More Events

The Eleventh Screenplay Reading at the JCC
WGAE Foundation Writers at the Antiquarian Book Fair
Jules Feiffer: Funny Side Up
The Tenth Screenplay Reading at the JCC

Past Events

PenciPALS and "Love, Loss, and What I Wore
Second PencilPALS event in Corona, Queens
WGAE Members attend FBI 103 Seminar
Ninth Screenplay Reading at the JCC
Free Speech Leadership Committee meets again
Screening of Joe Berlingers's CRUDE
First PencilPALS event in Corona, Queens
Godfather IV Benefit
Talk Animation with Bill Plympton
TV and Film Writers Become ‘PencilPALS’

Events

The 12th WGAE/WGAE Foundation Screenplay Reading at the JCC Manhattan

New York - On October 17th, 2011, The Writers Guild of America, East (WGAE) and the Writers Guild of America, East Foundation (WGAEF) held their twelfth screenplay reading in the popular series at the JCC Manhattan. Excerpts from two new scripts, Mama’s Boy by Olga Humphrey, and Six Things Before Breakfast by Andrea Scully and Eric Saiet, were professionally produced with a talented cast of actors.

At 7:15 PM, the audience gathered at the JCC Goldman-Sonnenfeldt Auditorium to hear these new great works. First was the reading of Mama’s Boy, which was based on the true story (first written as a novel of the same name) of Eric Napolentano, his mother Carolyn, and their involvement with the murders of three Latina women in 1980’s New York. The reading featured Cady McClain, Noah Fleiss, Marissa Matrone, Alex Flores, Michael Sirow, Robert C. Kirk, Chris Critelli, and Audrey Esparza. The presentation was followed by a question and answer session with the screenwriter Olga Humphrey as well as the author of the book Mama’s Boy, Richard T. Pienciak, moderated by WGAE President, Michael Winship, Emmy Award-winning senior writer of Bill Moyers Journal. Both discussed how they discovered this story, what it was like working together to turn it into a film, and meeting the real Carolyn Napoletano.

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MAMA'S BOY by Olga Humphrey is a true story about a bizarre family unit responsible for the murders of three Latina women in 1980's New York. Carolyn Napoletano raised her son Eric by herself until Al Jiovine met them and became Eric's substitute father. Eric, an aspiring cop, murdered his girlfriend, his first mother-in-law, and his second wife. Carolyn was a Mafia groupie who was obsessed with John Gotti. She worked at NYPD's central headquarters, secretly destroying evidence gathered by detectives and thwarting their efforts at every turn. Uncle Al helped Eric and Carolyn dump the bodies across state lines and kept their secret until the bitter end. Based on the book "Mama's Boy" by Richard T. Pienciak.

Olga Humphrey has written for film, theatre, and television. Her work has been supported by IFP. She was awarded a Project Involve Fellowship, and her screenplays Mama's Boy and Girl on Girl were both selected for IFP's Independent Film Week. She did a page-one rewrite for the animated film A Hard Life, working with Toy Story producer Ralph Guggenheim on the story beats. Her plays have been performed internationally and are published by Dramatic Publishing Company. She wrote for children's TV via Little Airplane productions, and was a staff writer for the series OOBI on Nick Jr. Her short film Tahini and Tears played internationally at many film festivals. Olga first read the book "Mama's Boy" as a reader for a production company and couldn't understand how this unforgettable true story had not made it to the screen. During a residency with producer Christine Vachon at Atlantic Center for the Arts in Florida, she decided to pursue the project once she got back to New York, and luckily was able to do the adaptation. The book was written by Richard T. Pienciak, currently the National Investigative Editor of the Associated Press.

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Next was the reading of Six Impossible Things Before Breakfast, a comedic drama about a disenchanted workaholic who returns to Martha's Vineyard to settle his grandmother's estate. Complications arise when he encounters his childhood imaginary friend who he has to keep from disappearing forever. The reading featured Kevin Kane, Emily Bergl, Natalie Gold, Josh Breckenridge, Justin Adams, Jason Liebman, and Megan Lappin. After the reading, writers Andrea Scully and Eric Saiet spoke with WGAE President, Michael Winship about their creative process in writing together, how their personal conflicts assist in shaping their stories, and the blending of fantasy and reality in writing about imaginary friends.

SIX IMPOSSIBLE THINGS BEFORE BREAKFAST by Andrea Scully and Eric Saiet. When Nixon Mathis learns that his grandmother has died, he must return to help his sister handle her estate on Martha's Vineyard, a place where he spent his childhood summers. Because Nixon and his sister were raised on separate coasts after their parents' divorce, they hardly know one another as adults. Nixon has grown into a disenchanted workaholic, following far-too-closely in his father's footsteps-- and forgetting the imaginative child that he once was. Shortly after arriving on the island, Nixon reconnects with Chloe, his imaginary friend from childhood, who has also grown up since Nixon abandoned her 20 years before. Chloe is desperate to save Nixon's imagination before its dwindling state causes her to disappear forever. In the process, Nixon learns how important love, family, and imagination are to living the grown-up life that he once imagined for himself as a child.

Andrea Scully and Eric Saiet have written four original screenplays together, including the live action feature Reel to Real for Walt Disney Studios. They have also written multiple episodes of "Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood" and "Super Why," the Emmy-nominated children's series on PBS. Andrea earned her MFA in Creative Writing from Sarah Lawrence College and is presently working on a novel. She has also been known to make a mean mac and cheese when the occasion calls. Eric is a graduate of Northwestern University's theater department and has starred in numerous television shows and feature films. When prodded, he can do a perfect imitation of a cat coughing up a hairball.

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At the conclusion of the readings, audience members, writers, cast and crew were invited to a wine and cheese reception. The Screenplay Reading Series is produced and directed by WGAE Lifetime Member Susane Lee, with casting by Caroline Sinclair. Six Impossible Things Before Breakfast was directed by Susane Lee and Mama's Boy was directed by Shira-Lee Shalit.

The WGAE/WGAE Foundation Screenplay Reading Series at the JCC is a popular ongoing program held twice a year that began in 2006. The program encourages WGAE members to submit their unproduced screenplay excerpts to be read by a professional cast in front of a live audience. Out of the numerous submissions made by many talented writers, two are chosen for each event. After each reading, there is a Q&A session with the writer of the screenplay where he or she discusses the writing process, the original idea behind the script, and what the next steps are for their stories.

A Summer Saturday in the Berkshires

On July 9th, the Writers Guild of America East Foundation traveled to Great Barrington, Massachusetts to enjoy a “A Summer Saturday in the Berkshires.” WGAE Foundation board members, donors, and their guests attended a performance of Michael Weller’s play Moonchildren at the Berkshire Theatre Festival’s Unicorn Theatre, followed by a southern style barbeque by award winning pitmaster John Markus at the home of Susan Rose and Alan Lafer—all to benefit the programs of the WGAE Foundation!

To see more images from the Foundation’s “Summer Saturday in the Berkshires,” click here. Photos by Khalehla Rixon, Sarah Hubschman and Jenna Jackson.

If you would like to donate to the WGAE Foundation, you can do so online by clicking here. You can also read more about various ways to give to the Foundation HERE.

Helen Deutsch Veterans Writing Workshop for Caregivers

Our next Helen Deutsch Veterans Writing Workshop will be held in New York City on June 18th & 19th. We are thrilled to partner with Wounded Warrior Project again. Our volunteer mentors will work with the family members who have become full-time caregivers of their loved ones who have returned from Iraq and Afghanistan with severe and debilitating injuries. At the conclusion of the workshop, the caregivers will see a Broadway show courtesy of Disney who has generously donated 40 tickets to Mary Poppins and The Lion King.

Mentors are: Amy Cohen, Stephen Belber, Jessica Blank, Eric Bogosian, Matthew Eck, Rick Dresser, Gina Gionfriddo, Stephen Adly Guirgis, Thomas Kelly, Ryan Kelley, Jenny Lumet, John Markus, Marsha Norman, Willie Reale, David Tucker, and Michael Weller.

The 11th WGAE/WGAE Foundation Screenplay Reading at the JCC Manhattan

New York - On June 22nd, 2011, The Writers Guild of America, East (WGAE) and the Writers Guild of America, East Foundation (WGAEF) held their eleventh screenplay reading in the popular series at the JCC Manhattan. Excerpts from two new scripts, American Gothic by Scott Smith, and Citizen Kowalski by David Steven Cohen, were professionally produced with a talented cast of actors.

At 7:30 PM, the audience gathered at the JCC Goldman-Sonnenfeldt Auditorium. Despite the horrible weather, there was almost a full house that evening. First was the reading of American Gothic, which tells the story of the Booth Brothers, Edwin and John Wilkes, and their respective journeys that give both fame and notoriety to their family name. The reading featured Jack Noseworthy, Patrick Yeoman, PJ Sosko, Robert Mobley, Jason Jurman, Gary Swanson, Mark Bailey, and Megan Lappin. This was followed by a question and answer session with writer Scott Smith, moderated by WGAE President, Michael Winship, Emmy Award-winning senior writer of Bill Moyers Journal.
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AMERICAN GOTHIC by SCOTT SMITH tells the story of the Booth brothers, Edwin and John Wilkes. They were the sons of Junius Brutus Booth, the greatest Shakespearean actor of his day. Edwin grew up to surpass his father’s stature on the stage. John gravitated toward a more flamboyant style of acting, and became something of a matinee idol. Then he achieved a far greater fame by assassinating Abraham Lincoln.

SCOTT SMITH is the author of two novels, A SIMPLE PLAN and THE RUINS. He adapted A SIMPLE PLAN for the screen, starring Bill Paxton, Billy Bob Thornton, and Bridget Fonda in 1998. The screenplay won many awards, including an Academy Award nomination for Best Adapted Screenplay, as well as numerous awards for best supporting actor for Billy Bob Thornton. He also adapted THE RUINS for the screen in 2008. Stephen King called THE RUINS, “The best horror novel of the new century.” Stephen King also declared that Smith’s other novel, A SIMPLE PLAN, is “Simply the best suspense novel of the year.” Scott was educated at Dartmouth College and Columbia University. He lives in NYC, and is busy working on screenplays.

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Next was the reading of Citizen Kowalski, a screwball comedy about a Chicago cop forced into early retirement, only to find that everything he believed in his entire life is a tapestry of lies. This realization propels him to “find the loose thread on said tapestry and unravel.” The reading featured John Sharian, Jim Palumbo, Wayne Federman, JD Williams, Phyllis Somerville, Tracee Chimo, Reyna de Courcy, and Michael Carlsen. After the reading, writer David Steven Cohen spoke with WGAE President, Michael Winship about the ideas and philosophy behind Citizen Kowalski.

CITIZEN KOWALSKI by DAVID STEVEN COHEN is about Chicago police detective Joe Kowalski, “just Jack Law protecting John Q. Citizen from Johnny Bad News.” Sgt. Kowalski, whose heroes include Joe Friday, Robocop and Mr. Clean, is forced into early retirement by a department that can’t stand his obsession with integrity, redundancy and bad metaphors. Disillusioned, he goes home only to learn that all he believed in – his Wisconsin hometown, bowling leagues and the very fabric of his childhood – is a tapestry of lies “woven and otherwise intertwined with the yarn of deceit on the loom of despair by the Devil’s own rug-maker.” Kowalski vows “to find the loose thread on said tapestry and unravel.” And he will…

DAVID STEVEN COHEN, a screenwriter and TV writer-producer, is currently nominated for a 2011 Emmy for the PBS series Arthur. He co-wrote the animated feature Balto, produced by Steven Spielberg. David was Head Writer of Cartoon Network’s Courage the Cowardly Dog and an Emmy nominee and WGA Award winner as Executive Producer of Nickelodeon’s The Wubbulous World of Dr. Seuss. David’s other credits include Pee-wee’s Playhouse, Parker Lewis Can’t Lose, ALF, Living Single, and Strangers with Candy. Also an accomplished songwriter and lyricist, David wrote the libretto for the opera Lilith, which premiered at Lincoln Center in 2001. He has contributed songs to many features, TV series and recordings and was recently celebrated at the Lincoln Center American Songbook Series. David lives in Brooklyn Heights with his wife and two sons.

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After the conclusion of the readings, audience members, writers, cast and crew gathered on the roof of the JCC for a wine and cheese reception.The Screenplay Reading Series is produced and directed by WGAE Lifetime Member Susane Lee, with casting by Caroline Sinclair. The next screenplay reading is planned for October 17, 2011.

Third PencilPALS event with mentors and students in Corona, Queens

NEW YORK— On May 20th, nineteen writer and actor mentors went to P.S. 16, an elementary school in Corona, Queens, as part of their ongoing participation in PencilPALS (Performing Artists for Literacy in Schools). PencilPALS is an offshoot of BookPALS, a nationwide program of the Screen Actors Guild Foundation, and is part of the Writers Guild of America, East Foundation.

To start the day, a portion of the writers and actors gathered in the library, where they were dispersed to nine different first and second grade classrooms to read picture books to students as part of the BookPALS program. The mentors had a wonderful time reading and sharing with the students.

Afterward all the writer mentors gathered in the 5-4 Gifted and Talented class taught by fifth grade teacher Janine Esposito to meet their PencilPALs. Sitting on kid-sized chairs and a carpet on the floor, the young students talked about their favorite books, going to school and their summer vacations with the older writers. Visitors included writer and director Nora Ephron, her sister screenwriter Delia Ephron and writers from television shows such as Law & Order: Criminal Intent, One Life to Live and The Cosby Show. Please click here to read more.