Aaron Ricciardi

Aaron Ricciardi

Aaron Ricciardi is a New York City-based writer and performer, originally from Coral Springs, Florida. Aaron’s work has been produced and developed by Clubbed Thumb, the Playwrights’ Center, the New York Musical Festival (NYMF), Jewish Theatre of Bloomington, Stages Bloomington, and the BMI Lehman Engel Musical Theatre Workshop, where he is a lyricist. His plays and musicals include The Star Killers, Only Child...
Aaron Ricciardi is a New York City-based writer and performer, originally from Coral Springs, Florida. Aaron’s work has been produced and developed by Clubbed Thumb, the Playwrights’ Center, the New York Musical Festival (NYMF), Jewish Theatre of Bloomington, Stages Bloomington, and the BMI Lehman Engel Musical Theatre Workshop, where he is a lyricist. His plays and musicals include The Star Killers, Only Child, A Bushel and a Peck, Nice Nails, The Travels, and Hanukkah Harriet, which is published and licensed by Stage Partners. Aaron graduated from the Theatre program at Northwestern University, where he studied playwriting under Laura Schellhardt, and he received his MFA in Playwriting from Indiana University, where he studied under Peter Gil-Sheridan. Aaron is on faculty at SUNY New Paltz in their Creative Writing Program.

Plays

  • The Star Killers by Aaron Ricciardi
    Recommendations: 1
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    Cast: 
    4
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    Genre: adventure, comedy + 6 more
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    Keyword: conspiracy theories, conspiracy theorists + 4 more
    Genre: adventure, comedy, dark comedy, horror, parody/spoof, political, satire, science fiction
    Keyword: conspiracy theories, conspiracy theorists, Hollywood, actors, Politics, renegades
    Jacqui is a wildly untalented thirty-something actress who’s been struggling in L.A. for years and has nothing to show for it. When she meets a has-been movie star and his even more has-been wife—who believe there is an underground organization working to steal money from and then murder Hollywood stars—she latches onto them. As their lives and ambitions intertwine, it's a dangerous cocktail of desperation...
    Jacqui is a wildly untalented thirty-something actress who’s been struggling in L.A. for years and has nothing to show for it. When she meets a has-been movie star and his even more has-been wife—who believe there is an underground organization working to steal money from and then murder Hollywood stars—she latches onto them. As their lives and ambitions intertwine, it's a dangerous cocktail of desperation, paranoia, delusion, and filmmaking for this threesome, who try so hard and want so much and just can’t cut it.
  • Only Child by Aaron Ricciardi
    Recommendations: 3
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    Cast: 
    4
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    Genre: comedy, dark comedy + 2 more
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    Keyword: teaching, royalty + 6 more
    Genre: comedy, dark comedy, drama, fantasy
    Keyword: teaching, royalty, sexual abuse, Fantasy, family, LGBTQ, gay straight relationships, marriage
    In a landscape of distorted and fractured memories, a teenage prince meets Jess, a lonely schoolteacher, and becomes ensnared in her marriage, her family, and her fantasies. Boundaries fall away, and childhood is stolen—from The Prince, from Jess’s daughter, and from the students who came before.
  • Hanukkah Harriet by Aaron Ricciardi
    Recommendations: 1
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    Cast: 
    7–30
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    Genre: adventure, comedy + 5 more
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    Keyword: hanukkah, Chanukah + 4 more
    Genre: adventure, comedy, fable/folktale, faith-based, holiday, period, young audiences
    Keyword: hanukkah, Chanukah, Jewish, judah maccabee, religion, tradition
    It’s December. Shayna, the only Jewish kid in her class, would give anything to not have to celebrate Hanukkah and instead celebrate her favorite thing in the world: Christmas! But this all changes when she is visited by the spirit of a bubby from the Old Country, who takes her on a journey through Jewish history, large and small, and teaches her the value of tradition and of miracles, large and small.
  • Roberta Joy by Aaron Ricciardi
    Cast: 
    4
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    Genre: adventure, biography + 6 more
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    Keyword: cruise ship, dementia + 6 more
    Genre: adventure, biography, comedy, dark comedy, drama, experimental, fantasy, mystery/thriller
    Keyword: cruise ship, dementia, care of the elderly, elderly, aging, death, Surrealism, Expressionism
    Roberta, a spry young woman, is embarking on a cruise, but she can’t find her husband. Also, she’s annoyed to be surrounded by old people with walkers, and she has to babysit all these kids whose parents are nowhere to be found. Oh, and she doesn’t recognize the furniture in her apartment. Perhaps the woman on the phone can help her figure it all out, and also get her a frankfurter. In short, it’s a surreal...
    Roberta, a spry young woman, is embarking on a cruise, but she can’t find her husband. Also, she’s annoyed to be surrounded by old people with walkers, and she has to babysit all these kids whose parents are nowhere to be found. Oh, and she doesn’t recognize the furniture in her apartment. Perhaps the woman on the phone can help her figure it all out, and also get her a frankfurter. In short, it’s a surreal expression of how life feels for someone with dementia.
  • Him & Her & Gay Men in General by Aaron Ricciardi
    Recommendations: 1
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    Cast: 
    3
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    Genre: comedy, drama + 2 more
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    Keyword: sexuality, LGBTQ + 5 more
    Genre: comedy, drama, fantasy, farce
    Keyword: sexuality, LGBTQ, sexual abuse, trauma, molestation, metatheatrical, direct address
    A twenty-eight-year-old gay man walks on stage to tell you all the wildest story, but then she appears. You know. Her. That woman from his past: the teacher. Another gay guy joins to mix to help him tell the story, but our hero’s plans fall to pieces, especially once the woman gets down on hands and knees and starts playing his dog. This metaplay is a simple story that spirals into a more complicated one, a...
    A twenty-eight-year-old gay man walks on stage to tell you all the wildest story, but then she appears. You know. Her. That woman from his past: the teacher. Another gay guy joins to mix to help him tell the story, but our hero’s plans fall to pieces, especially once the woman gets down on hands and knees and starts playing his dog. This metaplay is a simple story that spirals into a more complicated one, a story about love and sex and how time moves for children of abuse.
  • At the Movies with Kenneth and Asher by Aaron Ricciardi
    Recommendations: 1
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    Cast: 
    3–4
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    Genre: comedy, dark comedy + 2 more
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    Keyword: Adolescence, oscars + 7 more
    Genre: comedy, dark comedy, fantasy, young audiences
    Keyword: Adolescence, oscars, Academy Awards, Movies, movie theater, Olivia de Havilland, child sexual abuse, Gay and LGBTQ, ghosts
    Kenneth and Asher got caught trying to sneak into an R-rated movie, so now they’re camped out on a bench in front of the movie theater, unsure of what to do with their night—or at least until their moms come to pick them up. The boys butt heads, chat Oscars trivia, have a visit from one of their favorite actors, and run into their drama teacher, with whom Asher is close—perhaps too close, if you ask Kenneth....
    Kenneth and Asher got caught trying to sneak into an R-rated movie, so now they’re camped out on a bench in front of the movie theater, unsure of what to do with their night—or at least until their moms come to pick them up. The boys butt heads, chat Oscars trivia, have a visit from one of their favorite actors, and run into their drama teacher, with whom Asher is close—perhaps too close, if you ask Kenneth. These two dweebs have grand visions for their lives—to make great art!—but, right now, life sucks.
  • A Bushel and a Peck by Aaron Ricciardi
    Recommendations: 1
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    Cast: 
    1
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    Genre: comedy, dark comedy + 2 more
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    Keyword: grandparents, family + 2 more
    Genre: comedy, dark comedy, docudrama/historic, drama
    Keyword: grandparents, family, infidelity, affair
    In July of 2016, Aaron’s family learned a dark, shocking, over-five-decades-old secret about his grandfather, whom everyone called Beak. Seven months later, Beak was dead. In this play about legacy, redemption, and family, Aaron grapples with what to make of a void left by a loved one, especially if that loved one was less than perfect.
  • Resting Bitch Face by Aaron Ricciardi
    Recommendations: 1
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    Cast: 
    4
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    Genre: comedy, dark comedy + 3 more
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    Keyword: feminism, women + 5 more
    Genre: comedy, dark comedy, political, satire, young audiences
    Keyword: feminism, women, teenagers, high school, girls, History, World War II
    Four 10th-grade girls are studying for tomorrow's history test on World War II. When three of them stage an intervention to warn the fourth about the dangers that her neutral face poses to her social standing. it's clear that, even with no boys around, it's better to be pretty than smart.
  • Can I See Your Face? by Aaron Ricciardi
    Recommendations: 1
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    Cast: 
    4–7
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    Genre: dark comedy, drama + 3 more
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    Keyword: gay, LGBTQ + 4 more
    Genre: dark comedy, drama, experimental, political, romantic comedy
    Keyword: gay, LGBTQ, internet, technology, religion, naturalism
    Jeff is a Midwestern Jewish liberal who manages a Walgreens. Kirk is a right-wing Evangelical Christian who owns one of America’s largest companies. By day, they lead humdrum lives just like the rest of us, but, at night, these two closeted men rendezvous in an Internet chat room and project their fantasies onto each other. When their love gets all-consuming and all too real, these guys must strip themselves of...
    Jeff is a Midwestern Jewish liberal who manages a Walgreens. Kirk is a right-wing Evangelical Christian who owns one of America’s largest companies. By day, they lead humdrum lives just like the rest of us, but, at night, these two closeted men rendezvous in an Internet chat room and project their fantasies onto each other. When their love gets all-consuming and all too real, these guys must strip themselves of their digital fictions and make a decision: remain in the closet, or finally live their truth.
  • Nice Nails by Aaron Ricciardi
    Recommendations: 4
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    Cast: 
    7
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    Genre: comedy, dark comedy + 5 more
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    Keyword: immigration, Korea + 3 more
    Genre: comedy, dark comedy, docudrama/historic, drama, political, romantic comedy, satire
    Keyword: immigration, Korea, Asian American, Transgender, queer
    In a nail salon on the outskirts of New York City, immigrant ladies spend their days toiling like servants over the fingers and toes of obnoxious customers. This modest shop is the livelihood of a Korean-American family, who dream of making it big in America—or, really, just scraping by, especially now that the new salon next to the Whole Foods down the street is siphoning off their customers. As word spreads...
    In a nail salon on the outskirts of New York City, immigrant ladies spend their days toiling like servants over the fingers and toes of obnoxious customers. This modest shop is the livelihood of a Korean-American family, who dream of making it big in America—or, really, just scraping by, especially now that the new salon next to the Whole Foods down the street is siphoning off their customers. As word spreads of labor department crackdowns, the salon owners’ daughter fights to modernize this tired establishment, all while growing captivated by a new customer who is not like the others, forcing her to examine the value of identity, government regulations, and Disney movies.  
  • The Canvasser by Aaron Ricciardi
    Recommendations: 1
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    Cast: 
    3
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    Genre: comedy, dark comedy + 2 more
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    Keyword: Jewish, campaign + 3 more
    Genre: comedy, dark comedy, political, satire
    Keyword: Jewish, campaign, canvassing, Nazi, apathy
    Shayna and Shoshana are sitting in their apartment, busying themselves on their smartphones, trying to order food for delivery, and ridiculing Rivka, that girl they hate who they hear is a Communist. When a canvasser comes to their door to encourage them to vote in the upcoming election, Shayna and Shoshana don’t really listen to what the canvasser has to tell them, even though their grandchildren and their...
    Shayna and Shoshana are sitting in their apartment, busying themselves on their smartphones, trying to order food for delivery, and ridiculing Rivka, that girl they hate who they hear is a Communist. When a canvasser comes to their door to encourage them to vote in the upcoming election, Shayna and Shoshana don’t really listen to what the canvasser has to tell them, even though their grandchildren and their great-grandchildren and other people from the future are all sitting in the audience watching to see what they did when the worst was happening.
  • The Travels: An Epic Play with Songs by Aaron Ricciardi
    Recommendations: 1
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    Cast: 
    8
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    Genre: comedy, dark comedy + 3 more
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    Keyword: Dystopia, revolution + 2 more
    Genre: comedy, dark comedy, musical, political, satire
    Keyword: Dystopia, revolution, television, TV
    Welcome to the U.S. of A. Other countries suffer biblical consequences for their filthy ways, but the U.S. of A. is the most perfect place on Earth — at least, that’s what Mr. Travel preaches every day on the nation’s only TV show. A trippy dystopian tale with an eclectic soundtrack, this Epic play with songs follows Teeny, Mr. Travel’s rule-breaking daughter. Teetering on adulthood and perplexed by this cruel...
    Welcome to the U.S. of A. Other countries suffer biblical consequences for their filthy ways, but the U.S. of A. is the most perfect place on Earth — at least, that’s what Mr. Travel preaches every day on the nation’s only TV show. A trippy dystopian tale with an eclectic soundtrack, this Epic play with songs follows Teeny, Mr. Travel’s rule-breaking daughter. Teetering on adulthood and perplexed by this cruel world, Teeny learns to see past smoke and mirrors… and she starts a revolution. Mashing up styles that range from Brecht to dystopian fiction to South Park, this show turns the genre of musical theatre on its ear.
  • Full of It, or Diana by Aaron Ricciardi
    Recommendations: 1
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    Cast: 
    5
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    Genre: comedy, dark comedy + 3 more
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    Keyword: political correctness, group dynamics + 6 more
    Genre: comedy, dark comedy, farce, political, satire
    Keyword: political correctness, group dynamics, bar, pop culture, Academy Awards, oscars, feminism, direct address
    Carla’s friends can’t stand Diana. Diana is the worst. She's pretentious. She's hyper-critical. And she smells like poop. Or maybe she doesn’t smell like poop. Maybe that’s someone else. Maybe Diana is actually a really good person who’s living in accordance with a strong set of ideals, and Carla’s friends are all judgmental jerks who don’t think of how their actions will affect other people. The...
    Carla’s friends can’t stand Diana. Diana is the worst. She's pretentious. She's hyper-critical. And she smells like poop. Or maybe she doesn’t smell like poop. Maybe that’s someone else. Maybe Diana is actually a really good person who’s living in accordance with a strong set of ideals, and Carla’s friends are all judgmental jerks who don’t think of how their actions will affect other people. The bottom line, though, is that something stinks.
  • The Cousin with the Eyebrows by Aaron Ricciardi
    Recommendations: 1
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    Cast: 
    3–5
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    Genre: comedy, dark comedy + 2 more
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    Keyword: Jewish, judaism + 4 more
    Genre: comedy, dark comedy, musical, young audiences
    Keyword: Jewish, judaism, Adolescence, puberty, LGBTQ, coming out
    It's Break the Fast dinner at twelve-and-a-half-year-old Sol's family's house. A real social caterpillar, Sol has a hard time relating to anyone or anything that isn't the books he reads or the trivia he's memorized or the Broadway CDs he listens to on his Discman. But this Yom Kippur turns out to be very special indeed when Seth, Sol's twenty-five-year-old gay cousin who lives New...
    It's Break the Fast dinner at twelve-and-a-half-year-old Sol's family's house. A real social caterpillar, Sol has a hard time relating to anyone or anything that isn't the books he reads or the trivia he's memorized or the Broadway CDs he listens to on his Discman. But this Yom Kippur turns out to be very special indeed when Seth, Sol's twenty-five-year-old gay cousin who lives New York City, comes to ring in the High Holy Day at Sol's house, and Sol gets a glimpse of a possible future where he might feel a little less like an outcast.
  • Bored by Aaron Ricciardi
    Recommendations: 1
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    Cast: 
    2
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    Genre: comedy, dark comedy + 1 more
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    Keyword: country mouse city mouse, city life + 6 more
    Genre: comedy, dark comedy, satire
    Keyword: country mouse city mouse, city life, old friends, reunion, actor life, acting, Los Angeles, Indiana
    Natalie and Candice were best friends growing up in Indiana. Candice still lives there, but Natalie? She lives in Los Angeles, doing the actor hustle of auditions and side jobs and starving herself—she’ll tell you all about it, just ask her. When Candice happens to be in Los Angeles, she and Natalie meet up. Candice listens to Natalie word vomit about her fabulous big-city life, until Natalie runs out of steam...
    Natalie and Candice were best friends growing up in Indiana. Candice still lives there, but Natalie? She lives in Los Angeles, doing the actor hustle of auditions and side jobs and starving herself—she’ll tell you all about it, just ask her. When Candice happens to be in Los Angeles, she and Natalie meet up. Candice listens to Natalie word vomit about her fabulous big-city life, until Natalie runs out of steam, her façade crumbles, and the two women are drawn together by their shared past and their shared humanity.