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What happens when you mix the brilliant wit of Noel Coward with the intricate plotting of Agatha Christie? Set during a weekend in an English country manor in 1932, Death by Design is a delightful and mysterious "mash-up" of two of the greatest English writers of all time. Edward Bennett, a playwright, and his wife Sorel Bennett, an actress, flee London and head to Cookham after a disastrous opening night. But various guests arrive unexpectedly - a conservative politician, a fiery sociali

Longing and confusion. Hearts pounding, time ticking away. Early 1960s in a Midwestern town. Danny Mueller's working class life is one of fierce loyalty to childhood friends, Jake and Terry. But the bigger world is stirring once he meets Karen, back from college in the east and alluring because of what she knows, and unsettling for that same reason. The grip of Danny's past is intensified by his father, a German immigrant mourning a vanished world of lost prestige. For Pop the question is how to

The Days Are as Grass is a full-length performance consisting of eight short plays by Carol Hall. They were written to be performed by two actors, one man and one woman. However, they can also be performed by a larger cast. The actors portray more than a dozen characters ranging in age from 40 to 85, exploring the fragility of hope, memory, old friends, lost loves, and the inevitability of time. The tone is always a blend of the funny and the touching, as the characters march bravely into

"A mouse is stirring--because Santa missed his house last year, Before you can say 'Merry Christmas!,' we're off on the wild adventures of a mouse, an elf, and a spunky little girl who just won't take 'no' for an answer"--Back cove

Full Length, DramaCharacters: 5 male, 4 femaleInterior Set In this compelling dramatic triptych, three terminal cancer patients dwell in separate cottages on a hospital grounds. The three are attended and visited by family and close friends: Agnes and her mother Felicity, estranged further by the latter's dementia; Brian and Beverly whose martial complications are exacerbated by Brian's new lover, Mark; and Joe and Maggie, unready for the strain of Joe's impending death and it's

Full Length, Comedy Characters: 1 male, 1 femaleInterior SetIn a San Francisco loft, aspiring author Felix focuses his binoculars on a prostitute plying her trade. He complains to the landlord, has her evicted, and finds he has trouble pounding on his door in the form of Doris, not a prostitute but an aspiring "model and actress," thank you very much. She figures he owes her a bed for the night, an arrangement that leads to hilarity. Alan Alda and Diana Sands took the roles on Broadway, George Segal and Barbra Streisand on film."The first nighters laughed maniacally."-New York Daily News "Animated, vivid, and comic (with) startling intensity and truth."-The New York Times

Agnes Under the Big Top: A Tall Tale explores the intersecting lives of several immigrants in a US city. It is a magical tale of hope and disappointment, identity and reinvention, narrated by an itinerant subway busker. Against the subterranean rhythms of a subway train, a Liberian home care worker, a former Bulgarian ringmaster and his wife, an Indian call center escapee, and a bed-ridden American woman, find and redefine themselves in today's America.

Based on the true story 1932 Lindbergh Kidnapping Case, Violet Sharp is named for the young British maid working at the home of Anne Lindbergh's mother. In the wake of the historic kidnapping of beloved aviator Charles Lindbergh's 20-month-old son, Violet raises the suspicion of the police with a contradictory testimony about her whereabouts to police investigator Officer Walsh. Under pressure from her own personal demons as well as the police, Violet's efforts to clear her name cannot se

Lovin' ain't easy in this one-honky-tonk town, so when the bartender and the bandleader fall for the same dance hall girl, you're in for an evening of showstoppers and toe-tappers, cat fights, and love quadrangles that'll keep any joint jumpin' till way past last call. And if you think you got the gumption, you're welcome to get up and dance along.

Together Again spans a touching and stormy relationship through three reunions. When Chrissie and Joe meet, something both dreadful and wonderful occurs. The story begins in the apartment of an aspiring young actress. Chrissie, an acting student, is about to host her acting class' fifth reunion, when her hero, Joe, a rising young Hollywood star, arrives an hour too soon. Ten years later, at the fifteenth reunion party, Chrissie is still studying drama, while Joe has won an Academy Award.

Characters: 1 male, 2 femaleSimple SetWinner of the 2010 Samuel French Canadian Playwrights ContestAlone on a vast stretch of water, Annie Iversen recounts the strange chain of events that left her stranded in her son's old kayak. A doting suburban mother, Annie is blindsided when her son, Peter, falls in love with Julie, a passionate environmental activist. Unable to reconcile herself to Julie's radical worldview, Annie struggles desperately to keep Peter from falling further into the young woman's dangerous world. Climate change, S'mores, SUVs, and Noah's Ark are all onstage as Annie sets out to save her son, and unwittingly throws herself into the path of events larger than she ever could have imagined. Touching and provocative, Kayak invites us all to confront our choices in the landscape of the growing environmental crisis."Gripping, heartbreaking." -Lynn Slotkin, CBC Radio"A trio of vivid, memorable characters." - Jon Kaplan, NOW Magazine"Stellar, insightful writing." - Dave Deveau, Plank Magazine

Characters: 3 male, 3 femaleInteriorWith the kids away, three married couples get together for an evening of relaxation and laughs. But as the liquor flows and secrets are revealed, trust is tested and boundaries are broken. It's Just Sex is a comedic and thought-provoking look at fidelity, lust, communication, and what it really takes for a marriage to survive and thrive. By the end of the evening, what should have been just an innocent party turns into an event that c

Comedy / Characters: 2m, 3f / Unit Set"LOL! An audience is guaranteed to do just that" at this hilarious broadband comedy of errors. You've Got Hate Mail is Billy Van Zandt and Jane Milmore's comic answer to A.R. Gurney's Love Letters. In You've Got Hate Mail, love "bytes" all when an extra-marital affair goes horribly wrong, thanks to a juicy e-mail left sitting on a desktop. The story is told entirely in e-mails from laptop computers, although the play still manages to have an unforgettable

Dramtic Comedy / 1-2m, 3f / Simple SetAnima's sphere of desperation and self-destruction is invaded by the arrival of her perky new roommate, Christa. Moved by a particularly malevolent statue of the Virgin Mary and a houseplant named Susan, Anima and Christa soon enter into a profound and intimate friendship that incurs traumatic results."Brilliantly and poetically rendered...[Callaghan's] playful sense of language and her attunement to her characters are enthralling." - Time Out Chicago

Drama / 3m, 3f (w/doubling) / Unit set Newly revised edition! From the author of the best-selling novel, The House of God, this critically acclaimed version which played Off-Broadway in 2007, tells the amazing story of the two men who pioneered Alcoholics Anonymous, and of their wives, who founded Al Anon. During the roaring '20s, New York stockbroker Bill Wilson rides high on money, fame, and booze. In '29, both he and the market crash and he becomes a hopeless drunk. Dr. Bob Smith, a surgeon

Musical An Entertainment based on the words and music of Cole Porter. Characters: 5 male, 5 female Devised by Benny Green and Alan Strachan. Here's a fresh musical about the King of Musicals, Cole Porter. Green and Strachan have cleverly put together most of Cole's hit tunes with a narration which tells the story of his life, from Yale to Paris to Manhattan to Broadway to Hollywood-- and, ultimately, back once again to Broadway. Includes such Porter standards as "I Love P

Full Length, ComedyCharacters: 2 male, 4 female Interior Set Arrogant, self centered and sharp tongued Jason Carmichael, successful co-author of Broadway romantic comedies, is facing two momentous events: he is about to marry a society belle and his collaborator is retiring. Enter Phoebe Craddock, Vermont schoolteacher and budding playwright. Quicker than a flash, Jason acquires a talented and adoring collaborator in the mousy Phoebe. Fame and success are theirs for ten years an

Mystery Comedy / 3m., 3f. / Int. When this zany spoof of British mysteries opened in Sydney, Australia, reviewers spouted phrases like "a great vehicle for three ladies," "a plethora of hilarious situations," and "this is a romp!" "Really a minor gem ... witty and sophisticated." - Newcastle Morning Herald "Murder has never been this funny. A spoof of all crime thrillers ... it is good clean mirth all the way. The quick, smart, extremely well timed dialogue of Jack Sharkey comes through l

George Orwell's biting satire, adapted by Nelson Bond Characters: 5 male, 2 female Bare Stage. Animal Farm is a fable with a sting. Much has been written about the threat of Communism, but it remained to the late George Orwell, farsighted British author of the brilliant and frightening 1984, to expose the Russian experiment for what it really is; an idealist's dream, converted by realists into a nightmare. In staged dramatic reading version of this timely allegory y

Genre: Comedy Characters: 2f Scenery: Simple Set Single Black Female is a two-woman show with rapid-fire comic vignettes that explore the lives of thirty-something African American middle class women as they search for love, clothes and dignity in a world that fails to recognize them amongst a parade of stereotypical images. SBF 1, an English literature professor, and SBF 2, a corporate lawyer, keep each other balanced as they face their fears of rejection, h

Midsummer/Jersey is the hilarious high-octane re-telling of Shakespeare's Midsummer Night's Dream set on the boardwalk of a seaside town in modern-day New Jersey. The story revolves around the impending marriage of the Governor of New Jersey, the love affairs of four beach-bound high school crushes, a lively crew of fairies and the staff of the local beauty salon (run by Patti Quince and Stylist Nikki Bottom). The night takes a magical turn when Oberon and the impish Puck arriv

Roelf, a train driver, has spent weeks searching for the identities of a mother and child he unintentionally killed with his train. After a fruitless journey through shanty towns, he encounters an old gravedigger named Simon who helps the desperate man unburden his conscience. Based on a true story, The Train Driver is a soulful exploration of guilt, suffering, and the powerful bonds that grow between strangers.

Three kids - Kenny, his sister Edith, and their friend Benji - are all but abandoned on a farm in remotest Middle America. With little adult supervision, they feed and care for each other, making up the rules as they go. But when Kenny's and Benji's relationship becomes more than friendship, and Edith shoots something she really shouldn't shoot, the formerly indifferent outside world comes barging in whether they want it to or not.

From the nationally recognized Educational Theatre Association's Thespian Playworks competition come four short scripts with unforgettable heroes - all created by high school-aged playwrights! Included in this volume are:The Goatman Cometh by I.B. HopkinsEisegesis by Nicholas MecikalskiSee You Soon by Morgan RichardsonClipped by Sam Van Wetter

This second collection of short plays from Steve Yockey mixes comedic absurdity with raw heartbreak to unearth worlds populated by desperate people, mythical characters, faceless corporate masters, and at least one Slasher flick heroine. The second half of the collection is comprised of the work very still & hard to see. This short play cycle recounts the history of a cursed hotel and the unfortunate guests who stay there. From riding in an erratic elevator and dealing with possessive ghosts to

The MOM crew is at it again! MOMologues2: Off to School offers a frank and funny look at the true tales of motherhood, from homework hell to multitasking mania. Four separate characters tell their individual stories, either directly to the audience in monologues, or in scenes with each other. Moms everywhere will laugh in recognition at the playdates gone wrong, the crazy way to get a Mom day off, how to stalk a potential babysitter, and much more.

Set in England during the Blitz, a number of struggling individuals and families come to terms with war and the horrors and tragedies it provides. This includes Judith, a proud matriarch, who works in a factory that makes bomb detonators, her missing husband, Frank, and their two children, Sheila and John, who are forced to grow up much too quickly. A number of other war-torn individuals are also profiled, each butting heads with the raging war. A poignant account of female perseverance, Fr

Vengeance Can Wait navigates Japanese sub-culture as it charts a different kind of love story. A couple has the ideal domestic relationship: he spends his days planning the perfect revenge, while she awaits her perfect punishment. Dark, twisted, and touching, the couple comes to understand the "kinks" in their relationship - and embrace them.