I'm up tonight and I'm writing and editing and editing and writing and rehearsing and it's fun and painful and sickening and awesome all rolled into one. Loveswell opens at the Hudson theatre and there is lots of interest already.
My director, Terrie Silverman, is very excited about the material and the work I'm doing. I said can't we just do what I did in the last show. After all it got great reviews from critics and audiences. She said, this show is much deeper and you are really getting to the heart of what relationships are all about. It's funnier, more poignant and frankly I'm more excited about this work.
So I'm going to keep at it. See you on opening night. - John
Thursday, April 9, 2009
Loveswell Press Release - It has been announced!!
Hey all - here is the great press release for Loveswell my one person show hitting the prestigious Hudson Theatre May 1st. Check it out. They did a great job on it.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASECONTACT: Lisa Singelyn, Counterintuity, LLC818-731-0935; lisa@counterintuity.com
RETURN OF LOVESWELL SET TO MAKE WAVES IN HOLLYWOOD
(Hollywood, CA)—Back by audience demand, Loveswell, a one-man show that dives deep into the ebbs and flows of a relationship through the eyes of a surfer, returns to the prestigious Hudson Guild Theatre on May 1st.Loveswell—written and performed by John Fortson and directed by Terrie Silverman—earned critical and audience raves and during its original run in 2005.
Fortson, whom some call “the next Spalding Gray,” was compelled to revive Loveswell by pleas from fans, as well as Silverman. “John’s gotten deeper and has gone to the next level,” Silverman observes. “Loveswell is so great—poignant, funny, heart-opening and truthful. John is in his power as an actor and writer.”
Married to film and television actress Christie Lynn Smith for almost 11 years, Fortson introduces parenting into this hilarious but brutally honest revival that allows the audience to peer behind closed doors as he struggles to balance the demands of marriage and fatherhood with his love for waves.
Described as “raw, hilarious and incredibly poignant,” Loveswell uses surfing and the ocean as a metaphor for the ever-changing nature of relationships. Fortson shares his deep vulnerabilities and the complexities of marriage and fatherhood with unflinching honesty. Fortson fearlessly bares all as he works out--with the audience--his own shortcomings, and reaches for the love he wants to share and the husband and father he wants to become.
"Loveswell will appeal to anyone trying to figure out love in their relationship, because John embodies all the difficulties, the absurdities and the ironies about his own relationship and how he's trying to navigate through it," Silverman said.
Fortson, who earned a Best Leading Actor Award at the 2007 Film Accolade Awards, has studied with famed acting coaches Howard Fine, Jay Goldenberg, Eric Morris, Cameron Thor and the Groundlings. He is a member of SAG, AFTRA and AEA. His screen credits include independent and feature films, numerous TV roles, and dozens of commercials. He has been asked to perform in Six Feet Under writer Jill Soloway’s hit show, Sit N Spin, at Los Angeles’s MOCA and other local venues.
Silverman is an accomplished director, writer, performer and educator who directed the original Loveswell. Famed surf artist Meegan Feori will design the set; lighting will be designed by Derrick McDaniel.
All proceeds from the opening night event will benefit Heal the Bay, a non-profit group that fights for workable solutions to the problems threatening Southern California's coastal waters.
Tickets for Loveswell are available at www.plays411.net. For complete information, visit www.loveswell.com.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASECONTACT: Lisa Singelyn, Counterintuity, LLC818-731-0935; lisa@counterintuity.com
RETURN OF LOVESWELL SET TO MAKE WAVES IN HOLLYWOOD
(Hollywood, CA)—Back by audience demand, Loveswell, a one-man show that dives deep into the ebbs and flows of a relationship through the eyes of a surfer, returns to the prestigious Hudson Guild Theatre on May 1st.Loveswell—written and performed by John Fortson and directed by Terrie Silverman—earned critical and audience raves and during its original run in 2005.
Fortson, whom some call “the next Spalding Gray,” was compelled to revive Loveswell by pleas from fans, as well as Silverman. “John’s gotten deeper and has gone to the next level,” Silverman observes. “Loveswell is so great—poignant, funny, heart-opening and truthful. John is in his power as an actor and writer.”
Married to film and television actress Christie Lynn Smith for almost 11 years, Fortson introduces parenting into this hilarious but brutally honest revival that allows the audience to peer behind closed doors as he struggles to balance the demands of marriage and fatherhood with his love for waves.
Described as “raw, hilarious and incredibly poignant,” Loveswell uses surfing and the ocean as a metaphor for the ever-changing nature of relationships. Fortson shares his deep vulnerabilities and the complexities of marriage and fatherhood with unflinching honesty. Fortson fearlessly bares all as he works out--with the audience--his own shortcomings, and reaches for the love he wants to share and the husband and father he wants to become.
"Loveswell will appeal to anyone trying to figure out love in their relationship, because John embodies all the difficulties, the absurdities and the ironies about his own relationship and how he's trying to navigate through it," Silverman said.
Fortson, who earned a Best Leading Actor Award at the 2007 Film Accolade Awards, has studied with famed acting coaches Howard Fine, Jay Goldenberg, Eric Morris, Cameron Thor and the Groundlings. He is a member of SAG, AFTRA and AEA. His screen credits include independent and feature films, numerous TV roles, and dozens of commercials. He has been asked to perform in Six Feet Under writer Jill Soloway’s hit show, Sit N Spin, at Los Angeles’s MOCA and other local venues.
Silverman is an accomplished director, writer, performer and educator who directed the original Loveswell. Famed surf artist Meegan Feori will design the set; lighting will be designed by Derrick McDaniel.
All proceeds from the opening night event will benefit Heal the Bay, a non-profit group that fights for workable solutions to the problems threatening Southern California's coastal waters.
Tickets for Loveswell are available at www.plays411.net. For complete information, visit www.loveswell.com.
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
Angry Conversations With God
My friend and once classmate, Susan Issacs, has written a book called Angry Conversations With God. And I can't wait to read it. I loved it the minute I opened the box from Amazon.com It looks snarky and funny! And I love that word, snarky. I don't even know what it means. I don't even want to know. I just want to hear it and believe it's kind of tongue in cheek humor, or dry and witty humor, or it's a kind of alien humor, you know, those Snarks. I love the Snarks. But they use this word to describe Susan's humor in the book and I'd have to say that they are right.
Susan's hilarious. She's got this uncanny ability to play the deadpan around her witty looks at life and religion. I've seen many of her performances and work based on the work that she presents in this ACWG and it always makes me laugh and think.
I've had many ACWG and I think that's okay. I think he can take it, after all he's omniscient right, so he knew it was coming and he knows when it will end. How are we supposed to take all this suffering that this life is about so we can become better people. He set up the system so why shouldn't he hear about it every now and then. It's good to let it out and I think he likes it as whenever we are severely challenged by something in our lives it means we are getting closer to another level and or change.
I've let him have it over my career many times and the way he's kept me almost getting what I want. Due to this struggle I've managed to rack up many film and television roles, a slew of commercials, and write my most exciting project to date, my One Person Show, Loveswell. Loveswell opens May 1st for it's Hollywood Premiere at the prestigious Hudson Theatre. I also got married and had a baby with my wife actress Christie Lynn Smith. These two women are the loves of my life and if it hadn't been for challenges in my life they would not exist to me as I know them.
I wanted to be a pro surfer but my Dad nixed that with the ole', "What is a trophy on the wall going to do for you? How will you pay the rent? How will you feed your family?" So I stalled and didn't move forward. I kept surfing but not competing. I had no real role model at that time but I did have acting and acting had me. It found me in the way of a well known acting teacher, Kathryn Laughlin, who took me under her wing to get me into class and on my way to LA. If I hadn't taken her seminar when I graduated college as a result of not wanting to become an advertising exec, I would of never met my wife who as an actress, living in the same town, Jacksonville, Florida, called me to ask, "I hear that you drive down to Tampa to take Kathy's class. Do you think I could ride with you sometime?" Of course I said and the rest is history.
Now married 11 years almost and a 1 year old baby. I look back and think wow if I had had it easy I'd never be surrounded in the love I am now. If we hadn't admired each other's acting and friendship right away. If the long drive, 3 1/2 hours each way from Jacksonville to Tampa, had been shorter, maybe Christie wouldn't of ridden with me. Then we wouldn't of become great friends. Then when I moved to California, I wouldn't of asked her to be my roommate, which I did and we were for 3 years, just as friends. Then as I was ultimately fed up with her being my roommate and looking for my own place - I was always having ACWG at this time as she never cleaned a thing always frustrating me, pushing me to get my own place - she booked a job that would take her away for a soap opera for a year. If that hadn't happened then I wouldn't of been so introspective about what I really wanted that year and thus when she came back I might not of saw her in a new light and asked her to be my girlfriend and lover, then wife.
Now with a baby and 11 years almost under our belt. I'm happiest when I'm wrapped up in her love. I can't imagine it any other way. And all the ACWG's I had - why did you put me with her? Why bring her into my life? Why doesn't she clean a thing? This is ridiculous! God must of just been laughing knowing she and I were meant to be.
Ultimately he knows and has to have the last laugh at all of us trying to figure out and make sense of this world of half knowledge and truths. I can't wait to see how Susan brought together all her stories into what is ACWG. Just the cover makes me laugh. I'll let you know how it goes.
Best, John
Susan's hilarious. She's got this uncanny ability to play the deadpan around her witty looks at life and religion. I've seen many of her performances and work based on the work that she presents in this ACWG and it always makes me laugh and think.
I've had many ACWG and I think that's okay. I think he can take it, after all he's omniscient right, so he knew it was coming and he knows when it will end. How are we supposed to take all this suffering that this life is about so we can become better people. He set up the system so why shouldn't he hear about it every now and then. It's good to let it out and I think he likes it as whenever we are severely challenged by something in our lives it means we are getting closer to another level and or change.
I've let him have it over my career many times and the way he's kept me almost getting what I want. Due to this struggle I've managed to rack up many film and television roles, a slew of commercials, and write my most exciting project to date, my One Person Show, Loveswell. Loveswell opens May 1st for it's Hollywood Premiere at the prestigious Hudson Theatre. I also got married and had a baby with my wife actress Christie Lynn Smith. These two women are the loves of my life and if it hadn't been for challenges in my life they would not exist to me as I know them.
I wanted to be a pro surfer but my Dad nixed that with the ole', "What is a trophy on the wall going to do for you? How will you pay the rent? How will you feed your family?" So I stalled and didn't move forward. I kept surfing but not competing. I had no real role model at that time but I did have acting and acting had me. It found me in the way of a well known acting teacher, Kathryn Laughlin, who took me under her wing to get me into class and on my way to LA. If I hadn't taken her seminar when I graduated college as a result of not wanting to become an advertising exec, I would of never met my wife who as an actress, living in the same town, Jacksonville, Florida, called me to ask, "I hear that you drive down to Tampa to take Kathy's class. Do you think I could ride with you sometime?" Of course I said and the rest is history.
Now married 11 years almost and a 1 year old baby. I look back and think wow if I had had it easy I'd never be surrounded in the love I am now. If we hadn't admired each other's acting and friendship right away. If the long drive, 3 1/2 hours each way from Jacksonville to Tampa, had been shorter, maybe Christie wouldn't of ridden with me. Then we wouldn't of become great friends. Then when I moved to California, I wouldn't of asked her to be my roommate, which I did and we were for 3 years, just as friends. Then as I was ultimately fed up with her being my roommate and looking for my own place - I was always having ACWG at this time as she never cleaned a thing always frustrating me, pushing me to get my own place - she booked a job that would take her away for a soap opera for a year. If that hadn't happened then I wouldn't of been so introspective about what I really wanted that year and thus when she came back I might not of saw her in a new light and asked her to be my girlfriend and lover, then wife.
Now with a baby and 11 years almost under our belt. I'm happiest when I'm wrapped up in her love. I can't imagine it any other way. And all the ACWG's I had - why did you put me with her? Why bring her into my life? Why doesn't she clean a thing? This is ridiculous! God must of just been laughing knowing she and I were meant to be.
Ultimately he knows and has to have the last laugh at all of us trying to figure out and make sense of this world of half knowledge and truths. I can't wait to see how Susan brought together all her stories into what is ACWG. Just the cover makes me laugh. I'll let you know how it goes.
Best, John
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
