Curtain Call

-
We interrupt this week’s blog post with some monstrous news: if you’re going to be in New York next month, please stop by the Chain Theatre.

Back in May, I submitted my one-act play Mercy Road to Chain’s summer festival and promptly forgot all about it.

I was certain it would go nowhere and I’d get another cordial rejection letter thanking me for participating while pointing me to the exit.

But then this theater company on West 36th Street pulled a fast one on me.

They said yes.

Wait — what?

That’s exactly what they did. Suddenly I was responsible for assembling a director and a cast, and I didn’t begin to know what to do next.

I was sorely tempted to withdraw from the running, but my buddy Jerry — an actor who’s appeared in several Chain productions—talked me out of it.

He offered to find the actors and direct the play as well, thus saving my keester.

I’ve been promising for the longest time to get out of the comfort zone, and I certainly think this qualifies.

We’ve had several rehearsals already and I am learning so much about theater, writing, and directing.

I am terrified. I am excited and I so grateful to these wonderful people.

Mercy Road is a part of an evening of one-acts that will be performed on July 12, July 26, and July 29. The discount code is MERCY26.

Please come on down and mention my name.

Comments

Anonymous said…
What great news!Makes me wish I were back in the city!
6:42 AM
Beatrice P. Boyd said…
Wow, Rob, this is great news and I wish i were going to be in NYC because I certainly would attend a performance of your play. How nice that your friend, Jerry, was able to help out. Can you reveal some details about the play in a future post for those of us who won't be able to attend. Yes, this certainly qualifies for getting out of your comfort zone, BIG time!
10:43 AM
Rob Lenihan said…
Oh, I wish you could be here, too, Dorothy! That would be great. And I will share more as we work through the three performances.

Thank you so much for your support!
4:55 PM
Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

‘Permanently Closed’

-
Image
And, so, another local landmark is gone. My sister and I passed by O’Sullivan’s Bar & Grill in Bay Ridge last night during our after-dinner walk and saw nothing but darkness. There were no lights shining from this old Irish saloon that the O’Sullivan family took over in 1934. There were no customers outside taking a cigarette break on Third Avenue; no voices, music or laughter emenating from the corner business on 89th Street. A dark bar on a Saturday night only means one thing, but I didn’t want to accept the grim reality. I had to walk up to the front door, grab hold of the handle and pull back. But the place was locked up tight. This morning I jumped on the Internet in hopes of learning that the owners were on vacation, or that they were renovating the place and would be reopening in grand style any day now. But the bar’s Yelp page was branded with two grisly words at the top: “Permanently Closed.” I’ve been searching around local message boards for any ind...
Read more

The Bystander Effect

-
Image
Winston Moseley knew no one would stop him. “I knew they wouldn't do anything,” he told police after his arrest. “They never do.” Moseley murdered Kitty Genovese in Queens in 1964 in one of the most infamous murder cases in modern times. The horrific crime gained worldwide attention largely because of a New York Times article that said “38 respectable, law-abiding citizens” did nothing while Moseley attacked Kitty Genovese on three separate occasions. The story sparked worldwide condemnation and provided material for writers and composers, including the Phil Ochs song “ Outside of a Small Circle Friends .” There was talk of the Bystander Effect or the Genovese Effect and the words “I didn’t want to get involved” summed up life in the big city. The Kitty Genovese case is the subject of a new documentary called The Witness that explores the mythology surrounding the murder. The film features Kitty’s brother, Bill, who was 16 years old at the time of his sister’s murder. ...
Read more

Lend Me Your Ears

-
Image
The bus driver got on the PA system as we reached Third Avenue on Saturday evening. “We’re now in Bay Ridge,” he told us. “Thank you for letting me take you home this evening.” Wait, what? You’re thanking me? This is New York City, right? I nodded off on the way home, maybe I was still asleep? But, no, this was really happening, and this young man had just provided a fitting end to a perfect day. What it makes it even more remarkable was that the day had fiasco written all over it before turning out to be a real gem. My plans for Saturday fell through at the very last minute and I was supremely bummed. I had this vision of myself sitting in my local park all day and going through the old Netflix and takeout routine that I do far too often. I didn’t want to let that happen this time, so I jumped on Meetup.com and looked around for a last-minute event. There were plenty of intriguing things happening, but nothing grabbed me. And then something caught my eye. The New York Ci...
Read more