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Full Lengths
Hit Story (3W, 2M) Commission OnSite Theatre, 2011
A man is struck with a physical affliction – the intermittent and violent flailing of his arms and fists. Is it a disease of rage, or is it a cure for a country in decline?
The Americans Across the Street (2W, 1M) Premiere Florida Stage, 2012
Derek sits on his front porch, drinking scotch and yelling at the people across the street. Within this microcosm of our Nations divide reflected in a small neighborhood, Derek rants, takes mushrooms, buys a cannon and reunites with his sister.
The Cha Cha of a Camel Spider (2W, 3M) Premiere Florida Stage 2011
Two privatized soldiers from a “Blackwater” type military group called Company “e”, get involved with an Afghani cab driver and a young spoken word poet who channels Led Zeppelin.
The Storytelling Ability of a Boy (2W, 1M) Premiere Florida Stage 2010
Peck uses his gift for storytelling to hide from the abuses of school bullies and the betrayal of the girl he loves. From the story within the story, he steals the narrative away from the plays narrator and constructs his own fantasy destinations where “something beautiful happens”. Nominated for The Steinberg Award and The Florida Carbonell Award for Best New Play.
(Subsequent Productions Aurora Theatre Company, ’10. Wellfleet Harbor Actors Theatre, ’10. Synchronicity Theatre, ’11. The Phoenix Theatre, ’11. Otterbein College, ’11)
Evie’s Waltz (2W, 1M) Commission Repertory Theatre of St. Louis 2009
Clay and Gloria’s son Danny is in the woods behind their house with a rifle. During a backyard barbecue, his girlfriend, Evie, waltzes his parents through the trials of their day at school, and the decline of a country. Winner Kevin Kline Award, Best New Play.
(Subsequent Productions The Magic Theatre ’09. Cape Cod Theatre Project, ’09. Geva Theatre Center, ’09. New Jersey Repertory Company, ’09. Contemporary American Theatre Company, ’10. North Carolina Actors Theatre, ’10. Simpatico Theatre, ’11. Newnan Theatre ’11.)
Ordinary Nation (2W, 3M) Commission The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis 2008
Nation’s wife has been gone for two weeks. His daughter, Frankie, is a poker whiz who takes a Senator’s son for a lot of money. In an attempt to pay it back, Frankie bets it all through her bookie grandfather – sadly, on the Cleveland Browns. In the aftermath to make it right, marriage, parenthood and political ethics come into question.
(Subsequent Productions – Florida Stage ’09)
Civil Disobedience (2W, 2M) Commission Washington University 2008
After the death of her mother, a radical daughter travels cross country with her conservative father and picks up an operatic World Trade Center grief counselor along the way. On the road, which goes thru Walden Pond and Henry David Thoreau’s cabin, they discover that the mother has been “wanted and on the run” since the Vietnam War. (Subsequent Productions – Otterbein College ’09)
Kid Peculiar (at the Coral Court Hotel) (1W, 1M) Commission Washington U 2006
Madeline runs the Commission for Presidential Debates. While planning a debate in the host city of St. Louis, she meets with the son she abandoned years prior – at the Coral Court Hotel (where he was conceived on prom night) for an evening of reminiscence and recompense.
American Storm (Out of Integrity by Molly Brown) (4W, 8M) Premiere Wash U 2003
The small town of Weldon Downs discovers it possesses a prize race horse during the 1950 halcyon days of horseracing. The people of the track battle to keep the horse while the sport itself is on the cusp of corporate and government takeover.
Men on the Take (1W, 2M) Premiere Cincinnati Playhouse 2001
A companion piece to Women Who Steal in which the journey is taken by two men; the husband and the shrink his wife slept with. Winner Rosenthal New Play Award.
(Subsequent Productions Geva Theatre Center ’02)
While We Were Bowling (2W, 4M) Commission Studio Arena Theatre 2000
The conservative McGlauphlin family is the royalty of bowling in 1957, Buffalo – except Frances, the mother of the household, who prefers scotch and Mario Lanza. But when a young black man named Jeremy comes to live with them, her son Brent comes out, her daughter runs away and her husband dies, Frances decides…it’s time to learn how to bowl. Winner Laurie Foundation, Best New Play Award. Winner TCG Residency Grant.
(Subsequent Productions B Street Theatre, ’04. Ensemble Theatre of Cincinnati ’05. Otterbein College Theatre’07. Aurora Theatre Company, ’10.)
Women Who Steal (2W, 1M) Commission Geva Theatre Center 2000
Karen slept with Peggy’s husband. In Karen’s attempt to explain the existential irrelevance of the act, the two spend a night on the road together – exploring the meaning of marriage, Aristotle, love, Tequila, BB guns and Carl Sandburg. Nominated American Theatre Critics Award, Winner of Austin Best New Play Award.
(Subsequent Productions The State Theatre of Austin ’99. Wellfleet Harbor Actors Theatre ’00. Repertory Theatre of St. Louis ’02. Otterbein College Theatre ’02. B Street Theatre ’02. Ensemble Theatre of Cincinnati ’02. Merrimack Repertory Theatre ’03. San Diego Repertory Theatre ’04. Florida Stage ’05. Barebones Theater Company ’06. Austin Theatre Company ’07. New Jersey Repertory Theatre ’08. New Jersey Repertory Theatre ’09. The Shadow Theatre, Alberta Canada, ’10. The Penguin Repertory Theatre ’10. Riverside Theater ’10. The Red Barn Theatre, ’10. Off Square Theatre Company ’11.)
Soft Click of a Switch (2M) Premiere The Source Theatre 1997
Earl is an air-conditioner salesman with a gun in a bag. Ed spies on his neighbors thru a mystical crack in the wall. Ed and Earl build bombs and blow up photomats together. It’s a kind of a love story. Winner of Jerome Fellowship, Playwrights Center, Winner New Dramatist New Play Award. Published, Samuel French.
(Subsequent Productions The Royal Court Theatre, London, ASK Theatre Exchange, ’96. The Source Theatre’98. The Angry Theatre Company’99. NorthWest Actors Studio ’98. New Works Company ’08.)
The One-Eyed Man is King (2W, 2M) Premiere Geva Theatre 1999
A blind thief gets caught and falls in love. Loosely built around The Country of the Blind by H. G. Wells. Winner Panowski New Play Award. Published Smith and Kraus, Best New Plays of 1999. Nominated American Theatre Critics Award.
(Subsequent Productions – Forest Roberts Theatre ’98. Fulton Opera House ’00. Pegasus Theatre ’03. Open Stage Theatre ’09. Triple Shot Theatre Company ’09.)
Longevity Abbreviated for Those Who Don’t Have Time (2W, 6M) Commission 1997
Narrated by a dead bartender, the inhabitants of a racetrack try to solve a horserace “fixing” scheme before the mythic killer takes them to a surreal conclusion.
Picasso Does My Maps (3W, 3M) Commission Otterbein College 1996
An agoraphobic artist falls in love with a narcoleptic dancer and they try to sustain their romance through the back door of the artists house, while his self mutilating brother, an empathetic cockney murderer and a young homeless girl complicate matter.
(Subsequent Productions – Coe College ’04. Los Angles Theatre, ’09.)
An Asian Jockey In Our Midst (1W, 3M) Premiere Cincinnati Playhouse 1996
An African American couple go back in time and become the Japanese parents of a young Asian jockey who was mysteriously murdered on the clubhouse turn. Winner of Rosenthal New Play Award. Winner State Theatre of Austin Best New Play Award.
(Subsequent Productions – State Theatre of Austin ’96. Round House Theatre ’97. Oakland Ensemble Theatre ’97.)
Golf With Alan Shepard (4M) Premiere Sacramento Theatre Co 1995
A defrocked priest, an ex-general, a recent widower, a grocer and Alan Shepard play the ultimate round of golf of their lives. Beverly Hills/Julie Harris New Play Award Recipient.
(Subsequent Productions – Upstart Stage ’94. Sacramento Theatre Company ’95. Florida Stage ’95. The Berkshire Theatre Festival ’95. Geva Theatre ’96. Syracuse Stage ’96. Dorset Theatre Festival ’96. Studio Arena Theatre ’98. Phoenix Theatre ’99. The Barter Theatre ’99. The Barksdale Theater ’99. Western Stage ’99. The Barksdale Theater ’99. Virginia Stage ’00. Act II Playhouse ’00. The Playhouse on the Square ’00. Virginia Stage ’00. The Boarshead Theatre ’01. Cider Mill Playhouse ’03. Sonoma Repertory Theatre ’04. The Falcon Theatre ’04. Florida Repertory Theatre ’05. Seven Angels Theatre ’05. American Stage ’05. South Carolina Repertory Theatre ’11.)
