Plays for Young Audiences and Plays for Young Performers - Unpublished: contact me for perusal copies and rights
YOURS UNTIL NIAGARA FALLS
CAST: 2-8 females*
LINA ZENES (female) age 9-49; self-assured, trendy, has a stick-to-it-iveness that will serve her well. She craves a well-ordered life, shoes for every outfit, doughnuts are an important part of life. Shorter than Izzy. Jewish - which is important to her. She writes when it is necessary. She’d rather talk face-to-face but she will write to please Izzy.
IZZY ROSS (female) age 9-49; insecure; dreamer, clueless as to trends, has acting aspirations, can be clingy. Taller than Lina. Sometimes lives in her own drama-filled world. Catholic - which is meaningless to her. She loves to write things down – she believes it will help her dreams become reality and she can deal better with the conflicts in her life if she writes them. She wants to be someone else.
*Two actresses can portray the characters all through the play – or – you can divide it up into the “elementary school,” “junior high years,” “high school,” “college and all grown up.” Or any other way that suits your fancy. As with A.R. Gurney’s amazing Love Letters (inspiration for this play), this does not need to be memorized. But it should be rehearsed.
Unlike Love Letters, the actresses can look at each other when they pass school notes. Later, when they are not in class together, the play is about listening. They will not look at each other during the letters and emails. But they can react. It’s as important to see LINA and IZZY listening to the letters as they’re being read as it is for the actress reading them. Some letters are long. Do not get caught up in the writing of the letter. Assume most of it’s been written. Maybe we see the character correct something or just add their signature.
SYNOPSIS: LINA and IZZY are best friends – “LINA-AND-IZZY-ONE-WORD” best friends. They are always there for each other – for each important day in their lives until one day – they aren’t. Lina and Izzy must figure out what to take from the friendship and what is left behind even if it’s painful. With thanks (and apologies) to A.R. Gurney for inspiration and structure, and to the Zenes family for the whole shebang.
*Dates are provided for context and should not be spoken unless it’s in the body of the dialogue. Read the play here: Yours Until Niagara Falls
CAST: 2-8 females*
LINA ZENES (female) age 9-49; self-assured, trendy, has a stick-to-it-iveness that will serve her well. She craves a well-ordered life, shoes for every outfit, doughnuts are an important part of life. Shorter than Izzy. Jewish - which is important to her. She writes when it is necessary. She’d rather talk face-to-face but she will write to please Izzy.
IZZY ROSS (female) age 9-49; insecure; dreamer, clueless as to trends, has acting aspirations, can be clingy. Taller than Lina. Sometimes lives in her own drama-filled world. Catholic - which is meaningless to her. She loves to write things down – she believes it will help her dreams become reality and she can deal better with the conflicts in her life if she writes them. She wants to be someone else.
*Two actresses can portray the characters all through the play – or – you can divide it up into the “elementary school,” “junior high years,” “high school,” “college and all grown up.” Or any other way that suits your fancy. As with A.R. Gurney’s amazing Love Letters (inspiration for this play), this does not need to be memorized. But it should be rehearsed.
Unlike Love Letters, the actresses can look at each other when they pass school notes. Later, when they are not in class together, the play is about listening. They will not look at each other during the letters and emails. But they can react. It’s as important to see LINA and IZZY listening to the letters as they’re being read as it is for the actress reading them. Some letters are long. Do not get caught up in the writing of the letter. Assume most of it’s been written. Maybe we see the character correct something or just add their signature.
SYNOPSIS: LINA and IZZY are best friends – “LINA-AND-IZZY-ONE-WORD” best friends. They are always there for each other – for each important day in their lives until one day – they aren’t. Lina and Izzy must figure out what to take from the friendship and what is left behind even if it’s painful. With thanks (and apologies) to A.R. Gurney for inspiration and structure, and to the Zenes family for the whole shebang.
*Dates are provided for context and should not be spoken unless it’s in the body of the dialogue. Read the play here: Yours Until Niagara Falls
Remembering Margot Frank
CAST: 9-15 (Teen cast)
This play is a re-imagining of Margot’s brief life based on newly-surfaced photos of her. Rather than the depressed, “head always in a book” snapshot of Margot, the photos show an athletic, fun-loving teen enjoying the company of friends. It is always noted that she was a brilliant pupil which tells us that there was a very good intellect at play. So while the play is by no means a scholarly look at the life of Margot Frank, I hope I captured her spirit. And maybe moved her out of the shadow of her famous sister just a bit. I hope she doesn’t mind. Margot never sought the limelight. Read the play here:
Remembering Margot
“I think it’s wonderful what you are doing for Anne, but I think it’s a pity that nothing is mentioned anymore about Margot. She is also worthy of being mentioned.” – Margot Frank’s close friend Frijde in a letter to Otto Frank.
“Times change, people change, thoughts about good and evil change, about true and false. But what always remains fast and steady is the affection that your friends feel for you, those who always have your best interest at heart.” – Margot Frank
CAST: 9-15 (Teen cast)
This play is a re-imagining of Margot’s brief life based on newly-surfaced photos of her. Rather than the depressed, “head always in a book” snapshot of Margot, the photos show an athletic, fun-loving teen enjoying the company of friends. It is always noted that she was a brilliant pupil which tells us that there was a very good intellect at play. So while the play is by no means a scholarly look at the life of Margot Frank, I hope I captured her spirit. And maybe moved her out of the shadow of her famous sister just a bit. I hope she doesn’t mind. Margot never sought the limelight. Read the play here:
Remembering Margot
“I think it’s wonderful what you are doing for Anne, but I think it’s a pity that nothing is mentioned anymore about Margot. She is also worthy of being mentioned.” – Margot Frank’s close friend Frijde in a letter to Otto Frank.
“Times change, people change, thoughts about good and evil change, about true and false. But what always remains fast and steady is the affection that your friends feel for you, those who always have your best interest at heart.” – Margot Frank
Kafka and the Doll
Cast: 11 (6f, 5m) or with doubling: 6 (4f, 2m) many extras possible
Running Time: 75-85 minutes
Area staging
Fantasy, serio-comic, adventure!
Puppets welcome!
Professionally developed through The Growing Stage's New Play Program and at Utah Valley University through The Old Miner's Children's Play Contest
Excerpt
Cast: 11 (6f, 5m) or with doubling: 6 (4f, 2m) many extras possible
Running Time: 75-85 minutes
Area staging
Fantasy, serio-comic, adventure!
Puppets welcome!
Professionally developed through The Growing Stage's New Play Program and at Utah Valley University through The Old Miner's Children's Play Contest
Excerpt
Almost Mary
Cast: 12+ (6 female, 4 male, 2 male or female; expandable)
Running Time: 75 Minutes (approximate)
Drama, History, Biography
Area staging for the Cliffs and outside Mary's cottage. Projections would enhance the sense of grandeur from the cliffs.
SYNOPSIS: Mary Anning is considered the first female paleontologist. She lived in Lyme Regis which is still a hotbed of fossils. She learned to find fossils at her father’s knee. After her father died, she continued to find fossils and sell them to help her family earn a meager living. This play chronicles her first big discovery at the age of twelve: an ichthyosaur (fish lizard). Mary had little schooling but was a learner. She read incessantly, carefully chronicled and drew all of her findings. Her thirst for knowledge began at an early age (and was attributed to being hit struck by lightening although that is more lore than fact). Mary’s brother Joseph found a large (4 feet) fossil head. Mary believes that the entire fossil could be found and the play is about her efforts – against all odds – to do so.
Winner 2016 Old Miner's Children's Playwriting Contest. Developed at Utah Valley University.
To be published by YouthPLAYS.
Excerpt
Cast: 12+ (6 female, 4 male, 2 male or female; expandable)
Running Time: 75 Minutes (approximate)
Drama, History, Biography
Area staging for the Cliffs and outside Mary's cottage. Projections would enhance the sense of grandeur from the cliffs.
SYNOPSIS: Mary Anning is considered the first female paleontologist. She lived in Lyme Regis which is still a hotbed of fossils. She learned to find fossils at her father’s knee. After her father died, she continued to find fossils and sell them to help her family earn a meager living. This play chronicles her first big discovery at the age of twelve: an ichthyosaur (fish lizard). Mary had little schooling but was a learner. She read incessantly, carefully chronicled and drew all of her findings. Her thirst for knowledge began at an early age (and was attributed to being hit struck by lightening although that is more lore than fact). Mary’s brother Joseph found a large (4 feet) fossil head. Mary believes that the entire fossil could be found and the play is about her efforts – against all odds – to do so.
Winner 2016 Old Miner's Children's Playwriting Contest. Developed at Utah Valley University.
To be published by YouthPLAYS.
Excerpt
Bound by Stardust
Cast: 3 (1m, 2f)
Running Time: 90 minutes
Set: Unit set with 1 insert
Drama
Miranda dwells in the past. Any past – as long as the world is prior to her father’s death 2 years ago. Reeling from her mother’s remarriage, Miranda spends a week with her great aunt and acquaints herself with an ancestor from her father’s past – the Russian explorer Otto Schmidt.
In the confines of Elsie’s apartment, Miranda travels back and forth to the North Pole gleaning information about the nature of the universe, loss and ever-lasting presence. Turning to the stars, Miranda works at building a way of reaching the past and finding her father.
Developed by Purple Crayon Players
Excerpt
Cast: 3 (1m, 2f)
Running Time: 90 minutes
Set: Unit set with 1 insert
Drama
Miranda dwells in the past. Any past – as long as the world is prior to her father’s death 2 years ago. Reeling from her mother’s remarriage, Miranda spends a week with her great aunt and acquaints herself with an ancestor from her father’s past – the Russian explorer Otto Schmidt.
In the confines of Elsie’s apartment, Miranda travels back and forth to the North Pole gleaning information about the nature of the universe, loss and ever-lasting presence. Turning to the stars, Miranda works at building a way of reaching the past and finding her father.
Developed by Purple Crayon Players
Excerpt