Global Dramatics, LLC was founded in 2007 by Anthony P. Pennino. Pennino holds a Ph.D. in Drama and Theatre Studies from Royal Holloway and New Bedford College, University of London. He also holds an M.F.A. in Playwriting from Columbia University as well as an M.A. and a B.A. in English from that institution.
As a Playwright:
Pennino's work has been seen on three continents and across the United States. His plays have been produced off-Broadway and off-off-Broadway. Three of his works have been published. He has been an artist-in-residence in 2005 and 2007 at the Byrdcliffe Arts Colony in Woodstock, New York. He was awarded a 2005 Fellowship from the New Jersey Council for the Arts for his play Italian-American Cantos. Martin Denton, editor of nytheatre.com, wrote, "Such audacious originality marks this playwright as one we need to keep our eye on."
As a Director:
Pennino has directed mostly new works including Kerouac and A Soldier's Death, both by Tom O'Neil. For the latter, Pennino won an OOBR Award. He has directed for The Metropolitan Playhouse, including its mainstage production of Secret Service by William Gillette and the one-act festival East Village Chronicles, Vol. III.
As a Manager:
Pennino serves as Director of New Works for The Metropolitan Playhouse. He has produced a number of plays both in New York City and London. In 2004, he was general manager for the off-Broadway production of Medea in Jerusalem. He currently serves as an executive producer for Both Barrels Productions for its pilot presentation of Bottled-Up. He was a peer juror for The Mid-Atlantic Arts Foundation on behalf of the State of Maryland in selecting playwrights for funding by the state. He has also been a professional judge for the Middlesex County Teen Arts Festival in the area of theatre.
As an Educator
Currently, Pennino teaches part-time in the Humanities Department at Stevens Institute of Technology. He served as a visiting professor in the English Department at New Jersey City University (NJCU) from 2004-7; he served as Chair of that department for the 2005-6 academic year. While at NJCU, he taught both literature and creative writing courses, including the Playwriting Workshop. He also taught a graduate level class in Screenwriting at New York Institute of Technology as well as a theatre history class at Farleigh Dickinson University. Pennino is well-versed in online education and curriculum development.
Anthony P. Pennino
Upcoming Events:
Apr. 18 - May 18 -- Pennino's adaptation of Washington Irving's The Devil and Tom Walker will be performed at The Metropolitan Playhouse. nytheatre.com has named this show the Pick-of-the-Week and that publication's chief critic, Martin Denton, states, "The Devil and Tom Walker deserves a long life after this premiere presentation. Its so skillfully put together that it seems a natural for venues of every size, shape, and description. (Commercial producers in NYC, take note!)" Karl Levett of Backstage writes, "This engaging new play with music from Metropolitan Playhouse might just initiate a first-time category: the morality musical."
Published Plays:
Story of an Unknown Man. An adaptation of an early Anton Chekhov novella. Published by New York Theatre Experience in a collection entitled Playing with Canons.
"Howard Hopped the A-Train". A two-hander one-act about Howard, a construction worker, who meets Jesus on the A Train. Performed originally as part of theatrainplays. Published by Playscripts.com.
"Forgeries of Jealousy". A one-act in a collection of one-acts entitled Washington Square Dreams commissioned by Gorilla Rep about an outdoor performance of Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream. Published by New York Theatre Experience in Plays and Playwrights 2001.
