John Minigan

John Minigan

John is a recent Massachusetts Cultural Council Artist Fellow in Dramatic Writing and New Repertory Theatre Next Voices Fellow. His plays have been presented by Circle Repertory Company, Urban Stages, Hey Jonte!, Centastage, Vagabond Theatre Company, New World Theatre, Clockwise, Good Company, Shelter West, and others. He is a 2020 winner of the New American Voices Festival, a 2019 winner of the Clauder...
John is a recent Massachusetts Cultural Council Artist Fellow in Dramatic Writing and New Repertory Theatre Next Voices Fellow. His plays have been presented by Circle Repertory Company, Urban Stages, Hey Jonte!, Centastage, Vagabond Theatre Company, New World Theatre, Clockwise, Good Company, Shelter West, and others. He is a 2020 winner of the New American Voices Festival, a 2019 winner of the Clauder Competition, a 2018 O'Neill and Lark finalist, a finalist for the Heidemann Award at Actors Theatre of Louisville, and a two-time Elliot Norton Award Best Play nominee. He has developed new work at the Utah Shakespearean Festival's New American Playwrights Project, New Repertory Theatre, Portland Stage Company, the Great Plains Theatre Conference, the Orlando Shakespeare Theater, Dayton Playhouse, and Vermont Actors' Rep. John is a five-time winner of the Firehouse Theatre New Works Contest, winner of the Nantucket Short Play Contest, the KNOCK International Short Play Competition, the Rover Dramawerks Competition, the Longwood 0-60 Competition, and the 8-Minute Madness Festival in New York City. He is a member of The Playwrights Center and StageSource and is a Dramatists Guild Ambassador for Eastern New England.

Plays

  • Queen of Sad Mischance by John Minigan
    Recommendations: 35
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    Cast: 
    3
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    Genre: drama
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    Keyword: systemic racism, dementia + 2 more
    Genre: drama
    Keyword: systemic racism, dementia, Shakespeare, motherhood
    2022 Judith Royer Award for Excellence in Playwriting, ATHE/Kennedy Center

    A play about academia, race, power and belonging.

    Intense bi-racial college senior Kym thinks she’s lucked into the perfect resume-builder: a research assistantship helping white feminist scholar Beverly Norden finish her ground-breaking book on Shakespeare’s Queen Margaret before Alzheimer’s makes the task...
    2022 Judith Royer Award for Excellence in Playwriting, ATHE/Kennedy Center

    A play about academia, race, power and belonging.

    Intense bi-racial college senior Kym thinks she’s lucked into the perfect resume-builder: a research assistantship helping white feminist scholar Beverly Norden finish her ground-breaking book on Shakespeare’s Queen Margaret before Alzheimer’s makes the task impossible. As Kym learns that more than Beverly’s failing memory stands in the way of both the book and the carefully-planned trajectory of her own future career, she has to use her own understanding of the Margaret story to find a new path forward.



  • Covenant by John Minigan
    Recommendations: 8
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    Cast: 
    4–5
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    Genre: drama, political
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    Keyword: cult, apocalypse + 2 more
    Genre: drama, political
    Keyword: cult, apocalypse, belief, undercover agent
    FULL-LENGTH, SEEKING DEVELOPMENT PARTNERS
    How do we become entrenched in the beliefs we hold? What can get us to walk away when those beliefs lead to chaos and destruction?
    Federal agent Jordan’s mission to infiltrate and report on an apocalyptic religious community has ended in disaster. Questions from an unseen interrogator trigger memories of Jordan's time undercover, trace the roots of...
    FULL-LENGTH, SEEKING DEVELOPMENT PARTNERS
    How do we become entrenched in the beliefs we hold? What can get us to walk away when those beliefs lead to chaos and destruction?
    Federal agent Jordan’s mission to infiltrate and report on an apocalyptic religious community has ended in disaster. Questions from an unseen interrogator trigger memories of Jordan's time undercover, trace the roots of her choices to a family tragedy, and force her to decide whether the beliefs that guided her life are any less dangerous than the beliefs of those in the group.
  • Renovation by John Minigan
    Recommendations: 4
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    Cast: 
    5
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    Genre: dark comedy, drama
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    Keyword: immigration, Italian-Americans + 4 more
    Genre: dark comedy, drama
    Keyword: immigration, Italian-Americans, renovation, legacy, family ghosts, magical realism
    FULL-LENGTH, SEEKING DEVELOPMENT PARTNERS
    What does it take to lift a family curse?
    Following the death of his mother, Ridge Gianelli and his wife Beth have bought and moved into her house - the house his immigrant grandparents bought in the 1930s, but the house and the family seem cursed: Their son Jeff has a mysterious and possibly fatal illness, Beth has been unable to leave the house she never...
    FULL-LENGTH, SEEKING DEVELOPMENT PARTNERS
    What does it take to lift a family curse?
    Following the death of his mother, Ridge Gianelli and his wife Beth have bought and moved into her house - the house his immigrant grandparents bought in the 1930s, but the house and the family seem cursed: Their son Jeff has a mysterious and possibly fatal illness, Beth has been unable to leave the house she never wanted to move into, and Ridge had taken on debt that risks not only the house but the ever-expanding chain of Eurokitchen stores he runs. When Ridge’s grieving brother Cal arrives with a plan to lift the curse and the ghost of Ridge and Cal’s grandmother appears demanding to be freed from the house, Ridge must find and remove the true source of the curse, save his family, and finally be "home."
  • The Merchant of Venice Beach by John Minigan
    Recommendations: 1
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    Cast: 
    9–13
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    Genre: comedy, parody/spoof + 2 more
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    Keyword: climate change, Diverse Ensemble + 2 more
    Genre: comedy, parody/spoof, political, romantic comedy
    Keyword: climate change, Diverse Ensemble, college age actors, based on Shakespeare
    FULL-LENGTH with SONGS

    When your fathers raised you on lies, how do you find the truth?

    Law school graduate Portia wants a life of passion that will make her forget her guilt over inheriting her father’s coal fortune while also solving the puzzle of her sexuality. Jess wants to find a level of success comparable to her father’s real estate prowess while proving that her activist...
    FULL-LENGTH with SONGS

    When your fathers raised you on lies, how do you find the truth?

    Law school graduate Portia wants a life of passion that will make her forget her guilt over inheriting her father’s coal fortune while also solving the puzzle of her sexuality. Jess wants to find a level of success comparable to her father’s real estate prowess while proving that her activist boyfriend is lying about climate change. Taali wants to find a someone or something to show her the true shape of the world after the death of her father, a flat-earther, while trying to understand why her relationship with her boyfriend is unsatisfying.

    The potential loss of Venice Beach’s historic gay bar Rialto to rising seas, Jess’s father’s unscrupulous real estate dealings, and the machinations of a MAGA-hat-wearing, gay-bashing trespasser bring the quests of these three young women together in ways that provide each with love and a way to move beyond their fathers’ belief systems.
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  • Breaking the Shakespeare Code by John Minigan
    Recommendations: 13
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    Cast: 
    2
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    Genre: comedy, drama + 1 more
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    Keyword: Shakespeare, acting + 2 more
    Genre: comedy, drama, romantic comedy
    Keyword: Shakespeare, acting, teaching, scandal
    FULL LENGTH: Anna arrives in a college rehearsal hall, hoping to get advice from intimidating acting instructor Curt about landing the lead in a professional production of Romeo and Juliet. Once he agrees to help, they embark on sixteen years of emotional entanglements that reshape both of their lives.

    Elliott Norton Award Nomination, Best New Script, 2014
    First Runner-Up, Arthur Stone...
    FULL LENGTH: Anna arrives in a college rehearsal hall, hoping to get advice from intimidating acting instructor Curt about landing the lead in a professional production of Romeo and Juliet. Once he agrees to help, they embark on sixteen years of emotional entanglements that reshape both of their lives.

    Elliott Norton Award Nomination, Best New Script, 2014
    First Runner-Up, Arthur Stone Prize, 2007
    Weissberger Award Nomination, 2006
  • The Legend of Sleepy Hollow by John Minigan
    Recommendations: 5
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    Cast: 
    1
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    Genre: adaptation, comedy + 6 more
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    Keyword: ghost, halloween + 3 more
    Genre: adaptation, comedy, fable/folktale, holiday, horror, mystery/thriller, period, political
    Keyword: ghost, halloween, Ichabod Crane, solo performance, Washington Irving
    A Solo Adaptation

    How dangerous is it when tales of our history are manipulated, and how can we learn to judge what’s true and what’s false?

    In an abandoned and possibly haunted tavern in Sleepy Hollow, Washington Irving tells the cautionary tale of overconfident schoolmaster Ichabod Crane, beautiful and sly Katrina Van Tassel, burly prankster Brom Bones, and (perhaps) the...
    A Solo Adaptation

    How dangerous is it when tales of our history are manipulated, and how can we learn to judge what’s true and what’s false?

    In an abandoned and possibly haunted tavern in Sleepy Hollow, Washington Irving tells the cautionary tale of overconfident schoolmaster Ichabod Crane, beautiful and sly Katrina Van Tassel, burly prankster Brom Bones, and (perhaps) the terrifying Headless Horseman of Sleepy Hollow.
  • Noir Hamlet by John Minigan
    Recommendations: 10
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    Cast: 
    4
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    Genre: adaptation, comedy + 3 more
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    Keyword: noir, Hamlet + 2 more
    Genre: adaptation, comedy, mystery/thriller, parody/spoof, satire
    Keyword: noir, Hamlet, detective, Shakespeare
    FULL LENGTH. A Boston Globe Critics' Pick, EDGEMedia Best of Boston Theatre 2018, Elliot Norton Best New Script Nominee

    There’s never a good time to find yourself on the roof, twelve flights above the sidewalk, not sure if you’re alone. And a cold midnight, in the fog, two months after the sudden death of a big shot detective who just happens to be your father? It’d be hard to come up with a...
    FULL LENGTH. A Boston Globe Critics' Pick, EDGEMedia Best of Boston Theatre 2018, Elliot Norton Best New Script Nominee

    There’s never a good time to find yourself on the roof, twelve flights above the sidewalk, not sure if you’re alone. And a cold midnight, in the fog, two months after the sudden death of a big shot detective who just happens to be your father? It’d be hard to come up with a worse. Will Hamlet discover the truth of his father’s death, keep his mother from marrying a potential killer and hold on to the love of his secretary Rae Chio? And what’s better for the City of Angels, justice or violent revenge?
  • Noir Hamlet -- Festival Version by John Minigan
    Recommendations: 8
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    Cast: 
    4
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    Genre: adaptation, comedy + 2 more
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    Keyword: Festival, noir + 3 more
    Genre: adaptation, comedy, farce, parody/spoof
    Keyword: Festival, noir, Hamlet, detective, Shakespeare
    55 MINUTE VERSION
    There’s never a good time to find yourself on the roof, twelve flights above the sidewalk, not sure if you’re alone. And a cold midnight, in the fog, two months after the sudden death of a big shot detective who just happens to be your father? It’d be hard to come up with a worse. Will Hamlet discover the truth of his father’s death, keep his mother from marrying a potential killer and...
    55 MINUTE VERSION
    There’s never a good time to find yourself on the roof, twelve flights above the sidewalk, not sure if you’re alone. And a cold midnight, in the fog, two months after the sudden death of a big shot detective who just happens to be your father? It’d be hard to come up with a worse. Will Hamlet discover the truth of his father’s death, keep his mother from marrying a potential killer and hold on to the love of his secretary Rae Chio? And what’s better for the City of Angels, justice or violent revenge?
  • Noir Hamlet - Radio version by John Minigan
    Recommendations: 1
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    Cast: 
    5–8
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    Genre: adaptation, comedy + 4 more
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    Keyword: radio, noir + 3 more
    Genre: adaptation, comedy, farce, mystery/thriller, parody/spoof, radio drama
    Keyword: radio, noir, Hamlet, Shakespeare, detective
    One-hour radio play: There’s never a good time to find yourself on the roof, twelve flights above the sidewalk, not sure if you’re alone. And a cold midnight, in the fog, two months after the sudden death of a big shot detective who just happens to be your father? It’d be hard to come up with a worse. Will Hamlet discover the truth of his father’s death, keep his mother from marrying a potential killer and hold...
    One-hour radio play: There’s never a good time to find yourself on the roof, twelve flights above the sidewalk, not sure if you’re alone. And a cold midnight, in the fog, two months after the sudden death of a big shot detective who just happens to be your father? It’d be hard to come up with a worse. Will Hamlet discover the truth of his father’s death, keep his mother from marrying a potential killer and hold on to the love of his secretary Rae Chio? And what’s better for the City of Angels, justice or violent revenge?
  • Sarai's Knife by John Minigan
    Recommendations: 3
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    Cast: 
    4–5
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    Genre: drama, experimental + 1 more
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    Keyword: Race, art + 5 more
    Genre: drama, experimental, mystery/thriller
    Keyword: Race, art, vandalism, systemic racism, education, collage, experimental
    SEEKING PARTNERS FOR DEVELOPMENT
    When first-year art teacher and biracial collage artist Sarai is asked to investigate the possibly racist vandalism of Black student Jaeda’s photograph, her increasingly complex connection with Jaeda forces her to examine her own history, question her place in the predominantly white exam school in which she teaches, and redefine the nature and purpose of her own art.
  • Concordance by John Minigan
    Recommendations: 8
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    Cast: 
    5
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    Genre: dark comedy, experimental + 1 more
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    Keyword: History, religion + 5 more
    Genre: dark comedy, experimental, period
    Keyword: History, religion, madness, medicine, London, Asperger's, blindness
    FULL LENGTH: Where is the line between faith and madness?

    Armed with only a butter knife, 18th century Bible scholar Alexander Cruden attempts to cut his way to freedom from London’s notorious Bethnal Green madhouse. He is interrupted when Christiana, a sixteen-year-old blind girl, invades his cell. Although she has arrived merely to avoid the sexual advances of the madhouse under-keeper, she...
    FULL LENGTH: Where is the line between faith and madness?

    Armed with only a butter knife, 18th century Bible scholar Alexander Cruden attempts to cut his way to freedom from London’s notorious Bethnal Green madhouse. He is interrupted when Christiana, a sixteen-year-old blind girl, invades his cell. Although she has arrived merely to avoid the sexual advances of the madhouse under-keeper, she discovers that the roots of Alexander’s madness reach back to a haunting secret he has worked for decades to escape.

    Script published and licensed by Smith Scripts. Link in the sidebar.

    Five actors portray 22 characters.

    New American Playwrights Project Finalist, 2013
    PlayPenn Semifinalist, 2013
  • The Castle of Otranto by John Minigan
    Recommendations: 1
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    Cast: 
    7–17
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    Genre: adaptation, dark comedy + 4 more
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    Keyword: supernatural, ensemble + 3 more
    Genre: adaptation, dark comedy, drama, fantasy, horror, melodrama
    Keyword: supernatural, ensemble, gothic, prophecy, adaptation
    FULL LENGTH: When a giant helmet falls from the sky to kill his son Conrad and enormous body parts begin to appear in his castle, Prince Manfred must scramble to divorce his wife, marry his son’s fiancée and produce a male heir before an ancient prophecy is fulfilled. Unfortunately for Manfred, young peasant Theodore arrives and wins the hearts of both the fiancée and Manfred’s daughter. Manfred’s wife...
    FULL LENGTH: When a giant helmet falls from the sky to kill his son Conrad and enormous body parts begin to appear in his castle, Prince Manfred must scramble to divorce his wife, marry his son’s fiancée and produce a male heir before an ancient prophecy is fulfilled. Unfortunately for Manfred, young peasant Theodore arrives and wins the hearts of both the fiancée and Manfred’s daughter. Manfred’s wife Hippolita, Father Jerome and even the Knight of the Gigantic Saber try to convince Manfred to give up the castle before more disaster strikes, but all quickly discover that Theodore is more than he seems and dark fates await them all.

    Adapted from the first Gothic novel by Horace Walpole.
  • [Actor's Name] Rehearses The Castle of Otranto by John Minigan
    Recommendations: 1
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    Cast: 
    1–2
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    Genre: adaptation, drama + 4 more
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    Keyword: adaptation, gothic + 2 more
    Genre: adaptation, drama, experimental, melodrama, period, political
    Keyword: adaptation, gothic, Covid-19, plague
    As the world struggles to emerge from a time of mass disease and loss, an actor tries find meaning in a solo adaptation of the first Gothic novel.

  • Easter at the Entrée Gold by John Minigan
    Recommendations: 5
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    Cast: 
    2
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    Genre: drama
    ·
    Keyword: drag queen, LGBTQ + 2 more
    Genre: drama
    Keyword: drag queen, LGBTQ, Montreal, teachers
    ONE-ACT: Although Peter has been sent by their school’s headmaster to give incapacitated Leverett a ride home from Montreal, he learns that Leverett, dressed in drag, has a different plan in mind. Peter attempts to get Leverett ready to return to the states, but the older man reveals the sexual secret that has caused him to flee their school and kept him from returning on his own. As Peter probes for the truth...
    ONE-ACT: Although Peter has been sent by their school’s headmaster to give incapacitated Leverett a ride home from Montreal, he learns that Leverett, dressed in drag, has a different plan in mind. Peter attempts to get Leverett ready to return to the states, but the older man reveals the sexual secret that has caused him to flee their school and kept him from returning on his own. As Peter probes for the truth of Leverett’s transgressions, he discovers that Leverett’s goal has more to do with unearthing Peter’s secrets than in covering up his own.

    Published in Best American Short Plays 2016 by Applause Books and New England New Play Anthology
    Winner, Nor'Eastern Playwrights Contest
    Winner, Firehouse Theatre New Works Contest, 2010
    Award of Excellence, Shakespeare in the 'Burg Contest, 2014
    Third Place, Nantucket Short Play Competition, 2014
  • It's the Jews by John Minigan
    Recommendations: 12
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    Cast: 
    2
    ·
    Genre: dark comedy, satire
    ·
    Keyword: Anti-Semitism, Jewish + 1 more
    Genre: dark comedy, satire
    Keyword: Anti-Semitism, Jewish, Holocaust
    TEN-MINUTE: When playwright Arny Sibber meets with Artistic Director Stephie Moffeles to discuss the possible world premiere production of his much-workshopped Holocaust play, he discovers she has only one problem with the script. That problem? It’s the Jews.

    First Place, KNOCK International Short Play Competition, 2010
    "Best Playwright," 8-Minute Madness Festival, NYC, 2011...
    TEN-MINUTE: When playwright Arny Sibber meets with Artistic Director Stephie Moffeles to discuss the possible world premiere production of his much-workshopped Holocaust play, he discovers she has only one problem with the script. That problem? It’s the Jews.

    First Place, KNOCK International Short Play Competition, 2010
    "Best Playwright," 8-Minute Madness Festival, NYC, 2011
    Finalist, New American Short Play Competition (City Theatre, Miami), 2013
  • The Maltese Walter by John Minigan
    Recommendations: 18
    ·
    Cast: 
    3
    ·
    Genre: comedy, dark comedy + 3 more
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    Keyword: film noir, superhero + 4 more
    Genre: comedy, dark comedy, farce, mystery/thriller, parody/spoof
    Keyword: film noir, superhero, psychology, noir, film, Maltese Falcon
    TEN-MINUTE: On the eve of his wedding day, mild-mannered accountant Walter visits therapist Dr. Eddy with a big problem: Walter’s fiancée refuses to marry him unless he gives up his superpower and secret identity: noir-Man, able to transform any moment into film noir. When fiancée Vera arrives, she and Dr. Eddy convince Walter to “go straight,” but the therapy takes a dark and unexpected turn. (10-minute)...
    TEN-MINUTE: On the eve of his wedding day, mild-mannered accountant Walter visits therapist Dr. Eddy with a big problem: Walter’s fiancée refuses to marry him unless he gives up his superpower and secret identity: noir-Man, able to transform any moment into film noir. When fiancée Vera arrives, she and Dr. Eddy convince Walter to “go straight,” but the therapy takes a dark and unexpected turn. (10-minute)

    Adapted as a short film, Noir-Man, but Asylum Giant in the UK
    Published in Best 10-Minute Plays of 2016, Smith & Kraus
    Samuel French OOB Festival Finalist 2015
    2014 Finalist, Heidemann Award, Actors Theatre of Louisville
    2014 First Place, Rover Dramawerks Contest
    2014 Winner (one of six), Longwood University 0-60 Contest
  • The Long Christmas Journey to Wellesley and Weston by John Minigan
    Recommendations: 18
    ·
    Cast: 
    4
    ·
    Genre: drama, experimental + 2 more
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    Keyword: christmas, Immigrants + 3 more
    Genre: drama, experimental, holiday, period
    Keyword: christmas, Immigrants, holiday, Italian American, family
    ONE-ACT: Over the course of 63 years, multiple generations of an Italian immigrant family take a Christmas car ride through time and place on their way to becoming an American family. A one-act in the style of Thornton Wilder.

    First Place/Honegger Prize, Firehouse Theatre New Works Contest, 2015
  • Velas Votivas by John Minigan
    Recommendations: 10
    ·
    Cast: 
    1
    ·
    Genre: drama, faith-based + 1 more
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    Keyword: gun violence, shooting + 3 more
    Genre: drama, faith-based, political
    Keyword: gun violence, shooting, code red playwrights, Catholic, tribute
    SIX MINUTE MONOLOGUE: The day after the 2017 shooting at St. Alphonsus in Fresno, a priest tries to find meaning in old rituals.
  • Closing Doors by John Minigan
    Recommendations: 72
    ·
    Cast: 
    2
    ·
    Genre: drama, political
    ·
    Keyword: active shooter, teachers + 2 more
    Genre: drama, political
    Keyword: active shooter, teachers, lockdown, school shooting
    TEN-MINUTE PLAY: When fourth-grade teacher Sandra is called on the carpet by old friend and Assistant Principal Valerie for breaking protocol in an active shooter drill, they must decide how they can save both their friendship and their students.

    Best 10-Minute Plays 2021, Smith & Kraus
    2020 Finalist for National Award for Short Playwriting, City Theatre Miami
    2020 Finalist for...
    TEN-MINUTE PLAY: When fourth-grade teacher Sandra is called on the carpet by old friend and Assistant Principal Valerie for breaking protocol in an active shooter drill, they must decide how they can save both their friendship and their students.

    Best 10-Minute Plays 2021, Smith & Kraus
    2020 Finalist for National Award for Short Playwriting, City Theatre Miami
    2020 Finalist for Sam French/Concord Theatricals OOB Festival
    First Place/Honegger Prize, Firehouse Center for the Arts New Works Festival, 2019
    Best Play Award, North Park Playwrights Festival
  • Conversation Starter by John Minigan
    Recommendations: 5
    ·
    Cast: 
    1
    ·
    Genre: political
    ·
    Keyword: neo-Nazi, Self-Defense + 1 more
    Genre: political
    Keyword: neo-Nazi, Self-Defense, metoo
    Monologue: Edie suggests the best approach for handling the neo-Nazi hitting on you at the bar.
  • Friday Drinks by John Minigan
    Recommendations: 5
    ·
    Cast: 
    2
    ·
    Genre: drama
    ·
    Keyword: aging, Stripper + 1 more
    Genre: drama
    Keyword: aging, Stripper, loyalty
    One-act : When aging exotic dancer Sandy decides to leave the profession, she and her long-time fan Benny are compelled to reassess not only their connection but also the stories they have told each other and themselves. How will they determine the next step in their relationship?
  • Family Planning by John Minigan
    Recommendations: 11
    ·
    Cast: 
    2
    ·
    Genre: drama
    ·
    Keyword: metoo, sexual assault + 2 more
    Genre: drama
    Keyword: metoo, sexual assault, mother and daughter, Donald Trump
    TEN-MINUTE: When, on the morning after Trump's election, high school senior Angela tells her mother Bella about a pact she has made with three of her closest friends, Bella has to decide whether or not to adjust her moral compass to protect her daughter in the strange new world of Trump's America.
  • Product Reveal by John Minigan
    Recommendations: 3
    ·
    Cast: 
    1
    ·
    Genre: dark comedy, political + 1 more
    ·
    Keyword: guns, christianity + 3 more
    Genre: dark comedy, political, satire
    Keyword: guns, christianity, capitalism, late Capitalism, gun control
    TWO-MINUTE SOLO PLAY: Smith, an inventor, reveals a new product he feels will preserve his white Christian nation.
  • A Monogamy of Swans by John Minigan
    Recommendations: 24
    ·
    Cast: 
    2
    ·
    Genre: comedy, drama
    ·
    Keyword: Boston, LGBTQ + 3 more
    Genre: comedy, drama
    Keyword: Boston, LGBTQ, romantic comedy, swans, outdoors
    TEN-MINUTE: After breaking up with her fiancé Jimmie, Ellie has gone to Boston’s Public Garden to kill the swans. Violet, her ex, arrives with a better alternative.

    Published by Applause Books in Go Play Outside
  • Thank You, Two by John Minigan
    Recommendations: 13
    ·
    Cast: 
    2
    ·
    Genre: romantic comedy
    ·
    Keyword: high school, backstage + 2 more
    Genre: romantic comedy
    Keyword: high school, backstage, techies, romantic comedy
    TEN-MINUTE PLAY FOR TEENS: On the closing night of their high school production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream, light board operator Mia sound board operator Danny discover that the most important cues come in unexpected ways.
  • A Dateless Bargain with Engrossing Death by John Minigan
    Recommendations: 7
    ·
    Cast: 
    2
    ·
    Genre: comedy, dark comedy
    ·
    Keyword: death, frat boy + 3 more
    Genre: comedy, dark comedy
    Keyword: death, frat boy, college, math, Outdoor Play
    What are you gonna do when Death comes for you? If you’re an accomplished database manager, you might just find a way.
  • An Emoji Named Desire by John Minigan
    Recommendations: 1
    ·
    Cast: 
    3
    ·
    Genre: comedy, parody/spoof + 1 more
    ·
    Keyword: Tennessee Williams, Streetcar + 1 more
    Genre: comedy, parody/spoof, satire
    Keyword: Tennessee Williams, Streetcar, emojis
    With apologies to Tennessee Williams: Tom Stella must decide whether his internship at Emotr, an emoji company, will be with charismatic and overly passionate creative designer Blanchard DuBois or with hard-nosed marketing executive Ms. Stanley. Can Tom’s (or anybody’s) emotional life be contained in “a Lilliputian parcel of pixels”?
  • The Noir Before Christmas by John Minigan
    Recommendations: 5
    ·
    Cast: 
    2–4
    ·
    Genre: comedy, holiday + 2 more
    ·
    Keyword: christmas, noir + 4 more
    Genre: comedy, holiday, mystery/thriller, parody/spoof
    Keyword: christmas, noir, holiday, Santa, private eye, Rudolph
    When Mrs. Claus visits Jack Frost -- an elf turned private eye -- to find a missing Santa, Jack's case takes him on a sleigh ride involving his red-nosed ex Rudee, a sultry Vixen, and an unexpected gift from The Fat Man himself.
  • No Regrets by John Minigan
    Recommendations: 6
    ·
    Cast: 
    1–3
    ·
    Genre: comedy
    ·
    Keyword: wedding, zoom + 2 more
    Genre: comedy
    Keyword: wedding, zoom, streaming, Voicemail
    When Charlene’s workday begins with voicemails from a nightmare client, she knows it will take all of her wits to solve their problem.
  • Rising Sophomore by John Minigan
    Recommendations: 5
    ·
    Cast: 
    2
    ·
    Genre: drama, experimental
    ·
    Keyword: Quarantine, streaming + 2 more
    Genre: drama, experimental
    Keyword: Quarantine, streaming, bullying, forgiveness
    After a few weeks quarantined at home, rising high school sophomore Gary reaches out to Jacob, a student he has bullied for years, to ask for support and a new relationship.

  • The Dobler Effect by John Minigan
    Recommendations: 11
    ·
    Cast: 
    2
    ·
    Genre: comedy, romantic comedy
    ·
    Keyword: aging, elder romance
    Genre: comedy, romantic comedy
    Keyword: aging, elder romance
    On an early morning at his retirement home, Lionel tries a grand Say Anything gesture to get the attention of attractive new resident Winnie, but Didi brings him back to reality and a more reasonable chance for love.
  • Lois Returns by John Minigan
    Recommendations: 9
    ·
    Cast: 
    1
    ·
    Genre: comedy, parody/spoof + 1 more
    ·
    Keyword: zoom, Therapy + 2 more
    Genre: comedy, parody/spoof, zoom
    Keyword: zoom, Therapy, superhero, comic monologue
    A one-person play for live or online performance: When Lois’ discovery that her boyfriend is the man of her dreams makes their relationship worse than ever, she proposes a solution to her therapist.
  • Unpacking by John Minigan
    Recommendations: 4
    ·
    Cast: 
    2
    ·
    Genre: drama
    ·
    Keyword: gentrification, culture clash + 2 more
    Genre: drama
    Keyword: gentrification, culture clash, systemic racism, Boston
    Long time tenant Gabriela visits her new white neighbor Priscilla with what seems to be a welcoming gift. When the visit and the gift turn out to be more than gestures of welcome, Priscilla must confront her assumptions about her impact in the neighborhood, and Gabriela must decide how to use her anger productively.
  • Danforth Street, January 6 by John Minigan
    Recommendations: 11
    ·
    Cast: 
    2
    ·
    Genre: drama
    ·
    Keyword: insurrection, walking play + 3 more
    Genre: drama
    Keyword: insurrection, walking play, January 6, Hope, audio play
    Ten-minute audio play: The insurrection unfolding miles away in Washington, D.C. changes the meaning and possibly the path of Laura and her elder neighbor Bea’s daily walk in their neighborhood.
    What happens when you have to turn a blind eye to your neighbors?
    And how far is too far?

    Included in the compilation, Walking Plays
  • Bedside Manners by John Minigan
    Recommendations: 4
    ·
    Cast: 
    2
    ·
    Genre: drama
    Genre: drama
    ONE-MINUTE PLAY: Sitting by her abusive father's deathbed, Alessandra finally confronts him. What does he hear?
  • Privileged Information: The Dwarf Problem by John Minigan
    Recommendations: 3
    ·
    Cast: 
    2
    ·
    Genre: political, satire
    ·
    Keyword: fox news, right wing media + 2 more
    Genre: political, satire
    Keyword: fox news, right wing media, TV talk show, dwarfs
    ONE-MINUTE PLAY: Right wing talk show host Tucker Mayflower's show tonight is focused on dwarfs. His guest? The world's tallest man.
  • Cadillac Wilson by John Minigan
    Recommendations: 3
    ·
    Cast: 
    1
    ·
    Genre: comedy
    ·
    Keyword: Sex, sexual tension + 2 more
    Genre: comedy
    Keyword: Sex, sexual tension, penis, statues
    Cadillac explains sexual tension with an example from her family's trip to Greece.
  • Mother's Day by John Minigan
    Recommendations: 2
    ·
    Cast: 
    2
    ·
    Genre: drama, holiday + 2 more
    Genre: drama, holiday, immersive, radio drama
    A Lyric Stage Company of Boston Commission

    AUDIO PLAY: As a global pandemic begins to ease, recently widowed Ann Frances and her daughter Evie spend a Mother's Day afternoon walking Boston's Rose Kennedy Greenway. Their destination may be a North End bakery, but Evie's goal is to reconnect and begin to process their grief over the COVID-related death of Ann's husband.
  • Tall Tales from Blackburn Tavern by John Minigan
    Recommendations: 1
    ·
    Cast: 
    4
    ·
    Genre: comedy, docudrama/historic + 4 more
    ·
    Keyword: ghosts, witches + 4 more
    Genre: comedy, docudrama/historic, fable/folktale, horror, immersive, period
    Keyword: ghosts, witches, serpents, folklore/mythology, bar setting, shadow puppets
    Commissioned by Gloucester Stage Company as part of the Gloucester 400+ Commemoration

    A group of actors and a bartender gather in the historic Blackburn Tavern to tell and re-enact tall tales from the 400+ years of settlements on Cape Ann, confronting the dangers inherent in trying to name things we haven't looked closely enough to understand.
  • (re)Dressing Miss Havisham by John Minigan
    Cast: 
    1
    ·
    Genre: adaptation, comedy + 3 more
    ·
    Keyword: Havisham, Dickens + 3 more
    Genre: adaptation, comedy, drama, mystery/thriller, period
    Keyword: Havisham, Dickens, spinster, Investigation, Great Expectations
    Not looking for recs at this time, but private feedback and development partners welcome!

    Full-length solo play.

    An actor with the mind of a criminologist investigates the mystery of Charles Dickens' Miss Havisham -- her life, death, and legacy -- while also, as an unmarried woman in her 40s, stepping into the role of that most famous of "spinsters." What does living...
    Not looking for recs at this time, but private feedback and development partners welcome!

    Full-length solo play.

    An actor with the mind of a criminologist investigates the mystery of Charles Dickens' Miss Havisham -- her life, death, and legacy -- while also, as an unmarried woman in her 40s, stepping into the role of that most famous of "spinsters." What does living with great expectations do to us?
  • Intentional Drowning by John Minigan
    Recommendations: 2
    ·
    Cast: 
    1–100
    ·
    Genre: experimental, movement/physical + 2 more
    ·
    Keyword: climate change, choral + 2 more
    Genre: experimental, movement/physical, political, verse
    Keyword: climate change, choral, global warming, flexible cast
    A text for dramatic chorus in a changing climate
  • Tommy and Mary Spell Canajoharie by John Minigan
    Recommendations: 1
    ·
    Cast: 
    2
    ·
    Genre: drama
    ·
    Keyword: siblings, brother + 6 more
    Genre: drama
    Keyword: siblings, brother, sister, family, visions, grief, LGBTQ, Car
    Mary claims she’s had a vision and has pulled the car off the highway. Tommy has to convince her they need to get back on the road if they’re going to get to their destination in time to say good-bye to their father.