Marilyn Anne Campbell

Marilyn Anne Campbell

In all of her writing, Marilyn Anne Campbell likes to focus on nature, speculative fiction, humour, and young audiences (although not necessarily all in the same story). Her stage plays have been workshopped in Toronto and produced in Calgary, Winnipeg, Hamilton, Halifax, Chicago, New York, South Dakota, and Leeds, UK. In 2016 she was one of three winners of Storybook Theatre (Calgary)'s inaugural National...
In all of her writing, Marilyn Anne Campbell likes to focus on nature, speculative fiction, humour, and young audiences (although not necessarily all in the same story). Her stage plays have been workshopped in Toronto and produced in Calgary, Winnipeg, Hamilton, Halifax, Chicago, New York, South Dakota, and Leeds, UK. In 2016 she was one of three winners of Storybook Theatre (Calgary)'s inaugural National TYA Playwriting Competition and she has received playwriting grants from the Toronto and Ontario Arts Councils. She is also a published author of poetry, comics, and short fiction (some which can be found on the social reading and writing website Wattpad) and an occasional puppeteer.
Find her on Facebook @marilynwrites and on Instagram @marilyn.cam

Plays

  • Universal Language
    When low-level staff at an interstellar supply station find themselves on the frontlines of alien contact, workplace dissatisfaction could lead to an inter-species incident. A silly science fiction play about (mis)communication.
  • Marks of Birth
    With less than an hour until a gaggle of teenagers arrive for a backyard barbecue, mother Lorraine and daughter Sasha have very different ideas about what makes for a great eighteenth birthday party. Sasha’s almost willing to compromise, until Lorraine reveals her plan to dig up the past... literally.
  • The Knight's Errand
    King Arthur, Lancelot, and Percival recount the story of Ferldamed, a lesser-known knight of The Round Table who must overcome his fear of the dark and his general lack of knightly skills both to fulfill a simple errand and to save his friends from a fearsome foe.

    A rhyming play suitable for indoor or outdoor production.
  • A Place in the World
    In a future where aging has slowed and a child can only be born after a space opens up for them, Ira's plan for a low-key move into middle age is ruined by family members with other plans for her 100th birthday party.
  • Flood Control
    On the eve of his fortieth birthday, lonely Ray stands on a bridge over a swollen river, building up the nerve to end his life. He’s interrupted by Gina, a highly-organized woman who has come to kill herself simply because she has nothing else left to do.

    35+ minutes
  • Longing for Nostalgia
    When Brian and Tasha learn their brother Corey has been killed, they awkwardly reminisce with the audience about a past they remember differently. Corey meanwhile isn't convinced that he's dead, but nobody seems to be listening.
  • All the Light-Hearted Souls
    "I never tried to help people. I never tried to make the world better. I just sat around making bad jokes and using up the air." After an unfortunate encounter with some woodworking machinery, Alex finds himself on the threshold between life and death, challenged to justify his detached and carefree ways.
  • Sam Shifts Gears
    In the near future, a car dealer struggles to keep up with changing attitudes towards self-driving cars.

    A story told through commercials, written to be spread throughout a short play festival.
  • Earth Day
    A very short play for young performers/audiences. Students participating in an Earth Day clean-up do battle with villainous litter.
  • No Comment
    Suddenly the "like" button has disappeared from Sam's phone, but the comment function still works. This is new territory for Sam, who gets some coaching from a stranger that leads to surprising results.