He's been patrolling Off-Broadway's Kaufman Theatre since Nov. 20, 1996, but after May 25, comedian John DiResta will end his one-man show, Beat: A Subway Cop's Comedy. The good news is he may be coming to a small screen near you.
Beat features jokes and autobiographical anecdotes by DiResta, a real life NYC subway cop with more than 10 years on the beat. DiResta now has a prime time deal with ABC-TV for a show based on his play. If the pilot goes well, the sitcom will appear either this fall or as a mid season replacement based on the Off-Broadway play. A book deal with an undisclosed publisher is also in the works.
DiResta has made over 500 appearances in comedy clubs nationwide. Though drawn to the world of comedy, his firefighter father persuaded DiResta to go into law enforcement. Still a cop, DiResta makes sure his show finishes at 9:10 PM, so by 9:30 he can be on J Street for the homeless detail, a special police detail that picks up and feeds the homeless in subways and transports them to shelters.
The Off-Broadway comedy has been presented by Abrams/Gentile Entertainment and Father Steven Harris, an ordained Roman Catholic priest. Director Donna Daley co-wrote the play Mama Drama and has appeared in America Kicks Up Its Heels and A Coupla White Chicks Sitting Around Talking.
For tickets ($20-$25, plus cops get a $5 discount) and information, call (212) 279-4200. Ironically, the Kaufman Theatre, all the way on 11th Ave., is situated right next to a police station. --By David Lefkowitz