Mercy Professor First American Playwright to Compose Play for Online Broadcast

Mercy College is proud to share that School of Liberal Arts Instructor Marc Palmieri is the first American playwright to compose a one-of-a-kind play meant for online broadcast.

According to an article published by Broadway World, Palmieri’s comedic play “Waiting for the Host,” is “…about a church group that performs its parish’s annual Passion Play for Lent each year, but because of the coronavirus they have to do it via Zoom.”

The play allows theaters to continue to connect with their audiences during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, a time of uncertainty for the industry, while also providing viewers a crucial entertainment outlet that is fun, positive and uplifting.

Written, produced, directed and performed in less than a month, “Waiting for the Host” was first presented by Penn State Centre Stage Virtual in mid-April to over a thousand viewers.

In terms of the play’s evolution, when looking for a new play to promote through livestream, Director of Professional Rights at Dramatists Play Service Robert Lewis Vaughan discovered Palmieri’s “Waiting for the Host.” Lewis Vaughan then connected Palmieri to Penn State Centre Stage Artistic Director Rick Lombardo, a renowned American director, and Penn State faculty member.

“Waiting for the Host,” continues its success, and was recently picked up by The Theater Project.