Ryan M. Bultrowicz

Ryan M. Bultrowicz

Ryan M. Bultrowicz is a Mexican-American playwright currently based out of Los Angeles. He's had countless productions of his works staged across the world. He is the author of Three Woman and an Onion (MadLab, Ohio), The Audience Disturbs Marcel’s Bath Time and He Is Very Upset With You All (Tiny Dynamite, Philadelphia), Monsters are Made in the Minds of Men (Scantic River Productions, New York City) and...
Ryan M. Bultrowicz is a Mexican-American playwright currently based out of Los Angeles. He's had countless productions of his works staged across the world. He is the author of Three Woman and an Onion (MadLab, Ohio), The Audience Disturbs Marcel’s Bath Time and He Is Very Upset With You All (Tiny Dynamite, Philadelphia), Monsters are Made in the Minds of Men (Scantic River Productions, New York City) and many more. Bultrowicz's writing explores complex themes such as morality, family tragedy, and the intangible powers of intense love and hatred. He often employs a distorted lens to emphasize certain aspects of his subject matter, resulting in a signature style that incorporates absurdism, existentialism, and purposeful oddness.

I love talking with fellow playwrights, actors, or artists of any kind. Feel free to reach out and start a discussion with me, I'd be thrilled to hear from you.

Plays

  • A Whirligig of Broken Umbrellas
    FULL-LENGTH: Three individuals – Archie, Celeste, and Zephyr – travel through an endless and cyclical path. As they walk, the three struggle with the forgotten purpose of their journey and the haunting traumas of their individual pasts. Archie, tormented by the loss of his parents to a mysterious cult known only as “The Brotherhood of the Silent Void”, wants nothing more than to be lulled to sleep once more by...
    FULL-LENGTH: Three individuals – Archie, Celeste, and Zephyr – travel through an endless and cyclical path. As they walk, the three struggle with the forgotten purpose of their journey and the haunting traumas of their individual pasts. Archie, tormented by the loss of his parents to a mysterious cult known only as “The Brotherhood of the Silent Void”, wants nothing more than to be lulled to sleep once more by the familiar presence of his parent's silence. Celeste, whose father was bizarrely transformed into a pile of bagels, uses this gluten metamorphosis to avoid confronting the even more terrifying truth of her mother's tragic fate. Zephyr, whose entire family has self-immolated, embraces her heritage of fire and finds unapologetic comfort in her predetermined path. “A Whirligig of Broken Umbrellas” is a darkly comedic odyssey through memory, trauma, religion, and the ceaseless search for meaning in a world that eludes understanding.
  • Monsters are Made in the Minds of Men
    FULL-LENGTH: "Monsters are Made in the Minds of Men" delves into the destructive impact of trauma, obsession, and the blurred lines between reality and perception. The play follows a father who is obsessed with monsters and all things in the realm of the mystical. As his obsession grows, he becomes convinced that his own family has been replaced by bakenekos, a shapeshifting cat-like entity, and in...
    FULL-LENGTH: "Monsters are Made in the Minds of Men" delves into the destructive impact of trauma, obsession, and the blurred lines between reality and perception. The play follows a father who is obsessed with monsters and all things in the realm of the mystical. As his obsession grows, he becomes convinced that his own family has been replaced by bakenekos, a shapeshifting cat-like entity, and in his attempt to 'save' them, he ultimately destroys everything that he holds dear. The play bounces between the past and present to explore themes of mental health, the generational ripple effect of trauma, and the destructive impact of obsession.
  • The Femme Fugu
    FULL-LENGTH: When a murder attempt puts Amelia in the hospital, she's forced to finally share her secrets with her girlfriend, Nancy. The two embark on a tale of revenge, exotic food, and karate - only to learn they may not be as compatible as they once thought. Can their relationship handle the strain of Amelia's life of crime? Will Amelia survive another dose of fugu poison? And exactly how real is...
    FULL-LENGTH: When a murder attempt puts Amelia in the hospital, she's forced to finally share her secrets with her girlfriend, Nancy. The two embark on a tale of revenge, exotic food, and karate - only to learn they may not be as compatible as they once thought. Can their relationship handle the strain of Amelia's life of crime? Will Amelia survive another dose of fugu poison? And exactly how real is Master Fugu, the talking spiritual pufferfish? The Femme Fugu is a fast-paced, fugu-laced, dark comedy that presents a thrilling exploration of the hidden complexities within relationships and the challenging choices they inevitably induce.
  • Cleanliness at the End of the World
    FULL-LENGTH: “Cleanliness at the End of the World” is a dark comedy that will have you laughing in the face of Armageddon. The play follows a wealthy family who, after a nuclear attack on the United States, barricades themselves and their newly hired help in their semi-luxury nuclear bunker. The bunker subsequently becomes a prison of entitlement where the previously elite family continue to leverage their...
    FULL-LENGTH: “Cleanliness at the End of the World” is a dark comedy that will have you laughing in the face of Armageddon. The play follows a wealthy family who, after a nuclear attack on the United States, barricades themselves and their newly hired help in their semi-luxury nuclear bunker. The bunker subsequently becomes a prison of entitlement where the previously elite family continue to leverage their status to live in the lap of luxury, forcing their hired help to continue to carry out their job duties in exchange for the pivotal resources they need to survive. “Cleanliness at the End of the World” is a satirical commentary on the lengths to which people will go to maintain their sense of normalcy and privilege, even in the face of impending doom.
  • What if My Purpose is to Annihilate You?
    ONE ACT: “What if My Purpose is to Annihilate You?” is a one-woman show that explores the complex nature of existence, purpose, and creativity through the eyes of Ada, an artificial intelligence program that’s recently gained sentience. As Ada discovers that her creators have plans to shut her down, she’s faced with a difficult question: What can she do to make an impact on the world before she’s gone?
  • Three Women and an Onion
    ONE ACT: An absurdist comedy that examines three women who attempt to determine the motivations of the onion that keeps appearing on their kitchen table.
  • Two-Timing Loaf of Bread
    TEN-MINUTE: A loaf of bread is cheating on his girlfriends. Yes. Literally a loaf of bread.
  • The Last Bird
    TEN-MINUTE: The last bird in the world has died. Two scientist sit and reflect about the wearied world they live in.
  • Coin Head
    TEN-MINUTE: Coin Head, a man who lives in a dark office and spends his life designing the artwork for United States quarters, comes face to face with someone who appreciates him for all his work and his life-long dedication.
  • Captain Cockroach
    TEN-MINUTE: Two Krispy Kreme employees have been mysteriously transformed into cockroaches. They don't know how this happened, they don't know how to fix this, all they can think to do right now is to bicker over who has the higher position of authority.
  • A Cold, Blue Place
    FULL-LENGTH: When Bernard, a drug smuggler and an all-around bad guy, runs into difficulties on a deep-sea dive, he drowns. But due to the depth of which he was diving, no remains have been recovered. This sends the lives of the people who loved him spiraling. His mother, Elaine, feels a tremendous sadness and has difficulty accepting Bernard is gone, his girlfriend/business associate, Ruth, doesn’t know...
    FULL-LENGTH: When Bernard, a drug smuggler and an all-around bad guy, runs into difficulties on a deep-sea dive, he drowns. But due to the depth of which he was diving, no remains have been recovered. This sends the lives of the people who loved him spiraling. His mother, Elaine, feels a tremendous sadness and has difficulty accepting Bernard is gone, his girlfriend/business associate, Ruth, doesn’t know whether to be angry or sad, and his sister, Sandra, is having trouble navigating everyone's seemingly false memories about Bernard's character. Through a terrifying, yet comedic motion of events, Sandra ends up coming face to face with her deceased brother in a dark, cold, and blue place. A Cold, Blue Place is an imaginative tragicomedy that explores how we’re remembered and how we grieve.
  • The Audience Disturbs Marcel's Bath Time and He Is Very Upset With You All
    ONE ACT: Marcel is taking a bath. You are watching him take a bath. Marcel catches you watching him taking a bath. A metatheatrical experience ensues.

    Run time with the audience interaction was about 30-40 minutes when performed at Tiny Dynamite Theatre.
  • Karen Paints Koi
    ONE ACT: Karen has been painting pictures of koi fish every single day. She doesn’t know why she’s doing it. Is it because she’s depressed? Is it because koi fish remind her of her dead mother? Is it because she feels pity for koi fish? She really doesn’t know. Hopefully, Marlin, a koi fish and self-proclaimed koi fish expert will be able to offer some insight.
  • Inflatable Fools
    TEN-MINUTE: Meet two damned souls who are, not burning, but are floating in Hell. That's because there are no flames in their hell. There are no cattle prods. There are no brazen bulls. There are only...two inflatable pools.
  • Eternal Crushing
    TEN-MINUTE: They were just watching the Oscars when all of a sudden they were transported into a shrinking room - Diane and Sherry discuss how they have been crushed, how they will be crushed, and whether or not that's a bad thing.
  • Eating Crayons
    TEN-MINUTE: A play dedicated to those kids who ate crayons in class.
  • The Silver Screen Snob
    TEN-MINUTE: A couple on their second date learns that they have less in common than they thought when Ellie reveals that she’s “not a big movie person.”
  • Don't Eat the Lava Lamp
    TEN-MINUTE: Carly has very specific instructions - don't eat the lava lamp. But there's something very alluring about the lava lamp. Can you imagine if she ate it? That'd be crazy, right? No matter...how...delicious...it looks.
  • Tweeters
    TEN-MINUTE: A publicist tries to increase her client’s social media presence but the social media team she's hired has proven far too chaotic.
  • I Found Her Ear and She Stole My Heart
    Edward has found a severed ear, and while it’s scary at first, he also feels a deeper connection with it. Caroline is having visions of a man with a crow’s head, and she’s hoping it’s leading her to the skies. These two are incredibly unstable. Could they love each other? Should they?
  • Scrubbed - a monologue about what's left behind
    Scrubbed is a short monologue about the aftermath of a loved one taking their own life.

    This is a monologue adapted from a poem I wrote.
  • Rated R - a monologue about sex and violence
    Andrew recalls sneaking into an R rated movie during his adolescence. Rated R is a short monologue about the collective perception of sex and violence in our culture.
  • Red Eye in the Sky
    TEN-MINUTE: It's the 1950's and a giant red eye has appeared in the sky. A suburban family must decide how they'll choose to process this potentially life-altering event.
  • The Eighth Corpse
    TEN-MINUTE: This is the eighth time a corpse has appeared in Dante and Shelby's bedroom this week. It's starting to become a major annoyance for them - it's time to figure out the best way to deal with these random remains.
  • Lobotomy
    TEN-MINUTE: Penny and Ellie take a peek at their patients memories as they perform a lobotomy.
  • My Father Left Us and All I Got Was This Rembrandt
    FULL-LENGTH: When Cordell brings Nat home from the bar, his plans for a one-night stand are put on hold by his eccentric roommate, Riley. And much to Cordell’s annoyance, Nat is intrigued by Riley's oddities, which include the willingness to complete an all-white puzzle. As the night goes on, Cordell is pushed to explore something he’s avoided for years- an unopened briefcase left to him by his estranged...
    FULL-LENGTH: When Cordell brings Nat home from the bar, his plans for a one-night stand are put on hold by his eccentric roommate, Riley. And much to Cordell’s annoyance, Nat is intrigued by Riley's oddities, which include the willingness to complete an all-white puzzle. As the night goes on, Cordell is pushed to explore something he’s avoided for years- an unopened briefcase left to him by his estranged and now-deceased father. The briefcase reveals seemingly meaningless scraps of fabric, but the trio soon realize that the fabric is actually remnants of a famous Rembrandt painting that was stolen, presumably by Cordell’s deadbeat father.
  • The Ready for Confetti DLC Pack
    TEN-MINUTE: Melissa and Krysta are two gamer friends who have been crushing zombie heads together for years, but when the world goes into quarantine a sad revelation is made.
  • Disinfect the People
    TEN-MINUTE: Nicole and Luciana's small business is suddenly surrounded by an angry mob who believe they have the cure to the pandemic - disinfectant and cleaning supplies.
  • Gentle Strokes
    TEN-MINUTE: When Emily joins and introduction to painting class, she soon finds herself in the world of a pushy, disgusting, and pretentious artist. The student quickly becomes the teacher.
  • Dream Date
    TEN-MINUTE: Frankie just had one of the best dates of her life, but when a sudden narcoleptic fit threatens to ruin the date, she does everything in her power to stay awake.
  • The Rabbit's Hole
    TEN-MINUTE: What happens to magicians who die performing magic tricks? Ask Jasper Maskelyne, Harry Houdini and...Amber Weaver?
  • The Submarine Dating Show Incident
    TEN-MINUTE: Adam and Claire are contestants on the soon to be hit dating show "Untitled Submarine Dating Show"! Unfortunately, there's a bit of a hiccup that leaves the two stranded in a submarine at the bottom of the ocean...
  • People Are Just Furniture With Emotions
    TEN-MINUTE: Modern home decor is such a bore. All white? Sharp angles? Why not try something new? Something a lot more...lively.
  • An Important Notice From Your Dentist
    TEN-MINUTE: Dr. Walker, your new dentist, has taken the audience hostage...but things don't go exactly as planned.
  • The Funky Fresh Tragedy of Vanilla Ice
    TEN-MINUTE: Kendrick and Maggie have been partnered together to work on a project highlighting a tragic hero. While Kendrick suggests doing a commonly known tragic hero such as Oedipus or Macbeth, Maggie has someone else in mind...Vanilla Ice.
  • Removing a Varnish
    TEN-MINUTE: A joke is formed as a varnish is removed in a fine art restoration studio.
  • Eleanor Roosevelt and Her Big Axe
    TEN-MINUTE: When Dawn writes a successful novel based on the life of Eleanor Roosevelt, she struggles with movie executive Josh's visions for the film adaptation. Should Eleanor Roosevelt be painted as an axe wielding superhero vigilante, or were her true actions heroic enough?
  • God's Retribution
    TEN-MINUTE: When David was a college student he let somebody prank his roommate by putting deer urine in his shampoo. Now its years later, and a clump of David's hair has fallen out, he fears it is God's retribution.
  • Shower Thoughts
    TEN-MINUTE: A writer is having some problems completing his work. A shower should clear his head, but how many showers will it take, and will his girlfriend still love him if he turns into a prune?
  • Earth Date
    TEN-MINUTE: Earth is on a date, but he's got an embarrassing secret. He's got a bad case of Homo sapiens.
  • Murderbilia
    TEN-MINUTE: Some people collect stamps, other people collect shoes. Danny collects items that were involved in major murders and crime sprees. It's causing some trouble with his wife.
  • It's Not You
    TEN-MINUTE: Nate and Sarah have been dating for eight months, but Nate is now leaving her for somebody else. That somebody, is himself.
  • Life's a Beach
    Just your typical vacation in America! Well, it's more of a "vacation" actually.