“Having your written work and sense of humor compared by a UK critic to that of SEX AND THE CITY is no minor
compliment.” John A. Penzotti, regarding FIVE BLUE HAIRED LADIES SITTING ON A GREEN PARK BENCH*
FIVE MINUTES (AND 25 YEARS) ‘TIL CURTAIN
Shortly after my motor skills kicked in, and once old enough to put them to mischievous use, my clever mother put Punch and Judy
puppets on my hands to occupy my fevered little mind and keep me from my weekly disassembling of the telephone, the toaster or the
turntable. But throughout my upbringing my parents fostered my creativity. My father went out and bought this major puppet theatre
when I was five. I started out with one show a week. My mother was my creative consultant. She helped with sets and costumes. Once
she actually cut up her olive colored mohair sweater to make a crocodile puppet. You had to love her... Putting my passion before her
fashion.
I think it was fate when my teacher brought my fifth grade class to see a marionette show of the nativity one Christmas. I finally knew
what was missing, or amiss. I was beneath the puppets controlling them, not above them… like the Pope, or Evita. For the next several
years I cultivated an entire army of marionettes; horses, caterpillars, Hansels, Gretels and dragons, oh my!
By eighth grade my attention turned from puppet theaters to high school productions of Oklahoma and The Boyfriend. I was never in
them, but was in awe of the banter in between the tunes. Fast forward to 1998. I had written my first screenplay. A horror story, in
more ways than one. I scared the life out of, and offended the Head of Development at IMAGINE ENTERTAINMENT. But, she told me
that she read it twice. A good sign, even if it was a false start.
But it was enough to turn me off to script wrting… temporarily. And, serendipitously, I turned to stage plays if only to focus more on
things within characters and not all the visual aspects going on around them that a film script demands. All I had to worry about was that
little black box and what was happening inside it. I kept it simple. It was even suggested that I write a one-act so as not to marry myself
to one hundred or so pages of dialogue. I love the stage-plays of Neil Simon, the quick hit-and-run sketch comedy of Monty Python and
the hilarity and timing of female comdiens from LUCILE BALL to ROSALIND RUSSELL to BETTE MIDLER. So, with only two park
benches and a tree onstage, I placed five women of various qualities on set, opened my mind, my laptop and began. It worked! That year
FIVE BLUE HAIRED LADIES SITTING ON A GREEN PARK BENCH made a splash at the SAMUEL FRENCH ONE-ACT FESTIVAL
in New York City. It was so well received that I set out to explore their lives in more depth over the next year and in less than two years,
Eva, Anna, Gladys, Rose and Lala met with theatrical producers MICHAEL ROSE and CHRIS MORENO and it premiered at THEATER
ROYAL in LINCOLN, starring, LYNDA BARON, ANNE CHARLESTON, JEAN FERGUSSON, MIGUEL BROWN AND JENNIFER
WILSON. It must have been a record. Mom may not have made the costumes for this one, but I think she pulled some strings with St.
Francis to get me there. The play’s successful sold-out week spurned two UK tours which also starred MONTY PYTHON star CAROL
CLEVELAND, SHIRLEY ANNE FIELD and RUTH MADOC. This was followed by publication by JOSEF WEINBERGER, LONDON. I
traveled to some of the larger and smaller cities, curious for the reactions. Since I was the playwright and didn't have my photo in the
program, no one knew who I was. I’d walk through the crowd at intermission, cigarette in my hand, and listen. The buzz was amazing,
affirming and uplifting. But man cannot live on cigarettes, smiles, laughter and tears alone.
Although I would really miss the safety of my cubicle at Saks Fifth Avenue and my VP, who has since passed, Mr. Grosman, we both
knew that a single path on the crossroads needed to be chosen. His heart was bigger than Paris Hilton's weekly allowance. And he wasn’t
just a boss; he was a friend and ‘patron’ of hearts. If I was buried in the weeds he’d show up at my desk with the other half of his
turkey sandwich in hand. I'd look up and get the, “You have to eat” look. Then he'd smile and say something like, “You're starting to
resemble a Gucci model, and a runway one at that.” He'd squint, smile again, and set a sandwich on my desk. Never a fuss or a feeling of
less than vibe ever showed up. There wasn't one. He's in one of my current scripts. Note: If you’re unforgettable, or influence me, you’ll
show up on-stage one day, but I’ll never say who you are. It’s about what you did. And if half a turkey sandwich falls from the sky and
hits my head opening night of BEFORE BIRDS CAN FLY, I’ll know he approves.
I always keep busy. When I’m not writing, I’m doing something visual. My interest in graphic design was discovered when I designed
the flyer for FIVE BLUE HAIRED LADIES SITTING ON A GREEN PARK BENCH in Photoshop. I used to design sets and costumes
for a living and worked with SOAP OPERA UPDATE, SOAP OPERA DIGEST, SOAP OPERA WEEKLY and the networks producing
photo shoots with daytime soap opera actors as my stars. That was then… this is now.
Now, I can’t stop soaking everything up. If I’m not hearing dialogue in my head, I'm once again seeing the visual aspects that enhance
comedy and drama. It even makes watching TV a really focused activity. If I'm watching DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES, my eyes are
busy looking at furniture on Brie’s front porch to a point where I‘ll miss the point of the scene and end up re-watching it online. Or I’ll
hear a line of conversation and it will spin off into an entire synopsis for a play. Recently, while watching THE LION KING I heard the
line, “Look Simba, the pride land reaches as far as everything the light touches.” That spurred the title, EVERYTHING THE LIGHT
TOUCHES… What’s it about? I’m not sure yet, but trust me, it’ll come. For now it’s tucked away in the “Idea File”
OUT OF THE IDEA FILE AND ONTO THE PAGE
The structure that I use for the emotional and sometimes physical aspects of my plays is what I term ‘lifeboat situations.' In FIVE BLUE
HAIRED LADIES SITTING ON A GREEN PARK BENCH the women cling to each other for strength, levity and also from fear of being
left behind by society and found by the Grim reaper. In ELBOWS OFF THE TABLE, society is the vessel. Gloria, Ruth and Estelle are all
trying to achieve the ultimate in society; status at Brooklane country Club. Their lifeboat is a dining room table. CLARITY IN A
COALMINE throws a wild Canary and a stodgy Bullfinch into a sweet old ladies cage and the two try to redefine each other's definition
of freedom and happiness. One of my favorite new titles is ANDY WARHOL HATES ME. I toss together a recently widowed Jewish
woman from the Upper East Side with four gay male strippers from Forty Second Street. It's funny, almost slapstick at times, but at
times it's touching and sad. When I’m writing I can see the character's in my head. Sometimes they're famous people, and sometimes
they are just figments. I can really only imagine what all of these people look and sound like until they're cast. But I always see Bette
Midler as the star of ANDY WARHOL HATES ME or FIVE BLUE HAIRED LADIES SITTING ON A GREEN PARK BENCH: Hugh
Grant as the canary in CLARITY IN A COALMINE: Kevin Spacey as Alan in BEFORE BIRDS CAN FLY… Hey, if you don’t dream it,
how is it supposed to come true?
DANCING WITH THE STARS!
I’ve danced on the same floor with ALL MY CHILDREN’S SUSAN LUCCI at Tavern on the Green; escorted CELESTE HOLMES down
West 44th street arm in arm while hearing firsthand stories from the making of ALL ABOUT EVE; interviewed GENERAL HOSPITAL's
famed ANNA LEE from WHATEVER HAPPENED TO BABY JANE, lit cigarettes for some of Broadway's brightest while standing
outside of SARDIS feels about the idea of working in entertainment. Magical, mystical and one big OMG at times. I once snuck into the
Brown Derby at DISNEY clad in my tuxedo just to stand next to the table where GEFFEN, KATZENBERG and MIDLER were having
dinner. (She had the Waldorf Salad.) But even before this all became a part of the ride, the two years played out as UGLY BETTY to the
responsible, fabulously generous VP version of Daniel Meade for Saks Fifth Avenue American Couture was filled with creativity and star
power of another kind. Thanks to Alan Grosman I was personally introduced by name to Fashion Icons CAROLINA HERRERA, and
OSCAR DE LA RENTA (whom I idolized ever since I was old enough to reach the foot pedal of my mother's Singer). A close second
was watching RU PAUL strut the runway at the BETSY JOHNSON show. And since then, the mantra, “You better WORK!” has never
left my head.
*Since its publishing in 2003, thousands of regional performances of FIVE BLUE HAIRED LADIES SITTING ON A GREEN PARK
BENCH have played theaters, town halls, parish halls and dramatic societies from England, to Scotland, to Zurich to Costa del Sol and
beyond each year! Get your copy at http://www.josefweinberger.co.uk/
compliment.” John A. Penzotti, regarding FIVE BLUE HAIRED LADIES SITTING ON A GREEN PARK BENCH*
FIVE MINUTES (AND 25 YEARS) ‘TIL CURTAIN
Shortly after my motor skills kicked in, and once old enough to put them to mischievous use, my clever mother put Punch and Judy
puppets on my hands to occupy my fevered little mind and keep me from my weekly disassembling of the telephone, the toaster or the
turntable. But throughout my upbringing my parents fostered my creativity. My father went out and bought this major puppet theatre
when I was five. I started out with one show a week. My mother was my creative consultant. She helped with sets and costumes. Once
she actually cut up her olive colored mohair sweater to make a crocodile puppet. You had to love her... Putting my passion before her
fashion.
I think it was fate when my teacher brought my fifth grade class to see a marionette show of the nativity one Christmas. I finally knew
what was missing, or amiss. I was beneath the puppets controlling them, not above them… like the Pope, or Evita. For the next several
years I cultivated an entire army of marionettes; horses, caterpillars, Hansels, Gretels and dragons, oh my!
By eighth grade my attention turned from puppet theaters to high school productions of Oklahoma and The Boyfriend. I was never in
them, but was in awe of the banter in between the tunes. Fast forward to 1998. I had written my first screenplay. A horror story, in
more ways than one. I scared the life out of, and offended the Head of Development at IMAGINE ENTERTAINMENT. But, she told me
that she read it twice. A good sign, even if it was a false start.
But it was enough to turn me off to script wrting… temporarily. And, serendipitously, I turned to stage plays if only to focus more on
things within characters and not all the visual aspects going on around them that a film script demands. All I had to worry about was that
little black box and what was happening inside it. I kept it simple. It was even suggested that I write a one-act so as not to marry myself
to one hundred or so pages of dialogue. I love the stage-plays of Neil Simon, the quick hit-and-run sketch comedy of Monty Python and
the hilarity and timing of female comdiens from LUCILE BALL to ROSALIND RUSSELL to BETTE MIDLER. So, with only two park
benches and a tree onstage, I placed five women of various qualities on set, opened my mind, my laptop and began. It worked! That year
FIVE BLUE HAIRED LADIES SITTING ON A GREEN PARK BENCH made a splash at the SAMUEL FRENCH ONE-ACT FESTIVAL
in New York City. It was so well received that I set out to explore their lives in more depth over the next year and in less than two years,
Eva, Anna, Gladys, Rose and Lala met with theatrical producers MICHAEL ROSE and CHRIS MORENO and it premiered at THEATER
ROYAL in LINCOLN, starring, LYNDA BARON, ANNE CHARLESTON, JEAN FERGUSSON, MIGUEL BROWN AND JENNIFER
WILSON. It must have been a record. Mom may not have made the costumes for this one, but I think she pulled some strings with St.
Francis to get me there. The play’s successful sold-out week spurned two UK tours which also starred MONTY PYTHON star CAROL
CLEVELAND, SHIRLEY ANNE FIELD and RUTH MADOC. This was followed by publication by JOSEF WEINBERGER, LONDON. I
traveled to some of the larger and smaller cities, curious for the reactions. Since I was the playwright and didn't have my photo in the
program, no one knew who I was. I’d walk through the crowd at intermission, cigarette in my hand, and listen. The buzz was amazing,
affirming and uplifting. But man cannot live on cigarettes, smiles, laughter and tears alone.
Although I would really miss the safety of my cubicle at Saks Fifth Avenue and my VP, who has since passed, Mr. Grosman, we both
knew that a single path on the crossroads needed to be chosen. His heart was bigger than Paris Hilton's weekly allowance. And he wasn’t
just a boss; he was a friend and ‘patron’ of hearts. If I was buried in the weeds he’d show up at my desk with the other half of his
turkey sandwich in hand. I'd look up and get the, “You have to eat” look. Then he'd smile and say something like, “You're starting to
resemble a Gucci model, and a runway one at that.” He'd squint, smile again, and set a sandwich on my desk. Never a fuss or a feeling of
less than vibe ever showed up. There wasn't one. He's in one of my current scripts. Note: If you’re unforgettable, or influence me, you’ll
show up on-stage one day, but I’ll never say who you are. It’s about what you did. And if half a turkey sandwich falls from the sky and
hits my head opening night of BEFORE BIRDS CAN FLY, I’ll know he approves.
I always keep busy. When I’m not writing, I’m doing something visual. My interest in graphic design was discovered when I designed
the flyer for FIVE BLUE HAIRED LADIES SITTING ON A GREEN PARK BENCH in Photoshop. I used to design sets and costumes
for a living and worked with SOAP OPERA UPDATE, SOAP OPERA DIGEST, SOAP OPERA WEEKLY and the networks producing
photo shoots with daytime soap opera actors as my stars. That was then… this is now.
Now, I can’t stop soaking everything up. If I’m not hearing dialogue in my head, I'm once again seeing the visual aspects that enhance
comedy and drama. It even makes watching TV a really focused activity. If I'm watching DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES, my eyes are
busy looking at furniture on Brie’s front porch to a point where I‘ll miss the point of the scene and end up re-watching it online. Or I’ll
hear a line of conversation and it will spin off into an entire synopsis for a play. Recently, while watching THE LION KING I heard the
line, “Look Simba, the pride land reaches as far as everything the light touches.” That spurred the title, EVERYTHING THE LIGHT
TOUCHES… What’s it about? I’m not sure yet, but trust me, it’ll come. For now it’s tucked away in the “Idea File”
OUT OF THE IDEA FILE AND ONTO THE PAGE
The structure that I use for the emotional and sometimes physical aspects of my plays is what I term ‘lifeboat situations.' In FIVE BLUE
HAIRED LADIES SITTING ON A GREEN PARK BENCH the women cling to each other for strength, levity and also from fear of being
left behind by society and found by the Grim reaper. In ELBOWS OFF THE TABLE, society is the vessel. Gloria, Ruth and Estelle are all
trying to achieve the ultimate in society; status at Brooklane country Club. Their lifeboat is a dining room table. CLARITY IN A
COALMINE throws a wild Canary and a stodgy Bullfinch into a sweet old ladies cage and the two try to redefine each other's definition
of freedom and happiness. One of my favorite new titles is ANDY WARHOL HATES ME. I toss together a recently widowed Jewish
woman from the Upper East Side with four gay male strippers from Forty Second Street. It's funny, almost slapstick at times, but at
times it's touching and sad. When I’m writing I can see the character's in my head. Sometimes they're famous people, and sometimes
they are just figments. I can really only imagine what all of these people look and sound like until they're cast. But I always see Bette
Midler as the star of ANDY WARHOL HATES ME or FIVE BLUE HAIRED LADIES SITTING ON A GREEN PARK BENCH: Hugh
Grant as the canary in CLARITY IN A COALMINE: Kevin Spacey as Alan in BEFORE BIRDS CAN FLY… Hey, if you don’t dream it,
how is it supposed to come true?
DANCING WITH THE STARS!
I’ve danced on the same floor with ALL MY CHILDREN’S SUSAN LUCCI at Tavern on the Green; escorted CELESTE HOLMES down
West 44th street arm in arm while hearing firsthand stories from the making of ALL ABOUT EVE; interviewed GENERAL HOSPITAL's
famed ANNA LEE from WHATEVER HAPPENED TO BABY JANE, lit cigarettes for some of Broadway's brightest while standing
outside of SARDIS feels about the idea of working in entertainment. Magical, mystical and one big OMG at times. I once snuck into the
Brown Derby at DISNEY clad in my tuxedo just to stand next to the table where GEFFEN, KATZENBERG and MIDLER were having
dinner. (She had the Waldorf Salad.) But even before this all became a part of the ride, the two years played out as UGLY BETTY to the
responsible, fabulously generous VP version of Daniel Meade for Saks Fifth Avenue American Couture was filled with creativity and star
power of another kind. Thanks to Alan Grosman I was personally introduced by name to Fashion Icons CAROLINA HERRERA, and
OSCAR DE LA RENTA (whom I idolized ever since I was old enough to reach the foot pedal of my mother's Singer). A close second
was watching RU PAUL strut the runway at the BETSY JOHNSON show. And since then, the mantra, “You better WORK!” has never
left my head.
*Since its publishing in 2003, thousands of regional performances of FIVE BLUE HAIRED LADIES SITTING ON A GREEN PARK
BENCH have played theaters, town halls, parish halls and dramatic societies from England, to Scotland, to Zurich to Costa del Sol and
beyond each year! Get your copy at http://www.josefweinberger.co.uk/
| Reaching for... "Everything the light touches." A First Person Press Biography by John A. Penzotti - Writer |
 | |  | |  | |  | |  | |  | |  |