PSB hits 100,000 views!

Why this highly artistic partial nude photo of Nick and Andrew? Why to celebrate PSB first 100,000 youtube views of course! Check out the video below to see the first Prep School Blues video to reach six digits. It really thrills me that PSB has reached so many viewers!

In Prep School Blues Episode 5 "Romeo Oh Romeo": Jack directs his first play, Shakespeare's "Romeo and Juliet", but finds his love of theater (and his relationship with Edgar!) may threaten his friendship with Larsen. Gabrielle and Edgar grow closer as co-stars portraying the doomed lovers in the play. Rachel counsels Jack when things turn sour with both Larsen and Edgar.

This has proved so far to be our most popular web video and once you watch it, you can see why! I personally love this episode which allowed us to have fun with Shakespeare, while also featuring some of my favorite scenes of the whole series, including: Rachel chewing Larsen out for being such a dick (he had that coming for a long time!); Gabrielle and Edgar's first kiss (on stage as Romeo and Juliet!); and many unforgettable moments between Jack and Larsen (especially their heartwarming hug at the end!). Watch it NOW on YouTube!

Spotlight: Emmy Yu in Prep School Blues

It is my pleasure to bring to you all an interview with one of the most lovely actresses I have ever worked with, Miss Emmy Yu! Although Emmy played the obsessive, vindictive Cecelia on Prep School Blues, she is actually a total sweetheart in real life and of course an incredible beauty. A senior at NYU Tisch School of the Arts, Emmy hails from sunny California and is of Chinese heritage. Here's our interview:

Q: You have quite the resume, including commercials, feature films and television. How long have you been acting?

Emmy: My mom got me into acting when I was 5, when she saw this ad in the newspaper casting for “The Joy-Luck Club”. Ended up getting the role and that’s how it all started!

Q: What are your favorite roles? Who are your inspirations?

Emmy: I don’t really have a favorite role thus far but my inspirations include Maggie Cheung, Kate Winslet, and Natalie Portman.

Q: How did you get involved with Prep School Blues?

Emmy: I got involved thanks to Chris Conner =)

Q: Any favorite memories of the shoot?

Emmy: Honestly the entire shoot was pretty memorable! Though I think the climax was definitely shooting the party scene—not only because it was the climax of the season really but because it was the scene where I had the most lines and work to do.

Q: What challenges did the character of Cecelia present for you?

Emmy: The main thing I concentrated on was not approaching Cecelia like she was some kind of psychopath. In order to connect with her I just needed to focus on her super intense needs and wants—which in this case was Larsen.

Q: It's been about a year since you shot the last episode of Prep School Blues. What are you working on currently?

Emmy: Mostly writing these days but doing a couple acting projects on the side. Enjoying my final semester at NYU!

Thanks so much Emmy! Learn more about Emmy at her Internet Movie Database Profile.

A Midsummer Night's Dream

Also just as Valentine's Day draws to a close, another post to celebrate love and romance. Here's a few scenes from my performance as Bottom in William Shakespeare's immortal tale of fairies, runaway lovers and amateur actors. Although I usually stay behind the camera and the curtain, I have a great passion for theater. So hope I'm not too shabby as Bottom, the pompous actor who is transformed by fairy magic into a donkey. I've also included some scenes of Habeeb Khan from Prep School Blues as Lysander, one of the quartet of young lovers. Sorry for the video quality, it's a little hazy, but I assure you the performance is quite worth it. Not to toot my own horn, of course. You be the judge!

In this first clip, the Fairy Queen Titania quarrels with her husband King Oberon (played as a lesbian couple in this production). Meanwhile, Lysander (Habeeb Khan) tries to runaway with his beloved Hermia, under a magic spell causes him to fall for her friend Helena instead.



In this second clip, a band of amateur players rehearse a play to be performed for the Duke. I, as Bottom, try to call all the shots until the fairy Puck transforms me into a donkey and I arouse the ardor of Queen Titania.



Here, Oberon and Puck try to sort of the mess their magic has caused as the four lovers quickly descend into a fight over their complex romantic relationships.



In this final clip, the magic spell that made me a donkey is removed and we put on the play for the Duke. I love the play within a play, one of the funniest scenes ever written!



Thanks so much for watching! Quite the romantic romp for Valentine's Day, right?

Titus Andronicus

I'm very excited to present these excerpts from the production of William Shakespeare's "Titus Andronicus" that I directed a while back at the Geraldine Ruby Theater. This famously gory play chronicles the vengeance taken by the Roman General Titus Andronicus against the Empress Tamora, whose sons raped and mutilated his beloved daughter Lavinia.

It was quite a challenge directing one of Shakespeare's plays, but for me the results were very much worth it. I did make a few changes to the flow of the plot and abridged certain parts to fit our time restraints and budget. These videos showcase some of my favorite scenes from the play and the wonderfully talented cast that I worked with, including Habeeb Khan (Fareed from Prep School Blues) as the villainous Aaron the Moor. You really have to see Habeeb's rendition of Aaron's Act II monologue to believe it. So much power and intensity! Habeeb is currently reviving his Shakespearean talents in a production of the Bard's "Measure for Measure" at Columbia University in New York City.

This first excerpt shows the Empress's secret love affair with Aaron the moor, one of the most dastardly couples in all Shakespeare.



This next excerpt shows Aaron's bone chilling monologue about his many evil deeds when captured by Lucius, son of Titus Andronicus.



Here, Tamora tries to manipulate Titus, but Titus gets the upper hand in this battle of wills.



In this darkly comic scene, Titus confronts the two boys who raped his daughter.



The final scene starts at a Roman banquet that descends into a shocking bloodbath, from which one emperor will fall and another will rise.



I had so much fun doing this play and hope to direct more theater in the future. Thanks for watching!

The Demon Lady - Extended Trailer

As we wait breathlessly to see when and where "The Demon Lady" will premiere, here's a special extended trailer of the film. Enjoy this chilling look into the supernatural world of the demon lady...

Spotlight: Habeeb Khan in Prep School Blues

For our next installment of spotlight, here's an interview with Habeeb Khan, who played Fareed in Prep School Blues!

Q: What got you into acting?
Habeeb: I think watching movies as a kid, i felt transported into a very real world through someone's motions, internal and/or external, and others' reactions to them.

Q: Who are your inspirations as an actor?
Habeeb: DeNiro in Raging Bull always makes me want to be right on my game. Same goes for Pacino in Godfather and Dog Day Afternoon.

Q: How did you get involved in the PSB project?
Habeeb: I guess you can say I was there from the beginning. Part of in the inspiration for the series comes from the high school that the director and I graduated from.


Q: Do you have any favorite/distinctive memories from working on PSB?
Habeeb: The first day of rehearsing in a hotel pool pretty much set the tone for the entire shoot.

Q: How did you connect with your PSB character? Any specific challenges?
Habeeb: I found it difficult at first to separate fact from fiction since I was so close to some of the source material. But I eventually attempted to tackle it like any fictional story and start from a blank slate.

Q: How did your character evolve and develop throughout the series? And how did you portray this evolution?
Habeeb: My character was supposed to be very timid at the beginning of the serious, a bit more uncertain, always awkward with his aggressive actions, shoulders hunched over and whatnot. Near the end of the series, he comes out a bit too secure in his insecurities, so I had the character grow out an outdated facial design along with very dated wardrobe. The character embraces the clown prince of sadness persona near the end, so I felt more free to play with my space a bit more near the end.

Q: What are you doing now? Any current projects?
Habeeb: I'm currently working on Shakespeare's "Measure for Measure" at Columbia University.

Thanks so much, Habeeb! Don't forget that full episodes of the complete Prep School Blues web series are available on youtube and stay tuned for the upcoming revival of the PSB comic!

Spotlight: Nicholas DiMichele in Prep School Blues

For our second spotlight feature on the blog, here's a little web interview with Prep School Blues fan favorite Nicholas DiMichele.

Q: What got you into acting?

Nick: Too far back. I can't remember.

Q: Favorite roles? Inspirations?

Nick: Anything Tim Roth, Marlon Brando, Ewan McGreggor.

Q: How did you get involved in the PSB project?

Nick: My friend Bryan did an original pilot with another actor as Jack, and when he was replaced I was suggested. I had an audition.

Q: Do you have any favorite/distinctive memories from working on PSB?

Nick: I think I was pretty drunk the whole time...

Q: How did you connect with your PSB character? Any specific challenges?

Nick: Challenges? The cold-as-hell graveyard scene was the most challenging.

Q: What are you doing now? Any current projects/plans?

Nick: Working most closely with my band, The Kobolds, and auditioning. Waiting for a few great projects I did last year to be released for a reel.

Thanks so much, Nick!

Nick is a wonderful, dynamic actor and working with him is always a pleasure! Learn more about Nick at his official website

Prep School Blues - Web Series Trailer

A little blast from the past. Here's a little promo video featuring clips from the entire series Prep School Blues, the only one to feature the entire main cast from all three seasons. Hopefully this can help even more people get a chance to watch PSB! Check it out below...