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Me Me Me Me!
 New Musical Written and Performed by Fairfielder at Playhouse on the Green
Playhouse on the Green presented the new musical, "Me Me Me Me!," a one-man opera written and performed by Jed Wolf of Fairfield, and directed by award-winning actress, writer and director E. Katherine Kerr, as part of its "From Page to Stage," a new play reading and works-in-progress series. The series included a talk-back after each presentation with the author and director.
"Me Me Me Me!" is about a quirky inventor who tries to market his beloved inventions in an indifferent world. This hilariously touching tale is based on the author's actual experiences with a network reality television program about inventions. Wolf has composed a memorable score with songs that fill the stage like an entire musical cast.
The musical's plot recalls the author being torn between creativity and his instilled work ethic. He quits the rat race to patent inventions, but marketing them means facing self-doubt that's plagued him his entire life. He finds out that auditions are being held for a reality show featuring inventors with new product ideas. Though his neurotic personality and quirky inventions may get him seen on reality TV, does he have what it takes to be a real success? Will America appreciate his self- sustaining waterfall planter?
Wolf realized that an inventor willing to let his inventions be judged in front of millions of people would make ideal dramatic subject matter.
"I had no idea I'd be writing a musical when I auditioned my own inventions, but being around other inventors inspired me to write songs about the creative inner world where inventions are an inventor's connection to others," said Wolf. "My inventions and music express aspects of my own character that are universal. After identifying with my character's plight and provocative cast of inner voices, audience members may want to risk giving their own crazy dreams another chance or run for the hills."
Jed Wolf is a one man band. He is a composer, lyricist, arranger, singer and actor in his own shows. He is also an inventor, landscaper, graphic designer, video editor, carpenter and organizer of public events. His career as a performer began in northern Vermont as a door-to-door vacuum cleaner salesman. With an ear for classical art song, Wolf was inspired to set the entire sales script to music with his first one man show, "Door to Door." As a self-taught musician, Wolf played many instruments. He sang bass in the pop musical group, The Spinouts. After one of his original songs was heard by a record producer, Wolf was flown to London to write for the pop singer Bob Chubala.
In one of his many diverse career moves, Wolf was hired as the personnel director of the Maritime Aquarium in Norwalk, where he installed music into the shark tank viewing area and created promotional materials. He was offered a position at the museum's advertising agency, which lead to his own advertising business, followed by writing elaborate songs about the perils of advertising.
He began attending performance classes with E. Katherine Kerr and unleashed his acting talent and many new songs. Wolf portrayed 13 characters in James Luse's two-man production of Dickens' "A Christmas Carol," and performed regularly as a soloist at area churches. He quit advertising, became a choir director, taught music privately, patented an invention and became a gardener. He also wrote the score for Drew Peterson's musical, "Open House," and lyrics and the score for Donald Yonker's musical, "The Spare Seraphim," which had a run at The Producer's Club in Manhattan. Wolf created seven separate one-man shows featuring his latest songs, performing them in Connecticut and Manhattan. Wolf was awarded a US Patent for his self-sustaining planters. Recently he has used his design and promotional talents for the NEST Arts Factory in Bridgeport, where he performs, organizes public events and maintains a studio to produce his planters and feather kites.
Director E. Katherine Kerr is an actress, writer, teacher, director and workshop leader. She won an Obie, a Village citation and a Drama Desk nomination for her multiple roles in "Cloud 9." Recently she played Tess in Keith Bunin's "The Credeaux Canvas" at Playwright's Horizons. Her featured roles in films include Harriet Tollman in "Songcatcher," Congresswoman Grace Comisky in "Suspect" and Gilda Schultz in "Silkwood." She has appeared many times on "Law & Order" and had recurring roles on "Guiding Light," "One Life to Live," and "All My Children." Her own play, "Juno's Swans," a comedy about sisters, was produced at Second Stage. She recently directed and co-created a one woman play, "In Spite of Myself," with Antoinette LaVecchia at Urban Stages. Expanding on the four principles Kerr developed as she has taught acting, she has written a book entitled "The Four Principles." For the last 20 years she has conducted a two-day workshop called "The Creative Explosion" based on these principles. Her website is www.EKatherineKerr.com.
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