I am directing “Wheel of Austen” for ImprovBoston. The show is a madcap improv comedy romp in period costume. The show takes the stage every Wednesday in February at 8pm at ImprovBoston in Central Square, Cambridge. Join us for a zany take on Jane Austen’s classic works starring comedians Lisa Cordner, Michelle Boncek, Robert Woo, Chris Bujold, Elyse Schuerman, and Noah Sheola.

Before that, on January 24^th I join a great line-up of local writers (Marc Adams, Rachel Forrest, Chuck Galle, Phil Kliger, Sue Poulin, Becky Rule, and Liz Wright) at The Red Door in Portsmouth for an evening of storytelling called A Winter’s Tale. All proceeds ($5 admission) go to the 2010 (H)EAT Campaign sponsored by Seacoast Local. The event starts at 7pm. If you’re a fan of The Moth, spoken-word, or just a good yarn this is an evening not to be missed.

Finally I am acting in “Stories I Never Told My Daughter” February 17^th at The Press Room in Portsmouth. The stories include rogues, prostitutes, ambassadors, con men, artists, gangsters, loud-mouths and even an occasional ordinary citizen or two. This is an exciting stage reading of the memoirs of local writer and character Chuck Galle.

Remember 2009? That was the year that brought us balloon boy jokes. What will the next year bring? Here are five projections for techno-culture game changers in 2010. What do you think? Make your own projections in the comments.

1. Augmented Reality

You want to eat a hot dog. You type “hot dog” into your smart phone, hold it up, and the screen reveals a real world camera image enhanced with superimposed geo-tagging that not only tells you where to get a hot dog but allows you to rate the hot dog in terms of quality and price. The marriage of the real world and computer data is making people froth at the mouth. And this week Japanese startup Tonchidot announced $4 million in investment for its mobile/social geo-tagging application that boasted 100,000 users in its first four days. Augmented reality is becoming a reality.

2. Project Natal

Controller-free gaming. Let me say that again. Controller-free gaming. What’s possibly next? Remember when Marty McFly showed future kids how to play the shoot ‘em up game? “You mean you have to use your hands? That’s like a baby’s toy!” Rumors point to a November launch, so it’ll be a late year game changer. Nevertheless: Don’t worry future kids, we’re catching up.

3. Rupert Murdoch

The media mogul (with a net worth of $4 billion) wants to take something that is free and charge for it. Specifically he wants to take his news (see: Wall Street Journal) out of the hands of search engines (see: Google) and make others (see: Bing) pay for it. It will be interesting to see him try. Bye bye, Wall Street Journal?

4. Cloud Computing

You are in Best Buy. You ask an employee: “Hey, how much hard drive space does this have?” She answers: “There’s no hard drive space. Everything is saved on the web.” Well, there you have it. Call me crazy? I refer you to the Google Chrome OS. If you’ve been using Google Documents for the past few years, then a transition to complete cloud computing could be refreshing. And the potential for cloud computing in the education field is immense. Just think: students never lose their homework!

5. Apple’s iPad/Tablet/Thingy

It doesn’t matter what it turns out to be. It will be a game changer if it provides the best of the iPhone with everything a Kindle and Nook can do. Bye bye, books? Not yet, but the brand recognition alone will drive this kind of device into the mainstream.

(Hot dog photo by Richard Holden  – Remixed – CC BY 2.0)

The NHSPCA (NH Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals) is a non-profit organization that receives no federal or state funding. They depend solely on community support to care for the 4000 animals that are surrendered to them on a yearly basis. Just this week I visited the NHSPCA and saw the many animals (sheep, horses, cats, bunnies, etc.) that are being cared for. For the next few weeks, I am volunteering my time to drive the Ford Fiesta around the state collecting donations. That’s right. If you want to donate kitten milk replacer, dog food, and cat litter, then I will come to you. Let’s make a difference: right now.

WAYS YOU CAN HELP

1. Look at the NHSPCA wish list, purchase items, and contact me for pick up. Every item makes a difference. Want to go a step further? Spread the word. Collect items from friends, family, and co-workers over a few days. I’ll come and pick everything up.

2. Consider donating a special item or service (average value: $300+) for the NHSPCA’s annual silent auction to be held October 16th. Ask me how.

3. This Monday, August 17th, I will be in downtown Peterborough, NH at Club Cannon from 9am to 11am. Stop by and make your donation.

4. This Tuesday, August 18th, I will be performing improv comedy at The Players Ring of Portsmouth at 8 PM. Stop by. Drop off your donation in the theater lobby.

5. This Wednesday, August 19th, I’ll be in downtown Newmarket, NH, this from 5 PM to 7 PM. Stop by and make your donation. I’ll be beside the bright green one-of-a-kind-in-NH Ford Fiesta.

Ready to donate? Email me at john.c.herman “at” gmail.com Tell me where you are, and I will come and get your donations. It’s that simple. I plan on driving everything over to the NHSPCA by the end of the month, so act soon! I’ve been seeing their urgent requests for items, and I really want make a difference.

DO YOU GET TO BE IN ONE OF MY VIDEOS?

If you want to be in a video, then you will have the opportunity. I have a lot of people asking me if they can be in one of these monthly videos. Now is your chance. While I drive around, I will be making a video that will be distributed on Youtube and the Fiesta Movement site.

I attended Ernest Thompson’s inaugural workshop entitled ‘Write On Golden Pond.’ Thompson is the writer of ‘On Golden Pond’ and the writer/director of countless other projects. He’s currently developing a feature length film and web series in NH. For the workshop, the celebrated writer and director literally opens his farm to a collection of writers, putting them through an unexpectedly emotional journey to sincere writing. Everyone present wrote a play over the course of the weekend. The plays were performed at the workshop’s conclusion by a group of talented actors. Thompson colored the weekend with his stories of Hollywood icons like Henry Fonda, Katherine Hepburn, James Earl Jones, and Julie Andrews. Writers traveled from as far as Walla Walla, Washington to experience the weekend. The workshop is being offered again August 21st through the 23rd. Find out more info at WhiteBridgeFarmProductions.com The workshop is pricey, but it is worth every penny.

In the past year, there has been an explosion of creative activity in New Hampshire. The amount of collaboration and shear creative energy seen at NH Media Makers seems to grow with each month. The NH film scene is on the rise. Writers are coming out of nowhere to join us at All Things Out Loud. Creative minds are really coming out of the woodwork. With people like Ernest Thompson to guide the next wave of creative minds, I feel like our best work is yet to come.

That’s me, Burger, and Ryan Plaisted. We are very happy. Thanks NH Magazine! Check out the live action musical video series and web comic at www.OddNoggin.com

Brand new episode debuts tomorrow!

Have fond memories of summer camp? Adults from around the country are reliving their camp memories at a special retreat in the Maine woods. Camprov is a volunteer-run comedy summer camp for grown ups running from Friday, August 28th to Sunday, August 30th. It’s a jam-packed weekend of comedy workshops and performances.

“What makes Camprov special is that we’re truly dedicated to the summer camp experience,” says director John Herman. “Think toasted marshmallows, swimming, capture the flag, friendship bracelets, and cabin wars. Why should kids have all the fun?”

The weekend also features special guest instructors, including comedian Zach Ward. Ward has trained improv talent featured on television (Jeff Richards, Saturday Night Live, MADtv), the big screen (Maddy Curley, Disney’s Stick it), and students now featured at IO Chicago, IO West, The Magnet, UCBT-NY and UCBT-LA, Second City, Boom Chicago (Amsterdam), and the ComedySportz® across the World Comedy League. Among the instructors joining Ward are comedians Asaf Ronen (author of Directing Improv), Jill Bernard (author of Small Cute Book of Improv), and stand up comedian Dana Jay Bein, who was recently seen training a comedy hopeful on MTV’s Made.

“After one weekend, a beginner will have hours of workshops and performance under their belt. On the flipside, veteran comedians learn and work in an informal setting with their colleagues,” says Herman. “And we see a lot of networking happening during the lobster dinner.”

Camprov includes food and lodging, 10 hours of workshops, 2 nights of performances, and a whole lot more. The weekend costs $325 with a $25 discount offered until July 1st. For more information, registration, and a link to a social network populated by new and former campers, go to Camprov.com

This weekend I joined Stranger Than Fiction in turning downtown Portsmouth into a live action video. We were kicking off our summer season of improv comedy. Join us for ‘Tuesday Night Improv’ every Tuesday night of the summer at the Players Ring Theatre in Portsmouth. Shows start at 8 pm! Reserve your tickets now by calling (603) 436-8123.

Just found out that our surreal musical web TV show and web comic Odd Noggin Land won 2009 Best of NH: Web Series. Congrats to the cast and crew! A new episode should be up next week. In the meantime, ketchup with old episodes!

Enjoy:

UPDATED WITH SCOTT’S PHOTO’S:

Previous posts about the Fiesta Movement:
Leslie Poston conducts a sideways Fiesta Movement interview
John Herman and the Ford Fiesta, Photo by P.T. Sullivan
New Hampshire loves the Ford Fiesta
The Fiesta Movement begins!