Richard Thompson

Richard Thompson

Rick Thompson has written the full-length holiday play The Ghost Before Christmas, the musical Almost Opposites Attract and seven one-acts: The Helpless Director Zone, which received major awards at two festivals; the musical, The Memories Come Back; The Beauty of Natural Love; And I'm Telling You I'm Not Really Going; Requiem; Green Room and The Law of Averages. As a director he has staged The Man...
Rick Thompson has written the full-length holiday play The Ghost Before Christmas, the musical Almost Opposites Attract and seven one-acts: The Helpless Director Zone, which received major awards at two festivals; the musical, The Memories Come Back; The Beauty of Natural Love; And I'm Telling You I'm Not Really Going; Requiem; Green Room and The Law of Averages. As a director he has staged The Man Who Came to Dinner, Tribute, The Front Page, Come Blow Your Horn, The Odd Couple, A Thurber Carnival, Gaslight Follies, God’s Favorite, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, Plaza Suite, Breaking Legs, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, and Bell, Book and Candle. A resident of Prince Frederick, Maryland, he has produced four plays, acted in several and done numerous sound and lighting designs.

Plays

  • Almost Opposites Attract by Richard Thompson
    Recommendations: 4
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    Cast: 
    13–15
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    Genre: musical, romantic comedy
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    Keyword: love story, humor + 4 more
    Genre: musical, romantic comedy
    Keyword: love story, humor, classic song style, nostalgia, adapting to change, college reunion
    (Book & Lyrics by Richard Thompson, Music by Sara Zylak Nelson & Richard Thompson) "Almost Opposites Attract" is a two-act love story that spans over half a century. It takes place at two landmark college reunions, the 25th and the 50th. George Dwyer and Abigail Sorenson met during their first month as freshmen in college. They were an immediate, and passionate, love match, staying together...
    (Book & Lyrics by Richard Thompson, Music by Sara Zylak Nelson & Richard Thompson) "Almost Opposites Attract" is a two-act love story that spans over half a century. It takes place at two landmark college reunions, the 25th and the 50th. George Dwyer and Abigail Sorenson met during their first month as freshmen in college. They were an immediate, and passionate, love match, staying together until almost graduation when George proposed marriage and Abigail answered “no.” An emotional explosion followed, and for twenty-five years after, not a word passed between them. Now at their 50th college class reunion, they remember when they were thrown together during the 25th reunion, and their surprising reconciliation with both their shared memories and each other. Now suddenly alone, they decide how they will face their futures, together at last — because “the memories come back, and memories are made, when we dance.” (Note: This play had its beginnings as the one-act "The Memories Come Back.")
  • The Ghost Before Christmas by Richard Thompson
    Recommendations: 3
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    Cast: 
    16–24
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    Genre: adaptation, drama + 4 more
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    Keyword: christmas, Charles Dickens + 2 more
    Genre: adaptation, drama, fantasy, holiday, melodrama, period
    Keyword: christmas, Charles Dickens, forgiveness, love survives
    Two acts. Based on "The Haunted Man and the Ghost's Bargain" by Charles Dickens, "The Ghost Before Christmas" tells the story of Pericles Redlaw, a man dominated by memories of sorrow, wrong and trouble. Three nights before Christmas he is visited by a spirit who offers him “the forgetting of all the sorrow, wrong and trouble you have known.” He will also spread that gift to others....
    Two acts. Based on "The Haunted Man and the Ghost's Bargain" by Charles Dickens, "The Ghost Before Christmas" tells the story of Pericles Redlaw, a man dominated by memories of sorrow, wrong and trouble. Three nights before Christmas he is visited by a spirit who offers him “the forgetting of all the sorrow, wrong and trouble you have known.” He will also spread that gift to others. Redlaw accepts, but soon finds that in passing it on he is ruining lives as “selfishness and ingratitude spring up in my footsteps.” What’s more, he is losing his own sense of compassion. The damage he has caused is reversed, and Redlaw’s memory restored, through the intervention of a character “completely saturated in the teaching of pure love,” who helps him realize that without the memory of past wrongs, we cannot forgive them — and without the memory of bad times, we cannot appreciate the good.
  • The Beauty of Natural Love by Richard Thompson
    Recommendations: 1
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    Cast: 
    4
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    Genre: comedy, satire
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    Keyword: show business, agent
    Genre: comedy, satire
    Keyword: show business, agent
    One act. Actress Taylor Haladay has been searching for the show that will break her out of the comedy roles in which she has been typecast. Her agent, Sam Dale, has found the play by an unknown author that will do just that and make her an A-list star as a bonus. Problem: It calls for her to “blaze new frontiers” in serious drama, complete with an unprecedented scene. Taylor is resistant to the idea, while both...
    One act. Actress Taylor Haladay has been searching for the show that will break her out of the comedy roles in which she has been typecast. Her agent, Sam Dale, has found the play by an unknown author that will do just that and make her an A-list star as a bonus. Problem: It calls for her to “blaze new frontiers” in serious drama, complete with an unprecedented scene. Taylor is resistant to the idea, while both Sam and the play’s author, Michael Phillps, do their best to change her mind. Will they succeed?
  • The Memories Come Back by Richard Thompson
    Recommendations: 1
    ·
    Cast: 
    4–6
    ·
    Genre: drama, musical + 1 more
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    Keyword: nostalgia, humor + 3 more
    Genre: drama, musical, romantic comedy
    Keyword: nostalgia, humor, classic song style, college reunion, remembered love
    George and Abigail met their first month as freshmen in college and were an immediate love match, staying together until almost graduation when George proposed and Abigail answered “no.” The emotional explosion that followed means the two have not said a word to each other since. Twenty-five years later they are thrown together at their college’s class reunion. The first meeting doesn’t go well, but in time...
    George and Abigail met their first month as freshmen in college and were an immediate love match, staying together until almost graduation when George proposed and Abigail answered “no.” The emotional explosion that followed means the two have not said a word to each other since. Twenty-five years later they are thrown together at their college’s class reunion. The first meeting doesn’t go well, but in time they find that memories can heal wounds, and they can help each other solve their problems. Songs are piano-only accompaniment. (Note: This is the original one-act that later became "Almost Opposites Attract.")
  • The Helpless Director Zone by Richard Thompson
    Recommendations: 3
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    Cast: 
    2
    ·
    Genre: comedy, farce + 2 more
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    Keyword: theater
    Genre: comedy, farce, pantomime, parody/spoof
    Keyword: theater
    One act. Harold Abbott has retired from his job, moved to a small town in Idaho, and started the town's first community theater group. For the first time, he is the director. It is opening night, and Harold Abbott goes to the back of the house, behind the audience. As one mishap after another occurs before his eyes, his thoughts become a show unto themselves. For Harold Abbott has entered . . . The Helpless Director Zone.
  • Requiem by Richard Thompson
    Cast: 
    3
    ·
    Genre: comedy, drama
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    Keyword: community theater, comedy-drama ( + 1 more
    Genre: comedy, drama
    Keyword: community theater, comedy-drama (, fond farewell
    A community theater has closed after 54 years. Three longtime members make one last visit on the day before the group’s remaining assets are to be auctioned.
  • The Stage Is a World by Richard Thompson
    Cast: 
    9–21
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    Genre: comedy
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    Keyword: community theatre, director's nightmare + 2 more
    Genre: comedy
    Keyword: community theatre, director's nightmare, actor egos, backstage comedy
    "The Stage Is a World" is actually five one-act comedies, all theatre-related. A first-time director views his production's opening night mishaps in the stream of consciousness "The Helpless Director Zone"; A director tries to fire an actor who won't be fired in "And I'm Telling You I'm Not Really Going"; An actress who wants to be known as a serious artist...
    "The Stage Is a World" is actually five one-act comedies, all theatre-related. A first-time director views his production's opening night mishaps in the stream of consciousness "The Helpless Director Zone"; A director tries to fire an actor who won't be fired in "And I'm Telling You I'm Not Really Going"; An actress who wants to be known as a serious artist faces a choice in "The Beauty of Natural Love"; three longtime members of a community theatre that has closed visit the theater on the day before the group's remaining assets are to be auctioned in "Requiem"; and there's a major crisis during the second weekend of a community theatre production in "Green Room." (All five are listed separately on this author page.)
  • And I'm Telling You I'm Not Really Going by Richard Thompson
    Recommendations: 1
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    Cast: 
    2
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    Genre: comedy
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    Keyword: theatre
    Genre: comedy
    Keyword: theatre
    10-minute play. The Director wants The Actor out of the show. The Actor refuses. Why won’t The Actor go and what can The Director do to make him go?
  • The Law of Averages by Richard Thompson
    Cast: 
    3–5
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    Genre: drama, fantasy + 2 more
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    Keyword: War on Excellence
    Genre: drama, fantasy, political, satire
    Keyword: War on Excellence
    One act. In a future where all excellence is to be avoided and struck down, The Subject has been continually acting in an above average manner, achieving above average, even genius-level results. The Interrogator is under orders to change The Subject’s actions, to make him satisfied with being average.
  • Green Room by Richard Thompson
    Recommendations: 2
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    Cast: 
    10
    ·
    Genre: comedy, farce
    ·
    Keyword: community theatre
    Genre: comedy, farce
    Keyword: community theatre
    One Act. The Greenwood City Community Theatre has had a highly successful first weekend of its latest production, "Love’s Tender Traps." Now their leading lady is out of commission after a freak accident and a substitute has been found who has done the show before and still knows all the lines. Unfortunately, Greenwood’s leading man is romancing the leading lady — both of them. But the show must go on. Somehow.