Skye Robinson Hillis

Skye Robinson Hillis

Skye Robinson Hillis (she/her) is a playwright, director, teacher, and dramaturg based in Washington, DC, previously of Chicago. Skye is a two time semi-finalist for the Princess Grace Award, and her work has been seen at the Kennedy Center's ACTF, Creede Repertory, The Route 66 Theatre Company, Chicago Dramatists, A Red Orchid Theatre, Piven Theatre Workshop, Artistic Home, Prologue Theatre Company,...
Skye Robinson Hillis (she/her) is a playwright, director, teacher, and dramaturg based in Washington, DC, previously of Chicago. Skye is a two time semi-finalist for the Princess Grace Award, and her work has been seen at the Kennedy Center's ACTF, Creede Repertory, The Route 66 Theatre Company, Chicago Dramatists, A Red Orchid Theatre, Piven Theatre Workshop, Artistic Home, Prologue Theatre Company, Polarity Ensemble Theatre, Ohio University, Columbia College, and the City of Chicago’s In the Works Play Lab at the Pritzker Pavillion in Millenium Park. Her play AND VASTER was awarded a residency at the New Works Lab at Stratford in 2015, winner of the 2015 Ashland New Plays Festival, and winner of the Holland New Voices Award at the Great Plains Theatre Conference in 2017. As a director and dramaturg, she has worked for Hartford Stage, Goodman Theatre, Court Theatre, A Red Orchid, Remy Bumppo, Stage Left, and more. Her other plays include GO LIKE SAINTS, THE MARTHA MITCHELL Mitchell EFFECT, BURY THE REST, ESCAPE VELOCITY, THE ORDINARINESS OF EVERYTHING ELSE, THE RUNNING MATE, INTO PLACE, and SELFISH. Skye has an MFA in Playwriting from Ohio University.

Plays

  • And Vaster by Skye Robinson Hillis
    Recommendations: 13
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    Cast: 
    5
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    Genre: comedy, drama
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    Keyword: acting, marriage + 6 more
    Genre: comedy, drama
    Keyword: acting, marriage, childlessness, terminal illness, parenthood, couples, family, women
    FULL-LENGTH: In their fifteen years together, married actors Michael and Corinne have stood by their decision to focus on their respective careers and each other, and not to have children. When Michael is suddenly confronted with a here-to-fore unknown seventeen-year-old daughter begotten from a one night stand, their years of meticulous planning are rendered useless, and they must revisit the decision they...
    FULL-LENGTH: In their fifteen years together, married actors Michael and Corinne have stood by their decision to focus on their respective careers and each other, and not to have children. When Michael is suddenly confronted with a here-to-fore unknown seventeen-year-old daughter begotten from a one night stand, their years of meticulous planning are rendered useless, and they must revisit the decision they made long ago and figure out how to assimilate a nearly grown-up child into their kid-free family dynamic, without losing each other in the process.
  • The Martha Mitchell Effect by Skye Robinson Hillis
    Recommendations: 1
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    Cast: 
    7
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    Genre: biography, dark comedy + 2 more
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    Keyword: Watergate, History + 7 more
    Genre: biography, dark comedy, drama, political
    Keyword: Watergate, History, gaslighting, women in history, female protagonist, US history, women-centered, Political History, journalism
    In his infamous interview with David Frost, Richard Nixon said that “without Martha Mitchell, there would be no Watergate.” And yet the name Martha Mitchell, once ubiquitous, has faded into the background of history. Bringing her story to the forefront, The Martha Mitchell Effect illustrates the world of the courageous women involved in breaking the Watergate scandal and explores their lasting impact on this country today.
  • Bury the Rest by Skye Robinson Hillis
    Recommendations: 11
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    Cast: 
    7
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    Genre: dark comedy, drama + 2 more
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    Keyword: gun violence, gun control + 7 more
    Genre: dark comedy, drama, political, tragedy
    Keyword: gun violence, gun control, mass shooting, grief, family, monologues, Politics, current events, NRA
    FULL-LENGTH: Following the death of their 17-year-old daughter Lucy in a mass high school shooting, friendly exes Margot and Colin find themselves at a moral impasse. Colin’s position as a Republican U.S. Senator makes it difficult for Margot and the rest of the family to reconcile the root of their grief with his continued support of the NRA. As Margot and Colin intertwine themselves during the grieving...
    FULL-LENGTH: Following the death of their 17-year-old daughter Lucy in a mass high school shooting, friendly exes Margot and Colin find themselves at a moral impasse. Colin’s position as a Republican U.S. Senator makes it difficult for Margot and the rest of the family to reconcile the root of their grief with his continued support of the NRA. As Margot and Colin intertwine themselves during the grieving process, their relationship takes a dark turn that leaves Colin’s new wife Laura on the outside and their remaining daughter Samantha to navigate this brave new world on her own. Each member of the family tumbles deeper into the cavernous rabbit hole of devastation, loneliness, and anger while Lucy, inexplicably caught between the living and the dead, must confront the truths of her short life while facing the terrifying looming reality that is her death. As they navigate the intimacies of their reforged relationship and rebuild themselves as a family, it may in fact be Lucy who decides their fate.
  • Go Like Saints by Skye Robinson Hillis
    Recommendations: 4
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    Cast: 
    6
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    Genre: comedy, dark comedy + 3 more
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    Keyword: HUAC, blacklist + 5 more
    Genre: comedy, dark comedy, drama, period, political
    Keyword: HUAC, blacklist, Hollywood, female friendship, Politics, congressional hearing, hollywood blacklist
    FULL-LENGTH: In 1951 Hollywood, at the height of the second Red Scare, a group of friends grapple with the fear and anxiety that sets in when your entire livelihood could be snatched away at any moment. When noted screenwriter Eliza Everett is called before the House on Un-American Committee to testify, her response to questioning sends shockwaves through the industry, including the people closest to her. As...
    FULL-LENGTH: In 1951 Hollywood, at the height of the second Red Scare, a group of friends grapple with the fear and anxiety that sets in when your entire livelihood could be snatched away at any moment. When noted screenwriter Eliza Everett is called before the House on Un-American Committee to testify, her response to questioning sends shockwaves through the industry, including the people closest to her. As she negotiates how to move forward, she must decide what’s most important – her career or her family.
  • Escape Velocity by Skye Robinson Hillis
    Recommendations: 6
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    Cast: 
    4
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    Genre: comedy, dark comedy + 3 more
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    Keyword: sexual revolution, the 1960's + 8 more
    Genre: comedy, dark comedy, drama, period, romantic comedy
    Keyword: sexual revolution, the 1960's, Sex, marriage, couples, 1960s, feminism, sexual freedom, infidelity, Drugs
    FULL-LENGTH: Weaving back and forth between California in 1963 and West Berlin in 1969, Escape Velocity explores the advent of the sexual revolution and its impact on two couples, as the husband from one couple and the wife from the other break free just enough to discover their new-found freedom and ecstasy in each other.
  • The Ordinariness of Everything Else by Skye Robinson Hillis
    Recommendations: 3
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    Cast: 
    5
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    Genre: comedy, dark comedy + 2 more
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    Keyword: open marriage, British + 8 more
    Genre: comedy, dark comedy, drama, romantic comedy
    Keyword: open marriage, British, marriage, polyamory, monogamy, couples, London, Sex, parenthood, Relationships
    FULL-LENGTH: With twenty-five years of a successful open marriage under their belt, Londoners Will and Sadie are inspired to reevaluate their lives and reinvent their own relationship when their son becomes involved in a polyamorous relationship.
  • The Running Mate by Skye Robinson Hillis
    Recommendations: 1
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    Cast: 
    8–12
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    Genre: comedy, dark comedy + 2 more
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    Keyword: campaign, marriage + 6 more
    Genre: comedy, dark comedy, drama, political
    Keyword: campaign, marriage, couples, family, American politics, feminism, large cast, ensemble
    FULL-LENGTH: In The Running Mate, a presidential campaign functions as a battle ground for the candidate and his equally successful wife. As they struggle to navigate America’s changing political climate and weave in and out of favor with the electorate, they must also find the balance of happiness, fulfillment, and sacrifice between the two parties of their own marriage across fifty states and fourteen months’ time.
  • Into Place by Skye Robinson Hillis
    Recommendations: 2
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    Cast: 
    5
    ·
    Genre: comedy, drama + 1 more
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    Keyword: small town, terminal illness + 6 more
    Genre: comedy, drama, tragedy
    Keyword: small town, terminal illness, trauma, Indiana, Relationships, rural life, romance, PTSD
    FULL-LENGTH: In a small town in Indiana, Frank Wheelan has lived every day the same since he can remember. Work, beer, bingo, Amazing Race night. When a former childhood crush returns to town with her ailing son, he begins to see things in a new way. His small life begins to grow and soon fills him to the brim with emotions and motivations he doesn’t understand. As she grapples with potentially losing her son,...
    FULL-LENGTH: In a small town in Indiana, Frank Wheelan has lived every day the same since he can remember. Work, beer, bingo, Amazing Race night. When a former childhood crush returns to town with her ailing son, he begins to see things in a new way. His small life begins to grow and soon fills him to the brim with emotions and motivations he doesn’t understand. As she grapples with potentially losing her son, Frank and his friends learn to open themselves up to new possibilities and prepare for what may await them outside county lines.
  • Selfish by Skye Robinson Hillis
    Recommendations: 1
    ·
    Cast: 
    5–7
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    Genre: comedy, drama + 1 more
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    Keyword: feminism, writing + 7 more
    Genre: comedy, drama, political
    Keyword: feminism, writing, childlessness, Memoir, podcast, women, family, marriage, journalism
    FULL-LENGTH: Celebrated memoirist and podcast host Susannah has made a career out of sharing her most personal experiences with the world, with the support of her journalist husband, Dave. Now, after achieving international notoriety, Susannah wrestles with the potential consequences of publishing a book that will give way to great controversy both publicly and in her own home. Believing the topic to be of...
    FULL-LENGTH: Celebrated memoirist and podcast host Susannah has made a career out of sharing her most personal experiences with the world, with the support of her journalist husband, Dave. Now, after achieving international notoriety, Susannah wrestles with the potential consequences of publishing a book that will give way to great controversy both publicly and in her own home. Believing the topic to be of enormous importance to women in today’s society, she must decide whether or not to move forward with her plans, risking her marriage and family in the process.
  • Fugitive Awareness by Skye Robinson Hillis
    Recommendations: 3
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    Cast: 
    1
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    Genre: adaptation, biography + 3 more
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    Keyword: kafka, letters + 1 more
    Genre: adaptation, biography, dark comedy, drama, movement/physical
    Keyword: kafka, letters, History
    10 MINUTE: Franz Kafka's on-again, off-again correspondence fiancee contemplates the pros and cons of maintaining her own independence.
  • Peripheral Resistance by Skye Robinson Hillis
    Recommendations: 3
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    Cast: 
    2
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    Genre: dark comedy, drama + 2 more
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    Keyword: couples
    Genre: dark comedy, drama, movement/physical, mystery/thriller
    Keyword: couples
    10 MINUTE: A chance encounter in a foreign country reunites a long-estranged couple whose only opportunity for closure lies in a series of mind games and unspoken challenges.
  • Present Divisions by Skye Robinson Hillis
    Recommendations: 3
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    Cast: 
    3
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    Genre: comedy, dark comedy + 3 more
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    Keyword: 1968, family + 3 more
    Genre: comedy, dark comedy, period, political, young audiences
    Keyword: 1968, family, feminism, second wave feminism, Presidential Election
    5 MINUTE: An American family adjusts to a changing political climate during tumultuous 1968.
  • Down to the River to Spit by Skye Robinson Hillis
    Recommendations: 2
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    Cast: 
    2
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    Genre: comedy, young audiences
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    Keyword: kids, comedy + 1 more
    Genre: comedy, young audiences
    Keyword: kids, comedy, precocious youths
    5 MINUTE: Two kids in the Deep South contemplate the existential consequences of spitting in a river.
  • Talking Backwards by Skye Robinson Hillis
    Recommendations: 1
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    Cast: 
    1
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    Genre: dark comedy, fable/folktale + 2 more
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    Keyword: Alice in Wonderland, Alice + 5 more
    Genre: dark comedy, fable/folktale, movement/physical, young audiences
    Keyword: Alice in Wonderland, Alice, Fantasy, Lewis Carroll, monologue, independence, breaking free
    MONOLOGUE: Alice contemplates her journeys to Wonderland while falling down the rabbit hole, again and again.
  • We're Bad Guys by Skye Robinson Hillis
    Recommendations: 5
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    Cast: 
    3
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    Genre: drama, mystery/thriller
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    Keyword: DC Comics, poison ivy + 6 more
    Genre: drama, mystery/thriller
    Keyword: DC Comics, poison ivy, Harley Quinn, Lois Lane, villains, DC, domestic violence, gaslighting
    5 MINUTE: Poison Ivy and Harley Quinn attempt to turn over a new "leaf" in order to join forces with the good guys to finally free Harley from the abuses of The Joker - and they need Lois Lane to make it happen.
  • Privateers by Skye Robinson Hillis
    Recommendations: 2
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    Cast: 
    3
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    Genre: adventure, biography + 5 more
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    Keyword: pirate, History + 4 more
    Genre: adventure, biography, dark comedy, docudrama/historic, movement/physical, period, satire
    Keyword: pirate, History, sword play, fight choreography, revenge, female pirates
    20 MINUTE: In the year 1349, French-slaying pirate (ahem, privateer) Jeanne de Clisson is confronted by the ghost of her slain husband and forced to re-evaluate what her life has become.
  • A Heart Unfortified by Skye Robinson Hillis
    Recommendations: 1
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    Cast: 
    2
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    Genre: drama, period + 1 more
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    Keyword: Hamlet, Shakespeare + 1 more
    Genre: drama, period, tragedy
    Keyword: Hamlet, Shakespeare, Gertrude and Claudius
    10 MINUTE: Following Polonius' murder, Gertrude and Claudius discuss the state of things, and deal with the ramifications of a dark confession. Inspired by Shakespeare's Hamlet.
  • Leave Those Kids Alone by Skye Robinson Hillis
    Recommendations: 3
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    Cast: 
    4
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    Genre: comedy, dark comedy + 1 more
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    Keyword: children, divorce + 1 more
    Genre: comedy, dark comedy, drama
    Keyword: children, divorce, family
    5 MINUTE: A group of young siblings try to pass the time as their world begins to shatter around them.
  • Lip Smackers by Skye Robinson Hillis
    Recommendations: 1
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    Cast: 
    2
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    Genre: comedy, period + 1 more
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    Keyword: Nineties, 90s + 6 more
    Genre: comedy, period, young audiences
    Keyword: Nineties, 90s, female friendship, preteens, middle school, sleepovers, YA, plays for young audiences
    5 MINUTE: Two twelve-year-old girls recount a disastrous sleepover in 1998.
  • Open and Shut by Skye Robinson Hillis
    Recommendations: 3
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    Cast: 
    4
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    Genre: comedy
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    Keyword: polyamory, open marriage + 5 more
    Genre: comedy
    Keyword: polyamory, open marriage, British, marriage, Relationships, heightened language, UK
    TEN MINUTE: With twenty-five years of a successful open marriage under their belt, Londoners Will and Sadie are inspired to reevaluate their lives and reinvent their own relationship when their son becomes involved in a polyamorous relationship.