Dr. Hydra and the Eye

by Philip Kaplan

Marta has sacrificed her life to care for her ailing father, Herman. Enter Ken, an awkward comic book historian, searching for proof that Herman wrote Dr. Hydra and the Eye, a short-lived, but influential comic book. Ken has written a Dr. Hydra screenplay, but needs the rights in order to get it produced. Marta is willing to help but she knows nothing of this aspect of her father’s past, and Herman has...

Marta has sacrificed her life to care for her ailing father, Herman. Enter Ken, an awkward comic book historian, searching for proof that Herman wrote Dr. Hydra and the Eye, a short-lived, but influential comic book. Ken has written a Dr. Hydra screenplay, but needs the rights in order to get it produced. Marta is willing to help but she knows nothing of this aspect of her father’s past, and Herman has advanced Alzheimer’s. However, there are boxes to explore and secrets to uncover.

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Dr. Hydra and the Eye

Recommended by

  • Leonard Madrid: Dr. Hydra and the Eye by Philip Kaplan
    “

    I don't know how to describe this play in a way that does it justice. I have never seen a play that conveys loss and loneliness in a way that has you laughing constantly. Two lovely characters who are lonely in their own worlds are brought together by a comic book. Then there's a little magic.

    I don't know how to describe this play in a way that does it justice. I have never seen a play that conveys loss and loneliness in a way that has you laughing constantly. Two lovely characters who are lonely in their own worlds are brought together by a comic book. Then there's a little magic.

    ”
  • Kate Danley: Dr. Hydra and the Eye by Philip Kaplan
    “

    A funny, heartbreaking piece that will have your audiences laughing and crying! Dr. Hydra and the Eye explores the complexities of adult relationships as it brings two people together with all their baggage and imperfections in this fairytale of magical realism. It has two beautiful roles for actors 50+ and a message of kindness and hope for audiences.

    A funny, heartbreaking piece that will have your audiences laughing and crying! Dr. Hydra and the Eye explores the complexities of adult relationships as it brings two people together with all their baggage and imperfections in this fairytale of magical realism. It has two beautiful roles for actors 50+ and a message of kindness and hope for audiences.

    ”
  • Jerry Polner: Dr. Hydra and the Eye by Philip Kaplan
    “

    Dr. Hydra and the Eye is a warm and winning comedy about a 50ish woman whose life caring for her dying father is interrupted by a comic book buff who believes, but can’t prove, that her father authored his favorite comic of all time. A lovely, touching story for everyone who has ever tried to build their whole future on a shaky, faintly remembered past.

    Dr. Hydra and the Eye is a warm and winning comedy about a 50ish woman whose life caring for her dying father is interrupted by a comic book buff who believes, but can’t prove, that her father authored his favorite comic of all time. A lovely, touching story for everyone who has ever tried to build their whole future on a shaky, faintly remembered past.

    ”
Marta Eichenbery A cheerful yet worn down woman 50 F
Ken Lewis An obsessed and depressed man 40s M

Development History

  • Reading, The Vivid Stage, 2024
  • Reading, The Shelter NYC, 2019

Awards

  • Finalist New Comedies Fest
    B Street Theatre
    Finalist
    2025
  • NewPlayFest
    American Association of Community Theatre (AACT)
    Semi-Finalist
    2022
  • 2020 New American Voices Playwriting Festival
    The Landing Theatre Company
    Semi-Finalist
    2020