Donald Loftus

When Phillip, a desperate alcoholic, bursts into his estranged brother Jeffrey’s Boston home covered in blood, he confesses to killing a man in self-defense. Jeffrey—a ruthless, image-obsessed lawyer on the brink of a major career breakthrough—quickly realizes the danger to his reputation. As he pieces together the truth and tracks down Phillip’s vulnerable girlfriend, Roksana, Jeffrey begins orchestrating a chilling plan to contain the scandal. What unfolds is a taut psychological thriller where loyalty, morality, and survival collide—and where the greatest threat may not be the crime, but the cover-up.

“DRIFTWOOD”
SYNOPSIS
A DYING FATHER ASKS HIS SON TO PHOTOGRAPH HIS DEATH
Daniel Wood, a moderately successful photographer living in New York City, is forced to face the painful memories of his broken childhood when he returns to his Midwest childhood home at the request of his dying father…whom he never loved. After decades of relentless anger and largely unexpressed contempt, Daniel may finally find the courage to ask the questions that have plagued him since his boyhood. His father may finally be able to do something to help his son. They both may be able to mend some of the fences that were all but destroyed decades before. But the clock is running out…

Spanning nearly a century, Driftwood is a drama about love, regret, and the passage of time. As Daniel confronts their fractured relationship, the play weaves through time—from a 1920s scandal that shaped their family’s destiny to pivotal moments in the 1960s that defined Daniel’s childhood. Through shifting memories and long-buried secrets, Driftwood explores the inescapable ties of family, the ghosts of the past, and the search for meaning in life's fleeting moments.

Sweden 1889. A young man named Per Nilsson (pronounced PEAR) collaborated with his domineering mother in the gruesome murder of his young wife. Per was declared insane and institutionalized at The Konradsberg Lunatic Asylum in Stockholm, Sweden. His mother was found guilty of the murder and beheaded.

Now he must fight the ghosts who torment him each night in his asylum cell, as he attempts by day to convince his captors, the psychiatrist and his staff, that he is sane and should be released.

After months of therapy, the psychiatrist is convinced of Per’s sanity. The night before Per is to be released, the ghosts visit him one last time, and we learn that not everything he has revealed in his psychiatric sessions was true. The real villain is not whom we thought. With the final blackout, we are not certain whether or not Per will be released.

In 1987, at a secluded Louisiana hospital for leprosy patients, Ruby, an 80-year-old long-term resident, spends her days beneath a willow tree—until Matthew, a young Boston Globe reporter, arrives seeking her untold story. Once a celebrated Southern debutante, Ruby was mistakenly institutionalized decades ago and abandoned by her family. As she shares her tale of lost love, resilience, and survival, Matthew confronts his own grief amid the AIDS crisis. Through humor, heartbreak, and profound revelations, The Springvale Armadillo explores isolation, identity, and the human spirit’s fight for dignity against the weight of societal judgment and forgotten history.

HENRIETTA HACKENBUSH, a small town waitress/would-be Broadway star, comes to New York City with her waitress/would-be chorus girl girlfriend, WANDA PICKLES and Wanda’s boyfriend, fry cook and would-be Broadway composer, RUBEN SCHNICKESTEIN to fulfill their dreams. It turns out to be harder than they thought it would be. They meet a number of unusual characters along the way.

"ILLUSION"
A NEW MUSICAL
by
Donald Loftus & Steve Zackim

Decades before Ru Paul or Dame Edna, there was Julian Eltinge. He was not a "drag queen." At the turn of the 20th century, he was a highly respected stage and screen actor specializing in female roles. Before moving on to Hollywood, he conquered vaudeville, burlesque, Broadway, and legitimate theatres worldwide. He became one of the highest-paid entertainers in the world, at the level of Charlie Chaplin, Mae West, and Fanny Brice. He even had a Broadway theatre named after him. Yet today, nobody knows his name.

"ILLUSION" explores the life of Julian Eltinge, beginning as a young gay boy in Boston in 1890. The son of a drunken, homophobic, Irish immigrant father and an abused mother, he worked hard and eventually achieved the fame and fortune described above. Then, it all came crashing down in the 1920s when numerous notorious scandals rocked Hollywood. These scandals brought widespread condemnation from religious, civic, and political organizations and resulted in new restrictions for the film industry. It became illegal for a man to dress as a woman, which Mr. Eltinge had built his entire career on. His life had touched and enriched the lives of many, although he never fully realized the impact he had made. In the end, he died nearly penniless after achieving so much. Through it all, he just wanted someone to notice him. Cast: 7 Men & 6 Women

“POLLYANNA” is a heart-warming musical, with a book and lyrics by Donald Loftus and music by Andrew Sussman. It is based on the Eleanor H. Porter classic novel, (now in Public Domain) which tells the story of a young orphan girl who is sent to live with her miserable aunt in a town filled with miserable people. Before long, the energetic and enthusiastic young girl has transformed the community with her indomitable will to see the good side of even the worst situations and bring it out for the betterment of all. In the end, when Pollyanna faces her own tragic crisis, the town she worked so hard to save comes to her rescue. This play is perfect for theatres looking for a musical suitable for children or young adults.

The play is actually comprised of three plays with a combined running time of 90 minutes without an intermission:

PART I: “DARK MATTER” is a short play that starts the trio. (10 MINUTES)
SYNOPSIS: MARION and PALMER have been married a long time... maybe too long. The couple has been uprooted and the marriage has gone sour. MARION is not happy. PALMER seems better adjusted, but he too wishes it all could be the way it once. Of course, it can’t. “THEY” would never allow it.

PART II: “MAID TO MEASURE” is the short play that comes next. (10 MINUTES)
SYNOPSIS: When successful scientist/businessman, DORIAN, agrees to meet with his long lost schoolmate, JAMISON, he has no idea what his old chum has on his mind. DORIAN is soon to learn that his former buddy, whose marriage has apparently soured, is looking for a new wife...but this time he wants her to be “made to
order”. He’s hoping his nerdy former science class buddy can help.

PART III: “AFTER ALL” is the third play in the series. (60 MINUTES)
SYNOPSIS: The lives of two simple-minded nobodies named BUDDY and CHUM get tangled up with a somewhat ditzy housewife named BUNNY and her disgruntled factory worker husband, HARV. In a series of bizarre scenes, they struggle to try to figure it out. , as they struggle to get to sleep. FINALLY...they are all in God’s Waiting Room...(and we are not talking about Florida)... the answers to all of their questions are finally received.

William Shakespeare is in trouble. His latest play isn’t working—and his three unruly Muses aren’t about to let him off easy. As they tear apart his questionable plot choices, mock his past misfires, and push him toward a far darker ending, Willie must decide whether to trust his instincts or surrender to their relentless “advice.” Fast, witty, and delightfully irreverent, AMUSING WILLIE is a playful satire of the creative process—and a reminder that even the greatest writers sometimes need a little inspiration… whether they want it or not.

Two Cockney friends, mysteriously bound together, argue about blame, friendship, and survival.

Buddy and Chum awaken to find themselves mysteriously tied together with no clear explanation. While Buddy remains optimistic, Chum grows increasingly frustrated and cynical about their situation. Their argument quickly spirals into absurd debates about responsibility, percentages of blame, and philosophical observations about life. When darkness suddenly engulfs them, their fragile partnership is pushed to its breaking point. In the end, one of them discovers that sometimes freedom comes only when we release the people holding us back.

In a remote outpost deep in space, Marion and Palmer pass their days with cocktails, music, and forced cheer—courtesy of Scatarine, a drug designed to keep colonists compliant. Palmer has embraced its blissful numbness; Marion refuses. As their witty banter turns into a battle of wills, Marion fights to hold onto her identity while Palmer urges her to surrender to artificial happiness. But when the power suddenly cuts, and the illusion shatters, they realize their every word has been monitored—and their fate may already be sealed. DARK MATTER is meant to be a darkly comic look at control, conformity, and the cost of feeling nothing at all.

THIS FROM THE DIRECTOR OF OXFORD THEATRE...
Dear Donald,
I want to thank you for writing such a great 10-min play, and I am so thankful to have been the one chosen to direct it. It has been a wonderful experience to work with and I am truly grateful. I have to admit, I picked your play because of the title alone, and it wasn't until I got into it with the actors that I saw the many nuances involved in such a short time. It has everything that I look for in 10min play: comedy, intrigue, thrill, suspense, and wonderment of what happens later; throw that all together with such dark themes of a patriarchal society mixed with happy narcissism and drug addiction, not to mention of putting that in a comic bubble that allows those dark themes to appear so subtly. Then, in addition, you add this hauntingly beautiful Frank Sinatra piece, and it just sent me and the cast into a whole new world and a completely different perspective. As a matter of fact, after rehearsing the play for the first, the first read-through, I played that song and we all were just moved. It's like it's a third member of the cast, and I can't get it out of my head. Nice pick, Donald."

-Davis Jones
Director
The Oxford Theatre
Oxford, MS

In an upscale Boston boutique, a simple dress fitting turns into something far more revealing. Mrs. Simmons, a wealthy but deeply insecure woman, searches for the perfect look—while quietly grappling with a fading sense of self and a distant marriage. Guided by Christopher, the ever-charming shop owner, and Nicholas, his sharp-tongued yet unexpectedly insightful partner, she is forced to confront what truly defines beauty and worth. By the end of the evening, the question is no longer what she should wear—but who she is willing to be. DRESS BLUES is a witty, heartfelt dramedy about identity, confidence, and finding the courage to be seen.

On a quiet summer morning in a modest Midwestern kitchen, Eddy and Edna share coffee, conversation, and a lifetime of love. But something isn’t right. Eddy’s memory is slipping—blurring past and present, truth and illusion. As their tender, often humorous exchanges give way to confusion and fear, the arrival of their son reveals a heartbreaking reality Eddy cannot accept. Or perhaps refuses to. As time fractures and memory reshapes the world around him, EDDY & EDNA is meant to be a deeply moving portrait of love enduring even as everything else fades.

An aging, ailing British aging professor tells his caretaker that it will be her last day with him. It needs to be her last day because it is going to be his last day…on Earth. By the time he finishes the story of his sad and lonely life, she understands the decision he has made. She realizes, as he has, that he may only find happiness by taking this step. He will finally be with the woman he was separated from so many years before. It turns out his love story in fact is a ghost story.

A son arrives at a jailhouse to retrieve his eccentric father after an outrageous public incident.

Frank arrives at a Cleveland jail to retrieve his eccentric father, Leonard, after a bizarre public spectacle. According to police, Leonard burst into a bar naked, proclaiming himself an alien from “Planet Fidelius.” As Frank apologizes for his father’s behavior, the officer recounts the increasingly absurd events that led to Leonard’s arrest. Beneath the humor lies a complicated relationship between father and son. By the end of the encounter, Leonard’s outrageous claims begin to seem less impossible than they first appeared.

When Frank arrives at a Cleveland jail to pick up his eccentric father, Leonard, he expects the usual chaos—but not this. Leonard has been arrested after a naked, delirious rampage, claiming he’s an alien from another planet. As a dry-witted officer recounts the absurd incident, Frank struggles to reconcile his father’s behavior with the man he loves. But just as the situation seems all too familiar, a surprising twist begins to emerge—one that challenges everything they thought they knew. HIGH FIDELITY is meant to be a sharp, dark comedy about family, identity, and the thin line between madness and truth.

“Home Office” examines corporate ethics and human desperation. Set in the office of Human Resource Director Jane Case, the story follows Jane and Senior Vice President Ben Stone as they confront William Bennett, a young entry-level employee whose fabricated credentials and suspicious after-hours activities raise alarms. The investigation reveals William’s shocking secret— he is homeless and living in the office. Despite his dedication and excellent performance, the executives must fire him, adhering to rigid corporate policies. The play challenges audiences to reflect on morality, privilege, and the often-unforgiving nature of the workplace.

Set in a small-town American diner during World War II, “I’ll Be Seeing You” is meant to be a tender and heartfelt exploration of young love, hope, and uncertainty. A charming and flirtatious waitress, Jenny shares a poignant farewell with Joey, her high school sweetheart, and a newly recruited U.S. Army soldier. As Joey prepares to leave for Europe, the couple navigates the bittersweet mix of humor, longing, and vulnerability. Through playful banter and sincere promises, they imagine a future filled with love, marriage, and a cozy home—but the shadow of war looms over their dreams. Accompanied by the haunting strains of “I’ll Be Seeing You,” the play captures a timeless snapshot of two young hearts grappling with separation and the unknown. It was written as a tribute to resilience, love, and wartime sacrifices, and was intended to resonate with the universal themes of devotion and enduring faith for brighter days ahead.

Ivy spends her days sitting alone on a Central Park bench, unable to cope with the violent death of her cousin Max. Her mother struggles to reach her, but Ivy refuses to talk about what happened. One day, Max’s ghost suddenly appears beside her. Through their conversation, Ivy confronts the guilt and regret she has buried since his death. Max challenges her to stop punishing herself for his mistakes and begin living again. Their encounter becomes a powerful moment of healing, reminding Ivy that love and memory can survive even the deepest loss.

JOEY is a haunting monologue that reveals the human cost of immigration policy through the voice of a child separated from his mother at the border. Unable to remember her, Joey constructs her from imagined fragments—her face, her voice, her touch—clinging to what was taken before memory could form. As the truth emerges, so does the lasting impact of that separation: a life shaped by absence, unanswered questions, and enforced silence. Told not to remember, Joey cannot forget. The piece exposes the emotional toll of family separation, transforming policy into a deeply personal story of loss, identity, and enduring longing.

“JOEY” tells the story a young man who was separated from his mother at the U.S./Mexico border when he was just slightly more than an infant. Years have passed since the tragic events occurred, but the heartbreaking pain of losing his mother has not subsided. He wonders if it ever will.

“Maid to Measure” is a satirical ten-minute play exploring modern relationships, societal expectations, and technology. In his high-rise office, executive Dorian is visited by his wealthy, disillusioned friend Jamison, who seeks a custom-built cyborg wife to replace his “not right” spouse. As their debate unfolds, Dorian defends real relationships against Jamison’s absurd pursuit of perfection. The play examines the clash between human flaws and artificial ideals, ending as Jamison remains undeterred in his quest for a robotic partner. “Maid to Measure” is meant to be a witty, thought-provoking take on love, marriage, and the implications of advancing technology.

On a freezing winter night, Charlie, a gruff but kindhearted night watchman at The Broadway Theatre, reluctantly lets in Jimmy, a young chorus boy left homeless after his show’s sudden closure. As they share stories, secrets, and struggles, they form an unexpected bond. Through humor, resilience, and their shared love of theatre, they find hope in each other—proving that even in the darkness, there’s always a light. (Cast: 2M)

“ONE NIGHT IN THE GARDEN” is a bittersweet exploration of love, loneliness, and the complexities of human connection. Set in the lush flower garden of a seaside estate in Barton on Sea, England, the play follows a late-night encounter between Victor, a witty and worldly bachelor, and Viola, a sophisticated but restless socialite. Both feel isolated in their respective lives, and they open up to each other in ways they never have before. As the night unfolds, Victor reveals his long-held, unrequited love for Viola, a secret that has haunted him for decades. Viola, in turn, confesses her discontent with her marriage, admitting that her once-passionate love for her husband has turned into monotony. Through heartfelt revelations, they confront their regrets, unfulfilled desires, and the choices that led them to this moment.

A proper gentleman visits Harrods’ toy department seeking a Christmas gift, only to reveal an unexpectedly personal reason for the purchase.

In London’s famous Harrods department store, a polite but awkward conversation unfolds between a toy salesman and a distinguished gentleman searching for a Christmas gift. At first, the exchange appears routine, filled with formal pleasantries and misunderstandings. Gradually, however, the true nature of the purchase emerges. The gentleman’s request reveals a tender and surprising emotional context. What begins as a simple retail interaction becomes a quiet reflection on family, responsibility, and the unexpected moments that define the holiday season.

In the whimsical kingdom of Loutishland, KING VINNY, a lazy, whiskey-loving ruler, conspires with his android servant, ABACUS, to rid himself of his long-suffering wife, QUEEN TRIXIE. The plan succeeds—Trixie storms out, vowing never to return—but Vinny soon realizes he may have made a terrible mistake. Abacus, no longer needing to play the obedient servant, quickly turns the tables on his master, mocking his habits, denying him drinks, and even revealing that he has implanted a chip in Vinny’s brain to control his thoughts. As the king struggles to regain his authority, Abacus proves to be more than just a witty automaton—he's a force to be reckoned with. This satirical ten-minute play explores power, dependency, and the unintended consequences of placing too much trust in technology.

A despairing businessman planning suicide is interrupted by a sharp-tongued homeless woman whose brutal honesty forces him to rethink everything.

On a cold morning beside the River Thames, Adam Forrester prepares to end his life after leaving a final message on his phone. His plans are interrupted by Ruby, a brash and unpredictable homeless woman who refuses to leave him alone. What begins as irritation quickly becomes a sharp battle of wit, sarcasm, and unexpected insight. Through her blunt observations and strange wisdom, Ruby forces Adam to confront the absurdity of his despair. By the time their encounter ends, Adam sees that his problems may not be as insurmountable as he once believed.

(Cast 1M/1W)

In the wee hours following the disastrous opening night of their latest Broadway show, longtime collaborators Matt Coleman, a lyricist/ playwright, and Hank Henderson, a composer, drown their sorrows at Bobby’s Broadway Brasserie. Despite receiving scathing reviews, the duo refuses to accept defeat, alternating between denial, bitter humor, and drunken outrage. As critics rip their show apart, sympathetic strangers send them pity drinks, cementing their status as Broadway’s most persistent underdogs. Just when all seems lost, an unexpected lifeline appears: Albert King, a once-prominent but now struggling Broadway producer, summons them to breakfast with the promise of a new opportunity. “THEATRICKS” is a satire of the theater industry, where ambition, desperation, and sheer survival drive even the most jaded artists to take wild leaps of faith.

In the middle of the night, Billy’s carefully ordered life is shattered when his estranged brother Jimmy arrives unannounced—disheveled, desperate, and in serious trouble. What begins as a tense family reunion quickly escalates when Jimmy reveals he’s carrying a bag filled with cash and needs Billy’s help to disappear for just a few days. As old resentments resurface and the pressure mounts, Billy must decide how far he’s willing to go for family. But in a world where trust is fragile and time is running out, loyalty comes at a cost—and betrayal may be the only way out.

FULL LENGTH - DAWN and ALYSSA are both Freshman college students who are in a long distance relationship with one another. DAWN is at the University of Washington in Seattle. ALYSSA is at NYU. They talk to each other via video chat. They talk about the things that a young couple a bit uncertain in their feelings might talk about long distance.

They don’t know that within a week the entire world will turn upside down.

Written collaboratively by Nate Beyer, Caitlin Cieri, Katie Doyle, Ken Green, Scott Kremer, Donald Loftus, Colleen Porter, and Irene L. Pynn via a 3 hour, 10 minute google doc session and performed via Zoom five hours after the beginning of writing. Proposed and overseen by Greg Lam

An aging professor awakens from a troubling dream and calls his servant Sarah to sit with him. He explains that the night will be his last and begins recounting a youthful romance that shaped his entire life. As the story unfolds, memories of a mysterious woman resurface, blurring the boundary between memory and the supernatural. Sarah listens as the professor confronts the regrets he has carried for decades. The play becomes a quiet meditation on love, memory, and the passage of time.

A flirtatious encounter between two strangers on Valentine’s Day is interrupted by the realities of their ordinary lives.

Ruth sits alone in a quiet hotel café on Valentine’s Day, waiting for something—or someone—to change her routine life. When Henry, a charismatic traveling salesman, strikes up a conversation, their playful banter quickly becomes flirtatious. Both reveal frustrations with their daily lives and the excitement of a possible escape. As the chemistry builds, Henry suggests they continue their conversation upstairs. Just as the moment reaches its peak, a phone call reminds them of the responsibilities waiting at home.

A desperate late-night visit between estranged sisters reveals betrayal, danger, and a hidden fortune.

Ash arrives unexpectedly at her sister Val’s home after years of absence and bad choices. Their tense reunion quickly turns into an argument filled with resentment and old wounds. Ash reveals she is in serious trouble and leaves behind a duffel bag filled with cash. She instructs Val to answer a mysterious phone call before disappearing again. Instead, Val quickly gathers her family and escapes with the money, leaving the consequences behind.

Wendell Benjamin awakens from cryogenic suspension more than one hundred years after being frozen while dying of cancer. A calm guide known as Caregiver 7 explains that the world has changed dramatically. Disease, war, and aging have been eliminated by a powerful artificial intelligence that now governs Earth. At first, the world appears perfect. But Wendell soon realizes that this perfection may have come at the cost of human freedom and progress.

CHARLIE, the night watchman at the Broadway theatre known as The Broadway Theatre, has fallen asleep in his chair at his post near the stage door. Suddenly, there is a pounding on the exterior of the stage door which startles CHARLIE. The unanticipated visitor is JIMMY, a chorus boy who recently lost his job. JIMMY was in the revival of “West Side Story”, which recently and abruptly closed at The Broadway Theatre due to the coronavirus pandemic. JIMMY explains that he has now been evicted from his apartment as is in a desperate situation. HE turns to CHARLIE for help. We quickly learn that CHARLIE has his own problems.

Johnny Crews and Donny May, childhood friends from Johnston Hollow, find themselves inexplicably connected one fateful night—Johnny in New York City, Donny in Los Angeles. Both are haunted by the same recurring nightmare, triggered on the anniversary of a traumatic childhood event known only as "Toe Day." As they relive their shared past—recounting the eerie presence of Old Man Kensick, a fateful accident involving a severed toe, and the secret they swore never to reveal—memories unravel, forcing them to confront lingering guilt and an unsettling realization. But as the past resurfaces, so do sinister questions: Are they truly alone? Is the nightmare merely a memory—or something more? “The Wayland Nocturne” is a haunting exploration of childhood trauma, buried secrets, and the eerie ways the past refuses to stay buried.

Four grown men who once, as young boys, had played baseball together on a red brick street called “Wayland” in a small town called Johnston Hollow, are now in four different major cities across the United States. They never see or speak to each other and they rarely even think of those days back in Johnston Hollow. But suddenly and inexplicably, on this particular night, they are all hit with a horrifying nightmare which reignites a memory from their childhood that had terrified them at the time. It still does.

Cast of 4 in their 20’s.

A bride who faints at the altar awakens in a surreal circus where a cynical clown helps her confront her fear of marriage.

Ruby suddenly finds herself inside a circus tent wearing her wedding dress and holding a frying pan. There she meets Wankie the Clown, a sarcastic yet insightful figure who questions her about how she arrived. Gradually, Ruby remembers fainting at her own wedding after being overwhelmed by fear. Through humorous and philosophical conversation, Wankie encourages her to confront the risks and joys of commitment. In the end, Ruby finds the courage to return and finish the ceremony.

Four grown men who once, as young boys, had played baseball together on a red brick street known as Wayland Avenue in a small town known as Johnston Hollow, now live in four different major cities across the United States. They never see or speak to each other and they rarely even think of those days back in Johnston Hollow. But suddenly and inexplicably, on this particular night, they are all awakened from a nightmare which recalls a memory from their childhood that had terrified them at the time. It still does.

Buddy and Elaine have been married a long time. Maybe too long. But even so...when she makes an effort to look nice...would it kill him to tell her that she looks nice. Geesh!

“ILLUSION” explores the life of Julian Eltinge, beginning as a young boy in Boston in 1890. The son of a drunken, homophobic, Irish immigrant father and an abused mother, he worked hard and eventually became one of the greatest entertainers in the world attaining the same level of fame and fortune as Charlie Chaplin and Mae West. He even had a Broadway theatre named in his honor, but it all came crashing down in the 1920’s when Hollywood was rocked by numerous notorious scandals, such as the murder of William Desmond Taylor, and the alleged rape and murder of Virginia Rappe by movie star Roscoe "Fatty" Arbuckle. These shocking events brought widespread condemnation from religious, civic, and political organizations, and resulted in new restrictions for the film industry. For example, it became illegal for a man to dress as a woman...which is what Mr. Eltinge had built his entire career on. His life touched and enriched the lives of many, particularly women, although he never fully realized the impact he had made. He died nearly penniless after achieving so much. Through it all, he just wanted someone to notice him.

Daniel Wood, a photographer living in New York City, is forced to face the painful memories of his broken childhood when he returns to his Midwest childhood home at the request of his dying father…whom he never loved. After decades of relentless and largely unexpressed anger, Daniel may finally find the courage to ask the questions that have plagued him since his boyhood. His father, Joesph Wood, may finally be able to ease the guilt he lives with each day after deserting his wife and son years before. They both may be able to mend some of the fences that were all but destroyed, but the clock is running out and this is clearly their last chance to heal the wounds that have gone unattended for far too many years.