Damien Luvara // Actor, Writer

Los Angeles in January is a sensation that cannot be recreated during any season in Pittsburgh. This is an obvious statement, but simply describing my time in Southern California as “nice” seems severely lacking. It’s was an escape from the damp and chilly ‘Burgh that felt medically necessary. Instead, the dry air and very visible sun in Southern California feels at first wonderful and then eerily consistent. Maybe it’s the skeptic in me but when things are too nice for too long I begin to wonder about the downside. Chatting with Damien Luvara, he’s honest about the adjustments he made moving to LA in 2000 and the challenge that is a creative life there—but he was and still is up for it. Going on his 15th year on the west coast, he has now established a number of projects that he excitedly shares with me in this chat. Boss: The Untold Story of Tony Danza, is a play loosely based on Tony Danza’s early life and career that, as touched on in a review, “is a... brazen view at the concept of stardom”. We discuss how Luvara came to co-write this play and star as Tony Danza, getting a blessing from the big man himself. Check out the links below for more info on Boss the play, and the documentary he’s producing about SuttonBeresCuller and the Minimart City Park.  A gracious host, Damien invited us to his place in Los Feliz and even made the effort to snag us an orange from his neighbor’s tree, (with her permission of course). His abode is decorated with art from Pittsburgh based artists, including a piece from past guest / current friend of The AP Collection Danny Devine! Enjoy our chat and check out his work! I’m waiting patiently for Boss to make it’s east coast debut.