Brian Quirk

Quirk’s plays include MARROW text from was part of (IM)PULSE, Spectrum Dance produced in Association with Seattle Repertory Theater, directed by Donald Byrd; WARREN (or) Those People, produced at Boise Contemporary Theater and nominated for the 2015 Pulitzer Prize; MAPPLETHORPE/The Opening, produced at The Provincetown Playhouse, San Francisco’s New Conservatory Theater Center, San Diego’s Sixth@Penn, and The Bahama’s Popop Studios, directed by John Stix. Developmental work and readings include: Playpenn, Seven Devils, Primary Stages, The Atlantic Theater Company, Ensemble Studio Theater, Hudson Stage, The Actors Studio, Thingamajig Playwrights Festival, The Caldwell Theater, Dixon Place, id theater, The Axial Theater, and Emerging Artists. Quirk is Weissberger nominated and the recipient...

Quirk’s plays include MARROW text from was part of (IM)PULSE, Spectrum Dance produced in Association with Seattle Repertory Theater, directed by Donald Byrd; WARREN (or) Those People, produced at Boise Contemporary Theater and nominated for the 2015 Pulitzer Prize; MAPPLETHORPE/The Opening, produced at The Provincetown Playhouse, San Francisco’s New Conservatory Theater Center, San Diego’s Sixth@Penn, and The Bahama’s Popop Studios, directed by John Stix. Developmental work and readings include: Playpenn, Seven Devils, Primary Stages, The Atlantic Theater Company, Ensemble Studio Theater, Hudson Stage, The Actors Studio, Thingamajig Playwrights Festival, The Caldwell Theater, Dixon Place, id theater, The Axial Theater, and Emerging Artists. Quirk is Weissberger nominated and the recipient of The Robert Chelsey award given to an emerging gay/lesbian playwright, the Erik A Takulan memorial endowed fellowship from Djerassi Resident Artists Program, a Leon Levy Foundation Grant, a John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation Grant both from the MacDowell Colony, an Arch and Bruce Brown Foundation Grant and The Jane Geuting Camp Fellowship from the Virginia Center for the Creative Arts. A three time MacDowell Colony Fellow, with residencies at The Ucross Foundation and The Helene Wurlitzer Foundation. Quirk received his BFA from New York University and is proud member of id theater’s “id-IOTS at play” writing group. He is also a Dramatist Guild member, and an alum of the Actors Studio Playwright/Directors Unit and Project Y Playwrights group.

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Scripts

The Juniper

by Brian Quirk

1
Cast Size
5
Genre
drama

The play is set in the early 80's in Fayeville, a fictional town in Arkansas and is inspired by the Brothers Grimm “The Juniper Tree.” It has Abe, a loving father, his child, Red, a gender nonconforming child … and an evil step-mother, Wren.

Wren is an opportunistic woman who has a gender nonconforming child of her own, a daughter named Lili. Wren makes a pact with the Devil so she and her daughter can live in...

The play is set in the early 80's in Fayeville, a fictional town in Arkansas and is inspired by the Brothers Grimm “The Juniper Tree.” It has Abe, a loving father, his child, Red, a gender nonconforming child … and an evil step-mother, Wren.

Wren is an opportunistic woman who has a gender nonconforming child of her own, a daughter named Lili. Wren makes a pact with the Devil so she and her daughter can live in wealth. Enter Abe and his son, Red, who has the singing voice of an angel, but is a girl born in a boy’s body.

Shame is brought upon Red but they continue to dress in girl's clothes and assert their identity with the encouragement of Lili. The children’s bond is swift, deep, and transformative.

Wren convinces her husband that his son is bringing public shame to the family and, as a pillar of the community and example, Red must be stopped at all cost.

Wren is destructive towards Red however the story transforms into the magical world of full on fairy tale and like the original, the evil step-mother’s plans are spoiled. The family, now a father with two children, lives in their happy home. Wren ends up in hell dancing with the Devil.

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Nerine

by Brian Quirk

Cast Size
4—5
Genre
drama

On the cusp of her adolescence, a gifted teenage girl--Nerine--moves to a housing project in Los Angeles with her mentally unstable mother and her over-protective “Oma.” Unable to go to school, Nerine channels her energy into creating a garden from the dust. But when her mother becomes pregnant, Nerine’s hopes for the future begin to collapse.

On the cusp of her adolescence, a gifted teenage girl--Nerine--moves to a housing project in Los Angeles with her mentally unstable mother and her over-protective “Oma.” Unable to go to school, Nerine channels her energy into creating a garden from the dust. But when her mother becomes pregnant, Nerine’s hopes for the future begin to collapse.

Mapplethorpe/The Opening

by Brian Quirk

Cast Size
1
Genre
biography,
drama,
experimental,
political

This solo piece is inspired by Robert Mapplethorpe's first sex photography show. The art world is brought to life depicting famous patrons and figures from the artist's life as they respond to Mapplethorpe's graphic work. The resulting play leaves the audience inspired and assaulted but most of all, the viewer is a VIP guest in the provocative world of the 1970s downtown art scene.

This solo piece is inspired by Robert Mapplethorpe's first sex photography show. The art world is brought to life depicting famous patrons and figures from the artist's life as they respond to Mapplethorpe's graphic work. The resulting play leaves the audience inspired and assaulted but most of all, the viewer is a VIP guest in the provocative world of the 1970s downtown art scene.