Charles Messina

Charles Messina
Born	Charles Messina (1971-10-21)October 21, 1971 Greenwich Village, New York,United States
Occupation(s)	playwright,screenwriter,director

Charles Messina(born October 21, 1971, inGreenwich Village, New York) is an Americanplaywright,screenwriter,director,and co-founder ofNahNotOutsideMyHouse! Productions.He is ofItalian-Americandescent. He attendedXavier High Schooland then later,New York University.

Career

Messina's most notable stage work is theOff-BroadwayplayMercury: The Afterlife and Times of a Rock God,a monodrama written and directed by Messina aboutQueenfrontmanFreddie Mercury,which starredKhalid Gonçalvesand later,Amir Darvish.

Among Messina's other biographical works, there isCirque Jacqueline,about the life ofJacqueline Kennedy Onassis,which was written by and starred Andrea Reese, andThe Accidental Pervert,an autobiographical one man show written and performed byAndrew Goffmanand directed by Messina.

In 1999,Actor Found Dead,a one-act play written and directed by Messina about actorJames Hayden(who Messina, as a child, had seen inAmerican Buffalo), debuted at the John Houseman Studio Theatre in New York City. The play starred Khalid Gonçalves as Hayden, with Andrew I. Mones and David B. Martin.A screenplay based on Hayden's life was optioned in late 2007.

In the fall of 2006, the Messina-penned filmThey're Just My Friendswas released, starringLord Jamar,Malik Yoba,andBruce Altman.

In August 2007, Messina directedTwo-Mur Humor,which was an official entry in the 2007Fringe Festivalin NYC.

In 2007, Messina also directed the big budget musicalBe My Love: The Mario Lanza Story,written byRichard Vetere,about the life of singerMario Lanza,which was produced bySonny GrossoandPhil Ramone.It premiered at The Tilles Center for the Performing Arts in Greenvale, NY.

Also in 2007, Messina's playMergingstarringJason Cerbone,andErnest Mingionewon Best Play in The Players' Theater's Shortened Attention Span Theater Festival in Greenwich Village. A film version of the playMergingwas released in 2009.

Messina has directed the off-Broadway showsRockaway BoulevardbyRichard Vetere,The Accidental PervertbyAndrew Goffman,andArt Metrano'sAccidental Comedy,as well as a staged reading of his own scriptYounger,starringJoe Piscopo.

Messina's play,Homeland,which premiered in 2008, starredSopranosactorsDan Grimaldi,Jason Cerbone,Joe Lisi,as well as Amir Darvish.

Messina co-wrote the bookMy Father, My Don,about the life of Genovese CapoJames "Jimmy Nap" Napoliand his son Tony Napoli, in collaboration with Tony Napoli.

In May 2010, Messina directed and co-wrote (along with Vincent Gogliormella) the scriptTwas The Night Before a Brooklyn Christmas,starringMario Cantone,Michael RispoliandRobert Cuccioli,also at 45 Bleecker Street.

In 2011, the filmSpywas released, starringVincent Pastore,Frank Vincent,andBen Curtis.Messina was co-author of the film's screenplay.

On March 29, 2012 - April 1, 2012, three of Messina's plays -Merging,Fugazy,andSick Bastids- under the titleThe Tenement Plays,were performed at the 13th St Repertory Theater.

Twilight Theatre Productions performed three of Messina's plays -Thompson Street,Lilac,andFugazy- from June 21 through August 2, 2013, atKenlake State Resort ParkinHardin, KY.

On September 22, 2013, The Abingdon Theatre hosted a special reading of three of Messina's plays:Fairies,Thompson Street,andSinkhole,as part of a fundraiser for the theater. The cast included (in alphabetical order): Michael Barbieri,Anthony DeSando,Alfredo Diaz, Nick Fondulis,Khalid Gonçalves,Steven LaChioma,Tom Alan Robbins,Scott Seidman, andJohnny Tammaro.

According to BroadwayWorld.com, Fairies was "so beloved by audiences" that The Abingdon Theatre decided to produce the show again, on December 17, 2013. The entire original cast returned.

On November 16, 2014, three new one-act plays by Messina were read at The Abingdon Theatre as part of their weekly Sunday Series. The plays, titledA Mooney for the Misbegotten,Fifteen Minutes of Shame,andChubby & Glen,featured actorsJason Cerbone,Anthony DeSando,Mary Dimino, Nick Fondulis,Valerie Smaldone,Johnny Tammaro,and Michael Townsend Wright.

The Abingdon Theatre once again hosted a reading of Messina's one-act trilogies, this time on March 22, 2015. TitledThree from the Neighborhood,the evening marked the debut ofDewey, Phukum & Howe,The Neighborhood,andThe Wreck.The cast featured: Michael Barbieri, Rosie DeSanctis,Anthony DeSando,Alfredo Diaz, Mary Dimino, Nick Fondulis,Lynne Koplitz,Khalid Gonçalves,Ernest Mingione,Kyle C. Mumford, Craig Rivela, Jonathan Smith,Johnny Tammaroand Michael Townsend Wright.

The Abingdon Theatre Company presented a reading of Messina's play A ROOM OF MY OWN, starring Mario Cantone, Ralph Macchio, Joli Tribuzio, Tammaro, Barbieri, Jain, Antoinette LaVecchia and Michael Townsend Wright on April 21, 2015. [17]The comedy is based on Messina's life growing up in Greenwich Village in the late 1970s.

The Abingdon Theatre has committed to a full production of the play next season in spring 2016. The autobiographical play is a bawdy, family comedy revolving around a writer telling the story of his life, as events and characters start to slowly slip away from his control.

Messina will be debutingTrue East,an urbanTwilight Zone-esque podcast series set in the Greenwich Village of the 1980s. The series is being produced by Hollywood veteran Craig Singer in conjunction with Sound Lounge's Marshall Grupp. It will be narrated by actorRalph Macchio.

Upcoming and announced projects

A Room of My Own

On September 20, 2010, a staged reading of Messina's semi-autobiographical playA Room of My Own,about an Italian-American family living in Greenwich Village in the late 1970s, was performed at The Theatre at 45 Bleecker Street in Greenwich Village withRalph Macchio,Cantone,Lynne Koplitz,Johnny Tammaro, John Barbieri, and Kendra Jain.

On November 13, 2012, a second reading of the play was done at 45 Bleecker Street, starring Cantone,Rachel Dratch,Zach Galligan,and Mike Barbieri, as well as Tammaro, and Jain.

The Abingdon Theatre Company presented a reading of Charles Messina's playA Room of My Own,starring Cantone, Macchio, Joli Tribuzio, Tammaro, Barbieri, Jain, Antoinette LaVecchia and Michael Townsend Wright on April 21, 2015.The comedy is based on Messina's life growing up in Greenwich Village in the late 1970s.

Broadway World announced that the Abingdon Theatre will be debuting the first full production ofA Room of My Own.The show will have a special limited-engagement run from February 19 - March 20, 2016.The autobiographical play is a bawdy, family comedy revolving around a writer telling the story of his life, as events and characters start to slowly slip away from his control.

A Room of My Ownstarring Ralph Macchio and Mario Cantone will open on February 13, 2016, at the Abingdon Theatre.

The Wanderer

Messina is currently collaborating withDion DiMuccion a musical about the singer's life calledThe Wanderer - the Life and Music of Dion,withTed Kurdylaas executive producer. The first reading of the play was performed at the Triad Theater in New York City on October 13, 2011.On September 13 and 14, 2018 the NYC workshop of “The Wanderer” took place at theBaryshnikov Arts Center.It was produced by Jill Menza and Charles Messina, written by Charles Messina and directed by Kenneth Ferrone. It starred Mike Wartella,Christy Altomare,Joey McIntyre,Johnny Tammaro,Joli Tribuzio, Lance Roberts and others.

In a December 9, 2011, interview withThe New York Times,Messina explained why he chose Dion's story as a subject: "The conflict was irresistible to me as a dramatist," he said. "But what's interesting about Dion is that he lived. In my other plays, you don't have that ending where the guy overcame. Dion overcame."

On March 18, 2019, BroadwayWorld announced that The Wanderer would begin a run at New Jersey'sPaper Mill Playhousein the spring of 2020, before its eventual Broadway debut.Kenneth Ferroneis slated to direct.

Summary of Works

Plays

• Roman Candles(1995) - writer, director
• Mercury: The Afterlife and Times of a Rock God(1997) - writer, director
• Actor Found Dead(1999) - writer, director
• Rockaway Boulevard(2004) - director
• Cirque Jacqueline(2004–2008) - director
• The Accidental Pervert(2005–present) - director
• Younger(2006) - writer, director
• Two-Mur Humor(2007) - writer, director
• Be My Love: The Mario Lanza Story(2007) - director
• Accidental Comedy(2009) - director
• A Room of My Own(2009) - writer, director
• The Fatman Cometh(2011) - director
• Sick Bastids(2012) - writer
• Thompson Street(2013) - writer
• Lilac(2013) - writer
• Fugazy(2013) - writer
• An Honest Woman(2013) - writer, director
• Fairies(2013) - writer, director
• Thompson Street(2013) - writer, director
• Sinkhole(2013) - writer, director
• Chubby & Glen(2014) - writer, director
• Fifteen Minutes of Shame(2014) - writer, director
• A Mooney for the Misbegotten(2014) - writer, director
• Dewey, Phukum & Howe(2015) - writer, director
• The Neighborhood(2015) - writer, director
• The Wreck(2015) - writer, director
• Calm the Light(2016) - writer, director
• A Room of My Own (2016) - writer, director
• The Wanderer (2018) - writer, producer

Published plays

• Mercury: The Afterlife and Times of a Rock God- (2009) by Original Works Publishing.
• Three Plays by Charles Messina (Fugazy, Klepto and Merging)- (2011) by The Beckham Publications Group

Films

• They're Just My Friends(2006) - co-writer
• Merging(2009) - screenwriter, director
• Spy(2011) - co-writer
• Choose(2011) - associate producer
• Thompson Street(2015) - writer

Books

• My Father, My Don(2008) - co-author (published by The Beckham Publications Group) - Tony Nap Napoli

Podcasts

• True East (series)(2015) - writer, director

External links

• Charles Messina's official site
• NahNotOutsideMyHouse! Productions, Messina's production company
• Charles MessinaatIMDb