Michael Moran News

The author returns to his childhood in this fictional account and takes readers into the heart of an Alabama town held captive by the blind hatred of the KKK. 'A profound and heartbreakingly real' [Kirkus] novel. The teenage narrator breathes life into that violent setting and pays homage to the tragedies and hardships of both black and white Southerners trying to thrive in a wicked, segregationist town. Young Sonny Poe is trapped in a dead-end life of poverty and prejudice. Horrified after witnessing a lynching in the midnight woods, Sonny turns shy of anyone he suspects is a Klansman; soon he meets and befriends a progressive doctor with a troubled past and a crusading spirit who's trying to help end abuse against the local community of Negroes. The headstrong teenager commits himself to 'Doctor Joe' and his cause even as both suffer betrayals, beatings, arrest and finally exile in a story that can only end in tragedyand hope. This is a story of immense tension that pulsates with violence, love, betrayal and humor as it rushes through the forebodingness of one of America's most pressing historical moments toward a shocking climax. The Civil Rights Movement forms the backbone of 'The Sum of His Worth,' but its strength comes from the voice of its young narrator and its strongest theme lies in the caveats of moral reckoning in a 'free' society. Praise for 'The Sum of His Worth': 'Argo successfully creates a profound, multilayered tapestry that's full of nuance. [His] first-person perspective creates a fragile aura around the unfolding events, and makes them wholly unpredictable ... The authentic dialogue is especially effective; each restrained syllable conveys as much as a five-page soliloquy ... In a style that's evocative of S.E. Hinton's classic works, with a dash of Daniel Woodrell's Southern grit, [Argo's] novel is an engrossing, heartbreakingly real novel of the South' - Kirkus Reviews 'The Sum of His Worth is a work of serious literary fiction, a coming-of-age story set in a time of national upheaval ... rich in ambiance, descriptive detail, and incident ... My interest never flagged in this convincing, meaningful, and deeply immersive tale.' Ron Terpening, author of Nine Days in October and Tropic of Fear. 'Argo's fiction rings chillingly true.' The San Diego Union 'Ron Argo's depiction of Alabama in the late 50s and early 60s is as unrelenting as a shutter click, the image clear and unforgiving. From grits and okra to the horror show of white robes and burning crosses, the images are spot on perfect. So are the characters ... No reader will fail to come out of it unchanged.' Sharon Skains, author of Waltzing with the Devil 'Jim Crow was interwoven with growing up in small-town Southern life. Argo has captured this nuance ... Here, courage is not a single act, but an ongoing commitment that can separate one from everything that is deeply loved.' Colonel Michael Moran, USMC (Ret) The Sum of His Worth is available in both print and ebook formats. Book Details: The Sum of His Worth By Ron Argo Publisher: Cliff Edge Publishing Published: May 2014 ISBN: 978-0989403573 ASIN: B00A3K3A3G Pages: 376 Genre: Historical Fiction For review copies, author interviews, or more information please contact: Ron Argo Email: argostein (at) cox.net Website: http://www.ronargo.com Ttwitter: https://twitter.com/wordpecker Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ron.argo.3

Did Abraham Lincoln suffer from clinical depression? A grad student at Cal, newly in love, researches Lincoln's melancholy while trying to keep up with her amazing new girlfriend. The Marsh San Francisco presents the hilarious playwright, performer, juggler, and clown Sara Felder in her new solo show MELANCHOLY, A COMEDY. Felder takes audiences from the Civil War, to a Lincoln look-alike convention, to the top of UC Berkeley's Campanile, in this comedy about queer love, mental health, and Abraham Lincoln. Written and performed by Felder and directed by Michael Socrates Moran, workshop performances will be held today, May 9 - June 6, with the run continuing June 7 - June 28 (press opening: June 7).

Did Abraham Lincoln suffer from clinical depression? A grad student at Cal, newly in love, researches Lincoln's melancholy while trying to keep up with her amazing new girlfriend. The Marsh San Francisco presents the hilarious playwright, performer, juggler, and clown Sara Felder in her new solo show MELANCHOLY, A COMEDY. Felder takes audiences from the Civil War, to a Lincoln look-alike convention, to the top of UC Berkeley's Campanile, in this comedy about queer love, mental health, and Abraham Lincoln. Written and performed by Felder and directed by Michael Socrates Moran, workshop performances will be held May 9 - June 6, with the run continuing June 7 - June 28 (press opening: June 7). Performances will be presented Saturdays at 5pm and Sundays at 7pm at The Marsh San Francisco's Studio Theater, 1062 Valencia St., San Francisco. For tickets ($15-$100), the public may visit www.themarsh.org or call 415-282-3055 between 1:00 pm and 4:00 pm, Monday through Friday.

In recognition of its 100th Anniversary, New Haven's historic Shubert Theatre celebrated with a Gala Benefit on Saturday, March 21. This exclusive evening included an elegant sit-down dinner on the legendary Shubert Stage, dancing, theatrical entertainment and a tribute to honored guest stars. BroadwayWorld has photos from the event below!

New theater company Yutopian Entertainment is set to open The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee tonight, Oct 3rd at the Grove Theater Center in Burbank.

New theater company Yutopian Entertainment is set to open The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee this Friday, Oct 3rd at the Grove Theater Center in Burbank.

THE BRITTANY MURPHY STORY, which shares the real-life story of the ambitious and talented actress who rose to fame quickly, but succumbed much too young to the dark side of Hollywood will make its worldwide premiere tonight, Sept. 6, at 8 p.m. ET/PT on Lifetime.

THE BRITTANY MURPHY STORY, which shares the real-life story of the ambitious and talented actress who rose to fame quickly, but succumbed much too young to the dark side of Hollywood will make its worldwide premiere Saturday, Sept. 6, at 8 p.m. ET/PT on Lifetime.

The Max Factor Factor boasts precision dancing and gorgeous harmonies amidst well-timed madcap shtick.

It's 1936; the golden age of Hollywood, and two rival movie studios are in a heated battle for survival when their opposing leading men fall in love. Reminiscent of screwball comedies of the past, this new musical takes place in a world of artifice, backstabbing, lavender weddings, double-crossing starlets, and a moral crusader from the Legion of Rectitude, making it increasingly more difficult for the leading men to hold on to the one real thing each has ever found. It's funny, charming, romantic, happily nostalgic, and very tuneful.

It's 1936; the golden age of Hollywood, and two rival movie studios are in a heated battle for survival when their opposing leading men fall in love. Reminiscent of screwball comedies of the past, this new musical takes place in a world of artifice, backstabbing, lavender weddings, double-crossing starlets, and a moral crusader from the Legion of Rectitude, making it increasingly more difficult for the leading men to hold on to the one real thing each has ever found. It's funny, charming, romantic, happily nostalgic, and very tuneful.

A comprehensive survey of the works of American sculptor Tony Feher, this exhibition features key artworks that use everyday objects and found materials in a post-minimalist aesthetic, displaying the richness and complexity of Feher's investigations. The exhibition is accompanied by a fully illustrated monograph and reveals Feher's very personal vocabulary developed and refined over the past decades. Organized by Claudia Schmuckli, Director and Chief Curator of Blaffer Art Museum at the University of Houston. Check out a sneak peek below!

Theatre 40 revives TANGLIN' HEARTS on the 20th anniversary of its original production. Very loosely based on Shakespeare's "As You Like It," it's a thoroughly modern country-western musical directed by Allison Bibicoff with assistant director Kyle Nudo.

EX MACHINA will play Venue #4: Teatro Latea at 107 Suffolk Street, between Rivington and Delancey Streets on August 9 @5:30pm, August 15 @7:00pm, August 17 @3:30pm, August 21 @3:30pm, August 23 @9:30pm. Tickets are $15-$18. To order, visit www.FringeNYC.org

Anika Noni Rose and Raul Esparza star in Marc Blitzstein's historic pro-labor protest musical.

Cultural Park Theater in Cape Coral, FL, will not to continue with its run of RUMORS after deciding that the language would be considered inappropriate by its audiences. View a news clip on the decision below.

At the start of something new for the summer season, the actors of the FVR Performing Arts Academy are determined to get'cha head in the game with the return of Disney's High School Musical. This talented group of 8-18 year-olds will bop to the top with their lively rendition of the musical tonight, July 21 through August 5, 2012 on the Pheasant Run Mainstage.

DOMA has a big and bold mission statement: enhancing your theatre experience beyond expectations. Competing with Musical Theatre of Los Angeles, MTW (Musical Theatre West) and Cabrillo, just to name a few, it sounds as if their productions will be of a more memorable calibre than the others. If that is an accurate interpretation, their aim is stretched way out of proportion. But...surprisingly, if you look at it from a more realistic angle, it applies most assuredly to my experience. Since this is my first visit to DOMA, I must admit, based on negative word-of-mouth reactions to previous shows, I was unexpectedly and pleasantly impressed with what I saw in their latest production of Jekyll & Hyde. And realizing that part of the talent comes from the college student arena, the result is all the more impressive. Now through July 29, on the stage at the Met in Hollywood, Jekyll & Hyde will play out its intriguing game of good versus evil in DOMA's exceedingly professional looking and sounding representation.

DOMA Theatre Company unleashes the third offering in an ambitious season of musicals with book/lyricist Leslie Bricusse and composer Frank Wildhorn's Jekyll & Hyde, the Musical. The Tony-nominated Broadway sensation is set for a limited run, July 6-29, at the intimate MET Theatrein Hollywood with DOMA artistic director Marco Gomez at the helm,Angela Todaro choreographing, and musical direction by 21-year-old prodigy Chris Raymond, a protege of Tony Award-winning composer Jason Robert Brown. BroadwayWorld has a first look at the production photos below.

Caught between good and evil, one man must ultimately face the darkness that lurks within him. DOMA Theatre Company unleashes the third offering in an ambitious season of musicals with book/lyricist Leslie Bricusse and composer Frank Wildhorn's Jekyll & Hyde, the Musical. The Tony-nominated Broadway sensation is set for a limited run, July 6-29, at the intimate MET Theatrein Hollywood with DOMA artistic director Marco Gomez at the helm,Angela Todaro choreographing, and musical direction by 21-year-old prodigy Chris Raymond, a protege of Tony Award-winning composer Jason Robert Brown. Click below to watch a trailer, interviews with the cast and crew, and two live performances.