Danny McDermott Stars in HOW NOT TO ACT at Manhattan Theater Festival, 3/26 - 3/31

One Man Show - How NOT to Act - Manhattan Theater Festival This piece is a commentary on today's reality show society where everyone wants their 15 minutes of fame, but they wouldn't want to dothe work even if they knew how. How NOT to Act - written and performed by Danny McDermott - directed by Joe Paradise

Show dates - Saturday March 26th at 7pm
Sunday March 27th at 6pm
Thursday March 31st at 7pm.

Manhattan Repertory Theatre - 303 W 42nd Street, 3rd Floor

Tickets $20 - Call 646-329-6588
www.manhattanrep.com - click on WINTERFEST 2011

www.hownottoactshow.com

The show centers around an acting class where not one person in the class is an actor and it drives the teacher (Esther Ballstones) insane. Performance styles include rap, singing, dance, poetry, motivational speaking, and stand up comedy. There are 10 characters, full costumes.

ABOUT DANNY MCDERMOTT

Danny McDermott is "out there". You never know where his insane life experiences will take you. From being mugged by little people to being stabbed by a supermodel, one thing Danny's life is not, is conventional.

That's the theme behind McDermott's writing; comedy that has landed McDermott on the Cartoon Network in Casper's Scare School and the French cartoon series How to Drive Everyone Crazy, Comedy Central, the Queen Latifah Show, and as a guest host of "The View" on ABC with 20/20's Jon Stossel. McDermott has also been in dozens of commercials, including several national ads.

But McDermott is an extra atypical New York actor. McDermott's New York oddity doesn't come from being jaded or hard-edged or tough to get to know; McDermott's hypnotic rapport with his audience and ability to draw you into his surreal world are two of his best assets. McDermott's New York sensibility comes from struggling to make it, from the uphill battle of show business, and life in general. McDermott's New York is one of absurdity and karma. He is God's sitcom.

A dramatic actor since 1987, McDermott grew up in an Irish Catholic home in Albany and graduated from Alfred University with a degree in Ceramic Engineering. So, he figured the next logical step would be to move to New York City with less than $500 and scrape through with odd jobs, landing lead roles in various plays, and beginning the standup career he has now. He even started his own Comedy Club at the Underground Lounge which he ran for over 8 years.

But with the good comes the bad; broKen Bones, broken hearts, and broken promises. You know, the kinds of things that make for great material.

McDermott's basic philosophy is a spin on Murphy's Law. What can go wrong, will, and acting's less expensive than therapy. It's no coincidence that Murphy was also an Irish Catholic.

 

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