Lucy In The Afternoon - A Biography of Lucille Ball was published by William Morrow in Hardcover in 1990 and in Paperback by Pocketbooks in 1991. The Literary Guild published another hardcover version for their Alternate Selection Book Club. To quote one reviewer, "Being an avid Lucy fan myself, I've read several Lucy-related books. Along with her autobiography, this book is by far the most intimate and personal book I've ever read about our favorite redhead. While reading it I felt as though I was right there with Lucy and Jim Brochu sipping the world's worst lemonade, chatting and telling jokes over Lucy's backgammon table. I have read it over and over, and it moves me every single time. I recommend this and her autobiography to all of my friends who are Lucy fans. If you are a Lucy fan, you will LOVE this book!"  And from Amazon.com, "You will laugh out loud at the real-life antics of Lucille Ball which are described in this wonderfully detailed book. If you already know Lucille Ball's history and want little known trivia facts and want to know more about "I Love Lucy", then this IS THE BOOK FOR YOU!!!!!!!!!!!" Copies of this book are available at Amazon.com. where readers have given the book a 4 Star rating.

The Last Session, A Musical in Two Acts, was published by Samuel French Inc. after a nine month run Off Broadway at the 47th Street Theatre, New York City. The Last Session has been produced in Los Angeles where it won the Best Musical Award of 1998 from the Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle and Jim Brochu was honored as Best Playwright. It also was named one of the Ten Best Plays of the Season by the Los Angeles Times. The show has played San Francisco, Omaha, Rochester, Dallas, Cincinnati, Miami and will have its London premiere in a July, 2005 concert version sponsored by the Cameron MacIntosh Foundation. David Finkle in the Village Voice said, "Funny! Enlightening! Enjoyable! Trust me, The Last Session is a life affirming musical that packs it all in, and with a bigger bang than many a glitzier, neon-light fronted show, fueled by its very unique energies and strengths," while the L.A. Times reported, "No ifs ands or buts, you have to get yourself to The Last Session - a raucous cacophony of morals, music, religion, life and love with ten powerful musical routines that will blow you away. Be prepared for dialogue that is quick, witty, wicked and wonderful. Through a variety of musical styles - gospel, rhythm and blues, rock and roll and pop - The Last Session is so rousing, heart warming, full of life and healing (and also uproariously funny) that it had the opening night audience on its feet for a full five minutes." Link to www.thelastsession.com

 MICHELE MAIS, JEFF JUDAY, BOB STILLMAN, AMY COLEMAN AND
PAUL STEIGER IN THE LAST SESSION

Gussie Richardson is a famous food columnist and cookbook author. Her agent comes to tell her she's been offered her own daily network television show. She wants to do it, but her husband Walter is dead set against it and Gussie discovers she has stage fright and can't open her mouth in front of a camera. Everybody tries to help her get over it . . . Walter through hypnotism, Bernie her agent by threats; and even wacky Gypsy Carmen from next door casts spells. Just when she thinks she's cured, the taping turns into a comic nightmare concluding in an all out food fight that almost ends the show and her marriage. Cookin' with Gus brings together four unlikely characters in a stew of hijinks and hilarity. Fun for the performers and a great evening for the audience. Cookin' With Gus was Jim's first play and has gone on to have International success. it has been translated into several languages and is perennial with Canadian audiences. It was recently taped in French in Montreal under the name of Les Pieds Dans Les Plats with four of Canada's most popular stars for French HBO. One Canadian critic said "They play had the audience rolling in the aisles from lights up to final curtain. One of the funniest plays of this or any other season."

            THE "WAY OFF BROADWAY PLAYERS" OF CEDAR PARK, TEXAS
PRESENT COOKIN' WITH GUS

To quote the Samuel French catalogue, "This delightful new comedy by the author of Cooking with Gus we know will appeal to a broad spectrum of audiences. A woman needs some ready cash right away because her apartment is about to be condo ed the hot new verb of the 80's. As she believes she is going to win the big lottery, she withdraws her life savings to buy tickets. Meanwhile her husband, who left her three years before, arrives back home on her birthday, the day of the lottery drawing. The woman's sister has also bought a lot of tickets. The husband has bought one for her and one for him. The women think the husband has won with his tickets; but, it turns out, the reason he is flush is that he is now financially successful. Actually, one of the characters just may actually have the winning ticket!" The Kansas City Star said, "Playwright Jim Brochu taps into a rich vein of character driven comedy. A winning cast makes the most out of some brightly written dialogue but it is Brochu's gift for characterization that really sets The Lucky O'Learys apart. Brochu's script nicely balances out the characters' baser instincts with some warmer qualities that stop just short of sentimentality. Money may be the root of all evil, the playwright seems to be saying, but it can also be the source of a few laughs. It's intention is to thoroughly entertain you and in this it succeeds admirably."

A former Broadway star and queen of the Washington social circuit, Didi Montgomery Mayflower, succeeds her deceased husband in the House of Representatives. Although she takes the job only to fill out her late husband's term, she soon sees that she can make a difference and becomes a force for political change. Didi speaks against a poll tax proposed by two of the House's most powerful members and decides to run for Congress in her own right, which causes a head on collision with her son in law, Marshall Bronson, who is also running for the seat. When Marshall tries to blackmail Didi, she exposes him on live television, goes on to win the election, defeats the poll tax and, through her daily appearances on the C Span network, becomes a national political figure. Originally played by Golden Girl Rue McClanahan, Didi Montgomery is a cross between Margaret Thatcher and Auntie Mame. The premise of the play is that one can discover their purpose in life after the age of 50. Didi is a late bloomer and truly blossoms when presented with a challenge. As one critic noted, "There are more delightful turns and surprises in The Lady of The House than a good Agatha Christie novel and Neil Simon play put together."

JIM REHEARSES WITH RUE MCCLANAHAN ON THE SET OF THE LADY OF THE HOUSE

Although Matisse Salinger is one of the most famous sculptors in the world, she has become a lonely, middle aged lady who hasn't left her house in years and speaks only to her longtime housekeeper, Aura Johnson, and her domineering mother and agent, Victoria Salinger. Without companionship, she turns her affection to food and does nothing but sculpt, sleep, watch TV and eat, eat, eat - until a new model opens her eyes and her world.  LA WEEKLY REVIEW: "Playwright Jim Brochu has taken a fairly improbable situation and, with his knack for hilarious put-downs, snappy comebacks and zingy one-liners, whipped them into a delicious comic soufflé. Renowned but overweight and middle-aging sculptress Matisse Salinger has become a total recluse, seeing only her models, her loyal but critical housekeeper/confidante Aura and her mercenary, acid-tongued mother. When brash, young stud-puppy Alex appears to borrow a jumper cable for his stalled station wagon, Mattie finds his torso inspiring, and asks him to pose nude. He enthusiastically agrees (the nude scenes are staged with careful decorum), and their sessions quickly lead to romance. So long as Brochu is willing to simply explore relations between the unlikely pair, his play’s an unmitigated delight."

PEGGY MANNIX, TONY AWARD WINNER JONELLE ALLEN, ANN PARTRICH, MICHAEL LIGHTSEY AND TODD TRULEY IN THE WEST COAST PREMIERE OF FAT CHANCE

COMING IN 2006 - JIM'S AUTOBIOGRAPHY
WATCHING FROM THE WINGS: AN OFFSTAGE LOOK AT ONSTAGE LEGENDS

CLICK ON THE COVER TO READ CHAPTER ONE