Last Tuesday I got to sit in a theatre and watch the film Motion Sickness, AKA my first lead role in a feature film. It was...wow. That's a lot of my face. The film was thrilling and surreal and discomforting and titillating and kudos to SM Kerstein for accomplishing what he set out to do. On Thursday I got to work on a film called Emoticon with the legendary Carol Kane, and the pretty amazing director/writer/actress Livia De Paolis, playing the possible future love interest of Livia's main character. Also got callbacks for two "Daddy" Commercials as I like to call them (me = young dad). All the while I've been rehearsing for a play - and  finally, this Tuesday (last night) we introduced the world to Jon Kern's play Tapefaces. I flipped onto the stage at Ars Nova and what a ride it was. Kung Fu, racial identity and a whole lot of laughs. You shoulda been there. Now, a nap.   

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I was supposed to go on vacation. I got a call from my agent. "You're supposed to be away for the shoot date, but they asked to see you, will you go?" This doesn't happen to me very often, matter of fact, last time I recall being "requested", I went to the audition, and then proceeded to break my face and get a concussion, which made me oh so pretty for the callback, but I digress..

I went. It was a blast in the audition room. The director, Cole Webley is super cool, and fun, and threw out all kinds of permission to get ridiculous. And I did. And I liked it. And then I was "in the mix" for a few days as my vacation departure date got closer. And I booked it. And a whole bunch of travel plans got changed. And I made it to Baltimore. And we shot the commercial. And there was an earthquake - which we were only sure of cuz no one could get wireless reception for a spell. 

They ended up not really wanting to push the ridiculousness (bummer), but they have a good set-up in the spot, and they had some great people on the shoot - Viola Harris is magic - and the peeps from GE were happy to share the caulk (that sentence needed to be written). I hope they got the commercial that they imagined! And Duda's Tavern in Fell's Point was a hell of a place to happen upon on a Monday night. 

 

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We've gathered a beautiful ensemble of theatre makers from around the world to devise a new adaptation of Richard Brautigan's novel  IN WATERMELON SUGAR, a strange and dazzling meditation on the imperfection of human endeavors.  This story, set in a world where the sun shines a different color every day;  the houses are made of watermelon sugar; and each inhabitant is marked by dreams of gorgeous and terrible talking tigers,  cracks open the myth of an American utopia. With the gift of space from SPACE at Ryder Farm, Christopher Burris, Megan Carter, Pia Furtado, Jason Liebman, Tina Mitchell and Kristen Sieh will spend five days developing the novel’s text into a play.

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June 29th at ART/NY - 520 8th Avenue, on the 3rd Floor, I'll be participating in a reading of Mocha, by Eleanor Burgess as part of Reverie Productions Next Generation Finalist Readings. Reading starts at 7 pm.

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Last year, my friend and fellow actor, Michael Nathanson got me in to audition for this flick Win for Life. We shot it around New Jersey, had a great time playing around on set, and a year later - here it is! Reed Adler wrote and directed this funny little romp about what happens when a mild mannered substitute teacher is forced to embrace his inner Rambo. Hopefully playing the festival circuit in the coming months. 

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Every Monday in November at the Knitting Factory in Brooklyn we are presenting an encore of the award winning production of Can I Really Date a Guy Who Wears a Yarmulke? The production was a sellout smash at the Midtown International Theatre Festival this past summer, and I received a nomination for Best Lead Actor for my performance (as did the leading lady, the madly talented Catherine Lefrere). It's kind of a funny story how the revival came to be - suffice it to say it very nearly never happened and the Beatles are largely to thank for it (and a few other things...). We opened last Monday after nearly no rehearsal (seems to be a trend with this show..) to a great crowd and some very appreciated laughter. It's pretty nutty performing once a week - you just never know what you're gonna get (other than a good time, of course, what else could I possibly mean?) We have 3 performances left and I urge you to check us out. It's good fun, and the bar is open. Here's the skinny: Play, Fun & Bar. Details at www.yarmulkeplay.com

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On Tuesday July 6th, the cast and team behind Amy Holson-Schwartz’s play “Can I Really Date A Guy Who Wears A Yarmulke?” officially met for the first time. We had our table read, blocked a few scenes, and then met again most days for the next (almost) 2 weeks. On Saturday July 17th, we had our first performance of the show before a paying audience. ... (continued)

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!