National Nonprofit Announces Three-Part Virtual Film Series set to Premiere with The Tricky Part followed by live celebrity and expert roundtables.
By Judy Shields
Los Angeles, California (The Hollywood Times) – 5/2/2020
On Tuesday, May, 2020, at 8 pm ET & 8 pm PT, 1in6 (www.1in6.org) will present a live streaming of the world premiere of the film The Tricky Part. The film, executive produced by actor, director, and 1in6 board chairman Anthony Edwards and directed by actor, director, and producer Raphael Sbarge, captures a live performance of the Obie award-winning play by the same name, written and performed by Broadway actor Martin Moran. The Tricky Part memoir also won numerous honors, including a Barnes and Noble Discover Prize and a Lambda Literary Award.
The live event will be streamed via Facebook, YouTube, Vimeo, and all home streaming services such as Apple, Roku, Amazon Fire, etc. and seen on the homepage of www.1in6.org. A recorded roundtable discussion will immediately follow the premiere at 9:35 pm ET/PT. Moderator Matthew Ennis, the President and CEO of 1in6, will lead the discussion with Anthony Edwards, Raphael Sbarge, Martin Moran, and Dr. David Lisak, a highly-regarded Clinical Psychologist for his work in the area of male sexual abuse and assault and founding board member of 1in6.
“When my longtime friend Anthony Edwards asked me to be a part of this amazing project, I was awestruck by Martin’s writing and performance— he draws you in, inspires you, and leaves you uplifted. It was an incredibly moving experience putting this film together.,” shares director Sbarge.
“The Tricky Part is not only a fantastic piece of theatre, but a truly compelling story by a gifted writer and actor, and a singularly moving experience. It will surely be the centerpiece for a night of celebration acknowledging the work of an exceptional organization,” said Edwards.
Moran added, “I’m thrilled to partner with 1in6 again for a very special evening dedicated to helping advance their reach, serve even more of the millions of male survivors who have had unwanted experiences, and engage in dialogue about this important issue in the wider community.”
The live event will be streamed via Facebook, YouTube, Vimeo, and all home streaming services such as Apple, Roku, Amazon Fire, etc. and seen on the homepage of http://www.1in6.org/.
As part of the special event, 1in6 will also follow the world premiere of The Tricky Part with two other films, The Bristlecone Project airing on 5/7/20 at 8 pm ET/PT, immediately followed by a live roundtable discussion at 8:30pm ET/PT, and Boys & Men Healing on 5/14 at 8 pm ET/PT followed by a live cast reunion and roundtable discussion at 9:05 pm ET/PT. This event will mark the first time that the cast has reunited since the film was first released in 2010.
The mission of 1in6 is to help men who have had unwanted or abusive sexual experiences live healthier, happier lives. Their mission also includes serving family members, friends, partners, and service providers by providing information and support resources on the web and in the community.
The Hollywood Times’ Interview with Director Raphael Sbarge:
THT: First question for our readers, what can you tell us about The Tricky Part?
Raphael Sbarge: Anthony Edwards, a good friend who is well known for his roles in ER and as Goose in Top Gun came to me and asked if I would be interested in shooting portions of this one man show, which received great reviews in New York. Tony is involved in an organization called 1in6.org. 1in6 statistically refers to the number of men that have been sexually abused by the age of 18. Tony was sexually abused by a manager when he was a young actor, so in 2017 he published a heartbreaking article exposing his sexual abuse experience. Tony hoped we could film some portion of the play and use it to inspire and reassure other abused men. At that point, I was unaware of the play but said yes immediately to my dear friend. I sure learned a great deal, the more I delved in. This engaging, in depth one-man production paints a clear and accurate portrait of assault. Yet does so in a way that reduces the uneasiness of the topic. Martin is such a masterful storyteller with a disarming invitation, into a truly complicated subject.
The play is so compelling and so we decided to shoot the whole thing rather than just pieces. It warranted the whole piece being filmed because of Martin’s mesmerising performance. We were so close to submitting it to film festivals, which is how a movie finds the light of day as an Indie film. Then the next thing you know the world falls victim to the Covid 19 pandemic which shut down all entertainment venues, the theatres and of course all the film festivals. But Tony decided to make this a livestream event. make it a Premiere and include a live panel after the showing. We wanted to get it out there not let it sit gathering dust while we sat waiting impatiently for film festivals to re-open. So that’s what we all decided to do. And since April is Sexual Assault Awareness month, we are eagerly awaiting our April 30th release date to hopefully generate fruitful dialogue and conversation on this topic.
THT: Why did you choose to use storytelling versus a script in The Tricky Part?
Raphael Sbarge: The playwright had discussed writing a narrative film based on the play years ago, an expansion of this successful Off Broadway play. Maybe one day he will do that. However, what’s so surprisingly wonderful is that Martin’s singular first-person narrative makes the telling of the story much more compelling, since it is literally and directly from the man that had the experiences. It won the Obie, the Off Broadway equivalent of the Tony Award for best play and was nominated for two drama desk awards, including best performance. So it worked as a play but adapting it for the screen had its challenges because the greatest challenge with plays on screen is that the stage’s proscenium can create a separation between actor and audience. As Director, my priority was to overcome this separation to create a focused film experience where the viewer felt a close and engaging connection with Marty as he was relating his story, as if they were sitting right next to him, rather than as an audience watching a performance, because Marty is such a fabulous storyteller. Throughout filming I was concerned whether we were successful in achieving this mission. But so far, from all the pre-screening feedback, I am feeling greater confidence and satisfaction that our approach worked.
THT: How was it to work with Martin Moran?
Raphael Sbarge: Marty is not only wonderful, delightful, poignant, fun-loving and truly magical right from first impression, he is the ultimate storyteller. He transcends his own personal pain to compassionately and humorously communicate such a touching topic. I consider Marty a treasure – empathetic and caring, and it was an honor to work with him. He is very well known in New York theatre circles, but not so well known outside of New York. I am excited that possibly the medium of film will deliver his talented work to new places and audiences unreachable outside theatre, and I know he is excited about that possibility, too.
To many it may seem surprising that The Tricky Part is as funny and appealing as it is. My PR team and I pondered how to go out there and talk about a complicated issue in the midst of the hardest time in a century or more, for all of us across the globe. Really, this is a difficult, yet heartwarming story that offers the ideal healing opportunity and possibly moves us towards helping society head into a positive direction about this subject. It is a bit hard to explain, until you have seen it. But It just lifts you up and makes you feel so good, oddly enough, even with this tough subject.
THT: Since TCM did their annual Classic Film Festival via a stay at home online streaming presentation, do you think maybe you can present this film in that formula?
Raphael Sbarge: Yes. This is a live event that we are doing on the east and west coast and after that we are trying to find a streaming partner that will understand the value and power of this film. We’ve had such a strong response to the film so far, and our feeling is that once you see it, it will speak for itself. There is a genuineness about his performance, and the project overall and it exudes a Indie, underground New York vibe, coupled with his remarkable performance addressing a theme that easily and clearly speaks to so many people I believe this can be a cool kind of “word of mouth” movie that will do well.
THT: Was there anything that surprised you during the filming of The Tricky Part?
Raphael Sbarge: Another challenge in filming this is we had only two performances in one day to capture the play’s essential message in as powerful a way as it was performed. We had 14 hours in one day to do it in front of two live audiences. I can honestly say it was the filmmaker’s equivalence of the “now or never” challenge faced by a wedding photographer (laughter). You have one shot to get it right! If you miss the opportunity, it will never happen again. I faced a good number of sleepless nights going into it, worried we hadn’t been prepared for what was coming our way.
What I found most interesting is that while this is a man talking about his issue, gender doesn’t matter when it comes to abuse. An assault is assault whether male or female – it’s a terrible ordeal for the victim. I discovered that many men don’t often talk about it. There are vast numbers of men hiding and trying to bury a secret like this and it leaves a traumatic and devastating impact on marriages, partnerships, families and all sorts of other things. What I found myself talking about most with people is how many men have been affected by it, upwards of 21 million dealing with this trauma.
In the journey I discovered this amazing opportunity to take steps in the right direction towards bringing awareness and hopefully, beginning the process of healing for the victims of male sexual abuse, much like Tarana Burke, of the MeToo movement who really opened the door for women through her contributions. If you listen to her Ted Talk, she talks about how assault is assault and is not gender specific, and how important it is for us to find our voice and find our healing. She is also a huge advocate of 1in6, supporting and collaborating with the organisation.
THT: What has the transition from actor to director been like for you?
Raphael Sbarge: I have been an actor for my whole life starting at age 4 on Sesame Street, and in essence, we are storytellers. What I have enjoyed so much about directing is the collaboration with all these other extraordinary artists in front of the camera, behind the camera, there is just something thrilling about working with everyone who is on top of their game. There is an aspect of filmmaking that is handmade, every frame is handmade and put together with enormous care. Whether it be from the camera angle, or from the sound mix or the score, color correction, just everything. An orchestra of extraordinary filmmakers who then all come together to do something special. That has been so gratifying, I just love the process of collaboration with all those amazing people. I still make my living as an actor and I have been doing more and more directing. It seems to be the ideal growth vehicle to draw upon my storytelling instincts and to then get to tell a story on film. I am so grateful to be able to get to do things like that.
THT: What do you like most about the entertainment business?
Raphael Sbarge: The variety of experiences are dynamic and exciting, the diversity and creativity of people you meet and encounter and suddenly find yourself performing with in a scene or set, if even for a few hours is remarkable. I am grateful for the many astonishing artists I’ve had the chance to work with. And just like a musician, you get to take your instrument and go and sit down in a pickup band and play for a bit and there is just something about that. Everyone knows what they are doing and you just get to enjoy that moment where you play in harmony together– and that is just thrilling.
THT: Are you working on any environmental projects?
Raphael Sbarge: LA Foodways did very well for KCET-PBS and is now more timely than ever. I know they are interested in working on another season and I would be excited to be coming back for that. I’m currently in the midst of shooting and cutting a film about the Laemmle theatres, called, Only in Theatres. The Laemmle Theatres, popularly known in LA, have an amazing history that goes back to the origins of Hollywood. There has been a member of the Laemmle family in the movie business for as long as there has been a movie business. Clearly this is a challenging time for theatres and this is reflected in our story. So that is what I have been cutting at the moment after shooting over the past 10 months. There are several other projects I am currently working on but I can’t talk about them just yet. I welcome the opportunity to share them down the road.
THT: Let’s talk about your acting appearance and your character on Netflix’s Hunters series about Nazis in America.
Raphael Sbarge: You get a phone call and suddenly you are working with extraordinary people. It was fabulous to work on, with a production team that was wonderful and incredible actors. It’s a fictional turn with the truth, but the interesting thing about Hunters is that it is based upon a real fact, which is complicated when you think about it. At the end of WWII, America and the Soviet Union were racing to steal the Nazi’s best rocket scientists since the USSR had moved from ally to foe. To protect America from a new war, and the desire to be the first to the moon, America recruited many of these top rocket scientists in Operation Paperclip. The CIA and FBI gave them safe passage to America, gave some new identities and engaged them in our space project. Wow – It’s a wild and true fact. Complicated and dark when you think about it. That is the basis for the show which takes place in the 1970’s with an eclectic group of people hunting down Nazi’s still in America, I play a Nazi scientist named Dieter Zweigelt – aka American identity, Dillman (you can catch it on episode 5, At Night, All Birds Are Black.) I love the opportunity to explain that history to you. Thanks,
THT: Where was that scene filmed at?
Raphael Sbarge: We shot the scene just outside of New York, but the scene is supposed to take place in Alabama. It was a long day being tied to a chair and mock tortured with a salt water cocktail (Laughter). It was one of those days that you go home and you definitely want a drink, even if you don’t actually drink (laughter).
So, when I heard from Raphael about his upcoming film The Tricky Part, starring broadway actor Martin Moran, I surely wanted to learn more. His PR folks sent me a screener to view the film and it was worth watching twice, because I felt as if I was sitting right next him. I didn’t want to miss anything in the message, especially with Mr. Moran’s animated gestures and appealing voice. Once again, quite impressed with the project that Raphael had done. Hats off to Anthony Edwards for bringing this idea to Raphael and BRAVO to Mr. Moran for bringing it to life on the stage. I can’t image the agonizing pain and embarrassment Mr. Moran or Anthony Edwards went through early in their life when sexually abused, let alone any man, woman or child. I am not sure if it takes guts, will power or the Grace of God to speak to anyone about abuse, but I do believe this one-man play turned film, The Tricky Part should be shared all around the world to shed some light, and surprisingly even laughter, in an effort to encourage those injured by sexual abuse, that it is okay to talk to someone about it. Don’t allow the sexual abuse or abuser haunt you throughout your life. The person committing the act should be held accountable, before they attack another victim. As I watched this film, I could understand why those involved wanted to create a film from this one-man play. It is a performance, well more than that, a revelation my Mr. Moran that will keep your eyes riveted to the screen, so you don’t miss a single word said. Please tune in this Thursday, April 30, 2020, at 8 pm ET/PT, 1in6 (www.1in6.org)
Raphael Sbarge Actor and Director
Raphael Sbarge has been a working actor for more than five decades. Growing up in New York City’s lower East Side, he began working at age 4 on Sesame Street. He has appeared in dozens of movies, including Risky Business, My Science Project, Independence Day, Pearl Harbor and Vision Quest.
Raphael’s resume includes more than 100 guest appearances and series regular roles on network television shows including the long-running ABC hit Once Upon a Time, the TNT series Murder in the First, and The Guardian for CBS. He has recurred on series including Star Trek Voyager, Dexter and Prison Break. Raphael has also performed on stage in theaters around the country and appeared in five Broadway productions.
His first narrative short, The Bird Who Could Fly, immigrant Korean story, set in K-town, Los Angeles with an all-Asian cast, has won numerous awards and garnered many laurels at film festivals around the country and internationally. Raphael also produced and directed a short film, Is There Hope for Planet Earth, in conjunction with the world-renowned California Institute of Technology on the subject of climate change. It was acquired and aired on KCET/PBS featured as part of the station’s Emmy- and Peabody-awarded news program SoCalConnected.
LA Foodways, a six-part digital series and one-hour feature that Raphael directed and produced, debuted in 2019 on KCET and was distributed on multiple streaming channels. The series, which was co-produced with KCET, highlights Los Angeles’ farming history, contrasted against the fact that there are 1.5 million people dealing with food scarcity or living in food deserts in Los Angeles county, the largest in the country.
Raphael just completed The Tricky Part, a film based on the Obie award winning one-man play of the same name. He is in production on, Only in Theatres, a feature documentary about the family behind Laemmle Theatres; and has a number of projects in development, including the second season of LA Foodways; and Watts Action, a feature about the second generation of Watts leaders, and UnDocumented, a serialized drama about immigrants in America, currently working with Michael Strayhan’s company, SMAC.
The first digital series Raphael directed and executive produced was called On Begley Street, a nine-episode documentary series starring Ed Begley Jr., with guest appearances from Jeff Goldblum and Sharon Lawrence. Sold to a digital platform, it earned several awards, including Best New Media at the Burbank Film Festival, Best of Show at the Aurora Awards and Outstanding Reality Series at LA Web Fest. The series was also nominated for a Best Reality/Documentary Series honor at the Environmental Media Association’s EMA Awards. He also produced and directed Jenna’s Studio, featuring Jenna De Angeles, a YouTube standout in the Maker Movement. The series was sold to a digital platform and continues to play on YouTube, garnering over 4 million views.
Martin Moran Actor and Author
Martin Moran is an actor, playwright and author. He was awarded a 2004 OBIE and two Drama Desk Nominations for his one-man play, The Tricky Part, based upon his memoir of the same title. Martin received the 2005 Barnes and Noble Discover Great New Writers and 2005 Lambda Literary Awards for his memoir: The Tricky Part: A Boy’s Story of Sexual Trespass, A Man’s Journey To Forgiveness.
His play, All The Rage, won the 2013 Lucille Lortel Award for Outstanding Off-Broadway Solo Show and was recently released as a memoir by Beacon Press.
Broadway performances include: Spamalot, Cabaret, Titanic, Bells Are Ringing, Big River, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, A Christmas Carol, Oliver! He will open this spring on Broadway in Sing Street. Off-Broadway: A Man of No Importance, Lincoln Center Theater, The Cider House Rules, Atlantic Theater Company, Floyd Collins Playwrights Horizons. Regional: Long Wharf, Williamstown Theater Festival, Trinity Repertory Company, American Conservatory Theater, The Intiman, San Jose Rep, Shakespeare and Company.
Film and Television appearances include: The Big C, Z Nation, The Newsroom, Possible Side Affects; The Next Big Thing; Private Parts; Law &Order; Law & Order Criminal Intent; Dellaventura; Mary and Rhoda.
His writing has appeared in Ploughshares, the Pushcart Prize anthology, and The New York Times. He has presented his solo work internationally in Poland, South Africa, England, France and Canada. He was awarded a fellowship to The MacDowell Colony and is a recipient of a New York Foundation for the Arts Grant for Creative Non-fiction.
He lives in New York City with his husband, Henry Stram.
Anthony Edwards Actor and Director Chairman of the Board of Directors, 1in6
Among his many television and movie credits, Anthony Edwards may be best known for his role as Dr. Mark Greene in the series ER, for which he won the Golden Globe Award for Best Performance, and LTJG Nick ‘Goose’ Bradshaw in the iconic film Top Gun. In 2010, Anthony won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Television Movie for the film Temple Grandin.
In November 2017, Anthony published an article titled, “Yes Mom, There is Something Wrong: From Victim to Survivor,” in which he first disclosed the sexual abuse he endured as a child. In his role as Vice-Chair of the 1in6 Board of Directors and spokesperson for the organization, Anthony is a dedicated advocate for male survivors of sexual abuse and assault.
About Matthew Ennis, President & Chief Executive Officer, 1in6
A nationally recognized nonprofit leader, Matthew Ennis serves as the President and Chief Executive Officer of 1in6. As a survivor a childhood sexual abuse, Matthew is dedicated to the vital work of 1in6 by providing resources to male survivors, broadening professional development opportunities for service providers, expanding stewardship and engagement, leading innovation, and improving access to resources and care. With nearly two decades of experience working in the movement to end sexual abuse and assault, Matthew is a highly sought after subject matter expert on the topic of male sexual abuse and assault, having spoken at training events, universities, and military installations across the United States and around the world. Prior to joining 1in6, Matthew served as the Chief Executive Officer of Freedom’s Rest Family Violence Center, a nonprofit dedicated to providing shelter and advocacy to the survivors of domestic and sexual violence. Matthew lends nearly two decades of experience in nonprofit leadership and consulting to his role at 1in6, having served many organizations including Missouri State University, Springfield Symphony Orchestra, Sigma House Recovery Centers, American Cancer Society, Harley Davidson Motor Company, March of Dimes, and the Make-A-Wish Foundation. He also served as Director of Public Relations to world-renowned entertainer and musician Jim Stafford. In 2006, Matthew was named to the Springfield Business Journal’s prestigious 40 UNDER 40 list and remains the youngest person to receive this honor.
About 1in6.org
Our Mission – The mission of 1in6 is to help men who have had unwanted or abusive sexual experiences live healthier, happier lives.
Our mission also includes serving family members, friends, partners, and service providers by providing information and support resources on the web and in the community.
Our History -1in6 was founded in 2007, and our website was created in 2010, in response to a lack of resources addressing the impact of negative childhood sexual experiences on the lives of adult men, one of many under-recognized aspects of childhood sexual abuse. In 2016, we expanded our mission to include men who experienced sexual assault as adults.