This is my work biography. There's a lot of personal life stuff, too, but some other time.
After graduating from California Institute of the Arts, I spent three years as an assistant to director Steven Spielberg, on the films 1941; CLOSE ENCOUNTERS THE THIRD KIND: THE DIRECTOR’S CUT; USED CARS (as assistant to Bob Zemeckis) and the Academy-award winning classic, RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK. I then spent the next few years pursuing an acting career, appearing in numerous plays, TV movies and features films, including a leading role in Tobe Hooper and Mr. Spielberg’s POLTERGEIST, before I started writing for the theatre, television and feature films.
In film and television, I have written for, optioned or sold screenplays to Steven Spielberg, Lasse Hallstrom, Whoopi Goldberg, Rob Reiner, Dan Petrie Jr., John Milius, John Badham, Francis Ford Coppola, Herbert Ross, Bruce Cohen, Anthony Edwards, Kerry Washington, Disney, Universal, HBO, The Ladd Company and Paulist Productions. My original screenplay ONE NIGHT STAND was directed by Talia Shire and starred Ally Sheedy and Frederic Forrest. TV projects include the film BEHIND THE LENS for CBS, and DADDY’S GIRL, an HBO pilot, and a stint as a writer on ABC’s One Life to Live. I recently adapted David Johnson’s brilliant play BUSTED JESUS COMIX for the screen for director Leon Joosen. My current feature project is TOM’S DAD, for Emmy Award-winning producers Joni Levin and Keith Clarke, to be directed by Oscar-nominated director Lasse Hallstrom.
In the theatrical world, my plays have been seen at the Pasadena Playhouse, the Odyssey, Coast Playhouse, Coronet, Cast and Crossroads Theatres (Los Angeles); the Acorn Theater, the Soho Playhouse, TBG Theatre, Ernie Martin, Linhart and Access Theatres (New York); Village Theatre and Group Theatre (Seattle); Mosiac Theatre (Fort Lauderdale); Bailiwick, Theatre Building (Chicago); Attic Rep (San Antonio); Short North Stage (Columbus), Stage One (Wichita); Paper Mill (New Jersey); Theatreworks and Goodspeed (Connecticut); Walnut Street Theatre (Philadelphia); Ford’s Theatre (Washington); the Queen City Theater (Charlotte, N.C.); the Bunkamura Theatre (Tokyo); and in London, Edinburgh and Dublin.
My latest play THE IRISH CURSE opened Off-Broadway in March, 2010 to rave reviews. It premiered at the 2005 New York International Fringe Festival, where it won the overall excellence award for Outstanding Playwriting. It was also produced at the 2006 Edinburgh Theatre Festival and the Dublin Gay International Theatre Festival in May, 2007, where it was one of the five finalists for the Oscar Wilde Best New Writing for the Theatre Award. Since its critically acclaimed off-Broadway run, THE IRISH CURSE has played to sold-out houses in London, along with Portland, Columbus, Fort Lauderdale, San Antonio and Charlotte. It opens in the summer of 2012 in Los Angeles and will be produced in Brazil in the fall of 2012.
The play is now available for licensing through Samuel French, Inc. www.samuelfrench.com
My recent musical SAINT HEAVEN (music and lyrics by Keith Gordon) was optioned by VanHill Entertainment and had its World Premiere in 2006 at the Stamford Center for the Arts in Connecticut. It had its second production at the Village Theatre in Seattle in the fall of 2008.
My current theatrical project is with Mark Winkler and Phil Swann on the jazz musical CLUB DANGEROUS, for director Sharon Rosen. In the past, I worked with them on the musical PLAY IT COOL. In its NY premiere at NYMF in Fall 2008, PLAY IT COOL played to sold-out houses, and was a GLAAD nominee for Best Off-Off Broadway Musical. It recently had a wonderful off-Broadway production at the Acorn Theater on Theater Row in NYC, and was nominated by the Outer Critics Circle for Best Off-Broadway musical of 2011.
My other plays include: SCITUATE (Best New Play, SCFTA); MATES (L.A. WEEKLY Award, Best New Play), PAYDIRT, DESERT FIRE, BEAUTIFUL DREAMER, GRAND JUNCTION and GEORGE BUSH GOES TO HELL. Books for the musicals: PAPER MOON, HAPPY HOLIDAYS, TAKING CARE OF MRS. CARROLL; and DOO-DAH!
In addition to currently teaching playwriting at the Harvey Milk High School in New York City, I have taught playwriting at Cal Arts and Crossroads High School, both in Los Angeles. I am a member of The Dramatists Guild, the Writer’s Guild of America, Actors’ Equity Association and the Screen Actors Guild.
I recently completed my new play DIRECTIONS FOR RESTORING THE APPARENTLY DEAD, and am working on a theatrical adaptation of Jessica Francis Kane's magnificent novel, THE REPORT.
After graduating from California Institute of the Arts, I spent three years as an assistant to director Steven Spielberg, on the films 1941; CLOSE ENCOUNTERS THE THIRD KIND: THE DIRECTOR’S CUT; USED CARS (as assistant to Bob Zemeckis) and the Academy-award winning classic, RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK. I then spent the next few years pursuing an acting career, appearing in numerous plays, TV movies and features films, including a leading role in Tobe Hooper and Mr. Spielberg’s POLTERGEIST, before I started writing for the theatre, television and feature films.
In film and television, I have written for, optioned or sold screenplays to Steven Spielberg, Lasse Hallstrom, Whoopi Goldberg, Rob Reiner, Dan Petrie Jr., John Milius, John Badham, Francis Ford Coppola, Herbert Ross, Bruce Cohen, Anthony Edwards, Kerry Washington, Disney, Universal, HBO, The Ladd Company and Paulist Productions. My original screenplay ONE NIGHT STAND was directed by Talia Shire and starred Ally Sheedy and Frederic Forrest. TV projects include the film BEHIND THE LENS for CBS, and DADDY’S GIRL, an HBO pilot, and a stint as a writer on ABC’s One Life to Live. I recently adapted David Johnson’s brilliant play BUSTED JESUS COMIX for the screen for director Leon Joosen. My current feature project is TOM’S DAD, for Emmy Award-winning producers Joni Levin and Keith Clarke, to be directed by Oscar-nominated director Lasse Hallstrom.
In the theatrical world, my plays have been seen at the Pasadena Playhouse, the Odyssey, Coast Playhouse, Coronet, Cast and Crossroads Theatres (Los Angeles); the Acorn Theater, the Soho Playhouse, TBG Theatre, Ernie Martin, Linhart and Access Theatres (New York); Village Theatre and Group Theatre (Seattle); Mosiac Theatre (Fort Lauderdale); Bailiwick, Theatre Building (Chicago); Attic Rep (San Antonio); Short North Stage (Columbus), Stage One (Wichita); Paper Mill (New Jersey); Theatreworks and Goodspeed (Connecticut); Walnut Street Theatre (Philadelphia); Ford’s Theatre (Washington); the Queen City Theater (Charlotte, N.C.); the Bunkamura Theatre (Tokyo); and in London, Edinburgh and Dublin.
My latest play THE IRISH CURSE opened Off-Broadway in March, 2010 to rave reviews. It premiered at the 2005 New York International Fringe Festival, where it won the overall excellence award for Outstanding Playwriting. It was also produced at the 2006 Edinburgh Theatre Festival and the Dublin Gay International Theatre Festival in May, 2007, where it was one of the five finalists for the Oscar Wilde Best New Writing for the Theatre Award. Since its critically acclaimed off-Broadway run, THE IRISH CURSE has played to sold-out houses in London, along with Portland, Columbus, Fort Lauderdale, San Antonio and Charlotte. It opens in the summer of 2012 in Los Angeles and will be produced in Brazil in the fall of 2012.
The play is now available for licensing through Samuel French, Inc. www.samuelfrench.com
My recent musical SAINT HEAVEN (music and lyrics by Keith Gordon) was optioned by VanHill Entertainment and had its World Premiere in 2006 at the Stamford Center for the Arts in Connecticut. It had its second production at the Village Theatre in Seattle in the fall of 2008.
My current theatrical project is with Mark Winkler and Phil Swann on the jazz musical CLUB DANGEROUS, for director Sharon Rosen. In the past, I worked with them on the musical PLAY IT COOL. In its NY premiere at NYMF in Fall 2008, PLAY IT COOL played to sold-out houses, and was a GLAAD nominee for Best Off-Off Broadway Musical. It recently had a wonderful off-Broadway production at the Acorn Theater on Theater Row in NYC, and was nominated by the Outer Critics Circle for Best Off-Broadway musical of 2011.
My other plays include: SCITUATE (Best New Play, SCFTA); MATES (L.A. WEEKLY Award, Best New Play), PAYDIRT, DESERT FIRE, BEAUTIFUL DREAMER, GRAND JUNCTION and GEORGE BUSH GOES TO HELL. Books for the musicals: PAPER MOON, HAPPY HOLIDAYS, TAKING CARE OF MRS. CARROLL; and DOO-DAH!
In addition to currently teaching playwriting at the Harvey Milk High School in New York City, I have taught playwriting at Cal Arts and Crossroads High School, both in Los Angeles. I am a member of The Dramatists Guild, the Writer’s Guild of America, Actors’ Equity Association and the Screen Actors Guild.
I recently completed my new play DIRECTIONS FOR RESTORING THE APPARENTLY DEAD, and am working on a theatrical adaptation of Jessica Francis Kane's magnificent novel, THE REPORT.
