Scratch Words in the Dirt

Colorful World Trading Cards

2008-05-14T20:16:00.002-04:00

ATTEND

2008-05-13T23:47:00.007-04:00

Nosedive Productions presents...

Colorful World

A New Play by James Comtois

The 78th Street Theatre Lab, 236 West 78th St., 2nd Floor
May 8-10, 15-17, 22-24, 29-31
Thursday through Saturday, 8 p.m.

Tickets available at TheatreMania.

Vamps at the New York Comic Con

2008-04-20T23:31:00.004-04:00

I got to go to the New York Comic Con today to help out with the Vampire Cowboys booth. Never been to a real comic book convention before. It was pretty insane... row after row of hardcore geekery. Got some fun photos of the Cowboys and various folks who came in costume.

Colorful World Postcard Art

2008-04-09T16:36:00.005-04:00

Spent the last week or so in epic Photoshop session, pulling together postcard and promotional art for Colorful World. Lost track at about 30 hours... We ended up with two different designs.

The Spectrum design was originally intended for teaser art, but it proved very popular with the company and cast members. I really like the sense of mood and tone in it, and it incorporates the light spectrum metaphor which is at the center of Overman's character. Patrick's face is really haunting...

The Dossier design is much more closely related to the show... Much more "superhero" in concept. It was a hell of a lot of fun to design the little details. We ended up splitting the print run, ordering 2500 of each... first time Nosedive has put two different show cards out.

A Meager Prawn Naps

2008-04-03T11:55:00.002-04:00

Monkeys Write The New York Times

The New York Post Knows To Prey

Village Voice Goal: Evil Vice

The Daily News Wields Nay

Thou Acerbic Gin, Chicago Tribune

The Miami Herald Made Him Rail

Aping Hosts Town, The Washington Post

The Daily Mail Madly I Ail

Coming in May: Colorful World

2008-04-03T09:20:00.006-04:00

Nosedive Productions presents...

A new play by James Comtois

Directed by Pete Boisvert

Featuring
Abe Goldfarb* — Jessi Gotta — Marc Landers
Jason Liebman* — Mac Rogers — Patrick Shearer
Ben VandenBoom — Christopher Yustin

*Denotes member of the Actors Equity Association

The 78th Street Theatre Lab, 236 West 78th St., 2nd Floor
May 8-10, 15-17, 22-24, 29-31
Thursday through Saturday, 8 p.m.

In 1988, the world discovered a man who was indestructible, impervious to pain, and able to destroy a tank with his mind.

In the early- to mid-nineties, a craze where vigilantes dressed up in flashy costumes and fought crime took the nation by storm.

Now it's 2005. The Twin Towers of the World Trade Center are still standing. Hurricane Katrina has decimated New Orleans. The Iraq War is coming to a close. And several former costumed crimefighters realize their marks on the world are more akin to those of has-been rock stars.

This is Colorful World, Nosedive Productions' latest full-length production that takes on the superhero genre. Far from a pulpy comic book-style romp, James Comtois and Pete Boisvert (The Adventures of Nervous-Boy) envision a world radically changed by the arrival of an invincible man, and not necessarily for the better.

Colorful World will be performed at the 78th Street Theatre Lab (236 West 78th St. at Broadway) May 8-10, 15-17, 22-24, 29-31 (Thursday through Saturday). All shows are at 8 p.m. and tickets are $18. Subway: 1 to 79th Street; A to 81st Street; or 1 2 or 3 to 72nd Street. Tickets available at TheatreMania.

Chicken Poop Trebuchet

2008-03-05T14:09:00.004-05:00

Every night Joe Weston-Webb loads chicken droppings into a 30ft catapult and primes a cannon that used to fire his wife with a railway sleeper, all in the name of security... Mr Weston-Webb, 70, has rigged up Britain's biggest anti-burglar device after being targeted by vandalism, break-ins and even an arson attack... The businessman has even put up a sign outside his property reading: "WARNING. These premises are protected by Smart Poo and railway sleeper projectiles."

h/t to Gizmodo

A Hope In Hell

2008-03-03T10:44:00.003-05:00

This really tickled me. Taken from Morpheus' duel with Choronzon in Sandman #4. Ah, the crossroads of politics and comic books... Feels like home.

Dance of the Bullfrogs

2008-02-27T13:18:00.004-05:00

An excellent high-speed video of bullfrogs feeding, created by the Vancouver Aquarium. Really cool stuff.

(h/t Boing Boing)

Eddie Izzard at Union Square Theatre

2008-02-19T13:03:00.007-05:00

Celebrated Shay's birthday by catching Eddie Izzard in concert last night. Hysterical show, funny as hell. Got a bunch of good pics up on Picasa.

Eddie Izzard at Union Square Theatre

Nosedive's Boxcar Social!

2008-02-15T12:57:00.005-05:00

Nosedive's Boxcar Social

at The Vampire Cowboy's Battle Ranch
111 Conselyea Street, #2L, Williamsburg
Saturday, February 16th, 7pm-11pm.
Magic! Comedy! Poetry! Booze!
$5 Cover, $2 beers, and $1 Jello Shots

Sky High

2008-01-26T09:49:00.001-05:00

Sky High ~ New York to San Diego

San Diego Photo Galleries

2007-12-28T03:08:00.000-05:00

Busy couple of days. Spent most of today at the zoo, which was fantastic. The apes and monkeys were awesome (of course). The elephants and meerkats were excellent as well. Unfortuntely no pandas... the baby was asleep, and we passed by the panda exhibit on a tour but didn't see anything through the trees, and didn't feel up to braving the insane lines.

Yesterday was the Museum of Natural History to catch the Dead Sea Scrolls exhibit. It was pretty interesting... they got into a lot of the context of the origins of the Scrolls. The parchment themselves were pretty impressive for tiny eroding scraps of animal skin. No photos though, but they also had a great prehistoric fossil exhibit which I was able to take pictures in. Also got to walk down to the beach in Dan's neighborhood. Four photo galleries below...

San Diego Zoo
Pacific Beach
San Diego Museum of Natural History

[UPDATE] Just added pics of Seals and Pelicans at La Jolla Cove!

La Jolla Cove

Merry Christmas from San Diego!

2007-12-25T22:53:00.000-05:00

Got in to San Diego after a pretty smooth flight on Sunday. Had a brief hang up at JFK when I got to the check in desk and realized that my passport had expired a week or so before. Since my driver's license has been expired for a bit longer than that, I suddenly realized I had no actual valid ID. Fortunately the lady at the check-in desk took pity on me, and I got off with a slap on the wrist and a pat between the legs.

My parents had to stay over in Cincinnati Sunday night due to weather delays in Manchester, but they got in safe Monday morning. We've mostly been hanging around my brother's house enjoying the Boisvert Family Traditions of gluttony and sloth. Caught Charlie Wilson's War this afternoon, which was pretty good, especially Phillip Seymour Hoffman who was excellent, as always. Going to check out the Dead sea Scrolls tomorrow, and probably do the zoo later in the weekend.

California is beautiful... it's been 60-70 degrees during the day, and there isn't a cloud in the sky. Got to go for a walk this afternoon and shoot a few pics around Dan's neighborhood.

Christmas in Cali

Best of holiday wishes to all of you... have a merry Christmas, and safe travels until I see you again.

Aaron Riccio's Carol review

2007-12-17T15:36:00.000-05:00

Aaron Riccio reviewed Carol, and had some very positive things to say! Here's a short excerpt:

"A Very Nosedive Christmas Carol is to the original as Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead is to Hamlet... Once again Nosedive strikes to the heart of what audiences really want this holiday season: laughs and eggnog.

As is typical of Nosedive productions, very little is taken seriously, and this play -- which we've all seen a million times before -- is the better off for it. The ghosts (like Scrooge) still learn a valuable lesson about Christmas cheer, but this time they do so in the midst of baby-chucking antics, caroling monkey puppets (and a sock-puppet Tiny Tim), and the most eccentric Cratchit family you've ever seen."

That Sounds Cool: A Very Nosedive Christmas Carol review

Carol ~ Production Photos

2007-12-15T20:02:00.000-05:00

Carol ~ Production Photos

Three chances left to catch Carol!

2007-12-13T12:43:00.000-05:00

Nosedive Productions presents

A Very Nosedive Christmas Carol

A play adapted from Charles Dickens’ story by James Comtois
Directed by Pete Boisvert

Featuring
Rebecca Comtois ~ Stephanie Cox-Williams ~ Jessi Gotta
Matt Johnston ~ Marc Landers ~ Marsha Martinez
Patrick Shearer ~ Brian Silliman ~ Ben Trawick-Smith
Ben VandenBoom ~ Scott Lee Williams

The Horse Trade Red Room, 85 East 4th Street
December 6-8, 13-15, Thursday through Saturday, 11 p.m.
Tickets are $18 for adults, $12 for children. 6 train to Astor Place; L train to 1st Avenue; or F, V train to 2nd Avenue Stations. For tickets call 212-352-3101 or go here.

Blood Bros: Something Up His Sleeve

2007-12-13T12:08:00.000-05:00

The third PULP video.

Something Up His Sleeve
Conceived by the Blood Brothers
Directed by Patrick Shearer
Featuring Anna Kull and Brian Silliman
Shot and Edited by Ben VandenBoom

You've Got To Know Your Chicken

2007-12-10T00:32:00.001-05:00

As Frank Perdue said, "It takes a tough man to make a tender chicken." Hapy birthday, Mr. Yustin.

Carol is Open!

2007-12-07T15:43:00.000-05:00

A Very Nosedive Christmas Carol opened last night at the Red Room. The show is in great shape... felt very tight last night. Unfortunately the audience was a bit thin, but we hope to rectify that over the next couple of shows. If you haven't bought your tickets yet, get em soon! Our house is tiny, sot he odds of selling out on the last couple shows is pretty high.

Here's some pics the post-show celebrating last night... enjoy!

Carol ~ Opening Weekend

**************************

Nosedive Productions Presents

A Very Nosedive Christmas Carol

A play adapted from Charles Dickens' story by James Comtois
Directed by Pete Boisvert

featuring
Rebecca Comtois ~ Stephanie Cox-Williams ~ Jessi Gotta

Matt Johnston ~ Marc Landers ~ Marsha Martinez

Patrick Shearer ~ Brian Silliman ~ Ben Trawick-Smith

Ben VandenBoom ~ Scott Lee Williams

The Horse Trade Red Room, 85 East 4th Street
December 6-8, 13-15, Thursday through Saturday, 11 p.m.

A Very Nosedive Christmas Carol will be performed at the Horse Trade Red Room, (85 East 4th Street at 2nd Ave.) December 6-8 & 13-15 (Thursday through Saturday). All shows are at 11 p.m., tickets are $18 for adults, $12 for children. 6 train to Astor Place; L train to 1st Avenue; or F, V train to 2nd Avenue Stations. For tickets call 212-352-3101 or visit TheaterMania.com .

A Sneak Peek at Carol

2007-12-05T10:13:00.001-05:00

For those of you who can't hold out 36 hours to get a look at Christmas Carol...

Buy your tickets soon! It's a small house, and it's gonna fill up fast.

Three Photo Galleries

2007-12-03T10:08:00.000-05:00

Pinkie ~ Episode 3
A Christmas Carol ~ Tech
Prospect Park

Spent 9 hours in a very small light booth yesterday. Easiest tech we've had in years though...

A Very Nosedive Christmas Carol

2007-11-26T16:53:00.000-05:00

Nosedive Productions Presents

A Very Nosedive

Christmas Carol

A play adapted from Charles Dickens’ story by James Comtois

Directed by Pete Boisvert

The Horse Trade Red Room, 85 East 4th Street

December 6-8, 13-15, Thursday through Saturday, 11 p.m.

The Holiday Classic. Revamped for Cynics.

"An outstanding production, as measured on the Laugh Till You Cry index. Definitely worth a 10."
~ OOBR.com

"Patrick Shearer's portrayal of Scrooge is truly the best performance I have seen on off-off Broadway all year."
~ OffoffOnline.com

Due to both popular demand and the exorbitant amount of fun the company had staging it in years past, Nosedive Productions is re-helming their version of A Christmas Carol at a new venue and a new time.

Writer James Comtois and director Pete Boisvert's version of the Dickensian classic opens on the ghost of Jacob Marley lamenting his fate at having to teach Scrooge the same lesson, year after year, and of having to tell the same story to audiences year after year. The spirits haunting Scrooge have done this countless times, every Christmas, over and over again — and they’re tired. So, the ghosts may be a little late this year. Hey, they have auditions to go to.

A Very Nosedive Christmas Carol will be performed at the Horse Trade Red Room, (85 East 4th Street at 2nd Ave.) December 6-8 & 13-15 (Thursday through Saturday). All shows are at 11 p.m., tickets are $18 for adults, $12 for children. 6 train to Astor Place; L train to 1st Avenue; or F, V train to 2nd Avenue Stations. For tickets call 212-352-3101 or visit TheaterMania.com.

Blood Bros: Metaphor

2007-11-16T12:39:00.000-05:00

The opening vignette from PULP, featuring myself, Patrick Shearer and Rebecca Comtois. Written by James Comtois, directed by Rebecca Comtois and shot and edited by Ben VandenBoom.

Blood Bros: What Color is the Sun?

2007-11-15T11:11:00.000-05:00

I'm really proud of how this piece came out... one of my favorite moments from this year's Blood Brothers show, and Ben has done a fantastic job of editing it together for the web.

Featuring Anna Kull and Gyda Arber. Conceived by the Blood Brothers, directed by myself and shot and edited by Ben VandenBoom.

Enjoy!