Arts & Entertainment
Lights, Camera, Action!
A profile of Arlington Independent Media member, John Moriarity.
"There's a feeling of triumph and there's a rush in making characters live and breathe and bump into each other," said John Moriarity. The single, 34-year-old Arlington man is busy memorizing his lines for "And we're Clear" a serialized stage play presented in 5 episodes produced by Hope Operas. Moriarity confessed to having "major butterflies" recognizing that with a live theatrical performance you only have the "one take" to get it right.
Moriarity moved to the area from Venice Beach, Ca. where he had worked as a production assistant for "Fear Factor" and "Deal or No Deal." While he enjoyed the energy of the creative process, he said he wanted to continue to grow and develop and didn't see himself doing reality television long-term. Moriarity, who holds a degree in marketing from the University of Texas, said he realized that he needed additional training. It was while visiting his dad and stepmother, who live in Arlington that Moriarity discovered that there might be greater learning opportunities available here.
Shortly after moving in 2005, Moriarity became a member of Arlington Independent Media (AIM), the cable access television station where he has received hands-on training in all aspects of the production process. He has also done a fair amount of freelance video and production work as well as acting in industrial films. Earlier this year, Moriarity was featured in the AIM produced video for Greenpeace, "How to Clean Up an Oil Spill—Scamwow" which has received more than 95,000 hits on You Tube.
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In addition to working behind the camera and acting, Moriarity is also one of the announcers for AIM's "The Other Sports Show" which covers the local high school football games. "There's this universal school spirit that when you're there calling the games, you tap into it and it's just so much fun to be a part of AIM."
Elizabeth Pringle, the director of "And we're Clear" said, "I met John while auditioning for the play at Arlington Independent Media. I had gone to the lobby looking for the scheduled actor and instead ran into John." She added, "He looked so much like the part that I was trying to cast that I stopped and introduced myself and invited him to audition."
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Playwright, Kerri Sheehan agrees that John is perfect in the role of Chad, a news anchor in the serialized play. "There are a lot of actors that have a lot of ego and not much hard work in them and John is just the opposite of that—he works really hard and has no ego."
The Hope Operas are being staged at The Comedy Spot in Ballston Mall every Monday at 8 p.m. through November 1 to raise money for charity. Audience members vote on their favorite play and the designated charitable organization receives the proceeds. Tickets are $12 per episode.
For his part, Moriarity credits Pringle and Sheehan with "elevating my performance to a level that I wasn't expecting." In spite of the major butterflies, he beamed, "It is so much fun to bring fiction to life."