NEPA SCENE PODCAST: Playwriting, filmmaking, and reviewing movies in NEPA with Jeff Boam
Recorded and produced every week by Internet marketing company Coal Creative in their production studio in downtown Wilkes-Barre, the award-winning NEPA Scene Podcast presents honest, uncensored interviews and in-depth discussions about local arts, entertainment, and the issues that matter to Northeastern Pennsylvania.
The live, multi-camera show streams in high definition on NEPA Scene’s Facebook page on Wednesday nights at 7 p.m. and is hosted by Rich Howells, editor and founder of NEPA Scene; Brittany Boote, owner of Boote Photography Studio in Forty Fort; and Johnny Popko, the senior marketing consultant at local radio stations Alt 92.1, Rock 107, and ESPN Radio. Viewers are encouraged to tune in during each hour-long episode and interact during the Facebook Live stream so that the hosts can address comments and answer questions as they come in.
After the live webcast, the show is available the following Friday as an audio podcast on iTunes, SoundCloud, and Stitcher, while the video version can be seen on Facebook and YouTube.
The NEPA Scene Podcast is made possible by local sponsors Beer Boys, The Keys, Loyalty Barber Shop and Shave Parlor, the F.M. Kirby Center, Coal Creative, and viewers who tune in every week.
In Episode 34, we sit down with Jeff Boam, an award-winning playwright, filmmaker, founder of Richlier Moving Picture Company, and movie commentator for WBRE, “PA Live,” and WNEP, before the debut of his new boxing comedy, “Man on a Canvas,” at the Olde Brick Theatre in Scranton, opening Friday, Nov. 10 and running through Sunday, Nov. 19.
Beer Boys is hosting a Sierra Nevada Brewing Company tap takeover next Wednesday, so to celebrate, we drink crowlers of their Sidecar Orange Pale Ale and Oktoberfest, as well as Imperial Pumpkin Porter by Epic Brewing Utah that was put through a Randall of pumpkin pie and cinnamon sticks, which was made exclusively at Beer Boys. Boam once worked for a beer distributor, so we talk about the beers and their various standout flavors.
During the interview, we talk about his interests as a kid influencing his writing, how his playwriting launched in college, the writing process, independent filmmaking and the creation of “Charlie Chaplin’s Body,” the difficulty in getting original work made, his long relationship with Diva Productions, producing plays in the intimate Olde Brick Theatre, casting in a small area, actors interpreting his characters, his inspiration for “Man on a Canvas,” the Marx Brothers and bringing screwball comedy to modern audiences, classic comedy versus contemporary comedy, his advice to other playwrights who want to get their work produced, reviewing movies in print and on television, unexpectedly making a documentary about residents of West Pittston, his upcoming true crime work, awards he has received, preparing for fatherhood and balancing work with being a dad, and more.
We also answer some questions and comments from live viewers.
Showtimes for “Man on a Canvas” at The Olde Brick Theatre (126 W. Market St., Scranton) are on Nov. 10, 11, 17, and 18 at 8 p.m. and Nov. 12 and 19 at 2 p.m. Tickets are $12 for general admission and $10 for seniors. Call 570-209-7766 for reservations. For more information, see this article.
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