J.D. Cerna's NOT AS CUTE AS PICTURE Returns to the Duplex, 2/8-3/22

"Not as Cute as Picture", a GLAAD-Media Award Nominee for Outstanding Theater: Washinton DC, played to sold out houses, January 11-12 of this year and returns to The Duplex (61 Christopher St., NYC - at 7th Ave.) for four additional performances on Feb. 8 & 22 and March 8 & 22 - all performances are at 9:30 pm.

The semi-autobiographical "Not as Cute", written and performed by J.D. Cerna, directed by Nick Demos (Oklahoma), partner in Demos/Bizar Entertainment (producer of Tony-Award winner, Memphis), first ran in Washington, D.C. It received rave reviews from Patrick Folliard of The Washington Blade who said it was, "Hilarious" and added, "It's the honesty with which Cerna writes that makes his show so great." Jolene Munch, lead theatre critic for The Washington Examiner wrote, "Not as Cute presents a real-life journey of sorts, via segments of one gay actor?s dream of becoming a movie star. Cerna's brilliantly developed impersonations prove his extreme talent as a performer." And Dan Via of The Washington Post compared it to the best of John Leguizamo's one-man stage performances.

The play is set in 1994, a time when young gay man's pursuit of purpose was often obstructed by the crashing reality of AIDS. However, as Jolene Munch writes, "Although the play masks itself as a 'gay-themed story', the odyssey itself is remarkably similar in shape and dynamics to the journey each of us takes - gay, straight, bisexual, biased, black, white, Christian, Jewish or maybe most of all -- alive."

J.D.Cerna is a brilliant writer/actor who uses a wicked sense of humor and his personal life experiences and perspectives to amplify the discussion around important LGBT issues and in particular, his own observations as a gay man.

J.D. is a former columnist for the Washington Blade (2002-2005), and an accomplished writer whose brilliant story, "Victim and Bully No More" was published by the Advocate and became the online news site's cover story for several months. He is currently the voice of "Beau Handsome" on the Emmy-winning animated "WordGirl" on PBS Kids. He has had a number of notable roles on stage and films that include playing opposite Mary Beth Hurt as her son in "Alkali, Iowa" one of four vignettes in the 1997 award-winning film, "Boys Life 2" that the New York Times described as, "a program of short films about young men struggling to come to terms with their homosexuality in potentially hostile environments."

"Not as Cute as Picture" is written and performed by J.D. Cerna. It is directed by Nick Demos.

Performance Dates & Time
Friday Feb 8th/Friday Feb 22nd at 9:30 pm
Friday March 8th/Friday March 22nd at 9:30 pm

The cover charge is $10 with a two-drink minimum.

Venue
The Duplex 61 Christopher Street (212) 255-5438
www.theduplex.com