Ellie Melick

Ellie Melick is a playwright, screenwriter, and educator based more or less in New York. Her work explores the body, control issues, and the violence of femininity, and she considers Euripedes' The Bacchae and Lady Gaga's performance of "Paparazzi" at the 2009 VMAs among her greatest influences.

Ellie’s work has been developed by 46 Minutes Collective, Yonder Window Theatre Company and The 24 Hour Plays. Her feature screenplay SLEDHEAD won the Alfred P. Sloan Script Competition at CMU and received an honorable mention from the 2025 Sloan Student Grand Jury Prize. She holds an M.F.A. in Dramatic Writing from Carnegie Mellon University and a B.A. from Kenyon College, where she was awarded the James E. Michael Prize in Playwriting.

Ellie Melick is a playwright, screenwriter, and educator based more or less in New York. Her work explores the body, control issues, and the violence of femininity, and she considers Euripedes' The Bacchae and Lady Gaga's performance of "Paparazzi" at the 2009 VMAs among her greatest influences.

Ellie’s work has been developed by 46 Minutes Collective, Yonder Window Theatre Company and The 24 Hour Plays. Her feature screenplay SLEDHEAD won the Alfred P. Sloan Script Competition at CMU and received an honorable mention from the 2025 Sloan Student Grand Jury Prize. She holds an M.F.A. in Dramatic Writing from Carnegie Mellon University and a B.A. from Kenyon College, where she was awarded the James E. Michael Prize in Playwriting.

Scripts

The Thru-Hikers

by Ellie Melick

Cast Size
4—5
Genre
comedy,
experimental,
immersive,
movement/physical,
romantic comedy

Kay and Peter are on this backpacking trip to save their marriage. Rena and Lance are on this backpacking trip to evade Lance’s marriage. Both couples are on this trip for privacy, but the woods aren’t as private as they seem. Especially not when those woods are played by a live audience. (This one’s immersive. Bring a raincoat.)

Kay and Peter are on this backpacking trip to save their marriage. Rena and Lance are on this backpacking trip to evade Lance’s marriage. Both couples are on this trip for privacy, but the woods aren’t as private as they seem. Especially not when those woods are played by a live audience. (This one’s immersive. Bring a raincoat.)

Edge Call

by Ellie Melick

1
Cast Size
4
Genre
dark comedy,
movement/physical

The U.S. Figure Skating Championship was supposed to be a showdown between 16-year-old rivals Stephanie Oakley and Jinny Desai. But newcomer Bella Miller pulls off a stunning upset and takes the gold. A few days later, she takes her own life. Stephanie and Jinny don’t know what went wrong for Bella, they only know what went wrong for them. And they’ll tell you about it, sure, if it helps. But then they really...

The U.S. Figure Skating Championship was supposed to be a showdown between 16-year-old rivals Stephanie Oakley and Jinny Desai. But newcomer Bella Miller pulls off a stunning upset and takes the gold. A few days later, she takes her own life. Stephanie and Jinny don’t know what went wrong for Bella, they only know what went wrong for them. And they’ll tell you about it, sure, if it helps. But then they really need to get back to the rink.

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PassionSculpt

by Ellie Melick

1
Cast Size
7—10
Genre
comedy,
dark comedy,
horror,
movement/physical,
mystery/thriller,
parody/spoof

Jenna is a regular at PassionSculpt Studios, where women sweat, sculpt, and juice their way to happiness. When top instructor Serena invites her to apply to teacher training, Jenna commits her mind+body+soul to the program. Soon she learns not everyone who starts the training becomes an instructor– or lives to see the end of it.

Jenna is a regular at PassionSculpt Studios, where women sweat, sculpt, and juice their way to happiness. When top instructor Serena invites her to apply to teacher training, Jenna commits her mind+body+soul to the program. Soon she learns not everyone who starts the training becomes an instructor– or lives to see the end of it.

Cavities

by Ellie Melick

Cast Size
1
Genre
dark comedy,
mystery/thriller,
zoom

Beatrice has been incarcerated at a psychiatric hospital since she was twelve years old. The pandemic has given her a chance at an early release, and she is more than ready to return to society. So please just let her prove it to you.

Beatrice has been incarcerated at a psychiatric hospital since she was twelve years old. The pandemic has given her a chance at an early release, and she is more than ready to return to society. So please just let her prove it to you.