MANHATTĀNIA!

by William Ivor Fowkes

FULL-LENGTH PLAY (1 HOUR, 35 MINUTES). Four tales of ordinary New Yorkers making unexpected connections:
THE SESSION. When a patient finally tells his Upper West Side therapist what’s really on his mind, she doesn’t take it very well.
NOT HERE YET. Two women struggle to dominate their small piece of real estate in Midtown.
THE DAKOTA. Two worlds collide when an elderly resident of New York's most fabled...

FULL-LENGTH PLAY (1 HOUR, 35 MINUTES). Four tales of ordinary New Yorkers making unexpected connections:
THE SESSION. When a patient finally tells his Upper West Side therapist what’s really on his mind, she doesn’t take it very well.
NOT HERE YET. Two women struggle to dominate their small piece of real estate in Midtown.
THE DAKOTA. Two worlds collide when an elderly resident of New York's most fabled apartment building entertains his first visitor in years.
MUSEUM PIECE. Three visitors are brought together by a disruptive incident at the Museum of Modern Art.

Two versions are available:
(1) Full play with 4 stories = 90-100 minutes.
(2) Play with 3 stories (i.e. without "The Dakota") = 65-70 minutes.

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MANHATTĀNIA!

Character Information

CASTING – 4 actors of any race or ethnicity
2 men – playing 7 parts
2 women – playing 8 parts




  • ACTOR # 1: Patient (The Session); Mark Mayfield (The Dakota); Brad (Museum Piece)
    PATIENT (The Session): A self-confident, charming man in his 30s or 40s. Dressed in a suit or coat and tie. In good shape.
    MARK MAYFIELD (The Dakota): An accountant in his early forties. Cocky, devious, and mistrustful.
    BRAD: (Museum Piece): Self-involved, hypochondriacal, and fearful.
    Patient - 30s/40s; Mark Mayfield - early 40s; Brad - any age
    Any
    Male
    Can be played by:
    • Actor Age
      30s,
      40s
    • Actor Gender Identity
      Male
  • ACTOR #2: Therapist (The Session); Charlene (Not Here Yet); Georgiana (Museum Piece)
    THERAPIST (The Session): An intelligent, articulate, and reserved woman in her 30s or 40s. Well dressed. Not skinny.
    CHARLENE (Not Here Yet): A woman in her 30s or 40s. Bedraggled, but scrappy and full of personality. A survivor.
    GEORGIANA: (Museum Piece): Well-educated, well-traveled, idealistic, and sensitive.
    Therapist - 30s/40s; Charlene - 30s/40s; Georgiana - any age
    Any
    Female
    Can be played by:
    • Actor Age
      30s,
      40s
    • Actor Gender Identity
      Female
  • ACTOR #3: Eleanor (Not Here Yet); Roxanne (Museum Piece)
    ELEANOR (Not Here Yet): A woman in her 30s or 40s. Well educated, articulate, and sensitive. A lonely woman. Dressed stylishly.
    ROXANNE: (Museum Piece): Brash, opinionated, tough, and plainspoken. Speaks with a New York accent.
    Eleanor - 30s/40s; Roxanne - any age
    Any
    Female
    Can be played by:
    • Actor Age
      30s,
      40s
    • Actor Gender Identity
      Female
  • ACTOR #4: Richard (Not Here Yet); Earl Mumford (The Dakota)
    RICHARD (Not Here Yet): A man in his 40s or 50s. Superior in attitude and bearing. A confident and busy man. Wears a business suit and carries a briefcase.
    EARL MUMFORD (The Dakota): A 71-year-old retired architect. Distinguished and charming.
    Richard - 40s/50s; Earl Mumford - 71
    Any
    Male
    Can be played by:
    • Actor Age
      40s,
      50s,
      60s,
      70s+
    • Actor Gender Identity
      Male

Development History

  • Reading, Sundog Theatre, Staten Island, NY, 2015

Production History

  • Professional, "Not Here Yet" - Recording & podcast broadcast: Petaluma Radio Players, Petaluma, CA., 2019
  • Professional, "Not Here Yet" - Atlanta Audio Fringe Festival, presented by Radio Theatre Project, St. Petersburg, FL., 2018
  • Professional, "Not Here Yet" - Recording and podcast broadcast by Radio Theatre Project, St. Petersburg, FL., 2017
  • Community Theater, "Not Here Yet" presented by Love Creek Productions, the Changing of the Seasons: Autumn One-Acts, the Producers’ Club, New York City, 2012
  • Community Theater, "Museum Piece" presented at North Canton Playhouse's New Works Festival, North Canton, OH, 2011
  • Workshop, "Museum Piece" presented at the Downtown Urban Theater Festival, Theatre for a New City, New York City, 2010
  • Workshop, "The Dakota" presented at the Downtown Urban Theater Festival, Cherry Lane Theatre, New York City (Best Short Play), 2005
  • Workshop, "The Dakota" was presented at Ensemble Studio Theatre's Octoberfest, New York City, 2005
  • Workshop, "The Session" presented at the Strawberry One-Act Festival, Bernie West Theatre, New York City (Finalist), 2005

Awards

  • "The Dakota" - Best Short Play Award, Downtown Urban Theater Festival, Cherry Lane Theater, NYC
    Downtown Urban Theater Festival
    Winner
    2005
  • "Not Here Yet" - 13th Annual New Voices Play Festival
    The Old Opera House Theatre Company, Charles Town, WV
    Honorable Mention
    2013
  • "Not Here Yet" - The Warner International Playwrights Festival
    The Warner Theatre, Torrington, CT
    Finalist
    2015
  • "The Session" - 18th Annual New Voices Play Festival
    Old Opera House Theatre Company, Charles Town, WV
    Honorable Mention
    2018
  • "The Session" - Nominated for The Pushcart Prize
    The Distillery, literary journal
    Selection
    2008
  • "The Session" - Strawberry One-Act Festival
    Riant Theatre, NYC
    Finalist
    2005
  • MANHATTANIA! - Mountain Playhouse 2016 Playwriting Contest
    Mountain Playhouse, Jennerstown, PA
    Finalist
    2016