Today we’d like to introduce you to Anthony J. Piccione.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I was diagnosed with autism when I was 18 months old. The doctors at the time predicted I would never talk or live independently. I like to think everyone knows now that not all autistic people require that much support, but in the early 90s, it was hard to imagine a young child growing up to be a playwright, screenwriter & theatre producer living in New York City as an adult
I got my BA in Theatre with minors in Film and Writing from Eastern Connecticut State University in 2016. Now I’ve been a New Yorker for more than eight years, and I’ve produced numerous of my own plays, as well as the works of several other playwrights. Looking back on it all, I still don’t quite know what it all means, other than it’s been gratifying to have had the opportunities and successes I’ve had, and to have had the creative control that I’ve had. I guess I just hope maybe whether it’s me or other neurodivergent writers out there, it’ll inspire more and more people like us to get into the arts.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I think I said something along these lines before: The payoff for doing the art you’re passionate about is not just hard work, but it often costs a ton of money. Usually, whenever my company makes any sort of net profit, it always ends up going toward the next thing, anyway. It’s been rewarding on a creative level, though. The long-term satisfaction is always worth any short-term stress than comes with being a self-producing artist.
I’m a firm believer in the DIY mentality. If you are an artist and you are passionate about your art, than nothing should stop you from getting it in front of an audience yourself. Don’t have money? Save up or start a crowdfunding campaign. Don’t know if your work is any good? Ask friends for constructive feedback. Afraid you will fail? Well, failure is guaranteed if you don’t try.
I’ve always joked that I wouldn’t say no to a Broadway producer or Hollywood studio, but the truth is that rather than get the old institution to come to us, we need to build our own institutions to replace the old ones. If there is anything the past few years in history prove us, it’s that the old establishment won’t go quietly into the night, nor will it provide meaningful change beyond occasional virtue signaling. If we want to see something in the world that doesn’t exist now, we cannot wait for someone else to make it. It requires taking the initiative to produce it yourself.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
My full-length plays presented in NYC are “A Therapy Session with Myself”, a semi-autobiographical drama about growing up and struggling with social anxiety & neurodivergency, which premiered at the New York Theatre Festival’s 2019 Winterfest in January before transferring to the Kraine Theater in May that same year, and is currently self-published; “One Empire, Under God”, an epic dystopian thriller in two acts which had its world premiere at The Tank in November 2021 before its publication at Next Stage Press; and “The Lone Wolf Society”, a psychological thriller about the dangers of the dark web, which had a staged reading at The Tank in November 2022 before its publication at Next Stage Press.
I’ve also written and produced numerous shorter plays – including the young adult drama “What I Left Behind”, which received the New York Theatre Festival’s award for Best Short Play at the 2018 Winterfest, and is being adapted into a feature film which I intend to produce myself. In addition to the film adaptation of “What I Left Behind”, which I aim to begin filming this year, I am also writing my fourth full-length play. I won’t go into much on that yet, other than to say it’s a futuristic mystery thriller that explores the dangers of capitalism and privatization.
I’ve also founded two theatre companies – the Neurodivergent New Play Series, (aka “Neurodivergent Plays”) and the Talking It Out Virtual Arts Festival which recently recorded some of our first live audio drama episodes in the form of a podcast! I’m deeply passionate about producing works by other writers who are neurodivergent and/or tackle issues of mental health and sociopolitical issues.
Any advice for finding a mentor or networking in general?
I had two professors at ECSU – Matthew Gallagher, who now teaches at UConn; and Edmond Chibeau, who passed away in 2023 – who inspired me and pushed me when few others believed in me. With each of them, they were always encouraging me to stay true to the story you want to tell, and to never be afraid to challenge myself to think “outside the box”, so to speak. I’m a huge fan of experimental theatre and pushing the boundaries of dramatic structure, and I credit my professors for instilling that mentality in me. Whenever people ask if college was worth it, I always say “it is what you make of it”, pointing to them as a reason why I appreciate the formative role it had on me before I went to New York to pursue my career.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.anthonyjpiccione.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/PiccioneArts
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@AnthonyJPiccione
- Other: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gYh2yF5iWjI&
