THE POEM OF MY LIFE

“What makes us who we are?"
asks Alan Brasington in his poetic/comedic performance
that reenacts the journey of a poor but prescient boy
who achieves a RADA degree.
Beginning before infancy,
his tale takes us through the myriad influences that shape a life,
from parents to storybook tales and legends,
to mentors’ admonitions and strangers' encouragements.

  • Martin J Spinelli
    Director
    LIFE ON JUPITER - The Story of Jens Nygaard, Musician
  • Alan Brasington
    Director
    ALAN BRASINGTON Graduate: State University at New Paltz, N.Y. 2 Years teaching H.S. English Rotary Fellowship to England Scholarship to Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (2 1⁄2 Years) 1 Year with A.P.A. Repertory, Lyceum Theatre, Broadway The Misanthrope Hamlet Pantagleize Cockadoodle Dandy The Show Off Also on Broadway: JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR A PATRIOT FOR ME SHAKESPEARE’S CABARET MERLIN INTO THE LIGHT TWO SHAKESPEAREAN ACTORS Plays Off-Broadway and at Professional Theatres around the country. At the Guthrie Theatre, Missouri Rep, Syracuse University, Penn State, Actors Theatre of Louisville I also taught acting, Shakespeare, Restoration Comedy, with Period movement (accoutrements, bows & fan). Alan Brasington was an actor for 35 years until the business he had begun suddenly took off: providing props for stores and movies since 1988. He provided props and costumes for over 100 movies, including DARK SHADOWS, CAPTAIN AMERICA, THE GREAT GATSBY (both), THE WOMAN IN GOLD, BIG EARS (others filming in England). Alan was on The New York Council of the Arts for 3 years. He appeared on TV in soaps, in a few Norman Lear comedies, and in the movie TATOO. Alan now lives in Sarasota, Florida, where he writes and performs for senior residences, churches, and local playwriting groups. He also writes and records on the internet for the California-based Steinbeck Now.
  • Alan Brasington
    Writer
    ALAN BRASINGTON Graduate: State University at New Paltz, N.Y. 2 Years teaching H.S. English Rotary Fellowship to England Scholarship to Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (2 1⁄2 Years) 1 Year with A.P.A. Repertory, Lyceum Theatre, Broadway The Misanthrope Hamlet Pantagleize Cockadoodle Dandy The Show Off Also on Broadway: JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR A PATRIOT FOR ME SHAKESPEARE’S CABARET MERLIN INTO THE LIGHT TWO SHAKESPEAREAN ACTORS Plays Off-Broadway and at Professional Theatres around the country. At the Guthrie Theatre, Missouri Rep, Syracuse University, Penn State, Actors Theatre of Louisville I also taught acting, Shakespeare, Restoration Comedy, with Period movement (accoutrements, bows & fan). Alan Brasington was an actor for 35 years until the business he had begun suddenly took off: providing props for stores and movies since 1988. He provided props and costumes for over 100 movies, including DARK SHADOWS, CAPTAIN AMERICA, THE GREAT GATSBY (both), THE WOMAN IN GOLD, BIG EARS (others filming in England). Alan was on The New York Council of the Arts for 3 years. He appeared on TV in soaps, in a few Norman Lear comedies, and in the movie TATOO. Alan now lives in Sarasota, Florida, where he writes and performs for senior residences, churches, and local playwriting groups. He also writes and records on the internet for the California-based Steinbeck Now.
  • Martin J Spinelli
    Producer
    Life On Jupiter—The Story of Jens Nygaard, Musician
  • Alan Brasington
    Key Cast
    "The Boy"
    ALAN BRASINGTON Graduate: State University at New Paltz, N.Y. 2 Years teaching H.S. English Rotary Fellowship to England Scholarship to Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (2 1⁄2 Years) 1 Year with A.P.A. Repertory, Lyceum Theatre, Broadway The Misanthrope Hamlet Pantagleize Cockadoodle Dandy The Show Off Also on Broadway: JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR A PATRIOT FOR ME SHAKESPEARE’S CABARET MERLIN INTO THE LIGHT TWO SHAKESPEAREAN ACTORS Plays Off-Broadway and at Professional Theatres around the country. At the Guthrie Theatre, Missouri Rep, Syracuse University, Penn State, Actors Theatre of Louisville I also taught acting, Shakespeare, Restoration Comedy, with Period movement (accoutrements, bows & fan). Alan Brasington was an actor for 35 years until the business he had begun suddenly took off: providing props for stores and movies since 1988. He provided props and costumes for over 100 movies, including DARK SHADOWS, CAPTAIN AMERICA, THE GREAT GATSBY (both), THE WOMAN IN GOLD, BIG EARS (others filming in England). Alan was on The New York Council of the Arts for 3 years. He appeared on TV in soaps, in a few Norman Lear comedies, and in the movie TATOO. Alan now lives in Sarasota, Florida, where he writes and performs for senior residences, churches, and local playwriting groups. He also writes and records on the internet for the California-based Steinbeck Now.
  • Michael Grenadier
    Editor
  • Roman Rabinovich
    MUSIC
    Jupiter Symphony Chamber Players
  • Project Type:
    Other
  • Runtime:
    54 minutes
  • Completion Date:
    August 13, 2021
  • Production Budget:
    12,000 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Country of Filming:
    United States
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16/9
  • Film Color:
    Black & White and Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
Director Biography - Martin J Spinelli, Alan Brasington

Martin Spinelli is a producer, director, writer and distributor of documentary and communications programs. His professional career began at Philadelphia’s ABC station where his documentaries won an EMMY and many broadcast awards. Later, at NBC/WRC in Washington, D.C., he joined the Directors Guild of America and made programs about community cultural concerns and the National Air & Space Museum.

Later, Martin moved to New York and created a company, Interaction Media, producing presentations for IBM, AT&T Bell Labs, and other communications companies that introduced digital, wide band, and internet services. His work encompassed multimedia and video programs used for new product introductions and non-profit fund-raising. Although retired from client-based production, Martin continues producing independent works following his personal interests.

His PBS broadcast documentary about an eccentric, legendary symphony conductor, LIFE ON JUPITER, won an EMMY and awards at Hot Springs, Breckenridge, and several other film festivals. Martin is about to release a new video, THE POEM OF MY LIFE via www.interactionmedia.com and other media.

Martin holds an M.A. in Communications from the Annenberg School of Communications and a B.A. in Psychology from the University of Pennsylvania.

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Director Statement

Having attended Alan Brasington's live performances of THE POEM OF MY LIFE several times, I decided it should have a wider audience via video in a documentary format. It's a project that I hope will inspire many more viewers in the way I have been moved by his heartening poetic prose.