It Gets Better

Millions of people are bullied both in person and online, everyday. Many are able to shrug it off and move on, but many more (especially young people) find themselves at a loss as to how to cope and and up taking their own lives.

This past fall saw such a huge rise in such suicides, that we felt moved to do something and we added The Trevor Project, a non-profit 24 hour suicide prevention hotline for LGBT and questioning youth, to our list of beneficiaries. We were happy to make our first donation to them after of production of "It's a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play," this past December.

We also recently produced our own "It Gets Better" video, featuring JTMF members, supporters and actors who spent an afternoon this past February, once again donating their time to our cause. Please help make that time worthwhile and donate to The Trevor Project at www.thetrevorproject.org. or visit www.jtmf.org and donate to help us help the organizations that are dear to us.

Here's the JTMF "It Gets Better" video. Please feel free to share it with anyone you think might need to hear its message:

If you or someone you know is considering suicide because of bullying, please call The Tevor Project toll free at 866-488-7386. It really does get better.

Die Mommie Die!

The poster is in, the show is almost completely cast, pre-production is well on its way.

Keep watching for updates here and on our Facebook page.

Coming Soon

Watch this space for JTMF's latest YouTube video...

In Case You Missed It

In case you were unable to attend our production of It's a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play, here's what you missed:

Part I:

Part II:



Part III:

Join us this coming June for our production of Charles Busch's outrageous Hollywood parody Die Mommie! Die! and December 2011 for our Radio Play production of A Christmas Carol. And watch for our upcoming "It Gets Better" video for The Trevor Project.

It's a Wonderful Final Dress Rehearsal

This spiffy-looking group is the complete cast and Foley crew of It's a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play. Once more, down the line from left to right: John Maurer; Diana Maurer; Judi Parrish; Jennifer Barron; Shelly Snyder; Damian Gaeta; Sarah Stryker; Sean McGrath and Glen Calhoun. They are quite simply, amazing and I love them, even when they whine or make fun of me.

I think we all assumed that this would be an easy-to-produce show. While it certainly is less work and time than our full June Gala could ever hope to be, we were all taken by surprise by more than one thing or another. And my music cues are somehow off... Still, all that whining aside (though I must admit that actors whine way more than directors), the show is going to be really something special. If our audiences have half the fun as we are having, then we have done our jobs well. And of course, I'll say it until it's no longer true: There is no cast like a JTMF cast. As our family of regular performers grows, so does the depth of extraordinary talent available to us, and the more we all work together, the stronger an ensemble company we become. I've been dong theatre for longer than any one thing in my life. I've done very good theatre and very bad theatre. I've been quite proud of most of my body of work. But I am never prouder than when part of a JTMF show.

The folks in that picture at the top of this post have the goods and they deliver. And nothing makes a director happier than an ensemble that delivers.

If you're still a bit a skeptical about the whole 'Radio Play' thing, you can listen to the cast and crew of It's a Wonderful Life (and yours truly) in a special podcast here at MPOnline. It's like radio on the web... Please feel free to share the link: http://www.mponstage.com/podcasts/35_IAWL/index.php.

Good seats are still available for all four performances. Call 609-570-3333 or visit www.kelseyatmercer. org; www.jtmf.org or click the link to the Kelsey Theater at the top right of this blog. Tickets may also be purchased at the Kelsey Box Office, 1 hour before curtain.

Don't miss this unusual and entertaining version of a Family Holiday Favorite! It's a nostalgic glimpse into the history of Entertainment and suitable for the entire family. I can't think of a better way to get into the Holiday mood...

A portion of the proceeds from this production will be donated to JTMF's newest beneficiary, The Trevor Project. It Gets Better.

Seats Are Still Available

Tickets are still available for our first winter event, featuring Joe Landry's It's a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play this coming weekend at the Kelsey Theatre on the campus of Mercer County Community College, 1200 Old Trenton Road in West Windsor, NJ.

Tonight was our first technical rehearsal, using mikes and even a few new sound effects for the first time. The cast was a bit taken aback by some of what they were hearing (or not hearing).

It's really starting to take shape now, and the actors are having even more fun with the script (though one or two still forget who they're supposed be at any given moment, but that will stop well before we open -- I hope). In all seriousness, there is no cast like a JTMF cast, and they're with us not just because they want to be onstage, but because they want to make a difference, which means egos go out the door and performance becomes the priority. This is my ninth JTMF show (and seventh time directing) and I can attest to the consistent quality of talent and dedication in our 'family.' That's our cast in the new banner photo and the photo to your right. From left to right in the banner, they are: Sean McGrath; Glen Calhoun; Damian Gaeta (who is setting a JTMF performance record with this, his sixth show with us); Foley Captain, Judi Parrish; Jennifer Barron; Sarah Stryker and John Maurer.

And speaking of making a difference, the JTMF is proud to announce our new beneficiary, The Trevor Project. The Trevor Project is a 24 hour suicide-prevention hot line for LGBT and questioning youth. They provide confidential and anonymous ears, while offering counsel to any young person with questions, problems or thoughts of suicide. The Trevor Lifeline's toll-free number is 866-4-U-Trevor (866-488-7386).

LGBT youth are 4 times more likely to commit suicide than straight kids, and it's on the rise. Thankfully, so is awareness of the problem. A portion of the proceeds from It's a Wonderful Life: A live Radio Play will be donated to The Trevor Project. And watch for the JTMF's own "It Gets Better" video, coming in late January.

For Tickets to It's a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play, please call 609-570-3333 or visit www.kelseyatmccc.org. Tickets are also available for purchase at the Kelsey Theatre box office, one hour before curtain.

We look forward to seeing you this weekend!

Two Weeks from Tonight!

The James Tolin Memorial Fund is proud to announce their first Winter event, featuring Joe Landry’s adaptation of Frank Capra’s classic It’s a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play, December 3^rd & 4^th at 7:30 PM and December 4^th & 5^th at 2:00 PM at the Kelsey Theater on the campus of Mercer County Community College, 1200 Old Trenton Road, West Windsor, NJ.

The production recreates the experience of seeing a live radio broadcast from the 1940’s just as a studio audience would have, complete with a live Foley (sound effects) crew.

It's a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play was developed from Landry’s full stage production and first mounted at the Stamford Center for the Arts in 1996. It tells the story of George Bailey, a man about to take his own life, and an angel named Clarence who convinces him not to, by showing him how different the lives of his friends and family would have been had he never been born. The 1946 Frank Capra film is a beloved holiday classic and stars James Stewart, Donna Reed and Lionel Barrymore. It also served as the inspiration for the names of the “Sesame Street” characters Bert and Ernie.

Tickets are $10.00, $12.00 & $14.00 and can be purchased at the Kelsey Box Office one hour before curtain, online at www.kelseyatmccc.org, or by phone at 609-570-3333. For more information, please visit www.kelseyatmccc.org. For more information about The James Tolin Memorial Fund, please visit www.jtmf.org or search “James Tolin Memorial Fund” on YouTube.