Playwriting
Ariadne
A darkly lyrical, sci-fi reimagining of the myth of the Minotaur. Captain Ariadne Minos must ferry the latest fourteen tributes to her home planet of Crete, where they will be fed as sacrifices to a fearsome bull. On the journey, she makes a surprise connection to two of her more forceful passengers: the headstrong prince Theseus, and Pneuma, a Healer who is outraged to face death with her medical education incomplete. However, as the spaceship nears its final destination, Ariadne must weigh the comfort of her new friends against family loyalties which have haunted her across the galaxy. The time has come for her to reconcile between monsters, gods, and men.
*Previously produced under the title Corona; altered out of respect for those affected by the subsequent pandemic.
Stephanie Mattos. Photo by Steven Townshend.
Break
It is the Friday before Spring Break at Margaret Cavendish High School, and Principal Bough and her teachers would very much like for the day to end. Unfortunately, the high school appears in Bough's office in human form, begging for aid from her Guardian. Following an unwise affair in the moonlight with the meadow next door, dark fairies and their Queen have infiltrated the school. In this fantastic race to the bell, a handful of overwhelmed and exhausted educators are the last line of defense between their teenage charges and the feral wellspring of seasonal magic.
Artwork by T Lavois Thiebaud
Override
Louise is a student at the prestigious Academy of Invention, attempting to construct a machine that can emulate human touch. But when her prototype goes haywire, she has to turn to her biggest competition for help: her neighbor Grav, who works on popular, commercial, food-based inventions. As the night evaporates around them, they race to solve the bugs in Louise's machine. Override is a sci-fi romantic comedy, and a reminder about the ethical power of contact through the body, heart, and mind.
*2nd Place Winner of the Neukom Literary Arts Award.
Joanna Hubbard & Scott Searles. Photo by EAMK.
The Canterville Ghost
In this one-act adaptation of Oscar Wilde's ebullient short story, the Otis family moves to Canterville Chase. Their effervescent American charm grates on Sir Simon de Canterville, the resident ghost who does his level best to terrify Hiram, Lucretia, and their sons right back out again. But he cannot show quite the same ire towards their daughter Virginia, who just might be the very girl prophesied to save his tormented soul.
Artwork by T Lavois Thiebaud.
Tooth & Tail
A fantastic swashbuckler that explores the dynamics of female friendship and love. When Princess Plumeria is kidnapped, Vixen LaFey and her dragon Flicker are determined to rescue her – and bring her home for the reward money. But along the way, they must face pirates, a witch who won’t stop rhyming, curses, and monsters of all kinds. Their combined strengths, loyalties, and magics are tested to the hilt. From the dazzling dangers of the forests, to the deep rivalry between Vixen and Pirate Captain Jessica Glass, Tooth & Tail is a heartwarming theatrical feast.
Tooth & Tail (Mildred’s Umbrella). Photo by Tasha Gorel. Cat Thomas as Princess Plumeria.
Artwork by Kathryn Funkhouser.
Cherry Muffins
Loreliar is a sex demon. She comes from a long and illustrious line of succubi. But when she suddenly quits the family business to open a modest coffee shop, her shocked siblings are forced to investigate. They rise up from Hell to discover that their kid sister has committed the ultimate fiendish taboo, and fallen in love with a mortal man. Havoc reigns as angels, demons, and baristas juggle love, loyalty, holy pink pastries, and caffeine.
Cameron Dunbar, Melissa Molano, Katherine Cunningham. Photo by Christine Weems.
Deborah
This play is a feisty re-imagining of the life of Deborah Sampson, a real woman who dressed as a man and fought in the Revolutionary War. As a strong, unusually tall girl sent into indentured servitude by her parents, she chooses to swap her fate for a male's and enlists in the Continental Army.
What happens when your true love is a life under fire? As she straddles the realms of both genders, Deborah embodies mother and warrior, loner and celebrity, wild rover and wife. This rebellious drama embodies her lifelong quest to discover how restless hearts can ever truly belong.
Nikki Travis Andrews & Claire Anderson. Photo by Cressandra Thibodeaux.
Gambrels of the Sky
Gambrels of the Sky is an urban, biblical fairy tale which explores the multiverse theory. Eve has abandoned Adam and her post-Eden world, and moved to a city where magic has won. Here, dragons nest on the roofs of the skyscrapers. Fairies crawl into the streetlights to keep warm. It is a fantastic place to hide, and a dangerous one. Eve and her loyal girl gang have embraced all the sensory experiences their city has to offer. But when Eve attempts to conjure a new man for herself, her inescapable mythology and the wild magic clash, endangering them all.
Cindy Lou Parker, Cheramie Hopper, Shelby Blocker. Photo by Paige Kiliany.
Awesome Possum
(10 MP)
Amy, a vet tech who frequently rescues animals that would otherwise be hopeless causes, is joined by her boss Dr. Roman after hours in the clinic. She’s brought in a new creature for them to look at, which might be just the thing to free them from their grief.
Kelsey Lesseig & Talia Langman at Eclectic Full Contact Theatre Company. Photo by Lena Aubrey.
Missives
(10 MP)
At the beginning of time, two messengers are snowed in together on their way to deliver missives from the Beings to the humans. However, the curiosity that goads them to read the messages bears a high cost.
Yao Nana Dogbe & Sarah West. Photo by Paige Willson.
Moving Myths
Moving Myths is a one-hour journey through captivating legends based on traditional myths from across the globe. It follows the interaction of four travelers from around the world who find each other and spend a night telling tales from their respective cultures. Focusing on themes of courage, the show’s characters will expose students to strong heroic ideas such as standing up to bullies, taking care of one’s family, fighting for love, and facing great danger. Moving Myths is an exciting experience perfect for students and audiences of all ages.
*See Commissions & Draft Feedback page for more information.
METdance Ensemble. Photo by Ben Doyle.
Puss in Boots
Puss In Boots is a hilarious re-imagining of Charles Perrault's classic French tale with an English-Spanish bilingual twist! Sam Carabas is distraught to inherit only a cat from his father's estate. But this is one kitty that just won't quit – not until she gets herself a velvet cushion! This frolicking comedy reminds us that with innovation, teamwork, and the right of pair shoes, anything is possible.
*Finalist for the Growing Stage Children’s Theatre Prize
Artwork by T Lavois Thiebaud.
Going Dark
In a world much like our own, there exist empathologists: people so finely tuned to a specific range of emotion that they can manipulate it in others. A pair of professors at a remote school train their protégés to master both the light and dark feelings within themselves. But after a recent loss, some emotions may be too wild to tame. When a new student arrives, the entire group is put at risk as events spiral out of control.
Abby Debolt Gamble & Matt Lusk. Photo by Sarah White.