Village Playwrights Production History
Production History
Village Playwrights Production History
Exposed [An evening of short plays]
Featuring:
“Corporate Image” & “Last Cowboy” by Kevin Berry, “Stop Loss” by George Bistransin, “Lemon Kisses” by Vincent Caruso, “Rollover Ollie” by Emanuel Gavales, and “Between Floors” & “Green Tea” by Lawrence F. Schwabacher
Performed: October 12, 2006 at the LGBT Center, 208 West 13th Street & December 5, 2006 at the Wings Theater, 154 Christopher St., New York City
Excerpts [An evening of short plays]
Featuring:
“Exposed” & “Searching” by Kevin Berry, “Marriage The Gay Way” by George Bistransin, “Sugar Bait” by Vincent Caruso, “I Know You” & “Master Piece” by Emanuel Gavales and “Baby Purple & Citrine Moon” by Lawrence F. Schwabacher
Performed: March 30 & 31, 2007 at LGBT Center, 208 West 13th Street, New York City
32nd Annual Samuel French Off Off Broadway Original Short Play Festival
Plays accepted and performed in the festival by the Village Playwrights, June 2007
“Last Cowboy” by Kevin Berry, “Regression Therapy” & “Stop Loss” by George Bistransin, “Sugar Bait” by Vincent Caruso and “Always Us” by Lawrence F. Schwabacher
A Pride Mix [An evening of short plays]
Featuring:
“Eight” by Kevin Berry, “Stop Loss” by George Bistransin, “Holy Water” by Vincent Caruso, “Tread Lightly” by Emanuel Gavales, “Frankie and Johnny” by Morna Murphy Martell, “Rooms” by Bob Quinn and “Mixed Signals” by Lawrence F. Schwabacher
Performed: June 26 & 27, 2007 at the Wings Theater, 154 Christopher Street, New York City
March Madness [An evening of short plays]
Featuring:
“Home” & “Suburbs” by Kevin Berry, “Arcadia in Academia,” “Insider Steal” & “Provocateur” by George Bistransin, “Second Thoughts by Bob Quinn and “Where’s Sin Jin?” by Lawrence F. Schwabacher
Performed : March 4 & 5, 2008 at the Wings Theater, 154 Christopher Street, New York City
An Evening of Short Plays
Featuring:
“The Plunkita Things” by Gwen Baer, “Fun & Games,” by Emanuel Gavales, “The Underground” by Walda Laurenceau, “Capote: The Last Lecture” by Morna Murphy Martell and “Veil of Deception” by Lawrence F. Schabacher
Performed: June 3 & 11, 2008 at the Wings Theater, 154 Christopher Street, New York City
LGBT 25th Anniversary Breaking the Cycle Homecoming
Featuring:
“The Plunkita Things” by Gwen Baer, “Regression Therapy” by George Bistransin
Performed: September 28, 2008 at the LGBT Center, 208 W. 13th Street, New York City
Ulterior Motives
Featuring:
“Jumbo Shrimp” by George Bistransin, “Now What? by Andrew Velez, “The Breakup” by KS Stevens, “Roommates” by William Koch, “Edgy in da House” by Gwen Baer and “Last Call” by George Bistransin
Performed: January 27 & 28, 2009 at the Wings Theater, 154 Christopher Street, New York City
Cause and Effect
Featuring:
“Twenty-Five” by Kevin Berry, Third Time’s a Charm” by K.S. Stevens, “Commerce Street Sonata” by Emanuel Gavales, “Diner Talk” by Andrew Velez, “Guess Who’s Not Bringing Oprah Home to Dinner” by Gwen Baer, “Tales from the Vienna Woods” by William Henry Koch, Jr., “Rumble in the Ramble” by George Bistransin
Performed: June 12 & 13, 2009 at the LGBT Community Center, Room 310, 208 W. 13th Street, New York City
Don't Die Laughing
Featuring:
"Entrapment" by George Bistransin, "That Sixth Deadly" by Bill Petersen, "Last Call" by George Bistransin
Performed: October 16 & 17, 2009 at the LGBT Community Center, Room 310, 208 W. 13th Street, New York City
Taking Issues
Featuring:
"Quicksand" by Ross Hewitt, "Modern Screen" by Jim Piazza, "Transference by any Other Name" by Gwen Baer, "In Sickness and in Health" by George Bistransin, Shiny Pair of Complications" by J. Stephen Brantley, "One Man Show" by Dahn Hiuni, "Peaches' Pre-Op" by Debbra Liverman, "Prelude" by Emanuel Gavales Performed: June 11 & 12, 2010 at the LGBT Community Center, Room 310, 208 W. 13th Street, New York City
Queer Entanglements [an evening of original LGBT Theater]
Featuring:
“Marriage—the Gay Way” by George Bistransin, “We Need to Talk” by Mike Rendino, “Dangerous Mission” by Gwen Baer, “I’m a Work of Art” by David Diaz, “Booties” by Ross Hewitt, “Dueling Drag Queens” by George Bistransin
Performed October 14 & 15, 2011 at the Joria Main Stage, 260 W. 36th St., 3rd floor, New York City
Surprise Packages: A Short Play Festival
Featuring:
“The Admiral’s Room” by William Henry Koch, Jr., “Mother Knows Best” by Ross Hewitt, “Music to My Ears” by Marsha Lee Sheiness, “Love Birds” by David Diaz, “Clueless by Vincent Caruso, “Jack Rabbits of the Wild Interior” by Michael Rendino, “38th Floor” by Kevin Berry and “A. P. Sexology” by George Bistransin
Performed: June 14, 15, & 16 at the Joria Main Stage Theater, 260 W. 36th St., New York City
Celebrate Pride: An Evening of Short Play Readings with the Village Playwrights
Featuring:
“Lawyer Looking for Love: Date-O-Rama 1” by Jeffrey Harmon Smith, “Mistaken Identity” by Sharon E. Cooper, “Telling” by Austin Alexis, “The Middle” by Ross Hewitt, “When Men Were Men” by Lawrence DuKore, “Uncle Clyde and Niece Mary” by Debbra Liverman, “Samson and the Blow Dryer” by Bradley Troll and Waltzing, One, Two, Three” by Lawson Caldwell
Performed June 25, 2014 at the LGBT Community Center, 208 W. 13th St., New York City
Queer Scare
Featuring:
"Lizzie Borden Took an Axe" by Linda Herskovic; "A Sympathetic Ear" by James Michael Shoberg; "Sugar Horror" by Rex McGregor; "Rise of the Bisexual Horders" by Sean Pollack; "Night of the Living Fundamentalist" by Michael Rendino; Crossover by Ross Hewitt
Performed: October 22, 2014 at the LGBT Community Center, 208 W. 13th St. New York City
Triangles and Squares
Featuring:
“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.
Performed: February 11, 2015 at the LGBT Community Center, 208 W. 13th St. New York City
Re-inventing Family, June 24, 2015 at the LGBT Community Center, 208 W. 13th St., New York City
“A Relationship’s Beginning in 10 Acts” by Marjorie Conn
The delicious and poignant days of two women falling in love with each other.
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.
“Nurturing the Bad Boy” by Drew Sachs
A Gay couple spice up their relationship by inviting a bad boy into the mix.
Drew Sachs, is a playwright who received his MFA in Dramatic Writing from Carnegie Mellon University where he studied with playwrights Tina Howe, Lanie Robertson and Milan Stitt. Drew's been was a semi-finalist at the Eugene O'Neill Conference with his work I AM NOT BREAKFAST as well as a semi-finalist with his play, HADRIAN'S FAVORITE. Drew’s work 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 Carmen was commissioned and produced by the Lexington School for the Deaf, NY. Drew is a member of The Dramatist Guild.
“Suburb” by Kevin Berry
Two men do a reality check as they move from gay men to gay parents.
Kevin Berry was born and raised in the Northwest and currently lives in Brooklyn working as an Architectural Designer. He has had plays produced in NYC, San Francisco and Portland, Oregon. He’s been a finalist for the Eugene O’Neill and the Jerome Fellowship and won the 2011 New Works of Merit Playwriting Contest. A screenplay placed 5th in the International Screen Arts Foundation Screenwriting Awards. Kevin spent five seasons with Village Playwrights writing and producing a number of short plays and is grateful to be part of “Re-inventing Family”.
“Reel Wood” by Joe Gulla
Redmond and Kyle are forced to live in their basement when Redmond rents their entire Hollywood home to a movie studio… for a PORN SHOOT! Suffice to say, things get incredibly “REEL”!
Joe Gulla is best known for writing and starring in the multi-award winning “Bronx Queen Trilogy”. “Daddy,” the final installment of this trilogy, will have its World Premiere on NYC’s Theatre Row this 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. Be sure to check out www.JoeGulla.com or tweet Joe at https://twitter.com/joegulla.
“For Unto Us” by Stephen Kaplan
Mary and Joseph, two 5-year-olds, discuss religion, different kinds of families and gender roles as they play with Mary’s new Christmas present, a doll.
Stephen grew up in Northridge, CA (home of the ’94 earthquake) and wrote his first play, And Jack Came Tumbling After (Old Globe, EST, HERE/LCT’s American Living Room Series) when he was 15. Selected awards, commissions and productions: The Book of Daniel (New American Comedy Showcase Award); Exquisite Potential (NJ Playwrights Contest, Dezart Performs, Across the Generations New Jewish Play Festival, finalist: Woodward/Newman, semi-finalist: Seven Devils); A Real Boy (This Is Water Theatre and semi-finalist: PlayPenn, Ashland New Play Festival, FutureFest and MTWorks’ Newborn Festival); una casa/a home (finalist: Landing Theatre’s New American Voices Series, Route 66’s New Play Development Program); For Unto Us (Barrington Stage Company, Acadia Theatre Company, QueerShorts); In Mrs. Baker’s Room (Commission: Abingdon - Father Hamblin Award for Outstanding Playwriting). Many of his plays are published on Indie Theatre Now. He is the NJ Regional Representative for the Dramatists Guild. www.bystephenkaplan.com
“Top Off” by Vanessa Carmona
A pre-op trans man named Joey, along with the help of his sister and her girlfriend, must create a fundraising video for his top surgery while coming to terms with the importance of family during his life-changing surgery.
Vanessa Carmona is an award-winning playwright and screenwriter. She has won, placed finalist spots, and gained international recognition for her writing, including her pilot, "Everything That Happened", which won the BBC Writer's Room script contest and lead to a series option with a UK-based production company and is currently in development. A Central California native, Vanessa studied as an undergrad at Columbia College in LA as well as The New School in NYC in the BA Film Production program and received her MFA in Screenwriting and Playwriting from Regents University in London.
“Baby Gay” by Wayne Paul Mattingly
Sophisticated Moms are sensitive to their newborns' sexual identities.
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
“After” by Glenn Alterman
At the funeral parlor, after her husband's memorial, Terry meets a stranger who reveals to her how very connected the two of them are.
Glenn Alterman is the author of 29 theater related book, including 10 books of original monologues. He is listed in the Guinness Book of World Records and RecordSetter.com as the author of “The Most Published Original Monologues For Actors”. Mr. Alterman’s work has been performed at Primary Stages, Ensemble Studio Theater (EST), Circle in the Square Downtown, HERE, LaMaMa, at the Duplex, Playwrights Horizons, at several theaters on Theater Row in New York, as well as at many theaters around the country. His plays have won The Arts and Letters Award In Drama, The Julio T. Nunez Arts Grant, The Bloomington Playwrights Project (Reva Shiner Award) and over 60 other playwriting competitions, and has been an Actors Theater of Louisville finalist 5 times.
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
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.
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.
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???
April 15-17, 2016 -- 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.