Embedded Files
MARCH 26, 2014 -- Staged reading of The File on J. Edgar Hoover by Steve Gold
JUNE 25, 2014 -- Celebrate Pride: group reading of short plays
JULY 9, 2014 -- Staged reading of George Bistransin's revised farce ENTRAPMENT: a corrupt cop attempts to close down a Gay, Drag Queen club with a sting operation and ends up getting stung himself.
SEPT 10, 2014 -- scene from Peacock's Sonata by Marguerite Masse ;"Here, Kiddie, Kiddie" by Emanuel Gavales; "Chthonic Encounter" by George Bistransin
SEPT 24, 2014 -- "Butterfly" by Larry Hassman; scene by Matthew Heffler
NOV 12, 2014 -- scenes from Peacock's Sonata by Marguerite Masse; "Who's Afraid of Edgar Allen Poe" by Stephen Bracco; The Badness by Jack Feldstein; "Mound" by Tom Block
NOV 26, 2014 -- George Bistransin "The Nettle's Sting" -- a living history play about Alexander Hamilton's wife and daughter who went mad after her brother's death in a duel; Stephen Bracco "Slap Hop"; Linda Herskovik -- new work
DEC 10, 2014 -- Peacock's Sonata by Marguerite Masse; "Assumptions" by Debbra Liverman
DEC 24, 2014 -- no meeting
JAN 14, 2015 -- Brad Baron LAST DITCH PLAYLIST
JAN 28, 2015 -- Michael Rendino "Stretch," Larry Hassman "It's Halloween, Mother Fuck'r," Samantha Charlip's "YouTube Superstars"
FEB 11, 2015 -- Triangles and Squares Short Play Reading Festival
“Code Strawberry” by Margot Connolly. It’s almost lethal when two girls kiss and one is wearing Strawberry lip-gloss.
“Mine or Yours” by Ducan Pflaster. A Straight woman and her Gay friend debate an attractive visitor's sexual orientation.
“Arranged Love” by Jyoti Dugal. A woman rebels against an arranged marriage.
“Ding Ding” by Jon Fraser. A man tries to screen his blind date on the date.
“Out and About” by Ed Friedman. A woman wants to out her lover who is running for office.
“Mound” by Tom Block. Talk of karma stops a baseball game.
“Pink Elephants" by Edmund Miller. A man undergoes an operation to please his lover.
“John + Vanessa ‘78” by Albert Garcia. Two men are inspired by names carved on a tree.
FEB 25, 2015 -- Tom Block EMISSION
MAR 11, 2015 -- REMORSING LENNY by Marguerite Masse; "CON/MAN" by Stephen Bracco; "THE NETTLE'S STING" by George Bistransin
MAR 25,2015 -- "NURTURING THE BAD BOY" by Drew Sachs; "The Loving Cockold" by Edmund Miller
APR 8, 2015 -- 1 hour , Act II REMORSING LENNY by Marguerite Masse; CON/MAN, life in a super controlled futuristic dystopia by Stephen Bracco
APR 22, 2015 -- 1 hour Marguerite Masse; 1 hour George Bistransin "Madame Burr of Harlem Heights"
MAY 13, 2015 -- WHO ARE YOU DANCING WITH NOW?, Act I, by Drew Sachs
MAY 27, 2015 -- Act III REMORSING LENNY by Marguerite Masse; "Madame Burr of Harlem Heights" by George Bistransin
JUNE 10, 2015 -- Drew Sachs, June 10, AKA AL PARKER, Act I
The story of gay adult film icon Al Parker and how he not only transformed the industry with his dark, masculine looks and rugged sexuality, but also redefined what it meant to be gay.
JUNE 24 -- "RE-INVENTING FAMILY" readings of 8 short plays to celebrate Gay Pride
JULY 8, 2015 -- Debbra Liverman, "Vampire Lesbian"-- "She has a strong desire for fresh hot female blood!; Michael Rendino, "March 11, 1984"; George Bistransin "Dimorphic Brains" and "Arrousing the Chthonic Goddess."
JULY 22, 2015 -- 2 hours, Klehotas Tshyre The Land of Ivy
No readings in August 2015
SEPT 9, 2015 -- 30 mins., Mervyn Kaufman, "Play-Date," two couples have accept what happens on a play-date; 60 mins., Stephen Bracco, “The Con/Man’s Dilemma"; 30 mins., Urie Mendoza, "L.T.R." -- welcome to college
SEPT 23, 2015 -- 30 mins., Ross Hewitt, "Trinity"; 30 mins, John Pakkanen, "The Hitchhiker"; 60 mins, Sanford Schimel, "Melding Jokers"
OCT 14, 2015 --
1 hour, Marjorie Conn, Limbo Lounges -- A bartender, Federico Garcia Lorca, Tennessee Williams, Elia Kazan, Marilyn Monroe, Lizzie Borden, Katy Dierlam and the Playwright find themselves in one of the infinite Limbo Lounges, where the dead initially go--sometimes for a very long time.
Marjorie Conn made her acting debut with the late, great Ethyl Eichelberger as his leading man playing Aegisthus to his Klytemnestra with her lover, the late, incomparable Katy Dierlam as Electra. Marjorie is most known for her portrayal of Lizzie Borden (ax murderess) and Lorena Hickok (Eleanor Roosevelt's lover). These plays are published in Lost Lesbian Lives.
30 mins., Bill Koch, "All Hallow's Eve" wherein a werewolf meets a priest at the Village Halloween Parade and invites him back to his apartment; 30 mins., Mervyn Kaufman, "Peaches," starts with a young male hustler and an old man on a bench in the middle of upper Broadway, NYC, and it plays like a kind of seduction.
OCT 28, 2015 --
QUEER SCARE 2, Oct 28, 2015, a Gay Halloween Holiday play reading festival of 8 short plays.
The eight plays are:
337 Washington by Jon Heron
Jon Heron is a versatile actor/director/playwright and member of the Dramatists Guild. His short play "Me and My Gun" was chosen to be presented as part of the inaugural season of the Rainbow Theater Project in Washington, DC. His full-length play When I Reflect was presented as part of the New Works reading series at Holmdel Theater Company. He has been acting and directing in central NJ for many years, where he lives with his husband in Monroe.
Prom Nights by Trystin Bailey
Trystin Bailey is beyond grateful and excited to see his first foray into the world of horror come to life at the Center.
Ejected from Pennsylvania, Trystin has had the pleasure of seeing his plays produced at various festivals and small venues from the Secret Theater and Producer's Club to the Barrow Group's stages over
the past eight years. He is currently working on getting his first teen novel published, but will always need that play writing fix. Congrats to all Queer Scare participants!
Birds can Fly Away by Marjorie Conn
All Hallows Eve by William Henry Koch, Jr.
William Henry Koch, Jr.'s recent performances include the full length Joe & Me and Sonnets from the Tower of London. His recent one-acts include "Roommates," "The Admiral's Room," "Tales from the Vienna Woods" and "Lot's Wife." Bill is also an internationally performed Poet, Composer and Lyricist and an acclaimed Stage Director and Choreographer.
Grrls and Doll by Katie Looney
Katie Looney is a NYC-based writer, performer and director. Katie’s written work has been performed at Dixon Place, La MaMa Club Theater, 54 Below, Stella Adler Studio as well as found-places scattering the metropolis. Recent acting credits include: Won’t Be a Ghost (Dixon Place), A Harry Potter Sketch Show (Treehouse Theater), Laramie Project (Producers Club), Under God’s Tongue (West Park Presbyterian Church). She received her BFA in Acting from NYU Tisch. Katielooney.com
Butterfly by Larry Hassman
My plays have been produced in the Player's Theater Short Play Festival -- one of which won the prize for best play. I have also been included in the International Midtown Play Festival. I am a member of the Players Club Writing Group and have had a number of readings there with excellent actors. I am a member of TRU, a producers group and the Dramatist Guild. Currently two of my full length plays being reviewed by the Public Theater.
Marjorie Conn made her acting debut with the late, greyt Ethyl Eichelberger as his leading man playing Aegisthus to his Klytemnestra with her lover, the late, incomparable Katy Dierlam as Electra. Marjorie is most known for her portrayal of Lizzie Borden (ax murderess) and Lorena Hickok (Eleanor Roosevelt's lover). These plays are published in Lost Lesbian Lives.
Three Characters and the Speed of Light by Gloria Craig
Gloria Craig is a writer, director and producer with the St. Gabriel Street Productions. Her play "The Wisteria Party" won the Provincetown Theater's Winter Reading Prize. Her plays "Car at Risk," "Lou de Bourbon and the Tower of Death," Freud, Elizabeth Bowen, and Mrs. Charles Black," and "The City of Fear" were produced at the Manhattan Repertory Theater. Stgabrielstreetproductionsllc@gmail.com
Halloween Hell on the High Seas! by Jack Dyville
Over the years, JACK DYVILLE has earned the title, "Jack of All Theatrical Trades" having worked professionally as a Playwright, Producer, Director, Choreographer, Actor, Dancer, Singer and in fact like George M. Cohan, his idol, he's even figured out how to work the Box Office and Usher Folks to their seats! He's a published writer with comedies, dramas & musicals. A favorite is his "The Memory Book" a tribute to a dear friend, one of the first casualties to the AIDS Epedimic. He is looking for an off-Broadway producer for his "If the PINK PUMP Fits!" Anyone Interested???
NOV 11 -- 1 hour, Drew Sachs, "Saffron, Baby" explores what happened when, in 1969, Janis Joplin abruptly exits a Malibu Christmas Party chased by Jim Morrison and Morrison's "old lady" Pam Courson comes looking for him and runs into Joplin on Malibu Beach standing over the body of a knocked-out Jim Morrison. "Nocturnal Permission", A warm spring afternoon and the last thing on Asher and Caleb’s minds are afternoon prayers at their yeshiva.
Drew Sachs (playwright) received his MFA in Dramatic Writing from Carnegie Mellon University. He was a semi-finalist at the Eugene O'Neill Conference with his works I AM NOT BREAKFAST and HADRIAN'S FAVORITE. Drew’s short play "CHRIS SQUARED" was part of the Boston Theater Marathon IX. Other productions of his plays include, ANYA, A BOROUGH PARK ANTIGONE and THE KNOCK, both produced by The Drilling CompaNY. His play WHO ARE YOU DANCING WITH NOW? received honorable mention at the Kennedy Center Play Writing Competition. STABBING O.J., a play focusing on the Anita Bryant scandals of the 70’s, was produced at Queens College and directed by Susan Einhorn, as part of The College Plays which later went on to the Samuel French Festival. Other works include MISS UNDERSTANDING (finalist; Nantucket Short Play Festival), “You Never Miss What You Never Had” (PBS Television). Drew’s THE THREE RINGS OF CARMEN a re-telling of George Bizet's opera Carmen was commissioned and produced by the Lexington School for the Deaf and his earliest work SCOTT FREE was produced in New York City by Steppin' Out Rep. Drew has taught play writing at Carnegie Mellon University, Adelphi University and for Roundabout Theater Company’s Teaching Artist Program and Polaris North. He is currently a member of the playwrights group at Abingdon Theater. Drew is a member of The Dramatists Guild of America.
John Pakkanen, "Becoming Sonny," On the eve of an election, a very ambitious, family values politician and his wife, who feel that they have the election in the bag, are suddenly thrown into damage control mode when their twenty year old son drops by and tells them that he is gay.
NOV 25 -- Debbra Liverman, scene from "Peaches"
Stephen Bracco, "White Roux" Things heat up when racial taboos bubble to the surface in this bit of soup.
A fiction, playwriting and freelance art writer as well as a sometime performance artist, Stephen Bracco has performed at Gallery MC, Triskelion Arts, tinyDANGEROUSfun and Grace Exhibition Space. Stephen has had his writing appear in New York, Ins&Outs, and ArtisSpectrum magazines, as well as in the anthology Side Show - Tales of the Big Top and the Bizarre (Writers Club Press). He has a background studying theatre, playwriting and improvisation, as well as art and creativity at New York University, Brooklyn College, the Vermont Studio Center, and with Shelley Berc and Alejandro Fogel in Prague and Florence. Despite all that, he still makes odd puppet videos with his wisecracking pal, Buttons: https://vimeo.com/sbracco
George Bistransin, "Madame Burr of Harlem Heights," rewrite of historical play about the brief marriage of former Vice-President Aaron Burr and Eliza Jumel, the richest woman in New York.
DEC 9 -- Stephen Bracco -- "Gio & Johnny" Two prisoners fight over the meaning of their past together.
A fiction, playwriting and freelance art writer as well as a sometime performance artist, Stephen Bracco has performed at Gallery MC, Triskelion Arts, tinyDANGEROUSfun and Grace Exhibition Space. Stephen has had his writing appear in New York, Ins&Outs, and ArtisSpectrum magazines, as well as in the anthology Side Show - Tales of the Big Top and the Bizarre (Writers Club Press). He has a background studying theatre, playwriting and improvisation, as well as art and creativity at New York University, Brooklyn College, the Vermont Studio Center, and with Shelley Berc and Alejandro Fogel in Prague and Florence. Despite all that, he still makes odd puppet videos with his wisecracking pal, Buttons: https://vimeo.com/sbracco
Larry Hassman, And Then There Was None — George honkers down in his high rise apartment, doors locked, windows shut with curtains drawn, immobilized by his fear of terrifying ‘monsters” with sharp teeth ready to horrifically devour humans — a metaphor of our terrorist times.
Larry Hassman's plays have been produced in the Player's Theater Short Play Festival -- one of which won the prize for best play. He has also been included in the International Midtown Play Festival. Larry is a member of the Players Club Writing Group and has had a number of readings there with excellent actors. He is a member of TRU, a producers group and the Dramatist Guild. Currently two of his full length plays being reviewed by the Public Theater.
DEC 23, 2015 -- no meeting
JAN 13, 2016 -- 1 1/2 hours -- Kevin Berry, "Billy" – faced with a rare illness, the family of Billy must deal with faith and the secrets they keep.
Kevin K. Berry's plays have been produced in Portland, San Francisco and New York City and he was a finalist for the Jerome Fellowship at the Playwrights Center in Minneapolis, twice finalist of the Eugene O’Neill Conference and winner of The New Works of Merit Playwriting Contest. A participant of Village Playwrights since 2006 with 10 short
plays produced through Village Playwrights productions.
30 mins., Michael Rendino, "March 11, 1984"
JAN 27, 2016 -- Group Show workshop
30 min., Edmund Miller, "Breaking Entail"
30 mins., Stephen Bracco, "White Roux"
30 mins., David Diaz, "Strange Bedfellows"
FEB 10, 2016 -- Group Show workshop
30 mins., Drew Sachs, "You Done Good"
30 mins., John Pakkanen, "Triage at St. Sebastian's"
30 mins., Debbra Liverman, "Flo's Confession"
FEB 24, 2016 -- 30 mins., Michael Rendino, "Fall Back"
30 mins., George Bistransin, "Billy Lee at Van Cortlandt Mansion"
1 hour, Kevin Curley, "Things"
MAR 9, 2016 -- 60 mins., Larry Hassman, "SURPRISE! Happy New Year"
Poor Tim, sadly left alone by his “friend” to greet the New Year, is surprised by James, a handsome stranger, seemingly lost, ringing his doorbell by mistake. One thing leads to another and Tim, happily bedded, fantasizes starting the new year with a passionate new love. But reality insinuates - the handsome stranger is a “pay-as-you -go” hooker. Tim’s friend Philip returns and James, before leaving to meet his missed client, adroitly reconciles the two who greet the new year happily reconciled and in each others arms.
30 mins., Dennis Rager, "Diagnosis, Debt or Dead?"
If you were told that you only have a short time to live, what would you do? “Diagnosis, Debt or Death” is the story of Shelly Dana, who receives such a diagnosis and decides to live whatever days she has left on earth in a life and adventure exploring trip around the world. But this hedonistic medicine is too good. Shelly begins to feel better than she has ever felt. With deaths shadow no longer hanging over her, Shelly returns home to a huge stack of credit card bills from her life-changing adventure. The play centers around the subsequent face-off in the medical office of Dr. James Craig, the physician who gave Shelly her death sentence. Was it just a case of mistaken identity? See “Diagnosis: Debt or Death” for the dramatic conclusion to Shelly’s life-changing escape from death
March 23, 2016 -- 2 hours, Mervyn Kaufman,"The Love Life" is a wry send-up of a longstanding tradition, in some parts of our land, that empowers a man to take on multiple marriage partners legally.
Merv Kaufman is a long-ago graduate of the UCLA Theater Arts Dept. He came to New York to establish a career in publishing—books and magazines— but ultimately refocused his talents on playwriting. He's enjoyed seeing some of his work read at various sites, in New York and elsewhere, and looks forward to someday seeing his work actually performed. By real actors!
April 13-- 30 mins., Jim Chacon, "Love is Expansive" An older gay couple returns home after an outing to a sex club and deals with their different interpretations of the parameters of their relationship. Sex play vs. making love, the malleable meaning of fidelity in gay relationships, and plain old hurt feelings and jealousy are hashed out in this ten minute drama.
Jim Chacon recently retired after a long career as an educator and school principal in Los Angeles City Schools and moved to New York City. Formerly a writer of cogent and pithy memoranda to students, parents and staff, he has shifted his interest in writing to the personal essay and playwriting.
30 mins., Yvonne Hernandez, "Reminiscent Haunt" There is no end to how far love can go.
Yvonne Hernandez is an actress, playwright,and director. Her piece "Queer Monologues" was performed recently at the Alchemical Studio in New York City. Other plays have been performed at The Elektra Theatre, New York New Works Theatre Festival and Manhattan Repertory Theatre at Times Square. She participated in the annual Shakespeare Sonnet Slam at The Naumburg Bandshell in Central Park, New York City and is now writing a book about the life of a young woman, from Puerto Rico, who came to live in the Bronx in 1947.
60 mins., Wayne Paul Mattingly, "Field of Convergence" and "Sisters of Mercy"
Wayne Paul Mattingly lives in NYC and has been involved in theatre for decades. Since focusing on playwriting in 2005, his plays have won multiple awards, produced in NYC, Westchester and Putnam, Los Angeles, San Francisco; Bangor, Maine; Denton & Houston, Texas; Valdez, Alaska, and London, England. 2014 Helene Wurlitzer Foundation Artists Fellowship, 2014 Ronald Duncan Literary Prize Finalist, 2014 & 2015 Disquiet International Literary Program Short Play short-list scholarships, Lisbon, Portugal, 2014 Best Women’s Monologues, Smith & Kraus. Founding member, The Misfits Ensemble, L.A., Founding Artistic Director, Tiger’s Heart Players, N.Y. Member: NYC Playwrights, Axial Theatre, The Dramatist Guild, & Actors’ Equity Association. Proud to be on the bill tonight! www.waynepaulmattingly.com
April 15-17-- Village Playwrights present
STRUTS AND FRETS: short plays by the Village Playwrights
at the Producers Club, 358 W. 44th St., NYC
April 15 and 16 at 8 pm and April 17 at 2 pm Tickets $18, $15 for seniors and students
For reservations call 614-285-2515 or email villageplaywrights@gmail.com
The plays are
“You Done Good” by Drew Sachs
An exploration of the use of language and being in the moment to tell a story. Sometimes it takes a stranger to tell you, “You Done Good.”
Drew Sachs is a playwright. Some of Drew’s other works include “AKA Al Parker,” “Hardian’s Favorite,” “Nocturnal Permission,” “It Works for the Icons” and “Anya, a Borough Park Antigone.” Drew received a Master of Fine Arts degree from Carnegie Mellon University.
“White Roux” by Stephen Bracco
In a play that explores racism with humor, New Yorker Cecil insists that his liberal credentials are intact after he uses a racial epithet to get his possessions back from a fleeing mugger.
A writer and performance artist (vimeo.com/sbracco), Stephen Bracco has studied at New York University, Brooklyn College, the Vermont Studio Center, and with the Creativity Workshop in Prague and Florence. He is currently working on a full-length version of "White Roux."
“Strange Bedfellows” by David Diaz
David Diaz is a playwright and filmmaker. His short plays“Love Birds” and “I’m a Work of Art” were part of Village Playwrights productions.
A frolicking farce, set 1970’s in NYC’s Greenwich Village, about a marriage of “convenience” turned inside out when stud boyfriend Fernando comes over to tango.
"Triage at St. Sebastian's" by John Pakkanen
After an automobile accident involving a man and a woman, their respective spouses have an accidental meeting at the emergency room at St. Sebastian's Hospital. Move over St. Sebastian. He may have been afflicted with many arrows, but who can tell where or when Cupid will strike with his arrows.
John Pakkanen grew up in Western Pennsylvania. He has lived in the West Village for many, many years. He has spent much, much too much of his time enjoying theater, opera and watching far, far too many movies of all kinds, rather than spending that time pursing more P.C. pursuits.
“Fall Back” by Michael Rendino
A fantastical look at what happens when a young climber gets stuck in a the subway on the most important day of his career.
Mike Rendino started writing plays six years ago, when his youngest son turned 18. He now has a c: drive full of long and short plays, with several productions and a first prize at a short play festival under his belt. Recent productions include “Used to be Bonanza” at the Hudson Guild theater in January 2016, “Crossing” in the Piney Fork Festival in 2014, “Global -Warming”, a cautionary tale and first-prize winner at John Chatterton’s short play festival and a staged reading of "Jack Rabbits of the Wild Interior", which was performed in the Manhattan Reading Festival in March.2016.
“Flo’s Confession” by Debbra Liverman
A friendship is challenged when one of the friends wants a sex change.
Debbra Liverman has been playwright since the early 90s. She is a cable-show producer of "Show Your Talent," which welcomes all talent. "Peaches' Pre-Op" and “Uncle Clyde and Niece Mary” were part of Village Playwrights productions.
April 27 -- 60 minutes, George Bistransin, "Billy Lee at Van Cortlandt Mansion"
60 minutes,
May 5, 12, 19 and 26: a twelve hour intensive play writing course conducted by Drew Sachs; $50 fee to help pay for the room.
May 11-- 30 mins., Drew Sachs, "The Why" Today "The Lottery", Shirley Jackson's haunting, classic short story, is on the must read short list; however that wasn't the case in 1948 when it first appeared in The New Yorker.
60 mins., Stephen Bracco, "Dopey Doorknob" - Le mystère de l'amour.
30 Mins., Yvonne Hernandez, "Almost Like Friends"-- An Amish girl and a "far out" Hippie girl meet on a beautiful day in Pennsylvania in 1972. Then, a quirky conversation ensues. They find out, they are not so different from each other.
May 25-- 60 mins., Marguerite Masse, "Remorsing Lenny" rewrite
60 mins., Kevin Curley, "Things"
June 8 -- 2 hours, Larry Hassman, Baby Talk, a lesbian who wants a baby and a gay man who thinks straight may be better — fireworks erupt when their respective loves get wind of what they are up too.
BABY TALK BY LARRY HASSMAN A fast moving LGBT comedy about - a movie star lesbian who wants to have a baby and a gay man who thinks heterosexual is the way to nirvana. The sparks fly when their respective lovers get wind of what their significant others are up to .........
Join us June 8th - 8:00 PM VILLAGE PLAYWRIGHTS, LGBT CENTER 208 W. 13TH ST, NYC
www://LarryHassmanPlaywright.com
June 22: GAY PRIDE AND PREJUDICE: LGBTQ Stories, staged readings of short plays to celebrate Gay Pride at the LGBT Community Center
June 22: GAY PRIDE AND PREJUDICE: LGBTQ Stories, staged readings of short plays to celebrate Gay Pride at the LGBT Community Center
These are the plays are:
"Sleeping with Fish" by Joe Gulla
Two Mafia guys discuss their relationship after dumping a colleague off the Staten Island ferry.
Joe Gulla is best known for writing and starring in the multi-award winning “Bronx Queen Trilogy.” “Daddy”, the final installment of this trilogy, premiered on NYC’s Theatre Row last September. He is the author of “Garbo,” a breakout hit at the 2012 Times Square International Theater Festival. Joe also starred on NBC’s "LOST," one of television’s original adventure reality series. Joe's short play "Reel Wood" was in the Village Playwright's 2015 "Reinventing Family." Be sure to check out www.JoeGulla.com or tweet Joe at https://twitter.com/joegulla
"Girl Talk" by Allison Easter
Inspired by her experience touring with West Side Story in the 1980's, "Girl Talk" is about four young actresses who practice dance moves and discuss their romantic prospects for an upcoming tour in the ladies room.
Allison Easter, as a dancer/singer/actress, was the first American woman in Stomp and received a Bessie Award for her work with Meredith Monk. Her plays and monologues have been presented by Verbal Supply Company and in Curt Dempster's Citylab at Ensemble Studio Theater where she directed and produced new, short plays for ten years. She was Rehearsal Director for Stomp's Off-Broadway cast, directed Keith Middleton's Pride and Soul for the Fringe Festival and is currently working on an educational kids tv project.
"Ditmas" by Glenn Alterman
After Sharon drunkenly falls off a bar stool, she is rescued by a kind stranger, whom, she discovers, she has a great deal in common with.
Glenn is the author of 29 theater related books, including 10 books of original monologues, and is listed in the Guinness Book of World Records and Recordsetter.com as “The Author Of The Most Published Original Monologues for Actors.” His plays have won over 60 playwriting awards, including the Arts and Letters Award in Drama and the Bloomington Playwrights Award, (Reva Shiner Award), and have been 5 time finalists at The Actors Theater of Louisville (Heinneman). He’s been awarded 2 international arts grants. His plays and monologues have appeared in over 25 “Best Plays” and “Best Monologues”Anthologies. Glenn's play short play "After" was in the Village Playwrights' 2015 celebration of Gay Pride "Reinventing Family." www.Glennaltermanplaywright.com
"Look, It's Kevin Bacon!" by Raymond Banacki
A movie-star obsessed Gay man is sure that he's spotted Kevin Bacon sunbathing on a nude beach.
Raymond Banacki is the author of several full-length plays and several one-act plays. His farce, "The Nitty Gritty or Getting Hitched in Brooklyn Heights" was produced by the Stonewall Repertory Theater at the Courtyard Playhouse. Written before its time, it concerned two young men who fell in love and then decided to get married. Mr. Banacki is also the author of several plays that were published by Dialogus Play Service & Publishing.
"Blue into Black" by Jeffery James Keyes
A young man steps out on the middle of the George Washington Bridge and meets a friend who knows his situation all too well.
Jeffrey James Keyes is a recent graduate of Columbia University's MFA Playwriting Program. His plays have been developed or featured at SoHo Playhouse, the Samuel French Festival, the Old Vic in London, 59E59, the Ensemble Studio Theatre, the Rogue Machine Theatre in Los Angeles, and the Prologue Theatre in Chicago. He additionally worked as a Producer on Revealing for the Sundance channel and MTV's True Life. He additionally writes for Metrosource and Passport Magazines and co-authored the upcoming novella Killer Chef with James Patterson for the Hachette Book Group and Little, Brown and Company. His play Uniforms will be part of the upcoming Samuel French OOB Festival later this summer.
"Proud of Us" by Wesley Taylor
A father actively trying to accept his son's probable homosexuality before he's even hit puberty by building a stage in the backyard.
Wesley Taylor is an award-winning actor/writer who's worked on Broadway and Television. He is the co-creator/writer/star of the Hulu series, "It Could Be Worse." His one-acts have been produced at New World Stages and Manhattan Repertory Theatre, featuring the likes of Stockard Channing, Nathan Lane, and Debra Messing. He's recently inked a writing deal with Anonymous Content in Los Angeles.
July 13 -- Stephen Bracco, 60 mins, "Alice No Alice," The past comes to call.
Gloria Craig, 60 mins., "The Return of the Pied Piper,"
An imaginative retelling of the original tale, in which the Pied Piper is magically sent to a starving New England hamlet in order to put an end to the ruining of the environment.
July 27 -- Richard Tschudy, 60 mins., "Talk Show"
Marguerite Masse, 60 mins., 2nd act "Remorsing Lenny"
The Village Playwrights will be on vacation during the month of August.
Sept. 14 -- 2 hours, Jeffrey Vause, The Marriage Equality Plays
"I Don't" by Jeffrey Vause
It's 2006 and at the wedding reception of a cousin's daughter, Morty (in a relationship with Colin for 8 years) wonders why they can't marry too.
Jeffrey Vause is an actor-playwright who wrote, produced and performed his one-man multi-character play Aloha Oy! at Abingdon Theater. As an actor he was recently featured in Nothing But Trash at Theater for the New City portraying 3 different characters. As an author, his other plays, all in various stages of development, include: Cocktails And Cruellers, Left To My Own Devices, Tomorrow We Love and The Marriage Equality Plays (of which I Don't is a part).www.jeffreyvause.com
Jeffrey Vause is an actor-playwright who wrote, produced and performed his one-man multi-character play Aloha Oy! at Abingdon Theater. As an actor he was recently featured in Nothing But Trash at Theater for the New City portraying 3 different characters. As an author, his other plays, all in various stages of development, include: Cocktails And Cruellers, Left To My Own Devices, Tomorrow We Love and The Marriage Equality Plays (of which I Don't is a part).www.jeffreyvause.com
Sept. 28 -- Village Playwrights Intensive Playwriting Showcase
The Village Playwrights present a showcase of plays developed in our May 2016 Intensive Playwriting Class. The class instructor was Drew Sachs.
Drew Sachs as an instructor, Drew has taught playwriting at Adelphi University, Roundabout Theatre Company’s Teaching Artist Program and iDEAS and at Carnegie Mellon University where he earned his MFA in Dramatic Writing. Drew was the co-literary manager for Epiphany Theater Company and served on the script selection committee for The Bronx Council of the Arts. He currently facilitates a playwrights' intensive group at Polaris North a theater cooperative and was a member of the playwrights group at Abingdon Theater. Drew is a nationally duly certified sign language interpreter for the Deaf and has studied theatrical interpreting at Julliard and Gallaudet University. Drew is a member of The Dramatists Guild of America.
The plays are:
"A Planted Gun" by George Bistransin
A Gay rookie cop confronts his partner for planting a gun.
President of the Village Playwrights, George Bistransin learned to write plays by translating and producing the comedies of the ancient Roman playwright T. M. Plautus. Among others he produced The Menaechmi Twins, The Braggart Soldier and The Haunted House at Boston's 1400 seat vaudeville era Strand Theater. In 1996 George was awarded a NEH grant to attend "The Art of Ancient Spectacle" at the American Academy in Rome where he organized a production of Plautus' Curculio in the Academy's garden. His most ambitious undertaking was the 1991 production of Moliere's The Would-Be Gentleman in collaboration with the Ken Pierce Baroque Dance Company, complete with fencing and a small pit orchestra of period instruments played by moonlighting Boston Symphony Orchestra members. Since joining the Village Playwrights, he has had many short plays produced including "Stop Loss," "Marriage, the Gay Way," "Entrapment," "Insider Steal," "Dueling Drag Queens," and "A.P. Sexology."
"Marry Me" by Bonnie Civico
"Marry Me" explores the expectations and misaligned perceptions of what it means to take your relationship to the next level.
Bonnie Civico is an enthusiastic member of Village Playwrights, which has provided her the opportunity to reignite her passion for acting/playwriting. After a brief stint of making rounds and acting in local productions, Bonnie decided to keep her day job, but never lost the love of all things theatrical. She studied at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts and with David Legrant. Bonnie was thrilled to be chosen to participate in Drew Sachs's Intensive Playwriting Workshop and is excited to have her play read this evening.
"Chocolate" by Matthew Heftler
Andrew is having a conversation with his favorite box of chocolates. The candy is trying persuade Andrew to eat him. He finds it hard to resist. The reasons why our hero defies temptation will change his and the box's life forever!
Matt Heftler's plays have been presented in London, Atlanta, San Diego, Minneapolis, CT, MA, MI, MN, Los Angeles, etc. In New York City they were presented at Cherry Lane, E.S.T, Gene Frankel Theatre, ESPA@ Primary Stages, American Globe Short Play Festival, Riant Theatre Strawberry Festival, Samuel French Festival, Native Aliens Short Stories, HB Playwrights Foundation, Medicine Show Theatre, to name a few.
"Street Corner" by Marguerite Masse
A homeless man and another man discuss life on a streetcorner.
Marguerite Masse is a former acting student of Stella Adler and New York University School of the Arts. She has worked Off and Off-Off Broadway as an actress with Milan Stitt and Olympia Dukakis. She is a freelance journalist and an advertising copywriter. Marguerite is a beginner playwright who has some published poetry with the International Library of Poetry.
"Testosterone" by Jim ChaconA gay man confronts his father about the abusive, homophobic and body-shaming environment he was subjected to while growing up.
Jim Chacon wrote screenplays in the late eighties and even optioned one to the movies three times. But like so many others, it languished and went unproduced. Jim then turned to the field of education where he labored for thirty years, retiring last year after an exhausting twelve year stint as a school principal. Jim now writes short plays for the Village Playwrights and enjoys it immensely.
"Wizard" by Gloria Craig
A meeting between a dump caretaker and a poor prostitute invites Jesus in the deep south during the depression.
Gloria Craig is a writer, director and producer with the St. Gabriel Street Productions. Her play "The Wisteria Party" won the Provincetown Theater's Winter Reading Prize. Her plays "Car at Risk," "Lou de Bourbon and the Tower of Death," Freud, Elizabeth Bowen, and Mrs. Charles Black," and "The City of Fear" were produced at the Manhattan Repertory. Also I want to thank Village Playwrights for supporting my comedy at Queer Scare last October because it will be produced at Jewel Box Theater Halloween weekend so I want to put in a little plug for VILLAGE PLAYWRIGHTS for getting me there.
And it's free for me, no pay-for -play!
"Dimorphic Brains" by George Bistransin
It's the not too distant future when having a Gay child is a choice.
(See Mr. Bistransin's bio above.)
Oct. 12-- 60 mins., Kevin Curley, "Sorting Clothes," Two men, a homeless man and a writer, meet in the park and start a conversation
Kevin Curley’s one-act "Your Place or Mine?" was chosen for the 15th Annual Samuel French Short Play Contest. His one act play "Things" was selected by The William Inge Festival 2016 (declined by me because of expenses); His short play, "Brothers" was produced by Stage Door Productions in Fredericksburg, VA in April 2014. His ten-minute play "Improv & Proposition" were heard on Spokane Radio Theatre. Another, "Friendship," was performed in August 2012 at the Lebanon Community Theatre in PA. He has studied acting and holds a master’s degree from New York University. kurley01@aol.com
60 mins., Edmund Miller, Queen Christina in Exile, Act I
Oct. 26 -- Queer Scare III, staged readings of jury chosen 10 minutes plays that celebrate Halloween from an LGBTQ perspective. Reservations are strongly advised. Call 614-285-2515 or email villageplaywrights@gmail.com.
The plays and playwrights are:
1. "Witches' Brew" by Ross Hewitt
It's not about the alcohol content.
Ross Hewitt's survival job (one he is very proud of) is providing and ensuring quality HIV care, his objectives are to continue to work as a theater professional, writing plays, directing and performing. He has a lot of experience as an arts administrator. As an actor and a playwright, he is a founding member of the American Bard Theater Company. His plays “Booties,” “Mother knows Best,” “The Middle,” and “Crossover” were in past Village Playwrights festivals.
2. "Tricks" by Uni Coglioni
Sometime the trick is the treat.
Uni Coglioni is happy to be a part of the Village Playwrights Queen Scare 3 Festival. His credits include being a recipient of the McClinchee Award for his play "Short Changed", and a performance of his play "Family Picnic" in the Ravenswood's Play Festival. Uni is also the recipient of two Lower Manhattan Cultural Council Awards. He recently finished a screenplay titled "Hey Day" and would love to find the right producer! Coglioni7@yahoo.com
3. "Masques" by John Pakkenen
Things aren't always what they seem.
John Pakkanen grew up in Western Pennsylvania. He has lived in the West Village for many, many years. He has spent much, much too much of his time enjoying theater, opera and watching far, far too many movies of all kinds, rather than spending that time pursing more P.C. pursuits.
4. "Poison" by Marjorie Conn
What happens from handling the dead.
Marjorie Conn (Actor/Playwright/Ventriloquist) made her acting debut with the late, greyt Ethyl Eichelberger as his leading man playing Aegisthus to his Klytemnestra with her lover, the late, incomparable Katy Dierlam as Electra. She was given an award by the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force for her contributions to theatre in Provincetown. Marjorie is most known for her portrayal of Lizzie Borden (ax murderess) and Lorena Hickok (Eleanor Roosevelt's lover). These plays are published in LOST LESBIAN LIVES (available on eBay). She founded the Provincetown Fringe Festival in Provincetown, MA in 1994, which relocated to Asbury Park, NJ from 2007 to 2015. Currently she is a full-time New Yorker and living in Hell's Kitchen with her 6 rescue animals.
marjorieconn@gmail.com/617-512-6066
5. "Arousing the Chthonic Goddess" by George Bistransin
Be careful what you wish for.
President of the Village Playwrights, George Bistransin learned to write plays by translating and producing the comedies of the ancient Roman playwright T. M. Plautus. Among others he produced The Menaechmi Twins, The Braggart Soldier and The Haunted House at Boston's 1400 seat vaudeville era Strand Theater. In 1996 George was awarded a NEH grant to attend "The Art of Ancient Spectacle" at the American Academy in Rome where he organized a production of Plautus' Curculio in the Academy's garden. His most ambitious undertaking was the 1991 production of Moliere's The Would-Be Gentleman in collaboration with the Ken Pierce Baroque Dance Company, complete with fencing and a small pit orchestra of period instruments played by moonlighting Boston Symphony Orchestra members. Since joining the Village Playwrights, he has had many short plays produced including "Stop Loss," "Marriage, the Gay Way," "Entrapment," "Insider Steal," "Dueling Drag Queens," and "A.P. Sexology."
6. "C'est la Vie" by Jimmy Lovett
Love is messy. Better bring a tarp.
Jimmy Lovett is a graduate of Hampshire College where they studied playwriting and directing and premiered three shows. Since moving to New York, Jimmy produced a stage reading of their dark comedy Laid to Rest and spends a lot of time in the dark working at Sleep No More. www.jimmylovett.com
7. "You Don't Know Boo" by Mary Fridley
What to do when the lights flicker.
Mary Fridley has worked as a director or assistant director on dozens of Castillo Theatre productions over the last 25 years. Ms. Fridley is Director of Special Projects and a member of the faculty for the East Side Institute, an international research and training center in radically humanistic approaches to human development and community. Ms. Fridley also produced Nothing Really Happens (Memories of Aging Strippers), an award-winning feature film written and directed by Fred Newman. This is her second play.
Nov. 9 -- 30 minutes, Mervyn Kaufman, "Social Graces,"
Merv Kaufman is a long-ago graduate of the UCLA Theater Arts Dept. He came to New York to establish a career in publishing—books and magazines— but ultimately refocused his talents on playwriting. He's enjoyed seeing some of his work read at various sites, in New York and elsewhere, and looks forward to someday seeing his work actually performed. By real actors!
30 mins., special showing of David Diaz's new 10 minute video "Behind the Burka" and "Strange Bedfellows"
30 mins. George Bistransin's video's "Last Call" and "Stake Out."
Nov. 23 -- 1 hour, Marguerite Masse, Remorsing Lenny rewrite
Marguerite Masse is a former acting student of Stella Adler and New York University School of the Arts. She has worked Off and Off-Off Broadway as an actress with Milan Stitt and Olympia Dukakis. She is a freelance journalist and an advertising copywriter. Marguerite is a beginner playwright who has some published poetry with the International Library of Poetry.
30 mins., Griselda Steiner, monologue
Dec. 28 -- 30 mins., Griselda Steiner, "Shakespeare on the Rocks"
Alex Don Baron, an aging actor kicked out of a prestigious English theater five years ago because he was a drunk, hopes to return to the stage as he has been sober for 5 years.
Griselda Steiner is a playwright, poet, freelance and screenplay writer. Her plays have been read at the Actors Studio, the Page Torn Salon, the Episcopal Actors Guild andthe Woodstock Fringe. Her poems have been published in literary journals and in Scene4 online. She has shown her poetry DVDs in Westbeth and read at the Cornelia Street Cafe, the Mexican Consulate, the 92nd St. Tribeca Cafe, St. Johns and the Duplex, NYC. Her feature articles have appeared in The Mailer Review, American Theatre Magazine, Parabola, Filmmakers Newsletter and Scene4 online.
1 hour, Dan Kavulish, "Out There"
When 16-year-old Andrew shares some strange goings on around his family home with his best friend Bill, he doesn’t foresee how they will soon upend his life.
Dan Kavulish has been a writer most of his life. He wrote his first play at the age of 18. His second play, “Summer Passed into Rain” was produced for a local TV station in Hartford, CT. Two of his one-act plays were given staged readings for Susan Charlotte’s Prism Playhouse. He recently completed a novel about the perils of being a gay man in NYC during the turbulent last three decades of the twentieth century. He now returns to the craft of playwriting.
30 mins. George Bistransin, "Fire Island Etiquette"
Jan. 11, 2017 -- 30 mins., Michael Rendino, "A Good Meal"
Meg who is trying to recover from the breakup of a 20 year relationship, invites friends to dinner. The friends unwittingly insult her meal and make her feel even worse, until Meg takes charge of things.
Mike Rendino started writing plays six years ago, when his youngest son turned 18. He now has a c: drive full of long and short plays, with several productions and a first prize at a short play festival under his belt. Recent productions include “Used to be Bonanza” at the Hudson Guild Theater in January 2016, “Crossing” in the Piney Fork Festival in 2014, “Global -Warming”, a cautionary tale and first-prize winner at John Chatterton’s short play festival and a staged reading of "Jack Rabbits of the Wild Interior", which was performed in the Manhattan Reading Festival in March.2016.
30 mins., Leila Cassar, "Your body is a temple."
Louise goes to the gym everyday and can't think about nothing else. Maybe this strange obsession is just a phase.
Leïla Cassar is a playwright and a researcher in the field of theater, literature and queer studies in France and Quebec. Inspired by radical feminist and lesbian writers such as Pol Pelletier, Monique Wittig and Violette Le Duc, she questions through her writing sexual orientation along with the place of women in society, in an intersectional, queer, and feminist perspective.
Jan. 25 -- 60 mins., Kevin Curley, Sorting Clothes
Two men, one homeless, the other not, meet in a NYC park and have a discussion which turns into a meeting.
Kevin Curley’s one-act "Your Place or Mine?" was chosen for the 15th Annual Samuel French Short Play Contest. His one act play "Things" was selected by The William Inge Festival 2016 (declined by me because of expenses); His short play, "Brothers" was produced by Stage Door Productions in Fredericksburg, VA in April 2014. His ten-minute play "Improv & Proposition" were heard on Spokane Radio Theatre. Another, "Friendship," was performed in August 2012 at the Lebanon Community Theatre in PA. He has studied acting and holds a master’s degree from New York University. kurley01@aol.com
February 8
30 mins., Michael Hixenbaugh, "The Anniversary" -- Even death can't stop you from saying one last goodbye.
Michael Hixenbaugh have been writing since high school and has had a poem published and two short plays performed in school. I have been out since college and am very interested in doing positive things for the LGBTQ community. He has also written five short screenplays and one feature length.
30 mins., Christian Duhamel, "The Fifth" -- Two men light a fire and enjoy what they see.
Christian Duhamel is a nationally recognized playwright, composer, and lyricist. His newest musical, My 80-Year-Old Boyfriend, directed by Sean Daniels, will receive its World Premiere at Merrimack Repertory Theatre this spring. His other works include: Reinventing Romance (David Mark CohenPlaywriting Award finalist, National Playwriting Award finalist); Worlds Apart (Music Theatre Ventures' Young Creator's Award); Miss Mayor (New American Musical Award finalist, Puzzle Theatre Festival Selection). Wright State Alumnus, Dramatists Guild of America; BMI Lehman Engel Musical Theatre Workshop.
30 mins., Anthony Fusco, "Arch Enemies"-- When two corporate gay males discuss a business matter at lunch, it turns shocking.
Anthony Fusco has been writing plays since 2006. His credits include "Big Naked Feet", "Str8 Men Are Bitches," "Rush Hour Madness," "Crossing Verrazano," "Fixation," "The Handbag Click Clack Girls," "Arch Enemies," "Sole Mates," "Psychic Cafe." He won best director award at the Strawberry One Act festival in the winter of 2013 for his one act play titled "Rush Hour Madness". His play made the top 4 best plays of the season at the Strawberry One Act festival in the winter of 2015. "Rush Hour Madness" will be presented at the Winterfest play competition at the Hudson Guild Theater on March 9th, 11th & 12th
30 mins., George Bistransin, "Positions" -- Sean lets an older man take him to Europe.
President of the Village Playwrights, George Bistransin learned to write plays by translating and producing the comedies of the ancient Roman playwright T. M. Plautus. Among others he produced The Menaechmi Twins, The Braggart Soldier and The Haunted House at Boston's 1400 seat vaudeville era Strand Theater. In 1996 George was awarded a NEH grant to attend "The Art of Ancient Spectacle" at the American Academy in Rome where he organized a production of Plautus' Curculio in the Academy's garden. His most ambitious undertaking was the 1991 production of Moliere's The Would-Be Gentleman in collaboration with the Ken Pierce Baroque Dance Company, complete with fencing and a small pit orchestra of period instruments played by moonlighting Boston Symphony Orchestra members. Since joining the Village Playwrights, he has had many short plays produced including "Stop Loss," "Marriage, the Gay Way," "Entrapment," "Insider Steal," "Dueling Drag Queens," and "A.P. Sexology.
Join the Village Playwrights on February 22, 2017 from 8 to 10 pm at the LGBT Community Center for QUEERLY BELOVED, staged readings of 10 minute plays to celebrate Valentine's Day.
February 22 -- Queerly Beloved, staged readings of jury-chosen 10 minute plays to celebrate Valentine's Day from and LGBTQ perspective presented at the LGBT Community Center, 208 W 13th St. NYC on Wednesday February 22, 2017 from 8 pm to 10 pm. The plays trace Lesbian and Gay relationships from Puppy Love, First Dates, Marriage and afterwards. $5 requested donation at the door. Reservations are strongly recommended; email villageplaywrights@gmail.com or call 614-285-2515
The seven plays that will be presented are
1. "Counseling" by Fiona Gorry-Hines -- Iggy is looking for more from her camp counselor May than kayak lessons and wilderness preparedness tips, but May's training didn't prepare her for this.
Fiona Gorry-Hines is a current junior at New York University's Gallatin School of Individualized Study with a concentration in playwriting and dramatic literature. Her work was first performed beneath a kitchen table in Lexington, Massachusetts with an all Beanie Baby cast, but has since been produced by Gallatin Theatre Troupe and the Midtown International Theatre Festival. When not at the writing desk or in rehearsal, she can be found making zines, tap dancing, or eating garbanzo beans straight from the can. She is thrilled to be participating in "Queerly Beloved" and working with Village Playwrights for the first time!
2. "The Bar Club Experience" by Alex Rubin -- The dating world is a jungle, and the newly single Kate is no outdoors woman.
Alex Rubin's plays and songs have been produced at The National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, The Dramatists Guild, Soho Playhouse, Theater for the New City, Primary Stages, NYU’s Steinhardt School, 54 Below, The Samuel French OOB Festival, and more. She is the recipient of the Francis Ford Coppola Award, a SPACE on Ryder resident, National Winter Playwrights Retreat resident, 2015 Davenport Songwriting Competition finalist, O’Neill Summer Conference semi-finalist, Red Women’s Theatre Award semi-finalist, the 2013/14 Big Vision Empty Wallet Playwriting Fellow, and the winner of The 85th Annual Writers Digest Award in Playwriting. www.AlexRubinWrites.com
3. "The Regulars" by Karen Rind-Siegel -- Are Beth and Allison's disagreements normal quirks of a relationship or irreconcilable differences?
Karen Rind-Siegel is a New York native playwright interested in exploring women-centered narratives, lesbian community, and Jewish cultural themes through her plays. Her work has been developed with Amios Theatre Collective. Her plays include Jane Meets Jean, In the Year of the Cicada, and Peanut Butter Oreos.
4. "Just in Case" by Natalie Wilson -- A close-call on the battlefield inspires Darryl to propose, but a quickie wedding isn't exactly what Andrew had in mind.....
An opera singer in a former life, Natalie Wilson now enjoys creating works for others to perform. Her horror play THE TAMING OF CATS received glowing reviews as a Resident Artist Production at The Brick Theater in NYC this October. Other full-length works include THE INNKEEPER and BREAKING PAIRS, and the new musical SWEETHEARTS OF SWING. Natalie has four short works published by Indie Theater Now, and numerous short plays have been produced in NYC and elsewhere. Natalie is the co-founder of Lather Rinse Repeat: A Playwrights’ Collective, and is also on faculty at Circle in the Square Theater School and Molloy College, where she teaches voice and sight-singing to up-and-coming Broadway performers.
5. "Knots" by Robert Moulthrop -- Joseph and Michael have one or two matters to, um, discuss before walking down the aisle.
Robert Moulthrop, playwright and author, lives in Greenwich Village. Awards include: Batchelder Award (best English translation of a foreign children’s book, Cry, Heart…, ALA ’17); Outstanding Playwriting (Half Life, NY Fringe Festival, ’05, a top 10 NYTimes pick); NJ State Council on the Arts (prose fiction). Other Fringe: T. L. C. and Lecture, With Cello. Staged readings: The Abingdon Theatre, Urban Stages. Over 20 short stories published in journals; two collections available on Amazon.
6. "The Architects of Time" by Cayenne Douglass --Emma and Scarlett return to their favorite vacation spot and learn they can’t have authentic connection until they unmask the truth of their past.
Cayenne Douglass attended CalArts, Theater Dept. and graduated from Goddard College. Her plays have been produced in the CalArts New Works Festival, ESPA Primary Stages Detention Series, and at Manhattan Repertory Theatre. In 2016 her first essay was published in Entropy Magazine. Cayenne has been accepted into the Midtown International Theater Festival for their summer 2017 short play contest and has just been offered a spot in The Woman's Work Lab at New Perspectives Theatre Company.
7. "Don'tCha Give Up" by Charles Leipart -- Broken hearts in need of repair. Who we gonna call?
Charles Leipart Cream Cakes in Munich, 1st Prize Award 2016 Tennessee Williams/New Orleans LiteraryFestival. A Kind of Marriage, 2015 Arch and Bruce Brown Foundation LGBT Playwrighting Award. His musicals include: Pickwick’s Haunted Christmas (in development); Me and Miss Monroe, Enchanted April, and Frog Kiss. Charles is proud to honor the men & women of the LGBTQ community with tonight’s musical valentine. www.charlesleipart.com
March 8 -- March 8 --
60 mins., Griselda Steiner, "Shakespeare on the Rocks" -- Alex Don Baron, an aging actor kicked out of a prestigious English theater five years ago because he was a drunk, hopes to return to the stage as he has been sober for 5 years.
Griselda Steiner is a playwright, poet, freelance and screenplay writer. Her plays have been read at the Actors Studio, the Page Torn Salon, the Episcopal Actors Guild andthe Woodstock Fringe. Her poems have been published in literary journals and in Scene4 online. She has shown her poetry DVDs in Westbeth and read at the Cornelia Street Cafe, the Mexican Consulate, the 92nd St. Tribeca Cafe, St. Johns and the Duplex, NYC. Her feature articles have appeared in The Mailer Review, American Theatre Magazine, Parabola, Filmmakers Newsletter and Scene4 online.
30 mins., Michael Hixenbaugh, "Chaotic Bliss" -- the story of a couple's first time with some comedic mishaps along the way.
Michael Hixenbaugh has been writing since high school and has had a poem published and two short plays performed in school. He has been out since college and is very interested in doing positive things for the LGBTQ community. He has also written five short screenplays and one feature length.
30 mins. -- Dereck McCracken
Dereck McCracken has worked in poetry, journalism, and, most recently, narrative medicine.
March 22
Uni Coglioni's credits include being a recipient of the McClinchee Award for his play "Short Changed", and a performance of his play "Family Picnic" in the Ravenswood's Play Festival. Uni is also the recipient of two Lower Manhattan Cultural Council Awards. He recently finished a screenplay titled "Hey Day" and would love to find the right producer! Coglioni7@yahoo.com
30 mins., George Bistransin, -- "Criminal Behavior," Sean trespasses and becomes the prime suspect of the Italian police.
President of the Village Playwrights, George Bistransin learned to write plays by translating and producing the comedies of the ancient Roman playwright T. M. Plautus. Among others he produced The Menaechmi Twins, The Braggart Soldier and The Haunted House at Boston's 1400 seat vaudeville era Strand Theater. In 1996 George was awarded a NEH grant to attend "The Art of Ancient Spectacle" at the American Academy in Rome where he organized a production of Plautus' Curculio in the Academy's garden. His most ambitious undertaking was the 1991 production of Moliere's The Would-Be Gentleman in collaboration with the Ken Pierce Baroque Dance Company, complete with fencing and a small pit orchestra of period instruments played by moonlighting Boston Symphony Orchestra members. Since joining the Village Playwrights, he has had many short plays produced including "Stop Loss," "Marriage, the Gay Way," "Entrapment," "Insider Steal," "Dueling Drag Queens," and "A.P. Sexology.
April 12 -- 30 mins, Mervyn Douglas Kaufman, "Thirty-Love" -- a ten minute play about a young couple that seem to get on track after a somewhat rocky surprise reunion, only to be thrust back into confusion by the arrival of an unexpected third party.
Mervyn Douglas Kaufman returned to playwriting a few years ago after pursuing a long career in magazine publishing. His view of the world tends toward the satirical, and there's always an edge to the topics he touches.
60 mins, Uni Coglioni, Hey Day (part II) a screenplay about the hey day of sexual freedom
Uni Coglioni's credits include being a recipient of the McClinchee Award for his play "Short Changed", and a performance of his play "Family Picnic" in the Ravenswood's Play Festival. Uni is also the recipient of two Lower Manhattan Cultural Council Awards. He recently finished a screenplay titled "Hey Day" and would love to find the right producer! Coglioni7@yahoo.com
April 26 --
60 mins, Marguerite Masse, Act III Remorsing Lenny
Marguerite Masse is a former acting student of Stella Adler and New York University School of the Arts. She has worked Off and Off-Off Broadway as an actress with Milan Stitt and Olympia Dukakis. She is a freelance journalist and an advertising copywriter. Marguerite is a beginner playwright who has some published poetry with the International Library of Poetry.
30 mins., Kevin Curley, -- "Motherhood" -- At dinner two married heterosexual couples talk about having babies. One couple is contemplating conception; the other, unexpectedly pregnant, are disagreeing about having it.
Kevin Curley’s one-act "Your Place or Mine?" was chosen for the 15th Annual Samuel French Short Play Contest. His one act play "Things" was selected by The William Inge Festival 2016 (declined by me because of expenses); His short play, "Brothers" was produced by Stage Door Productions in Fredericksburg, VA in April 2014. His ten-minute play "Improv & Proposition" were heard on Spokane Radio Theatre. Another, "Friendship," was performed in August 2012 at the Lebanon Community Theatre in PA. He has studied acting and holds a master’s degree from New York University. kurley01@aol.com
30 mins, George Bistransin, "On to Paris" -- Sean is in love in Florence but Clifton wants to leave.
President of the Village Playwrights, George Bistransin learned to write plays by translating and producing the comedies of the ancient Roman playwright T. M. Plautus. Among others he produced The Menaechmi Twins, The Braggart Soldier and The Haunted House at Boston's 1400 seat vaudeville era Strand Theater. In 1996 George was awarded a NEH grant to attend "The Art of Ancient Spectacle" at the American Academy in Rome where he organized a production of Plautus' Curculio in the Academy's garden. His most ambitious undertaking was the 1991 production of Moliere's The Would-Be Gentleman in collaboration with the Ken Pierce Baroque Dance Company, complete with fencing and a small pit orchestra of period instruments played by moonlighting Boston Symphony Orchestra members. Since joining the Village Playwrights, he has had many short plays produced including "Stop Loss," "Marriage, the Gay Way," "Entrapment," "Insider Steal," "Dueling Drag Queens," and "A.P. Sexology.
May 4, 11, 18 and 25, 7 pm to 10 pm: Intensive Playwriting taught by Drew Sachs. $50.
May 10, 2017
90 mins., Dan Kavulish, "Out There" -- When 16-year-old Andrew shares some strange goings on around his family home with his best friend Bill, he doesn’t foresee how they will soon upend his life.
Dan Kavulish has been a writer most of his life. He wrote his first play at the age of 18. His second play, “Summer Passed into Rain” was produced for a local TV station in Hartford, CT. Two of his one-act plays were given staged readings for Susan Charlotte’s Prism Playhouse. He recently completed a novel, "The Fortunate Isles," about the perils of being a gay man in NYC during the turbulent last three decades of the twentieth century. He now returns to the craft of playwriting.
30 mins., Griselda Steiner, Alex Don Baron, an aging actor kicked out of a prestigious English theater five years ago because he was a drunk, hopes to return to the stage as he has been sober for 5 years.
Griselda Steiner is a playwright, poet, freelance and screenplay writer. Her plays have been read at the Actors Studio, the Page Torn Salon, the Episcopal Actors Guild andthe Woodstock Fringe. Her poems have been published in literary journals and in Scene4 online. She has shown her poetry DVDs in Westbeth and read at the Cornelia Street Cafe, the Mexican Consulate, the 92nd St. Tribeca Cafe, St. Johns and the Duplex, NYC. Her feature articles have appeared in The Mailer Review, American Theatre Magazine, Parabola, Filmmakers Newsletter and Scene4 online.
May 24
30 mins., Charles Leipart, "An Afternoon in Hammersmith 1931" -- E.M. Forester visits a friend in the Hammersmith section of London
Charles Leipart Cream Cakes in Munich, 1st Prize Award 2016 Tennessee Williams/New Orleans LiteraryFestival. A Kind of Marriage, 2015 Arch and Bruce Brown Foundation LGBT Playwrighting Award. His musicals include: Pickwick’s Haunted Christmas (in development); Me and Miss Monroe, Enchanted April, and Frog Kiss. www.charlesleipart.com
30 mins., George Bistransin, "The Train from Chur" -- Clifton tries to persuade Lorenzo not join Sean and him in Switzerland.
President of the Village Playwrights, George Bistransin learned to write plays by translating and producing the comedies of the ancient Roman playwright T. M. Plautus. Among others he produced The Menaechmi Twins, The Braggart Soldier and The Haunted House at Boston's 1400 seat vaudeville era Strand Theater. In 1996 George was awarded a NEH grant to attend "The Art of Ancient Spectacle" at the American Academy in Rome where he organized a production of Plautus' Curculio in the Academy's garden. His most ambitious undertaking was the 1991 production of Moliere's The Would-Be Gentleman in collaboration with the Ken Pierce Baroque Dance Company, complete with fencing and a small pit orchestra of period instruments played by moonlighting Boston Symphony Orchestra members. Since joining the Village Playwrights, he has had many short plays produced including "Stop Loss," "Marriage, the Gay Way," "Entrapment," "Insider Steal," "Dueling Drag Queens," and "A.P. Sexology.
30 mins., Wayne Paul Mattingly, Anthem
Wayne Paul Mattingly lives in NYC and has been involved in theatre for decades. Since focusing on playwriting in 2005, his plays have won multiple awards, produced in NYC, Westchester and Putnam, Los Angeles, San Francisco; Bangor, Maine; Denton & Houston, Texas; Valdez, Alaska, and London, England. 2014 Helene Wurlitzer Foundation Artists Fellowship, 2014 Ronald Duncan Literary Prize Finalist, 2014 & 2015 Disquiet International Literary Program Short Play short-list scholarships, Lisbon, Portugal, 2014 Best Women’s Monologues, Smith & Kraus. Founding member, The Misfits Ensemble, L.A., Founding Artistic Director, Tiger’s Heart Players, N.Y. Member: NYC Playwrights, Axial Theatre, The Dramatist Guild, & Actors’ Equity Association. Proud to be on the bill tonight! www.waynepaulmattingly.com
June 14, June 14, 2017 -- Showcase of 10 minute plays developed in the Village Playwrights' Intensive Playwriting Workshop
The class was taught by Drew Sachs.
Drew Sachs as an instructor, Drew has taught playwriting at Adelphi University, Roundabout Theatre Company’s Teaching Artist Program and iDEAS and at Carnegie Mellon University where he earned his MFA in Dramatic Writing. Drew was the co-literary manager for Epiphany Theater Company and served on the script selection committee for The Bronx Council of the Arts. He currently facilitates a playwrights' intensive group at Polaris North a theater cooperative and was a member of the playwrights group at Abingdon Theater. Drew is a nationally duly certified sign language interpreter for the Deaf and has studied theatrical interpreting at Julliard and Gallaudet University. Drew is a member of The Dramatists Guild of America.
The plays and playwrights are
"Whiskey River" by JC Augustin -- Delusion and paranoia mix with loneliness and desire in thishallucinatory cocktail party between a man and his whiskey.
JC Augustin writes plays, performs poetry and resides in Washington Heights. His play "In Crocodile's Lair" was read as part of Theater For the New City's New Blood series. A native Miamian, Augustin works as a pedicab driver and bartender in lower Manhattan.
"Sex Talk" by James Chacon -- A mature gay couple grapples with establishing the parameters of an open relationship while simultaneously moving toward a formal commitment to each other.
Jim Chacon is a retired educator from Los Angeles who moved to New York to pursue long deferred interests in playwriting and stand up comedy.
"Pictures From the Past" by Lora Danley -- Two estranged brothers meet at their father's funeral.
Lora Danley is a New York City based playwright who originally hails from Virginia. Her work has been performed as part of the Detention Series at the Einhorn School of Performing Arts, the Four Quarter Theatre Company in New York City, the South Street Players in Spring Lake, New Jersey, the Players Centre for the Performing Arts in Sarasota, Florida, the Manhattan Repertory Theatre in New York City, and the Black Box New Play Festival with the Park Slope Gallery Players in Brooklyn. Her full-length play “Surprise, Surprise” recently won third place in the Las Vegas Little Theater’s New Works Festival. She is a member of the Dramatist Guild.
"Emily" by Cayenne Douglass -- Before a visit with their child and her adoptive parents, biological parents, Matt and Leah confront questions concerning guilt, regret, and grief.
Cayenne Douglass is a New York City based playwright. Plays include, The Architects of Time (Manhattan Repertory Theater and Village Playwrights) If You See Something…(ESPA Primary Stages, Detention Series and The Big Apple Theatre Festival) The Spare Change of Strange Angels (The Living Room Theater and The Driftwood Players) We All Begin Again (Midtown International Theatre Festival) Oh My - Goodness (New Perspectives Theatre) She’s an alumni of The New Perspectives Theater Women’s Work Lab and The Living Room Theatre Short Play Lab Incubator. She Attended CalArts School of Theater and graduated from Goddard College with a BA in Individualized studies.
"Belief" by Yasmin Harvey -- What would you do if the person you loved could only remember your history on one condition? What does it mean to love someone so unconditionally that you lose your past?
Yasmin Harvey is a British Actor based in New York. Yasmin moved to New York in 2015 to study at Circle in the Square Theatre School. Having previously attended the Village Playwrights, this is her first piece to be performed to an audience!
"The Discussion" by Carol Mennie -- Sometimes a "cigar is just a cigar’ but a "discussion is never just a discussion between sisters!"
As an actress, Carol Mennie has toured nationally in theater ranging from Shakespeare, Shaw to Neil Simon. She wrote and toured in an original comedy duo that played the college and night club circuit. As a jazz vocalist, Carol has sung at the Blue Note, Birdland and the Whitehouse. She founded CDM, Inc., a not-for-profit teaching literacy through theater and music, and taught Drama for the "Say Yes" program at Columbia University.
June 28, 2017
Loud and Proud
Join the Village Playwrights at 8 pm on June 28 to celebrate Gay Pride in a thought provoking way with staged readings of seven jury chosen 10 minute plays by some of New York's most interesting playwrights at the LGBT Community Center, 208 W. 13th St., NYC. Seating is limited and reservations are recommended. $5 donation requested. Please email villageplaywrights@gmail.com or call 614-285-2515 to reserve seats.
The plays and playwrights are
"Doctor Truth" by Sam Affoumado -- Sex therapist Dr. Truth works miracles with a "dysfunctional" Gay couple.
Sam Affoumado has written six full-length plays and ten short plays. "Peanut Butter Patty" was a semi-finalist in the 2011 Samuel French OOB Short Play Festival in NYC. "Home Sweet Home," another short piece, was a finalist in the 2012 Magnolia Arts 10-minute play contest in Greenville, NC. Sam’s play, "The Finalist," was produced in Washington, DC as part of the McLean Drama Company’s 10th Annual 10-Minute National Play Festival. His latest work The Bully's Eye" was published in 2015 by Applause Theatre and Cinema Books in an anthology entitled More 10-Minute Plays for Teens, edited by Lawrence Harbison.
"The Choice" by Stephen Barnett -- Trapped between loving the sinner and hating the sin, a grandmother turns to her priest for guidance regarding her queer grandchild.
Having grown from a theatrical foundation, Stephen Barnett is proud to debut as Playwright & Director for the stage after having written, produced, and directed seventeen short films of varied length while studying acting at the Herbert Berghof Studio He earned an Interdisciplinary Baccalaureate in Theatre and Cinema Production. For his theatrical thesis, he directed Tennessee Williams’ one-act play, "Adam and Eve on a Ferry." He recently graduated with an MA in Gender, Sexuality, and Cinema Theory. He has also been involved in community theatre as a performer with the Sea View Playwright’s Theatre productions of O’Neill’s The Iceman Cometh, Miller’s Death of a Salesman, and Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. He is presently seeking a Producer for his short film "The Choice" from which this 10-minute play is derived.
"Blame it on the Baby" by Jack Dyville -- A Gay couple discovers that their newborn has potty mouth.
Over the years, Jack Dyville has earned the title, "Jack of All Theatrical Trades" having worked professionally as a Playwright, Producer, Director, Choreographer, Actor, Dancer, Singer and in fact like George M. Cohan, his idol, he's even figured out how to work the Box Office and Usher Folks to their seats! He's a published writer with comedies, dramas & musicals. A favorite is his "The Memory Book" a tribute to a dear friend, one of the first casualties to the AIDS Epedimic.
"Beheld" by Maia Henkin -- Two teenage missionaries go to the subway to propagate the word of the gospel and end up playing a game of "gay chicken."
Maia Henkin graduated with honors in gender studies from Rhodes College with a BA in English Lit/Creative Writing and Theatre with a minor in Film. In New York, her plays have been produced at the Hudson Guild Theatre, the PIT, the Lynn Redgrave Theatre (Off-Broadway, Fresh Ground Pepper), the Gene Frankel Theatre (Nylon Fusion), Littlefiend (UglyRhino), and Manhattan Rep.
"Tahiti" by James Masten -- It’s never too late for a second chance on love.
James Masten studied theatre at New York University when the actor Ronald Reagan was President. During the intervening three decades Masten has practiced social work in the fields of AIDS care, aging, and mental health, written several journal articles, and published a book, Aging with HIV: A gay man’s guide. His full length play Survivors was the inaugural Michael Warren Powell Memorial Reading at the 29th Street Playwright’s Collective.
"Naked" by Mike Poblete -- After having great sex, two men get naked.
Born in Brooklyn, Mike Poblete has had six full length plays and numerous one acts performed in six countries, two of which have been published. He has a Playwriting MFA from Trinity College Dublin and works as Director of Script Development at The Foxboro Company, a Broadway, film and television production office. www.mikepoblete.com
"I'm not Gay" by Bernard J. Taylor -- Why does a man who has entered into a same-sex relationship insist he is not gay?
Bernard J. Taylor has had more than 100 productions of his stage works (both musicals and non-musical plays) worldwide. (See www.bernardjtaylor.com). In 2013 I was made an Honorary Fellow by the Victoria College of Music and Drama in London for "services to music and the performing arts". Three recent productions of his show in San Antonio won six awards at last year's ATAC awards (San Antonio’s equivalent of the Tony Awards - original script, original music and four performance awards. He has coming up productions in New York (Summerfest at the Hudson in Manhattan in August), San Antonio, Japan, Australia and England. Mr. Taylor started up an LGBT theatre group in San Antonio.
July 12, 2017
30 mins, Kevin Curley "Motherhood" - At dinner two married heterosexual couples talk about having babies. One couple is contemplating conception; the other, unexpectedly pregnant, are disagreeing about having it.
Kevin Curley’s one-act "Your Place or Mine?" was chosen for the 15th Annual Samuel French Short Play Contest. His one act play "Things" was selected by The William Inge Festival 2016 (declined by me because of expenses); His short play, "Brothers" was produced by Stage Door Productions in Fredericksburg, VA in April 2014. His ten-minute play "Improv & Proposition" were heard on Spokane Radio Theatre. Another, "Friendship," was performed in August 2012 at the Lebanon Community Theatre in PA. He has studied acting and holds a master’s degree from New York University. kurley01@aol.com
60 mins., Michael Rendino, "Suckit List" and "The Arrival"
Mike Rendino started writing plays six years ago, when his youngest son turned 18. He now has a c: drive full of long and short plays, with several productions and a first prize at a short play festival under his belt. Recent productions include “Used to be Bonanza” at the Hudson Guild Theater in January 2016, “Crossing” in the Piney Fork Festival in 2014, “Global -Warming”, a cautionary tale and first-prize winner at John Chatterton’s short play festival and a staged reading of "Jack Rabbits of the Wild Interior", which was performed in the Manhattan Reading Festival in March.
30 mins., Jeffrey James Keyes, "The Masseur" -- A business man gets a massage to remember in Jamaica.
Jeffrey James Keyes is a playwright, producer, and author. He recently co-wrote the New York Times Bestselling book Killer Chef with James Patterson (Hachette Book Group and Little, Brown and Company.) An active participant in New York City’s theater scene, Jeffrey has presented plays at The SoHo Playhouse, The Samuel French Festival, 59E59, and The Ensemble Studio Theatre as well as at The Rogue Machine Theatre in Los Angeles, The Prologue Theatre in Chicago, and The Old Vic Theatre in London. Television projects include Revealing for the Sundance Channel and MTV's True Life. He additionally serves as contributor for magazines Metrosource and Passport and websites ManAboutWorld, Queerty, and GayCities. Jeffrey graduated with a BA degree in Theatre and Visual Arts from Fordham University College at Lincoln Center and received his MFA degree in Playwriting from Columbia University School of the Arts.
July 26, 2017 -- 2 hours, Wayne Paul Mattingly, Anthem -- A woman tries to re-invent herself.
Wayne Paul Mattingly lives in NYC and has been involved in theatre for decades. Since focusing on playwriting in 2005, his plays have won multiple awards, produced in NYC, Westchester and Putnam, Los Angeles, San Francisco; Bangor, Maine; Denton & Houston, Texas; Valdez, Alaska, and London, England. 2014 Helene Wurlitzer Foundation Artists Fellowship, 2014 Ronald Duncan Literary Prize Finalist, 2014 & 2015 Disquiet International Literary Program Short Play short-list scholarships, Lisbon, Portugal, 2014 Best Women’s Monologues, Smith & Kraus. Founding member, The Misfits Ensemble, L.A., Founding Artistic Director, Tiger’s Heart Players, N.Y. Member: NYC Playwrights, Axial Theatre, The Dramatist Guild, & Actors’ Equity Association. Proud to be on the bill tonight! www.waynepaulmattingly.com
No meetings in August.
Sept 13
30 mins., Michael Hixenbaugh, "Dinner at 8" -- Henry tells Adam that he's no longer in love with him just before the guests arrive for their sixth anniversary party.
Michael Hixenbaugh has been writing since high school and has had a poem published and two short plays performed in school. He has been out since college and is very interested in doing positive things for the LGBTQ community. He has also written five short screenplays and one feature length.
30 mins., Charles Leipart, "An Afternoon in Hammersmith 1931" -- E.M. Forester visits a friend in the Hammersmith section of London.
Charles Leipart Cream Cakes in Munich, 1st Prize Award 2016 Tennessee Williams/New Orleans LiteraryFestival. A Kind of Marriage, 2015 Arch and Bruce Brown Foundation LGBT Playwrighting Award. His musicals include: Pickwick’s Haunted Christmas (in development); Me and Miss Monroe, Enchanted April, and Frog Kiss. www.charlesleipart.com
30 mins., Mervyn Douglas Kaufman, "Louis & Clark" -- one act about two men stuck in the same hospital room.
30 mins., Kevin Curley
Kevin Curley’s one-act "Your Place or Mine?" was chosen for the 15th Annual Samuel French Short Play Contest. His one act play "Things" was selected by The William Inge Festival 2016 (declined by me because of expenses); His short play, "Brothers" was produced by Stage Door Productions in Fredericksburg, VA in April 2014. His ten-minute play "Improv & Proposition" were heard on Spokane Radio Theatre. Another, "Friendship," was performed in August 2012 at the Lebanon Community Theatre in PA. He has studied acting and holds a master’s degree from New York University. kcurley01@aol.com
Sept 27, 2 hours, Mark Nimar, Good Daddy -- a gay sex comedy about Ben, a young guy who has an affair with an older, married man.
Mervyn Douglas Kaufman returned to playwriting a few years ago after pursuing a long career in magazine publishing. His view of the world tends toward the satirical, and there's always an edge to the topics he touches.
Mark Nimar is a New York-based actor, singer, and playwright. In New York, he has performed at the Bank Street Theatre in the musical Happy End, at the Danny Kaye Playhouse in the New York premiere of the opera il Postino, and at the Manhattan School of Music in the New York premiere of the opera A Taste of Damnation. Productions outside of New York include Animal Crackers at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, and Carmen at Dante Hall Theatre in Atlantic City. He made his screen debut as Mason in the film Beneath Contempt, which was screened at the Slamdance Film Festival, IFFB, and at the Brooklyn Film Festival. Mark holds Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in voice from the Mannes College the New School for Music. As a playwright, his work has been featured at the Village Playwrights in New York City.
Oct 11 --
60 mins., Uni Rizzo, Hey Day (the last act) -- screen play about the "hey day" of sexual freedom.
Uni Coglioni's credits include being a recipient of the McClinchee Award for his play "Short Changed", and a performance of his play "Family Picnic" in the Ravenswood's Play Festival. Uni is also the recipient of two Lower Manhattan Cultural Council Awards. He recently finished a screenplay titled "Hey Day" and would love to find the right producer! Coglioni7@yahoo.com
60 mins. Louis DeVaughn Nelson, "Monologues" -- A sociopolitical, psychosexual comedy in one act about a love quadrilateral between two directors and two actresses trying to gain each other's attention (and love) while rehearsing a new one-woman show.
Louis DeVaughn Nelson is a multidisciplinary artist and founder of Hokum Arts. He studied dance and playwriting at DeSales University and Drexel University. Nelson was named Best New Choreographer by Philadelphia City Paper and has been recognized internationally for his theatre, dance and video work that delves into cultural and movement research. Credits Include : The Peekaboo Revue, English Theatre Berlin, The Berlin Music Video Awards, Social Media Week, Tanzbad 4, CTM – Festival for Adventurous Music and Related Arts, CIANT Festival for Film and New Media, Dark Matter Productions NYC, Exquisite Corpse Company NYC, Dixon Place. More info at Facebook : Hokum Arts
Oct 25 -- Queer Scare IV -- The plays and playwrights are
"MacTrump" by Griselda Steiner
Griselda Steiner is a playwright, poet, freelance and screenplay writer. Her plays have been read at the Actors Studio, the Page Torn Salon, the Episcopal Actors Guild andthe Woodstock Fringe. Her poems have been published in literary journals and in Scene4 online. She has shown her poetry DVDs in Westbeth and read at the Cornelia Street Cafe, the Mexican Consulate, the 92nd St. Tribeca Cafe, St. Johns and the Duplex, NYC. Her feature articles have appeared in The Mailer Review, American Theatre Magazine, Parabola, Filmmakers Newsletter and Scene4 online.
"How to Carve a Jack-o-Lantern" by Marshall Foltz
Marshall Foltz is a Brooklyn-based playwright and theatre professional originally from the plains of Oklahoma. He received a BFA in Musical Theatre from the American Musical and Dramatic Academy where he also studied playwriting. He has written plays on a variety of subjects, but is proud to tell stories of the LGBTQ+ community—and especially proud one of those stories is a part of Queer Scare IV. Many thanks to my talented actors and director and all involved. @marshallfoltz
"The Really Mad Ghost" by George Bistransin
President of the Village Playwrights, George Bistransin learned to write plays by translating and producing the comedies of the ancient Roman playwright T. M. Plautus. Among others, he produced The Menaechmi Twins, The Braggart Soldier and The Haunted House at Boston's 1400 seat vaudeville era Strand Theater. In 1996 George was awarded a NEH grant to attend "The Art of Ancient Spectacle" at the American Academy in Rome where he organized a production of Plautus' Curculio in the Academy's garden. His most ambitious undertaking was the 1991 production of Moliere's The Would-Be Gentleman in collaboration with the Ken Pierce Baroque Dance Company, complete with fencing and a small pit orchestra of period instruments played by moonlighting Boston Symphony Orchestra members. Since joining the Village Playwrights, he has had many short plays produced including "Stop Loss," "Marriage, the Gay Way," "Entrapment," "Insider Steal," "Dueling Drag Queens," and "A.P. Sexology."
"Gay Men & Their Divas" by Brian Godshall
Brian R. Godshall has a B.A. in Theater from Penn State University and has written scripts, poems and more in a non-professional capacity. Twice he has been a finalist in the Scriptapalooza TV writing competition which is co-sponsored by the Writers Guild of America. He recently licensed a hip hop song (“The Game Goes Pow!”), which he co-wrote, to a major cable company. His 2 act play entitled “Virgin-More” was presented on the Main Stage at Dixon Place as part of the Hot! Festival in 2015. He had previously placed the one act “Virgin-Whore” in the Lounge as part of the Hot! Festival in 2014.
"It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown, Part 2" by Joe Gulla
Joe Gulla is a regular performer at Joe’s Pub at The Public Theater. This past May, Joe’s full length play “GARBO” won the 2017 Downtown Urban Arts Festival “Audience Award” for its Cherry Lane Theatre performance. Joe’s “The Bronx Queen” previously won the 2016 Downtown Urban Arts Festival “Audience Award.” ”Fall and Rise," written by Joe, played the Hollywood Fringe Festival last summer. In early 2018, “GAY.PORN.MAFIA,” a collection of Joe’s nationally produced, award-winning plays, will open here in NYC. As an actor, Joe played "Joey" in San Francisco's "Tony & Tina's Wedding" for many years and "Frankie" in Off-Broadway's "My Big Gay Italian Wedding". He also starred on NBC's "LOST", one of television's first adventure reality series. For more on Joe Gulla, visit JoeGulla.com.
"Trick or Treat Redux" by John Pakkanen
John Pakkanen has lived in the West Village for many years after coming to NYC from Western Pennsylvania. His one-act "Triage at St. Sebastian's" was staged by the Village Playwrights at the Producers Club's Royal Theater in April, 2016. His short play, "Hitch-Hiker" was staged at 353 Studios in June 2016. His one-act "Masques" was part of the Village Playwrights Halloween program last year.
"I Don't Always Bite" by Andy Ottoson
Andy Ottoson is a writer, director and producer. He served several years as Founding Artistic Director of Dalliance Theater where he oversaw twenty world premieres, including two at FringeNYC. He has also worked with Connecticut Lyric Opera, Dallas Opera, Guthrie Theater, Nashville Opera, The Fresh Fruit Festival (Outstanding Short Play, 2014), SPF at the Public Theater, Primary Stages, Framework Film Productions, Tulsa Opera, and many more. He is a member of AEA, AGMA, an Associate Member of SDC and the Lincoln Center Theater Directors Lab.
Nov 8 -- 60 mins., Griselda Steiner, a scene from the screenplay DaVinci's New World Order
Griselda Steiner is a playwright, poet, freelance and screenplay writer. Her plays have been read at the Actors Studio, the Page Torn Salon, the Episcopal Actors Guild andthe Woodstock Fringe. Her poems have been published in literary journals and in Scene4 online. She has shown her poetry DVDs in Westbeth and read at the Cornelia Street Cafe, the Mexican Consulate, the 92nd St. Tribeca Cafe, St. Johns and the Duplex, NYC. Her feature articles have appeared in The Mailer Review, American Theatre Magazine, Parabola, Filmmakers Newsletter and Scene4 online.
30 mins., Kevin Curley, "Summer Abroad" -- Three people, who attended the same upstate high school ten years before, meet by chance and recall events that changed all their lives.
Kevin Curley’s one-act "Your Place or Mine?" was chosen for the 15th Annual Samuel French Short Play Contest. His one act play "Things" was selected by The William Inge Festival 2016 (declined by me because of expenses); His short play, "Brothers" was produced by Stage Door Productions in Fredericksburg, VA in April 2014. His ten-minute play "Improv & Proposition" were heard on Spokane Radio Theatre. Another, "Friendship," was performed in August 2012 at the Lebanon Community Theatre in PA. He has studied acting and holds a master’s degree from New York University. kcurley01@aol.com
Dec 13 -- 2 hours, Jeffrey Vause, Tomorrow We Love -- In 1960 in the sleepy hamlet of Noble Bay, California, a sexy no-account drifter upends divorcee Lanie Fairchild’s life for good in this gender-bending melodramatic homage to Douglas Sirk and the Ridiculous Theater.
JEFFREY VAUSE is an actor/playwright originally from Honolulu, Hawaii.who performed, wrote and produced his one-man multi-character show ALOHA OY! at the Abingdon Theater. As an actor he portrayed Arnold in the off-off Broadway revival of TORCH SONG TRILOGY at the Grove St. Playhouse as well as three roles in Andy Halliday's NOTHING BUT TRASH at Theater for the New City. A proud member of The PlayGround Experiment and The Windowpane Theatre Co., his other plays as an author include THE MARRIAGE EQUALITY PLAYS (performed last September at the Village Playwrights), COCKTAILS AND CRUELLERS, GEEK SQUAD!, RESERVATIONS and LEFT TO MY OWN DEVICES. TOMORROW WE LOVE was developed in part at The PlayGround Experiment. www.jeffreyvause.com / jeffrey.vause@gmail.com
Dec 27 -- 30 mins., Mervyn Kaufman
I feel blessed—to have been able to have plays I've written—long ones as well as short ones—read aloud and critiqued by Village Playwrights' discerning event attendees. I've come to playwriting relatively late in life and find the experience exhilarating and fulfilling. (Why did I wait so long?) For me, it's important to hear my pieces read aloud and to deal with the way my thoughts and words are interpreted. My short play "Faith, and Certainty" touches on issues that affect so many of us and our families as we age and, frankly, begin to lose it.
60 mins., Dan Kavulish --“Passing Through” – Philip visits his aging mom, now in a Florida retirement facility, where they lock horns as they frequently have throughout the years, but this time the stakes are much higher.
30 mins., L. DeVaughn Nelson
Louis DeVaughn Nelson is a multidisciplinary artist and founder of Hokum Arts. He studied dance and playwriting at DeSales University and Drexel University. Nelson was named Best New Choreographer by Philadelphia City Paper and has been recognized internationally for his theatre, dance and video work that delves into cultural and movement research. Credits Include : The Peekaboo Revue, English Theatre Berlin, The Berlin Music Video Awards, Social Media Week, Tanzbad 4, CTM – Festival for Adventurous Music and Related Arts, CIANT Festival for Film and New Media, Dark Matter Productions NYC, Exquisite Corpse Company NYC, Dixon Place. More info at Facebook : Hokum Arts
Jan 10, 2018 -- 60 mins., David Diaz, special showing of his new short video "Love Birds." You can see the trailer at this link: https://vimeo.com/234766041 AND "Drag Switcheroo"-- Four drag queens set out to right-a-wrong and "send off" their beloved deceased matriarch in full drag when they discover "her" mother has dishonored her sons wishes.
David Diaz is a playwright and filmmaker. Two of his short plays “Love Birds” and “I’m a Work of Art” were part of Village Playwrights productions. The screenplay version of "A Work of Art (a Divine Comedy)" and his sci-fi trilogy "Destiny One" were quarter finalists in two of the top screenwriting contests in LA. David recently completed a full length stage version of A Work of Art (a Divine Comedy) destined for Broadway and is in pre-production for his next film titled "Lie To Me." Visit: license2imagineproductions.com for further information.
Dan Kavulish has been a writer most of his life. He wrote his first play at the age of 18. His second play was produced for a local TV station in Hartford, CT. Two of his one-act plays were given staged readings for Susan Charlotte’s Prism Playhouse. His one-act play “Out There” was read and critiqued at the Village Playwrights in May 2017. He has also completed “The Fortunate Isles,” a novel about the perils a gay man in NYC encounters during the last three decades of the twentieth century. He holds a master’s degree in creative writing from Columbia University.1/2 hour available
30 mins., Uni Coglioni, Coming Out: Episode I, Radar.
Uni Coglioni's credits include being a recipient of the McClinchee Award for his play "Short Changed", and a performance of his play "Family Picnic" in the Ravenswood's Play Festival. Uni is also the recipient of two Lower Manhattan Cultural Council Awards. He recently finished a screenplay titled "Hey Day" and would love to find the right producer! Coglioni7@yahoo.com
Jan. 24 -- 2 hours, Cayenne Douglass, The Cost of Need -- A women's relationship with her father causes her to realize that she can’t marry her fiancé because her partnership to him has less to do with love and more to do with serving a function, to heal the past wounds caused by her father.
Cayenne Douglass is a New York City based playwright. Plays include, The Architects of Time (Manhattan Repertory Theater and Village Playwrights) If You See Something…(ESPA Primary Stages, Detention Series and The Big Apple Theatre Festival) The Spare Change of Strange Angels (The Living Room Theater and The Driftwood Players) We All Begin Again (Midtown International Theatre Festival) Oh My - Goodness (New Perspectives Theatre) She’s an alumni of The New Perspectives Theater Women’s Work Lab and The Living Room Theatre Short Play Lab Incubator. She Attended CalArts School of Theater and graduated from Goddard College with a BA in Individualized studies.
February 14 -- Valentine's Gay -- Romance Our Way, staged readings of 7 ten minute plays about LGBTQ romance.
"Making Merri Bi the Ferry" by Glenn Alderman -- Jules and Jim, on the downlow, have snuck out on their wives to enjoy a hedonistic night on the “Isle Of Fire.”
Glenn Alterman is author 30 theater related books, including 10 books of original monologues. Guinness World Record & Recordsetter.com “Author Of The Most Published Original Monologues for Actors”. Plays won over 50 playwriting awards, including Arts and Letters Award in Drama. 2 International Arts Grants. Plays & monologues appeared in 35 “Best Plays/ “Best Monologues” anthologies. Plays seen throughout U.S & Europe/ www.Glennaltermanplays.com
"The Right Time" by Alex Hermans -- In a world where everyone has a timer that ticks down to the moment they meet their soulmate, three friends discuss their future in love.
Alex Hermans is a 19 year old college student that attends Albright College in Reading, Pennsylvania. Raised in New York, and attended high school in Philidelphia, he is hoping to one day become a professional playwright that will bring about social change through the only way he knows how to: his art. His plays often deal in Mental health advocacy, social justice, and LGBT rights.
"The Contemplation of Cupid" by John Tillotson -- A model and his artist grapple with the naked truth while struggling to breathe together as one.
John Tillotson (www.facebook.com/johntillotsonplays/) is a globe-trotting playwright, director and actor. Last summer, his autobiographical solo piece Residual Effects was presented at the Hudson Guild Theatre. His plays have been presented by Nomad Theatrical (Project: Bairbre), Attic Theatre (The Face of Heaven), 29th Street Playwrights Collective (You Afraid?) and Louisville Improvisers (The Harmfulness of Electronic Devices). He is the author of a cycle of short plays called Theatrikals, as well as several adaptations including Independence Day: A Old Play to Pay New Debt. He is a member of the Playground Experiment and Write Now.
"Thank You, Ten!" by Ben M. Jones --Two actors have more in common with their characters than they thought.
Ben M. Jones is Playwright and Director with Paul Michael's Network Theatre Company. He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Theatre Arts and Journalism from the University of Oregon in 2017. While there, he wrote, directed, and performed in a litany of shows, in addition to helping run the Pocket Playhouse, the student run theatre on campus.
"After Carol" by Merryn Johns -- Patricia Highsmith's Carol is a lesbian classic, but what happens to our lovers Carol Aird and Therese Belivet one year later?
Merryn Johns is a playwright, screenwriter, and the editor-in-chief of Curve magazine, America's best-known newsstand magazine for LGBTQ women. A proud New York City resident of 12 years, she is originally from Sydney, Australia and is a graduate of the National Institute for Dramatic Art and the University of New South Wales where she taught theater arts for 10 years.
"Cancelled" by M. Rowan Meyer -- It's easy to cancel things. A plane ticket, a date, even a party. Cancelling a life, on the other hand, is far more difficult.
M. Rowan Meyer is a Queens based actor and writer. His short play "Cancelled" has been produced from NYC to LA and his TV pilots "Patient" and "Chlora & Phyll" are both multi-award winning teleplays. He plans to produce "Patient" in the spring. A graduate of Rutgers University with a MFA in Acting, Rowan recently starred as John Merrick in "The Elephant Man" off-Broadway. www.mrowanmeyer.com
"Sexual Harassment" by George Bistransin -- Workplace mischief with a Gay twist.
George Bistransin learned to write plays by translating and producing the comedies of the ancient Roman playwright T. M. Plautus. Among others, he produced The Menaechmi Twins, The Braggart Soldier and The Haunted House at Boston's 1400 seat vaudeville era Strand Theater. Since joining the Village Playwrights, he has had many short plays produced including "Stop Loss," "Marriage, the Gay Way," "Entrapment," "Insider Steal," "Dueling Drag Queens," and "A.P. Sexology."
February 28 -- 2 hours, Kevin Curley, Answered Prayers -- “Matt, I’m going to leave you.” Kate’s ultimatum spurs Matt into therapy to save their marriage. In therapy their nuptial agreement not to start a family for seven years becomes an issue as well as the unexpected revelation he was abused as a child.
Kevin Curley’s one-act "Your Place or Mine?" was chosen for the 15th Annual Samuel French Short Play Contest. His one act play "Things" was selected by The William Inge Festival 2016 (declined by me because of expenses); His short play, "Brothers" was produced by Stage Door Productions in Fredericksburg, VA in April 2014. His ten-minute play "Improv & Proposition" were heard on Spokane Radio Theatre. Another, "Friendship," was performed in August 2012 at the Lebanon Community Theatre in PA. He has studied acting and holds a master’s degree from New York University. kcurley01@aol.com
March 14 --
30 minutes, Marguerite Masse, Peacock Sonata
Marguerite Masse is a former acting student of Stella Adler and New York University School of the Arts. She has worked Off and Off-Off Broadway as an actress with Milan Stitt and Olympia Dukakis. She is a freelance journalist and an advertising copywriter. Marguerite is a beginner playwright who has some published poetry with the International Library of Poetry.
60 minutes, Griselda Steiner, DaVINCI'S NEW WORLD ORDER, a Mafia Don, rise above their gangster status,and become revered politicians in the White House.
Griselda Steiner is a playwright, poet, freelance and screenplay writer. Her plays have been read at the Actors Studio, the Page Torn Salon, the Episcopal Actors Guild andthe Woodstock Fringe. Her poems have been published in literary journals and in Scene4 online. She has shown her poetry DVDs in Westbeth and read at the Cornelia Street Cafe, the Mexican Consulate, the 92nd St. Tribeca Cafe, St. Johns and the Duplex, NYC. Her feature articles have appeared in The Mailer Review, American Theatre Magazine, Parabola, Filmmakers Newsletter and Scene4 online.
March 28 -- 2 hours, Lora Danley, Who Are You Really? -- Dennis and Chad are in the middle of an argument when Joe shows up at their apartment unexpectedly and then refuses to leave.
Lora Danley is a New York City based playwright who originally hails from Virginia. Her work has been performed as part of the Detention Series at the Einhorn School of Performing Arts, the South Street Players, the Players Centre for the Performing Arts, the Manhattan Repertory Theatre, the Midtown International Theatre Festival, the New York Public Library Equity Play Series, and the Park Slope Gallery Players. In 2017 she was a member of the Living Room Theater’s New Play Incubator and her full-length play, “Surprise, Surprise” won third place in the Las Vegas Little Theatre’s New Works Competition. She is a participant in the Theater Resources Unlimited 2017/2018 Producer Development and Mentorship Program and the Superhero Clubhouse Eco-Theatre Salon and is a member of the Dramatist Guild. When she’s not writing, she can be found teaching chemistry, practicing yoga, training for a marathon, or walking around the city with her camera.
April 11 -- 2 hours, Ross Hewitt, A Weed in the Garden -- The impact of the death of a young child on a family stretches over 40 years.
Ross Hewitt's survival job (one he is very proud of) is providing and ensuring quality HIV care, his objectives are to continue to work as a theater professional, writing plays, directing and performing. He has a lot of experience as an arts administrator. As an actor and a playwright, he is a founding member of the American Bard Theater Company. His plays “Booties,” “Mother knows Best,” “The Middle,” and “Crossover” were in past Village Playwrights festivals.
April 25 --
30 mins., Edmund Miller, "Demonstration: How to Be Gay"
Edmund Miller, Senior Professor at LIU, Post, where he has been the English Chair for the past 18 years, is author of 26 poetry books and chapbooks, most recently, Nature's Nest of Boxes: A Book of Haiku and The Screwdriver's Apprentice. He is also author of a collection of short fiction, many scholarly works, and many plays, some staged multiple times. He is winner of the David Newton Award for excellence in teaching.30 mins. available
30 mins., Kevin Curley, Reunion, Two men who met in college, run into each other at an airport, and the subject of an encounter they had back then arises and sheds light on their subsequent lives.
1 hour available
May 3, 10, 17, 24 -- Village Playwrights’ 4 Week Intensive Playwriting Workshop. This is small class and will fill up quickly. Click here for more information.
May 9 --
30 mins., L. DeVaughn Nelson
Louis DeVaughn Nelson is a multidisciplinary artist and founder of Hokum Arts. He studied dance and playwriting at DeSales University and Drexel University. Nelson was named Best New Choreographer by Philadelphia City Paper and has been recognized internationally for his theatre, dance and video work that delves into cultural and movement research. Credits Include : The Peekaboo Revue, English Theatre Berlin, The Berlin Music Video Awards, Social Media Week, Tanzbad 4, CTM – Festival for Adventurous Music and Related Arts, CIANT Festival for Film and New Media, Dark Matter Productions NYC, Exquisite Corpse Company NYC, Dixon Place. More info at Facebook : Hokum Arts
30 minutes, Marguerite Masse, Peacock Sonata
Marguerite Masse is a former acting student of Stella Adler and New York University School of the Arts. She has worked Off and Off-Off Broadway as an actress with Milan Stitt and Olympia Dukakis. She is a freelance journalist and an advertising copywriter. Marguerite is a beginner playwright who has some published poetry with the International Library of Poetry.
60 mins., Merryn Johns, Things We Think We Want -- When a PG-rated actress mishandles her own coming out, the chaos that ensues transforms the lives of those around her.
Merryn Johns is a playwright, screenwriter, and the editor-in-chief of Curve magazine, America's best-known newsstand magazine for LGBTQ women. A proud New York City resident of 12 years, she is originally from Sydney, Australia and is a graduate of the National Institute for Dramatic Art and the University of New South Wales where she taught theater arts for 10 years.
May 23 -- 2 hours, Cayenne Douglass
Cayenne Douglass is a New York City based playwright. Plays include, The Architects of Time (Manhattan Repertory Theater and Village Playwrights) If You See Something…(ESPA Primary Stages, Detention Series and The Big Apple Theatre Festival) The Spare Change of Strange Angels (The Living Room Theater and The Driftwood Players) We All Begin Again (Midtown International Theatre Festival) Oh My - Goodness (New Perspectives Theatre) She’s an alumni of The New Perspectives Theater Women’s Work Lab and The Living Room Theatre Short Play Lab Incubator. She Attended CalArts School of Theater and graduated from Goddard College with a BA in Individualized studies.
June 13 -- Intensive Playwriting Showcase Gloria Craig and Wallace Bass Boyd
"Mama's Picture" by Wallace Bass Boyd
Family conflicts come to a head when an openly gay brother and his homophobic sister lock horns over who will get their late mother's picture.
Through his plays, storyteller, fiber artist, poet, drummer, and dancer Wallace Bass Boyd wants to communicate the power of love and creativity to heal a broken world. His memoir is entitled THAT BROTHER CAN KNIT: A Memoir of a Gay Black Man From Alabama. He works whatever amazing magic he needs to work to take care of himself and further his artistic vision in New York City. Just go ahead and be fabulous, y'all!
"The King and Bishop" by Gloria Craig
Gloria Craig is a writer, director and producer with the St. Gabriel Street Productions. Her play "The Wisteria Party" won the Provincetown Theater's Winter Reading Prize. Her plays "Car at Risk," "Lou de Bourbon and the Tower of Death," Freud, Elizabeth Bowen, and Mrs. Charles Black," and "The City of Fear" were produced at the Manhattan Repertory. Also I want to thank Village Playwrights for supporting my comedy at Queer Scare last October because it will be produced at Jewel Box Theater Halloween weekend so I want to put in a little plug for VILLAGE PLAYWRIGHTS for getting me there.
And it's free for me, no pay-for -play!
June 27 -- Gay Pride Plays 2018: Festival of jury selected 10 minute plays at the LGBT Community Center. $5 donation requested. Reservations are highly recommended by emailing villageplaywrights@gmail.com or calling 614-285-2515.
The plays and playwrights are:
"Bonkers for Bonkers" by Sean Dunnington -- Maggie celebrates her 60th birthday with Mr. Bonkers, a possessed sock monkey with a secret past.
Sean Dunnington, from the Big Island of Hawaiʻi, is currently a senior at the University of Redlands, studying "Playwriting, Creative Process, and Literary Analysis" in the Johnston Center for Integrative Studies. He recently returned from the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Arts with a degree in classical acting. He's in New York City for the summer, working as a literary intern at the Off-Broadway Vineyard Theatre. Sean's recent playwriting credits include "Flat Fish" (Fresh Grind Festival) and "Zap" (Los Angeles Collegiate Playwrights Festival). His play, "The Undocumented," will be premiering June 30th, as a part of Sugartown Shorts, with another run August 10th and 11that the Manhattan Repertory Theatre, as a part of their Summer New Works.
"Coming Out" by John Pakkanen
John Pakkanen has lived in the West Village for many years after coming to NYC from Western Pennsylvania. His one-act "Triage at St. Sebastian's" was staged by the Village Playwrights at the Producers Club's Royal Theater in April, 2016. His short play, "Hitch-Hiker" was staged at 353 Studios in June 2016. His one-acts "Masques" and "Trick or Treat Redux" were part of the Village Playwrights Halloween programs.
"Everything Else" by Lindsey A. Ruzza -- When Crystal goes on a "camping" trip with her former partner Megan, the two women reflect on their relationship.
Lindsey Ruzza is a New York-based playwright, producer, and activist dedicated to promoting access and inclusion within theatre. Some of her plays include In the Spotlight, No Reason to Worry, and Impossible Things. She earned her Bachelors Degree in International Relations and Theatre with a focus on playwriting from Connecticut College, where she realized her passion for theatre for social change as well as her passion for the process of developing new work. She has worked with Davenport Theatrical Enterprises, Dodger Properties, the All Stars Project, and Theatre Communications Group.
"Godiva Chocolate and a Diet Coke" by William Ivor Fowkes -- What happens when a woman and her husband’s boyfriend meet for the first time in a hospital waiting room?
William Ivor Fowkes has had plays presented in 23 states and on the radio. Several have been published. His fiction has appeared in many journals. Full-length plays: ALL IN THE FACULTY (Dramatists Play Service), MUSEUM LOVERS (Harlequin Productions), SUNSHINE QUEST (Fresh Fruit Festival), PRIVATE PROPERTY (Players Ring), THE GERMAN LESSON (Great Plains Theatre Conference), and others. Finalist for the Reva Shiner Comedy Award and the W. Keith Hedrick Playwriting Contest.
"The Butterfly Gone" by Nattalie Gordon -- Following an incident involving a teenaged boy, two women discover that their friendship has always been conditional.
Nattalie Gordon was born in Westmoreland parish, Jamaica. She describes herself as a “recently introverted, weird, self motivator.” She’s been writing since age eight, loves sports and horror movies. She freelances for Curve magazine and is busy working to secure her dream job of being a network TV writer.
"The Last Key" by Glenn Alterman -- The play opens with Sebastian (the unseen character in Tennessee Williams, Suddenly Last Summer) and Skipper (the unseen character in Cast on a Hot Tin Roof) slowly dancing together in an empty bar in Key West- and it goes on from there.
Glenn Alterman Author 30 best selling theater related books, including 10 books of original monologues. Guinness World Record & Recordsetter.com “Author Of The Most Published Original Monologues for Actors”. Plays won over 65 playwriting awards, including Arts and Letters Award in Drama, Reva Shiner (Bloomington Playwrights) and Jerry Kaufman recipient. 2 International Arts Grants. Plays & monologues appeared in 50 “Best Plays/ “Best Monologues anthologies. Plays produced throughout U.S & Europe/ www.glennaltermanplaywright.com
"The Succulents" by Merryn Johns -- On Pride weekend, a married male couple reach a crisis in their relationship while shopping for house plants.
Merryn Johns is a playwright, screenwriter, and the editor-in-chief of Curve magazine, America's best-known newsstand magazine for LGBTQ women. A proud New York City resident of 12 years, she is originally from Sydney, Australia and is a graduate of the National Institute for Dramatic Art and the University of New South Wales where she taught theater arts for 10 years.
The Village Playwrights did not meet in July or August.
The Village Playwrights now meet at Studio 353. 353 W, 48th St., NYC in Studio 4.
Thursday, September 13 --
30 minutes, Glenn Alterman, short pieces from "A Bench, A Table and Two Chairs"
Glenn Alterman Author 30 best selling theater related books, including 10 books of original monologues. Guinness World Record & Recordsetter.com “Author Of The Most Published Original Monologues for Actors”. Plays won over 65 playwriting awards, including Arts and Letters Award in Drama, Reva Shiner (Bloomington Playwrights) and Jerry Kaufman recipient. 2 International Arts Grants. Plays & monologues appeared in 50 “Best Plays/ “Best Monologues anthologies. Plays produced throughout U.S & Europe/ www.glennaltermanplaywright.com
90 mins., Robin Rese -- "The Gay Honeymooners"
Mr. Reseen began his career dancing with Chita Rivera in a stock production of "Sweet Charity," and many other musicals including " No, No, Nanette (Ruby Keeler) Kiss me Kate (Ann Blyth) New Moon (Bruce Yarnell)"My Fair Lady" (Jane Powell) Promises Promises (Orson Bean) and a national company of "Promises" directed by Michael Bennet. He choreographed the original Off-Broadway production of "Boy Meets Boy," at the Actor's Playhouse( including the touring companies in Los Angeles and San Francisco and also "From Brooks With Love, "(Harold Clurman Theater).
His international and regional credits include "Applause," (West Berlin) "Werewolf," (Washington State University) "Side by Side by Sondheim" (Hedgerow Theater) Tallulah, the Musical, and "Leader of the Pack" and he's directed and choreographed industrials for "Revlon," Johnson and Johnson." and musical revues such as "Where or When," "Philadelphia Beat," The Phillie Musical Awards show with Patti Labelle.
Mr Reseen started late in this career writing plays for "Equity Showcases" such as "Last Legs", a musical about a dancing teacher who's about to lose her ballroom studio, and "Underfire", a story concerning gay witchcraft. He wrote and directed two musical revues for SAGE titled "Santa's Christmas Chorus Line," and "The Gay Cabaret." a magic show, "Theater of the Macabre,'' which toured around the country. His new play "Grave Reviews," will be presented by "Pinspot Productions" in December and he's making his debut in for The Village Playwrights for another new play called "The Gay Honeymooners."
Thursday, September 27 --
1 hour, L. Devaughn Nelson, Women and Children First --The crossfire of two couples from academia vying for social status are played out in a surreal and outlandish game show.
Louis DeVaughn Nelson is a multidisciplinary artist and founder of Hokum Arts. He studied dance and playwriting at DeSales University and Drexel University. Nelson was named Best New Choreographer by Philadelphia City Paper and has been recognized internationally for his theatre, dance and video work that delves into cultural and movement research. Credits Include : The Peekaboo Revue, English Theatre Berlin, The Berlin Music Video Awards, Social Media Week, Tanzbad 4, CTM – Festival for Adventurous Music and Related Arts, CIANT Festival for Film and New Media, Dark Matter Productions NYC, Exquisite Corpse Company NYC, Dixon Place. More info at Facebook : Hokum Arts
30 mins., Mervyn Kaufman, "Double Exposure" -- A man and wife reveal potentially damaging secrets.
Mervyn Kaufman's 10-minute play "Double Exposure" was the result of his enrolling in Drew Sachs's early-summer playwriting course at this location. The course lasted 4 weeks; his short play was drafted after the first session and revised in time for each succeeding session, critiqued repeatedly by Drew and fellow students. Mervyn says, " I thought the course was terrific and would happily take it again, if offered. I came late to playwriting. . .after saying, years ago, that I wanted to be a playwright. But when I came to NYC, I got diverted—into book and magazine publishing. And when that career ground down, in the heat of the recent recession, I decided it was time to pursue my dream. Writing plays is the most challenging and — ultimately—most satisfying thing I've ever tried to do.'
30 mins., Kevin Curley, "Second Honeymoon" -- A woman, traveling with her husband who is getting coffee, meets a woman she knew from high school. When he returns, his unexpected connection to the woman unfolds and their marriage undergoes a change.
Kevin Curley’s one-act "Your Place or Mine?" was chosen for the 15th Annual Samuel French Short Play Contest. His one act play "Things" was selected by The William Inge Festival 2016 (declined by me because of expenses); His short play, "Brothers" was produced by Stage Door Productions in Fredericksburg, VA in April 2014. His ten-minute play "Improv & Proposition" were heard on Spokane Radio Theatre. Another, "Friendship," was performed in August 2012 at the Lebanon Community Theatre in PA. He has studied acting and holds a master’s degree from New York University. kcurley01@aol.com
Thursday, October 11 --
2 hours, Merryn Johns, Verity -- Wanting to make a difference in America's culture wars, a black, bisexual Social Justice Warrior gets more than she bargains for when she joins a digital media startup and tangles with its billionaire tech king.
Merryn Johns is a playwright, screenwriter, and the editor-in-chief of Curve magazine, America's best-known newsstand magazine for LGBTQ women. A proud New York City resident of 12 years, she is originally from Sydney, Australia and is a graduate of the National Institute for Dramatic Art and the University of New South Wales where she taught theater arts for 10 years.
Wednesday, October 31, from 7 pm to 9 pm, the Village Playwrights will celebrate
with Queer Scare V, staged readings of 7 ten-minute plays at the LGBT Community Center, Room 310, 208 W. 13th St., NYC. Suggested donation $10.
The plays and playwrights are
“Halloween Horror” by Carol Mennie -- A Halloween Horror that is truly a surprise!
As an actress, Carol Mennie has toured nationally in theater ranging from Shakespeare to Neil Simon. She wrote and toured in an original comedy duo that played the college and night club circuit. As a jazz vocalist, Carol has sung at the Blue Note, Birdland and the Whitehouse. She founded CDM, Inc., a not-for-profit teaching literacy through theater and music, and taught Drama for the "Say Yes" program at Columbia University. Tonight marks Carol’s debut as a playwright. www.carolmennie.com
“Moans, Groans and Things that Bang in the Night” by Dennis E. Rager -- It's Midnight on Halloween and “Ghostbuster” Brandon is summoned by his friend Ryan to assist in finding the noisy spirits haunting Ryan’s new apartment.
Dennis E. Rager is the author of numerous poems and short stories that have been published both nationally and internationally and is a member of the Academy of American poets. He has also had his one-act plays (“Diagnosis: Debt or Death”, “Random Responses” and “9-1-1” produced in theatres in New York City, Philadelphia, PA, Spokane, WA, Hollywood, FL and Nantucket, MA.
“Chalk in the Pocket” by Lavinia Roberts -- Mambo Mahalia helps a co-worker struggling from grief.
Lavinia Roberts is an award-winning playwright. Her full-length play, Counting Skunks, won the 2011 Mario Fratti-Fred Newman Political Playwriting Award at the Castillo Theatre in New York City. She has over 50 plays published with Applause Books, Big Dog Plays, Brooklyn Publishers, Heuer Publishing, Plays: The Drama Magazine for Young People, Pioneer Drama, Smith and Kraus, and others. Her work has been featured in New York City at The Barrow Group Theatre, The Center at West Park, C.O.W Theatre, Emerging Artist Theatre, HERE Arts Center, Galapagos Art Space, The Kraine Theatre, Metropolitan Playhouse, New York University, The Players Theatre, Roy Arias Studios, Theatre for the New City, The Wild Project, and other spaces. She has a BFA in Fine Art from the University of Kansas and a MA in Theatre Education from New York University. https://laviniaroberts.com
“Treat or Trick” by George Bistransin -- The trick is the treat.
George Bistransin learned to write plays by translating and producing the comedies of the ancient Roman playwright T. M. Plautus. Among others, he produced The Menaechmi Twins, The Braggart Soldier and The Haunted House at Boston's 1400 seat vaudeville era Strand Theater. Since joining the Village Playwrights, he has had many short plays produced including "Stop Loss," "Marriage, the Gay Way," "Entrapment," "Insider Steal," "Dueling Drag Queens," and "A.P. Sexology." His ten minute play "Sexual Harassment" was in Village Playwrights 2018 celebration of Valentine Day, Valentine's Gay.
“Tom and Dick and Harry, too” by John Pakkanen -- Love never dies, even in a graveyard.
John Pakkanen has lived in the West Village for many years after coming to NYC from Western Pennsylvania. His one-act "Triage at St. Sebastian's" was staged by the Village Playwrights at the Producers Club's Royal Theater in April, 2016. His short play, "Hitch-Hiker" was staged at 353 Studios in June 2016. His one-acts "Masques" and "Trick or Treat Redux" were part of the Village Playwrights Halloween programs. His "Coming Out" was included in the June Village Gay Pride Festival 2018.
“I Dreamed to Do Autopsies” by Marjorie Conn -- An older woman who is an actress and a younger woman who is a funeral director/embalmer discover that they have the same death row inmate as a pen-pal.Marjorie Conn (Actor/Playwright/Ventriloquist) was given an award by the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force for her contributions to theatre in Provincetown, MA. She founded the Provincetown Fringe Festival in 1994, which relocated to Asbury Park, NJ in 2007. She is most known for her portrayal of Lizzie Borden (ax murderess) and Lorena Hickok (Eleanor Roosevelt's lover). Currently she is a full-time New Yorker and living in Hell's Kitchen with a plethora of rescue animals. marjorieconn@gmail.com/617-512-6066
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Thursday, Nov. 8, 90 minutes, Joe Gulla, Reel Wood -- full-length version of Joe Gulla’s nationally produced short play. To save money, Redmond rents out his home to a (straight!) porn production company! Only problem is: he neglects to tell his husband, Kyle!
Joe Gulla is a regular performer at Joe’s Pub at The Public Theater. This past May, Joe’s full length play “GARBO” won the 2017 Downtown Urban Arts Festival “Audience Award” for its Cherry Lane Theatre performance. Joe’s “The Bronx Queen” previously won the 2016 Downtown Urban Arts Festival “Audience Award.” ”Fall and Rise," written by Joe, played the Hollywood Fringe Festival last summer. In early 2018, “GAY.PORN.MAFIA,” a collection of Joe’s nationally produced, award-winning plays, will open here in NYC. As an actor, Joe played "Joey" in San Francisco's "Tony & Tina's Wedding" for many years and "Frankie" in Off-Broadway's "My Big Gay Italian Wedding". He also starred on NBC's "LOST", one of television's first adventure reality series. For more on Joe Gulla, visit JoeGulla.com.
30 minutes, Jeffrey James Keyes, a selection from the full length version of his new play Uniforms, about a six year old boy sent home from school for wearing a dress.
Jeffrey James Keyes co-authored the New York Times bestseller Killer Chef with James Patterson for Hachette Book Group and Little, Brown and Company. His plays have been developed or featured at SoHo Playhouse, Old Vic New Voices, 59E59, the Ensemble Studio Theatre, the Bushwick Starr, Rogue Machine Theatre and the Prologue Theatre. His short play "Uniforms" was developed through New York Madness and was a semifinalist in the Samuel French OOB Festival. The film version Uniform is an official selection of nearly twenty film festivals including Reeling Film Festival, NewFilmmakers Los Angeles, Out on Film, Cinema Diverse: The Palm Springs LGBTQ Film Festival, Buffalo International Film Festival and North Carolina Gay + Lesbian Film Festival. Keyes has a B.A. in Theatre and Visual Arts from Fordham University College at the Lincoln Center, an M.F.A. in Playwriting from Columbia University School of the Arts and is a member of the Author's Guild, Dramatists Guild, Pen America and the International Gay and Lesbian Travel Association.
jeffreyjameskeyes.com IG/Twitter: @jjkeyes
Thursday, December 13 -- 90 minutes, Lora Danley, RoMayOh and Juliet -- a reworking of the classical play Romeo and Juliet where Romeo is an undocumented immigrant and Juliet is an artist from Chicago.
Lora Danley is a New York City based playwright who originally hails from Virginia. Her work has been performed as part of the Detention Series at the Einhorn School of Performing Arts, the South Street Players, the Players Centre for the Performing Arts, the Manhattan Repertory Theatre, the Midtown International Theatre Festival, the New York Public Library Equity Play Series, and the Park Slope Gallery Players. In 2017 she was a member of the Living Room Theater’s New Play Incubator and her full-length play, “Surprise, Surprise” won third place in the Las Vegas Little Theatre’s New Works Competition. She is a participant in the Theater Resources Unlimited 2017/2018 Producer Development and Mentorship Program and the Superhero Clubhouse Eco-Theatre Salon and is a member of the Dramatist Guild. When she’s not writing, she can be found teaching chemistry, practicing yoga, training for a marathon, or walking around the city with her camera.
30 minutes, Dan Kavulish, two scenes from "Restless Spirits" In Scene One Jimmy is visited by his recently deceased ex-lover Bob who reminds him of their discordant relationship. In Scene Two: Fifteen years earlier, Jimmy and Bob relax in their new apartment and begin hearing unearthly sounds.
Dan Kavulish has been a writer most of his life. He wrote his first play at the age of 18. His play “Swan Song” was chosen to be in the 2018 NY Summerfest Theater Festival and was performed at The Hudson Guild Theater in Manhattan. That play as well as “Out There,” a companion piece to “Swan Song,” had readings at the Village Playwrights. His soon to be published novel, “The Fortunate Isles” chronicles the life of a gay man in New York City during the turbulent last three decades of the twentieth century. He holds an MFA in creative writing from Columbia University and is a member of the Dramatists Guild.
No meeting on December 27, 2018
Thursday, January 10, 2019 -- 2 hours, Cayenne Douglass
Cayenne Douglass is a New York City based playwright. Plays include, The Architects of Time (Manhattan Repertory Theater and Village Playwrights) If You See Something…(ESPA Primary Stages, Detention Series and The Big Apple Theatre Festival) The Spare Change of Strange Angels (The Living Room Theater and The Driftwood Players) We All Begin Again (Midtown International Theatre Festival) Oh My - Goodness (New Perspectives Theatre) She’s an alumni of The New Perspectives Theater Women’s Work Lab and The Living Room Theatre Short Play Lab Incubator. She Attended CalArts School of Theater and graduated from Goddard College with a BA in Individualized studies.
Thursday, January 24 -- 30 minutes, Mervyn Kaufman, "Available Annies" -- A middle-aged man, thrust from his home because of published accounts of improprieties with a young female staff member at his corporate office, is visited by his son.
Mervyn Kaufman's came late to playwriting. . .after saying, years ago, that I wanted to be a playwright. But when he came to NYC, he got diverted—into book and magazine publishing. And when that career ground down, in the heat of the recent recession, he decided it was time to pursue his dream. Writing plays is the most challenging and — ultimately—most satisfying thing he has ever tried to do.
30 Mins., Glenn Alterman, "Bar N(one)" -- series of "bar monologues" culled from the over 1000 monologues written over the years.
Glenn Alterman Author 30 best selling theater related books, including 10 books of original monologues. Guinness World Record & Recordsetter.com “Author Of The Most Published Original Monologues for Actors”. Plays won over 65 playwriting awards, including Arts and Letters Award in Drama, Reva Shiner (Bloomington Playwrights) and Jerry Kaufman recipient. 2 International Arts Grants. Plays & monologues appeared in 50 “Best Plays/ “Best Monologues anthologies. Plays produced throughout U.S & Europe/ www.glennaltermanplaywright.com
30 minutes, Mervyn Kaufman, "Available Annies"
30 minutes, Debbra Liverman, "Bitching Roommates"
Thursday, February 14 --
Staged readings of 7 ten minute plays to celebrate Valentine's Day at the LGBT Community Center, 208 W. 13th St., NYC, 7 pm to 9 pm. $10 suggested donation. Reservations recommended. Call 614-285-2515 or email villageplaywrights@gmail.com
Love is Love
“Pinch My What?” by Lawrence Rinkel
It's blackmail for an aspiring actor whose biggest credit shouldn't be mentioned.
Larry Rinkel came to playwriting late in life and has had work produced in New York, New Jersey, Chicago, and Spokane, WA. Recently his full-length A Kreutzer Sonata, about a talented Jewish piano student, was awarded Best Play at the Secret Theatre’s 2017 UNFringed Festival. “Pinch My What?” is one of several gay romantic comedies he has written; and other produced plays include adaptations from Chaucer and Dante, a farce about gender-blind casting in Shakespeare, and a very cute 1-minute play about Chopin’s Minute Waltz.
“Lift” by Jesse Cramer
There is no better place for a serious relationship conversation than on ski lift that just got stuck.
Jesse Cramer is writer, director, and producer living in Brooklyn, NY. His plays have been produced in New York City, Los Angeles, and Atlanta, and his short film CIRCLES premiered in Rome, Italy and was optioned and developed by Warner Brothers. He is also a Founding Member of the Hot Metal Arts Collective — a theater company based in New York City that supports new-and-emerging artists — and he serves as VP of Hypomania Content — where he develops film and television projects with Dan Savage (SAVAGE LOVE) and Brian Pines (THE REAL O’NEALS). Credits: EXTANT (CBS), BATTLE CREEK (CBS), MARON (IFC), A.C.O.D. (Sundance premiere), PREMATURE (SXSW premiere), among others.
“Washington Squared” by John Pakkanen
A couple of guys meet in Washington Square Park on a sunny, mid-morning in May.
John Pakkanen has lived in the West Village for many years after coming to NYC from Western Pennsylvania. His one-act "Triage at St. Sebastian's" was staged by the Village Playwrights at the Producers Club's Royal Theater in April, 2016. His short play, "Hitch-Hiker" was staged at 353 Studios in June 2016. His one-acts "Masques," "Trick or Treat Redux" and "Tom, Dick and Harry, too" were part of the Village Playwrights Halloween programs. His "Coming Out" was included in the June Village Gay Pride Festival 2018.
“Oyster Season” by Merryn Johns
A date with the protandrous persuasion.
Merryn Johns is a playwright, screenwriter, and the editor-in-chief of Curve magazine, America's best-known newsstand magazine for LGBTQ women. A proud New York City resident of 12 years, she is originally from Sydney, Australia and is a graduate of the National Institute for Dramatic Art and the University of New South Wales where she taught theater arts for 10 years.
“My Funny Valentine” by Carol Mennie
The usually romantic celebration of Valentine's Day gets a new spin!
As an actress, Carol Mennie has toured nationally in theater ranging from Shakespeare to Neil Simon. She wrote and toured in an original comedy duo that played the college and night club circuit. As a jazz vocalist, Carol has sung at the Blue Note, Birdland and the White House. She founded CDM, Inc., a not-for-profit teaching literacy through theater and music, and taught Drama for the "Say Yes" program at Columbia University. www.carolmennie.com
“Jealousy” by Leonard Goodman
She's come back, after so long, to see them, or maybe him, or...
Leonard Goodisman theater entertains but also stimulates and inspires sociologically, psychologically, politically, and spiritually. He has written twenty-four full length plays of which eight have been produced; full length "The Sandstorm" to go up in February 2019. About thirty one acts have been produced. Leonard was Development Director at Eclectic Theater until it closed; he produced play festivals, arranged classes, attended dramatist groups, acted. directed, did tech, etc.
“Gaiety Valentine” by George Bistransin
To celebrate Valentine's Day a couple go to the Gaiety, a Times Square strip join.
George Bistransin learned to write plays by translating and producing the comedies of the ancient Roman playwright T. M. Plautus. Among others, he produced The Menaechmi Twins, The Braggart Soldier and The Haunted House at Boston's 1400 seat vaudeville era Strand Theater. Since joining the Village Playwrights, he has had many short plays produced including "Stop Loss," "Marriage, the Gay Way," "Entrapment," "Insider Steal," "Dueling Drag Queens," "A.P. Sexology" and "Sexual Harassment." His ten minute play "Treat or Trick" was in Village Playwrights 2018 celebration of Halloween, Queer Scare V.
Thursday, February 28 --
30 minutes, Davis Walden, "Into" -- a black comedy about a new drug hitting the market at a gay club.
Davis Walden is an actor and writer getting a taste of life after college. Davis's love for storytelling came from a fascination with urban legends, mysteries, ghost stories, and mythology. Davis was an administrative assistant for The NOLA Project, a company intern of Southern Rep Theatre, and an assistant stage manager Southern Rep Theatre's productions of "FATHER COMES HOME FROM THE WARS" and "GROUNDED."
30 minutes, Akeema Keemz, "Healing Times Day" -- friends with benefits minus the friends.
Professionally known as Akeema 'Keemz' is an Artist, writer and performance Poet. She has performed for various events, venues, ans colleges throughout NYC. Most recently performing for the 2017 NYC Poetry Festival and the 2018 Writers in Performance workshops.
30 minutes, Lawrence Rinkel, "The Flying Dutchman Boards the Staten Island Ferry" --
opera, New York, a ghost, and two 20-something boyfriends
Larry Rinkel came to playwriting late in life and has had work produced in New York, New Jersey, Chicago, and Spokane, WA. Recently his full-length A Kreutzer Sonata, about a talented Jewish piano student, was awarded Best Play at the Secret Theatre’s 2017 UNFringed Festival. “Pinch My What?” is one of several gay romantic comedies he has written; and other produced plays include adaptations from Chaucer and Dante, a farce about gender-blind casting in Shakespeare, and a very cute 1-minute play about Chopin’s Minute Waltz.
30 minutes
Thursday, March 14, 2 hours, Cayenne Douglass
Cayenne Douglass is a New York City based playwright. Plays include, The Architects of Time (Manhattan Repertory Theater and Village Playwrights) If You See Something…(ESPA Primary Stages, Detention Series and The Big Apple Theatre Festival) The Spare Change of Strange Angels (The Living Room Theater and The Driftwood Players) We All Begin Again (Midtown International Theatre Festival) Oh My - Goodness (New Perspectives Theatre) She’s an alumni of The New Perspectives Theater Women’s Work Lab and The Living Room Theatre Short Play Lab Incubator. She Attended CalArts School of Theater and graduated from Goddard College with a BA in Individualized studies.
Thursday, March 28 meeting cancelled
30 minutes, Mervyn Kaufman, "Hector Hartwell Makes a Play" -- An aging actor touring the sticks has some surprises.
Mervyn Kaufman's came late to playwriting. . .after saying, years ago, that I wanted to be a playwright. But when he came to NYC, he got diverted—into book and magazine publishing. And when that career ground down, in the heat of the recent recession, he decided it was time to pursue his dream. Writing plays is the most challenging and — ultimately—most satisfying thing he has ever tried to do.
90 minutes, Lora Manley, RoMayOh and Juliet -- a rewrite of a reworking of the classical play Romeo and Juliet where Romeo is an undocumented immigrant and Juliet is an artist from Chicago.
Lora Danley is a New York City based playwright who originally hails from Virginia. Her work has been performed as part of the Detention Series at the Einhorn School of Performing Arts, the South Street Players, the Players Centre for the Performing Arts, the Manhattan Repertory Theatre, the Midtown International Theatre Festival, the New York Public Library Equity Play Series, and the Park Slope Gallery Players. In 2017 she was a member of the Living Room Theater’s New Play Incubator and her full-length play, “Surprise, Surprise” won third place in the Las Vegas Little Theatre’s New Works Competition. She is a participant in the Theater Resources Unlimited 2017/2018 Producer Development and Mentorship Program and the Superhero Clubhouse Eco-Theatre Salon and is a member of the Dramatist Guild. When she’s not writing, she can be found teaching chemistry, practicing yoga, training for a marathon, or walking around the city with her camera.
N.B. The meetings, hereafter, will be held at Studio 353, 353 W. 48th St., NYC, in Studio 4.
April 25 -- 30 mins., Wayne Paul Mattingly, "Valentine Shrugged" -- Who gets married on Valentine's Day? and "Twist Off"
Wayne Paul Mattingly lives in NYC and has been involved in theatre for decades. Since focusing on playwriting in 2005, his plays have won multiple awards, produced in NYC, Westchester and Putnam, Los Angeles, San Francisco; Bangor, Maine; Denton & Houston, Texas; Valdez, Alaska, and London, England. 2014 Helene Wurlitzer Foundation Artists Fellowship, 2014 Ronald Duncan Literary Prize Finalist, 2014 & 2015 Disquiet International Literary Program Short Play short-list scholarships, Lisbon, Portugal, 2014 Best Women’s Monologues, Smith & Kraus. Founding member, The Misfits Ensemble, L.A., Founding Artistic Director, Tiger’s Heart Players, N.Y. Member: NYC Playwrights, Axial Theatre, The Dramatist Guild, & Actors’ Equity Association. www.waynepaulmattingly.com
60 minutes, Lawrence Rinkel -- "My 632-Pound Bae" -- A very petite woman falls deeply in love with a very large woman, just because there's so much of her; "L'Ultimo Castrato" -- Castrated at eight by his opera-loving surgeon
father, a boy grows up to be a modern reincarnation of the legendary heroic operatic sopranos known as the castrati; "A Semicolon is a Double" -- A nerdish teen finds an unexpected connection with the baseball-playing jock he has worshipped from afar.
Larry Rinkel came to playwriting late in life and has had work produced in New York, New Jersey, Chicago, and Spokane, WA. Recently his full-length A Kreutzer Sonata, about a talented Jewish piano student, was awarded Best Play at the Secret Theatre’s 2017 UNFringed Festival. “Pinch My What?” is one of several gay romantic comedies he has written; and other produced plays include adaptations from Chaucer and Dante, a farce about gender-blind casting in Shakespeare, and a very cute 1-minute play about Chopin’s Minute Waltz.
30 minutes available
May 9 --
30 mins., Kevin Curley, "Who Is My Brother?" -- A chance meeting between a middle-aged woman and a young construction worker, in a doctor’s office, leads to a possible reunion of a closely knit family and the rebirth of a relationship.
Kevin Curley’s one-act Your Place or Mine? was chosen for the 15th Annual Samuel French Short Play Contest. His play, Daddy, was read in NYC at Plays and Pizza in April 2017. Brothers was produced by Stage Door Productions in Fredericksburg, VA in 2014. His ten-minute plays Improv and Proposition were heard on Spokane Radio Theatre in 2013 & 2012. Friendship, was performed in 2012 at the Lebanon Community Theatre in PA. Five of his one acts were performed during the nineties by Love Creek and Riverside Theatre Workshop in NYC. Kevin is a member of the Dramatists’ Guild. kcurley01@aol.com
30 mins., Lawrence Rinkle,
"Brian's Poem" and "My 632 Pound Bae"
60 mins., George Bistransin, "The Train from Chur"and "Into the Mountain" -- When Sean falls in love with a handsome Italian, his sugar daddy turns bitter.
George Bistransin learned to write plays by translating and producing the comedies of the ancient Roman playwright T. M. Plautus. Among others, he produced The Menaechmi Twins, The Braggart Soldier and The Haunted House at Boston's 1400 seat vaudeville era Strand Theater. Since joining the Village Playwrights, he has had many short plays produced including "Stop Loss," "Marriage, the Gay Way," "Entrapment," "Insider Steal," "Dueling Drag Queens," "A.P. Sexology" and "Sexual Harassment." His ten minute play "Gaiety Valentine" was in Village Playwrights 2019 celebration of Valentine's Day, Love Is Love. He lives in Dutchess County with 4 goats, 6 chickens, a ground-hog and countless ticks.
May 23 -- 30 minutes, Marguerite Masse --scene between Catherine and Lynne from Peacock Sonata
Marguerite Masse is a former acting student of Stella Adler and New York University School of the Arts. She has worked Off and Off-Off Broadway as an actress with Milan Stitt and Olympia Dukakis. She is a freelance journalist and an advertising copywriter. Marguerite is a beginner playwright who has some published poetry with the International Library of Poetry.
30 minutes, Robin Reseen
Mr. Reseen began his career dancing with Chita Rivera in a stock production of "Sweet Charity," and many other musicals including " No, No, Nanette (Ruby Keeler) Kiss me Kate (Ann Blyth) New Moon (Bruce Yarnell)"My Fair Lady" (Jane Powell) Promises Promises (Orson Bean) and a national company of "Promises" directed by Michael Bennet. He choreographed the original Off-Broadway production of "Boy Meets Boy," at the Actor's Playhouse( including the touring companies in Los Angeles and San Francisco and also "From Brooks With Love, "(Harold Clurman Theater).
His international and regional credits include "Applause," (West Berlin) "Werewolf," (Washington State University) "Side by Side by Sondheim" (Hedgerow Theater) Tallulah, the Musical, and "Leader of the Pack" and he's directed and choreographed industrials for "Revlon," Johnson and Johnson." and musical revues such as "Where or When," "Philadelphia Beat," The Phillie Musical Awards show with Patti Labelle.
Mr Reseen started late in this career writing plays for "Equity Showcases" such as "Last Legs", a musical about a dancing teacher who's about to lose her ballroom studio, and "Underfire", a story concerning gay witchcraft. He wrote and directed two musical revues for SAGE titled "Santa's Christmas Chorus Line," and "The Gay Cabaret." a magic show, "Theater of the Macabre,'' which toured around the country.
60 minutes available
June 13 -- 60 mins., Jeffrey Vause -- "Bill" a story about the beginnings of the AIDS crisis in July 1981.
Jeffrey Vause is an actor-playwright who wrote, produced and performed his one-man multi-character play Aloha Oy! at Abingdon Theater. As an actor he was recently featured in Nothing But Trash at Theater for the New City portraying 3 different characters. As an author, his other plays, all in various stages of development, include: Cocktails And Cruellers, Left To My Own Devices, Tomorrow We Love and The Marriage Equality Plays. www.jeffreyvause.com
30 mins., Mark Nimar
Mark Nimar is a New York-based actor, singer, and playwright. In New York, he has performed at the Bank Street Theatre in the musical Happy End, at the Danny Kaye Playhouse in the New York premiere of the opera il Postino, and at the Manhattan School of Music in the New York premiere of the opera A Taste of Damnation. Productions outside of New York include Animal Crackers at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, and Carmen at Dante Hall Theatre in Atlantic City. He made his screen debut as Mason in the film Beneath Contempt, which was screened at the Slamdance Film Festival, IFFB, and at the Brooklyn Film Festival. Mark holds Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in voice from the Mannes College the New School for Music. As a playwright, his work has been featured at the Village Playwrights in New York City.
30 mins., Dereck Johnson -- a "straight" guy is exposed on social media for a homosexual encounter and the consequence is suicide. Strong content.
June 27 -- Riot and Revolution: staged readings of short plays to commemorate the Stonewall Rebellion
For information about how to submit a ten minute play, click here.
The Stonewall Inn was designated a National Monument in 2016.“Night of Broken Glass” by Merryn JohnsA Jewish-Irish lesbian couple struggles to find acceptance from outsiders and from each other until it becomes clear that only a revolution will keep them together.
Merryn Johns is a journalist, magazine editor, and playwright based in New York City. By day she works as the editor-in-chief of Curve magazine, and as a digital news producer for a multinational mass media corporation. When she is not being a journalist she is writing plays and is delighted that Village Playwrights have showcased three so far: "After Carol," "The Succulents," and "Oyster Season." Merryn is originally from Sydney, Australia where she obtained a diploma in playwriting from The National Institute of Dramatic Art and a PhD from the University of New South Wales.
“Raided Premises” by Nicholas Bompart
1969: The Vietnam War rages, America goes to the moon, The Beatles release Abby Road, Charles Manson kills, Woodstock is held, and what should be a routine raid at the Stonewall Inn for police officers Seymour and Charles takes on a life of it's own when they see Jack and Nelson mingling there.
Nicholas Bompart is an actor, directer, writer, musician, poet, and instrumentalist from Forest Hills, New York. He began acting at the age of four, in the "Rising Stars" theater program in Queens, and has acted all the way into attaining a bachelor's degree in Theater Arts from Pace University. He has acted off-Broadway as singer, actor, and piano accompanist in "Love Is Love" at Theater Row Studios, "Operation Paperclip" and "Deus Ex Machina Short Circuit" at the Theater Eighty St. Marks, and as a stand out character actor in "Inspector Descending" and "Graveyard Shift" at The Secret Theater--in addition to appearing in numerous other productions. He is also an accomplished operatic Bass/Baritone, able to sing in multiple languages, and notably performed at Carnegie Hall in 2014.
“Gay Power!” by George Bistransin
It's a farce when a corrupt cop, trapped in the Stonewall during the Riot, blackmails a drag queen to make his escape.
George Bistransin learned to write plays by translating and producing the comedies of the ancient Roman playwright T. M. Plautus. Among others, he produced The Menaechmi Twins, The Braggart Soldier and The Haunted House at Boston's 1400 seat vaudeville era Strand Theater. Since joining the Village Playwrights, he has had many short plays produced including "Stop Loss," "Marriage, the Gay Way," "Entrapment," "Insider Steal," "Dueling Drag Queens," "A.P. Sexology" and "Sexual Harassment." His ten minute play "Gaiety Valentine" was in Village Playwrights 2019 celebration of Valentine's Day, Love Is Love. He lives in Dutchess County with 4 goats, 6 chickens, a ground-hog and countless ticks.
“Stonewall Shakedown” by Mark Erson
Surprises abound when a lone policeman investigates activities around the uprising.
Mark Erson is thrilled to be a part of this evening of theatre celebrating such a significant milestone for the LGBTQ+ community. His two degrees: an MA in Theatre from Villanova University and a Masters of Divinity from General Seminary, say it all about his two passions. He enjoyed nine years of participation in the Festival Fringe in Edinburgh, Scotland as actor, director, and playwright with Frantic Redhead Productions. In 2017 a collection of his short plays were performed in Wittenberg, Germany for the Reformation 500 celebration. In 2018, his play Marc in Venice won the Carlo Annoni Prize (Milan, Italy) for playwriting. He currently serves as pastor of St. John’s Lutheran Church, on Christopher Street, where he leads a ministry with and for the theatre community. He and his husband/high school sweetheart, Scott are owned by their dog Brooklyn.
“Taking Cover” by William Mullin
The Stonewall riots force a couple to cope with their identity and their relationship to the gay rights movement.
William Mullin is a playwright, storyteller, and performer. He divides his time between New York City and Provincetown. He has performed stories on The Moth, Risk, and the Mosquito Story Slam, where he is a regular host. He has performed stand-up comedy all over New York City, including Caroline’s, and Gotham Comedy Club. He has written for numerous performers including actor Jane Lynch. William has trained at the William Esper Studio and performed at New York’s Upright Citizens Brigade, The Pit and the Royal National Theatre in London.
“Bygones” by Uni Coglioni
What happens when all is said and done from a mobster's past? "Bygones"
Uni Coglioni is proud to be a part of the Village Playwrights. His works have been produced at the Ravenswood Theater and Soho Playhouse. Uni is also the recipient of the McClinchee award for his play "Shortchanged." Other works include a screenplay "Hey Day," and a teleplay/multimedia play "Radar."
“Gilding the Lily” by Jason Tseng
Lily and Kris, two trans people at two opposing ends of an epoch, wrestle with the weight of history, the dangerous legacy of heroes, and most importantly, how to dress for the occasion.
Jason Tseng is a queer, non-binary Chinese-American playwright based in New York City, originally hailing from the suburbs of Washington, D.C. Their plays have been presented and developed by Flux Theatre Ensemble, Judson Arts Wednesdays, Mission to dit(Mars), and Second Generation. They are a member of Mission to dit(Mars)’s Propulsion Lab, a group of Queens-based playwrights. Jason’s full-length plays include Rizing (World Premier, Flux Theatre Ensemble), Like Father, Same Same, and Ghost Money. Find more at www.jasontseng.com
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