Plays
Grounded
Lucy Ellinson
FULL LENGTH, Drama
1W
An unexpected pregnancy ends an ace fighter pilot’s career in the sky. Reassigned to operate military drones from a windowless trailer outside Las Vegas, she hunts terrorists by day and returns to her family each night. As the pressure to track a high-profile target mounts, the boundaries begin to blur between the desert in which she lives and the one she patrols half a world away.
PRODUCTIONS
Grounded was first produced in a Rolling World Premiere from NNPN (SF Playhouse, Borderlands Theater, and Unicorn Theatre) and by London's Gate Theatre. Its New York premiere was produced by Page 73. It has subsequently received over 175 productions in 24 different countries and has been translated into 16 languages.
DEVELOPMENT
Workshops and readings at the New Harmony Project, Bay Area Playwrights Festival, National New Play Network, Manhattan Theatre Club, Unicorn Theatre, Georgetown University, NJ Rep, WordBRIDGE Playwrights Lab, and Generous Company's Gumbo Festival of New Theatrical Work.
AWARDS
Lucille Lortel Award for Outstanding Solo Show
Scotsman Fringe First Award
British Council Recommendation
Off-West End Theatre Award for Best Production
The Smith Prize
NNPN Rolling World Premiere
PRESS
Named a Top 10 London Play of 2013 by both the Guardian and the London Evening Standard
“Grounded is a heartbreaking, beautiful, necessary and perfectly-structured solo drama … an essential story for our times.” – The Scotsman
“Gripping…presents a convincing portrait” – The New York Times
"As close to perfection as is possible to imagine...Grounded is a powerful, hallucinogenic experience." -What's On Stage
“Critic’s Pick. A scorching sharp-eyed, timely script…lets no one off easy…clap all you want at the end of the play—and you’ll want to clap a lot—but the game stays with you” – Time Out New York
“I was blown away…don’t miss it” – The Nation
“Thought provoking, thoroughly engrossing…pulses with the rhythms of an epic war poem” - TheatreMania
“A stratospheric level of theatrical intensity.” The Telegraph
PUBLISHED
Oberon Modern Plays
Samuel French
1W
An unexpected pregnancy ends an ace fighter pilot’s career in the sky. Reassigned to operate military drones from a windowless trailer outside Las Vegas, she hunts terrorists by day and returns to her family each night. As the pressure to track a high-profile target mounts, the boundaries begin to blur between the desert in which she lives and the one she patrols half a world away.
PRODUCTIONS
Grounded was first produced in a Rolling World Premiere from NNPN (SF Playhouse, Borderlands Theater, and Unicorn Theatre) and by London's Gate Theatre. Its New York premiere was produced by Page 73. It has subsequently received over 175 productions in 24 different countries and has been translated into 16 languages.
DEVELOPMENT
Workshops and readings at the New Harmony Project, Bay Area Playwrights Festival, National New Play Network, Manhattan Theatre Club, Unicorn Theatre, Georgetown University, NJ Rep, WordBRIDGE Playwrights Lab, and Generous Company's Gumbo Festival of New Theatrical Work.
AWARDS
Lucille Lortel Award for Outstanding Solo Show
Scotsman Fringe First Award
British Council Recommendation
Off-West End Theatre Award for Best Production
The Smith Prize
NNPN Rolling World Premiere
PRESS
Named a Top 10 London Play of 2013 by both the Guardian and the London Evening Standard
“Grounded is a heartbreaking, beautiful, necessary and perfectly-structured solo drama … an essential story for our times.” – The Scotsman
“Gripping…presents a convincing portrait” – The New York Times
"As close to perfection as is possible to imagine...Grounded is a powerful, hallucinogenic experience." -What's On Stage
“Critic’s Pick. A scorching sharp-eyed, timely script…lets no one off easy…clap all you want at the end of the play—and you’ll want to clap a lot—but the game stays with you” – Time Out New York
“I was blown away…don’t miss it” – The Nation
“Thought provoking, thoroughly engrossing…pulses with the rhythms of an epic war poem” - TheatreMania
“A stratospheric level of theatrical intensity.” The Telegraph
PUBLISHED
Oberon Modern Plays
Samuel French
Marie and Rosetta
Kecia Lewis and Rebecca Naomi Jones
FULL LENGTH, a play with music
2W
Bringing fierce guitar playing and swing to gospel music, Sister Rosetta Tharpe was a legend in her time and a huge influence on Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Jimi Hendrix and Ray Charles. Marie and Rosetta chronicles her first rehearsal with a young protégée, Marie Knight, as they prepare to embark on a tour that would establish them as one of the great duos in musical history.
PRODUCTIONS
Milwaukee Repertory, Milwaukee, WI, October 2024
Northlight Theatre, Evanston, IL, July 2023
Hattiloo Theatre, Memphis, TN, October, 2022
Arkansas Repertory Theatre, Little Rock, AR, July 2021
Vermont Stage Company, Burlington, VT, March 2020
Hippodrome Theatre, Gainesville, FL, February, 2020
Freefall Theatre, St. Petersburg, FL, January 2020
Greater Boston Stage Company, Stoneham, MA, October 2019
Playcrafters, Moline, IL, April 2019, directed by Gaye Shannon Burnett
TheatreWorks Silicon Valley, Palo Alto, CA, March 2019, directed by Robert Kelly
Cygnet Theatre, San Diego, CA, January 2019, directed by Rob Lufty
Park Square Theatre, Minneapolis, MN, November 2018, directed by Wendy Knox
Mosaic Theater of DC, Washington DC, August, 2018, directed by Sandra L. Holloway
Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park, Cincinnati, OH, February, 2018, directed by Neil Pepe
Detroit Public Theatre, Detroit, MI, February, 2018, directed by Courtney Burkett
Cleveland Play House, Cleveland, OH, January, 2018, directed by Neil Pepe
The Atlantic Theater, New York, NY, September, 2016, directed by Neil Pepe
DEVELOPMENT
Workshops and readings at The Playwrights' Center, New Harmony Project, and TheatreWorks Silicon Valley.
AWARDS
2016 Edgerton Foundation New Play Award
PRESS
"Mighty music-making...when it sings, it really swings." - The New York Times
"It is so rare for a play about the inner lives of black women to center on their intimacy and not world politics or degradation that the very fact of George Brant’s loving two-character script, strongly and sensitively directed by Neil Pepe, is refreshing." - The New Yorker
"Four stars...heavenly...you don’t have to be religious to know when you’re in the presence of glory." - Time Out New York
"Delightful...overflowing with heart and music, this show is a not-to-be-missed example of what the theater can do with music once it lets go of all the rules typically associated with musical theater...It's enough to make the theater faithful stand up and shout "Hallelujah!" - TheatreMania
"Wonderful, touching, and empowering...as good as anything that has been on stage in recent years in capturing both the joy and pain of being an African-American woman." - The Daily Beast
"A spectacular show...if much of the world has forgotten Sister Rosetta Tharpe and Marie Knight — and, certainly, a lot of us have — playwright George Brant makes an intimate yet spectacular case for correcting that wrong." - Newsday
"As Marie and Rosetta reaches its lovely, melancholy finale, you realize just how much you have come to care for two women at mid-century, armed with talent and faith, making their way in a world that has little use for strong, independent black ladies." - Lighting and Sound America
PUBLISHED
Samuel French
Into the Breeches!
Brian Sills, Jennifer Holcombe, Nisi Sturgis, Jenny Latimer, Janet Fiki, Carol Halstead
FULL LENGTH, Comedy
6W, 2M
1942. Oberon Play House’s director and leading men are off at war with the Axis. Determined to press on, the director’s wife sets out to produce an all-female version of Shakespeare’s Henry V, assembling an increasingly unexpected team united in desire, if not actual theater experience. Together they deliver a delightful celebration of collaboration and persistence when the show must go on! A surprisingly modern and moving comedy about the singular way art and community reveal our boldest selves even in the darkest times.
PRODUCTIONS
Gulfshore Playhouse, Naples, FL, February 2024, directed by Jackson Gay
Asolo Repertory, Sarasota, FL, February 2020, directed by Laura Kepley
Cleveland Play House, Cleveland, OH, September, 2019, directed by Laura Kepley
New Stages, Jackson, MS, September 2019
Northlight Theatre, Chicago, IL, May 2019, directed by Jessica Thebus
Alabama Shakespeare Festival, Montgomery, AL, April 2019, directed by Shana Gozansky
Shakespeare Festival of St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, October 2018, directed by Nancy Bell
Chautauqua Theatre Company, Chautauqua, NY, August 2018, directed by Laura Kepley
Trinity Repertory Company, Providence, RI, January 2018, directed by Tyler Dobrowsky
DEVELOPMENT
Commissioned by Trinity Repertory Company, Providence, RI. Workshops and readings at the McCarter Theatre Center and Hermitage Artist Retreat.
PRESS
"A gem of a play, one of the sweetest nights of theater you’re likely to see this season...a wonderful cast of characters...a lot of magical moments in this not-to-be-missed show." - The Providence Journal
“Most fun I’ve had in the theatre in a long time…beyond hysterical.” - The Chautauquan Daily
"Entertainingly captures the true meaning of being an American. Delightful and thoroughly engaging." - St. Louis Post-Dispatch
"Hilarious, heartfelt triumph...one of the funniest plays to be performed at the Alabama Shakespeare Festival in years...a story that is powerful, but never preachy and as heartwarming as it is fun... a brilliant play that is fresh, witty and thoughtful...a total triumph." - Montgomery Advertiser
"An absolute delight...thought-provoking and heartwarming...like a breath of fresh air that will leave one smiling like a dope at the end...Brant has done an exceptional job creating female characters who feel authentic...a lovely undercurrent of empathy in the whole production...so many hilarious moments." - BroadwayWorld
"“Into the Breeches!” deepens as it rolls smoothly along ... from charming romp into an unexpectedly moving testament to the power of art to unlock human potential." - The Cleveland Plain Dealer
PUBLICATION
Samuel French
The Prince of Providence
Scott Aiello, Stephen Berenson, and Erick Betancourt - photo by Mark Turek
FULL LENGTH, Drama
One of the most tragicomic figures in modern politics – and the city he transformed.
The nation knows him from Crimetown and Operation Plunder Dome, but Providence has a deeper and more complicated relationship with Buddy Cianci. A charismatic visionary who was also a corrupt philanderer, the long-time mayor defied the odds time after time – from his very first election to winning again after being arrested on assault charges. Surrounded by a colorful carousel of characters, Buddy gave Providence many things: some are more visible – businesses, tourism, and relocated rivers – while others are less tangible, but no less real – pride, notoriety, and now, a great story to tell.
PRODUCTIONS
Trinity Repertory Company, Providence, RI, September 2019, directed by Taibi Magar.
DEVELOPMENT
Commissioned by Trinity Repertory Company, Providence, RI.
PRESS
"The Passion Play of Providence...deftly captures the Tilt-a-Whirl sweep of Cianci’s life...timely and universal." - The New York Times
“A play that is as quick-witted, sharp-edged, unpredictable, unstoppable, unsettling, and generally complicated as Cianci himself.” – Boston Globe
“Nonstop excitement…this show stands on its own and would wow anywhere…jam-packed with compelling characters, honest laughs, and plenty of surprises…an unforgettable night of theatre. – Broadway World
"Fantastic play...jolts with its exquisite perceptiveness." - WGBH Boston
“Destined to become the King of Broadway…not to be missed.” – Theatre Mirror
"Nothing short of brilliant...the ending is a stroke of genius." - The Valley Breeze
One of the most tragicomic figures in modern politics – and the city he transformed.
The nation knows him from Crimetown and Operation Plunder Dome, but Providence has a deeper and more complicated relationship with Buddy Cianci. A charismatic visionary who was also a corrupt philanderer, the long-time mayor defied the odds time after time – from his very first election to winning again after being arrested on assault charges. Surrounded by a colorful carousel of characters, Buddy gave Providence many things: some are more visible – businesses, tourism, and relocated rivers – while others are less tangible, but no less real – pride, notoriety, and now, a great story to tell.
PRODUCTIONS
Trinity Repertory Company, Providence, RI, September 2019, directed by Taibi Magar.
DEVELOPMENT
Commissioned by Trinity Repertory Company, Providence, RI.
PRESS
"The Passion Play of Providence...deftly captures the Tilt-a-Whirl sweep of Cianci’s life...timely and universal." - The New York Times
“A play that is as quick-witted, sharp-edged, unpredictable, unstoppable, unsettling, and generally complicated as Cianci himself.” – Boston Globe
“Nonstop excitement…this show stands on its own and would wow anywhere…jam-packed with compelling characters, honest laughs, and plenty of surprises…an unforgettable night of theatre. – Broadway World
"Fantastic play...jolts with its exquisite perceptiveness." - WGBH Boston
“Destined to become the King of Broadway…not to be missed.” – Theatre Mirror
"Nothing short of brilliant...the ending is a stroke of genius." - The Valley Breeze
Elephant’s Graveyard
FULL LENGTH, Drama
13-15 M/W (flexible casting)
The true tale of the tragic collision between a struggling circus and a tiny town in Tennessee, which resulted in the only known lynching of an elephant. Set in September of 1916, the play combines historical fact and legend, exploring the deep-seated American craving for spectacle, violence and revenge.
PRODUCTIONS
Elephant's Graveyard premiered at UT-Austin in the Fall of 2007 and has since been produced over 400 times, nationally and internationally
DEVELOPMENT
Workshops and readings at the Kennedy Center, WordBRIDGE Playwright’s Lab, Trinity Repertory Company, Open Fist Theatre Company, and Capitol Hill Arts Center.
AWARDS
The Keene Prize for Literature
David Mark Cohen National Playwriting Award from the Kennedy Center/ATHE
“Best New Play” citation from the Austin Critics’ Circle
PRESS
“Vivid writing…immediate and heartbreaking.” – Austin Chronicle
“A theatrical masterpiece.” – Columbia City Paper
“The most striking production in the (NSDF) festival.” – Times of London
“Dramatic poetry…remarkable in its use of language and imagery…eloquent and thought-provoking.”
– Onstage Columbia
“Deeply moving…has the audience in stitches at the open and tears at the close.” – TheSunCoast.com
“A fantastic new play…like the best art…mesmerizing…buzzes with truth.” - The Stranger
PUBLISHED
Samuel French
The Land of Oz
Jason Eno, Fabio Polanco, and Eric Fancher
FULL LENGTH, Musical Comedy (music by Nathan Motta)
4W, 4M
Based on the second book in L. Frank Baum’s Oz series, young Tip escapes an evil witch, then sets out on an adventure to the Emerald City. Along the way he meets the Scarecrow, Tin Man, Lion, and some other new friends while discovering more about himself than he ever thought possible.
PRODUCTIONS
Dobama Theatre, Cleveland Heights, OH, directed by Nathan Motta, December 2022
PRESS
"A rollicking adventure full of fantastical characters and powered by a feel-good message that resonates with today’s audiences" - Cleveland Plain Dealer
"Pure theater magic...a wonderful moral tale of inclusion and friendship.." - Mark Horning
"Wraps you in magic..a show families can enjoy together, along with the message that it is the unique parts of ourselves that make us special." - Cleveland Jewish News
"Blissfully wacky. A delectable box of theatrical treats" - Scene Magazine
Tender Age
Bobby Moreno
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FULL-LENGTH, Drama 1M When Martín applies for a position at the local Walmart-turned-Detention Center, he is dismayed to discover he'll be working as a security guard for a warehouse full of children, some as young as his own, separated from their families at the nearby Texan border. The steady paycheck, however, outweighs Martín's misgivings—until a strange epidemic grips the facility, and Martín faces a moral reckoning. Stark and propulsive, Tender Age is a play about living at the edge of your ethics. |
PRODUCTIONS
Camera Theatre, Tel Aviv, Israel, directed by Sinai Peter, December 2022
Studio Theatre, Washington, DC, directed by Henry Godínez, July 2021
DEVELOPMENT
Developed by the National Playwrights' Conference at the Eugene O'Neill Theater Center.
PRESS
"With its stark poetic language and raw engagement with a disturbing topic, “Tender Age” makes (an) urgent appeal to the imagination and the conscience." - The Washington Post
"Don't miss this show. A devastating play on conscience and morality." - Maryland Theatre Guide
"Lays out for us in simple, inescapable, and lyrical terms what the American policy of separating migrant children from their parents and detaining those same children means, both for the families upon whom the policy is inflicted and for the moral state of us Americans." - DC Metro Theater Arts
Camera Theatre, Tel Aviv, Israel, directed by Sinai Peter, December 2022
Studio Theatre, Washington, DC, directed by Henry Godínez, July 2021
DEVELOPMENT
Developed by the National Playwrights' Conference at the Eugene O'Neill Theater Center.
PRESS
"With its stark poetic language and raw engagement with a disturbing topic, “Tender Age” makes (an) urgent appeal to the imagination and the conscience." - The Washington Post
"Don't miss this show. A devastating play on conscience and morality." - Maryland Theatre Guide
"Lays out for us in simple, inescapable, and lyrical terms what the American policy of separating migrant children from their parents and detaining those same children means, both for the families upon whom the policy is inflicted and for the moral state of us Americans." - DC Metro Theater Arts
Dark Room
FULL LENGTH, Drama
6W or more
A theatrical response to the haunting photographs of Francesca Woodman, a singular artist who flourished in the 1970's before taking her own life at the age of 22.
PRODUCTIONS
Bridge Repertory Theatre, Boston, MA, August 2018, directed by Olivia D'Ambrosio.
DEVELOPMENT
Readings and workshops at Theatre @ Boston Court, Towson University, the MacDowell Colony, the Djerassi Resident Artists Program, and elemental theatre collective.
PRESS
“Absolutely brilliant.. a wonderful, fascinating concept brilliantly developed...an engrossing piece where the momentum comes in the anticipation — like furiously tearing through your favorite book.” - WGBH News
“Compelling…heart-rending.” - Boston Globe
“A puzzle box mystery with exhilarating moments” - Cambridge Day
“Eerie and beautiful...David Lynch would approve.” - Edge Media Network
“Something quite special” - Broadway World
Salvage
Mariah Sage
FULL LENGTH, Drama
3W
Danny’s sister and mother have just laid him to rest and now find themselves racing against time to rescue his prized possessions from the family basement before a flood hits. Enter Danny’s high-school sweetheart to lend a hand – but is she here to pay her last respects or to keep Danny alive forever?
PRODUCTIONS
None Too Fragile Theatre, Akron, OH, May, 2017
Theatre 4, at the NYC Fringe Festival, August 2012, directed by Maryna Harrison.
Theatre 4, New Haven, CT, April 2012, directed by Maryna Harrison.
DEVELOPMENT
Commissioned by Theatre 4, New Haven, CT.
PRESS
"As the dialogue among these three women intensifies into a roller-coaster ride of vulnerability and deception, one shocking secret is revealed after another. Yet despite the harsh twists of what-ifs and missed chances, the play leaves you with the saving graces of family loyalty and endurance."
- TimeOut New York
"A fantastic, dark portrait of three women at the end of their rope...so rich and compelling that you can't wait to see what's around the bend." - nytheatre.com
"A winner...a remarkable thread of hope...that should keep the play in production for some time."
- The Happiest Medium
"Compelling...engrossing...moving." - Cleveland Plain Dealer
"A must see experience." - Broadway World
Any Other Name
Audra Taliercio and Fletcher McTaggart
FULL LENGTH, Comedy/Drama
3M, 1W
A dark comedy (or light tragedy) about poetry, madness, and identity theft in Victorian England.
PRODUCTIONS
Williams Street Rep, Crystal Lake, IL, 2017, directed by Brad Raimondo
Winnipesaukee Playhouse, 2014, Meredith, NH, dir. by Bryan Halperin
Aquinas College, Grand Rapids, MI, 2010, directed by Randy Wyatt
Premiere Stages, Union, NJ 2009, directed by John Wooten
DEVELOPMENT
Workshops and readings at Equity Library Theatre Chicago, Shakespeare in Clark Park, Trinity Repertory, and WordBRIDGE Playwright’s Lab.
AWARDS
Winner of the Premiere Stages New Play Festival
Clauder Competition State Winner
Best Original Play, New Hampshire Theatre Awards
PRESS
“O. Henry noir…rings with relevance…highly charged…intelligent, cynical, disturbing and easy for 21st century theatergoers to relate to…nearly flawless.” – The New York Times
“There hasn’t been a melodrama in quite a spell as amusingly macabre or as preposterously affable as Any Other Name.” – Curtain Up
“Gripping and engrossing…the audience is kept on the edge of its collective seat.”
- Worrall Community Newspapers
“Fast-paced…mesmerizing…a fascinating glimpse of human nature at its worst…an ingenious new play.”
– Westfield Leader
“Juicy melodrama…clever and entertaining.” – Talkin’ Broadway
Grizzly Mama
Heather Anderson Boll
FULL LENGTH, Dark Comedy
3W
Deb is a divorced suburban mom who reimagines herself as a righteous liberal avenger following the death of her activist mother. Her daughter Hannah is a typical texting teenager - that is, until she discovers the real reason why mom moved them next door to a certain Alaskan presidential candidate. A dark comedy about motherhood, murder, and moose.
PRODUCTIONS
Rivendell Theatre, Chicago, IL, September 2016, directed by Megan Carney
Gamm Theatre, Pawtucket, RI, January 2016, directed by Rachel Walshe
Dobama Theatre, Cleveland Heights, OH, September 2011, directed by Laura Kepley
DEVELOPMENT
Commissioned by Dobama Theatre, Cleveland Heights, OH.
PRESS
"Roars with biting humor...outstanding...genuinely funny." - Cleveland Plain Dealer
"Hilarious...clever on so many fronts...engaging, fluid and delightfully entertaining." - News-Herald
"The perfect choice for a severely dysfunctional political climate...takes some surprising twists and turns that keep the viewer not only glued but guessing about what is coming next. The knockout punch lies in the totally unexpected and shattering climax, something you will not forget any time soon." - Cleveland Jewish News
"Finds the funny in political mayhem...a blast of non-stereotypical surprises and plenty of dark humor...an accomplishment no one can refudiate." - Scene Magazine
"Downright hysterical...powerful as well as completely entertaining." - The Sun Chronicle
Good on Paper
Mehry Eslaminia and Caitlin Wise
FULL LENGTH, Comedy
2W, 3M
A reverse-gender take on the Pygmalion legend, a romantic comedy in which a police sketch-artist falls in love with one of her drawings.
PRODUCTIONS
Creede Repertory Theatre, Creede, CO, 2015
Arvada Center, Arvada, CO, 2015
DEVELOPMENT
Workshops and readings at Cleveland Play House, The Playwrights' Center, Ground UP Productions and the MacDowell Colony.
PRESS
"5 Stars...a great night of entertainment...pure enjoyment...cannot be missed." - Denver Examiner
"It is almost impossible not to laugh, and laugh loudly, at this hilarious fun romantic comic romp."
- North Denver Tribune
"A fierce new comedy." - The Durango Herald
"Delightful...Good on Paper is great on stage." - The Valley Courier
The Mourners' Bench
Angela Brazil and Mauro Hantman
FULL LENGTH, Drama
4W, 2M
An emotional puzzle-play that skips back and forth in time as it tells the story of a living room and its three sets of inhabitants, all struggling to overcome the tragedy that took place within its walls.
PRODUCTIONS
Trinity Repertory Company, Providence, RI, March 2012, directed by Michael Perlman.
DEVELOPMENT
Workshops and readings at Trinity Repertory Company, the Hangar Theatre Pilot Reading Series, the Blue Mountain Center, HRC Showcase Theatre, Florida Studio Theatre and WordBRIDGE Playwright’s Lab.
PRESS
“Shattering…hypnotic…a poetic, evocative play that manages to pack an emotional punch.
Its construction is almost as masterful as its dialogue.” - The Providence Journal
"First-rate...a gleaming gem...haunting." - The Boston Globe
“Keeps you guessing and spellbound…brilliant.” – NBC10
“Remarkable…a breathtaking piece of modern American theater…explosive…a must see.”
– The Sun Chronicle
“Powerful...an exquisitely performed sonata…why regional repertory theaters came to exist in the first place.” – Providence Phoenix
“Brilliant…seldom does a new play come along that challenges the audience in such a positive, thoughtful way.” – Warwick Beacon
PUBLISHED
Samuel French
Three Voyages of the Lobotomobile
FULL LENGTH, Drama
3M, 1W
A play about the inventor of the American lobotomy, Dr. Walter J. Freeman, and his tireless, deluded, and ultimately tragic quest to spread the good news of his medical procedure across America. The play presents Freeman’s life in a triptych of scenes - home, work, and retirement – and explores the dark side of the American myth of the confident genius, the brilliant inventor who will stop at nothing to achieve his dream.
DEVELOPMENT
Workshops and readings at Asolo Rep Theatre, Cleveland Play House, the Playwrights' Center and PlayLabs, Actors' Theatre of Grand Rapids and the Djerassi Resident Artists Program.
All Talk
Peter Patrikios and Jessie Austrian
Dark Comedy
3M, 3W
A collection of three one-acts - Pillow Talk, Shop Talk, and Baby Talk - ranging from a cabin ghost-story, to a probation officer discovering the sexual perks of her job, to a baby-swap caper.
PRODUCTIONS
Elemental Theatre Collective, Providence, RI 2011, directed by Alexander Platt (Baby Talk)
Elemental Theatre, Providence, RI 2010, directed by David Rabinow (Pillow Talk)
Drama League Director Fest 2008, NY, NY, directed by Laura Kepley (Shop Talk)
PRESS
“Well-crafted…as clever as it was engaging.” – The Providence Journal
“Layers of narrative suspense…as absorbing as a campfire tale.” – Providence Phoenix
“Crisp writing…fascinating and very original.” - WarwickOnline
"Hilarious...clever, original and dark...will have you in stitches." - WarwickOnline
"Charming and funny...lots of laughs...comedy gold." - Examiner.com
Defiant
FULL LENGTH, Drama
4W, 3M
A woman incurs the wrath of a grieving country when she refuses to memorialize her husband following his death in a national tragedy.
PRODUCTIONS
Debutantes and Vagabonds, Austin, TX, 2011, directed by Amanda Garfield
DEVELOPMENT
Workshops and readings at Playwrights Foundation’s Rough Festival, Guerilla Shakespeare Company and Brick Monkey Theatre Ensemble.
Ashes
FULL LENGTH, Drama
2M, 1W
A disturbing and violent modern-day ghost story, as a son is visited by the abusive spirit of his father, who is set on destroying his life a second time.
DEVELOPMENT
Workshops and readings at Trinity Repertory Company, Elemental Theatre Collective and Austin Scriptworks.
2M, 1W
A disturbing and violent modern-day ghost story, as a son is visited by the abusive spirit of his father, who is set on destroying his life a second time.
DEVELOPMENT
Workshops and readings at Trinity Repertory Company, Elemental Theatre Collective and Austin Scriptworks.
Miracle: A Tragedy
FULL LENGTH, Drama/Dark Comedy
5M, 1W
A play in verse about the evangelical wing of a Florida prison, and the chaos unleashed when a former inmate proposes to the Minister's daughter.
DEVELOPMENT
Workshop at InterAct Theatre
Workshop at Dobama Theatre
5M, 1W
A play in verse about the evangelical wing of a Florida prison, and the chaos unleashed when a former inmate proposes to the Minister's daughter.
DEVELOPMENT
Workshop at InterAct Theatre
Workshop at Dobama Theatre
Little Sir Echo
FULL LENGTH, Drama with music
1M, 5 flexible (musicians)
A one-man (and his band) play with Swing about the strange but true life of Karl Schwedler, a German big-band singer recruited by Josef Goebbels to become part of the Nazi propaganda machine by fronting Charlie and His Orchestra, a swing band designed to break the morale of the Allied Forces.
1M, 5 flexible (musicians)
A one-man (and his band) play with Swing about the strange but true life of Karl Schwedler, a German big-band singer recruited by Josef Goebbels to become part of the Nazi propaganda machine by fronting Charlie and His Orchestra, a swing band designed to break the morale of the Allied Forces.
Night of the Mime
George Fuller and Jackie Sidle
FULL LENGTH, Comedy
4W, 3M
A parody of both story theatre and coming-of-age-through-the-death-of-ones-pet stories such as Old Yeller, Night of the Mime tells the tale of the young farm girl Taffeta and her devotion to the wild mime she claims as her own.
PRODUCTIONS
Olde Meiningens Players, Minneapolis, MN,2013, directed by Barb Roy
zeppo productions, Chicago, IL, 2001, directed by George Brant
StreetSigns, Chicago, IL 1995, directed by Derek Goldman
AWARDS
Clauder Competition Honorable Mention
PRESS
"Critic's Choice. George Brant’s clever satire on the Old Yeller – Yearling – Charlotte’s Web school of juvenile fiction delivers plenty of laughs.” – The Chicago Reader
"It's high time this (story-theater) got a satirical comeuppance...hits every excess dead -on... endearing.. ...awesome." - Windy City Times
One Hand Clapping
George Brant and George Brant
ONE-ACT, Comedy
1M
The most moving and perceptive one-man show ever written.
PRODUCTIONS
zeppo productions, Chicago, IL 2001, directed by Laura Kepley
Factory Theater, Chicago, IL 1998, directed by Laura Kepley
AWARDS
Winner of the Factory Theater’s “Shut Up and Laugh” Competition
PRESS
“Critic's Choice. Hilarious…very funny in a weird sadomasochistic way…magic." – The Chicago Reader
“Tip of the Week….extremely funny….spares no one." – New City
1M
The most moving and perceptive one-man show ever written.
PRODUCTIONS
zeppo productions, Chicago, IL 2001, directed by Laura Kepley
Factory Theater, Chicago, IL 1998, directed by Laura Kepley
AWARDS
Winner of the Factory Theater’s “Shut Up and Laugh” Competition
PRESS
“Critic's Choice. Hilarious…very funny in a weird sadomasochistic way…magic." – The Chicago Reader
“Tip of the Week….extremely funny….spares no one." – New City
The Royal Historian of Oz
George Brant
FULL LENGTH, Drama
1M, 1W
A (mostly) one-man show about the life and times of the author of the Wizard of Oz books.
PRODUCTIONS
zeppo productions, Chicago, IL 2001, directed by Laura Kepley
PRESS
“Draws us into Baum's universe…any viewers with dry eyes might well wish for a wizard to give them the hearts they must lack." – The Chicago Reader
1M, 1W
A (mostly) one-man show about the life and times of the author of the Wizard of Oz books.
PRODUCTIONS
zeppo productions, Chicago, IL 2001, directed by Laura Kepley
PRESS
“Draws us into Baum's universe…any viewers with dry eyes might well wish for a wizard to give them the hearts they must lack." – The Chicago Reader
BORGLUM! The Mount Rushmore Musical
James Sullivan
FULL LENGTH, Musical Comedy
7M (flexible casting)
The pseudo-historical, semi-factual, comic musical biography of John Gutzon Borglum, sculptor of the colossus known as Mount Rushmore.
PRODUCTIONS
zeppo productions, Chicago, IL 2001, directed by Laura Kepley
zeppo productions, Chicago, IL 1999, directed by George Brant
PRESS
"Riotous...an all-American theme park revue that consistently inverts lofty democratic ideals." - New City
7M (flexible casting)
The pseudo-historical, semi-factual, comic musical biography of John Gutzon Borglum, sculptor of the colossus known as Mount Rushmore.
PRODUCTIONS
zeppo productions, Chicago, IL 2001, directed by Laura Kepley
zeppo productions, Chicago, IL 1999, directed by George Brant
PRESS
"Riotous...an all-American theme park revue that consistently inverts lofty democratic ideals." - New City
Tights on a Wire \
(written with J.P. Manoux)
James Sullivan, Mark Vanasse, Jackie Sidle
FULL LENGTH, Musical Comedy
6M, 4W
The tragedy of the Gambonis, a family of wire-walkers whose prideful Papa forces them into a doomed competition with the newest addition to the circus, a lunatic family of cannon-ballers.
PRODUCTIONS
zeppo productions, Chicago, IL 1997, directed by George Brant
PRESS
“With nods to Shakespeare, Sophocles, Ibsen and Arthur Miller and an intentionally comic book style, it mocks theatrical conventions and circus stereotypes in a literate, imaginative script with more twists than the India Rubber Man. Songs that have surprising charm...could become a cult hit.” – Chicago Sun-Times
“Hilarious....Brant has a flair for combustible caricatures and deft parody.” - Windy City Times
6M, 4W
The tragedy of the Gambonis, a family of wire-walkers whose prideful Papa forces them into a doomed competition with the newest addition to the circus, a lunatic family of cannon-ballers.
PRODUCTIONS
zeppo productions, Chicago, IL 1997, directed by George Brant
PRESS
“With nods to Shakespeare, Sophocles, Ibsen and Arthur Miller and an intentionally comic book style, it mocks theatrical conventions and circus stereotypes in a literate, imaginative script with more twists than the India Rubber Man. Songs that have surprising charm...could become a cult hit.” – Chicago Sun-Times
“Hilarious....Brant has a flair for combustible caricatures and deft parody.” - Windy City Times