John Morogiello - American Playwright

I put three more sketches on Youtube from The Walter Moran Show, the public access cable program I did with Danny Vermont in the mid-80’s. I’m just going to post the links, rather than embed them.

Although we always credited the other, Danny and I rarely wrote sketches together. We would bring in separate material and tweak it together. I’m quite certain I wrote all three of these scenes. In looking them over, I was surprised to discover that I was writing literate and cerebral material even in my early twenties. I was also aghast at how overbearing I must have been, writing material that gave Danny very little to say or do.

1) Job Interview

2) Funerals R Us

3) The Reader’s Digest Version of Every Play Tom Stoppard Ever Wrote

Back in the early to mid 1980’s, I did a stand-up act with Danny Vermont, who now writes for Bill Maher. Whenever we were on break from college, we would quickly write some sketches and head to the local public access cable station to record them–almost always using a stationary camera and a single take. We called the show The Walter Moran Show after opening the phone book at random and pointing to a name.

The quality of the video is awful, but–despite the obvious influence of Monty Python–some of the material still makes me smile.

I’ve been having trouble with Facebook for the past few days.  Apparently, everyone can see my profile but me, so I’ve been unable to post anything.  I’m posting this to JohnMorogiello.com because I know it feeds into FB.

Anyway, without the monumental self-indulgence that is Facebook, I needed to find other avenues of vanity-wallowing, and hit paydirt.   I came across a review of the Stonewall’s Bust reading mounted by J.T. Burian Theatricals at the Kennedy Center Page to Stage Festival over Labor Day.  Here is the link.  I didn’t know DC Theatre Reviews covered Page to Stage.  Anyway, they were very kind and I’m grateful they attended.

Washington CityPaper’s Fringe & Purge
Guest Blogger
Hip Shot: ‘Irish Authors Held Hostage’
Posted by Hilary Crowe on Jul. 20, 2009, at 9:05 am

Irish Authors Held Hostage
The Bodega at The Trading Post

Remaining Performances:
Saturday, July 25 @ 11 p.m.
Sunday, July 26 @ 2:15 p.m.

They say: “It’s back! The war on terror takes a hilarious turn as Irish authors from the ages are kidnapped by terrorists of every stripe. Expect no victims in this wicked romp that lampoons beloved writers and hated terrorists, or vice versa.”

Hilary’s take: Perhaps—given this show’s 2003 premiere at the Washington Theater Festival and its 2006 stint at the Warehouse Second Stage—it wouldn’t be fair to the newer, unvetted Fringe acts to hail J.T. Burian Theatricals’ IAHH as the most brilliant (in the ‘cross the pond exclamatory sense) production of 2009’s fest. But in an era held hostage by relics of Dubya’s terror-mongering, “fair” is so last century. Besides, Oscar Wilde (John Morogiello) had me at “I don’t care what you do to me so long as it’s BEAUUUUTIFUL!”

Playwright/actor Morogiello is a comic genius and IAHH the product of his literary sensibilities (okay, nerdiness) and disgusting talent. In less than 90 minutes, Morogiello crystallizes nine of Ireland’s most famous scribblers in caricatures based on astute textual interpretation. Ridiculous though Samuel Beckett or Frank McCourt (both skewered to perfection by Terence Aselford) may be onstage, Morogiello’s subjects are only as absurd as their scripture allows. I really wouldn’t put it past McCourt, author of interminably depressing memoir Angela’s Ashes, to get into a pissing contest with a Somali pirate over whose tortured childhood was indeed more torturous. Sorry Frank, but I think subsisting off half-eaten sandwiches left by documentary film crews beats gobbling garbage and sipping cabbage tea.

Don’t know diddly about James Joyce or Brendan Behan? Unfamiliarity with pub scrawlers is not a huge problem; in the best program I’ve ever read, J. Thaddeus Burian provides a brief, Swiftian rundown of the play’s authors for “the less intelligent members of our audience.” Such patrons may also find enjoyable “International Terrorism: The Game!” located just after the educational bits in the pamphlet. (Hint: The answer is “Power.”)

Sure, the hostage sketch done nine times over may sound like a bore, but Morogiello mixes it up with sub-plots and a recurring tormentor (played gamely by Terence Heffernan). Ninety minutes came and went, and only then did I realize I could hear the music from The Apothecary downstairs in the sweltering Bodega. Nothing else I’ve sampled at Fringe can touch IAHH’s the trifecta of lacerating wit, flawless delivery, and superb performances from the entire cast (Morogiello’s recurring Yeats was a highlight, as was Lori Boyd’s turn as Lady Gregory). You haven’t Fringed until you’ve seen Wilde clutch his chest at the sight of a “dark, rugged” jihadist bent over in prayer.

See it if: You have $15 and you’d love to know what really kept everyone waiting for Godot.

Skip it if: Belly laughing makes you nauseous.

From DCTheatreScene.com.

Irish Authors Held Hostage
July 11, 2009 by Steven McKnight

Steven rates it: Five stars! A must-see!

In Irish Authors Held Hostage, Irish writers from throughout history have been kidnapped by terrorists and the outcome is invariably bad for the terrorists but great for the audiences viewing this clever work of inspired silliness.

Irish Authors Held Hostage involves eleven variations on the idea of terrorists taking authors hostage. The terrorist get more than they bargained for from authors who are capable of their own intellectual sympathizing and terrorizing. Author/cast member John Morogiello created an ideal work for a Fringe festival given its absurd premise, the twisted cerebral basis of much of the humor, and the quick-cutting comedic pacing.

An exemplary skit involves Oscar Wilde and Arab terrorists. After initially refusing to sit and be bound in an ugly chair, Wilde (Morogiello in a laughable wig) finally states “I don’t care what you do to me as long as it’s beautiful.” Wilde later is intrigued by a terrorist’s description of a post-martyrdom kiss from the Prophet and comfort from 72 virgins and flirts with him, creating confusion over the man’s sexual identity.

Irish Authors Held Hostage was last seen locally in a successful run during the 2006 Capital Fringe Festival. The original ensemble cast is back (Terrence Aselford, Lori Boyd, and Terence Heffernan join Morogiello) along with one new skit. Gone is the variation involving Sean Casey and a North Korean terrorist, replaced by a hilarious new scene when Frank and Malachy McCourt play “who had the worse childhood” with a Somali pirate (whose stories usually end with a local warload using his machete).

Given the experience of the cast, it’s no surprise that the ensemble moves quickly and confidently through the variations. All of the performers are skilled, although Terrence Heffernan’s Arab terrorist Achmed is especially memorable. Director Martin Blanco helps the cast keep the energy high and the caricatures lively.

At its best the humor rises to Monty Pythonesque heights. A few of the sketches are uneven, but the one-liners come so fast and furious that the fun never lags. Morogiello puts just enough information in the skits so an understanding of Irish literature is not necessary, but come early anyway to read the program’s funny background information. An added treat both pre-show and between scenes is live Irish music from a three person ensemble led by Music Director Tina Eck.

As a note to Fringe-goers, Morogiello is also the author of another work playing at this year’s festival, the revenge-comedy Jack the Ticket Ripper presented by The Georgetown Theatre Company. Given the success of Irish Authors Held Hostage, you might want to explore more fun from the playwright’s pen.

My only complaint about the performance is the fact that the musicians get to enjoy their Guinness in plain sight of the audience. As my old elementary school teacher said, “If you don’t being enough for the whole class to share …”

Irish Authors Held Hostage
by John Morogiello
Director by Martin Blanco
Producing by J. T. Burian Theatricals
Reviewed by Steven McKnight

I’ve got two plays going up at this summer’s Capital Fringe Festival in Washington, DC. The first is Irish Authors Held Hostage, which is returning to Washington after a three year absence. It is one of my favorite shows, and we are reuniting the cast from the 2006 production: Terence Aselford, Lori Boyd, Terence Heffernan, and myself. Martin Blanco will direct and J.T. Burian Theatricals will produce.

The other play is Jack The Ticket Ripper, a comic revenge tragedy in one act. It is hilariously sick. No official word on the cast yet, but Catherine Aselford is directing the show. It is being produced by The Georgetown Theatre Company.

Below are the dates and times. Be sure to mark your calendars!

Irish Authors Held Hostage
presented by
J.T. Burian Theatricals
 

Venue

The Bodega - at The Corner Store
1013 7th ST NW, Washington DC 20001
 

Performance Times:

Friday July 10 @ 5pm
Sunday July 12 @ 5pm
Thursday July 16 @ 7pm
Saturday July 25 @ 11pm
Sunday July 26 @ 2:15
 

Jack the Ticket Ripper
presented by
The Georgetown Theatre Company

Venue

Goethe Institut - Gallery
812 7th Street NW, Washington DC 20001
 

Performance Times:

Saturday July 11 @ 9pm
Sunday July 12 @Noon
Thursday July 16 @ 6:30pm
Saturday July 18 @ 6pm
Sunday July 19 @2:30pm

My friend, Eric Winick asked to record my Al Pacino story for his website:  http://www.yarnaudioworks.com.  Some of you are all too familiar with this story.  For many years it was the only story I told.  I stopped telling it about ten years ago because I was beginning to bore even myself.  Now, thanks to Eric, it will live forever on the internet and I’ll never be able to use the story as the excuse for boring acquaintances again.  It will simply be my lack of personality.

Those of you who have never heard the story before, listen and enjoy.  Those of you who have heard it millions of times before, tune in for the entertaining soundtrack Eric supplies, particularly the sinister turn the music takes once the idiot sitting beside Al Pacino does that magic thing he does.

Thanks, Eric, for thinking of me.  It was great fun to record it for posterity.

Engaging Shaw, one of my personal favorites, has been selected for a preliminary reading at Abingdon Theatre Company in Manhattan, on Monday, 23 February, at 7:00 p.m. The theater is located at 312 West 36th Street (between 8th & 9th Avenues). The reading is free to the public and there will be a discussion with me afterwards, during which I’m supposed to listen and not talk. I shall endeavor to practice restraint.

I don’t yet know who the director is, or who is in the cast, but I’ll post the information as soon as I hear anything. Abingdon doesn’t even have it on the website yet. They plan to post it after 26 January, but they’ve given me the okay to start promoting it here.

Some of you are very familiar with the play: it has been produced at Oldcastle Theatre Company (with Langdon Brown) and New Jersey Rep, and received readings at New Jersey Rep and the Kennedy Center. This will be its first exposure in New York (although The Times came to see it in New Jersey and declared it to be “Exactly the type of work that nonprofit theatres dedicated to producing new plays and musicals should be doing.”) My favorite review came from Variety, which called it “a spirited and intelligent combat of words and sparkling banter,” then attributed its authorship to someone named “John Mortimer Langdon.”

For those of you who are not familiar with it, Engaging Shaw is an unromantic, romantic comedy about the courtship of Bernard Shaw and Charlotte Payne-Townshend. The little slogan I wrote for the marketing department describes it like this: “He considered himself the superman. She allowed him to believe it.” Just enough wit to leave you incontinent.

Hope you can make it. It would be great fun to see friendly faces.

The DVD of The Matchmaker’s Guide to Controlling the Elements is now available through Amazon.com, which is very exciting, despite the insanely low royalty Amazon offers. Here’s what I recommend: buy the thing at the store on JohnMorogiello.com or JTBurianTheatricals.com (it’s the same price as Amazon, but my percentage is higher), then visit the Amazon page and write glowing reviews. Honestly, if you’re looking to give a belated gift to someone you don’t like, who unexpectedly gave you something for the holidays, I’d recommend this DVD. It’s much more edible than fruitcake.

Other news: two play readings are in the works for early 2009, one in New York City (Engaging Shaw) and the other in the DC area (A Thing for Redheads). Details to follow as schedules are etched in stone.

I’ve completely redesigned my professional website, JohnMorogiello.com. I could no longer pretend that I looked like the 27 year old in the headshot. Explore. Let me know if you find any mistakes, or unnavigable sections.