Chris Leyva

Chris Leyva

Chris Leyva uses humor to ask larger questions about our humanity. His plays are grounded in character and heightened in world.

​Leyva’s plays have been commissioned and developed by CATCO is Theatre, CATCO is Kids, CLIMB Theatre, MadLab Theatre, Alliance Theatre, Curtain Players New Play Initiative, Great Plains Theatre Conference, and the Columbus School for Girls, among others. He is a proud...
Chris Leyva uses humor to ask larger questions about our humanity. His plays are grounded in character and heightened in world.

​Leyva’s plays have been commissioned and developed by CATCO is Theatre, CATCO is Kids, CLIMB Theatre, MadLab Theatre, Alliance Theatre, Curtain Players New Play Initiative, Great Plains Theatre Conference, and the Columbus School for Girls, among others. He is a proud collaborator with Hixon Dance and Worthingway Middle School.

He received an M.F.A. from the Playwrights Workshop at The University of Iowa, a B.A. in Directing from Coe College, and is a member of the Dramatists Guild.

Plays

  • Prima Donna by Chris Leyva
    Recommendations: 1
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    Cast: 
    6
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    Genre: adaptation, comedy + 2 more
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    Keyword: Irene Adler, Sherlock Holmes + 5 more
    Genre: adaptation, comedy, period, romantic comedy
    Keyword: Irene Adler, Sherlock Holmes, revenge, love, embracing true self, features strong roles for women, persona
    Not-your-typical Sherlock Holmes adaptation, "Prima Donna" is a romantic comedy that follows the rise of Irene Adler from poverty to fame as an opera singer, her ill-fated love affair with a prince, and her quest for revenge that puts her in the crosshairs of the legendary Sherlock Holmes. Through the twists and turns of this story, Irene learns to love herself and proves that she is much more than...
    Not-your-typical Sherlock Holmes adaptation, "Prima Donna" is a romantic comedy that follows the rise of Irene Adler from poverty to fame as an opera singer, her ill-fated love affair with a prince, and her quest for revenge that puts her in the crosshairs of the legendary Sherlock Holmes. Through the twists and turns of this story, Irene learns to love herself and proves that she is much more than just a side character in someone else’s story. The play explores the themes of disguise, class, gender, the personas we are forced to craft to get ahead, and how a person shapes their own destiny.
  • Cowgirls Don't Ride Zebras by Chris Leyva
    Recommendations: 1
    ·
    Cast: 
    6–8
    ·
    Genre: adaptation, comedy + 1 more
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    Keyword: children, anti-bullying + 6 more
    Genre: adaptation, comedy, young audiences
    Keyword: children, anti-bullying, animals, zoo, imagination, books, dinosaurs, friendship
    Penny wants to be the best cowgirl ever. But every cowgirl needs a horse! So, with the help of her best friends, she sets off to find one. Or, the next best thing...
  • Persephone UNCUT by Chris Leyva
    Cast: 
    15–18
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    Genre: adaptation, comedy + 3 more
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    Keyword: Greek mythology, friends + 6 more
    Genre: adaptation, comedy, fable/folktale, parody/spoof, young audiences
    Keyword: Greek mythology, friends, Relationships, seasons, mythology, reinventing oneself, mother and daughter, mother
    When her best friend, Eurydice, falls in love and skips town, a bolstered Persephone finally cuts the cord from her over-protective mom. But the friends’ plans soon unravel when they insult the goddess of love, Aphrodite, and land in the underworld.
  • Dinosaur Discovery; A Talk by Dr. Kramer by Chris Leyva
    Recommendations: 1
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    Cast: 
    1
    ·
    Genre: comedy, dark comedy + 1 more
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    Keyword: dinosaurs, science + 1 more
    Genre: comedy, dark comedy, science fiction
    Keyword: dinosaurs, science, absurd
    Dr. Kramer and his team have discovered a dinosaur skull in a local backyard. Upon closer investigation, the skull appears to be a fresh bone! What does this mean? What will Dr. Kramer’s team do?!
  • A World Without Allergies; A Talk by Dr. Kramer by Chris Leyva
    Recommendations: 2
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    Cast: 
    3–4
    ·
    Genre: comedy, dark comedy
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    Keyword: science, absurd + 2 more
    Genre: comedy, dark comedy
    Keyword: science, absurd, allergies, Robots
    Do you suffer from allergies? Do you long to live in a world without them? Dr. Kramer of the Allergy Center Headquarters of Ohio has the answer.
  • Weird Sisters: The Legend of Tatterhood by Chris Leyva
    Cast: 
    13–25
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    Genre: adaptation, adventure + 5 more
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    Keyword: witch, youth + 5 more
    Genre: adaptation, adventure, comedy, fable/folktale, fantasy, period, young audiences
    Keyword: witch, youth, magic, Sisters, Queens, fairy tale, beauty
    Queen Helga must consult a mysterious witch in the woods if she truly wants a child. After making a bargain with the witch, but failing to follow her instructions, Helga has two daughters: Astrid who is beautiful and playful and Tatterhood who is...weird.
  • Books & Bridges by Chris Leyva
    Cast: 
    3
    ·
    Genre: comedy, dark comedy
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    Keyword: bookstore, bipolar disorder + 3 more
    Genre: comedy, dark comedy
    Keyword: bookstore, bipolar disorder, Iowa, vandalism, escape
    Escaping to a small town in Iowa to take over a failing bookstore seemed like a good idea to Julia. When she learns someone is vandalizing the bookstore, Julia sees her way out, once and for all.
  • All Grace by Chris Leyva
    Recommendations: 1
    ·
    Cast: 
    7–8
    ·
    Genre: docudrama/historic, drama + 1 more
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    Keyword: Art and Artists, religion + 6 more
    Genre: docudrama/historic, drama, period
    Keyword: Art and Artists, religion, World War II, Jewish, Catholic, magical realism, History, true story
    In "All Grace," a Jewish sculptor, Jacques Lipchitz, is asked to create a sculpture of the Virgin Mary by Father Couturier, a Catholic priest. Lipchitz struggles with his faith to create the sculpture and Couturier battles with the Pope to keep the church open while World War II consumes Europe. The play is about the struggle to create art amidst personal hardship, and the hope for a better future.
  • The Throne of Oz by Chris Leyva
    Cast: 
    13–25
    ·
    Genre: adaptation, adventure + 3 more
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    Keyword: Oz, Wizard of Oz + 6 more
    Genre: adaptation, adventure, comedy, fantasy, young audiences
    Keyword: Oz, Wizard of Oz, magic, children's literature, kingdom, men versus women, revolution, Adventure/Fantasy
    Now that the Wizard has fled and Dorothy has disappeared back to Kansas, General Jinjur plans to claim the throne for herself! Tip and his friends join forces with the Scarecrow, the Tin Woodman, H.M. Woggle-Bug, and Glinda the Good to put the rightful ruler of Oz on the throne.
  • Solamente Una Vez; A Thaw by Chris Leyva
    Cast: 
    5
    ·
    Genre: dark comedy, drama
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    Keyword: LGBTQ, marriage + 4 more
    Genre: dark comedy, drama
    Keyword: LGBTQ, marriage, affair, Relationships, gender roles, Latinx
    In this dark comedy, a young couple on the precipice of marriage, surprise themselves by giving in to their own separate, shocking desires. Can their commitment withstand the temptations of the flesh?