Thom Dunn is a Boston-based writer, musician, and utterly terrible dancer. He is the singer/guitarist for the indie rock/power-pop the Roland High Life, as well as a staff writer for the New York Times’ Wirecutter and a regular contributor at BoingBoing.net. Thom enjoys Oxford commas, metaphysics, and romantic clichés (especially when they involve whiskey), and he firmly believes that Journey's "Don't Stop Believing" is the single greatest atrocity committed against mankind. He is a graduate of Clarion Writer's Workshop at UCSD ('13) & Emerson College ('08).
Boston's premiere all-male Lady Gaga cover band plays the Midway Cafe in JP! Doors at 8pm! Be there! I can literally walk my equipment over to the club from my house! Wooohoo!
Oh yeah, and here's the Facebook event. Whoops. Sorry, I got excited.
And remember: just dance, motherfuckers
Here's another video I made for the Huntington's upcoming production of Good People by David Lindsay-Abaire (previews start this Friday!). [youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2X_Yk1t_Q7Q]Following its successful premiere on Broadway last year, Good People is one of the most produced plays in the country in the coming theatrical season -- but we're the only theatre producing this Boston-centric play in the city of Boston itself. I spoke with the director (an Acton native) and members of the cast (one of whom is from Southie, another from Watertown) about the pressures and rewards of doing this popular new play in the city in which its based. The general consensus seems to be that the city of Boston is in fact the central character of the play, a little bit of universal anthropomorphizing that I can totally get behind (and also feels very noir to me, considering the role that LA plays in the work of Raymond Chandler, hrmmmm....)
(Also, the playwright himself gave his public approval of the piece on twitter. And he's got a Pulitzer. Eat that, Alyssa Milano!)
The first show in our upcoming season at the Huntington is the Broadway hit Good People by South Boston native David Lindsay-Abaire. The show tells the story of a struggling middle-aged single mom in Southie who loses her job and looks up an old flame (who got out of the Southie projects and is now a doctor living in Chestnut Hill) to help her out. It's a powerful, Boston-centric play that focuses on class issues in America in ways that are remarkably relevant to the country right now, and that frankly, aren't actually addressed that much in American theatre. But enough of that. Here's a little teaser trailer I put together for the show, chronicling the physical journey from South Boston (Corner of F and Tudor, to be precise) to Chestnut Hill on the MBTA, mimicking Margie Walsh's own journey in the second act of the play. Hear you me: it was a long ride.
(also, don't ever call me Thommy)
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oh03l2Ds2jU&w=480&h=270]
Good People plays September 14 - October 14 at the Avenue of the Arts / BU Theatre. AND, if you're under 35 (which I suspect most of you reading my website are...) tickets are only $25, and we've got a sweet party coming up on September 14, where your ticket also includes a live band and free drinks after the show.
Here's a little peek at True Believers, for those of still waiting / unable to see it (or for those of you who want to relive the experience). All photos by Paul Cantillon / LIDEC Photo.[slideshow]
Okay. Breathe. We just made it through opening weekend of True Believers, which saw mostly packed houses and very responsive audiences (and only a few technical malfunctions that hopefully no one noticed but me). All in all, I'd say it's going well so far! We'll just have to wait and see what the critics have to say about it. In the meantime, here's a little interview I did with Jacqui Bryant, a local Boston entertainment blogger, about the show. Full disclosure: I thought she was writing an article, not posting the full interview transcription, so some of my answers, uh, well, they go on for quite a while (I wanted to give her a lot of information to pull from!)
We also got a nice shout out in the print & online version of DigBoston / The Weekly Dig:
Now, you might assume this unconventionally comedic play (penned by local playwright and Emerson College alum Thom Dunn, go Lions etc.) chronicling the interactions between conventional comic convention-types—aspiring artists, single-minded fanboys, haute couturecosplayers and so on—would be a tad nerdy. You would be right. Some World’s Greatest Detective stuff, that is. But just how nerdy are we talking? Try “Cyborg Head of Stan Lee” nerdy. Yes, that’s a kind of nerdy. The “most” kind.
Ha. Thanks, guys (I think...)
Opus Affair, a social group for young professional interested and involved in the arts in around the Boston area, also highlighted the show in their "On the Town" weekly roundup, praising it with favorable comparisons to both Closer and Magic Mike (both of which I assume were intended as compliments though I'm not entirely sure...)
Anyway, stay tuned, True Believers, for more updates, including production photos and...The Cyborg Head of Stan Lee!
So when I'm not in rehearsals for / plowing through re-writes on TRUE BELIEVERS, I still, of course, have my day job to deal with (which has been incredibly supportive and helpful through this entire process, so hooray for gainful employment!). While our 30th anniversary season at the Huntington is now over (and what a successful season it was!), we're now busy gearing up for the fall and the start of our next season, which means lots of work (because it always does) but less immediate hard deadlines (which I guess is now...for now, until it's not). ANYWAY, here's a video I made of our Artistic Director, Peter DuBois, discussing the first show in our 2012-2013 Season, David Lindsay-Abaire's recent Broadway hit GOOD PEOPLE (conveniently set in good ol' South Boston). Check it out:
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=odPjupNifbM]
After recovering from his earlier coughing fit, "rogue video blogger" Billy Horowitz continues with his Top 5 Reasons Why THE AVENGERS Movie Totally Sucked And Also Was Stupid. Tickets for the world premiere of TRUE BELIEVERS are going fast, with only 50 seats in the theatre, so make sure to get yours ahead of time while you still can! [youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gtR7kMEf5q4]
Here's a little sneak peek at the world premiere of my new play True Believers. Billy Horowitz is a self-proclaimed "rogue video blogger" (as well as a cyborg), and his passion for comic books tends to drive him into a destructive frenzy. His video blogs feature prominently into the play, projected on the stage, and here, Billy takes his shot at The Avengers movie. [youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cB6f0bb-n1Y]
Rehearsals for my new play True Believers are now well under way! I'm incredibly to be working with our talented and enthusiastic cast, featuring:
Tickets are on sale now. The show runs July 12 - 21 at the Piano Factory Theatre in Boston's South End. Check back soon for more updates!
I have a confession to make. I didn't really bring t-shirts for everybody. Although I do have these sweet new business cards! So that's cool, right? I know I've been slacking (again) lately (again) with keeping this website updated with all of my various doin's. But it's not like I've not been not doing things (...or is it?)! Instead, I've just been too busy doing things to, ya know, write about doing things. It's kind of why I hate meetings in general, because I'd rather be doing things, than talking about doing things. So this website's kind of like a meeting then. Except I don't hate it; in fact, I quite love my little website here. So really, not like a meeting at all.
(shut up Thom) Okay so here's a brief rundown of where the hell I've been:
Over at the Huntington, we're getting ready to open our production of Ma Rainey's Black bottom, the first Broadway hit by August Wilson. It's also the last show in Wilson's Century Cycle to be produced by us; starting with Joe Turner's Come and Gone, Wilson had a home at the Huntington in developing his plays before they hit Broadway, so it's a particularly special occasion. Here's a short teaser trailer I cut together for the show:
Tonight. Alejandro and the Fame rocks your favorite seedy drag club in downtown Boston. Drag queens upstairs; all-male glam rock Lady Gaga cover songs downstairs. You've been warned.
And so begins the madness. First, I'll be performing tonight at Mortified Boston, thanks to the fantastic Ms Lisa McColgan (a co-worker over at the Huntington, as well as a fellow writer on Five By Five Hundred and possibly the world's biggest zombie enthusiast). I'll be singing a hilariously embarrassing song that I originally wrote in high school, so if you want to see me get up and stage and humiliate myself, well, that's the place to be. On a less romantic note, this week's Five By Five Hundred entry recalls an encounter with one of my favorite homeless people on the entire planet (yes, I have more than one favorite homeless person). Singing the praises of a confessed former-gang-banger might not seem like the most topical choice for a Valentines Day post, but, well, in light of recent events *cough*Chris Brown*cough*, it makes some form of sense in my warped mind.
It's a good week for being me! I opened up a print copy (on newsprint! Gets on your hands!) of Boston's Weekly Dig, only to find that they reprinted my tweet to them about my Haiku Beer Reviews from last week's Beer Summit (for which I had tickets from the Dig), and they even printed one of the haikus (for ZOMBIE KILLER Meade from B.Nektar) in their pages. This marks the second time that the Dig has printed one of my silly poems (the last time being in October, 2010 in their "Oh, Cruel World!" column, wherein I expressed my violent rage about a bicycle accident in verse) which all just makes me think that they should give me a job as "Official Writer of Silly Verse" or something. Vagabond Theatre Group, who is the producing the upcoming reading of my play True Believers, posted a lovely and thoughtful blogpost about my play, and the trend (or lack thereof) of comic book-related stories in theatre. It's a brief but flattering piece, that you should check out if you have the chance!
Coming up: even more news that I can't quite officially announce yet. Hollerr.
I recently did an interview with Vagabond Theatre Group, who will be producing a staged reading of my play TRUE BELIEVERS in just a few weeks. As to be expected, I am incredibly charming and witty throughout. Check it out!
Look, Ma! I'm in a comic book!
I'm excited to announce that the lovely people at Vagabond Theatre Group like me so much that they've decided to present a my new full-length play True Believers as the next staged reading/public workshop in their There Will Be Words reading series. I've met with the production team once so far, but they seem incredibly enthusiastic about my work (and impressed me with their own comic book/sci-fi/nerdery knowledge, which is of course very important, especially in a piece like this), so I'm looking forward to presenting the latest draft for a smart Boston audience. The reading will take place Thursday, February 9 at Trident Booksellers & Cafe at 338 Newbury Street in Boston. Admission is free, but for a suggested $2 donation (plus Trident serves delicious food and a great selection of craft beers).
And yes, the Cyborg Head of Stan Lee will be in attendance. Hope to see you there!
CAPTURED GHOSTS is a brand new documentary by filmmaker Patrick Meaney about Warren Ellis, the "Internet Jesus" himself and one of my personal favorite writers of all time. I'm putting together a preview screening of the film in Boston on January 7, featuring a Q+A with the director. Here's the official blurb:
The film features the most extensive interview Ellis has ever given, and spans his life, from his first memory watching the moon landing as a child, to his recent cross-media success with the film adaptation of Red. Along the way, Ellis's acerbic wit and core belief in humanity comes across like never before.Complimenting Ellis's own words are interviews with his artistic collaborators, friends and admirers from across all media, including actress Helen Mirren, Director Joss Whedon (Buffy The Vampire Slayer), comedian Patton Oswalt, Adult Film Star Stoya, Musician Claudio Sanchez (of Coheed and Cambria), comics writers Matt Fraction and Antony Johnston, and futurist Jamais Cascio. Ellis's comics collaborators like Marvel Comics CCO Joe Quesada, artists Darick Robertson, Ben Templesmith and Phil Jimenez also provide insight into Ellis's mind and creative workings. The film features numerous ambient interludes that spotlight Ellis's prose and writing from both his online columns and his comics.
And the trailer:
It's a pretty impressive list of celebrity interviews, if I do say so myself. I saw Patrick's last documentary, Grant Morrison: Talking With Gods (which can be streamed in its entirety on Hulu), which was absolutely fantastic. If that's any indication, then this new Warren Ellis film should be particularly awesome.
If you're fan of science, comic books, the future, the creative process, or Helen Mirren, I'd encourage you to come check the screening! (and if you're hesitant and not at all familiar with Warren Ellis's body of work, here's a particular powerful scene from a book of his called Doktor Sleepless. That'll give you a taste of the kind of mind this man has)
Poetry Out Loud is a national poetry recitation competition for high school students, encouraging them to explore and perform poetry. The Education department at the Huntington Theatre Company moderates the Massachusetts State Competition (the winner of which go on to the National Finals in DC). Here's a little video I put together about the program: [youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wYqA6Ls5pxs&w=500&h=284]
Not really; just the Milky Way bar/restaurant in Jamaica Plain. Great pizza, great drinks, great rock and roll; Alejandro and the Fame will be headlining tonight's Halloween show. Costumes encouraged! Come on out for a night of glitter, mohawks, distortion, and monsters.
Leonard Bernstein's beautiful score for the Broadway musical Candide was an instant classic — the show itself, based on the novella by Voltaire, was not. Tony Award and MacArthur Genius Grant winner Mary Zimmerman took it upon herself to recreate this musical masterpiece/disasterpiece with a brand new book and a new take on its wonderful music. Following sold out runs at Chicago's Goodman Theatre and Washington, DC's Shakespeare Theatre, Mary Zimmerman's incredible production of Candide officially opens tonight at the Huntington in Boston, and believe me when I say, it is absolutely worth seeing. It's a long show, but it's also one that you'll remember — this is one of those shows that people will be talking about for years to come. Don't believe me? Check this out. [youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vGgq_HZYAs0&w=420&h=315]
CANDIDE runs through October 16 at the BU Theatre on the Avenue of the Arts. Don't miss it!