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.

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.