Pity Applause
After months of raw short form improv it was decided that Pity Applause Needed something special to differentiate it from other Improv shows in the highly competitive New York City market. Pity Applause would change its format to include short film elements added in between live scenes to create an "in real time" story line that informed the improv that is still heavily influenced by the audience. This discovery of this experiment created a highly immersive and at times "choose your own adventure." Paul along with Eric Striffler, Lee Becker and Samantha Nugent wrote, produced, directed and performed the show for more than 2 years and created a special type of improv that was a unique exploration of the performance genre with richer story and production value. Pity Applause truly turned traditional improvisation on it's head, blurring the lines of what is real and what is scripted.
Nyctophobia 2013-2016
Nyctophobia was a Halloween season event that ran from 2012-2016 which broke far away from the traditional "haunted house" experience. Instead of jump scares and gore Nyctophobia was a psychological scare where patrons would go through a story line like trial in which they were the main character in the story and interact with the actors on a cerebral level to get to the end. Paul's role is best described as playing the part of your conscience in a brutally honest interview with intimate exchanges of personal questions about your personal, career and love life. Before beginning you were made to promise two things: "Never break eye contact with me...and don't lie to me." This is a completely improvised dialogue in which the questions are based on the previous answers given to create a road map of the kind of person that you are based on what you've confessed. Paul created an atmosphere which the majority of the people interviewed were truthful in their answers and admitted when called out on a lie. Some reveled in it, some cried and some even realized they weren't in love with the people they came with.
Pity Applause LIVE
Pity Applause LIVE is a fast growing short form improvisation/variety show currently performing bi-weekly on Friday nights. Paul started this troupe, alongside his partner Eric Striffler Decemeber of 2013 strictly as an improv show but has developed into performances that consistently include live bands to open and written and planned material of any kind. Paul contributions to the shows are that of a producer, director, host, writer and performer of every show and although the workload is heavy he feels nothing but pride in having created something such as this show, out of nothing.
Friday Night Live
Friday Night Live is a free admittance, 90 minute improvisation show that is performed every Friday on Buffalo State College campus during school semesters. It is completely student run and is an all student cast including Paul. His role outside of performer was as assistant coordinator in charge of directing rehearsals, introducing new, games and moderating business discussions within the group.
Dames at Sea
In the fall of 2012 Buffalo State Theater put on Dames at Sea in Donald Savage Buildings Flexible theater. The space is quite intimate for a musical with tap dancers stepping right at your feet. Paul played the part of Lucky in one of director Carlos Jones' alternating casts. each week the principle cast would switch with the ensemble giving each actor two different roles.
The Stepmother
The National Premiere of Githa Sowerby's The Stepmother discovered and directed by Donn Youngstrom of Buffalo State College. Paul was cast as the role of Peter Holland in this melodramatic story.
Underspoken Blaze
Underspoken Blaze was performed at the third annual Anne Frank Project outside on the Buffalo State College Campus. The audience sat on the grass and watched director/writer Gabriella Moreno's second Anne Frank Project. Each of the cast once again play human embodiment's of emotions to showcase the extremes of emotion that one feels in times of despair. Paul embodied Fear and portrayed the paralyzing effect that it has.
I'm Not Leaving
The World Premiere of the stage adaptation of Carl Wilkens book I'm Not Leaving. All of the cast including Paul played different ensemble parts and even sharing the role of Carl Wilkens to put him in "your" own shoes as he retells his story about the Rwandan genocide.
Julius Caesar
Buffalo State College and Director Drew Kahn's presentation of Julius Caesar. Set to the year 2020 it shows a possibility of what the future may be in the style of Shakespeare with the idea of "women in power." All of the conspirators were played by women to create an edge to the piece and to intrigue the imagination of an audiences. Paul was cast as Marc Antony who is now the defender of a masculine rule.
Incidental Music of Theatre
In the spring of 2010 the Buffalo Philharmonic Opera put on a musical scoring of several plays that were preceded by actors doing a informed reading on stage. Paul read for the parts of Egmont from Egmont, Macheath from Three Penny Opera and Demetrius from A Midsummer Nights Dream.
Fuddy Meers
The Regional premiere of Fuddy Meers at Buffalo State College in the fall of 2010 and was directed by Joseph Price. Paul was the stepfather, Richard Fiffle. In this production he shaved back his hairline to get a balding effect.
Untitled Drops of Water
Untitled Drops of Water premiered at the Second Annual Anne Frank Project in the Summer of 2010. The play was written and directed by a student Gabriella Moreno. All the cast played characters who embodied an emotion, Paul personified indifference.
Buffalo State College: Orientation Presentation
Buffalo State Theater Department puts on a production in collaboration with Buffalo State Orientation for first year and transfer students where we, the cast, write and perform a show that expresses the rules, regulations and guidelines to the successful college experience in a comedic way using story-telling scenarios to make it interesting for an audience to engage in. Paul has been apart of this project for the 2010, 2011, and 2012 presentations.
Seven Keys to Baldpate
Seven Keys to Baldpate was the Buffalo State College spring production directed by Donn Youngstrom in the spring of 2010. Paul played the melodramatic sociopath Lou Max.
Anything Goes
Buffalo State Colleges Fall 2009 Production of Anything Goes directed by Professor Joseph Price. Paul was cast in the role of Whitney with an alternate take on the character, modeling him after Groucho Marx.