The Our Time Questions with Doug Filomena

Periodically, we will interview members of the Our Time and Camp Our Time family (company members, alumni, honorees, participating artists, the board, volunteers, staff, donors, parents, campers, counselors, etc.) by asking them the same 20 questions. Which will now be known as THE OUR TIME QUESTIONS.

Our third interview is with Doug Filomena. Doug has been Our Time's Lighting Designer for years and is an all around awesome person. Doug is also a person who stutters. Last week, Doug created beautiful light for our one-act plays at the Cherry Lane Theatre. My favorite quote from Doug last week was, "Let the process come to you." Thanks for all that you do Doug!

1. Favorite Food: grilled sardines

2. Favorite thing about Our Time: Taro’s and the Kid’s energy

3. Favorite place I’ve been: Rome, Italy

4. Place I’ve always wanted to go: back to Rome

5. Favorite Movie: Style Wars

6. If you were trapped on an island for three years, and you could only listen to one recording artist, who would it be: Fela Kuti

7. Mac or PC: MAC

8. Chocolate or Vanilla: chocolate

9. Cats or Dogs: cats

10. Favorite Our Time moment: Seeing Ned’s play performed last year

11. What do you want to be when you grow up: an archaeologist, like Indiana Jones

12. Who would play you in a movie: John Cusack

13. Favorite Book: The Wind Up Bird Chronicles

14. Favorite sports team: Pittsburgh Steelers/New York Mets

15. What advice do you have for people who stutter: Just keep going. Think of yourself as being perfectly normal, because you are.

16. What advice do you have for people who don’t stutter: don’t ask me if I am OK.

17. Favorite TV Show: Shark Week

18. Favorite Play or Musical: Fences by August Wilson

19. If you were President, what would your first official act be: Universal Healthcare

20. Where do you see Our Time in 10 years: still working and doing its thing, but with a much, much bigger family and a lot more love to go around.

What a Weekend!

The cast of Mendacity, written & directed by Edward: (from l-r) Noah Cornman, Emily Whyte, Edward, Keira Naughton, and Carl Danielsen

The one and only Keira Naughton

Wow! What a weekend it was for Our Time! We just completed three successful performances of One-Act Plays at the beautiful Cherry Lane Theatre, written and directed by three teens who stutter: Danielle, Tom, and Edward. It was a spectacular weekend of art, theater, courage, music, celebration, and love. A huge congratulations to our three writer/directors and an enormous THANK YOU to everyone involved in the production, we could not have done it without ya!

And of course, THANK YOU A MILLION TIMES to everyone who attended the shows. It was wonderful to perform to three packed houses.

We hope you enjoy the fun photos above from the amazing and ever-talented Our Time volunteer Ryan Millager.

Please check back soon for more cool posts about the One-Acts.

PS - What was your favorite moment from this past weekend?

An Invitation from One-Act Writer/Directors

Three One-Act Plays

A Playlist Worth A Thousand Words
Written & Directed by Danielle Diesu

Cherish Every Moment
Written & Directed by Tom King

Mendacity
Written & Directed by Edward Mawere

Performances are on Friday, December 12 (8pm) and Saturday, December 13 (2pm & 8pm) at the Cherry Lane Theatre (38 Commerce St., NYC)

Tickets are $12. Please call (212) 414-9696 for more information. We hope to see you there!

Opening Night, a short letter from Taro

Dear readers,

I have been a professional actor in New York City since 1991. I have had the pleasure of performing on many Opening Nights of a show. It is always an exciting, scary, nerve-wracking, pressure-filled, heart-pounding, and (usually) triumphant experience.

As the Founder and Artistic Director of Our Time, I have had the complete joy of witnessing and taking part in 15 Our Time Opening Nights in New York City since 2001. It is hard to describe the feelings on the morning of an Our Time Opening Night. My stomach is tied into a great big knot, I am exhausted from the 12 hour plus days at the theater, my mind is racing with a million things that still need to get done that day ... but the most prominent feeling is one of deep pride and little kid excitement!!!

Tonight, will mark our 16th Opening Night show in New York City. I woke up very early and I felt like it was Christmas morning! Tonight, Our Time is presenting three original one-act plays written and directed by three teen members of Our Time: Danielle, Tom, and Edward. Their fantastic new work will be performed by an accomplished group of professional actors who are all volunteering their time for this project. The show will be at the beautiful and historic Cherry Lane Theatre in the West Village of Manhattan. I honestly wish everyone in the world could be there tonight. I wish everyone could come and support these three young, amazing, talented, brave, smart, articulate, caring, passionate, and dedicated young artists.

Danielle, Tom, and Edward have come a very long way during this program. Last night, after our dress rehearsal at the theater, they sat on stage and gave notes to all the actors, designers, and crew. They were on stage speaking to a theater filled with professional artists, speaking clearly, calmly, smoothly, while stuttering quite well. They were brimming with a confidence that felt new, strong, and powerful. They were coming into their own and it was beautiful.

If you live in or near New York City and you are free tonight at 8pm (or tomorrow at 2pm or 8pm) come on down to the Cherry Lane Theatre on 38 Commerce Street and be a part of the Our Time magic. If you can't make it, no worries. We'll be sure to tell you all about the shows next week.

Thank you for your ongoing support and I hope to see you this weekend!

Taro

PS - What Opening Night stories do you have?

One-Act Writer/Director Edward Mawere Invites You To His Show

Edward Mawere has written and directed "Mendacity," Starring

Noah Cornman, Carl Danielsen, Keira Naughton, and Emily Whyte.

Shows will be on Friday, December 12th (8pm)
& December 13th (2pm & 8pm).

Reserve tickets by calling (212) 414-9696 or e-mail moreinfo@ourtimetheatre.org

One-Act Plays are 2 Weeks Away! Reserve Tickets Today!

To reserve tickets, please e-mail moreinfo@ourtimetheatre.org or call (212) 414-9696.

Behind the Scenes: One-Act Writer/Directors Hard at Work

Danielle Diesu (company member) working with Liz Tuccillo (advisor/professional playwright/Our Time Trustee) as she writes her one-act play A Playlist Worth a Thousand Words.

Edward Mawere (company member) writing his play Mendacity.

Tom King (company member) working with Taro Alexander (Our Time's Artistic Director) as he writes Cherish Every Moment.

More Hot Press for One-Acts

Check out this article from Theatremania.com. So hot it sizzles!

Get your tickets today ... call 212-414-9696 or email moreinfo@ourtimetheatre.org.

We'll see ya at the beautiful Cherry Lane Theatre.

PS - We hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving tomorrow. All of us at Our Time are forever thankful to you and we look forward to seeing you soon.

Our Time Mother & Son Get Excited Over Upcoming One-Acts

Taro Alexander interviews brilliant actor and company member Joe Popovich, Jr., 12, who is set to star in the One-Act play Cherish Every Moment, written and directed by fellow company member Tom King. Also in this clip, Joe's mother Kate beams with pride over her son's involvement with this highly anticipated show.

Be sure to reserve tickets to catch Joe's upcoming performance! It's going to be INCREDIBLE!

Message from One-Act Writer/Director Tom King

This message is from Our Time company member Tom King who has written and directed Cherish Every Moment, a powerful one-act play about a family's loss. Performances of this play and follow-up Q&A sessions with the writer/director will take place on Friday, December 12 at 8pm and Saturday, December 13 at 2pm & 8pm. Cherish Every Moment will feature actors Jace Alexander (I'm Not Rappaport, Assassins), Taro Alexander (STOMP) , Maddie Corman (Some Kind of Wonderful), Joel Higgins (Silver Spoons) and Our Time company member Joseph Popovich, Jr.

Please call (212) 414-9696 to reserve tickets.

One-Act Enthusiasm is Spreading through the Media

Click here to read an article from Broadwayworld.com about our December One-Acts. Word is spreading about these must-see shows! Please reserve your tickets today!

Buzz about Upcoming One-Acts!

Read this awesome article featured on Playbill.com about Our Time's One-Act plays that will be held on December 12th & 13th. So exciting!

Reserve your tickets today!

Call 212-414-9696 or email moreinfo@ourtimetheatre.org.