We Interrupt This Series...

...of nostalgia-encrusted self-help posts to bring you the final episode of Entrenched, which played at the Saturday Night Saloon.

Entrenched: Episode 5 from Pete Boisvert on Vimeo.

Written by Yours Truly
Directed by Patrick Shearer

Featuring
Peter Brown - Rebecca Comtois - Bryan Enk - Mac Rogers
Antonia Stark - Ben VandenBoom - Christopher Yustin

Video by Marc Landers

The entire five-part series can be seen here. Regular posting on self-producing will resume next week. Until then, have a good weekend, folks.

That shitty teacher you had
(and hated) in the seventh grade,

James "Edutainer" Comtois

The Final Episode of The Saturday Night Saloon This Saturday

I really almost can't believe that the final Saturday Night Saloon of the third season is upon us, going up this Saturday at the Vampire Cowboys Battle Ranch, featuring six awesome pieces of episodic theatre, including the final episode of Entrenched.

Nosedive Productions

in association with

The Vampire Cowboys Theatre Company

presents

Entrenched

A five-part WWI/Time Travel serial play by James Comtois

Two men fight in the trenches.

One has died twice.

The other has a plan to save him.

Directed by Patrick Shearer

As part of the Vampire Cowboys' Saturday Night Saloon.



Also featuring

LET'S NINJA SCIENCE RANGER TEAM GET!
by Dustin Chinn
(Member of the Ma-Yi Writers Lab)
directed by Kel Haney

MOTHER SACRAMENTO
by Mac Rogers
(Universal Robots; Viral; Hail Satan)
directed by Jordana Williams

HACK
by Crystal Skillman
(The Telling Trilogy; 4 Edges; Birthday)
directed by John Hurley

JACK O'HANRAHAN AND THE TROUBULATION OF DOOM
by Brent Cox
(The Dog & Pony Show)
directed by Padraic Lillis and Courtney Wetzel

LADY CRYPTOZOOLOGIST: SEASON 2
written & directed by Jeff Lewonczyk
(Babylon, Babylon; Macbeth without Words)

Saturday, January 9
at 8 p.m. at the Battle Ranch
405 Johnson Avenue, Brooklyn

ADMISSION IS FREE!

Episode Four of Entrenched

Entrenched: Episode 4 from Pete Boisvert on Vimeo.

Written by James Comtois

Directed by Pete Boisvert

Featuring
Peter Brown - Rebecca Comtois - Bryan Enk
Mac Rogers - Ben VandenBoom - Merlyn Wolf

Video by Pete Boisvert

Check out all three videos thus far for the series here.

The Penultimate Saloon Tonight!

Well, gang. The fourth Saturday Night Saloon of the third season is upon us, going up tonight at the Vampire Cowboys Battle Ranch, featuring six awesome pieces of episodic theatre, including the penultimate episode of Entrenched.

Nosedive Productions

in association with

The Vampire Cowboys Theatre Company

presents

Entrenched

A five-part WWI/Time Travel serial play by James Comtois

Two men fight in the trenches.

One has died twice.

The other is being held in a POW camp in 2009.

Directed by Pete Boisvert

Featuring
Peter Brown - Rebecca Comtois - Bryan Enk
Mac Rogers - Ben VandenBoom - Merlyn Wolf

As part of the Vampire Cowboys' Saturday Night Saloon.



Also featuring

LET'S NINJA SCIENCE RANGER TEAM GET!
by Dustin Chinn
(Member of the Ma-Yi Writers Lab)
directed by Qui Nguyen

MOTHER SACRAMENTO
by Mac Rogers
(Universal Robots; Viral; Hail Satan)
directed by Jordana Williams

HACK
by Crystal Skillman
(The Telling Trilogy; 4 Edges; Birthday)
directed by John Hurley

JACK O'HANRAHAN AND THE TROUBULATION OF DOOM
by Brent Cox
(The Dog & Pony Show)
directed by Padraic Lillis and Courtney Wetzel

LADY CRYPTOZOOLOGIST: SEASON 2
written & directed by Jeff Lewonczyk
(Babylon, Babylon; Macbeth without Words)

Saturday, December 12
at 8 p.m. at the Battle Ranch
405 Johnson Avenue, Brooklyn

ADMISSION IS FREE!

Episode Three of Entrenched

Entrenched: Episode 3 from Pete Boisvert on Vimeo.

Written by James Comtois

Directed by Matt Gray

Featuring
Rebecca Comtois - Bryan Enk - Peter Ross Parker
Ben VandenBoom - Merlyn Wolf - Christopher Yustin

Video by Pete Boisvert

Check out all three videos thus far for the series here.

This Saturday: Episode Three of Entrenched

Nosedive Productions

in association with

The Vampire Cowboys Theatre Company

presents

Entrenched

A five-part WWI/Time Travel serial play by James Comtois

Two men fight in the trenches.

One died yesterday.

The other won’t be born for another 55 years.

Directed by Matt Gray

Featuring
Rebecca Comtois - Bryan Enk - Peter Ross Parker
Ben VandenBoom - Merlyn Wolf - Christopher Yustin

As part of the Vampire Cowboys' Saturday Night Saloon.



Also featuring

LET'S NINJA SCIENCE RANGER TEAM GET!
by Dustin Chinn
(Member of the Ma-Yi Writers Lab)
directed by Qui Nguyen

MOTHER SACRAMENTO
by Mac Rogers
(Universal Robots; Viral; Hail Satan)
directed by Jordana Williams

HACK
by Crystal Skillman
(The Telling Trilogy; 4 Edges; Birthday)
directed by John Hurley

JACK O'HANRAHAN AND THE TROUBULATION OF DOOM
by Brent Cox
(The Dog & Pony Show)
directed by Padraic Lillis and Courtney Wetzel

LADY CRYPTOZOOLOGIST: SEASON 2
written & directed by Jeff Lewonczyk
(Babylon, Babylon; Macbeth without Words)

Saturday, November 14
at 8 p.m. at the Battle Ranch
405 Johnson Avenue, Brooklyn

ADMISSION IS FREE!

New Saloon On Its Way

We're now amidst rehearsals for the third episode of our World War I/time travel serial, Entrenched, for the impending Saturday Night Saloon. Penny Dreadful co-creator Matt Gray is helming this episode and, along with the cast, is bringing the awesome sauce and doing a damn fine job. I'm super excited to be showing this to folks.

Speaking of the Saloon, it looks as though I'll be in Piper McKenzie's serial, Lady Cryptozoologist, filling in for series regulars, Roger Nasser and Aaron Baker, respectively. So even more reason to check out this Saturday's Saloon.

(Like you didn't already have many, many reasons to check it out already.)

And I've mentioned before this night is free, right?

Oh, wait. it says so right on the flyer. Duh.

Scramblin' through time,

James "Time Waster Traveler" Comtois

Episode Two of Entrenched

After the awesomeness that was the Saturday Night Saloon, I spent the bulk of the three-day weekend working on Episode 4 of Entrenched, which means I was unable to write-up the next horror film entry on my list.

Although I may be able to finish and post it later today, since I actually have real day job work to do, it's more likely the next horror entry will be posted tomorrow or Wednesday.

With the rough of the penultimate episode written and sent off to the cast & crew, I realize that this may be the one serial I've written for the Saloon that would most benefit from being rewritten as a full-length. While writing the fourth episode, there was more than one occasion when I'd think that five 10-15 minute episodes aren't nearly enough. I'm finding myself truncating a lot to convey the story coherently in five short episodes, cutting huge chunks of dialogue and streamlining many subplots I no longer have any time/room for.

Perhaps after I finish revisions to The Little One and write the final episode for the serial of Entrenched, I'll go back and rework the story as a 120-minute full-length script. It would most likely be a completely different structure and format, not just connecting the five episodes as one long piece.

Though, in the meantime, here's the video for the second episode of Entrenched for your viewing pleasure:

Entrenched: Epsiode 2 from Pete Boisvert on Vimeo.

Entrenched: Episode Two
By James Comtois
Directed by Adam Swiderski

Featuring Peter Brown, Bryan Enk & Ben VandenBoom

Video by Pete Boisvert

I'll get that horror film entry posted for you soon, folks. Until then, enjoy the video, and buy your tickets for Blood Brothers.

Scrambling to write that next horror film entry,

James "Tawdry Tard" Comtois

Tonight! Episode 2!

Nosedive Productions

in association with

The Vampire Cowboys Theatre Company

presents

Entrenched

A five-part WWI/Time Travel serial play by James Comtois

Two men fight in the trenches.

One died yesterday.

The other won’t be born for another 55 years.

Directed by Adam Swiderski

Featuring
Peter Brown - Bryan Enk - Ben VandenBoom

As part of the Vampire Cowboys' Saturday Night Saloon.



Also featuring

LET'S NINJA SCIENCE RANGER TEAM GET!
by Dustin Chinn
(Member of the Ma-Yi Writers Lab)
directed by Jeff Whitted
(Co-Artistic Director of Youngblood)

MOTHER SACRAMENTO
by Mac Rogers
(Universal Robots; Viral; Hail Satan)
directed by Jordana Williams
(Member of Gideon Productions)

HACK
by Crystal Skillman
(The Telling Trilogy; 4 Edges; Birthday)
directed by John Hurley
(Artistic Director of Impeteous Theatre Group)

JACK O'HANRAHAN AND THE TROUBULATION OF DOOM
by Brent Cox
(The Dog & Pony Show)
directed by Padraic Lillis
(Member of LAByrinth Theater Company)

LADY CRYPTOZOOLOGIST: SEASON 2
written & directed by Jeff Lewonczyk
(Babylon, Babylon; Macbeth without Words)

Saturday, October 10
at 8 p.m. at the Battle Ranch
405 Johnson Avenue, Brooklyn

ADMISSION IS FREE!

Shitty Trains, Time Traveling Soldiers, Bargain-Priced Severed Heads

Despite the L train apparently planning on being fucked up this weekend (seriously, L Train, once again, go fuck yourself), I'm all pumped up for the next installment of the Saturday Night Saloon tomorrow at the Battle Ranch.

So, for those of you who can brave the shuttle buses, come out tomorrow night to check out the second episode of six new serial plays, including Nosedive's contribution, Entrenched, written by Yours Truly, directed by Adam Swiderski, and starring Peter Brown, Bryan Enk and Ben VandenBoom.

If you can't make it to the Saloon this weekend, fear not. As with the previous episode, we plan to tape and post the performance.

In other self-promotional news, according to reports, rehearsals for The Blood Brothers Present...The New Guignol are going well. I hope to see a full run of the shows on Wednesday of next week to see for myself.

In what may be one of the most awesomest business discussions ever, the folks at Nosedive Central were engaged in an email discussion thread yesterday comparing and contrasting the quality and costs of different fake severed heads. Yes, this was serious business we had to attend to.

I gotta say, there are times when I really do love this gig.

Incidentally, tickets for The Blood Brothers Present... are starting to sell rather nicely, so although it's still a few weeks out, it may be a good idea to buy your tickets sooner rather than later.

And since I completely forgot we have a three-day weekend coming up, I'll be posting my next horror film entry on Tuesday instead of Monday.

And that's what I've got going on at my end. Have a great three-day weekend, folks. If I don't see you at the Ranch on Saturday, I'll catch you after you've had a chance to find your pants and clean the weekend off yourself.

Looking forward to having the
weekend spray its love on my face,

James "Dignity Personified" Comtois

Getting Entrenched in Rehearsals (See What I Did There?)

That's right. The Shameless Self-Promotion Train Stops for no one. All a-fucking-board.

We're underway with rehearsals for the second episode of Entrenched for the Saloon this Saturday, and I for one am quite pleased with how it's shaping up.

Mr. Adam Swiderski has taken over the directorial reigns for this episode and I must say, he is doing an absolutely smashing job with it. He has a really cool vision for this part of the series that complements the script quite well and has a great feel for the tone and style. I'm really glad he's on board.

The cast, which includes Ben VandenBoom, Bryan Enk and Peter Brown (whom you may remember played Joseph Pulitzer in Mr. Enk and Matt Gray's seminal Penny Dreadful series), is also bringing some top shelf awesome sauce. I'm definitely looking forward to showing this to people.

The previous episode was our pilot episode, which more or less introduces the main characters and the series' premise, but not much more. This is the episode where we get a little more information about time travel works in this world, so I'm curious to see how it plays out. It's not quite the Back to the Future or Dr. Who line of thought with time travel, nor is it the "many worlds" philosophy or even the "singular timeline" theory of time travel.

It's...its own thing. You'll see.

Entrenched goes up this Saturday along with five other rocktacular serial plays by five other chestelicious writers at the Vampire Cowboys' Battle Ranch, starting at 8 p.m.

Admission is, of course, free, but, hey. If you wanna give 'em five bucks to drink all night, I don't think I or anyone else is a-gonna stop you.

Not telling you how to live your life,

James "Come to the Saloon This Saturday or Die*" Comtois

*Yes, that's a nickname. Just like chestelicious is a real word. What do you know? That's right: not a goddamn thing. Shut up.

Episode One of Entrenched

Well, folks. For those interested in coming to the next Saloon on October 10 and either missed the first episode or need a refresher, here's the video for the first episode of Entrenched:

Entrenched: Episode 1 @ Yahoo! Video

Entrenched: Episode One
By James Comtois
Directed by Patrick Shearer

Featuring Bryan Enk & Ben VandenBoom

Video by Pete Boisvert

Turning the Battle Ranch into a DeLorean,

James "Heavy" Comtois

How This Week Seems To Be Shaping Up

Our first reading of the scripts for The Blood Brothers Present...The New Guignol went quite well last night, with many people in the room making audible noises of unease and disgust. The cast and crew definitely have their work cut out for them with this lineup of shows by Mr. Danny Bowes, Mr. Mac Rogers and Yours Truly. It's definitely going to be an evening chock-full of gore, nudie-time, viscera and overall stomach-turning horror. I can't wait.

I've selected the horror films that I plan to write about during October, and have put them all on the top of my Netflix queue for re-watching. I've seen the movies on the list (which I won't yet divulge) a number of times, but it's always good to sneak in another viewing with fresh eyes before publicly nattering on about them for 1,000 words or so. Plus, it's October, and I like watching horror films, so, 'tis the season, and all that noise.

This upcoming weekend, while the rest of the gang rehearses for the new Blood Brothers show, a smaller yet no less intrepid band of theatricians (that's a real word, right?) begins rehearsals for Episode Two of Entrenched for the Saturday Night Saloon.

And that seems to be how this week is shaping up for me. I'll offer more blatherings later.

Tearing Tommy Wiseau apart,

James "Lisa" Comtois

Bailin' You Out and Pumpin' You Up

Hey, gang. I hope the weekend treated you well and that your friends managed to bail you out of the Drunk Tank in time for you to show up to work.

Ah, Mondays.

Tonight is our first reading of the scripts for The Blood Brothers Present…The New Guignol with the entire cast, which I'm pretty pumped up to hear. I think we got a damn fine lineup of scripts, actors and directors for this round of scawynes, and am excited to get this party started.

Before then, we've still got this in store for everyone in a couple of weeks.

Watching the first series of episodes was such fun, I have a sneaking suspicion this next batch will also be pretty righteous. We've got the delightful and multi-talented Mr. Adam Swiderski helming the second episode of Entrenched, which further chronicles the trials and tribulations of Private Paul Bryan and Private Edward Benjamin (played by Bryan Enk and Ben VandenBoom, respectively) as they try to escape the war-torn trenches of France.

In addition, before we get to either The Saturday Night Saloon and the next Blood Brothers show, as has often been the case with gearing up for the annual horror anthology (though let's face it, I've been doing them whenever I damn well please), in October, I’ll be writing a few more entries on horror films that I find noteworthy.

Until then, enjoy your Monday, and try to clean the dried hooker vomit off the corner of your mouth. Your boss may start to suspect something's up.

Footloose and pants-free,

James "Easy-Breezy" Comtois

Friday Roundup

Well, as Nathan Rabin once famously wrote, enough foolishness. Onto more foolishness. We had our third and final proper rehearsal (not counting tomorrow's 30 minute tech) for episode one of Entrenched, Nosedive's entry in Vampire Cowboys' Saturday Night Saloon last night and I'm now pretty pumped for people to see this, and am also primed to see the other serials tomorrow. I'm confident in writing that it's going to be a pretty kick-ass evening. You should go.

Having said that, I am sorry to be missing the first bill of one-minute plays from the 3rd Annual One-Minute Play Festival tomorrow, especially since it features the lovely statuesque blonde of my dreams, Miss Gyda Arber directing one of my pieces for the first time ("The Two Matts"). Lemme know how it goes, Gigi!

The Saturday bill features uber-short plays from Ashlin Halfnight, Emily Conbere, Bixby Elliot, John Devore, Michael John Garces, Jakob Holder, Jessica Litwak, Matt Olmos, Saviana Stanescu, Kyle Jarrow, Ken Urban, David Zellnik, Lanna Joffrey, Megan Mostyn-Brown, Liz Meriwether, Mat Smart, Mac Rogers, Andrea Thome, Matt Freeman, James Comtois (that's me, that's me!), Anton Dudley, Christine Evans, Robert Kerr, Callie Kimball, Sam Forman, Rajiv Joseph, Padraic Lillis, Trav SD and others.

There's also a Sunday lineup, featuring such authors as Callie Kimball, Clay Mcleod Chapman, Dave Anzuelo, Bixby Elliot, Kris Diaz, Christine Evans, Jeff Lewonczyk, J Julian Christopher, Courtney Brook Lauria, Adam Szymkowicz, Migdalia Cruz, Chiori Miyagawa, Ian Cohen, more Anton Dudley, Michael John Garces, Matt Olmos, Saviana Stanescu, Crystal Skillman, Liz Meriwether, more Matt Freeman, Matt Schatz, Caridad Svich, August Schulenburg, Chris Harcum, Daniel Talbott and more Trav SD.

So yes. A whole slew of super-short plays will be playing at the HERE Arts Center this Sautrday and Sunday. This shit will sell out. So get your tickets here.

Tonight, I'll be seeing The Brokenhearteds. They opened last night, and Pete said it went quite well. I'm definitely looking forward to it. You can hear the cast and crew talk about it with Martin Denton in a new nytheatrecast. Listen to it, then buy your tickets.

This of course means that my weekend is pretty all filled up, so unfortunately, I'll have to wait until next week to see this, which I hear also had a successful opening last night. But hey. You can't use my excuse, because, well, you're obviously not me. So if you're free this weekend, see one of these shows.

So that's what seems to be going on from my end, folks. You should do well checking out one or more of these things if you're in the New York area.

Have a good weekend folks. Hope to see many of you soon.

Going back to 1917,

James "Anachronizer" Comtois

Things You Can Do To Feel Happy (A Truly Shameless Post)

Feeling down? Of course you are. Look at yourself and the world around you. There's not a lot out there to be chipper about.

Well, that's not entirely true. As shitty as this world and your life has become, there are two things you can do to turn that suicidal depression into one big gooey sack of happy.

The first thing you can do is donate to my theatre company, Nosedive Productions. Our next show is an anthology of horror plays. Those blood effects and simulated viscera don't pay for themselves, you know. Plus, as I've been nattering about at length on this site, the next full-length play will be about vampires. That's not exactly a subject you can convey effectively on the cheap, either.

So donate. It doesn't even have to be that much. Seriously, we here at Nosedive Central are cheap (and frankly, easy) dates. And we will love you.

The second thing you can do is go to the Saturday Night Saloon at the Battle Ranch this Saturday, see the pilot episodes of six rocktacular serial plays (including one by Yours Truly) for free, and drink very cheaply.

So. To recap. Donate to Nosedive. Go to the Saloon. Forget about the shit sandwich that is existence for a short period of time.

Seriously, I should get a medal or some shit.

Curing depression without prescribing pills,

James "Dishonorary Doctor Feelgood" Comtois

Episode One of Entrenched This Saturday!

Nosedive Productions

in association with

The Vampire Cowboys Theatre Company

presents

Entrenched

A five-part WWI/Time Travel serial play by James Comtois

Two men fight in the trenches.

One died earlier that day.

The other won’t be born for another 55 years.

Directed by Patrick Shearer

Featuring
Bryan Enk & Ben VandenBoom

As part of the Vampire Cowboys' Saturday Night Saloon.

Saturday, September 12
at 8 p.m. at the Battle Ranch
405 Johnson Avenue, Brooklyn