Michael Weems

Devon's lost her mental crutch and her anxiety soars, as the real world falls apart.

A young cop, Chad, is drinking away his troubles after a shooting accidentally kills a young girl. She returns to forgive him, but her appearance and the events haunt him further.

Our Cups Runneth Over (76 pgs)

Celebrate the holidays with the lovable staff of Our Cups Runneth Over, a failing lingerie boutique, as they unite to keep the store alive, protect a secret wedding proposal, repeatedly distract their red-nosed owner from tanking the sale, and still provide perky customer service! Just don’t play cards with the con artist (accompanied by his lovely consigliere) and try to avoid the flasher!

A man who can't handle the overload of information in modern society decides to drop out. (1 man/1 woman)

132 has received over thirty productions to date.

One, Three, Two by Michael Weems and directed by Lynn Polan, addresses the stranglehold technology (and its accompanying passwords and codes) has on modern life, strangling our need for simplicity. Daniel De Guzman is affecting as Jake, who has "gone fishing" instead of picking his son up at school, much to the consternation of his very capable wife Heather (Sarah Blannett Pharaon). The play moseys along rather pokily, as befits a man escaping from the rat race, but the satisfactory ending finds the couple determining a possible solution to Jake's problem." - NJ Arts Maven

"Perhaps you’ll identify closely with one of the scenes as my writing partner, Rebecca, and I did. In “One, Three, Two” a true numbers man has succumbed to the information glut of modern life. “I have four phone numbers and a pager,” the accountant Jake (John Leaf) says. Unable to remember numbers, he has lost his work and his self-worth. His wife, Heather (Sierra Schermerhorn), makes believable the swing from scolding to supportive talk therapist only those in a long-term relationship will recognize. This vignette was a little too close to home for these two writers." - Aisle Say, Twin Cities.

The girls are going back to camp! Not by choice, mind you. Grace, Camilla, and Mackenzie hold fond memories of their shared camp life, but that was too many years ago to admit. As their lives have changed, problems have arisen which prompts Grace’s husband to reunite the women and take a break from reality. As the women arrive, they find very little has changed, and struggle to keep their issues at bay.

Erica's ready for her short lived fighting career to be over. Just one more bout and she’ll never have to lace up again. Her trainer Jimmy and her rival, Kennedy, have other ideas.

OkayBetterBest brings the war of the sexes from NYC bars to the stage. The score, a mix of pop and musical theatre, accompanies the characters as they endure the painful lows and blissful highs of dating in a digital age. The show asks: can revenge be acquired by jilted women as they mercilessly seek a patsy for one night? Tricia and her girlfriends are out on the prowl, rebounding from past heartbreak. When Tricia’s plans to find Mr. Right Now don’t go as planned, the evening becomes a more personal war. The concert will include selections from this new musical such as ‘One More Round’, ‘Plain Jane’, ‘Be Careful What You Wish For’, ‘Never Too Old to Rock n’ Roll” and others.

The musical features a score and lyrics by Rhonda Kess (multiple NEA endowment winner, Conducted/Directed the British Premiere of Kurt Weill’s Johnny Johnson with the Royal Philharmonic) and book and lyrics by Michael Weems (DGA, MFA Graduate student at University of Nebraska at Omaha).

www.okaybetterbest.com

Todd’s evening was supposed to be ‘the usual’ – a few too many drinks at the bar he’s frequented for over twenty years, flirt terribly with unattainable women, and crash on his sister’s couch (again). When a beautiful stranger in a rain coat seeks his help and Todd finds he’ll never have another ‘usual night’ every again. He becomes intertwined with the new parents Erica and Brett. Erica is unhappy and Brett resents their child. Soon, Erica picks up Todd at a bar and becomes impregnated with his child, while Brett does the same to Todd's now ex girlfriend. As a large fight looms, Erica begs Todd to start a new life together. The bartender Bill creates a few white lies about the passing of each man which allows their new lives to start.

Two teenage girls are bitten by a shark on the same day and both lose a leg. As they
recover and bond over their injury, Tiffany is driven to find her new normal while Jess celebrates her pain and her believed to be new soul mate. While their family members scramble to maintain their own sanity and haphazardly plan for the future, they are too distracted to see their daughters slip into a world that deviates wildly from typical recovery.

This play was developed over the course of my masters studies at the University of Nebraska at Omaha and is currently unproduced. Inhabitants tiptoes around the lines of the typical dramatic story, utilizing doses of magical realism and humor to tell the story of their healing.

Dennis’ world comes crashing down when he is told by his long-suffering wife, that he simply is not giving enough. While he handles this admirably at first, trying to prove this false through everyday moments, his obsession with giving reaches new heights and even his closest family and friends worry for his sanity.

"GIVE TAKE is actually a fun comedy about divorce. That's a rare animal for sure! It does navigate the terribly dark waters of the human soul in marital crisis quite nimbly thanks to a cast that's up to the challenge to make it funny. Everyone in the show has a strong comic bit, and the script affords this for each of them. Debra Schultz directs everything at a whiz bang pace that is appreciated given the length of the show. Sets are sparse and effective, and the crew flips in and out of scenes nimbly with help from the ensemble. It's nice to see Cone Man Running giving voice to new artists and writers. They should be proud this one has been given life and taken care of by an exceptional ensemble." - Brett Cullum - Broadwayworld Houston

"Give/Take can be hard to watch at times. Dennis is clearly not of the right mind for most of the play. Watching him spiral out of control while his uncle begs for him to get help tugs at the heart strings. His disastrous dates, while amusing, frame just how desperate he is to show up his ex-wife at the expense of his dates. The play does bring out multiple emotions, it flips between comedy and drama at will. While it does not go as far to become a tragedy, it gets close at times. The strong cast does make you feel for them, which makes the play work." - H.G. Welch - Red Publication

Oh what the heck, one more drink can't hurt. Right?

Sidney's graduation was supposed to be a mild celebration - a camping trip to celebrate good times and his love of birds. As the drinks are poured, everyone's innermost desires come to light and the evening's course turns equal parts hilarious and tragic. Only the innocence of youth, the maturity of a few wise souls, and some fleeting moments of non-inebriation can potentially avoid total catastrophe.

A Common Martyr 5th out of 100 for Newman University’s 2013 Playwriting Competition.

The Right Kind of People - full length (67 pages. Cast of 3. 1W/2M. In his short dating life, Tim's never gotten a written invitation to a blind date. He's never been on a picnic to the outdoors; never met someone who refused to own any kind of electronic device; or who would eagerly watch a hockey game with him. Tim's never been in love. Tim's never met a girl like Eva