OUR BRIEF HISTORY
Writing Man Productions was founded in
2007 by Philadelphia playwright-turned-
producer Shawn O’Shea.
During that Spring, Mark Dahl, Artistic
Director of Traverse Arts Project,
suggested Shawn try writing a play for the
upcoming Philadelphia Fringe Festival.
After some reluctance, Shawn took the
suggestion and adapted his popular short
story, Starlight Supply, into a thirty-minute
one-act play of the same name, which he
entered into the annual festival. When
the registration forms asked for the name
of the production company, Shawn
decided to incorporate the nickname
Writing Man given to him after several
stories about his days in the U.S. Navy
were shared with an online pen-pal.
When the first draft of the script was
completed, Corbin Abernathy, local
Philadelphia actor/singer/director, offered
to direct the production; With Corbin
preparing the actors and Shawn working
on funding and rewrites, Writing Man
Productions ended up being one of the
better-received shows during the 2007
Philly Fringe.
Due to the overwhelming success of their
first collaboration, Shawn and Corbin
decided to immediately work together on
Writing Man Productions next offering,
Identity Theft, which played over Memorial
Day Weekend 2008 in the cabaret space at
Philadelphia Plays and Players. With an
incredible cast of Nathan Black, Joe
Ciresi, Trudy Graboyes, Jeremy Hagan,
Manuel Kanian, Alexandra Orgera and
Gavin Young, not to mention set and
lighting design by Andrew Thompson,
their second effort was as triumphant as
their first!
While the second play was in production,
Shawn was already adapting into a play
another of his short stories, Strawberries
& Jellybeans, which had been written a
decade earlier. The story, which was
written as a tribute to his late maternal
grandmother, was beautifully told by Tony
Slade, Robb Stech and Anne Baliis who
were directed again by Corbin on an
incredible surreal set designed by
Andrew.
2009 will mark Shawn’s transition to
directing; Starlight Supply will be revived
for the first Philadelphia GLBT Arts
Festival hosted by Traverse Arts Project
with Munir Kreidie and Ryan Walter
recreating the roles originally portrayed
respectively by Jeffrey Adam Baxt and
Kevin Meehan. Writing Man Productions
Fringe Festival offering will be ‘Ships, a
full-length romantic-comedy starring
Nikiya Palombi, Ken Sandberg, David Stahl
and Peter Roccaforte. Joining the
company this year as Assistant Director is
Tricia Bitetto.
Thanks to everyone mentioned who each
played a vital role in the small drama
company’s success, Writing Man
Productions has been able to continue on
its default mission of bringing together
those with all levels of theater
experience to provide highly-accessible,
quality entertainment to the Philadelphia
community!
2007 by Philadelphia playwright-turned-
producer Shawn O’Shea.
During that Spring, Mark Dahl, Artistic
Director of Traverse Arts Project,
suggested Shawn try writing a play for the
upcoming Philadelphia Fringe Festival.
After some reluctance, Shawn took the
suggestion and adapted his popular short
story, Starlight Supply, into a thirty-minute
one-act play of the same name, which he
entered into the annual festival. When
the registration forms asked for the name
of the production company, Shawn
decided to incorporate the nickname
Writing Man given to him after several
stories about his days in the U.S. Navy
were shared with an online pen-pal.
When the first draft of the script was
completed, Corbin Abernathy, local
Philadelphia actor/singer/director, offered
to direct the production; With Corbin
preparing the actors and Shawn working
on funding and rewrites, Writing Man
Productions ended up being one of the
better-received shows during the 2007
Philly Fringe.
Due to the overwhelming success of their
first collaboration, Shawn and Corbin
decided to immediately work together on
Writing Man Productions next offering,
Identity Theft, which played over Memorial
Day Weekend 2008 in the cabaret space at
Philadelphia Plays and Players. With an
incredible cast of Nathan Black, Joe
Ciresi, Trudy Graboyes, Jeremy Hagan,
Manuel Kanian, Alexandra Orgera and
Gavin Young, not to mention set and
lighting design by Andrew Thompson,
their second effort was as triumphant as
their first!
While the second play was in production,
Shawn was already adapting into a play
another of his short stories, Strawberries
& Jellybeans, which had been written a
decade earlier. The story, which was
written as a tribute to his late maternal
grandmother, was beautifully told by Tony
Slade, Robb Stech and Anne Baliis who
were directed again by Corbin on an
incredible surreal set designed by
Andrew.
2009 will mark Shawn’s transition to
directing; Starlight Supply will be revived
for the first Philadelphia GLBT Arts
Festival hosted by Traverse Arts Project
with Munir Kreidie and Ryan Walter
recreating the roles originally portrayed
respectively by Jeffrey Adam Baxt and
Kevin Meehan. Writing Man Productions
Fringe Festival offering will be ‘Ships, a
full-length romantic-comedy starring
Nikiya Palombi, Ken Sandberg, David Stahl
and Peter Roccaforte. Joining the
company this year as Assistant Director is
Tricia Bitetto.
Thanks to everyone mentioned who each
played a vital role in the small drama
company’s success, Writing Man
Productions has been able to continue on
its default mission of bringing together
those with all levels of theater
experience to provide highly-accessible,
quality entertainment to the Philadelphia
community!
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| 10% of all 2009 donations made to Writing Man Productions to go to Susan G Komen for the Cure, Phila. |
