Tonight, treat yourself to a few -- or more -- laughs.
The Carnegie Screenwriters present a free staged reading of the romantic comedy "Thirty" by Mike Buzzelli at 7 p.m. at the Pittsburgh Filmmakers Library, 477 Melwood Ave., in North Oakland.
Mr. Buzzelli sets the stage: At the center of the plot is Ben Castiac, whose 30th birthday is fast-approaching. Before that, Ben plans to win back Kate, his college sweetheart and first love.
This proves to be difficult as Kate is recently engaged, and insists upon a double date with Ben and his ex-girlfriend Sandy, who happens to be in a women's correctional facility for trying to kill him.
Ben's best friend hires his secretary Jazz to pose as Ben's girlfriend. However, this just creates a second love triangle. The plot takes another turn when Sandy escapes, and decides to hunt down Ben.
"There's a fight scene and a bit about a bow and arrow that I really like," Mr. Buzzelli said. "Katniss Everdeen, Hawkeye in 'The Avengers.' ... Archery is hot right now!"
The production of "Thirty" features Leighann Calamera, David Crawford, Sally Dauer, Katy Grant, Nathan Hollabaugh, and more. The play is rated PG-13 for some swearing and suggested sexual situations. "Please, I'm not nearly as raunchy as 'Bridesmaids' or 'The Hangover,'" Mr. Buzzelli said.
Mr. Buzzelli is a stand-up comedian, screenwriter and author. He has performed at several Southern Californian venues such as The Ice House and The Comedy Store. His honors include finishes as a former runner-up in the Writers Digest Competition, the Venice Arts Screenwriting Competition, America's Best Screenplay Competition and the Wisconsin Screenwriting Competition.
He has granted permission for independent production companies to develop two of his screenplays and writes a weekly humor column in The Observer-Reporter in Washington, Pa. His book, "Below Average Genius," is a compilation of his weekly columns that will be available in August.
To top it all off, the staged reading is free, though donations are being accepted. The staged reading is bound to take the blues out of your Monday, even if it doesn't for Ben Castiac.
"I would love to get film students there from Pitt, CMU, Point Park and, of course, filmmakers," Mr. Buzzelli says. "It's a great opportunity to see the structure of a screenplay."
First Published: May 21, 2012, 8:15 p.m.
Updated: May 21, 2012, 8:22 p.m.
