Next Friday, on Parallel Exit’s Artistic Director Mark Lonergan’s birthday, Parallel Exit celebrates 25 years.
On Friday, February 26th, at 7:00 pm, we celebrate a quarter-century of work, with laughter, performances, and interviews with some of your favorite Parallel Exit artists
I have photographed many of this company’s wonderful shows and I can say that they are ‘brilliant’. Both the director and the company bring so much joy and laughter to the audience. You will not be disappointed if you attend this Celebration!
Since many shows have been CANCELLED in the past weeks I have decided to rerun some of the interviews I did that are with the performers/directors involved in these shows. Today is the funny man Joel Jeske who created with Parallel Exit director Mark Lonergan “The Artist Will Be With You In a Moment“. It was open for several performances BUT I didn’t get to see it! The reviews are ‘great’ so I am thinking it will be mounted again in the not-too-distant future! In the meantime here is Mr. Jeske talking about his show.
“The commanding performance artist Joel Jeske during his uproarious, clever and thoughtful self-created and self-written show, The Artist Will Be With You in a Moment. Relying on his dazzling clowning, his winning presence, and plentiful audience participation, it’s 70 delightful, breezy and theatrical minutes.”
Keep your eyes open for more information at Parallel Exit‘s website!
The Final Reel is inspired by the iconic films Sherlock Jr and The Purple Rose of Cairo. An eccentric historian discovers the holy grail of silent films: the final reel of a forgotten classic thought to be lost to history. As he presents the film for the first time in a hundred years, his bumbling assistant accidentally steps into the movie and falls in love with the heroine. The two-love birds step back into the modern world and the heroine is left to make a fateful decision – one that changes every night of performance with the help of the audience.
It was a delightful, comical and well-produced show! Produced in association with City Tech TheaterWorks. Here are a few still photographs I was able to capture while really enjoying the show.
The show is over but hopefully it will come back to be performed again!
I have had the ultimate pleasure of photographing and videotaping Joel Jeske in many shows and moods in many venues over the past several years. I will attempt to post here a collection of images and such to reflect his incredible talents and charm.
Parallel Exit presented their wonderful variety show “MOVE IT” at the intimate Canal Park Playhouse last night. Hosted by Mark Longergan. Along with the in-house talent they added students from their physical comedy workshop to the lineup.
Joel Jeske and Mark Lonergan discuss the upcoming "Comedy Academy" workshop . Informing the viewer how they approach their teaching/coaching and the various methods of participating in the workshop.
Mark Lonergan knows how to make great shows! His last production was a terrific hit. ROOM 17B.
His company PARALLEL EXIT has been making great shows for quite a few years now. So it is no surprise that when he puts together a variety show it is wonderful!
Tonight’s show wasn’t any exception.
Mark Lonergan introduces the first act of the evening.
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ERIC WRIGHT and KATRINA DENNY
A puppet performance with different disciplines used.
Joel in the highly successful and very funny show ROOM 17B.
I talked to Joel a year ago about meeting up for a photo session to begin this project. We finally got to it today in April 2011.
Joel Jeske is one of the funniest men around. And not just when he is performing! I have seen and worked with him on quite a few shows/projects including the recent Parallel Exit show ROOM 17B and we did a book together on Clown. His stage persona is so strong and funny that the audience always remembers him after the shows are over. I had the pleasure to photograph him at my home. . One of his other performing projects is the family show Hey Ya Brothers with Christoper Lueck.
If you want to laugh a lot – I suggest you take your friends, kids, aunts and uncles to see JOEL perform where ever he is appearing!