Oded Gross

Oded Gross

Oded's plays have been produced throughout the United States and abroad, most notably at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Idaho Shakespeare Festival, The Great Lakes Theater, The Theatre at Boston Court and The Moscow Art Theatre in Moscow, Russia. His adaptations include Moliere’s The Imaginary Invalid, Goldoni’s The Servant of Two Masters and Gogol’s The Government Inspector (aka The Inspector General),...
Oded's plays have been produced throughout the United States and abroad, most notably at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Idaho Shakespeare Festival, The Great Lakes Theater, The Theatre at Boston Court and The Moscow Art Theatre in Moscow, Russia. His adaptations include Moliere’s The Imaginary Invalid, Goldoni’s The Servant of Two Masters and Gogol’s The Government Inspector (aka The Inspector General), for which he also wrote the music.

His original play Heart Attack With A Knife, a murder mystery farce, was produced at Northern Kentucky University’s prestigious Y.E.S. Festival. The Comedy of Romeo and Juliet, a one-act comedy that satirizes Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet played at the HBO Workspace. One of his latest plays, Dantino’s, an original Commedia Dell’Arte, tackles the controversial issue of gay marriage and was developed at Oregon Shakespeare Festival’s Black Swan Lab.

His adaptations, as well as his original productions have garnered numerous Critics Picks and nominations including Best Adaptation by LA Weekly, Backstage West and LA Stage Times for The Government Inspector and LA Weekly’s Critics “Pick Of The Week” for The Comedy of Romeo and Juliet.

He received his degree in drama from Brandeis University. He is currently an MFA candidate in playwriting at Columbia University. He is a proud member of the Dramatist Guild and an even prouder husband and father of two beautiful children.

Plays

  • The Return by Oded Gross
    Cast: 
    6
    ·
    Genre: adaptation, comedy + 3 more
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    Keyword: identity, Martin Guerre + 4 more
    Genre: adaptation, comedy, commedia dell'arte, farce, satire
    Keyword: identity, Martin Guerre, adaptation, commedia dell'arte, greed, Transgender
    After an 11 year absence, Martin returns home to keep his greedy uncle from inheriting his dying mother's fortune, but first he must prove that he is in fact Martin. Inspired by a true story and told in the style of Commedia Dell'Arte, The Return's comic yet unpredictable plot delves into the true nature of identity and how we go about defining who we are.
  • Annelies by Oded Gross
    Recommendations: 2
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    Cast: 
    3
    ·
    Genre: drama
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    Keyword: grief, Anne Frank + 6 more
    Genre: drama
    Keyword: grief, Anne Frank, divorce, History, time travel, magic, friendship, writing
    The present collides with the past in the drama Annelies. Mourning the loss of his father, a bereaved man in 2020 begins to keep a journal, only to find himself in correspondence with the famous and tragic diarist, Anne Frank. A play about grief and friendship, Annelies explores the strength and legacy of the written word, and it's power to change our lives forever.
  • Hearing: Brecht by Oded Gross
    Cast: 
    4
    ·
    Genre: adaptation, comedy + 3 more
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    Keyword: Bertolt Brecht, epic theatre + 3 more
    Genre: adaptation, comedy, farce, political, satire
    Keyword: Bertolt Brecht, epic theatre, Verfremdungseffekt, HUAC, House Un-American Activities Committee
    In the hilarious 20-minute satire Hearing: Brecht, the famous Epic Theatre playwright Bertolt Brecht has his methods of Verfremdungseffekt put on display and on trial as he faces judgment at the House Un-American Activities Committee.
  • Good Diner by Oded Gross
    Recommendations: 4
    ·
    Cast: 
    3
    ·
    Genre: comedy, dark comedy + 3 more
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    Keyword: purpose, amnesia + 4 more
    Genre: comedy, dark comedy, mystery/thriller, romantic comedy, science fiction
    Keyword: purpose, amnesia, time travel, sacrifice, Survival, good and evil
    Hazel has fallen in love with John. She met John three months prior when she found him naked in a field, unable to remember anything, not who he is, how he got there or any detail about his life. John is in love with Hazel, and seems content not remembering his past, his new present has made him that happy.

    Unfortunately, when a mysterious Woman enters their lives, John’s memories start slowly...
    Hazel has fallen in love with John. She met John three months prior when she found him naked in a field, unable to remember anything, not who he is, how he got there or any detail about his life. John is in love with Hazel, and seems content not remembering his past, his new present has made him that happy.

    Unfortunately, when a mysterious Woman enters their lives, John’s memories start slowly returning, and what they learn changes their destinies forever.

    The 90-minute play takes place in the present and is set entirely in a diner, somewhere in America.
  • Love and Death by Oded Gross
    Recommendations: 1
    ·
    Cast: 
    3
    ·
    Genre: comedy
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    Keyword: friendship, separating the art from the artist + 1 more
    Genre: comedy
    Keyword: friendship, separating the art from the artist, Art and Artists
    In this 15 minute comedy, after a disagreement over whether one should separate the art from the artist breaks up two best friends, a mutual third friend conspires to bring the two back together.
  • Ghost Writer by Oded Gross
    Recommendations: 1
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    Cast: 
    4
    ·
    Genre: comedy
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    Keyword: psychology, ghosts + 5 more
    Genre: comedy
    Keyword: psychology, ghosts, spirits, playwriting, research, suicide, mental illness
    In this 30-minute one act, Dr. Tellerman, a retiring psychologist with a secret, suddenly finds himself with two new clients: a woman named Jean and her ghost father.
  • Hermione by Oded Gross
    Recommendations: 2
    ·
    Cast: 
    6–12
    ·
    Genre: adventure, comedy + 3 more
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    Keyword: Shakespeare, The Winter's Tale + 4 more
    Genre: adventure, comedy, commedia dell'arte, period, tragedy
    Keyword: Shakespeare, The Winter's Tale, Othello, jealousy, forgiveness, racism
    Revenge, absolution, and racism are all front and center in this Shakespeare-inspired comedy that combines and reimagines the Bard’s The Winter’s Tale and Othello. The story follows Emilia, a woman seeking vengeance on her husband, the King of Sicilia, after he falsely accuses her of adultery and sentences her to death. In her quest for retribution, she joins forces with a man named Iago, who has a revenge scheme of his own.
  • A Solution of Sorts by Oded Gross
    Recommendations: 1
    ·
    Cast: 
    6
    ·
    Genre: dark comedy, drama + 3 more
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    Keyword: Politics, Trump + 6 more
    Genre: dark comedy, drama, political, satire, tragedy
    Keyword: Politics, Trump, Clinton, hate, polarization, Romeo and Juliet, magic, love potion
    A country’s partisan politics has grown so divisive, and its electorate has grown so angry and fueled by hate, that the country is forced to divide into two smaller nations, with the leader of one party taking over one republic and the leader of the other ruling the second. A Solution of Sorts takes place in a neutral land, where terms for the new nations are being negotiated and borderlines are being drawn....
    A country’s partisan politics has grown so divisive, and its electorate has grown so angry and fueled by hate, that the country is forced to divide into two smaller nations, with the leader of one party taking over one republic and the leader of the other ruling the second. A Solution of Sorts takes place in a neutral land, where terms for the new nations are being negotiated and borderlines are being drawn.

    The progressive leader, a woman named Margaret Henry, has brought her 20-year-old daughter, Hope Henry, along on the trip. Margaret hopes the change of scenery might snap her daughter out of whatever it is that’s causing the depression she’s been in for months. Unfortunately, unrequited love is the cause of Hope’s depression, and the likelihood that will change is small. She is, after all, in love with Chase Baron, the son of Harvin Baron, the leader of the ultra-conservative party, and the target of all their ire. Chase, undoubtedly, hates her, the way she is supposed to hate him.

    Zerlina, Margaret’s chief aid, finds out Hope’s secret and is determined to help the young woman win the heart of the man she loves, even if it is the son of the detestable Harvin Baron. She has a solution. One she thinks will help love trump hate. Unfortunately, things don’t go as planned, complications ensue making it unclear if in the end, love will rule the day.
  • MacLear by Oded Gross
    Recommendations: 3
    ·
    Cast: 
    2
    ·
    Genre: comedy
    ·
    Keyword: King Lear, Macbeth + 5 more
    Genre: comedy
    Keyword: King Lear, Macbeth, acting, women, Lady Macbeth, Shakespeare, based on Shakespeare
    10-minute play.
    John, a frustrated actor in a small-town theater company laments his poor casting in the company's production of King Lear, a lead role he feels he was destined to play. His wife Jane tries to convince him that in order to achieve his destiny, he must act.
  • Tragedy by Oded Gross
    Recommendations: 2
    ·
    Cast: 
    4–11
    ·
    Genre: comedy, commedia dell'arte + 3 more
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    Keyword: Romeo and Juliet, Oedipus Rex + 1 more
    Genre: comedy, commedia dell'arte, farce, musical, tragedy
    Keyword: Romeo and Juliet, Oedipus Rex, fate vs. free will
    Ethan and the love of his life, Mallory are problem solvers. Curiously enough, the people whose problems they are hired to solve are famous fictional characters throughout history. What these characters want, though they don't realize it, is to get to the end of their story. What Ethan and Mallory want is to avoid Tragedy. Easier said than done, when you're working with people like Romeo and Juliet...
    Ethan and the love of his life, Mallory are problem solvers. Curiously enough, the people whose problems they are hired to solve are famous fictional characters throughout history. What these characters want, though they don't realize it, is to get to the end of their story. What Ethan and Mallory want is to avoid Tragedy. Easier said than done, when you're working with people like Romeo and Juliet and Oedipus Rex.

    In spite of the number of characters, this Commedia-inspired play can be performed with as little as 5 actors, 2 men, 2 women and 1 gender neutral. They would be cast as follows: One male actor for Ethan and young Ethan. One female actor for Mallory and Young Mallory. One male actor for Romeo and Oedipus. One female actor for Juliet. One gender neutral actor for Teiresias, Tybalt, King Laios and Minotaur (gender bending as necessary).

    The world of this play has a somewhat cartoonish feel and logic, and the characters tend to default to heightened emotional states, but not at the expense of the emotional core that runs throughout the story.

    Specific locations in the play include castles and courtyards, balconies and cemeteries. In short, a bare stage and a healthy dose of imagination should do the trick.

    Lastly, though Tragedy is not a musical, there are a handful of songs in the show. Demos of the songs can be heard at the following link:

    https://soundcloud.com/oded-gross/sets/tragedy
  • Dantino's by Oded Gross
    Recommendations: 2
    ·
    Cast: 
    11
    ·
    Genre: comedy, commedia dell'arte + 3 more
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    Keyword: gay marriage, civil rights + 2 more
    Genre: comedy, commedia dell'arte, farce, musical, satire
    Keyword: gay marriage, civil rights, Interfaith relationships, mixed race relationships
    This modern take on an age-old physical comedy style follows what happens when Commedia Dell’Arte characters find themselves embroiled in the hot-button issue of gay marriage.
    Two women, Auriela and Lavinia, find themselves the love interest of the son of wealthy businessman, Mr. Dantino.
    Fearing they might get chosen and forced to marry Dantino’s son, the two young women are forced to lie and...
    This modern take on an age-old physical comedy style follows what happens when Commedia Dell’Arte characters find themselves embroiled in the hot-button issue of gay marriage.
    Two women, Auriela and Lavinia, find themselves the love interest of the son of wealthy businessman, Mr. Dantino.
    Fearing they might get chosen and forced to marry Dantino’s son, the two young women are forced to lie and say that they are already married to each other.
    They do this because neither woman has any interest in Angelo, the billionaire’s son. Both women, in fact, are in love with two other men. This, much to the dismay of the women’s respective parents. Auriela and Lavinia are hoping their lie will force Angelo to look for love elsewhere, so the young ladies can be free to marry the men they truly love.
    Unfortunately, the lie only strengthens Dantino’s resolve to have his son choose which ever woman he wants. So he uses his money and political influence to propose a law that makes it illegal for two people of the same sex to wed. Once the proposition goes into effect, the women’s “marriage” will be null and one of the women will be forced to marry the billionaire’s son.
    The proposition unfortunately unleashes a cavalcade of complications not only for the young lovers, but for all the characters in the play, ultimately making what should be simple, nearly impossible: to be allowed to marry the person you love.
  • Madwoman by Oded Gross
    Recommendations: 2
    ·
    Cast: 
    14–27
    ·
    Genre: adaptation, comedy + 5 more
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    Keyword: Madwoman of Chaillot, environment + 1 more
    Genre: adaptation, comedy, commedia dell'arte, fantasy, farce, political, satire
    Keyword: Madwoman of Chaillot, environment, Giradoux
    A mighty syndicate of nefarious business men, politicians and opportunists wish to exploit the untouched deposits of oil under the streets of a small pristine town, at the expense of the humanity, beauty, and truth that reside above. The free souls of the town, led by Countess Auriela, the Madwoman of Chaillot, a cafe at the center of the village, oppose the evil men and eventually triumph by literally removing the syndicate from the world.
  • Heart Attack With A Knife by Oded Gross
    Recommendations: 2
    ·
    Cast: 
    8
    ·
    Genre: comedy, farce + 1 more
    ·
    Keyword: Murder-mystery, whodunit
    Genre: comedy, farce, mystery/thriller
    Keyword: Murder-mystery, whodunit
    When Inspector Gurn discovers a large knife lodged within the chest of dead Billionaire Marcus Kane, he suspects foul play.  But who is behind the gruesome murder?  The cheating wife, the cheating husband, the jealous boyfriend, the maid with a secret, the other wife who ends up cheating on her husband, the unattractive septuagenarian who wants to sleep with a much younger woman who is being cheated on by her...
    When Inspector Gurn discovers a large knife lodged within the chest of dead Billionaire Marcus Kane, he suspects foul play.  But who is behind the gruesome murder?  The cheating wife, the cheating husband, the jealous boyfriend, the maid with a secret, the other wife who ends up cheating on her husband, the unattractive septuagenarian who wants to sleep with a much younger woman who is being cheated on by her husband, or the mute priest - All, including Gurn himself (and excluding the dead billionaire), are suspects in the murder mystery farce, Heart Attack With A Knife.
  • The Imaginary Invalid by Oded Gross
    Recommendations: 3
    ·
    Cast: 
    13
    ·
    Genre: adaptation, comedy + 2 more
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    Keyword: Moliere, French + 1 more
    Genre: adaptation, comedy, commedia dell'arte, farce
    Keyword: Moliere, French, health care
    The play was co-adapted by Oded Gross and Tracy Young, with music by Paul Prendergast, Oded Gross and Tracy Young.

    The wealthy, caustic Argan is convinced he is chronically and deathly ill. His doctors concur, of course. They prescribe all sorts of cures: leeches, tonics, poultices and enemas. As a way of saving money on medical bills, Argan has conspired to marry his daughter off to an up and...
    The play was co-adapted by Oded Gross and Tracy Young, with music by Paul Prendergast, Oded Gross and Tracy Young.

    The wealthy, caustic Argan is convinced he is chronically and deathly ill. His doctors concur, of course. They prescribe all sorts of cures: leeches, tonics, poultices and enemas. As a way of saving money on medical bills, Argan has conspired to marry his daughter off to an up and coming medical student. Unfortunately, his daughter has her heart set on someone else and comedic chaos ensues.
  • The Government Inspector by Oded Gross
    Recommendations: 1
    ·
    Cast: 
    10
    ·
    Genre: adaptation, comedy + 4 more
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    Keyword: Gogol, government corruption + 1 more
    Genre: adaptation, comedy, farce, musical, political, satire
    Keyword: Gogol, government corruption, financial inequality
    The corrupt, self-seeking officials of a small town in Tzarist Russia mistake a penniless clerk for a Government Inspector, and chaos, recrimination, and retribution ensue. This classic satire on human vanity and the corruption of elected officials is infused with the very modern problem of financial inequality making it more relevant today than ever. Re-envisioned as a cutting, tragic farce, this painful,...
    The corrupt, self-seeking officials of a small town in Tzarist Russia mistake a penniless clerk for a Government Inspector, and chaos, recrimination, and retribution ensue. This classic satire on human vanity and the corruption of elected officials is infused with the very modern problem of financial inequality making it more relevant today than ever. Re-envisioned as a cutting, tragic farce, this painful, hilarious investigation of people’s characters gone to seed makes for hysterical comedy with a good dose of soul.
  • Stain by Oded Gross
    Recommendations: 4
    ·
    Cast: 
    2
    ·
    Genre: comedy, dark comedy + 2 more
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    Keyword: KKK, laundry + 5 more
    Genre: comedy, dark comedy, political, satire
    Keyword: KKK, laundry, Race, racism, Anti-Semitism, homophobia, white pride
    10-minute play
    Dave is trying to prepare for his Ku Klux Klan meeting. He is up for a promotion in the ranks and he wants to make a good impression. Unfortunately, after his wife has a laundry mishap, his future in the Klan may be on the line.
  • It's Panetti by Oded Gross
    Recommendations: 1
    ·
    Cast: 
    4
    ·
    Genre: comedy
    ·
    Keyword: baseball, Cleveland Indians + 2 more
    Genre: comedy
    Keyword: baseball, Cleveland Indians, priest, police
    10-minute play
    Father Mike, a seemingly incorruptible Catholic Priest, has a secret, and the last people he wants an unexpected visit from are his old friend Tony, a Chicago police officer, and Tony’s new partner Stoop. When the officers arrive, the desperate priest must keep his cool and get rid of the cops before they catch on to what he’s really up to. Also, the Cleveland Indians have a chance to win the World Series.
  • The Servant of Two Masters by Oded Gross
    Recommendations: 1
    ·
    Cast: 
    12
    ·
    Genre: adaptation, comedy + 3 more
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    Keyword: Classic, Italian
    Genre: adaptation, comedy, commedia dell'arte, farce, musical
    Keyword: Classic, Italian
    The play was co-adapted by Oded Gross and Tracy Young, with music by Paul Prendergast, Oded Gross and Tracy Young.

    The play opens with a troupe of actors on stage bemoaning the bad economic times and the effect their having on the troupe's theatre. The company, preparing to perform Goldoni's Servant of Two Masters, is reduced to borrowing and recycling props and costumes from other...
    The play was co-adapted by Oded Gross and Tracy Young, with music by Paul Prendergast, Oded Gross and Tracy Young.

    The play opens with a troupe of actors on stage bemoaning the bad economic times and the effect their having on the troupe's theatre. The company, preparing to perform Goldoni's Servant of Two Masters, is reduced to borrowing and recycling props and costumes from other plays in the theatre's season.

    When Goldoni's commedia finally begins the plot revolves around the absurdly complicated circumstances keeping two pairs of lovers apart and the role of the servant Truffaldino in bringing everything to a happy conclusion.
  • Lottery by Oded Gross
    Recommendations: 1
    ·
    Cast: 
    2
    ·
    Genre: comedy
    ·
    Keyword: Lottery
    Genre: comedy
    Keyword: Lottery
    One-minute play. What would you do if you won?
  • Pledge of Allegiance by Oded Gross
    Recommendations: 1
    ·
    Cast: 
    3
    ·
    Genre: comedy, satire
    ·
    Keyword: Pledge of allegiance, America + 2 more
    Genre: comedy, satire
    Keyword: Pledge of allegiance, America, USA, bigotry
    One-Minute play. An alternate version of the pledge of allegiance.