A new theatrical play set inside the porn industry is looking for investors, and the show gave a pair of industry readings in June in an attempt to show potential financial backers their stuff. The play, titled Shooting Star, follows the story of fictional adult performer Taylor “TNT” Trent, a “ young, failed Hollywood actor, who is rocketed to stardom as porn performer,” according to a write-up of the industry presentations by Broadway World.
There have been other recent theatrical productions set against a backdrop of the adult entertainment business, such as the recent regional revival of the Elaine May penned comedy Adult Entertainment, covered at this link by AVN.com, and another revival, of the short-lived 2012 Broadway play The Performers also covered by AVN.com at this link.
But unlike those other theatrical productions, Shooting Star was written and conceived by a real-life veteran of the porn industry—gay porn performer Hans Berlin. However, Berlin—who appears in a promotional video trailer for the show which be viewed at this link—has surrendered his nom du porn, and reverted to the name Florian Klein.
As Berlin, the new playwright starred in dozens of titles, including — according to his Internet Adult Film Database profile — Bareback in New York, Dirty Dungoen Deeds 3, and Fire Island Fuck Boy. But as Klein, he now makes his debut as the creator and author of the book to a new musical inspire by his experiences as a gay porn industry insider.
“When I started working in the adult film industry, I thought to myself, ‘This is such an amazing world, I need to write a musical about it,” Klein says in the Shooting Star video promo. “Yes, there’s going to be a lot of sexy on stage. But our show focuses more on the people in the porn world. Their hopes, their dreams, their lives. And the idea that sometimes, all the sex in the world is just not enough.”
The musical held two presentations—usually dramatic readings of an abridged version of a play’s script—at Manhattan’s Shetler Studios, a popular venue for such theater industry events.
“Everybody tells Taylor that porn is a world for sex not love, yet his heart yearns for more,” the Broadway World write up described. “And as his star shoots across the sky, Taylor's world slowly comes crashing down. Will Taylor stay true to himself and his heart — or will he continue the hunt for fans, fame, and fortune?”
Klein’s play has been in the works at least since 2012, when a earlier version titled Porn: The Musical saw a staged public reading in Germany, where Klein was born in 1972.
Photo via "Shooting Star" Trailer Screen Capture
