Francesca Pazniokas

Francesca Pazniokas

Francesca Pazniokas is a playwright and filmmaker who creates works of social surrealism. Often uncanny, grotesque or fantastical, her plays and films center themes of alienation, disability, madness, queerness, and mortality. She received Clubbed Thumb's 2020 Biennial Commission, has been longlisted three times for Theatre503’s International Playwriting Award, and was a member of Pipeline Theatre Company’...
Francesca Pazniokas is a playwright and filmmaker who creates works of social surrealism. Often uncanny, grotesque or fantastical, her plays and films center themes of alienation, disability, madness, queerness, and mortality. She received Clubbed Thumb's 2020 Biennial Commission, has been longlisted three times for Theatre503’s International Playwriting Award, and was a member of Pipeline Theatre Company’s PlayLab, Exquisite Corpse Company’s Writers Lab, Project Y's Playwrights Group, and Access Theater's residency program. Francesca holds a B.A. from Georgetown University in Art History and a Master’s in Playwriting from Royal Holloway (University of London).

Plays

  • The Wild Boar Of Chernobyl by Francesca Pazniokas
    Recommendations: 9
    ·
    Cast: 
    7
    ·
    Genre: drama, experimental + 5 more
    ·
    Keyword: post-apocalyptic, nuclear war + 6 more
    Genre: drama, experimental, fable/folktale, horror, mystery/thriller, political, science fiction
    Keyword: post-apocalyptic, nuclear war, large cast, Quarantine, Surreal, Cults, horror, magical realism
    In the wake of a devastating nuclear war, Americans have been forced to rebuild their lives underground. Scientists insist it's too dangerous for citizens to survive on Earth's radioactive surface, but a fast-growing cult, led by a preacher and his mysterious family, believe otherwise. They're determined to return to the surface, no matter the cost. THE WILD BOAR OF CHERNOBYL is a futuristic...
    In the wake of a devastating nuclear war, Americans have been forced to rebuild their lives underground. Scientists insist it's too dangerous for citizens to survive on Earth's radioactive surface, but a fast-growing cult, led by a preacher and his mysterious family, believe otherwise. They're determined to return to the surface, no matter the cost. THE WILD BOAR OF CHERNOBYL is a futuristic fable about the struggle of faith vs. fact, and fanaticism vs. science.
  • Wunderkammer by Francesca Pazniokas
    Recommendations: 14
    ·
    Cast: 
    10
    ·
    Genre: dark comedy, drama + 2 more
    ·
    Keyword: LGBTQ, fable + 3 more
    Genre: dark comedy, drama, fable/folktale, fantasy
    Keyword: LGBTQ, fable, folk music, fabulism, magical realism
    A taxidermist faces an extraordinary uprising when his new assistant brings his taxidermy animals back to life. "Wunderkammer" is a play about identity and tribalism, blurring the line between human and animal, and life and death.
  • Dog by Francesca Pazniokas
    Recommendations: 7
    ·
    Cast: 
    4
    ·
    Genre: dark comedy, drama + 1 more
    ·
    Keyword: abuse, dark + 1 more
    Genre: dark comedy, drama, experimental
    Keyword: abuse, dark, experimental
    When Alice needs a place to crash after dropping out of college, her sister Penny welcomes her with open arms. There's just one catch: Penny's dog, Elmo -- who may not be a dog at all. "Dog" is an experimental play about cycles of abuse, and the passive violence that keeps abusers in power.
  • All This Togetherness by Francesca Pazniokas
    Recommendations: 10
    ·
    Cast: 
    7
    ·
    Genre: drama, experimental
    ·
    Keyword: ensemble
    Genre: drama, experimental
    Keyword: ensemble
    (10 Minute Play) Seven strangers gather together to meet the one man they all have in common— their father. "All This Togetherness" is about the risk and reward of discovering who you are.
  • Everlast by Francesca Pazniokas
    Recommendations: 5
    ·
    Cast: 
    2
    ·
    Genre: comedy, dark comedy + 1 more
    ·
    Keyword: mountain climbing, direct address
    Genre: comedy, dark comedy, drama
    Keyword: mountain climbing, direct address
    (10 Minute Play) Two ambitious young climbers decide what they're willing to sacrifice in their quest to scale Mt. Everest.
  • Goodnight by Francesca Pazniokas
    Recommendations: 6
    ·
    Cast: 
    3–4
    ·
    Genre: dark comedy, drama
    Genre: dark comedy, drama
    (10 Minute Play) There’s a strange smell taking over Greta’s apartment building. When her super and neighbors refuse to acknowledge the stench, Greta’s idle curiosity turns into an obsession. She’s determined to find the source of the smell—and a moment of human connection in the city she calls home.