Tony Sokol

Tony Sokol (born March 23, 1963, in Brooklyn, New York) is an American playwright, writer and composer best known for writing the theatrical horror series La Commedia Del Sangue: Vampyr Theatre^[1] in New York City.^[2]

As a musician, Mr. Sokol played guitar, bass or sang in Queer Jesus, The Others, Busted Chops, Head First, 4Q, Death of the Party and the Abstract 4.^[3] He appeared several times on WBAI-FM with jazz vocalist Devorah Simpson,^[4] as well as backing her on live sessions on the station on guitar and with his band. Sokol wrote incidental music for the films Woman, Man, Gun and Hide Me, both directed by Jenice Malecki; The Gauntlet and Quest, directed by David Burgos; Zaritsas: Russian Women in New York, directed by Elena Beloff.

He wrote songs and incidental music for over a dozen films and over twenty stage productions and appeared on the Joan Rivers (TV) Show,^[5] Strange Universe,^[6] WNEW-FM,^[7] WBAI-FM, WABC-AM, WFUV-FM, WFMU-FM, BBC-Television and Radio, Britain's "The Girlie Show," bars and nightclubs throughout the tri-state area and over a dozen Manhattan Public-access television TV Shows. He also wrote, produced and occasionally directed or acted in the stageshow Vampyr Theatre, which ran 13 plays in NYC in the early 1990s; the radio play "The Excommunication of God;" two short films, more than 20 produced plays and the rock opera AssassiNation: We Killed Kennedy.^[8] Sokol wrote skits for several comedy troupes and Manhattan Public Access shows including Young, Gifted and Broke. He wrote several skits for the radio show Drama With Miss Kitty, and appeared with the actress on such radio programs as The Black, Jew and Gay Comedy Hour on Rawenergyradio.com. He also co-hosted a cable call-in show with Elena Beloff on Manhattan Public Access.

La Commedia del Sangue

In 1986, Sokol wrote and performed "I was thirsty and you drowned me," a vampiric ritual performance art piece at The Anarchist's Switchboard, Centerfold and other venues, along with other spoken word and musical performances throughout New York City. After writing the play, "The Summer After," for director Rosalie Triana, she asked him if there were any other theatrical works he had written. He responded by turning the vampire rituals into a series of plays "for vampires" which were staged throughout Manhattan in theatres and clubs beginning in 1992 and ending in 1997. Thirteen plays were produced, including "Let Us Prey."^[9]

AssassiNation: We Killed Kennedy

Beginning in November 2003, on the 40th anniversary of the assassination of John F. Kennedy, Sokol wrote, directed and performed the rock opera "AssassiNation: We Killed Kennedy" at the Bowery Poetry Club, Don Hill's^[10] and other New York and New Jersey music and theater venues.^[11] Sokol formed the band Death of the Party and used guest singers from New York City bands to play various conspirators. After the performances, the band renamed itself The Abstract Four and continued to play New York City area clubs.^[12]

Plays Produced

Mr. Sokol has had his plays produced by several New York theatrical troupes. Among these: "Frankenstein Walks the Wolfman,” which Time Out New York favorably compared to the horror movie Scream; "You Must Have Been a Beautiful Baby,” "Baby Jane on Training Wheels", "How You Slice It", "Death Takes a Valium," "Cosmic Inertia", "The Wack", "Factually Incorrect", "Weight Loss by Vivisection" by Creative Artists Laboratory^[13]". "You Must Have Been a Beautiful Baby^[14]" and "Baby Jane on Training Wheels" by Spotlight On Productions; "You Must Have Been a Beautiful Baby", "The Intervention," "How to Skip Alimony Through Voluntary Manslaughter," Produced by The Irish Arts Center/Company of Impossible Dreams, NYC, 1999, and "Just Us Served". "How You Slice It" was revived by producer Laura Ludwig and performed at Eco Books and was recorded and broadcast by the Museum of Sound.^[15] “You Must Have Been a Beautiful Baby” has been revived by several theater troupes and was published in its entirety in Civil Defense Weekly.^[16] Sokol was a writer, performer and co-producer of Insightful Riot, an evening of bad taste standup comedy at the New York Comedy Club.

Music for film and theater

Tony Sokol wrote the music for his short films "Don't Forget, Hire the Vet" and "970-SPIT" in 1988. It led to his writing music for such films as Jenice Malecki's "Hide Me" and "Man, Woman, Gun;" John Tranchina's "Just Beyond the Door;" David Burgos' "The Quest" and "The Gauntlet" and other independent films. He also wrote music for New Moon's production of "No Exit," White Rabbit Theatre's production of "Bubby's Shadow^[17]” and other theatrical performances. He recently contributed music to Elena Beloff's documentary on Russian immigrant women in America, Zaritsas: Russian Women in New York and the upcoming bank robbery film Desperate Fate.

Other Writing

Sokol's poetry and short stories have been published in Oghamstone, The Urban Magazine of Arts, Nut Magnet and other magazines. Sokol wrote for Wicked Mystic, Delirium and Nighttimer^[18] magazines. He was an abstract writer at PR Newswire for over twenty years. Sokol is a contributing editor at Den of Geek,^[19] senior writer and editor at Daily Offbeat ^[20] and senior writer at KpopStarz.^[21] He was also contributing editor at Coed.com,^[22] wrote for Smashpipe and was a regular contributor to Alt Variety,^[23] Inside the Reel, The Silver Tongue, Bedlam and other magazines.

References

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