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Al Quagliata is an, actor, comedian, musician, broadcaster and comedy writer who was born in the Bronx and raised in Westchester County, New York. He's from an entertainment background; his late father Al Quagliata Sr. was a jazz bassist with, among others, The Benny Goodman and Stan Rubin Orchestras. Al himself is also a jazz ⁄ rock guitarist and songwriter. In 1988 Al received a BA in Communications ⁄ Broadcasting from Iona College in New Rochelle, New York, where he was the assistant production manager of the radio station and a member of various improv and sketch comedy groups. These experiences, along with producing his own comedy show in the late 1980's for local TV, prompted Al to give up any idea of a 9 – 5 job and pursue acting, comedy and writing full-time. Al has written for and been a performing member of many sketch comedy and improv groups in New York City, most notably "Loos Scrooz" and "Funny...Sheesh". Al spent five years as a performer and member of the writing staff of "New York Dinner Theater," a company who creates and stages interactive dinner theater shows. Al started with "NYDT" as a character he created, "Uncle Sal," who’s job it was to warm up audiences as large as 400 people simply by adlibbing. Al has done stand – up and acted in more than twenty stage plays. He does voice – over work, has written a feature length screenplay with a writing partner, is working on two feature length screenplays of his own and has also written the music for a soon to be produced musical called "Pye". Al sites as his greatest comedy influences his late Father, TV pioneers Ernie Kovacs and Steve Allen, and the work of SCTV and the early SNL. Its his greatest desire to write and perform in a show along these lines. Al is a member of both A.E.A. (Actors Equity Association) and S.A.G. (Screen Actors Guild). |