Conor McShane

SHORT RADIO PLAY - As a private detective, Max has been finding missing people for a long time; how long, he can't quite remember. But nowadays, it's a lot harder to disappear, and the work's dried up. So when a young woman named Eva comes into his office, hoping to hire him to find her lost father, it just might be the break he's been looking for. But there's something strangely familiar about Eva, a feeling Max can't shake, and he may know more about this case than he realizes.

In 1997, Chicago's Lady Mondegreen were about to be come the next great rock band. That is, until they're lead singer Nick was found dead of an overdose. Reeling from the loss of their band and their friend, bassist Cass and drummer Greg had no choice but to pick up the pieces and move on. 20 years later, in anniversary of their major label debut, Cass and Greg reunite for a hometown show, joined by Nick's now-grown daughter Priscilla, stepping into her dad's place. As they wait backstage, aided by a PA named Carla, reminiscence turns to unresolved grief and buried resentments, threatening to derail the show before it begins. Moving back and forth through time, Isolated in the Light deconstructs the rock star myth, while celebrating the power that music can have.

The 1850s. German-born inventor Joseph Faber is unveiling the most recent version of his life's work: an incredibly sophisticated "talking machine." Capable of speaking any word in several languages, it's the most advanced machine of its kind. The only problem is, audiences are mostly indifferent or, at worst, actively hostile. So when Faber is approached by up-and-coming showman P.T. Barnum with the chance to take his invention to London, he can't help but take the opportunity.
The 1950s. A young woman named Allison struggles to settle into the life of a happy homemaker, a life she's not sure she even wants. Her husband doesn't understand her, doctors don't know what to do for her, and the specter of depression is ever-present.
Euphonia charts these dual courses, weaving a narrative of unmatched expectations, familial love, and the struggle to be understood.

Seventeen year-old Amber thinks that running away from her stifling suburban life to the big, bad city of Chicago is going to solve all her problems. For her Uncle David, at whose apartment she arrives unexpectedly one night, the problems are just beginning. Over the course of several days, Amber and David engage in a battle of wills, as David tries to get Amber to open up about her real reasons for running away.

"Uncle" Lou Taminski is the host of the long-running children's program Uncle Lou's Workshop, which has educated kids on how to build things for decades. But flagging ratings have forced Lou and his crew--including his daughter/producer Elizabeth--to try out all kinds of new ideas to breathe life into the show. But Lou's newest plan is the most daring of them all: come out as gay on his show. This revelation comes as a surprise to pretty much everyone, Elizabeth included. As protests begin to pop up and pressures from the studio begin to mount, Lou and his crew must decide whether to back off or double down.

Everyone probably has an aunt like Janelle. Eccentric, well-meaning but critical, a failed painter; overall, she's an outsider in the family. But Caroline always viewed herself as a bit of an outsider too. Spending time with aunt Janelle is never easy, but after moving to New York City to pursue a career in architecture, it becomes a lot harder to avoid. Over an evening of wine and forced pedicures, Caroline learns more about her aunt than she ever knew before, as the two women discuss life, art, dreams, and failed relationships. The Painted Staircase is an empathetic portrait of two women at different crossroads in their lives: one who's given up, and one who's just getting started.

Keith figured coming out to his parents would be no big deal. After all, a college professor and an artisan soap maker should be pretty liberal, right? As it turns out, while his mom, Fran, is supportive, his dad Terry is surprisingly ambivalent. Terry's reticence to accept his son's sexuality is surprising to Keith, Fran, and most of all, Terry himself. As he struggles to come to grips with his feelings, his hesitation threatens to drive a wedge between him and his son, as Keith starts dating Alan, a much older man. Can Terry and Keith come to a resolution before their relationship is ruined forever?

Alice has a challenging relationship with her dad, Roger. Ever since her mom passed away, Roger's spent most of his time in his work shed, building inventions that inevitably end up falling apart. When she brings her new fiancé, Norm, back home to introduce him, Roger can't help but show off the newest thing he's been working on: a Personal Transportation Device (don't call it a jet pack!). Will it fly, or will it end up on the reject pile like all the others? Will Alice and Roger be able to heal their relationship? Will Norm end up being killed accidentally in the process? Takeoff is a heartfelt dramedy about family, grief, and flying machines.

A site-specific work written for Nothing Without a Company's 2nd Annual New World Play Festival, 2019. In the shade of two strange old trees, best friends Charlotte and Leo leave messages for their future selves. Little do they know these trees are presided over by The Steward, a mysterious caretaker who collects what's left in the trees' many hiding spots. Years later, Charlotte and Leo reunite to see whether or not their lives measure up to their younger dreams.

Damien has grown up infatuated with the story of how his parents met: on a rainy day, they shared an umbrella, and it was love at first sight. Or was it? Damien's quest to have his own "Umbrella Moment" causes him to reject plenty of women along the way to true love, until a chance meeting with Margaret at a fruit stand may give Damien the fateful meeting he's been waiting for. But expectations are never quite like reality.

Paul and Vera are at the courthouse, waiting to get hitched. Only one problem: they've never met before. They've both signed on for a social experiment where strangers get married for a cash payout, and they're both just desperate enough to do it. But as they wait their turn, they get to know each other, and it gets harder to go through with their sham marriage.

It's a few years in the future, and California's inmate firefighters are more necessary than ever as wildfires rage across the state. Three inmates, Paul, Anthony, and Ignacio, unwind after returning from putting out a fire, only to be sent out again to put out another one. But after a close call the day before, Paul's not so sure he wants to get that close to the heat again.

In an empty theater, two figures take refuge in the warm glow of the ghost light. Out there is dark, cold, vast, where memories of who they were slowly disappear, but in the aura of the light, they can remember a little bit of their lives before. But something out there is looking for them, and they have to choose whether to stay by the light or face the unknown.

ZOOM PLAY - Burlesque performer Roxy LaRue has seen everything. They'd rather be onstage performing to their adoring fans, but there's this whole pandemic thing going on, so they're stuck teaching lessons on Zoom.
Maryanne and Clyde have tried everything. Their 27-year marriage has hit a long rough patch, and Maryanne is hopeful that a boa dancing class with Roxy will be just the thing to inject some spice into their relationship. But Clyde's not the most willing participant, and even the power of burlesque may not be enough to save their marriage.
Written and produced for Chicago Dramatists' Playwrights Aloud/Naked Angels Chicago virtual 48 Hour New Play Fest, March 2021