Jacob York

Dave has cancer. It's aggressive. And terrifying.

He looks at his life and all he sees are holes; the moments he won't be able to have, if this cancer is successful in its malign task. He only sees one way out: Dungeons and Dragons.

Dave has a circle of friends that still play, and as he thinks back on the moments they've experienced in game, he doesn't remember sitting around a table, rolling dice. He remembers every spell cast, every enemy vanquished, and every cataloged item.

So, the new quest: to play through potential “memories” Dave might miss. His three friends, Tyrone, Benny, and Sky, sit down with Dave's girlfriend, Meg (a gaming newbie) and chart out a path to victory. If all goes well, Dave will be able to experience events as important as the birth of his first child and as seemingly minuscule as seeing the ocean for the first time.

But. That's if everything goes well. For, in the game, The Shade lurks...

"INITIATIVE is heartfelt and ... emotional... the intrinsic message is real and the characters are challenged by a reality that will impact their lives forever."
Kevin Reynolds, League of Cincinnati Theatres

“Initiative is at its best when embracing the geeky awesomeness of D&D. The warmth and connection created among the group as they gather around the table is truly engaging. The performers have a clear affection for the work, which surfaces through the show’s core themes: deep love among friends, loss, and high-speed memory making.”
Harper Lee, CityBeat

“Initiative was a wonderful addition to the Cincinnati theatre scene... A play (with) a good kind of sadness that makes you feel. (Initiative) really should have a life on its own and one hopes they will choose another one of (York's) plays for latter Y.E.S. Festival productions.”
Alan Jozwiak, League of Cincinnati Theatres

“Initiative is a beautiful appreciation of friendship, and what friends will do for one another. The story of Dave’s struggle with cancer, and the way his friends use a role playing game to provide him with a lifetime full of memories, is full of both loss and laughter. Jacob York shows a mastery of dialogue, pace, and structure.”
Michael King, Co-Project Director – The YES Festival

"Do you have a dream? Sorry, I know that’s a personal question, but I’m trying to illustrate a point. Is there something you want to do more than anything?"

Sidney Gibson is a professional wrestler coming to the end of her time in the ring.

Another Sidney is also Sidney, but not really.

In the twilight of their career, they make a choice. To go full bore into the bloody and dangerous world of deathmatch wrestling, filled with barbed wire, thumbtacks, and flaming tables. To express their art with the fullness of themselves.

But life will always get in art’s way. What will Sidney be willing to sacrifice to make her dreams come true? And is it worth it?

Is it enough to be good? Or does she also have to be successful?

When your goal is within your grasp, what could make you give up?

Three students cause the death of a video game live streamer and, three years after the fact, must deal with the monster they created in the process.

In the concentration camp brothels operated by the Nazis at the height of World War II, Barbara, a young Jewish woman (who has passed herself off as a Polish gentile) is taken into Buchenwald and immediately noticed as a particularly striking girl by the infamous (and horrifying) “Witch of Buchenwald,” Ilse Koch.

Meanwhile, a high-ranking Nazi Officer arrives under the auspice of conducting an inspection on the camp; however, his visit to Buchenwald is not all it seems. Barbara is trapped between these two opposing horrors. She has no power, no options, but knows there must be some way out.

What happens when your only shelter is in the hands of your greatest enemy?

“Lie. When you can no longer lie, lie some more.” “Be good in bed. Be better after.” “Everyone has to have something to lose.” These, among others, are the lessons imparted by our host, Daniel, as he takes us through the ten rules you must follow in order to successfully cheat on your significant other in this TED Talk from hell. Along with his female companion, Daniel and ADULTERY FOR BEGINNERS reveal the ins and outs of using manipulation, trust, sex, and good old fashioned sleight of hand to keep your secrets buried, not to mention the price you’ll pay along the way. It’s not all fun and games when you’re treating people cavalierly.

Just remember – Don’t Get Caught.

In this story where fan-dom and family intersect, we meet Leigh Elder, a female sportswriter for a major metro Atlanta newspaper. She’s a homer: love and loyalty to the Braves, the Hawks, and the Falcons. When a dream job falls into her lap and promises to take her to the big-time of L.A., she is thrilled. The only thing that stands in the way is her biggest fan: her father. Loyalty can be brutal. Can a homer ever really leave home?

Eight One Minute Plays, all of which were written for Atlanta's 1 Minute Play Festival between 2014 and 2018.

CONSTANT - About the one thing you can always count on.
DEMARCATION - About a land war.
BEDTIME - About fairy tales.
PUSHUPS - About push-ups.
ROCK BOTTOM - About populist art.
THE CREATIVE PROCESS - About ambition.
THE PERFECT CAST - About crisis actors.
EXPOSURE - About me.