Choke is no longer on Atom. Scroll down for the good news!
So, long about 2007, I went to the Great Plains Theatre Conference in Omaha for the first time.
While there, I had the pleasure of meeting and working with playwright Terence Anthony.
Playwright Terence Anthony
We (the we being all the Kokopelli crew in attendance there that year) were reading one of his plays called Tangled. It also happened that he would be attending the Last Frontier Theatre Conference in Valdez, Alaska (which I've been attending for a while) that year as well. I would end up reading his play Choke in the Fringe Festival one night. It scored big laughs and was quite the tight little piece, full of Terence's great dialogue and social commentary that doesn't just lay in your lap - it hits you over the head. So, the following year (2008) in Valdez, the Fringe Dudes (Erick Hayden and Barry Levine) asked if I would reprise my role as Max for a kick-off night.
Choke - Last Frontier Theatre Conf 2008
More than a reading, this was a quasi-staged quick one-off on the opening night of the conference. A load of fun despite the lights coming up a wee-bit too soon. That's live theatre baby! So, here we are in 2009 and you are saying to yourself, "what gives?". Well, you see, Mr. Anthony writes, animates and edits together a little thing called Orlando's Joint and he thought it'd be fun to turn his twisted tale, Choke, into an animated short. And I was honored that he asked me to voice one of the characters. When T. told me about it, he said he wanted me to play Phil. This is noted as important because I had played Max in the previous incarnations and had grown fond of him. Soon, however, I would see the finished product and see the wisdom of Mr. Anthony. Sure, I could have played Max, but by modulating my voice up a bit and putting on my best Ivy League Swarm, I was Phil! A part that I would probably never get cast as in the 3-dimensional world of stage.
As of JUNE 22, 2010, CHOKE is now distributed exclusively through IndieFlix. When I have a more direct link, I will post it. Cheers!
Update July 11, 2010: Link - http://www.indieflix.com/film/choke-31100/
WARNING: This video contains strong language, simulated violence and may also cause uncomfortable laughter...
