Local playwright returns to The Stage

For John Blenn, The Stage Theater in Merrick carries special meaning. The playwright, a North Bellmore native who lives in East Meadow, produced his first original show there, in 1995. He put on three more shows at The Stage, but not since 1996.
He made his return last Sunday with the world premiere of “Crooked Lines,” an original comedy that plays again on Sunday, April 10 and Sunday, April 17. It is his fifth production at The Stage, and the 59th original play of his career.
Blenn said the venue is the right fit for his new comedy. “It’s really neat to go back there, I did my first four plays as a playwright,” Blenn said. “It’s a nice intimate theater. All the seats are right on top of the stage. It’s just a great environment to do a show.”
Blenn’s company, Middle Class America Productions, is considered Long Island’s only all-original theatrical troupe. MCAP has been in existence since 1995, when it began as a group at Five Towns College in Dix Hills. At Five Towns, he teaches music business and theater as a professor and is also the school’s playwright-in-residence.

His students lovingly know Blenn as “Professor Hockey Man” for his daily outfits, which feature a different hockey jersey. Outside of his role as professor, Blenn is a respected entertainment journalist who has been featured in many publications, and even published his own magazine, Long Island Entertainment, which he sold in 2001. He reviewed hundreds of stand-up comedy acts and plays during his writing career.
The playwright and journalist has also carried his career onto the big screen. He appeared in “Mall Cop,” with Kevin James, and was involved in two others that are in pre-production stages, including “Beneath the Darkness” with Dennis Quaid and “Sweetwater” with James Caan and Wood Harris. He also wrote the screenplay for a sequel to “National Lampoon’s: Cattle Call.”
Blenn is currently working on the screenplay for a documentary that focuses on the golden-era of comedy on Long Island in the ’80s.
“Crooked Lines” features Blenn as Morgan Riley, a character described as a “typical 2011 American hero.” Riley’s box-office success with low-brow comedy hits as a character actor helped him live the Hollywood Dream with a big house in the hills and a paid entourage. The middle-aged man, though successful in show business, doesn't have much of a family life, and has yet to find his special love.
Riley’s old college roommate, Geoff Spinelli (Gregg Jacoby) enters the picture. Spinelli did not make it in Hollywood. He just got thrown out of his home by his beau and was now reuniting with his old buddy. The friends take on the adventurous crossroads of
middle age.
Critics have described the comedy as “The Odd Couple” meets "The Addams Family" in the new millennium, featuring provocative storylines and contemporary themes.
As Blenn continues to produce more work, he sets strong expectations for himself and his contributing writers.
“No. 1, you got to make people laugh,” he said. “No. 2, you have to make sure you just really hard to give the best show you can. I never put anything out there I am not proud of.”

‘Crooked Lines’
A new comedy by John Blenn

Sunday, April 10 and 17, at 8 p.m. Tickets are $12 in advance, $15 at door. The Stage, 2222 Hewlett Ave., Merrick. (516) 868-6400.