Adi Eshman

Adi Eshman

Adi Eshman is a playwright, screenwriter, producer and educator based in Los Angeles, CA. He just received his MFA in Dramatic Writing from the USC School of Dramatic Arts.

His plays have been produced or workshopped at USC, NYU, Columbia University, Los Angeles Theatre Center, the Tank and Rattlestick Playwrights Theatre.

His short film ANNE was an official selection at over 30...
Adi Eshman is a playwright, screenwriter, producer and educator based in Los Angeles, CA. He just received his MFA in Dramatic Writing from the USC School of Dramatic Arts.

His plays have been produced or workshopped at USC, NYU, Columbia University, Los Angeles Theatre Center, the Tank and Rattlestick Playwrights Theatre.

His short film ANNE was an official selection at over 30 film festivals in the US and Canada. ANNE has won the Best of Fest Award, Audience Award and Best Director Award at a number of festivals. ANNE was in consideration for the 2023 Academy Awards for Best Live Action Short.

He was a writer's assistant on Steven Soderbergh's experimental HBO drama, MOSAIC. He is the recipient of the NYU Jewish Studies Grant, a member of The Civilians’ Field Research Team, and a proud member of the Dramatists Guild. BA: NYU Gallatin.

For more information, please visit his website adieshman.net.

Plays

  • Weekend Warriors by Adi Eshman
    Cast: 
    6
    ·
    Genre: comedy, dark comedy + 3 more
    ·
    Keyword: World War II, Black-Jewish relations + 4 more
    Genre: comedy, dark comedy, drama, political, satire
    Keyword: World War II, Black-Jewish relations, African American and Jewish American relations, Jewish identity, American race relations and racism, class race and gender politics
    Cameron loves to reenact World War II. He immerses himself every weekend in mud, cigarette smoke and olive green uniforms. But when he finds out his squad isn't historically accurate, it sets off a chain of events that pits him against his closest friend, and forces him to question the very foundation of his chosen family. A dark comedy about the search for belonging, and what it takes to break patterns...
    Cameron loves to reenact World War II. He immerses himself every weekend in mud, cigarette smoke and olive green uniforms. But when he finds out his squad isn't historically accurate, it sets off a chain of events that pits him against his closest friend, and forces him to question the very foundation of his chosen family. A dark comedy about the search for belonging, and what it takes to break patterns that aren't serving us any longer.
  • Indoor Cat by Adi Eshman
    Cast: 
    2
    ·
    Genre: comedy, dark comedy + 3 more
    ·
    Keyword: climate action, climate change comedy + 4 more
    Genre: comedy, dark comedy, fable/folktale, political, satire
    Keyword: climate action, climate change comedy, cats, stray cats, animal character, animal characters
    An indoor cat and an outdoor cat meet between a window screen. There's a heat wave. And the indoor cat has AC.
  • King Lesbian by Adi Eshman
    Cast: 
    6–7
    ·
    Genre: comedy, dark comedy + 5 more
    ·
    Keyword: adolescent bullying, Jewish identity + 6 more
    Genre: comedy, dark comedy, drama, melodrama, political, satire, tragedy
    Keyword: adolescent bullying, Jewish identity, homophobia, Jewish summer camp, Summer Camp, boys, awkward sexuality, bible camp
    2018 FINALIST for the JEWISH PLAYS CONTEST. On the last night of summer camp, a trial convenes. The boys suspect Levine of a horrible crime. King Lesbian is a tragicomic story of homophobia, bullying and the dangers of being in a Jewish sleepaway camp.
  • GOLEM by Adi Eshman
    Cast: 
    5
    ·
    Genre: comedy, dark comedy + 6 more
    ·
    Keyword: Muslim, Muslim-Jewish relations + 6 more
    Genre: comedy, dark comedy, drama, fable/folktale, faith-based, political, romantic comedy, satire
    Keyword: Muslim, Muslim-Jewish relations, Jewish identity, New York apartment, dark magic, comedy magical, magical creatures, magical curses
    Joey and Samira are living their best lives in Brooklyn. Who cares if the oven doesn't work? But when a mysterious guest arrives at their apartment, they must grapple with the traditions that they've inherited. A dark comedy about faith, love and the pressures of loving someone with a different past.
  • ANNE by Adi Eshman
    Recommendations: 4
    ·
    Cast: 
    2
    ·
    Genre: comedy, dark comedy + 1 more
    ·
    Keyword: Anne Frank, judaism + 2 more
    Genre: comedy, dark comedy, political
    Keyword: Anne Frank, judaism, acting, History
    Who's allowed to play Anne Frank onstage? Two actors must decide the answer before their audition. A dark comedy about race, religion, and historical memory.
  • Ostropol by Adi Eshman
    Cast: 
    6–7
    ·
    Genre: comedy, dark comedy + 4 more
    ·
    Keyword: ashkenazi jewish culture, Jewish identity + 5 more
    Genre: comedy, dark comedy, melodrama, political, satire, tragedy
    Keyword: ashkenazi jewish culture, Jewish identity, middle school, dark comedy, OsamaBinLaden, prayer, teaching
    RECIPIENT OF THE NYU JEWISH STUDIES GRANT. On the day of Bin Laden's assassination, a Jewish middle school principal must juggle a fundraising drive, a sex scandal and a rabbi who wants to end his career. This was my first play :)
  • Painters by Adi Eshman
    Cast: 
    3
    ·
    Genre: comedy, dark comedy + 3 more
    ·
    Keyword: college, Dark Comedy One-Act + 6 more
    Genre: comedy, dark comedy, drama, political, satire
    Keyword: college, Dark Comedy One-Act, dramedy, apartment comedy, 2000's new york, best friends, live painting, female friends
    After a graduation party, three friends paint over the walls of a wrecked apartment. But when they discover a hidden message meant for someone else, they must make a decision that will change the course of all their lives. A dark comedy about adulting, identity and the race to find yourself after college.