Upcoming Events

I will be performing poems from my book, Tarot Poems, at Weston Open Mic Night in Weston, MA.  This will involve audience participation.  Audience members will get to randomly select which poems I will read by drawing cards from a standard Tarot deck.

For more info on the open mic, go to http://www.westonaic.org/open-mic.

This is an event for the local Society for Creative Anachronism. A Laurels' Prize Tourney is an event where members of the Order of the Laurel issue challenges in their area(s) of expertise, to be met by any interested party. My challenge: A Poetic Dialog! Compose a poem in a documentable style that is a dialog among at least two characters. Perform the piece such that the audience can differentiate the different ‘voices.’ This can be done by having a cast read the piece, or one person doing the different voices. For documentation, the type of poetic structure and examples from period will suffice.

For more information about the event, please visit http://www.ceteros.org/laurels-prize-tourney

I will be helping out with a production of The Race to the West Pole, a Heterodyne Boys play that I wrote a couple of years ago.  It will finally debut this May at Marcon, a science fiction convention in Columbus, OH, where Phil and Kaja Foglio will be Guests of Honor.  (More info: http://marcon.org)

The Heterodyne Boys are a creation of Phil and Kaja Foglio, introduced in their web comic Girl Genius (http://www.girlgeniusonline.com).  In that world, theater troupes perform stories of the legendary Heterodyne Boys, such as when they raced to find the West Pole.  (Further info: http://girlgenius.wikia.com/wiki/Heterodyne_show)  The details are not shown in the web comic, but I took what was known and elaborated.

The show is being produced by The Players' Patchwork Theatre Company (aka i Verdi Confusi, or the Confused Greenies).  I hope you'll have a chance to see it.

I will be making my dealer debut at Nauticon in Provincetown, MA.  Nauticon is a science fiction convention, and I will be set up in one of the rooms in the Artists' Colony.  I will be selling copies of my book, Tarot Poems, and CDs of The Fantastic Fate of Frederick Farnsworth the Fifth.  I hope you'll have a chance to come by.

For more info on Nauticon, check out http://nauticons.com.

The Post-Meridian Radio Players are proud to present their seventh annual Summer Radio program with adaptations for radio drama of Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes tale “A Scandal in Bohemia” and a gender-swapped version of Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Murders in the Rue Morgue”, considered by some the first modern detective story.
Our detectives will work out these puzzles for your pleasure on the stage of Responsible Grace Church in Somerville for six performances!

Performance Dates
Friday, July 14, 2017 at 8:00pm
Saturday, July 15 at 2:00pm (matinée) and 8:00pm

Thursday, July 20, 2017 at 8:00pm
Friday, July 21, 2017 at 8:00pm
Saturday, July 22, 2017 at 8:00pm

I will be playing the parts of Henri in “The Murders in the Rue Morgue” and a Ruffian in “A Scandal in Bohemia”.

For more info, visit http://pmrp.org/events/srt17

This December, The Post-Meridian Radio Players will be presenting an original adaptation of that 1964 Christmas classic film, Santa Claus Conquers the Martians, in which Martians, concerned that their children are bored and listless and don’t want to do anything but watch Earth television programs, kidnap Santa Claus (and a couple of unlucky Earth children) from the earth and bring him to Mars to make toys so their children can be kids again. Can Santa get back to Earth in time for Christmas? Are the children of Mars doomed to a joyless life of food pills and machine-implanted learning? Is that terrifying, huge polar bear going to eat our young heroes? Will Crow T. Robot and Tom Servo show up to heckle? (Hint: No.) Find out for yourself at PMRP’s Santa Claus Conquers the Martians!

This is a family-friendly event and at least for the matinée we will have some fun kids’ activities before the show.

Website: http://pmrp.org/events/santa

Mrs. Hawking, the new steampunk play series by Boston-area writer Phoebe Roberts, takes a bold new approach to the classic genre of the Victorian mystery caper. Begin with a Sherlock Holmes of sorts, a deductive genius following the threads of wrongdoing as concealed by the careful manners of a straitlaced culture. Blend into this the psychological complexity of a brooding, Batman-esque avenger, driven by old wounds and a fierce indignation over society’s injustice. And to complete the image, give it a twist– make her a woman, her endeavors cloaked by a mask of harmless respectability, when in reality she is a defiant, Steampunk-style shattering of the delicate Victorian mold. Join Mary as she enters the world of Mrs. Victoria Hawking, and see for yourself what a compelling combination this makes!

I will once again be helping backstage as the third play in the series, Base Instruments, and the fourth, Gilded Cages, run at Arisia 2018.

Check out Arisia's web site for more info on which room will hold the performances and exact times: http://www.arisia.org/

The Post-Meridian Radio Players are proud to announce our Spring show, “Lest We Forget.” We’ll feature three stories of fighting injustice and standing up for what’s right!

We’ll reproduce two episodes of the classic 1940s radio series Lest We Forget: The American Dream, “Hey Cabbie” and “Blow That Whistle”, adapted by Liz Salazar and directed by Jay Sekora. In addition we’ll have an original adaptation of the World War II-era comic book action heroes The War Nurse and Her Commandos in “Double Deception”. “Double Deception” is written by Chris Chiampa and directed by Amy Bennett-Zendzian.

http://pmrp.org/events/lestweforget

I'll be acting in "Hey Cabbie" and "Blow That Whistle"

at the Watch City Steampunk Festival in Waltham, MA

presented by The Chameleon’s Dish Theatre

Base Instruments
by Phoebe Roberts
Saturday, May 12th at 2PM

and

Gilded Cages
by Phoebe Roberts
Saturday, May 12th at 6PM

At the New England School of Photography
At 274 Moody Street in Waltham, MA

I'll be helping out backstage at the shows.

I will be performing poetry at Speak Up! Somerville

Somerville Media Center is excited to invite you to the First Annual Speak Up! Somerville Telethon on Sunday June 10th from 10am-10pm. SMC celebrates local talent, diversity and community as part of our Speak Up Somerville! Telethon to raise funds for preserving community media!

This one-day event will feature community performers and leaders, our dedicated producers and volunteers as well as SMC members, staff and other supporters who will be on the air asking for donations to support the station. The 12-hour Telethon will be filled with a variety of activity and entertainment (more details to come). The Telethon also kicks-off SMC’s yearlong fundraising initiative “The Speak Up Somerville! SMC Fund”.

For more info, go to http://www.somervillemedia.org/speakup/

The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie
by Jay Presson Allen
adapted from the book by Muriel Sparks
Produced by Theatre To Go, Inc., by special arrangement with Samuel French, Inc.

Jean Brodie is a teacher at the Marcia Blaine School for Girls in Edinburgh, Scotland, in the 1930s. Brodie is known for her tendency to stray from the hard knowledge of the school's curriculum, to romanticize fascist leaders like Benito Mussolini and Francisco Franco, and to believe herself to be in the prime of life. (adapted from wikipedia's article on the film version)

I'll be playing the part of Gordon Lowther.

http://www.theatretogo.com/Coming_Attractions.html

Back by popular demand! Again this December, The Post-Meridian Radio Players will be presenting our original adaptation of that 1964 Christmas classic film, Santa Claus Conquers the Martians, in which Martians, concerned that their children are bored and listless and don’t want to do anything but watch Earth television programs, kidnap Santa Claus (and a couple of unlucky Earth children) from Earth and bring him to Mars to make toys so their children can be kids again. Can Santa get back to Earth in time for Christmas? Are the children of Mars doomed to a joyless life of food pills and machine-implanted learning? Is that terrifying, huge polar bear going to eat our young heroes? Will Crow T. Robot and Tom Servo show up to heckle? (Hint: No.) Find out for yourself at PMRP’s Santa Claus Conquers the Martians!

This was so much fun last year (for us and the audience!) that we’re bringing it back again this year!  I'll be playing the part of TV Anchor.  For dates and times and more info, visit http://pmrp.org/events/santa2018

Location
Unity Somerville
6 William St.
Somerville, MA 02144

Web page for the event: http://pmrp.org/events/filibus

I am in the cast of Confidence Confidant, playing Mister White.

The Post-Meridian Radio Players are proud to announce our Spring show, “Filibus: The Mysterious Sky Pirate,” and “Confidence Confidant” — two adventure stories featuring daring women of disguise and intrigue!

Filibus: The Mysterious Sky Pirate is an original adaptation by Brian Kjersten of the 1915 silent film in which a daring burgler, Filibus (actually the Baroness de Troixmonde), uses her airship, an array of secret identities including the Count de la Brive, and a great deal of daring, charm, deception, and persuasion, in an attempt not only to steal valuable jewels, but to demonstrate her superior abilities of deception and best her antagonist, the famous detective Hardy! (PMRP audiences may find a bit of an echo of Arsène Lupin in her!)

Confidence Confidant, an original script by Eva C. Schegulla, is based on a historical case of Kate Warne, the first female Pinkerton detective. Like the fictional Filibus, the historical Warne used deception, secret identities, courage, and charm to accomplish her goals; when Pinkterton told her women (in the mid-19th century) couldn’t be detectives, she persuaded him by pointing out that she could go places his male operatives couldn’t and talk to people who wouldn’t trust them. Among other cases, was involved in foiling a plot to assassinate Lincoln just before his inauguration.

Performance Dates
Friday, April 5, 2019 at 8:00pm
Saturday, April 6, 2019 at 2:00pm (matinée) and 8:00pm

Thursday, April 11, 2019 at 8:00pm (pay what you can)
Friday, April 12, 2019 at 8:00pm
Saturday, April 13, 2019 at 8:00pm

Location
Boston Brunch Church
(formerly Responsible Grace)
204 Elm Street
Somerville, MA

Come meet and hear Michael McAfee read from his book “Tarot Poems”, all inspired by a standard deck of tarot cards.

Venue:
Booklovers’ Gourmet
55 East Main St
Webster, MA 01570

Website:
http://www.bookloversgourmet.com

I will be playing the part of Antonio.

The Revenger's Tragedy, probably by Thomas Middleton, is a cynical satire of the revenge tragedies that were popular in the Jacobean era. The murders are violent and ridiculous, and the heroes are little better than the villains. This production will be set in a 1940s failing circus to enhance the performative nature of revenge (and also because it is fun!). The people in the story have lived and toured with each other for most of their lives, so this cast will be encouraged to form a real ensemble. The characters know each other much too well, and long-simmering resentments are about to boil over.

There are also clowns, so please consider this a coulrophobia warning. We will have a clown-free discounted dress rehearsal for friends and family who prefer it.

Web Site:

https://www.theatreatfirst.org/past-productions/mainstage-shows/2019/revengers-tragedy