Here’s a quick sampler of some of my Writing & Visual Storytelling work across mediums/genres including writing (fiction, screenwriting, playwriting, & non-fiction/copywriting), film directing/making, & performances in theatre productions. There are also a couple of zero-budget film projects below that I wrote, directed, & filmed just for fun, often working with family & friends & using whatever I had available… I’m proud of how they turned out, so I thought I’d leave them here for anyone to enjoy.
Writing for Page, Screen, & Stage
Fiction Writing
My short story THE LIGHTNING JAR was published in Oyster River Pages 4th Annual Issue (named “Emerging Writer of Fiction”).
Non-Fiction / Copywriting
For a portfolio of copywriting samples, feature articles, & advertisement work, please visit this page.
Screenwriting
My feature screenplay DRAGON is currently in the top 10% of all 137,827 discoverable screenplays on Coverfly, having earned the following accolades:
- Second Rounder, Launch Pad Feature Competition 2021
- Quarterfinalist, Final Draft – Big Break 2020
- Quarterfinalist, Scriptapalooza Screenplay Competition 2018
- Quarterfinalist, Scriptapalooza Fellowship 2018
- Quarterfinalist, PAGE International Screenwriting Awards Competition 2016
Playwriting
My full-length stageplay BELTWAY BREAKDOWN is on New Play Exchange.
BELTWAY BREAKDOWN is the story of a lifelong intercity bus driver whose career comes to a screeching halt when his boss demands he hand over his keys to a young replacement at the end of his next run. After the bus breaks down on the drive from Raleigh to DC, he works to sabotage his young protege & prevent a sudden ending to a long & stable career. Meanwhile, his college-aged daughter, who has come along on the ride, struggles to tell him the truth about her relationship with her nonbinary college roommate. Of course, the passengers aren’t content to sit tight—the situation on the shoulder of the DC Beltway spins quickly out of control.
Visual Storytelling
Filmmaking / Directing
“Some Sh*t”
During the 2020 COVID shutdown, I shot a zero-budget, super-short film with family & friends using an old Canon 7D & a few LED lights. Despite such limitations, this little film won “Best Mockumentary Microfilm” award at the Austin Comedy Film Festival & the “Outstanding Achievement” Award at the Berlin Flash Film Festival, made the semifinals of the Sunday Shorts Film Festival, & was an official selection at the New York Flash Film Festival!
Content Warning: Adult language & simulated use of a firearm.
“The Elf on the Shelf”
A zero-budget family Christmas collaboration between my brother Andy (@contentmonster) & myself, filmed using a Canon R5 & a 360 cam & starring our father Walter Holton & our niece Maizie Stewart. We shot this over the course of two days in a run-and-gun style. Not your typical Christmas story!
Content Warning: May spoil beloved beliefs for children.
Performance / Live Theatre
“The Lost Colony” Outdoor Drama, 84th Season
I was ecstatic to be called upon as both actor & technician in the 84th season of THE LOST COLONY Outdoor Drama, the same sandy stage that Andy Griffith once roamed in his early years. Not only did I play the speaking role of Captain Arthur Barlowe night after night in the opening scene (pictured above), but I also sang, danced, & performed as a member of the Ensemble throughout the show. I also worked behind the scenes as an Assistant Technical Director building sets & lighting towers. April & May were a whirlwind of preparation & rehearsal, & we successfully opened the show on May 28th, 2021. The season ran 6 nights a week through August: 74 shows total!
Theatre of Dare’s “The Mousetrap”
I played Detective Sergeant Trotter in Theatre of Dare’s rendition of “The Mousetrap,” the longest-running play in the world. I was excited to play a pivotal lead role, originally played by Richard Attenborough! The show was sold out all six nights.
The Mousetrap
Written by Agatha Christie
Directed by Stephanie Harkness Moxley
Theater Location
Theatre of Dare / 3848 N. Croatan Highway, Kitty Hawk
For more on my exploits as a writer, film & theatre maker, & performer,
please visit my IMDB!
