I learned today that my (brand) new drama “A Flower of the Field” is a finalist in a new play competition (“FirstWorks”) sponsored by the group Theatre@First!
Theatre@First is an all-volunteer community theater founded in 2003 and based in Somerville, MA, which draws untapped talent from the surrounding community and presents quality live theater across a number of different local venues.
Check out this great newspaper article about Theatre@First that spotlights their successful navigation of the COVID pandemic and the enthusiasm and the passion for the theatrical arts that they channel and encourage in their local community.
Many thanks to Theatre@First for providing “A Flower of the Field” for its first nod by a theatrical organization!
I don’t often mix my work life and my theater life, but I recently authored the following article as part of my “first career” duties that ties again lessons in the theater world and how they apply to the field of customer service / customer experience.
I also previously chatted with speaker Andrea Joy Wenburg on a similar topic in her “Voices of Influences” podcast back in August, 2020, where I discussed how navigating the theater world provides key lessons for navigating the customer experience space.
Outside my theatrical pursuits, I currently serve as CX Advisor at the company Freshworks and have spent over 12 years managing global customer experience organizations and promoting technological changemaking. Specifically, I specialize in building customer service departments from the ground-up, with a focus on scalability, infrastructural agility, product innovation, and gold-standard quality and efficiency. Previously, I served as AVP of Consumer Transactions at the event ticket marketplace TicketNetwork, the inaugural VP of Customer Experience at the food tech company Freshly, and also SVP of Customer Experience at the fintech company Albert.
I consider theater “my second job that doesn’t pay as well.”
The musical tells the story of young slave Paul Jennings and his quest for freedom and manhood set against the 1814 British invasion of Washington DC and the subsequent burning of the White House, the Capitol, and other key government buildings.
Our newest release – “Escape from the White House” – is the fast-paced finale to Act One, when the British army is approaching Washington DC and First Lady Dolley Madison and the White House staff must flee for their lives.
The song starts with some reflections from the 50-year-old version of the young slave Paul Jennings, who narrates the musical to us, reflecting back on the day when the British invaded and it seemed the very country was about to collapse.
President James Madison is leading American forces in Maryland as the British march towards the capital city – but Dolley is refusing to consider defeat and is busy organizing a fine dinner for what she believes will be her victorious husband with his victorious army… even while guns in the distance and the conspicuous absence of certain guests indicate all is not going well for the American forces.
As each character relives the scene in their mind – Dolley, the Master of Ceremonies at the White House (Jean Pierre Sioussat), Dolley’s maidservant Sukey, Madison’s friend Charles Carroll – the news arrives from different fleeing parties that the American army has been defeated, President Madison has fled the field of battle, and the British are marching in full force towards the capital city.
Taking command, Dolley organizes the evacuation of the White House, seeking to save key documents of state, as well as the famous portrait of George Washington hanging in the drawing room – but unfortunately Dolley forgets to take the President’s state papers, prompting young Paul Jennings to remain behind and rescue them… a fateful decision, indeed, as the young slave is subsequently captured by the British army.
“Escape from the White House” encompassed the entire drama of that final day in August 14, 1824 during the British invasion, encompassing the beautiful and wondrous vocal talents of Amick Bryam, Edmund Rodriguez, Tehillah Alphonso, Luc Kleiner, Lydia Elle, Dylan Gentile, Tonoccus McLaine, Lisa Vroman, and Mark Edward Smith, and vibrant, lush orchestrations by John Peter Sampson.
The reading is being presented as part of the third annual Original Works Series sponsored by Arts Forth Worth.
Arts Fort Worth is very generously hosting a number of readings this year – 8 in total – which shows their great commitment to the theater scene and emerging playwrights.
I am thrilled to announce that my historical drama “Shadows of Men” is being given a reading at Forts Worth Community Arts Center by the theatrical group Altered Shakespeare.
Forts Worth Community Arts (also known as Arts Forth Worth) is “a historic and dynamic arts complex (that) boasts seven indoor galleries, an outdoor gallery, artist and performance studios, and office suites nonprofit arts organization.” It is managed by Arts Fort Worth on behalf of the City of Fort Worth and hosts a number of artistic events throughout the year. The mission of Arts Fort Worth is “to provide a quality event, visual and performing arts venue for all of the community.”
Among the events hosted by Arts Forth Worth is their Original Works series for new plays. The series showcases a number of plays via readings over the course of a month and chooses one of the plays for a fully realized stage production in the subsequent season. The Original Works Series is now in its third year and provides a great opportunity for playwrights to have their voices heard, especially after the ravages of COVID on the theater world.
“Shadows of Men” will be presented by Altered Shakespeare, a new theater troupe in Dallas, Texas which engages in newer, more contemporary presentations of Shakespeare’s plays (although actually harnessing back to the way those plays were meant to be performed, in louder, rowdier, more raucous environments.)
Many thanks to Arts Fort Worth and Jason Levya, their Production Manager, for this great opportunity!
I’m happy to announce that my collaborator Norman L. Berman and I have released a new demo song for our exciting, epic musical “The Burning of the White House.”
Entitled “Mistuh Tree”, the song is sung by the main character of the play – 15-year-old Paul Jennings, a house slave to James and Dolley Madison – who grows from boy to man during the chaos and drama surrounding the British invasion of Washington, DC and the burning of the White House during the War of 1812.
As Dolley Madison and her retinue flee the White House, Paul is accidentally left behind and captured by the British army. In short order, Paul is taken hostage and his very life is threatened – but thankfully, he is able to flee and escape British clutches. In desperation, the young slave finds refuge up a nearby tree, as British soldiers search for him below. While up the tree, Paul considers his precarious situation and the fact that he almost lost his life for the very people who have enslaved him.
“Mistuh Tree” is a song of both bitterness and empowerment, as Paul considers his condition as a slave and embraces a brave determination to be a free man.
Many thanks to Norman for managing this beautiful recording and for the excellent singer, Tonnocus McClain, who has brought such passion and feeling to the song.
I’m very happy to announce that I have completed a new full-length, one-act drama entitled “A Flower of the Field”
Briefly, “A Flower of the Field” is a drama set in 1349 Ireland when the Black Death is stalking the land and all signs of hope have been cruelly ripped from the world – all, that is, except in the city of Kilkenny, where, despite the death and destruction, a gentle friar named John Clyn single-handedly takes care of the infected and the dying in his abbey. One night, however, a sinister woman and her traumatized maidservant come calling and violently turn John Clyn’s world upside down, threatening to destroy the hope and faith he has worked so very hard to build. Haunted by this sinister woman, as well as a mysterious mendicant and a vengeful bishop – and faced with what appears to be pure evil – how can Clyn possibly emerge triumphant… and who and where is the real John Clyn?
In its essence, “A Flower of the Field” is a fast-paced, thoughtful, yet ultimately inspiring story of redemption and faith amid the accusing finger of evil, multilayered with complex characters and an engrossing plot and underpinned by a supernatural overlay.
As with many of my plays, the play has an historical basis – in this case from the “Annals of Ireland” written by John Clyn himself, a Franciscan friar who served as guardian of the Franciscan Abbey of Kilkenny, which is still (mostly) standing to this day – see below.
In his annals, which are otherwise a long series of dates with basic annotations, Clyn occasionally allowed himself a great flourish of writing and wrote very movingly about the Black Death and its path of destruction through Ireland in 1384-1349 – which you can read here.
Taking this story and combining it with some other historical characters of the time period – including the convicted witch Alice Kyteler and the redoubtable Richard Ledrede, Bishop of Ossory – I knitted together a powerful, unique yarn that, I hope, will resonate.
I’m very happy and thrilled to say that Playfest Santa Barbara, a well-regarded new play development organization, has chosen my play “I and the Emperor” as one of three finalists in their 2021 new play competition.
“I and the Emperor” is a historical character drama about the Emperor Napoleon and his complicated relationship with a young girl, Betsy Balcombe, during his end-of-life exile on the island of St. Helena.
A few years ago, my tragicomedy “Encore, Encore” was also a finalist in Playfest Santa Barbara’s new play contest, so I’m especially honored to have a second one of my plays recognized within just a few years.
Many thanks again to Playfest Santa Barbara and Artistic Director R. Michael Gros!
The song – entitled “It’s The End” – is the opening number of the piece and basically takes up an entire, dramatic scene as the British loom off the American coast in the War of 1812.
As the song begins, we’re in the White House, where Dolley Madison, wife of President James Madison, is holding one of her famous soirees while Congress is in emergency session. Alas, the mood is dire, as British warships are looming off the coast of Maryland and Congressmen are terrified of a potential invasion. The anti-war party is led by Senator King of New York, who blames the war on President Madison and spars with Dolley, while leading other Congressmen in ever greater hysterics.
Meanwhile, we meet the young slave, Paul Jennings – smart, sassy, and a bit full of himself. He’s busy showing a new slave named Henry how to navigate etiquette at the White House. However, Paul cares less about etiquette – or even the British invasion, for that matter – than he does his desire for a brand new pair of fancy shoes.
Eventually, a messenger brings news to the assembled crowd that the British have landed in Maryland and are making for Washington D.C. – at which point, chaos ensues.
The musical version here of the scene is a bit truncated, but still gives a brilliant feel for the piece and represents about 80% of the opening scene as-is.
Many thanks to the vocal talent of Keith Colclough, Lisa Vroman, Jarrett Johnson, Dylan Gentile, Edmund Rodriquez, James Hayden, and Mark Edward Smith!
I’m very honored to have received my official certificate and winner’s badge from Writers’ Digest in recognition of my play “The Beggar of Bethesda” being awarded 8th place in the Script category for their annual writing competition.
I’m honored to receive this nod, not only because Writers’ Digest is such an established, respected group, but also because there were over 3,000 entries to the competition this year alone – an incredible number – so it’s a great honor for my script to be recognized.
Again, many thanks to Writers’ Digest for this recognition!
