Mike Gorman (#101)
May 21, 2011 at 3pm
Mike Gorman
Mike Gorman is a playwright in residence at La MaMa e.t.c. (Experimental Theater Club) in New York City. He makes his home in New York and Maine. A list of Mike’s most recent productions at La MaMa include “The Honor and Glory of Whaling”(2008, The Annex), “Death by Joinery” (2006, The Club), “Counting Coup” (2002, The Annex), “Single-Action-Shotgun” (2001, First floor), “UltraLight” ((2000, First Floor) and “A Funny Old Bird” (1998, First Floor).”
Mike is currently working on “If Colorado had an Ocean…”, the final play in his trilogy that deals with the issue of addiction and recovery in the commercial fishing industry. The trilogy shares the same title as the second play, “The Honor and Glory of Whaling”.
Mike is the founder and Director of “The Forty Hour Club”—his current production company that was formed for the purpose of producing “UltraLight”, the first play from “The Honor and Glory of Whaling”. “UltraLight” premiered at La MaMa’s First Floor Theatre in 2001 before moving to The Gloucester Stage Company in Massachusetts in 2002. In September, 2003, “Ultralight” toured Maine from The Portland Stage Company, to The Penobscot Theatre in Bangor and The Grand Theatre in Ellsworth. The production was co-sponsored by the professional theatre community and MAAR (Maine Alliance for Addiction Recovery). Mike is currently working on a film that documents the production history of “The Honor and Glory” trilogy with film-maker Ben Kahn of “Nomad Pictures” in Portland, Maine.
Mike was also the Co-Creator of “The Fabulous Giggin’ Bros.”—a performance troupe originated at Clark University in Worcester, Massachusetts. He later spent several years on the island of Vinalhaven, Maine, developing the “Giggin’ Bros.” signature style of roots-based absurd theater before arriving in New York and debuting at La MaMa with their production of “Biffing Mussels”(1994). Other “Giggin’ Bros.” plays and performance spectacles include “Island Still Life”, “How and Why I Robbed My First Cheese-Store”, “Goin’ West”, “Conversation Pieces”, “A Random Act of Violence”, “Chores” and “De-Freeze Walt Disney”.
Mike began his playwrighting career at Clark University in Worcester, Massachusetts where he graduated with Honors and received a degree in Literature (1988). At Clark, Mike was nominated for The Rhodes Scholarship and received The Russ Granger Award as the University’s Scholar-Athlete. He has recently been nominated for induction into the Clark University Athletic Hall of Fame.