July 2021: To know what life has been like for my partner Cai and I as the pandemic (hopefully) comes to a close, read her op-ed in the L.A. Times. It's been a rough year, but we're finding strength, solace, and joy in our relationship and work. Before the pandemic, Oregon Contemporary Theatre produced a showcase of short plays by friend Rachael Carnes and myself, called BUNFIGHT! (Shout out to Third World Bunfight of South Aftrica.) Most recently, OCT hosted a Zoom reading of my latest full-length play THE FIFTH HYPOTHESIS.

Early 2020: The year starts out with a number of acting and writing projects underway:

• THE DIARY OF ANNE FRANK — At The Very Little Theatre in May. I'll be playing Mr. Dussel.
• Theatre column for the Register Guard — Check out my latest profile of Eugene actor Russell Dyball: CAFE 541: Calandrino: Russell Dyball is an actor hittin’ his stride.
• Playwriting Classes — The first playwriting class at Oregon Contemporary Theatre is in progress: Plotting Along.
• Sasquatch, Politics, and Shrimp & Gritts, Oh my! — I'm working on, researching, or planning any number of short and full-length plays. More news to come.

February, 2018: Opening February 23 at Capitello Wines in Eugene, MY HAPPY HOUR WITH PEGODA is about a minor playwright – Paul – driven by the hope of recapturing his glory days as the star of his high school drama program, who recruits two of the best community theatre actors in his small town – Dan and Ellen – to be in a play that he will write and star in, alongside them!

2018-2019: The coming year will be a busy one. I'm working with a number of local theatre companies on a variety of projects:

• INDIVISIBLE — A political comedy in development at Oregon Contemporary Theatre.
• SHRIMP & GRITTS: THE LONG AND WINDING TRAIL — The second play of the Shrimp & Gritts trilogy with The Not Ready for Retirement Players.
• PERDIDO BEACH — A family drama with Brave Umbrella Productions.
• Untitled — A play about the amazing Margaret Bourke-White for the 365 Women a Year project.

I'll update this site as milestones are reached!

February, 2018: Opening February 23 at Capitello Wines in Eugene, MY HAPPY HOUR WITH PEGODA is about a minor playwright – Paul – driven by the hope of recapturing his glory days as the star of his high school drama program, who recruits two of the best community theatre actors in his small town – Dan and Ellen – to be in a play that he will write and star in, alongside them!

Runs February 23 – March 3, 2018.

Dec. 30, 2016: It's been a great year, the artistic highlight of which was definitely OCT's production of SHRIMP & GRITTS: SHE'S GONE. Today, Eugene Art Talk's Bob Keefer named the production the best local play of the year:
Eugene's arts year in quick review
My gratitude to OCT and the wonderful artists who collaborated to help this show reach its full potential!

Sept. 18, 2016: Read the reviews for SHRIMP & GRITTS: SHE'S GONE, all positive, with a little constructive criticism from Dorothy Velasco of the Register-Guard:
Eugene Weekly
Eugene Art Talk
Register-Guard
I couldn't be happier with the production. My thanks to Oregon Contemporary Theatre, director Brian Haimbach, the designers, cast, and crew. Bravo!

July 1, 2016: Rehearsals are well underway for SHRIMP & GRITTS: SHE'S GONE. We're having a great time! A couple weeks of table work have led to some revisions, and the script is pretty much ready to go. The designers are making excellent progress.

From left to right: Me, Rebecca Nachison (Shrimp), Cloud Pemble (Ruud), Brian Haimback (Director), Tara Wibrew (Clementine), and Bary Shaw (Gritts).

Apr. 17, 2016: After a very successful run with NW10, EH?, I've returned to writing. Here's my lastest full-length play, PERDIDO BEACH, a drama about two families clashing at the world famous Monterey Bay Aquarium. In it, the protagonist, Verne, struggles to adjust when her 17-year-old son Gabe returns home after two years in the California Juvenile Justice system for his peripheral involvement in the shooting death of a gay man. When Gabe is rude to a gay couple also visiting the aquarium, tensions escalate until tempers flare, and Verne faces the truth about her son and herself.

Mar. 27, 2016: Rave reviews are coming in after the opening weekend of NORTHWEST TEN, EH? The show is a real crowd pleaser. Here's a shot of Hailey Henderson and Michael Teague performing my play "What it Feels Like to Feel Hungry." Superb performances and superb direction by Maggie Hadley.

And here's me performing the play "Roger" with playwright/actor Russell Dyball.

Hoping to put some butts in the seats for the final weekend, March 31 through April 3!

Mar. 6, 2016: Rehearsals are well underway for NW10, EH? I'm playing the titular character in the play ROGER by Nicholas Maurer. Roger is a stuffed lion, hurtling through space in an escape pod with his memory impaired owner Paul, played by Russell Dyball. Realism at its best. The show is directed by veteran Eugene actor Tom Wilson. The festival is shaping up to be one of the best ever!

Jan. 8, 2016: My play WHAT IT FEELS LIKE TO FEEL HUNGRY was one of eight selected for the 2016 Northwest Festival of Ten-Minute plays. It's been a couple years since I had a play in the show, so that's pretty good news to me!

Jan. 2, 2016: What began as a kind of theatrical comic strip, a series of quirky shorts featuring hard drinking buddies Shrimp & Gritts, has transformed into my first output of 2016. SHRIMP & GRITTS: SHE’S GONE is a full-length comedy that picks up when Gritts’ longtime girlfriend leaves without warning and the two friends are forced to examine life, loss, injury, beached whales, old vendettas, mail order catalogs, blackberries, God complexes, and Ebola, among many other things both mundane and bizarre, in excruciating detail. Check out my two latest 10-minute plays as well: SUBDUCTION and WHAT IT FEELS LIKE TO FEEL HUNGRY.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!