Magellanica: A New and Accurate Map of the World

Friday, March 26th, 7pm at the Academy New Musical Theatre, 5628 Vineland Ave, North Hollywood, CA 91601. As part of the Dramatists Guild Friday Footlights program, I am so happy to be helping EM Lewis in the first reading of her work-in-progress Magellanica: A New and Accurate Map of the World.

Playwright EM Lewis

Join me THIS Sunday, March 14th at 7PM as I’m interviewed for Kristine Oller’s Coffee Date Series. We will be talking about OTIS and it’s impact on my career. I’m sure we’ll get into career strategies in general as well. AND, there will be a Q&A period at the end of the call. There is a small fee for the call, but not much more than a venti mocha would be. It’s gonna be a blast!

For all the details and to sign-up, head over to: http://kristinecanhelpme.com/coffeedate. For more info on Kristine herself check out her main website. Here’s an except from the website:

The story behind this whole thing:
I want you to meet some really awesome people

Hi, Kristine Oller here! If you’ve had any contact with me before, you know I strongly believe in the value of having coffee dates with folks.

By “coffee date” I mean a conversation – with someone who seems like they know what they’re doing – during which you can, among other things, get some guidance from them.

Anyway, there are several key friends and colleagues that I refer folks to for coffee dates quite often because these particular peeps ROCK and they are smart, proactive and generous about sharing their knowledge and paying it forward.

Bostin is one of those people.

BUT, lately I’ve been getting worried that Bostin (and the others) would soon burn out after repeating their wisdom to everyone I sent their way…

…so I’m creating this series of conference calls to record live “coffee dates” with my favorite fun, savvy, go-to people for two main reasons:

1) to protect their time,
2) to enable others – many others – to learn from their insights, successes, and mistakes.

The best part:
These folks have nothing to sell to you

This event is exclusively about them sharing their guidance with you.
There will be no sales pitches.

Nor will you be teased with just a tiny bit of helpful info and an offer to “buy the rest.” Nope. Everyone who participates is here to share their story and advice candidly. That’s it.

The other best part:
You don’t have to leave your house

This event takes place on the phone! Get cozy, call in, listen to Bostin’s guidance, ask him questions.

And everyone (whether you can make the call or not) will receive an unedited mp3 recording of the call in their inbox soon after the event.

To get the details and sign-up, head over to: http://kristinecanhelpme.com/coffeedate.

I will post the entire album of shots to the Gallery after the show closes. Hope to see you there!

Well, just like that, rehearsals are over and it’s time for some live theatre baby! Our preview is tonight and the official opening is Friday, October 9th!

http://movingarts.org/nowplaying.html for all the info on the one act festival. For specific details on my show, read on…

He Said She Said by Lee Wochner
Featuring Bostin Christopher and Rebecca Davis
Directed by Ross Kramer

Performances are as follows:
Saturday, Oct. 3rd – 8pm – Preview
Friday, Oct. 9th – 8pm – Opening Night
Saturday, October 17th – 8pm
Friday, October 23rd – 8pm
Friday, October 30th – 8pm

Tickets are $18 dollars and are available here: https://www.ovationtix.com/trs/pr/692845

Presented at: Son of Semele Theater, 3301 Beverly Boulevard, Los Angeles, 90004
along with three other original one-acts
[Google Map]

Currently, there is some construction along this area of Beverly Blvd. You will want to arrive early to get a parking spot close to the theatre.

Project: Otis Movie

OK…so, after like a million years, I am posting some more Otis pics. These were an easter egg hidden on the official Otis Website that my buddy Dr. Bear found and forwarded to me. Enjoy…Click the photo below or go directly to the album. Of Course, I recommend you turn up the volume and play the slideshow with music and all…

Click the Photo for the Full Album

Project: In My Pocket

In My Pocket will hopefully reach out and touch you soon. Until then I can tease you a bit with some photos from the set and behind the scenes.

Just as a reference, these photos were taken late August 2008 and we were on location at the VA Hospital in North Hills, CA.

Click the photo below or head to the Gallery and find “In My Pocket – On Set” in the year 2008. Oh, and as always, I recommend turning up the volume and playing the slideshow in all it’s full screen beauty.

Self portrait in the makeup trailer

A Little History

A few weeks ago, Playwright Lee Wochner asked me if I wanted to come and read his play – He Said She Said – at a meeting of his company, Moving Arts to determine the selections and line-up for their upcoming October One-Act Festival.

Playwright Lee Wochner

I had read the play for Lee on the Porch of the Great Plains Theatre Conference shortly after he had written it. He said he had written it with me in mind and would I wanna read it that night. Well, those kinda words do wonders for any actor’s ego and so, of course, I agreed. We scheduled an impromptu reading of it on the porch after the evening performance that night. A pleasurable experience all-around.

As was the reading of it a few weeks back for the members of Moving Arts. I wrote to Lee afterwards and told him that if it was selected, I would dig working on it.

Audition? Wha-uh?

When I heard from Steve Lozier that they had selected the play for the festival and he would let me know about auditions I got a tad confused. Here I was remembering “written with you in mind”. Still, good to go in and read for the director and make sure I fit what he’s looking for, right?

So, I took my slightly bruised ego and headed to the auditions hoping to make an impression on director Ross Kramer. All’s well that ends well I suppose and I booked the role…

So, I am committed to my first piece of theatre in Los Angeles! Outside of the various theatre conferences over the last few years, I haven’t acted in a play since New York. I am looking forward with great anticipation to treading the boards once again…more to come…

He Said She Said by Lee Wochner
A fun little tale about a mechanic simpleton who upon headin’ to his local waterin’ hole that night discovers there’s more to life than sippin’ a brew and watchin’ the game.

OPENING OCTOBER 3, 2009
Keep an eye on http://www.movingarts.org for more info…

Choke is no longer on Atom. Scroll down for the good news!

So, long about 2007, I went to the Great Plains Theatre Conference in Omaha for the first time. While there, I had the pleasure of meeting and working with playwright Terence Anthony.

Playwright Terence Anthony

We (the we being all the Kokopelli crew in attendance there that year) were reading one of his plays called Tangled. It also happened that he would be attending the Last Frontier Theatre Conference in Valdez, Alaska (which I’ve been attending for a while) that year as well.

I would end up reading his play Choke in the Fringe Festival one night. It scored big laughs and was quite the tight little piece, full of Terence’s great dialogue and social commentary that doesn’t just lay in your lap – it hits you over the head.

So, the following year (2008) in Valdez, the Fringe Dudes (Erick Hayden and Barry Levine) asked if I would reprise my role as Max for a kick-off night.

Choke - Last Frontier Theatre Conf 2008

More than a reading, this was a quasi-staged quick one-off on the opening night of the conference. A load of fun despite the lights coming up a wee-bit too soon. That’s live theatre baby!

So, here we are in 2009 and you are saying to yourself, “what gives?”. Well,  you see, Mr. Anthony writes, animates and edits together a little thing called Orlando’s Joint and he thought it’d be fun to turn his twisted tale, Choke, into an animated short. And I was honored that he asked me to voice one of the characters.

When T. told me about it, he said he wanted me to play Phil. This is noted as important because I had played Max in the previous incarnations and had grown fond of him. Soon, however, I would see the finished product and see the wisdom of Mr. Anthony. Sure, I could have played Max, but by modulating my voice up a bit and putting on my best Ivy League Swarm, I was Phil! A part that I would probably never get cast as in the 3-dimensional world of stage.

As of JUNE 22, 2010, CHOKE is now distributed exclusively through IndieFlix. When I have a more direct link, I will post it. Cheers!

WARNING: This video contains strong language, simulated violence and may also cause uncomfortable laughter…

[UPDATE OCT 2009 - Billy's in Love is back online. New home VIMEO. Watch below.]

[UPDATE AUG, 2009 - John has taken the videos down off of youtube as he is submitting the film to film fests and I guess many of them frown upon them being shown on youtube. Will let you know when/if they appear back online...]

Short Film I did for John Larkin. Shot it Fall of 2008. Premiered on YouTube May 2009. High Quality stream and Full Screen are both enabled. Cheers!

Part 1

http://vimeo.com/7228549

Billy’s in Love PART 1 from John Larkin on Vimeo.

Part 2

http://vimeo.com/7229286

Billy’s in Love PART 2 from John Larkin on Vimeo.

Great News! In My Pocket, the feature film I did with Gregory Smith and Zack Ward directed by David Lisle Johnson WON the Audience Choice Award at the 2009 Palm Beach Film Festival. You can check out the press release below…

Press Release – In My Pocket wins Audience Choice Award

Hopefully, more screenings, film festivals and a theatrical release to come. Stay tuned!!!

In My Pocket to play the Palm Beach Film Festival on April 26th at 9pm.
More info: http://www.pbifilmfest.org/2009/features/in_my_pocket/ or go to the film’s website http://www.inmypocketthefilm.com

Check it out below. It’s the trailer for In My Pocket starring Gregory Smith, Zack Ward and yours truly. For more info, check out the main site link for the film http://www.inmypocketthefilm.com…

Hilarious and weird. This was my first national commercial.

It’s from 2003/04 or so. Enjoy.

So, I have been in Alaska since early February working on Make Good The Fires, a world premiere by Arlitia Jones. Pretty much have been sequestered in rehearsal and having a blast. We open this Friday, March 13th. Here are a few photos from our press shoot…

Find out more about the show at http://www.cyranos.org.

OK, running off to rehearsal…more later…

UPDATE: HERE IS THE INTERVIEW – September 2008
I have edited the original to start where my interview begins, to listen to the whole show, follow this link…Without Your Head Horror Radio

I will be interviewed tonight on Without Your Head radio at 9pm EST.

Check out http://www.withoutyourhead.com for more and call in at 508-644-8503.

Hope to hear you TONITE!

In June of 2008, shortly after the release of Otis on DVD, I traveled back to my home state of Alaska for the Last Frontier Theatre Conference. Otis was scheduled to play both at the conference and I’d set a deal up with my friend Ann Reddig, who at the time was managing the Alaska Wild Berry Theatre, to show Otis in Anchorage for two days. [PDF of flyer for that Event].

“The family that slays together, stays together”

KSKA, the public radio station in Anchorage, does a weekly show on local theatre called Stage Talk. The week after the conference on June 27, 2008, I was a guest on Stage Talk. We wrapped about the recent theatre conference in Valdez as well as Otis and it’s playing in Anchorage.

Bostin Christopher Interview on KSKA’s Stage Talk, June 27, 2008

Otis will be playing at the Wild Berry Theater Friday and Saturday, June 27th and 29th at 10pm. If you are in Anchorage, I hope you can make it. More info available…here.

The Last Frontier Theatre Conference continues in Valdez. More updates on that later…

Otis did play in Valdez and it was fun to bring to the conference and share it with old friends and make new ones.

And the excitement continues as there will be two promotional screenings at the Alaska Wild Berry Theatre on June 27 and 28 at 10pm. Please go to the Wild Berry Theatre page for more details. This may truly be the final opportunity to see Otis on the big screen. It is out on DVD as well and if you haven’t checked out http://www.otisdvd.com, it’s a riot…

OK, more later from Valdez…I will do a blastcast, so please check that out on the homepage…

If you are seeing this, something went wacky behind the scenes. This is where you wanna go: http://www.bostinchristopher.com/projects/otis.

[NOTE: The MySpace Otis Broth page isn't maintained by me.]

MySpace Page: http://www.myspace.com/otisbroth

Otis Threatens Riley… I mean Kim… Kim

Brain Gallagher interviewed both Tony Krantz and myself for MovieWeb.com. Click each photo below for the articles…

Interview with Tony

Interview with Bostin

• In about forty-eight hours, OTIS will have it’s last screening before the DVD hits the street on June 10th. The screening is at the Egyptian Theatre in Hollywood, Thursday June 5th at 7:30pm. Click the image to open the PDF for all the details…

• Check out Playboy.com this week. It’s been Otis-ized. There is a girls of horror feature and also a contest to win a trip to the mansion, see the movie and hang with the playmates. Yowza!

• And, yes, the DVD will be in stores and online as June 10th. You can pre-order from Amazon now!

Well, it’s taken me a week or so, but I wanted to get to the round-up of my trip to Nashville for the Nashville Film Festival! Although, I didn’t get to see much of the city (I really wanted to see the Parthenon, the Grand Ole Opry and maybe the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum) as I was only in town for two nights and I spent all of my time at festival activities. First up, the William Morris Party at Arrington Vineyard.

What a fabulous shin-dig this was! The Arrington Red Fox Red Wine is absolutely outstanding. Sorta like Pinot Noir, but with a spicy kick to it that I just thought was yummy! I attended the party with my new friend and traveling buddy Lee Friedlander. Not the the male photographer, but the female director of movies Wasabi Tuna, GirlPlay and her latest Out at the Wedding.

Another couple of cool cats I met were Director Steven Goldmann and Producer Alan Brewer who were screening their movie Trailer Park of Terror. I guess Steven was in the running to direct Otis, but he needed to complete his film. Fun chatting with him and Alan about their film (which was screening Wednesday, the day after my return to LA) and I look forward to seeing it!

I also got to meet an upcoming singer/songwriter named Stacy Donahue and her man-thing, Lee. Stacy is mucho talented and you can check out StacyDonahue.com for more.

Take a listen: [Audio Available on Original Post]

Monday began late as I was able to sleep in a bit, which was nice. My main agenda for the day was to get to the Actors Turned Filmmakers Panel and try my hand at getting into Young@Heart, the sound out screening of the hot doc about seniors who rock.

The Actors Turned Filmmaker Panel was quite entertaining with Michelle Paradise, Joey Lauren Adams, Robby Benson and Vincent D’Onofrio each discussing there various adventures behind the camera. It was moderated by big time casting director Laray Mayfield. I went to the panel with Lee as she and Michelle Paradise worked on the short film The Ten Rules: A Lesbian Survival Guide which actually became the basis for the cable show Exes & Ohs. Pretty cool stuff! So, a great panel overall, some fun topics and pitfalls about jumping behind the camera. Afterward I was able to do a little celeb stalking.

Later that day, I was able to get into the Young@Heart screening as it was so popular they moved it to a bigger theatre. Now, lemme tell you something, if this movie doesn’t move you, you ain’t human. It was beyond awesome. Very well done and I recommend that everyone catch this flick. I watched this with another new friend – actress Emily Wing.

After that I went with Lee to her screening of Out at the Wedding. A quirky comedy about mistaken identities and finding your true self.

Then it was finally time for the main event. OTIS. The screening went great. The crowd, although not as full as I wanted it to be, was completely enthusiastic in it’s laughter and response to the film. Right before I went in to the screening, they nabbed me for a quick interview.

After the screening I did a Q&A and I was glad to discover that Shelley Justiss got some photos of the occasion:

On Tuesday, I attended a few additional panels about the world of film financing and indie vs studio film making before I had to catch my early afternoon flight back to Los Angeles. Overall, a great couple of days. And so much more than I can fit into this post. I met other great peeps (Heather, Reed, Elise, Ali, and many more!) Everyone was so great and I had a lot of fun…Till the next adventure!

PHOTO GALLERY -
NASHVILLE FILM FESTIVAL [Click to view each one and make comments if you so desire]