Walt McGough

Walt McGough

Walt McGough is a Boston-based playwright (by way of Pittsburgh and Chicago). In Boston, he has held fellowships with both the Huntington and New Repertory Theatre Companies, and was a finalist for the 2016 Dramatists Guild Lanford Wilson Award. His plays include PATTERN OF LIFE, which was named Best New Play by the Independent Reviewers of New England, and THE FARM, PRISCILLA DREAMS THE ANSWER, and PAPER CITY...
Walt McGough is a Boston-based playwright (by way of Pittsburgh and Chicago). In Boston, he has held fellowships with both the Huntington and New Repertory Theatre Companies, and was a finalist for the 2016 Dramatists Guild Lanford Wilson Award. His plays include PATTERN OF LIFE, which was named Best New Play by the Independent Reviewers of New England, and THE FARM, PRISCILLA DREAMS THE ANSWER, and PAPER CITY PHOENIX, all of which received Best New Play IRNE nominations. Other plays include CHALK, DANTE DIES!! (AND THEN THINGS GET WEIRD), THE HABERDASHER!, and NON-PLAYER CHARACTER. He has worked around the country with companies such as The Lark, the Huntington, New Rep, the Kennedy Center, NNPN, Boston Playwrights Theatre, Fresh Ink, Sideshow, Orfeo Group, Nu Sass Productions, Chicago Dramatists, and Argos. In 2015, his play ADVICE FOR ASTRONAUTS was selected as the winner of the Milken Playwriting Prize. He serves on the staff at SpeakEasy Stage Company in Boston, and was previously the company manager at Chicago Dramatists. He holds a BA from the University of Virginia, and an MFA in playwriting from Boston University.

Plays

  • The Whisperer's Apprentice by Walt McGough
    Recommendations: 1
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    Cast: 
    7
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    Genre: adventure, drama + 2 more
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    Keyword: high fantasy, magic + 6 more
    Genre: adventure, drama, fable/folktale, fantasy
    Keyword: high fantasy, magic, wizard, narrator, subversive, happy ending, empowerment, women led
    A kingdom is falling, and two young siblings come to the forest to find the one woman who could save it. Rione of the Whispers can weave stories into magic, but now she hides herself away, haunted by past mistakes and old regrets. Will she be willing, or able, to pass her knowledge on to the next generation? Or will the tale that shapes the world be fully broken, once and for all? "The Whisperer's...
    A kingdom is falling, and two young siblings come to the forest to find the one woman who could save it. Rione of the Whispers can weave stories into magic, but now she hides herself away, haunted by past mistakes and old regrets. Will she be willing, or able, to pass her knowledge on to the next generation? Or will the tale that shapes the world be fully broken, once and for all? "The Whisperer's Apprentice" is a magical, theatrical look at narrative power, the people who wield it, and what it costs them. The play refracts the tropes of classic high-fantasy adventure, and uses them to imagine a better world for its characters.
  • Non-Player Character by Walt McGough
    Recommendations: 8
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    Cast: 
    6–10
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    Genre: adventure, comedy + 2 more
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    Keyword: video games, Gamergate + 7 more
    Genre: adventure, comedy, dark comedy, political
    Keyword: video games, Gamergate, Fantasy, feminism, sexism, harrassment, Twitter, social media, social justice
    Aspiring video game designer Katja and her longtime friend Trent are an unstoppable team against animated monsters in the virtual underworlds of SpearLight, an online role-playing game. But after a humiliating falling-out, Trent marshals an army of internet trolls to wage real-life war against her. Comic and poignant, Non-Player Character is a timely, boldly theatrical exploration of the games we play and who’s winning.
  • Brawler by Walt McGough
    Recommendations: 4
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    Cast: 
    4
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    Genre: adaptation, drama + 1 more
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    Keyword: hockey, Ajax + 3 more
    Genre: adaptation, drama, tragedy
    Keyword: hockey, Ajax, masculinity, painkillers, concussion
    Adam was the scariest man in the National Hockey League, but now he’s been demoted to the minors, gotten high on painkillers and trashed the locker room at the Dunkin’ Donuts Center. His friends need to talk him down before he gets into real trouble, but he’s got his own agenda, and is spoiling for one last fight. A modern-day riff on Sophocles’ "Ajax," seen through the lens of the last true gladiator sport.
  • Chalk by Walt McGough
    Recommendations: 7
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    Cast: 
    2
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    Genre: drama, fantasy + 3 more
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    Keyword: post-apocalyptic, mother and daughter + 1 more
    Genre: drama, fantasy, horror, mystery/thriller, science fiction
    Keyword: post-apocalyptic, mother and daughter, thriller
    Maggie survived the end of the world, and has enough supplies to last. But now her daughter has come home, and something’s wrong about her. The two women square off, kept apart only by their pasts and a protective chalk circle, hastily drawn on to the floor.
  • The Haberdasher! by Walt McGough
    Recommendations: 3
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    Cast: 
    4
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    Genre: adventure, comedy + 7 more
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    Keyword: sword fighting, Farce + 2 more
    Genre: adventure, comedy, fable/folktale, fantasy, farce, movement/physical, parody/spoof, period, romantic comedy
    Keyword: sword fighting, Farce, swashbuckling, frantic
    In the old, romantic time, in France of all places, Antoinette works as a haberdasher’s apprentice, until fate (and a mysterious burglar) intervene. Suddenly she finds herself swept up in a whrilwind of criminals, court intrigue and a curiously counterfeit locket, where the stakes are life-or-death and nothing is as it seems. Which would all be well and good, if she could just find a weapon more substantial...
    In the old, romantic time, in France of all places, Antoinette works as a haberdasher’s apprentice, until fate (and a mysterious burglar) intervene. Suddenly she finds herself swept up in a whrilwind of criminals, court intrigue and a curiously counterfeit locket, where the stakes are life-or-death and nothing is as it seems. Which would all be well and good, if she could just find a weapon more substantial than her ruler to fight with. A dashing tale of derring-do featuring mistaken identities and plenty of swashbucklery, with a completely overworked ensemble of four bringing an entire genre’s worth of action to life.
  • Priscilla Dreams the Answer by Walt McGough
    Cast: 
    5–9
    ·
    Genre: adventure, comedy + 6 more
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    Keyword: aliens, math + 5 more
    Genre: adventure, comedy, experimental, fable/folktale, farce, romantic comedy, science fiction, young audiences
    Keyword: aliens, math, bubble wrap, narrator, ensemble, Fantasy, whimsical
    Priscilla was feeling pretty boring, until the aliens showed up. Now she’s the most important person in the universe, and the fates of multiple planets depend on her. It hasn’t made her feel much better, but at least it’s something to do.
  • The Farm by Walt McGough
    Recommendations: 3
    ·
    Cast: 
    3
    ·
    Genre: drama, mystery/thriller
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    Keyword: CIA, spies + 2 more
    Genre: drama, mystery/thriller
    Keyword: CIA, spies, secret service, ghosts
    Something went wrong, but Finn’s not talking. Instead, he’s retiring, and Parker needs to know why. But trust doesn’t come easy at the CIA, and as the two operatives match wits, it becomes clear that they may not even be on the same side. A modern-day spook story that asks how you move on from a life lived in shadow.
  • False Flag by Walt McGough
    Recommendations: 2
    ·
    Cast: 
    4
    ·
    Genre: drama, mystery/thriller + 2 more
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    Keyword: conspiracy, government conspiracy + 6 more
    Genre: drama, mystery/thriller, political, satire
    Keyword: conspiracy, government conspiracy, mass shooting, gun control, thriller, family, Talk radio, grief
    Tori and her brother, Hank, have a very strained relationship, so she is left deeply conflicted when he's killed in an act of sudden violence. Things get more confusing when his ex-girlfriend, June, shows up on Tori's doorstep, and tells her that Hank's death was anything but random. The two women attempt to piece together Hank's legacy, and navigate a series of events that could either be...
    Tori and her brother, Hank, have a very strained relationship, so she is left deeply conflicted when he's killed in an act of sudden violence. Things get more confusing when his ex-girlfriend, June, shows up on Tori's doorstep, and tells her that Hank's death was anything but random. The two women attempt to piece together Hank's legacy, and navigate a series of events that could either be coincidence, or mask a darker agenda. As their mounting exhaustion, grief and paranoia weave together, Tori is pulled deep into a world where everything is connected, but nothing actually makes sense. FALSE FLAG is a theatrical, propulsive examination of conspiracy culture, and a look at how even the most outlandish narratives can be compelling when there's nothing else to hold on to.
  • True Places by Walt McGough
    Recommendations: 2
    ·
    Cast: 
    5–11
    ·
    Genre: comedy, fable/folktale + 1 more
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    Keyword: History, maps + 1 more
    Genre: comedy, fable/folktale, young audiences
    Keyword: History, maps, cartography
    The world’s gone off its axis, and everything is new. Rose finds herself in unfamiliar territory after a crisis, and the only way to get things under control is to lay them out on paper. Enter the mapmakers, in this irreverent, funny and highly theatrical exploration of man’s impulse to define the world around him. Dramatized takes on cartographical history are interlaced with Rose’s quest to find her way, and...
    The world’s gone off its axis, and everything is new. Rose finds herself in unfamiliar territory after a crisis, and the only way to get things under control is to lay them out on paper. Enter the mapmakers, in this irreverent, funny and highly theatrical exploration of man’s impulse to define the world around him. Dramatized takes on cartographical history are interlaced with Rose’s quest to find her way, and maybe even leave her own small mark on things.
  • Advice for Astronauts by Walt McGough
    Cast: 
    12
    ·
    Genre: comedy, experimental + 3 more
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    Keyword: tya, space + 2 more
    Genre: comedy, experimental, movement/physical, science fiction, young audiences
    Keyword: tya, space, comedy, one-act

    The shuttle is launching tomorrow, and everyone has come out to view it. But when one of the astronauts goes missing, the whole evening is thrown into chaos. Science, donuts and dead parrots are discussed. Also, lobsters.
  • Pattern of Life by Walt McGough
    Recommendations: 2
    ·
    Cast: 
    2
    ·
    Genre: drama, political
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    Keyword: Drones, Pakistan + 4 more
    Genre: drama, political
    Keyword: Drones, Pakistan, taliban, military, war, intercultural
    The mistaken death of a young boy links two men thousands of miles apart. The first, a drone pilot, tries to fight through a haze of guilt and anxiety, and find something human to hold on to. The second, a Pakistani villager, struggles to comprehend the tragedy, and put a face on a faceless enemy. A series of shared dreams lets them begin to see one another, and explore questions of revenge, justice and...
    The mistaken death of a young boy links two men thousands of miles apart. The first, a drone pilot, tries to fight through a haze of guilt and anxiety, and find something human to hold on to. The second, a Pakistani villager, struggles to comprehend the tragedy, and put a face on a faceless enemy. A series of shared dreams lets them begin to see one another, and explore questions of revenge, justice and connection in a time of perpetual warfare.
  • Paper City Phoenix by Walt McGough
    Recommendations: 2
    ·
    Cast: 
    6
    ·
    Genre: adventure, comedy + 2 more
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    Keyword: internet, theatricality + 2 more
    Genre: adventure, comedy, fantasy, science fiction
    Keyword: internet, theatricality, friendship, Explosion
    Brenna’s soulmate is missing, but finding him is hard when she can’t stop channeling the Internet. Gale tries to help, but she’s got her own problems and her printer’s out of toner. Both women, an anti-Tech cult, the FBI, and the Internet itself will be involved before it’s over, and the city will never be the same. An explosive comedy exploring how we connect when we’re always connected, and just what’s left...
    Brenna’s soulmate is missing, but finding him is hard when she can’t stop channeling the Internet. Gale tries to help, but she’s got her own problems and her printer’s out of toner. Both women, an anti-Tech cult, the FBI, and the Internet itself will be involved before it’s over, and the city will never be the same. An explosive comedy exploring how we connect when we’re always connected, and just what’s left when the universe hits the delete key.
  • Two Socks Discuss Loss by Walt McGough
    Recommendations: 16
    ·
    Cast: 
    2
    ·
    Genre: comedy, fable/folktale + 1 more
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    Keyword: comedy, loss + 4 more
    Genre: comedy, fable/folktale, fantasy
    Keyword: comedy, loss, objects, love, aging, grief
    Navy and Black have lost their mates, but just because they’re lonely doesn’t mean they’re glad to be paired up. A wooly, comic meditation on grief.
  • Exposure by Walt McGough
    Recommendations: 1
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    Cast: 
    2
    ·
    Genre: adventure, drama + 2 more
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    Keyword: growth, adult + 5 more
    Genre: adventure, drama, fable/folktale, tragedy
    Keyword: growth, adult, sexuality, masculinity, Maternity, Bear, animals
    The boy is adrift on an ice floe, and he’s out to prove he’s a man. The Polar Bear has other ideas.
  • The Dinosaurs Have a Request by Walt McGough
    Recommendations: 4
    ·
    Cast: 
    2–12
    ·
    Genre: comedy, experimental + 3 more
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    Keyword: dinosaurs, evolution + 4 more
    Genre: comedy, experimental, fable/folktale, farce, movement/physical
    Keyword: dinosaurs, evolution, comedy, expandable, physical, abstract
    The dinosaurs are here, and frankly, they’re sick of your crap.
  • Up and Away by Walt McGough
    Recommendations: 2
    ·
    Cast: 
    2
    ·
    Genre: adventure, comedy + 4 more
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    Keyword: hobos, space + 4 more
    Genre: adventure, comedy, fantasy, farce, period, science fiction
    Keyword: hobos, space, Exploration, language, slang, patter
    Two old-timey hobos debate the finer points of going to space in a bathtub.
  • Lost Properties by Walt McGough
    Recommendations: 1
    ·
    Cast: 
    2
    ·
    Genre: drama, fable/folktale
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    Keyword: loss, child death + 2 more
    Genre: drama, fable/folktale
    Keyword: loss, child death, grief, magic
    David has lost something. Something big. Luckily, he has an appointment with the Office, and they’re always there to help.
  • Pure Madness by Walt McGough
    Recommendations: 3
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    Cast: 
    2
    ·
    Genre: comedy, fantasy + 2 more
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    Keyword: evil genius, spoof + 2 more
    Genre: comedy, fantasy, farce, parody/spoof
    Keyword: evil genius, spoof, henchman, mad scientist
    Professor Doominus has made a mistake.
  • Clean Sweep by Walt McGough
    Cast: 
    2
    ·
    Genre: comedy, farce + 1 more
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    Keyword: technology, roomba + 2 more
    Genre: comedy, farce, romantic comedy
    Keyword: technology, roomba, static set, Relationships
    Kyle and Jennifer debate the finer points of technological dependence while their Roomba tries to kill them.