Vernusky/Romero Collaboration on CD

My long-time collaborator and friend Mike Vernusky has just released a new CD, Music for Film and Electro-Theatre, in which lives a couple of projects he and I worked on together.

Within the 9-track recording are two works, "Dallas" and "Under My Coat is the Truth", which Mike and I created together using my text and his sounds. These two projects are part of the body of work we're exploring together under the umbrella, "electro-theatre".

Like all of Mike's work, the entire recording is mind-blowing, space-changing, imaginative and virtuosic. It's a pleasure to work with this guy and I'm totally proud of the recordings we did for this specific project.

You can listen to some of the work here, as well as snag a copy or two if you love it (CD or MP3).

(Mike was also generous enough to give away copies to audience of our most recent public collaboration, The Most Beautiful Lullaby You've Ever Heard).

Big thank yous to Quiet Design for making this happen, and to the actors (Jeffrey Carlson, Elena DeAngelis, Cody Kirk, Michael Kranes, T. Lynn Mikeska) who worked with me and Mike, bringing the work to life.

rock on,

ROMERO

GOODB(EYE) IN THE SKY: A Re-Post

As Audacity Theatre Lab tools together Episode 3 of their EYE IN THE SKY PROJECT: an innovative experiment in epistolary radio drama, they are re-posting Episode 2, which presents work from myself, Daniel Talbott, and Erin Courtney.


You can go HERE to listen to Daniel, Erin, and my responses to this challenge:

"For one week in the middle of the summer a giant eye appears in the sky over the city. At the end of seven days it disappears as suddenly as it had originally materialized..."

Big thank yous to Artistic Director Brad McEntire for continuing to involve me in ATL's fun projects, and to actors Jeffrey Schmidt and Lydia Mackay for bring my piece, GOODB(EYE), to life via the Internet airwaves.

rock on,

ROMERO

LULLABY at The Rotunda

We don't know yet what will happen.

But on Sunday, August 15th, a talented group of collaborators and I will share our discoveries on our experiment with my play, The Most Beautiful Lullaby You've Ever Heard.

We welcome folks to join us at 7pm at The Rotunda (40th and Walnut) to work on the project with us.

postcard design from world premiere production, City Attic Theatre (NYC)

Some of you may already have seen or read (or worked on!) the play before, but this project aspires to be a new experience as I am working with long-time collaborator (and electronic music composer) Mike Vernusky to explode/explore this piece even further.

In short, we are removing one of the play's characters (The Narrator) and replacing them with a recorded composition, created by Vernusky specifically for this project. We are attempting to get at the heart of this work by removing words and replacing them with sound.

The actors now, in addition to the play's original demands and restrictions (the characters are stuck in chairs for the entire play), will be working with the added challenge of playing within and against a wildly imaginative recorded electronic score, compelling us all to listen more closely than ever.

It is kind of an impossible task and we have no idea if this will work.

But the question excites us, and we have a team of ACE-talented folks who are up for the challenge, digging deep and finding gold.

Our event at the Rotunda is our continued exploration with additional questions (how does this piece work in a performance space? With an audience? With production elements?), and we look forward to discovering/breathing in the piece together.

I look forward to it and I hope you do too.

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

The Most Beautiful Lullaby You've Ever Heard
script by Greg Romero
music by Mike Vernusky
directed by Ken Kaissar
performed by Kevin Meehan and Megan Slater

Sunday, August 15th, 7:00 pm
The Rotunda
4014 Walnut St
Philadelphia PA 19104

Admission: Pay What You Want

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

Big thank yous to the awesomely talented artists working with me (both in the present moment and in the moments leading up to this one) and the folks who have made this particular workshop possible.

Thank you Gina Renzi, Drexel University (Nick Anselmo, Nan Gilbert, Mark Andrews, Beng Lin Yeo), Jodi Alonzo, Laurence Becker, Hugh Craig, Betsy Currie, Josh Emmons, Jackie Goldfinger, Chris Herdt and Nicola Grissom, Jenny Kokai, Taylor Maddux, Christiana Molldrem, Abby Pudlewski, Dustin Puryear, Don Slater, and Angela Turner.

rock on,

ROMERO

Breathing Fire Full-Time

Beginning September 1st, 2010, I begin a year-long assignment as "Visiting Assistant Professor of Theater" at Drexel University.

NICE!

Me and Mario will be hangin' out on a full-time basis

This is a temporary promotion from my previous assignment as Adjunct Faculty at Drexel (and other universities in the area) and I look forward to the new challenges and rewards of being a full-time college professor.

During the upcoming Fall, Winter, and Spring terms (Drexel uses the quarter system), I will continue teaching a rotation of courses in "Theatrical Experience", "Theater History (I & II)", and "Dramatic Analysis", and will also lead and organize the "Director's Lab" as well as lead the course "Let's Go!" (whose goals are to bring students to Philadelphia-area theater productions/live events).

My previous year teaching at Drexel was a good one as I like my teaching partners and I like the students. After getting to know the faculty and student community, I was hoping to become more involved with the school, and the universe heard me.

I look forward to continuing to find my creative abilities as a teacher, to continue developing my listening skills, and to continue learning how my teaching and artistic projects continue feeding each other.

And I definitely look forward to getting to know the students better, and how we can help each other break it open.

Big thank yous to Cecilia Fitzgibbon and Nick Anselmo for believing in me enough to bring me into the fold, full-time, and to the students for making the job so much fun.

Go Dragons!!

ROMERO

Interview on REP Radio

On July 17, 2010, the good folks of REP Radio interviewed me as part of their series "Inside the Writer's Mind". The interview was a lot of fun to do and I'm happy with how well it captures the personality of my work.


We talked about why I was wearing a mask, the strange live event/gift-exchanges I am creating, what it's like to be locked in a pharmaceutical clinic, why I give people toilets for their birthday, how I'm trying to re-create the rite of passage between life and death, and why I juggle ice cream at Reading Terminal Market.

Lots of fun names come up in conversation-- thank you for giving me stuff to talk about: Megan Slater, Andy Merkel, Lucy Walters, Andrew Beal, Sarah Bowden, Christiana Molldrem, The Rotunda, Chris Morse, Working Man's Clothes Productions, Audacity Theatre Lab, Austin Texas, Nicole Garman, and my Mom (and many others).

Big thank yous to Represented Theater Company, and to the intrepid Todd Holtsberry and Krissy Scatton for taking the time to get to know me.

You can access REP Radio's achives here, click on episode 107 ("Greg Romero") to check it out.

rock on,

ROMERO

Awesome Creative Team for LULLABY Workshop

In the ongoing spirit of experimentation and collaboration, Mike Vernusky and I are set to engage in an August 2010 (in Philadelphia) workshop exploring the collision of my play, The Most Beautiful Lullaby You've Ever Heard, with Vernusky's electronic music composition.

Postcard from World Premiere Production in NYC (City Attic Theatre, 2007).

This project attempts to remove one of the play's characters (The Narrator) by replacing them with Mike's music, composed specifically for this work. We have no idea if the experiment will fly, though the early dreaming Mike and I have done has us really excited and it will be a fun learning journey no matter what.

We enter this process with a lot of exciting questions and have assembled a talented group of artists to break it all open. We will work together for roughly 15-20 hours in early-mid August, including an open rehearsal/work-in-progress sharing (more details to be announced soon).

Joining us/contributing to/exploding this project are director Ken Kaissar and performers Megan Slater and Kevin Meehan. I am beyond excited to be working with such a talented group of artists and totally can't wait to get in the rehearsal room with these people.

I have worked with Ken on multiple projects (Dallas, Thirty-Three) and his direction has always been sensitive, imaginative, fun, and highly smart.

Megan Slater and Kevin Meehan are two of my favorite actors in Philadelphia and will, no doubt, bring a lot of their intelligence, brave risks, creativity, and humor to the process.

(OMG this will be awesome!)

HUGE thank yous to the generous friends (Laurence Becker, Hugh Craig, Betsy Currie, Jackie Goldfinger, Chris Herdt and Nicola Grissom, Jenny Kokai, Taylor Maddux, Christiana Molldrem, Dustin Puryear, Don Slater, and Angela Turner) for making this workshop possible by flying Mike Vernusky to Philadelphia.

Big thank yous as well to Drexel University (Mark Andrews, Nick Anselmo, Nan Gilbert and Beng Lin Yeo) for their continued support of my creative work.

And of course-- big thank yous to the collaborative team for their commitment and enthusiasm. I look forward to the discoveries ahead.

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

The Most Beautiful Lullaby You've Ever Heard
script by Greg Romero
music by Mike Vernusky
director: Ken Kaissar
performers: Kevin Meehan and Megan Slater

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

-- ROMERO

FATHER to be Published

Father Goes to the Aquarium on Monday and the Arcade on Thursday, will be published (as a short story) by The Brighton Post, a literary/arts zine from Brighton, Massachusetts.

Originally presented as part of the live performance THIRTY-THREE (if you were in attendance for this March 2010 event, you received a copy of this story as a gift), the piece will be part of The Brighton Post's inaugural issue exploring "Pandemonium", to be published in July, 2010.

Big thank yous to GerRee Hinshaw, who originally provided the title as one of the challenges for the THIRTY-THREE project, and to Violette Carb for just being Violette.


=======
ROMERO

7-UP on SPACE at the Kelly Writers House

I am obsessed with space. I write plays and create live events BECAUSE of their unique use of space. My students call themselves "the Space Cadets". And I am obsessed with space.


It is a great honor, therefore, to participate in a Kelly Writers House event that explores "SPACE" through 7 different perspectives from 7 different experts on the subject.

As one of the 7 experts, I will have 7 minutes to explore the subject. And it will be cosmic.

HOLY MOLY.

Below is the information.

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


Friends,

Personal space, the space bar, astronomy, astrology, choreography, outer space, inner space, virtual space, space music, architecture, urban sprawl, and Sun Ra: it's 7-UP ON SPACE!

Please join us for musings by Arkestra Aficionado GRACE AMBROSE (C'11), experimental cosmologist MARK DEVLIN, trickster philosopher THOMSON GUSTER (C'10), computer whiz CHRIS MUSTAZZA, playwright GREG ROMERO, architect HARRIS STEINBERG, and choreographer KATE WATSON-WALLACE, who will each speak (sing, demonstrate, what have you) for seven minutes about SPACE.

Come occupy our space, eat some space food, and join in the discussion!

Excitedly yours,
WH Staff
________________________________________________________________________

The Kelly Writers House presents:

7-UP ON SPACE

Featuring:
GRACE AMBROSE (C'11)
MARK DEVLIN
THOMSON GUSTER (C'10)
CHRIS MUSTAZZA
GREG ROMERO
HARRIS STEINBERG
and KATE WATSON-WALLACE

Monday, April 19, at 6:00 PM in the Arts Café
Kelly Writers House | 3805 Locust Walk
No registration required. Program is free and open to the public.

Event page on Facebook.
________________________________________________________________________

The 7-Up series is an annual program for which we invite seven guests to speak for seven minutes each about a topic. Each speaker gives their insight on some aspect of the chosen theme; interesting interpretations and musings always result! For information on past 7-up events visit http://writing.upenn.edu/wh/involved/programs/7-up/.

Thank you for THIRTY-THREE

I am thrilled to write that the performance of THIRTY-THREE on Monday night, March 22nd, was a wonderful experience.

"Thirty-Three Man". Photo by Tom Gattone.

An enthusiastic audience of about 30 showed up and all seemed to have a really fun time. I am very happy with how well the show came together-- with how unique an experience we created, with how much fun it was, and with how creatively we all engaged each other. I love that we created something that was more of an event than it was a play.

Having not performed much at all in the last ten years, I was incredibly nervous, but it helped considerably to see so many friendly faces show up at the theater. From what I could tell, everyone showed up anticipating a good time, and that helped us all a whole lot.

As for the performance-- there are things I wish I could have done better, but I am extremely proud of what we shared on Monday night. I feel certain that we gave the audience a totally fun evening that was unique and memorable.

And once the show ended-- no one left. The audience stayed at the Rotunda for some time, continuing to commune with each other, to enjoy the food (the show provides both Moo Shoo Pork and Moonpies) and to enjoy the experience. This, to me, is what I always hope for-- for the performance to continue even after it's over.

This communion was made possible by the extraordinary work done by collaborators Ken Kaissar (director), Clifford Hall (sound design), Nicole Garman (projection design), Megan Slater (recorded voice), and Mike Vernusky (music composition). Everyone truly did outstanding, creative, imaginative work. And well all had so much fun!

Big thank yous to the collaborative team, to Gina Renzi and the Rotunda, to Drexel University, to all the awesome people who showed up Monday night, and to all the Awesome People whose gifts made this event possible.

rock on,

ROMERO

Collaborative Team in Rehearsal for THIRTY-THREE

Greg Romero (as "Thirty-Three Man") and Director Ken Kaissar (photo by Tom Gattone)

As we gear up for our March 22nd presentation at The Rotunda, Wednesday's rehearsal of THIRTY-THREE brought in almost the entire (awesome) collaborative team for this project.

Director Ken Kaissar and I welcomed the rest of the team to the rehearsal space (big thank yous to Drexel University!) for a productive and fun evening. Photographer Tom Gattone was also present, documenting the rehearsal for us.

Seen here is Megan Slater (The :nv:s:ble Play, Hysteria) working with sound designer Clifford Hall (Noises Off, The Seagull) on the pieces "A Dream About Pear Trees" and "A Peacock at My Parent's House".

Megan Slater (as "The Peacock Lady") and Sound Designer Clifford Hall (photo by Tom Gattone)

Also at rehearsal was Projection/Visual Designer Nicole Garman, seen in the photo below, as we worked on the opening piece "Thirty-Three Man". Ken, Nicole, and I also continued working on "Benoit Spills the Gay" and explored various ways to perform "Father Goes to the Aquarium on Monday and the Arcade on Thursday". We also continued our ongoing brainstorm, continuing to ask questions about the overall design of the production, how the pieces fit together, and how to make this as interesting, dynamic, and memorable a performance as possible.

Greg Romero (as "Thirty-Three Man") and Projection Designer Nicole Garman (photo by Tom Gattone).

We are all very excited by the challenges of this unique event, and we all look forward to the continued work and the eventual sharing of it with an audience.

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

The Collaborative Team:

Nicole Garman (projection designer) is a recent graduate of the University of Pennsylvania where she studied architecture and creative writing. She was also a member of the Varsity rowing team and gives a fantastic, well-informed tour of the Penn campus.

Clifford Hall (sound designer/composer/violist) While attending Peabody back in the late 90s, my comp teacher told me to learn the violin so I don't write too ridiculous things for the instrument. My rebellious streak took to the viola. Meanwhile, composition took me to the theater (The Seagull, Tartuffe, Noises Off, HMS Pinafore, Ragtime). When not writing music, it's all teaching orchestra to the Youth of America. Up on the horizon: staging and recording my one act musical "That is Life!" (you can learn more about me at my website: www.thesoundword.com)

Ken Kaissar (director) just directed Noises Off at the Tri-County Performing Arts Center. His work has been seen mostly in New York City where he directed in the Culture Project’s Women’s Center Stage Festival and at the Epiphany Theatre Company where he directed a new production of A Doll House. He is also a playwright and his adaptation of The Canterbury Tales was commissioned by Columbia University in 2008. Ken holds a BFA in Directing from Carnegie Mellon University and an MFA in playwriting from Columbia University .

Greg Romero (playwright/performer) has seen his works performed in New York, Philadelphia, Austin, Dallas, Phoenix, Denver, New Orleans, Louisville, and in elevators, porches, warehouses, loft apartments, punk stages, living rooms, museums, hotels, sidewalks, basements, gardens, and in the bathrooms of Actors' Theater of Louisville. He holds an MFA in Playwriting from the University of Texas and was the first-ever Resident Writer for the ArtsEdge Artist Residency. He currently teaches at Drexel University.

Megan Slater (performer) has worked with Azuka Theatre, Flashpoint Theatre Company, The Philadelphia Shakespeare Theatre, Simpatico Theatre Project, The Wilma Theater, and most recently Philadelphia Theatre Workshop.

Mike Vernusky (additional music composition) is a composer, performer, and sound artist. He writes music for concertized, theatrical, and filmic environments, primarily through the use of electronic media and live performance. Vernusky won the Grand Prize in Music for the Digital Art Awards in Tokyo and holds degrees from The University of Texas and Mercyhurst College. His music is published on MIT Press, Capstone, Spectrum Press, and Quiet Design.

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

Greg Romero and Ken Kaissar (photo by Tom Gattone)

For more information about THIRTY-THREE, you can visit here or here. You can also find us on Facebook.

We hope to see you on March 22nd!!

sincerely,

ROMERO

THIRTY-THREE at The Rotunda

THIRTY-THREE
Conceived and Performed by Greg Romero
Directed by Ken Kaissar

Created and Inspired by:
Alexandra Bassett, Ilana Brownstein, Hugh Craig, GerRee Hinshaw, Kate Houlihan, Deven MacNair, Nancy Mouton and Chester Forest, Dustin Puryear, Greg Romero, Sean Schneyer, Hank Schwemmer, Don Slater, Heidi Taylor, Angela Turner, and Jeff Williams

Additional Gifts by:
Jodi Alonzo; The Burn Ward Theater Company; Deena Gerson; Wanda, Doyle, and Kristi Reeves; and Pat and Johnie Romero

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

WHEN: Monday, March 22nd, 2010; 7:33 PM

WHERE: The Rotunda
4014 Walnut St
Philadelphia PA

ADMISSION: Bring a gift!

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

Last year I asked every person I knew to give me three dollars. I was trying to create a "patron collective" in an effort to give myself continued time to work on a number of artistic projects.

I have been incredibly moved by the response.

As a return gift, everyone who offered their generosity has their name archived inside the creative works I created last fall. For all time.

The full list of Awesome People is found here:

And for people who were especially generous, I promised I would create and perform something, anything, just for them.

And that's what THIRTY-THREE is (it's also how old I am).

It is a gift-exchange, a theatrical promise kept, a dare, a rite of passage, a live performance inspired and created by friends originating from a place of generosity and challenge and a sense of fun.

And it will be performed by me, even though I haven't performed much at all in the past ten years.

At THIRTY-THREE you will see: a wrestler, a thanksgiving dinner, an affair with a turkey, Hideki Matsui, Mou Shou Pork, birth, death, dreams, pear trees, Moonpies, phone calls with love on the other end, a multi-gender prostitute, a ghost, a peacock, an alien, and my mom.

You will see some of the most personal writing I've done since The Most Beautiful Lullaby You've Ever Heard.

And this all scares me to death (in a good way).

I look forward to sharing this experience with you, and ask that you bring the gift of your attendance, as well as a gift for me, Ken, or The Rotunda.

We promise to give you many gifts in return.

Big thank yous to all the gift-givers, to Gina Renzi and The Rotunda, and to Ken Kaissar for his direction.

Sincerely,

Greg Romero
THIRTY-THREE

p.s. if you plan to attend, you can RSVP here.

DANDELION MOMMA Plays at the Painted Bride

On Wednesday, February 17th, my play DANDELION MOMMA was staged at The Painted Bride Art Center in Philadelphia as part of their on-going new play development series, "The Bridal Salon".

The play was staged by Anthony Kamani, a stranger to me before the event started, who quickly became a wonderful new collaborator. Kamani enlarged the play, skillfully seeing both my vision of these worlds as well as bringing his own to the party. Anthony introduced me to lovely new actors I've never worked with before, brought in a live cello player to accompany the reading, and generally brought a whole lot of fun, enthusiasm, and good energy to the play. This staging expressed the play with added dimension, new rhythms, and gravitas (embodied beautifully by actress Meryl L. Brown as "Augustine").

The Painted Bride Art Center, Philadelphia PA

As with all these opportunities to step inside my writing, I learned a lot from being able to see the play brought to life for a moment. Of this particular process, I experienced a wider sense of possibility for these characters, some new discoveries, and a renewed passion for the play.

It was my hope that the Bridal Salon process would convince me to continue believing in this play, and to continue to seek opportunity for sharing it with a larger audience.

Big thank yous to the Painted Bride, LaNeshe Miller, Anthony Kamani, Meryl L. Brown, Carly Bodnar, Khalil Munir, Izzy Forte, Emma Berry, and Monica McIntyre for bringing life to the play, and to the friends in attendance who shared the moment with us.

rock on,

ROMERO

ZOMBIE HEART SALAD SANDWICH at The Shubin Theatre

My short play, ZOMBIE HEART SALAD SANDWICH, will play at Philadelphia's Shubin Theatre on Tuesday, February 9th.

Selected to be part of "Primary Stages", a developmental program produced by Philadelphia Dramatists Center (PDC), the staged reading will be directed by PDC Executive Director Wally Zialcita and performed by Mark W. Robson and Megan Slater.

I am thrilled to step inside this play again, and look forward to the challenges and discoveries ahead of us. Big thank yous to PDC for its continued support of local playwrights, and to my awesome, fun collaborators on this project.

rock on,

ROMERO


UPDATE: Feb 9, 2010: Due to weather conditions (a blizzard!) this project has been postponed to a date to be announced.

THIRTY-THREE Begins

In the spirit of on-going gift-exchange, last fall I made the following offer to my friends:

For any gift larger than $ 33 (2 dang 3s, plus that's how old I am), I will perform ANYTHING you ask me to, for up to three minutes. Send me a piece of writing, a challenge, a piece of music, a dream, an object, a demand, a question, a drawing, an impossible task, and I will perform it, somehow, on January 1, 2010. For serious. Make it something awesome. Dare me. I will perform anything and everything asked of me as part of the performance, Thirty-Three.

Eighteen very generous friends responded, twelve of them giving me a performance challenge. I am now working, for the month of December, on creating a performance project from their generosity.

Thank you to those of you that helped, here is the performance challenge inspired by you:

--------------------------------------

Family of 9 at the dinner table. And you're all 9 of em. And oh shucks Benoit just spilled the gay.

A monologue about birthdays: 13, 23, and 33

Father visits the aquarium on Mondays and the arcade on Thursdays

A monologue from Hideki Matsui's perspective about Game 6 of the World Series

A project involving wrestling

My birthday and my name

Something re: mou shu pork

Something in Outer Space, no Zombies allowed

"Moonpies" by Hank Schwemmer

A dream about pear trees

A bit from The Wind in the Willows as Mr. Toad

The Constitution, The Declaration of Independence, and Abu Graib torture photos

A peacock at my parent's house

Something about cell phones

-----------------------------------

These gifts (along with the dozens of other gifts offered to me through the project, Three Dang Dollars), have given me the opportunity to work on a number of creative projects that I otherwise would not have the time for.

THANK YOU very much, my THIRTY-THREE collaborators:

Jodi Alonzo
Alexandra Bassett
Ilana Brownstein
The Burn Ward Theatre Company
Hugh Craig
Deena Gerson
GerRee Hinshaw
Kate Houlihan
Deven MacNair
Nancy Mouton and Chester Forest
Dustin Puryear
Wanda, Doyle, and Kristi Reeves
Pat and Johnie Romero
Sean Kendall Schneyer
Hank Schwemmer
Don Slater
Heidi Taylor
Angela Turner
Jeff Williams


sincerely,

ROMERO

THE MILKY WAY CABARET Completes Another Journey

Late Saturday evening, November 22nd, Amazing Arnie's life was spared one last time by his daughter, Travlin' Alice, who traveled through 28 years of black holes to stop a bullet before it reached the alcoholic magician's body.

Angela Parsons as Travlin' Alice

After journeying to Dallas, Texas, to watch several of Audacity Theatre Lab's performances of my "time-traveling tragicomedy", THE MILKY WAY CABARET, it is my hope that Arnie will get another shot at his magic acts, that Alice will continue to brave the stars, and that Buzz and Charlotte will keep re-growing their hearts together while staked-out for their next assassination.

Buzz (Tyson Rinehart) and Charlotte (Rhianna Mack)

I learned a lot from this play's second production, thanks to the good work put in by the good folks of Audacity Theatre Lab, and to some good conversations with my own traveling companion (the lovely and talented Megan Slater). This trip taught me that, though the play has its flaws, there are a lot of good things about it-- there is a lot of beauty, pain, imagination, and magic inside of it. And the artists of Audacity did a wonderful job bringing out the play's strengths.

Jeff Swearingen as Amazing Arnie

In addition to the good work, I was moved by the company's hospitality, generosity, and companionship while I was in town. It is these kinds of experiences that make me thrilled to be an artist and feel privileged for the opportunity to share my work.

Big thank yous to Brad McEntire, Ruth Engel, Jeff Swearingen, Jeff Hernandez, Cassidy Crown, Tyson Rinehart, Rhianna Mack, Angela Parsons, Trista Wyly, Jaymes Gregory, Sarah Barnes, and Megan Slater, for a wonderful, memorable journey.

Thank you also to the friends who came out to see the show (you rock, Jason Tremblay and Sheila Doyle), and to Mark Lowry for his thoughtful press coverage of the performance.

Travlin' Alice out in space

As with all of these projects, I loved the experience, and I look forward to the next one.

rock on,

ROMERO

DALLAS to Play at The Shubin Theatre

My project, DALLAS, will be presented for one night, November 24th, 2009, at The Shubin Theatre in Philadelphia as part of Primary Stages, an ongoing developmental forum for new short plays, co-produced by Philadelphia Dramatists Center (PDC) and The Secret Room Theatre.

The play steps inside a 24-hour greasy-spoon diner inside the haunted brain of Clinton J. Hill, the Secret Service Agent who couldn't quite save John F. Kennedy's life.

Clint Hill on the back of the President's limousine, November 22, 1963

The piece, originally written as one of 37 of TRAVEL PLAYS, has become another collaboration between me and electronic music composer Mike Vernusky. Vernusky has created an 11-minute composition that includes a re-creation of the voices of Arlen Specter (voiced by Michael Kranes) and Clinton J. Hill (Cody R. Kirk) from the 1963 Warren Commission hearings after the assassination of President John F. Kennedy.

The project finds its performance legs in the shared space between the script, the composition, and the movement/gestural language created by director Ken Kaissar and performers Chris Braak, Porter Eidam, Anabelle Garcia, Felicia Leicht, and Aaron Oster.

The play is one of six short works beginning at 8:00 pm at The Shubin Theatre (4th and Bainbridge).

Big thank yous the collaborative team for their great work on this presentation, to co-producers Todd Holtsberry and Bill Rolleri for putting the project together, to Nick Anselmo and Nan Gilbert at Drexel University, and to Dianna Marino, for who the orginal play, DALLAS, was written.

rock on,

ROMERO

I Breathe Fire More

I am happy to learn that I will continue teaching at Drexel University for both the Winter and Spring terms of 2010. A quarter system, I will teach consecutive 10-week terms, beginning early January through early June.

Hot!

Currently teaching "Dramatic Analysis" (and totally enjoying it), I will have the privilege of teaching two courses each upcoming term: "Theatre History I" and "Theatrical Experience" in the Winter (January-April) and "Theatre History II" and "Theatrical Experience" in the Spring (April-June).

Because I am not a historian, these assignments will add to my own theatrical education, which I am thrilled about. This assignment will force be just as much as a student as the Drexel undergrads, which is something I always hope for/attempt to create while teaching. Together we will make some fun discoveries through thousands of years of studying live events and I look forward to the journey.

rock on,

ROMERO

The Amazing Arnie at THE MILKY WAY CABARET

One of my favorite actors, Jeff Swearingen, transforms himself into "Amazing Arnie" in my play, THE MILKY WAY CABARET, opening in Dallas on November 12th.

Jeff Swearingen as "The Amazing Arnie"

I am very excited about this production, and thrilled to see what other kinds of magic Audacity Theatre Lab brings to the party.

Tickets, by the way, are NOW on sale.

HOT!

rock on,

ROMERO

THE TRAVEL PLAYS Journey to NYC

On Wednesday, October 7th, my potlatch/roadtrip project, THE TRAVEL PLAYS will begin a journey through a four-day, ten-hour workshop/discovery process with Boomerang Theatre Company in New York City.

The project, 37 different plays written for 37 different friends (taking place in 37 different locations), will be explored by six different directors leading six different creative teams. Each team will work on 6-7 plays, exploring/exploding these works with one leading maxim-- be as imaginative and as creative as possible. And have a fucking blast!

The work will culminate in a group-sharing event, open to the public on Saturday, October 10th at 5:00 pm. (if you are reading this and in the NYC area, I would LOVE to see you there!)

I am thrilled to continue working on this project, as it continues the multi-layered gift-exchange between me, my friends, and my work. I am excited to meet a large group (six directors, over 20 actors) of mostly new collaborators and to continue to make exciting theatrical discoveries about these plays and about live performance in general.

Big thank yous to Tim Errickson, Artistic Director of Boomerang, for his interest in this project, and for organizing and producing the event.

====================

THE TRAVEL PLAYS
by Greg Romero

Directed by:
Adriana Baer, Marielle Duke, Michael Flanagan, Andrew J. Merkel, Daniel Talbott, and Jordana Williams

Dramaturgy by:
Wally Zialcita

Produced by:
Tim Errickson and Boomerang Theatre Company

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Saturday, October 10th, 5:00 pm - 7:00 pm

Shetler Studios
244 W 54th St 12th Floor
New York NY

(To view the Facebook event page, go here.)

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rock on,

ROMERO

Rehearsals and Press Coverage Begin for MILKY WAY

This week, THE MILKY WAY CABARET began rehearsals for Audacity Theatre Lab's November production of the play. Director Brad McEntire tells me things are off to a good start, and that the group is already having a good time diving into the work.

The show also gets a mention by Dallas/Fort-Worth area arts writer Mark Lowry in the popular theater site, Theater Jones. Lowry also links the production's "trailer", which I freaking love.

For more information on the Nov 11-21 production in Dallas, you can visit the online home of Audacity Theatre Lab.

Big thank yous to Brad and Mark for their work.

rock on,

ROMERO