wonderfully unique and very theatrical way of writing and isn’t afraid to tackle big themes. That’s the kind of theatre we want to explore here at Audacity. It’s a good fit," adds McEntire.

"I wish this kind of agreement between playwrights and producers was more commonplace and not that out-of-the-ordinary. Then again, we don’t mind being trail-blazers…," McEntire slyly winks. Romero adds, "It is also my hope that our commitment to 3P/3Y will serve as a successful and dynamic model for other companies and playwrights to engage with each other in the development and production of new work."

THE MOST BEAUTIFUL LULLABY YOU’VE EVER HEARD plays Wednesdays thru Saturdays, May 7^th to 17^th at the Risk Theatre Initiative Space , 3605 Ross Avenue, Dallas, TX 75204. Tickets are $10 - $15. Student and Senior discounts available. Call (214) 621-9683 for more information or to make ticket reservations. Additional information about ATL can be found at www.myspace.com/audacitytheatrelab.

Audacity Theatre Lab is dedicated to the development and production of dynamic new works for the stage. Whether bold new interpretations of existing works or the incubation and exploration of original works by emerging playwrights, Audacity seeks to present relevant, engaging stories that challenge and enrich our cultural community.

......................

ROMERO

LULLABY enters rehearsal with Audacity

On Thursday, April 10th, The Most Beautiful Lullaby You've Ever Heard launches into rehearsal with Audacity Theatre Lab in Dallas.

I am excited about the play entering its third production process and look forward to continuing to learn the play through the brave artists who take it on. Knowing some of the Audacity artists already, I expect they will be rigorous and creative, will ask good questions, and will have a sense of humor and fun with the work. I regret being too far away to join them (because it would be fun), but the distance comes at a good time as I continue my own process of letting this play live on its own without me.

As the journey continues, these are the good folks who will set sail together:

The Most Beautiful Lullaby You've Ever Heard
by Greg Romero

Directed by Brad McEntire
Co-produced by Ruth Engel

Performed by:

The Narrator................Tyson Rinehart
The Man.....................Jeff Swearingen
The Woman.................Paula Wood


Thank you to Brad, Ruth, Tyson, Jeff, and Paula for breathing life into the play once more, and bon voyage!!



ROMERO

LULLABY Continues Journey in Dallas

In May 2008, The Most Beautiful Lullaby You've Ever Heard, enters its third production, this time with Dallas-based company, Audacity Theatre Lab.

I am very excited about continuing to share this play with the world, and am happy to bring it back to Dallas where it was previously workshopped as part of Kitchen Dog Theater's 2006 New Works Festival.

I am thrilled to be working with ATL's artistic director, Brad McEntire, and jazzed that close friend (and wonderful actor) Jeff Swearingen gets a crack at the role of "The Man".

More details will follow soon (including information about how this project is part of a larger commitment between myself and Audacity Theatre Lab). For now, here are the dates and place for the 2-week, 10-performance run-- if you are in the area, start making plans now! (I will be at opening weekend).

.................

Audacity Theatre Lab presents:

The Most Beautiful Lullaby You've Ever Heard
by Greg Romero

Directed by Brad McEntire

May 7-10, 14-17

At Risk Theatre Initiative
3605 Ross Ave
Dallas TX 75204

Tickets $ 10 - 15
Call 214-621-9683 for info/reservations

................


ROMERO

MARCO POLO will happen somewhere at Actor's Theatre of Louisville

Continuing my wonderful relationship with Specific Gravity Ensemble, we will be presenting our experiment, Marco Polo, at Actor's Theatre of Louisville as part of their late-night programming, "The Late Seating".

Actor's Theatre of Louisville dubs their on-going series, "The Late Seating", as an electric mixture of new work by local artists in performance, music, art, and video. This particular Late Seating is additionally electric as it is part of the 32nd annual Humana Festival of New American Plays and is, in fact, billed as "Louisville's Humana Festival Party".

It is my hope that there are always parties attached to my work.





In addition to my play there will be a live DJ, videos, and complimentary appetizers and drinks. Awesome.

In order to catch the performance of Marco Polo...well, we can only ask you show up at the party and do your best to be alert.

True to Specific Gravity's mission, Marco Polo will be performed in an environmental space SOMEWHERE in the building. But we are not revealing where. You will either happen upon it, or you won't. We hope that you will. But you might not.

What we can reveal is that the good times happen on March 1st, 2008, beginning around 10:30 pm. And that it will be totally fun, no matter what.

My accomplices in this mission are director Rand Harmon and performers Lucas W. Adams, Sarah Feldman, Julia Leist, Corey Long, Randy D. Pease, and Jennifer Poliskie.

We hope you join us.

You can get all of the rockin' specifics at The Late Seating.


========
ROMERO

RADIO GHOSTS to show in NYC and Philadelphia

My collaborators and I WILL be presenting our project, RADIO GHOSTS in New York City and in Philadelphia.

We will be showing this work-in-progress on:

Thursday, January 31st at the Community Education Center in Philadelphia

Friday, February 1st at The Dramatists Guild of America in New York City


HOT!

THANK YOU to everyone who has sent their support and encouragement and expressed their interest in the work we are doing. We remain excited about our project, and grow more so each day. There are some really wonderfully talented people working on this piece and it’s been an incredible process.

We’ve all learned a lot, are taking some good risks, and are very much looking forward to sharing our work with the public. It is my hope that you will attend.

As a reminder, this is what we’re taking on:

……………………



..............................

Radio Ghosts tells three overlapping, interwoven, and haunted narratives:

An expert on holographic theory (named William Tell) gives a university lecture on how everything in the universe is one giant hologram. His son, comatized by a gunshot to the face, sends him holographic phone calls through a portable radio and his wife speaks to him through the waves of the Pacific Ocean.

A ghost, carrying a wedding band, crosses through dimensions to save a child’s life, shattering the world of the physical scientist who witnesses her. The scientist tries to re-organize the universe as more ghosts serve him coffee in an abandoned greasy-spoon diner.

A physician falls in love with a patient who dreams of falling into fires and whose body slowly and continuously falls apart from a car-wreck that happens in the future.

Using Electronic Voice Phenomenon and The Holographic Universe as inspiration, Radio Ghosts is a multi-layered work that combines live performance and recorded sound, creating a real-time (bending), performative conversation between what is live, what is electronically composed, and what is beyond our imagination.

…………………………….

RADIO GHOSTS

An electro-theater collaboration

Script by Greg Romero

Music by Mike Vernusky

Directed by Andrew J. Merkel

Dramaturgy by Genevieve Saenz

Production Design by Stephen Hungerford

Performed by:

Steve Gleich

Felicia Leicht

Toby Mulford

Cherie A. Roberts

Jeff Swearingen

...................................................................................

In PHILADELPHIA:

Thursday, January 31^st, at 8:00 pm

Meeting House Theatre

The Community Education Center (CEC)

3500 Lancaster Av

Philadelphia, PA 19104

Admission is Pay-What-You-Can, with proceeds going towards our showing at The Dramatists Guild of America (NYC) on February 1st.

.................................................................................

In NEW YORK CITY:

Friday, February 1st, at 7:30 pm

The Dramatists Guild of America
1501 Broadway, 7th Floor
(b/w 43rd and 44th-- in Times Square)
New York NY

This presentation is FREE!

...................................................

This presentation is made possible THANKS to the awesome people of:

Philadelphia Dramatists Center; The Production Office of the Lang Performing Arts Center at Swarthmore College; The Cardboard Box Collaborative; and all of the awesome people who sent us dollars!


-------------
ROMERO

Playwriting Fundamentals at The WILMA Studio School

Very soon I begin teaching "Playwriting Fundamentals" at the very cool Wilma Theatre. I look forward to continuing my experiences as a teacher/learner and continuing to get to know the wonderful people and artists in the city of Philadelphia. Open to the public, I anticipate a great mix of folks and will do my best to help my students find their writing awesomeness.

Playwriting Fundamentals

Greg Romero

This entry level course will cover various aspects of crafting a play from nurturing the seeds of an idea to developing the arch of a character. Particular attention will be paid to freeing each student’s voice from the obstacles that inhibit the growth of their unique and authentic writing style.

$240, 10 weeks; begins 2/5/08

To learn more about the course, the instructor, and the Wilma Studio:

Join us at the WILMA Studio School's Winter OPEN HOUSE.

WHEN: Monday, January 21 from 5:30 - 7:00 pm
WHERE: The Wilma Theater Studio

WHY: You might not meet the new Mayor of Philadelphia and we aren't promising Tastykakes...

Here's what we can promise though:

- an opportunity to meet the studio school faculty and learn about their classes
- a chance to win a FREE CLASS in the raffle
- maybe even a much coveted free mini-session with Alexander Technique
Guru, Mary McCann.

For a full schedule of spring classes at the Wilma visit: www.wilmatheater.org

TO REGISTER call 215-893-9456 ext. 106

Anne K. Holmes, Education Director
The Wilma Theater
265 S. Broad St
Philadelphia, PA 19107

Phone: [215] 893-9456 ext.101
akh@wilmatheater. org
Fax: [215] 893-0895


......................

ROMERO

TWO BUBBLES Selected for Publication

My ten-minute play, TWO BUBBLES, has recently been selected for publication by Playscripts, Inc.

Originally written overnight (from midnight until 6 am) as part of Audacity Productions and Rover Dramawerks 24-Hour play project, One (More) Day Only, I am thrilled that this play is headed for publication.

The good people of Playscripts tell me it will likely be published in an anthology of "outstanding short plays"-- something kind of like this.

Big thank yous to Audacity Productions and Rover Dramawerks for giving me a reason to write this play, to Jenae Yerger for giving me a place to sleep when I was done writing, and to all of the folks who made that first production happen in a really fun way. Additional thanks to rm 120 theatre, Cliff Diver Productions, and the awesome people who worked on the FronteraFest production of this play, City Theater Company (Wilmington DE) for producing the play a year later, and to Actor's Theatre of Louisville for selecting the play as a finalist for the 2003 Heideman Award.

And lastly, thanks to the wonderful people (Andrew H. Beal, Matt Dell'Olio, Felicia Leicht, Adrienne Mackey, Andrew Merkel, Sara Pauley, Cherie A. Roberts, Sarah P. Robinson, and Jeff Swearingen) in Philadelphia who came over to my publication party, helping me put the last touches on the final version of the script.


----
ROMERO

Under My Coat is the Truth-- in an elevator

The year 2008 begins with some wonderful news. My short play, Under My Coat is the Truth, has been selected for production by Specific Gravity Ensemble as part of Elevator Plays 2: Beyond the Norm.

For four weeks in January and February, this production takes over the historic Starks Building in downtown Louisville, staging 24 plays inside of the building's elevators.

Having worked on the original Elevator Plays: Ascent-Descent/Assent-Dissent project last year (they did a wonderful job with my piece, New Orleans: December 26, 2005) and in the fall on a truly moving production of The Most Beautiful Lullaby You've Ever Heard, I'm thrilled to be working again with Specific Gravity Ensemble on such a fun and innovative project.



ROMERO

RADIO GHOSTS Needs One Dollar

Dear Friends,

I am working on a HUGELY exciting project.

And I come to you for help.

In the past, I have done weird things to myself to raise money for creative projects:

1. Bowled for my first commission

2. Run as fast and as far as I could for sixty minutes (to buy a plane ticket)

3. Shaved my beard to raise money for an off-off Broadway production (you can watch me get face-naked here).

And now I'm raising money in a way that is less weird, but just as challenging.

I am asking everyone I know to give me ONE DOLLAR to support my current project, RADIO GHOSTS.

If everyone gives just one dollar, the project will be taken care of.

To describe what I’m working on...

On February 1, 2008, a collaborative group of artists will present the next step in the creation of a work called "Radio Ghosts".

Radio Ghosts tells three overlapping, interwoven, and haunted narratives:

An expert on holographic theory (named William Tell) gives a university lecture on how everything in the universe is one giant hologram while his son, comatized by a gunshot to the face, sends him holographic phone calls through a portable radio and his wife speaks to him through the waves of the Pacific Ocean.

A ghost carrying a wool blanket shatters the world of a physical scientist when he sees her cross over to save a child’s life. The scientist tries to re-organize the world while hiding in an abandoned greasy-spoon diner whose only inhabitants are the specters who serve him coffee.

A physician falls in love with a patient who dreams of falling into fires and whose body slowly and continuously falls apart from a car-wreck that hasn’t happened yet.

Using Electronic Voice Phenomenon and The Holographic Universe as inspiration, "Radio Ghosts" is a multi-layered collaborative work that combines live performance and recorded sound, creating a real-time (bending), performative conversation between what is live, what is electronically composed, and what is beyond our imagination.

An "in-progress" version of the first 35 minutes of material was commissioned by Austin Script Works and workshopped as part of FronteraFest 2007.

Our next "in progress" production will be part of Friday Night Footlights at The Dramatists Guild of America in New York City. (Hot!)

We have completed the first act of the work and will be presenting roughly one hour's worth of material.

The presentation will take place in the Frederick Loewe rehearsal studio across the hall from the DGA offices, which means our audience will include some of the country's hardest-working playwrights. We are also expecting potential producers and industry professionals to be in attendance.

In addition to the showing at the Dramatists Guild, we are working hard at procuring a second New York showing during the same week, as well as an additional showing in Philadelphia leading up to the NYC events. We will confirm those details at a later date.

Soooooooo....here's where your dollar comes in:

We have managed to keep production costs low, however, producing a show (even in a workshop setting) and taking it to New York City is clearly a financial challenge.

In order to meet this challenge I am asking you to donate ONE DOLLAR.

(Of course, you are more than welcome to donate as much as you want, but I am only asking for $1 donations.)

And because I love and believe in people so much, here's what your collective one dollars will do:

A: Pay for electronic music composer Mike Vernusky's plane ticket. Mike is traveling from Austin, Texas, to work on this event (and we need him!).

B: Pay for actor Jeff Swearingen's plane ticket. Jeff is traveling all the way from Dallas, Texas, to perform in this project because he believes in it so much. In fact, he has ALREADY bought a plane ticket because he wants it so badly. Help us pay Jeff back for his awesome commitment.

C: Pay for travel to and from New York City. We will be making numerous trips from Philly to New York and are also hosting at least one additional actor from The Apple (if you're looking to be generous, 20 bucks is enough to travel one person round-trip from Philly/NYC on a Greyhound).

D: Pay for any additional production expenses. Because this is a collaborative creation between an electronic music composer and me, we will have to transport and/or rent sound equipment for the project.

My creative team feels like we can get everything done for about $ 1500 - 1700. Perhaps less if we can make some deals. But we are targeting $ 1700 as a goal. Between all of my collaborators and me, we are asking 1700 different people for a dollar.

How crazy is that?!

So please! Show your support for what is, for all of us, one of the coolest projects we've ever worked on.

And here’s how!

For your generous donations/gifts, please do the following:

Send me a check or a give me a dollar bill, either in person or via snail mail to the following address:

Greg Romero
214 Beck St
Philadelphia, PA 19147

Also--

Because they are awesome people, Philadelphia Dramatists Center (a 501(c)(3) organization) has graciously agreed to act as a non-profit sponsor. If you wish to make your donations tax-deductible, you can send me a check payable to Philadelphia Dramatists Center, with "Radio Ghosts" in the subject line to:

Greg Romero
214 Beck St
Philadelphia, PA 19147

(To learn more about PDC, and to view their IRS documents/certifications, visit their website at http://www.pdc1.org/)

I hope hope hope you will make the effort to support this very exciting project. The artists working on this project are all challenging themselves in ways they never have before, and the work we are putting into this project is full of passion, creativity, determination and heart.

All we need now is ONE DOLLAR!

rock on,

ROMERO

THREE CARD WEASEL in a 4' x 4' box

As part of Philadelphia Dramatists' Center's project, "Primary Stages", my short play Three Card Weasel will be performed, script-in-hand, inside of a 4 foot by 4 foot stage. This will be a fun challenge (which is why the play was chosen) because there is alot of physical action, including a character attacking another character with a donut.

I've learned alot from this experience already (I did a huge rewrite on this piece) and thank director Wally Zialcita for asking me to send him some plays and for captaining the ship. I also thank Todd Holtsberry for producing this thing and for, unbeknownst to me, acting in two other plays of mine (the world gets smaller). I look forward to continuing to meet some of the cool people doing interesting theatre in Philadelphia.

The show details (people details soon to follow):

"Primary Stages : 4 x 4"
Produced by Philadelphia Dramatists Center
The Shubin Theatre
407 Bainbridge St
Philadelphia PA

Tuesday, November 20th, 8:00 pm

The evening will also feature plays by Philly-area scribes Matt Casarino, Alex Dremann, Robin Rodriguez, and Tawn Stokes.

(and I'm told there might be Vienna Sausages)

rock on,


ROMERO

The Work on RADIO GHOSTS Continues

The collaborative team for Radio Ghosts is gearing up for another round of work.

We continue to build this project-- asking questions, exploring form, and opening our hearts as we continue work on what is, for all of us, one of the most exciting projects we've ever entered into.

We are now assembling the rest of our creative team for at least one presentation in early 2008. As part of The Dramatists Guild's on-going efforts to develop new works, we will be presenting Radio Ghosts as part of their "Friday Night Footlights" series in New York.

We will be presenting this work-in-progress on:

Friday, February 1st, 2008 at
The Dramatists Guild of America
1501 Broadway, Ste 701 (the F. Loewe Room is 710)
New York, NY

The creative team assembled so far is STELLAR and I love them all to pieces:

Script by Greg Romero (Philadelphia)
Music by Mike Vernusky (Austin)
Direction by Andrew J. Merkel (Philadelphia)
Dramaturgy by Genevieve Saenz (NYC)
Design by Stephen Hungerford (Philadelphia)

We are also in communication with a number of performers right now who are all very talented, passionate, wonderful artists and people.

So far, this is what the project is all about:

An expert in Holographic Theory (named William Tell) tries to speak to his comatized son through radio waves. A ghost carrying a wool blanket appears and shatters the world. A physician tests his imagination with a patient who continually falls into fires.

Using Electronic Voice Phenomenon and The Holographic Universe as inspiration, Radio Ghosts is a multi-layered collaborative work that combines live performance and recorded sound, creating a real-time (bending), performative conversation between what is live, what is electronically composed, and what is beyond our imagination.


Exciting!



--ROMERO

SHARPEN MY DICK To Open in Delaware

My ten-minute play, Sharpen My Dick, begins its second voyage into production-- this time with Wilmington, Delaware's City Theater Company.

Having opened originally off-off Broadway in Working Man's Clothes' production of FuckPlays, the Wilmington production of Sharpen My Dick sounds like a blast, and really hot with fun:

From CTC:

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Sex sells at City Theater Company!

City Theater Company, Delaware's Off-Broadway, invites patrons to get in bed with them as they present THE SEX PLAYS: CTC's 2007 BENEFIT SHOW & CARNIVALE. This one-night-only special event takes place on Saturday, October 13th at the troupe's new home at OperaDelaware Studios, located at 4 S. Poplar Street on the Wilmington waterfront.

CTC takes the "fun" part of "fundraiser" seriously by promising patrons good food, choice beverages, potential nudity, free stuff, and lots of laughs. The special event showcases City Theater Company's signature style with an evening of original and outrageous 10-minute plays, all celebrating America's favorite pastime. From a `60s-inspired rock musical to a satire of online porn, the six plays represent some of the area's funniest and most promising playwrights: Matt Casarino's Johnny Infamous; Josh McIlvain's Backyard; Kevin Regan's Date Agents; Howard Rice's Erections/Direction's; Greg Romero's Sharpen My Dick; and Steve Schutzman's No Talking On The First Date.

The accompanying party showcases events like Karaoke Love Duets, Personalized Mating Dances, and Bad Couples Therapy; plus appearances by CTC's most popular people. A silent auction is also featured.

The good times roll beginning at 7pm at OperaDelaware Studios. Tickets are $35 in advance and $40 at the door.

Visit www.city-theater. org for tickets, directions, and more information.


.........................................

Rock on,


ROMERO