Jefe's House

Looking for the Pope in Philadelphia

On this overcast, blustery fall day I made a lone pilgrimage on foot two miles from my South Philly home to Center City for a chance at glimpsing Pope Francis, “the people’s Pope,” in person.  All the way up Broad Street, Army or National Guard soldiers — I’m not sure which — in green fatigues hung out casually in pairs on every other street corner. They’d been there since last night but I’m not sure why as no Papal events are planned this far south and barely a soul was out. The city seems apocalyptically deserted.

Click to enlarge photos.

Eventually I came to barricades personed by police and military at every intersection to keep out vehicles but as a pedestrian I could pass freely. Finally, just south of City Hall, I reached one of the security entrances to the main event.  The lines were much shorter than I anticipated, and much friendlier.  Soon I was inside the secure zone.

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Although I’m not Catholic and have serious disagreements with the Catholic Church and its checkered history, the Pope is a major historical figure and he’s right here in my town so naturally I wanted to be a part of the event.  Like all these visitors from around the world I was one more gawking pilgrim eager to see “the people’s Pope” in the flesh.

Crossing Love Park I got my first glimpse of one of the Jumbotrons, on which the Pope was just starting (continue reading…)

According to an automated Facebook message I received this morning I posted this picture 4 years ago today on 4/12/11. I decided to check my blog for that date as well and yep, this was about to happen:

Amtrak Residency
Day 12
3/24/15

This morning while hurtling across western Pennsylvania I enjoyed my final Amtrak breakfast.  I sat next to a uniformed Amtrak police officer en route to a meeting at our final stop on the Capitol Limited, Washington, DC. From there I’ll take a two-hour ride  to Philadelphia on the Amtrak Acela Express and be home in time for dinner.

Across from us sat two elderly women from Pittsburgh and Baltimore. The officer had spent 26 years on the Chicago police force before retiring into a much less stressful “second career” working for Amtrak.

Old round house; Martinsburg, WV station

After a few minutes of instinctively probing their names, destinations, life stories, I sprung it on them that I’m a (continue reading…)

Amtrak Residency
Day 10
3/22/15
Got up with the rooster crow — or in Amtrakspeak the ear-blasting 6am breakfast call — to see off the Warren-Powells who hopped off in Osceola, IA at 7:40am. I then wrote until an early lunchtime (the last meal aboard my beloved California Zephyr before it concluded its run in Chicago) during which I met a pair of retired micro-brewers, Wendy and Don Littlefield. The better half is completing her first novel, a murder mystery that I look forward to reading.  They also hipped me to Philly Inquirer food writer Craig LaBan, whom I should have known about as I’m now a Philadelphian, but I didn’t. Now I do. We also talked about our shared appreciation for August Wilson and the fact that they’ll be seeing Two Trains Running in Chicago soon. This was the second time on this trip that August Wilson came up.

The train station in Galesburg, IL, historically an important railroad town, boasts and antique Pullman car…

I spent my final few hours aboard the Zephyr (continue reading…)

The thinking man’s Thing 1.

The full effect. My better half and  I are but bookends to the main attraction. Costumes (besides the wigs) are entirely homemade by said better half.

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* A lot can and did happen in 60 seconds. Last weekend’s One-Minute Play Festival at the Interact Theatre has come and gone and the video is now online at howlround.tv. I urge you to watch all 60 of these charming 60-second plays or skim to any place and watch a few flavorful tidbits to brighten your day. They are funny, tragic, political, topical, you name it.  If you’d like to see mine, “Foreign Policy,” written just for this festival, you can drop in at 42:45. It was directed by David O’Connor and features actors Isaiah Ellis, Ashley Fisher-Tannenbaum and Joseph Smithey. *

My short play “Foreign Policy,” written just for Dominic D’Andrea‘s nationally acclaimed One-Minute Play Festival & Philly’s InterAct Theatre Company, and directed by David O’Connor, will premiere this weekend at the One-Minute Play Festival:

Sunday, August 3rd @ 8PM
Monday, August 4th @ 8PM
Tuesday, August 5th @ 8PM

On the main stage at the Adrienne
2030 Sansom Street
Philadelphia

This year’s fest features 60+ rapid fire miniature plays by established and emerging Philadelphia playwrights.

In the meantime, please enjoy a Boneyard cocktail.

InterAct Theatre Company and the Philadelphia New Play Initiative are presenting a Playwrights Showcase this Friday 6/27/14 at 8pm at the Adrienne Theatre on 20th and Sansom Streets featuring excerpts of works from Emily Acker, Alisha Adams, Joy Cutler, Chris Davis, Jacqueline Goldfinger, Sam Henderson, Bruce Walsh, Douglas Williams and yours truly (from my play UFOs Over Brooklyn).

This event is FREE but (continue reading…)

[NEWS FLASH: Jeffrey Stanley’s BONEYARDS is coming to NYC! 3 shows only, February 2015. Details here.]

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Broad Street 10-Miler
Philadelphia, PA
5/4/14

2012 – 10:13 minute mile.

2013 – 9:39 minute mile.

2014 – 9:08 minute mile.

8-minute mile, I’m coming for you.

The Bridal Salon reading series at The Painted Bride

presents a developmental reading of Jeffrey Stanley‘s unproduced play Virginia Dare at 7pm on Wednesday, February 26th in Philadelphia.

The Bridal Salon is a play-reading series created to support the ever growing Philadelphia theater community. Actors, directors, playwrights and theater enthusiasts can all benefit. This year, local artist Cara Blouin brings in trained new play adjudicators to each reading, providing feedback critical to the writing process. The entry fee for audience members is Pay What You Can.

Come and check out Jeffrey Stanley’s latest and nail him to the wall with your comments on this haunting Appalachian drama.

230 Vine Street

Philadelphia, PA 19106

More at www.paintedbride.org/bridalsalon/