Daniel Prillaman

Daniel Prillaman

"l try to make everyone's day a little more surreal." -Bill Watterson

Daniel (he/him) is a neurodivergent actor/writer/ginger Virginian based out of Northern Ohio. While he adores all theatre, he has a special fondness for horror, folklore, and absurdism. You'll find a lot of that below, but some other things too. Ultimately, he loves plays about honest people (or talking...
"l try to make everyone's day a little more surreal." -Bill Watterson

Daniel (he/him) is a neurodivergent actor/writer/ginger Virginian based out of Northern Ohio. While he adores all theatre, he has a special fondness for horror, folklore, and absurdism. You'll find a lot of that below, but some other things too. Ultimately, he loves plays about honest people (or talking animals) in situations he hasn't seen before.

When not gleefully giving his "soul" to artistic endeavors and projects, he legitimately enjoys long walks on the beach, a video game with a glass of wine, and biscuits.

His plays include A PIRATE CAROL, THE ASHEN CROWN, and YOU SEE THEM IN THE CORNERS OF YOUR EYES, which have been produced in camp workshops and schools across the United States. His cosmic horror, IN THE SLUSH, was a Finalist for the 2023 Princess Grace Award.

Daniel is an alumnus of the University of Virginia and a member of the Dramatists Guild.

LOOKING FOR A SPECIFIC PLAY?
Plays are organized below by alphabetical order: Full-Lengths, One-Acts, Ten Minutes, Shorts, and Monologues.

NEW HERE AND DON'T KNOW WHERE TO START? IF YOU LIKE X, CHECK OUT:
Absurdism: "Art Duty;" "Bereavement Leave;" "Pit."
Cringe/Comedy: "The Bad Shepherd;" "How to Talk to Your Child About...'s."
Fantasy: "Rielle and the Owl Hunter;" "The Ashen Crown."
Horror: "You See Them in the Corners of Your Eyes;" "Pink Moscato;" "Water Damage."
Talking Animals: "Black, White, & Red All Over;" "Field Trip;" "Lady and the Raccoon."

Plays

  • altitude
    SEMI-HOSTAGE STONER COMEDY ADVENTURE
    FULL-LENGTH: When their car breaks down and leaves them stranded by the side of the road, Casper and Denton encounter a mysterious girl in a deer mask, a woman who may or may not be a human police officer, and loads of unexpected (and unwanted) free time. At least Denton has weed. A semi-hostage stoner comedy adventure about the things we have control over, the things...
    SEMI-HOSTAGE STONER COMEDY ADVENTURE
    FULL-LENGTH: When their car breaks down and leaves them stranded by the side of the road, Casper and Denton encounter a mysterious girl in a deer mask, a woman who may or may not be a human police officer, and loads of unexpected (and unwanted) free time. At least Denton has weed. A semi-hostage stoner comedy adventure about the things we have control over, the things we don’t, and the difference between the two.

    Content Warning: Drug use, excessive fucking language.
  • Art Duty
    DYSTOPIAN SECURITY GUARD SHENANIGANS
    FULL-LENGTH: TODAY ONLY! AT ART PLAZA! THE STATE-SANCTIONED ART IS WAITING FOR YOU TO VIEW IT WITH YOUR EYEBALLS! Please don't ask questions or bother the Security. They are just doing their job. Remember, if you make it weird, they're here to kill you, not themselves.

    Content Warning: Graphic discussion of violence and suicide. Characters...
    DYSTOPIAN SECURITY GUARD SHENANIGANS
    FULL-LENGTH: TODAY ONLY! AT ART PLAZA! THE STATE-SANCTIONED ART IS WAITING FOR YOU TO VIEW IT WITH YOUR EYEBALLS! Please don't ask questions or bother the Security. They are just doing their job. Remember, if you make it weird, they're here to kill you, not themselves.

    Content Warning: Graphic discussion of violence and suicide. Characters point guns at and fire at one another, but resulting violence is depicted offstage.
  • The Ashen Crown
    HORROR FANTASY WAR SONG
    FULL-LENGTH: At the ashen remains of a war-torn city, two queens meet with a rebel terrorist to negotiate terms of a peace treaty. However, their talks are soon interrupted by the appearance of a disquieting stranger, whose words set the women down a dark and frightening path of madness. Part Horror Fantasy, part war song, "The Ashen Crown" is a tale of violence, why we...
    HORROR FANTASY WAR SONG
    FULL-LENGTH: At the ashen remains of a war-torn city, two queens meet with a rebel terrorist to negotiate terms of a peace treaty. However, their talks are soon interrupted by the appearance of a disquieting stranger, whose words set the women down a dark and frightening path of madness. Part Horror Fantasy, part war song, "The Ashen Crown" is a tale of violence, why we cause it, and what it causes for us.

    Content Warning: Graphic violence.
  • The Bad Shepherd
    DYSFUNCTIONAL INTERVENTION FAMILY COMEDY
    FULL-LENGTH: Petey Shepard has a problem. Now, sneaking out in the middle of the night to shave the wool off other people’s sheep is a mostly harmless problem. But it needs to stop. And it will, because early this morning, the rest of the family has gathered for an intervention, and it will either go well, or tear apart the fabric holding them all together. A...
    DYSFUNCTIONAL INTERVENTION FAMILY COMEDY
    FULL-LENGTH: Petey Shepard has a problem. Now, sneaking out in the middle of the night to shave the wool off other people’s sheep is a mostly harmless problem. But it needs to stop. And it will, because early this morning, the rest of the family has gathered for an intervention, and it will either go well, or tear apart the fabric holding them all together. A weirder living room comedy about our vices, our faiths, and our families, and the fact we only get to choose some of these things.
  • Bereavement Leave
    DARK OFFICE GRIEF COMEDY
    FULL-LENGTH: When their supervisor commits suicide, Two, Three, and Four struggle to keep their composure while navigating promotions, new hires, and the unique, emotionally arduous nature of their office job, killing the roughly 150000 people who die each day.

    Content Warning: Depiction and discussion of suicide, sexual misconduct.
  • Fever Dream
    QUARANTINE CINEMA PLAGUE HORROR
    FULL-LENGTH [Open to Development]: After the sudden death of her roommate to a mysterious virus, an English Major finds herself in quarantine, which slowly takes a disturbing, increasingly surreal toll on her mental health. Or perhaps she’s just dealing with grief in a completely normal way.

    Content Warning: Sexual content, violence.

    ...
    QUARANTINE CINEMA PLAGUE HORROR
    FULL-LENGTH [Open to Development]: After the sudden death of her roommate to a mysterious virus, an English Major finds herself in quarantine, which slowly takes a disturbing, increasingly surreal toll on her mental health. Or perhaps she’s just dealing with grief in a completely normal way.

    Content Warning: Sexual content, violence.

    PLAYWRIGHT’S NOTE:
    The draft of this play was written in 2016, about four years before the Coronavirus pandemic reached the US. Quite literally, it has become a pre-Quarantine quarantine play. It has become a piece of a different time, when I was a different playwright and different person.

    I’ve thought often about this script over the past years, and must honestly say I don’t exactly know what this play is anymore, or where its existence stands in a world forever altered by COVID. I offer it here to share with any who may be interested in checking it out, in its current form or whatever it may become. If you have any thoughts, I would love to hear them.

    Please enjoy.
  • In the Slush
    NEW DRAFT - 10/24/22
    *FINALIST - Princess Grace Award, New Dramatists, 2023

    COSMIC HORROR IDENTITY THRILLER
    FULL-LENGTH [In Development]: While reading through her publishing house's slush pile, a pregnant and newlywed editorial assistant encounters a mysterious manuscript that claims she isn't human. That her baby is the Second Coming of an ancient darkness that wishes to...
    NEW DRAFT - 10/24/22
    *FINALIST - Princess Grace Award, New Dramatists, 2023

    COSMIC HORROR IDENTITY THRILLER
    FULL-LENGTH [In Development]: While reading through her publishing house's slush pile, a pregnant and newlywed editorial assistant encounters a mysterious manuscript that claims she isn't human. That her baby is the Second Coming of an ancient darkness that wishes to devour the world. She is its vessel. It has to be some sort of joke. ...But what if it's not?

    A cosmic horror about ambition, creation, and the things we'll do to realize our dreams.
  • The King's Plague (Rielle and the Owl Hunter - Part I)
    NEW DRAFT - 3/21/24

    MEDIEVAL DARK FANTASY ADVENTURE
    FULL-LENGTH [In Development]: When an unknown illness places King Aymon upon his deathbed, the Princess Friede embarks on a journey west in search of an apothecary who might hold the knowledge needed to save his life. Along the way, she must enlist the assistance of a woman in the only profession older than nobility, an Owl Hunter, who...
    NEW DRAFT - 3/21/24

    MEDIEVAL DARK FANTASY ADVENTURE
    FULL-LENGTH [In Development]: When an unknown illness places King Aymon upon his deathbed, the Princess Friede embarks on a journey west in search of an apothecary who might hold the knowledge needed to save his life. Along the way, she must enlist the assistance of a woman in the only profession older than nobility, an Owl Hunter, who puts others in their graves in exchange for coin.

    Content Warning: Graphic violence, sexual content, false imprisonment.

    (I am actively welcoming feedback at this time. If you have any thoughts you wish to share, please feel free to email me at danielprillaman@gmail.com)
  • Lamentations (Rielle and the Owl Hunter - Part II)
    MEDIEVAL DARK FANTASY ADVENTURE
    FULL-LENGTH [In Development]: As the King’s health continues to decline, Princess Friede and Mærwynn arrive in Mithun only to find it decimated by plague, the target of their search dead. As they struggle to determine their next course of action, a shocking death reverberates throughout the Capital city, setting off a chain of events that threaten to upheave the throne...
    MEDIEVAL DARK FANTASY ADVENTURE
    FULL-LENGTH [In Development]: As the King’s health continues to decline, Princess Friede and Mærwynn arrive in Mithun only to find it decimated by plague, the target of their search dead. As they struggle to determine their next course of action, a shocking death reverberates throughout the Capital city, setting off a chain of events that threaten to upheave the throne itself.

    Content Warning: Graphic violence, false imprisonment, brief description of sexual assault.

    (I am actively welcoming feedback at this time. If you have any thoughts you wish to share, please feel free to email me at danielprillaman@gmail.com)
  • Pit
    ABSURD BUDDY IMPRISONMENT COMEDY
    FULL-LENGTH [In Development]: Hat and Glasses are being held captive in a pit. It’s their life now. It’s a simple one. One completely upended when their captor dumps a third victim into their space. A story of intrusion, dealing with change, and what to do with your poop when you live in a pit.

    Content Warning: False imprisonment, assault, violence, partial nudity.
  • A Pirate Carol
    HOLIDAY FRIENDSHIP DICKENS PARODY
    ONE-ACT: In a swashbuckling homage to the classic Dickens tale, the nicest pirate in the world must be taught the error of her friendly ways by the ghost of her former, mean-spirited first mate. (Appro-"pirate" for all ages).
  • Death Wears a Costume
    HALLOWEEN MURDER MYSTERY PARTY
    ONE-ACT: When a group of junior high students find a dead body at their Literary Detective Club’s Halloween party, they must solve the mystery of how it got there, and if one of their own was responsible.
  • Focus: A Zoom Play
    ABSURD ENSEMBLE ZOOM COMEDY
    ONE-ACT: Two eccentric Petras employees lead a focus group over Zoom to test out the company’s new product. It does not go to plan.

    Or does it? A comedy about the things we'll do for some extra cash.
  • For a Limited Time Only (The Bread Play)
    ROMANTIC HORROR BREAD COMEDY
    ONE-ACT: After getting the unlimited bread deal at the Italian Garden Factory, Arlo and Val are both stuffed and ready for the check. But their server doesn’t bring them their check. They bring them more bread. They keep...bringing them more bread. They won’t stop. They won’t ever stop. The bread is unlimited. And there is no escape. A romantic horror comedy about the hard...
    ROMANTIC HORROR BREAD COMEDY
    ONE-ACT: After getting the unlimited bread deal at the Italian Garden Factory, Arlo and Val are both stuffed and ready for the check. But their server doesn’t bring them their check. They bring them more bread. They keep...bringing them more bread. They won’t stop. They won’t ever stop. The bread is unlimited. And there is no escape. A romantic horror comedy about the hard truth that nothing lasts forever, except maybe bread.

    Content Warning: Sexual content, violence.
  • Pink Moscato
    CONTEMPORARY POE ADAPTATION
    ONE-ACT: Monty legit, honest to God, has a vending machine full of Pink Moscato in his basement. Fortune wants to see it. Monty will show her. Monty will show her a lot more than that. Because his revenge is going to go perfectly. A contemporary re-imagining of Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Cask of Amontillado.”

    Content Warning: Assault, false imprisonment with intent to murder, violence.
  • This Grass Kills People
    KILLER GRASS FABLE
    ONE-ACT: There's grass. It used to kill people. It still is. Emerson's gonna save people today. She has to.
  • Vignettes for an Idol Beachfront
    IRREVERENT CLOWN ENSEMBLE MYTHOLOGY
    ONE-ACT: Atalanta (not that one) and Antigone (that one) must determine what should be done when laundry day is interrupted by the appearance of a dead lady, especially after she comes back to life.

    Content Warning: Depiction of suicide, violence.
  • You See Them in the Corners of Your Eyes
    SPOOKY STORIES WOODS TWO-HANDER
    ONE-ACT: Every year, Max and Charlie meet at an old well in an old forest clearing to tell scary stories, eat S'mores, and just hang out. This year will be like every year. Or will it?

    Content Warning: Drug use.
  • The Apothecary
    POISON FANTASY DRAMA
    TEN MINUTE: In a village too small for a name, an apothecary has made a name for herself, selling poison to those with strange tastes and desires. Today, two villagers want her gone. And they will not take no for an answer.

    Content Warning: Violence.
  • Assassinating Zeus
    GOOSE THERAPY THRILLER
    TEN MINUTE: Two patients discuss a unique, goose-related problem with their therapist.

    Content Warning: Violence.
  • Barbarian
    VIKING VAMPIRE FAITH CLASH
    TEN MINUTE: In 798 A.D., a young boy encounters a fearsome Viking invader, fangs and all.

    Content Warning: Graphic violence.
  • Black, White, & Red All Over
    PANDEMIC ZOO ANIMAL BANTER
    [A Terrence & Ling-Ling Adventure]
    TEN MINUTE: April, 2020. A penguin and a panda meet each other (and the other’s respective species) for the first time.
  • The Comfort Zone
    BAR SWINGERS CRINGE COMEDY
    [Set in Gaelen and Ashleigh's Universe]
    TEN MINUTE: Michael has been having an off year or five. Nox suggests maybe he should just try saying "yes" more. But what happens when it's Gaelen and Ashleigh making the request?

    Content Warning: Graphic violence, sexual content.
  • Field Trip
    ANIMAL MUSEUM ESPIONAGE
    [A Terrence & Ling-Ling Adventure]
    TEN MINUTE: June, 2020. On an excursion to the museum, Terrence encounters a familiar face.
  • The Furniture Store
    ABSURD RETAIL SATIRE
    TEN MINUTE: Please come in. We are open.

    Content Warning: Violence.
  • The Get-Together
    SURREAL PARTY HORROR
    TEN MINUTE: Lora and Cassidy are at the party. They do not want to be at the party. Everyone else wants them to be at the party.

    Content Warning: Violence.
  • The Girl Who Could Talk to Birds
    ANIMAL SIDEKICK ROMANCE
    TEN MINUTE: Nora loves Patrick. But, alas, she knows not what to say to win his heart. Thankfully, she is friends with a bird who has some ideas.
  • Heartburn
    TERRIFYING DOCTOR VISIT
    TEN MINUTE: A patient goes to the doctor for chest pain. It's nothing major. Right?

    Right?
  • How to Talk to Your Child About BDSM
    INTERRUPTED BONDAGE FAMILY COMEDY
    TEN MINUTE: If someone interrupts your bondage session, it's always hard to explain yourself to them. It's even harder when the person is your ten-year-old son. A comedy about honesty, sex, and the surprising number of ways to have them.

    Content Warning: Strong sexual content. 
  • How to Talk to Your Child About Psychedelics
    INTERRUPTED DRUG TRIP FAMILY COMEDY
    TEN MINUTE: If someone interrupts your trip, it's always hard to explain yourself to them. It's even harder when the person is your sixteen-year-old daughter. A comedy about unwinding, drugs, and the surprising number of ways to use them.

    Content Warning: Drug use.
  • How to Talk to Your Child About Satan
    INTERRUPTED SATANISM FAMILY COMEDY
    TEN MINUTE: If someone interrupts your Satanic ritual, it's always hard to explain yourself to them. It's even harder when the person is your six-year-old daughter. A comedy about being yourself and the surprising number of ways to hail Satan.
  • I Don't DO Holidays
    HOLIDAY ROMANTIC COMEDY
    TEN MINUTE: It is Midsummer Solstice Harvest. Specifically, it is time for the Community Sacrifice of Midsummer Solstice Harvest. There's just one problem. Veruth does not enjoy the Community Sacrifice of Midsummer Solstice Harvest. Veruth does not enjoy Midsummer Solstice Harvest! And she can no longer pretend otherwise. How will this truth affect her companionship with...
    HOLIDAY ROMANTIC COMEDY
    TEN MINUTE: It is Midsummer Solstice Harvest. Specifically, it is time for the Community Sacrifice of Midsummer Solstice Harvest. There's just one problem. Veruth does not enjoy the Community Sacrifice of Midsummer Solstice Harvest. Veruth does not enjoy Midsummer Solstice Harvest! And she can no longer pretend otherwise. How will this truth affect her companionship with Piotr?

    Content Warning: Violence
  • I'm Gonna Need You to Log off for Me
    AI ARTIST COMEDY
    TEN MINUTE: Moxi's seeking representation as an artist. Only problem? She's an AI, and her portfolio isn't exactly the most original artwork in the world. It's pretty stolen, actually.
  • Lady and the Raccoon
    ANIMAL SPAGHETTI DINNER "DATE"
    [A Terrence & Ling-Ling Adventure]
    TEN MINUTE: Ling-Ling arranges a way for the nervous Terrence to practice for his upcoming date with Millie. Unfortunately, Millie's stand-in doesn't not make things weird.
  • Octavia
    GRAVE TEEN THRILLER
    TEN MINUTE: In the middle of the forest, Harriet digs a fairly large hole. Audrey doesn't help. But they both talk about why.
  • This Performance May Be Cancelled Due to Illness
    COVID-19 PERFORMANCE ANXIETY
    TEN MINUTE: Sick and Less Sick await the result of a COVID-19 rapid test. Will the show go on? Or down?

    And does the test actually make that difference?
  • The Unanticipated Betrayal of the Ongoing "Audition"-esque Situation in Kenny's Man Cave
    ROMANTIC TORTURE COMEDY
    [Set in Gaelen and Ashleigh's Universe]
    TEN MINUTE: Ashleigh is "Audition"-ing Kenny in his own man cave. Only problem is that she and Gaelen had planned to do the activity together, so what happens when Gaelen catches her in the act?

    Content Warning: Graphic violence, inferable spoilers for Takashi Miike's 1999 film, "Audition."
  • Water Damage
    SUPERNATURAL INVESTIGATION HORROR
    TEN MINUTE: A clairvoyant helps a troubled man determine the exact nature of his recent supernatural experiences.

    CW: Domestic violence/abuse (auditory).

    *This play was developed during Playdate Theatre’s 2021 New Work Development Conference.
    *This play is published by Smith & Kraus in "The Best Ten-Minute Plays 2023"
  • Ashleigh Says Out Loud the Thing She Meant to Say in Her Head
    SUBURBAN PARTY PREP WHOOPS
    [Set in Gaelen and Ashleigh's Universe]
    ONE MINUTE: Ashleigh and Diana are prepping for a fire pit get-together in the backyard. Then Ashleigh says out loud the thing she meant to say in her head.

    Content Warning: Graphic violence.
  • A Short Visual Aid of Life in America During the Year of Our Lord, 2020
    BASEBALL PANDEMIC METAPHOR
    TWO MINUTE: Two outs. Bases loaded. Everything is on Gonzalez' shoulders as he steps up to the plate.
  • Gratitude 4
    DESERT SURVIVAL ADVENTURE
    ONE MINUTE: A crash survivor struggles in a vast desert.
  • Gratitude 31
    SMOKING EXCHANGE SCENE
    ONE MINUTE: Two smokers share an encounter amidst the sounds of the city.
  • The RAKEoning
    RAKES RAKES RAKES
    [Set in Gaelen and Ashleigh's Universe]
    TWO MINUTE: The Solis' rake is missing. What happened? Ashleigh took it. Why? That question has a more interesting answer.

    Content Warning: Substance abuse.
  • The Remarkably Unremarkable Crucifixion of Emma Reynolds
    EXPERIMENTAL MAGIC BULLYING
    MONOLOGUE/TEN MINUTES: Emma tells us, the audience, about a school assembly that took an unexpected turn.
  • A Reputation (A Short Monologue About Matthew Weaver, Whom I Have Never Met and Hopefully Takes No Issue With the Existence of the Following Existential Musings)
    MATTHEW WEAVER PHILOSOPHIZING
    MONOLOGUE/TWO MINUTES: A human who has never met Matthew Weaver talks about Matthew Weaver.