Michael Bucklin

Michael Bucklin began his career as an actor. He attended the Neighborhood Playhouse School of Theatre under the direction of the legendary Sanford Meisner. He appeared in numerous off- and off-off Broadway productions before turning his attention to playwriting. Michael’s work was produced in both New York and regional venues. He was a finalist at the Eugene O’Neill Conference of New Plays. He was also a winner in the Writer’s Digest Competition for Drama and was a finalist at the Live Oak Theatre’s International Play Competition. Michael returned to university to receive a degree in film from the University of Texas at Austin. Later, he attended UCLA’s Graduate Program in Screenwriting. Michael received the Burns and Allen Comedy Writing Award, the Harmony Gold Award for Writing...

Michael Bucklin began his career as an actor. He attended the Neighborhood Playhouse School of Theatre under the direction of the legendary Sanford Meisner. He appeared in numerous off- and off-off Broadway productions before turning his attention to playwriting. Michael’s work was produced in both New York and regional venues. He was a finalist at the Eugene O’Neill Conference of New Plays. He was also a winner in the Writer’s Digest Competition for Drama and was a finalist at the Live Oak Theatre’s International Play Competition. Michael returned to university to receive a degree in film from the University of Texas at Austin. Later, he attended UCLA’s Graduate Program in Screenwriting. Michael received the Burns and Allen Comedy Writing Award, the Harmony Gold Award for Writing Excellence, and the prestigious Samuel Goldwyn Writing Award. Recently, Michael’s play, Signature Photo, was a finalist in the McNerney New Play Contest, the Playhouse on the Square New Works Competition and the Risk Theatre Modern Tragedy Competition. The play also won first prize at the Austin Film Festival. The screenplay adaptation of Signature Photo was a finalist in the Academy Nicholl Fellowship Program. This year, Michael's newest play, Alliances, won second prize in the Julie Harris Playwriting contest. Michael teaches writing, theatre and acting at the University of California at Riverside and at California State University at Northridge.

Scripts

Ratiocination

by Michael Bucklin

Synopsis

Three years after the death of her child in a school shooting, Jenny remains on a crusade to silence the conspiracy theorists who deny the killings ever took place. Although she has won every defamation case and shut down dozens of websites, nothing has stopped the internet trolls from spewing violent threats and making outrageous claims. Jenny then meets Raymond, the disgraced ex-policeman who was drummed out...

Three years after the death of her child in a school shooting, Jenny remains on a crusade to silence the conspiracy theorists who deny the killings ever took place. Although she has won every defamation case and shut down dozens of websites, nothing has stopped the internet trolls from spewing violent threats and making outrageous claims. Jenny then meets Raymond, the disgraced ex-policeman who was drummed out of the Department for failing to stop the shooting. He offers Jenny a way to put an end to the conspiracy theorists’ vicious attacks. But the act may have dire consequences for them both.
Ratiocination explores the nature of grief and the corrosive effects of revenge, while at the same time examining the culture of toxic masculinity that renders forgiveness and redemption all but impossible.

Alliances

by Michael Bucklin

Synopsis

A long-standing relationship between a CIA agent and a British Security Service analyst is tested when it is revealed that one of them was once involved in America's rendition program. Their confrontation exposes the moral compromises each made during the War on Terror. The play examines the human cost of that foreign policy. It explores the growing fault-lines that exist between United States and Britain, and...

A long-standing relationship between a CIA agent and a British Security Service analyst is tested when it is revealed that one of them was once involved in America's rendition program. Their confrontation exposes the moral compromises each made during the War on Terror. The play examines the human cost of that foreign policy. It explores the growing fault-lines that exist between United States and Britain, and how they now threaten to destroy the "special relationship."

Signature Photo

by Michael Bucklin

Synopsis

Held captive by ISIS rebels, a photojournalist struggles to come to terms with her career and the controversial photograph that made her famous.

Held captive by ISIS rebels, a photojournalist struggles to come to terms with her career and the controversial photograph that made her famous.