Last weekend was spent avoiding the deluge, and considering construction of an ark (as in Noah’s, not Raiders of…). Spent the weekend in Wayne, NJ and Hartford, CT finishing up Paul Dipalma’s film, False Double. We shot in the middle of a rainstorm (exteriors too) and in the freezing cold, and worked through traffic jams, detours, completely inconsistent weather, prosthetic fingers that didn’t wanna get on straight, a blood geyser rig that didn’t wanna geyser, and many trees down. And somehow it was kind of a blast. Oh – and – did I mention I took night time cold medicine right before we started shooting Saturday? Good times. A week later, it’s 75 degrees outside, the sun is shining, and I’m heading to the park for a picnic. Though I am thoroughly stoked for a relaxing day in the sun – I wouldn’t mind another movie…anybody got one?

Paul Dipalma, who produced the feature Motion Sickness that we had a rollercoaster ride getting made, is making a movie! He wrote the short False Double and will be directing it and I will be playing the lead. Lensing begins this weekend, 02/06 and the added bonus – I get to play with my friends Sharon Eisman and Jorge Cordova (who I just did The Ninja Cherry Orchard with), and Steven (Sam/SM/Shmuelly) Kerstein, who wrote and directed Motion Sickness is working on it too, as is Deb Prado (who did a million things on the set of Motion Sickness)! Arturo – you will be missed!

About two years ago I started work on an indie feature called Motion Sickness. I was a different person then in so many ways and I could not have imagined that it would be a part of my life for as long as it has. Tonight, I wrapped principal photography on the film. In the interim, I've done numerous plays, several short films, some commercial stuff and VO's, but this was my first starring role in a feature film, and tonite I'm thrilled that we got to finish it. Now we get to see where it goes. And despite wanting desperately to see where that will be, and being relieved/ecstatic/surprised/ecstatic/relieved that we finished the thing, I can't help but be a little bummed that this flick that has been there waiting to get done through the huge changes that have happened to me over the past couple years, is in the can, and the fractured psyche of Shem Mochin can be laid to rest. I've spent a long time in some very cold water, even longer in very hot apartments (and a train), seen some memorable things (that's pretty much all you Musto), been decapitated and recapitated, worn the crap out of a navy blue suit and fedora, and worked with some truly wonderful folks. I will be psyched to see them all at the wrap party. And you at the premiere!

2 weeks after we finished our run of Fight Girl Battle World, which was a blast, by the way - these 2 reviews get posted, and yup, they're pretty amazing. not that they would've changed anything during the run, we were sold out prior to our first performance, but it's always nice to find out the audience was having a good time too! check it: http://www.showbusinessweekly.com/archive2009/551/fight.shtml and this one is almost literally a love letter: http://www.pinkraygun.com/2009/08/04/geek-theater-vampire-cowboy’s-fight-girl-battle-world-rocks-my-frickin-geek-world/

FIGHT GIRL BATTLE WORLD strikes back next Tuesday! Get your tix now! Opening and Closing nights SOLD OUT! Whaddup, Vamp Fans! Finally, Vampire Cowboys' critically-acclaimed show, FIGHT GIRL BATTLE WORLD,returns for a limited 6 performance run at HERE Arts Center this coming Tuesday (July 14th)! Tickets for Opening and Closing nights have already sold out, so please grab yours now so you won't miss out on all the action and adventure! We promise ya, this is one fun geekalicious sci-fi theatrical ride you are not gonna want to miss! JULY 14th thru 18th, 2009! tues, wed, thurs, fri, & sat @ 8:30pm plus a special late night performance on friday, july 17th @ 11pm at HERE ARTS CENTER 145 Sixth Avenue (enter on Dominick, one block south of Spring) Only $15 Admission For tix: CLICK HERE! Or visit www.here.org or call 212.352.3101 For more info: www.vampirecowboys.com

So I am still kinda weird about posting this, maybe cuz it's vain to do so, or possibly because I am Canadian, but, over the weekend, after seeing "Doctors Jane & Alexander" theatre artist extraordinaire Ian W. Hill had this to say about me on his blog: "I will note that the cast is excellent. Jason Liebman is a perfect stage-version of Edward -- it's been my pleasure to direct Jason, and whenever I watch him in anything I always wonder why he isn't a star yet. I mean, I work with and know many MANY brilliant actors, but when I watch Jason he just has that quality that makes you wonder, "Why doesn't he have a sitcom or a movie or something like that yet?" You just LIKE him and like watching him." I can't quite explain how much it means to me to hear anyone say that, particularly someone I respect. Especially after the process of this show, which was a little more difficult than I was expecting. Though it was rewarding; the cast & crew were truly excellent, and I think that Edward Einhorn truly has something to say with the piece. And now we can put that one to bed, cuz I have a reading Thursday night for Reverie Productions. It's a play called City Hall Cemetery, and it's ridiculously lovely. Come check it if you can. Details and link to rsvp: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=83370458105 Also shooting a film this evening, and this morning I did some ADR for a new NBC series called The Philanthropist. And, just starting to dip my toes in the next play, the remount of The Vampire Cowboys Fight Girl Battle World. Busy. Good.

Doctors Jane & Alexander is nearing the end of it's run - 1 week of performances left and we recently got a lovely review from Martin Denton, the tireless theatre lover behind nytheatre.com. You can read it here: http://www.nytheatre.com/nytheatre/review_fest.php?p=100004 It has been an exhausting process, to be completely honest - the show is the first one I've had serious difficulty figuring out. It's part documentary theatre, and also largely not. The characters are real people (a lot of whom have seen the show...), yet we aren't being "them." And I'm playing the guy who wrote, directed and produced the play, but not doing "him." Confused yet? I think the lesson I've learned is that it's a lot simpler than all that. Not to say that I have it all figured out, or that figuring it out necessarily yields a good performance, but it does create a comfort, or an ease and that usually leads to discovery, which is where the exciting stuff happens. It's taken a while to get there, and I think we are, and am quite excited to see what the final week will bring.

Long day yesterday. looooooooooooooooooooooong. And to cap off the day, I had a show at 9 pm, and it requires some effort and concentration. So I downed a cup of coffee right before showtime. And the motor, which had been dormant for a while, started revving. And next thing I remember the show's over, and I hardly remember a moment of it. Having said that, I think the show's really coming together, and the cast do some really wonderful work. It's called Doctors Jane and Alexander, and Alyssa Simon (who is my age) plays my mom (in the show) at various ages throughout her life, but mostly at age 68, battling the effects of a stroke. She's badass. As is Timothy Babcock as my doctor/musician gramps, Peter Bean who pays my brother, Talaura Harms & Josh Mertz in a slew of roles, hilarious all, and Phoebe Silva rockin' the Irish accent, and playing a very young girl determined to get her prize. So glad to play with all of them, just wish I could remember what i did last night.

It's been an interesting process, working on a found text play and this week we get to share it with you. Come check it out: Doctors Jane & Alexander written and directed by Edward Einhorn Music by Alexander S. Wiener and Henry Akona Untitled Theater Co. #61, New York at Theater Three, 311 W. 43rd St, 3rd Floor with: Timothy Babcock*, Peter Bean*, Talaura Harms*, Jason Liebman*, Josh Mertz, Phoebe Silva*, Alyssa Simon*, and Maxwell Zener* on May 23 WORLD PREMIERE Sat 5/23 @6:00, Mon 5/25 @7:30 (followed by a discussion), Thu May 28@9:00, Sun 5/31@5:00, Sat 6/6 @8:30, Sun 6/7 @7:30, Mon 6/8 @7:30, Fri 6/12 @9:00, Sat 6/13 @6:00, Sun 6/14 @1:00 Tickets $18 BUY NOW ONLINE! or call 212-352-3101 Using found, fabricated, and occasionally finagled text, the playwright explores the life of his grandfather Alexander S. Wiener, the co-discoverer of the Rh factor in blood, through interviews with his mother, a psychologist who recently retired due to a debilitating stroke. An examination of art, science, ambition, and achievement, told with humor and song. Company bio: Untitled Theater Company #61 is a Theater of Ideas: scientific, political, philosophical, and above all theatrical. Past projects include the Ionesco Festival, the NEUROfest, the Havel Festival, and the Off-Broadway production of Fairy Tales of the Absurd. Most recently, they produced a calypso musical version of Kurt Vonnegut’s Cat’s Cradle.

Sunday afternoon I was fortunate enough to participate in Youngbloods' final Brunch of the season, in a piece by my friend Michael Lew. I also was lucky enough to get to re-inhabit the character of Bootsy Nostradamus from a piece written by Graeme Gillis I did for the Vampire Cowboys' Revamped in 2008. The character is ridiculous good fun to play, and I think he has helped me discover where my "sweet spot" might be. Bootsy is a legendary DJ, and possibly rock star cool. He is also not all there (or is he?) and sees the future, which of course leads to confused reactions from those around him, and the audience, which of course allows me to relish those weird moments where he comes off less cool than he might seemingly be. The sweet spot. Outward cool with a soft geeky center, prone to making pronouncements with a certainty that should embarrass him, but doesn't. Or at least that's what I got to do on Sunday with wonderful castmates Melanie King, Devere Rogers and Keith Randolph Smith.