30 Days Of NYMF: Day 26 THE LAST SMOKER IN AMERICA

The Last Smoker in America presents The Next Step in the Journey By Bill Russell, book and lyrics

I don't smoke...anymore. And I've grown to loathe being around it, after years of doing time in clubs and bars and pubs in the U.K. But I feel sorry for people who still do because of the ostracism they face. I've always been partial to outsiders. (I wrote a musical about conjoined twins, for crying out loud!)

So a few years ago when Peter Melnick invited me to write a one-act musical with him to share the bill with two others he had, this title popped into my mind - The Last Smoker in America. He liked it too, and we started in.

We created what is now much of the second act. The Rubicon Theatre in Ventura, California did two readings a week apart, so we could do rewrites in between. Invited audiences responded very positively, and one of the consistent comments was they wanted more of it. So we started expanding it to a full-length piece.

After a long development period assisted by many good and talented folks, we're finally going to see it on its feet at NYMF - hooray! It's a farce after all, and comedy needs an audience. And there's some pretty fun shit (if I do say so myself): the ASPHYXIA (Anti-Smoking Help You Xpect In America) Box which keeps people up-to-date on the latest smoking penalties, a teenage boy who listens to so much rap music he thinks he's black, a righteous neighbor who found giving up cigarettes easier than giving up affairs with married men, prison time for smokers who can't quit, and execution for the manufacturers. Oh! And a sing-along to support everyone's lungs, blackened or not!

We already have a killer cast and creative staff, hot director and great producer, so all that's missing now is you.