WaiterGoneBad Productions was started in 1994 by Noel Olken. Originally a theatre company that created new works and offered classes in physical theatre. Noel studied corporeal mime with Etienne Decroux and Daniel Stein, classical theatre and Commedia Delle Arte in Paris, France.
In 1996 Noel started working in film production and within a few years he was producing and directing his own films. Theatre, the first love of his life, and the reason he became an actor, was soon left behind for the glamorous and exciting world of film. While he does revisit theatre as often as he can, Noel spends his days working in and creating films for worldwide distribution.
His first film was “Mr. Peach’s Dinner Party” (1997 - 18 mins), based on a script by S.L. Daniels. It featured performances by Jim Ortlieb, Suellen Burton, Michael Coleman and Richard Cotovsky.
Next was Meditations On Trafficking (2003 - 90 mins), based on his own original script. The film tells the story of an Eastern European woman trafficked into sexual servitude. It stars Erinn Strain and Krissy Shields, along with Andrew Krukowski and Wesley Walker.
In 2003 he produced Lance Catania’s feature film, Cup Of My Blood (2005 - 90 mins). The film, a religious horror film that was distributed worldwide and received many stunning reviews, stars Janina Gavankar and Daniel Patrick Sullivan.
In 2009 Noel co-produced The Return Of Joe Rich, a feature film by Sam Auster, set to be released in 2011. The film stars Armand Assante, Talia Shire and Sam Wittwer.
WaiterGoneBad Productions is available for script consulting and production management, and we can also prepare budgets and schedules for any size project. For more information,please contact Noel Olken.
Noel is a member of the Director’s Guild of America and the Screen Actor’s Guild.
Other projects currently in the works include an untitled psychological thriller, an original script by Noel about a canoe trip to the northwoods called The Boundary, and Footlighters, a period piece about growing up in the 70’s.