Get to know Howard Jerome

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Howard is a singer, writer, teacher, director, producer, activist, futurist and humorist. He performed as Dr.Possiblities in "Message in a Bottle" to deliver a message to all people to help protect Lake Ontario. This was a musical production with many songs written and sung by Howard Jerome and Alice Brownlee. Together they wrote the "Inside Me" song which was used in the performances of "Dodo Land " in New York in the l980's.

Howard is a trained singer and has been in such musicals as Duddy, Oliver and Kiss Me Kate. He has written or performed or created the environmental songs and video "No More Belly Up Fish" and "Grandpa's Picture Book". Howard also wrote and performed several original songs on "You Are More", produced by futurist Jean Houston.

Howard performs on stage, film and television. On stage he has played in Of Ice and Men and Glengarry Glen Ross. He appeared in the 25th anniversary of The Fantasticks. Also the Canadian production of Le Bourgeois Gentilhomme or The Bourgeoise Genteleman, Skin Deep, Run For Your Wife and Government Inspector. On televison he has been seen on The Martin Short Special and Night Heat. His feature films include The Mind Fields, Sam and Me, The Good Mother, Looking for Miracles, Nightstick, Sing, and Baby John Doe.

Howard has a funny story about his introduction to acting and singing. Twenty five years ago, he was a lean and mean wrestler Eric Von Hess, a professional football player, and did folk singing in Greenwich Village coffee houses. Tired of being dragged around the ring by his beard , and having his teeth knocked out at the 10 yard line, he jumped at the invitation to act and sing with a touring theatre company. To paraphrase the song, "it was the start of something big." His transformation began.

In 1976 he formed the Portable Theatre and created the character Dr. Possibilities. The doctor has the job of showing children and adults how to reach their full human potential. Dr. Possibilities wrote The Idea Dairy, a workbook/journal filled with exercises to promote creativity. Dr. Possibililities loves the environment and sings and dances people into an awareness to protect the earth.

Grandpa's Picture Book Grandpa, grandpa, come and look
A thing you tried to hide
I found this pretty picture book
It has got your name inside
There is something I do not understand
Grandpa, grandpa, could you tell me please
What are these tall green things?
Child, we called them trees
When I was young and small like you
Trees grew everywhere
We climbed their limbs, ate their food
They gave us shade and air
We never dreamed they would be lost
We thought they would always be around
Folks must earn a living
So we cut the forest down.

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