Hometown: Wilmington, NC
Education: Marshall University (Studied Theater and Broadcasting)
Favorite Credits: Screenwriter: Dead Heist (Released 2007 through First Look Entertainment)
Why theater?: I got my first taste of creativity on the stage and have always been drawn to live performances. My earliest and fondest memories of performance was watching live comedy like Monty Python, SCTV, and of course SNL. I loved the electricity of live performance and it sent me looking to recreate that experience on stage.
What inspired you to write Dine & Dash?: I was traveling with my wife in Budapest and we visited this restaurant called Museum. I was marveling at the waiter who could speak five different languages and worked the room like the most talented performer. His stage was every table he spoke with, and he worked the audiences like a seasoned pro. The waiter was, by far, the most talented man in the room. I kept thinking about the inherent comedy between an educated, refined waiter at a great restaurant and an oafish lout dining there, which in reality probably more accurately describes me. The idea for the story kept circulating in my head all the way home and as soon as i got off the plane I hammered out the first draft. While writing it i had an idea that turned it from straight comedy to a dark comedy which revolves around a twist ending.
What kind of theater speaks to you? What or who inspires you as an artist?: I'm a comedy man. The cadences, the rhythms, and the language all speak to me. The fun of a well written line. The laughter than can be produced by a well timed silence. There's so many things that go into a perfect piece of comedy. I find myself lately inspired by Louis CK who has evolved as a traditional comedian and writer to more of a chronicler of the surreal and I don't think anyone right now is doing a better job of capturing the melancholy of everyday life which can be both heartbreaking and hilarious.
If you could work with anyone you’ve yet to work with, who would it be?: I have a ridiculous obsession with Stephen Colbert who seems to be the kind of showman that doesn't exist much anymore. Stage, screen, live comedy... razor sharp wit.
What show have you recommended to your friends?: The last show I remember recommending was a performance of David Sedaris' Santaland Diaries.
Who would play you in a movie about yourself and what would it be called?: Zach Galifankis and the title would be My Career Suicide Note.
If you could go back in time and see any play or musical you missed, what would it be?: The vaudeville era. Seeing performers like Laurel and Hardy or the Three Stooges. I'm such a fan of that era of performance. I would love to spend a day going from nickel theater to nickel theater watching variety shows.
What’s your biggest guilty pleasure?: Video Games. I can't even tell you how many quality hours of my life have been lost to video games. If i saw the actual number, i might have an aneurysm.
If you weren’t working in theater, you would be _____?: Tap-dancing for nickels on a street corner or curled up in a fetal position waiting to die.
What’s up next?: Working on a new play called Beard which looks at the life of an aging gay actor trying to control his rapidly disintegrating career.
