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Richard Ballon
PO Box 1017
Amherst MA 01004
413 362 4994
richardb@admin.umass.edu
Richard Ballon
published his first poem when he was fourteen and over the years has pruned a collection of poetry, plays, and monologues, which when poked at, may pinch back. In New York, his work has been performed at the Sola Voces / Estrogenius Festival, Women at Work Fest, MaMADrama, Left Out Festival, NativeAlien’s Short Stories, Emerging Artist Theater’s One Man Standing and the Fresh Fruit Festival. Other work has been performed in Amherst, Boston, Chicago, Iowa City, Denver, Toronto, Kitchener, Calgary, Montreal as well as in London and Manchester, UK. His writing has been supported by the Massachusetts Cultural Council. He was also commissioned to write two plays for a high school’s GLBT Awareness week. Richard is a member of the Dramatist’s Guild. A collection of monologues, poems and plays was published in 2007 by Leveller’s Press, titled: enough of a little to know all.
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Film Writing
Short film: Benefit of the Sponsor
A short video written and directed by Richard Ballon. Screenplay by Peter Marvin and Richard Ballon. Supported in part by the Massachusetts Arts Council.
Presented in:
- Cineslam GLBT Festival, Guildford, Vermont
- Spokane Washington’s GLBT film Festival
Short film: Circus Boy
Based on a short play by Richard Ballon. Screenplay by Peter Marvin and Richard Ballon. Supported in part by the Massachusetts Arts Council.
Short film: Dear Edward
Based on a monologue by Richard Ballon. Screenplay by Matt Bucy and Richard Ballon
noisytownpictures.com Marvin/Ballon Productions, Amherst MA
Presented in:
- Cineslam GLBT Festival, Guildford Vermont
- Noisy Town Pictures, White River Junction VT
- Popcorn Noir Festival of Short Films
- Pride of the Ocean Film Festival, Bermuda
- Saginaw Film Festival, Saginaw Michigan
- Vermont Bear Festival, Guilford Vermont
Short film: The Pure Dark
Based on a monologue by Richard Ballon. Screenplay by Peter Marvin and Richard Ballon. Supported in part by the Massachusetts Arts Council.
Presented in:
- Cineslam GLBT Festival, Guildford, Vermont
- Blue November Film Festival, Seattle Washington
Short film: We Who Will Ascend
Presented in: Popcorn Noir Festival of Short Films
Development
Richard is presently a member of New York City’s Ninth Floor playwrights and actors collaborative, as well as Pioneer Valley Playwrights in Northampton, Playwrights en Masse in Lowell and Playwrights Platform in Boston.
Richard is a member of the Dramatists Guild.
Atlantic Center for the Arts Residencies, New Smyrna Beach, FL
- Three week intensive with playwright Ain Gordon
- Three week intensive with screenwiter James Lecesne
- Three week intensive with playwright Dael Orlander-Smith
Compassionate Creativity with Kali Quinn, KO Festival, Amherst MA
Week long intensive uniting compassion to your creativity.
Crafting Your Story for Performance with Gerard Stropnicky, KO Festival, MA
Week long intensive in techniques of storytelling and memoir as spoken word.
Double Edge Theater Intensive, Ashfield, MA
Weekend intensive in physical training with music, large object work.
Ghost River Theater Intensive in Devised Theater, Calgary Alberta
Three week intensive for theater professionals in Devised Theater
Kennedy Center Intensive in Playwriting, Washington DC
Accepted four times as a guest artist for a four day intensive in playwriting, and also as a guest artist for a weekend intensive in playwriting. Classes and seminars with Gary Garrison, Mark Bly, Kathy Nordgren, David Ives, Marsha Norman, Judith Jensen, Heather McDonald and representatives from the theater industry.
National Playwright’s Symposium, Cape May NJ
National Playwright’s Symposium
Accepted for three intensive five day workshops with Christopher Durang, Steven Dietz, Joshua Harman, Mark St. Germain, Lee Blessing, Stephen Adley Guirgus, William Mastrosimone, and Terrence McNally.
TV Writers Symposium, Woods Hole MA
Weekend workshop with P.K. Simonds.
Last Frontier Theater Conference, Valdez, AK
One week intensive with classes and play labs.
Master playwrights included Edward Albe, August Wilson, and Lloyd Richards.
Other Work:
Zephyr (1994-2000) is a six-part mini-series, which I wrote and directed for Amherst Community Television, Amherst Massachusetts. This six-year project won five placements in Access Television Contests. Three episodes have been placed in finalist positions; two have won first prize. Besides private donations and in-kind services, Zephyr received several grants from The Amherst Arts Council and the Pelham Arts Council.
As It Appears was commissioned for the gay/straight alliance of Easthampton High School. It was performed in May 2004, 2008 and 2012 by Easthampton High School students, with over half the student body (500 students) enjoying its performance.
Twin Limb of the Same Family Tree (also commissioned for the gay/straight alliance of Easthampton High School) was performed in May 2005 and was funded by the Massachusetts Cultural Council.
Richard Ballon has had poetry and short stories published in: Social Anarchism, St. Anthony Messenger, Changing Men, Onionhead, Fellowship in Prayer, Fag Rag, Visions International, The Haight Ashbury Review, Poetpourri, Zuzu’s Petals, The Lilliput Review, to name a few. Richard is a member of the Dramatist’s Guild.
Richard has also served twice on the grant review panel for the Massachusetts Culutural Council.
RICHARD BALLON 