The Fierce Urgency Of Now by Doug DeVita

FULL LENGTH, 87 Pages / For sample pages and/or information about licensing / purchase visit Next Stage Press: https://www.nextstagepress.com/the-fierce-urgency-of-now/

WINNER Fresh Fruit Awards of Distinction for Outstanding Play and Outstanding Production
SEMI-FINALIST: We Screenplay Spring 2021 Diverse Voices Competition

"The writing is fresh, funny, and smart...
FULL LENGTH, 87 Pages / For sample pages and/or information about licensing / purchase visit Next Stage Press: https://www.nextstagepress.com/the-fierce-urgency-of-now/

WINNER Fresh Fruit Awards of Distinction for Outstanding Play and Outstanding Production
SEMI-FINALIST: We Screenplay Spring 2021 Diverse Voices Competition

"The writing is fresh, funny, and smart without striving for hilarity. It hits where it's meant to hit."
– Nancy Worssam, ArtsStage-SeattleRage

This fast-moving comedy follows art director Kyle as he tries to discover his real self amid the power struggles and skewed priorities of a high-powered New York ad agency. After an office restructuring puts him in a new creative group run by the megalomaniac homophobe Kate, he finds an unlikely ally in copywriter Dodo, a living-legend from the era of “Mad Men” who not-so-gently prods Kyle to the uncomfortable but inevitable realization that “It’s time to take off. And soar.”

An abridged audio version is currently inaugurating the Fresh Fruit Festival's Radio Play Series; a link to the stream is in the "Music Samples" below.
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The Fierce Urgency Of Now

Recommended by

  • Wolfgang Jones:
    19 Jan. 2024
    “ I was hooked early and held throughout. Razor-sharp dialogue blended with purpose, depth, and wit - Doug DeVita displays his craftsmanship in a play I am eager to see onstage. ”
  • Ricardo Soltero-Brown:
    10 Dec. 2023
    “ Doug DeVita's dialogue is like a roller coaster, you have to buckle in because you're in for a ride. The character work on the page is particularly astounding, everyone has their own little ticks, sayings, triggers, etc. The toxic work environment is viscerally rendered through dynamics between Kate and, well, everybody. The tension in the office reaches the levels of satire in Branden Jacobs Jenkins' GLORIA or Caryl Churchill's SERIOUS MONEY, mixed with the actualization dramas of Tarell Alvin McCraney (MARCUS, etc.) or the acerbic works of Christopher Durang. The multimedia aspects never get in the way, rather they immerse. ”
  • Tom Rowan:
    25 Feb. 2023
    “ DeVita skewers the work environment of a busy New York ad agency with terrific accuracy and economy. The characters are appealing even (especially?) when behaving atrociously, and DeVita imbues the relationships with growing emotional resonance without ever getting manipulative or sentimental. Expertly done. ”
View all 37 recommendations

Kyle M early 30s, any race; an angry young(ish) advertising art director
Dodo F, late 60s/early 70s, looks younger, Caucasian; an older copywriter from the Mad Men era
Kate, F, late 30s/early 40s, any race; a bitter creative director
Neil, M, early 50s, any race; an aging, bisexual account manager
Meryl, F, early 30s, any race; a fast-rising young(ish) copywriter

Plus pre-recorded voiceovers:
Deirdre Goldfarb, F, 50s; a control freak account manager
Anita, F, any age; an insane client
Pilot / Control Tower Announcer; M, any age
Various colleagues, etc...

Development History

  • Reading
    ,
    Schoolhouse Theatre, Croton Falls NY
    ,
    2019
  • Reading
    ,
    Abingdon Theatre Company, New York
    ,
    2015

Production History

  • Fringe
    ,
    The Fresh Fruit Festival, New York, NY
    ,
    2016
  • Workshop
    ,
    Arouet, Seattle, Washington
    ,
    2014

Awards

Semi-Finalist
,
We Screenplays 2021 Diverse Voices Competition
,
2020
Winner
,
Outstanding Play
,
All Out Arts / The Fresh Fruit Festival
,
2017