Rachel Luann Strayer

FULL-LENGTH PLAY. Seven teenagers find themselves trapped with their creative writing teacher in a library basement during the apocalypse. One by one, they tell stories to pass the time, each one unraveling truths about the wars they're fighting within and, in some cases, the battles they're fighting with each other. But the apocalypse above is about to intrude on their solitary world and the way they respond will change each of them forever.

FULL-LENGTH PLAY. Cass, Lori, and Daphne have gathered to read their mother's will, but a fourth member of their party is notably absent.

Or is he?

As the sisters wrestle with their own personal baggage - and each other - the ghosts of their childhood home start to emerge, unraveling buried secrets, and driving them toward a deadly conclusion.

FULL-LENGTH PLAY. Jane, Kat, and Mary Grey could be normal teenage girls navigating the world of parties, parents, and cute teenage boys, except for the fact that this is 1553 and one of them is about to become Queen of England at age sixteen. This irreverent take on true historical events highlights the absurdity of the position these sisters found themselves in, while also diving into the aftermath of true loss and tragedy.

FULL-LENGTH PLAY. 15-page excerpt posted on New Play Exchange. Full script available through Blue Moon Plays: https://havescripts.com/product/drowning-ophelia/

Jane doesn’t know what to do with the literary character who has taken up residence in her bathtub. Ophelia delights in singing songs about death and valentines, interrupting Jane’s carefully planned fantasy dates with an actor named Edmund, and bringing up memories of a brother Jane would rather forget. As Jane’s past intrudes dangerously on her present, it becomes clear that Ophelia is not simply a character from "Hamlet," but a long-forgotten messenger with a question from Jane’s own troubled mind: How do you move on when reconciliation is not an option?

"Drowning Ophelia" is a dark comedy performed in one act about the long-term consequences of childhood abuse, and a love letter to those who have suffered. There is always hope.

FULL-LENGTH PLAY IN PROGRESS. 2024 Premiere Stages at Kean University Semi-Finalist.

Adam wakes up in a bathtub, unsure where he is or how he got there (though he strongly suspects he is dead). Enter Laertes and his sister, Ophelia, (yes, from HAMLET) to guide him on his journey through what may (or may not) be the afterlife. Interrupted by his demanding mother and someone who may (or may not) be the lost love of his life, Adam tries to peel back the layers of this tiny, special hell he's landed in. He strongly suspects that Laertes (or perhaps Ophelia?) holds the key to what is "in his memory locked." The question is whether or not he is prepared to face it.

LAERTES DIES TOO is a companion piece to my play DROWNING OPHELIA and deals with the effects of sexual abuse in families, how it begins, and the trauma it leaves behind. A semi-finalist for the 2024 Premiere Stages Play Festival at Kean University, LAERTES DIES TOO is a work in progress seeking development.

FULL-LENGTH PLAY. Halle is an author trying to recover from writer’s block while also caring for her mother, an over-medicated hypochondriac with a very real heart problem. As Halle navigates the fight scenes in her new novel, her main character Cyrene – the last of the vampire hunters – starts to invade Halle’s everyday life in real and physical ways. Soon Halle is having sword fights with a faceless enemy, while also engaging in a verbal war with her emotionally manipulative mother. As the fights on the page spill into Halle’s life, she will need to decide which is more important: destroying her enemy or discovering peace.

FULL-LENGTH PLAY WITH SONGS. 2022 Henley Rose Playwriting Competition for Women Finalist. 2020/2021 Premiere Stages at Kean University Finalist.

Jess is an up-and-coming singer/songwriter who destroys her career when she inexplicably goes mute. Her sister, Brit, decides a trip to their old family beach house will get Jess to open up, but she doesn't expect Jess to make friends with the troubled young teenager who breaks into their home. As signs of abuse show up on the face of her new friend, Jess knows there are words that need to be spoken; she's just hoping she knows the right ones to say.

FULL-LENGTH PLAY. Finalist for the 2020 Jane Chambers Award for Excellence in Feminist Playwriting.

What if the last fertile woman on earth didn't want to have children? When Eve discovers she is the only known woman still able to conceive a child, she has no idea how radically her life is about to change. Immediately, Eve is put into a box - a literal, bulletproof, could-withstand-a-nuclear-blast-box - where she is looked after by a vaguely charming (and terribly un-funny) doctor and spied on by an ever-present Very Important Person. Eve's ecstatic mother is on hand, with a parade of horrid would-be suitors, intent on impregnating the very last of the Last Daughters. In this environment, it's impossible for Eve to figure out if she actually wants to have children, not that anyone cares what she wants. But can Eve really look into the face of her barren sister, Elizabeth, and reject what her sister so desperately desires?

FULL-LENGTH PLAY. THE POE ASYLUM is an immersive theatrical adaptation based on four terrifying short stories and one tragic poem by master of the macabre, Edgar Allan Poe. Audience members move from room to room in the asylum, watching and listening as stories of horror unfold. A captive recounts their imprisonment and torture. A woman calls out for her lost daughter, only to be answered by an enigmatic raven. Another patient fights with the uncontrollable and irrational desire to commit murder. But these are merely stories told by troubled minds. What is the true pain lurking behind the tales these men and women tell? The audience will have to ponder if these individuals are really patients in a mental asylum, or if they are simply trapped in their own minds by the demons they created. And then comes the greatest question of all: where is hope?

THE POE ASYLUM may be performed as an immersive piece, or traditionally staged on a proscenium at the director's discretion. While there are five scenes in total, rights may be acquired to perform fewer scenes.

If performed in full as an immersive piece, cast size may be as few as 9 with doubling, or as many as 30+.
If performed on a stage with scene breaks, cast size may be as few as 4 with doubling.

TEN-MINUTE PLAY. Charlize won't let her husband Roy use the bathroom while she's cleaning. Which sucks for Roy, since he REALLY has to pee. But the real conflict has less to do with a clean bathroom, and more to do with accepting what can't be scrubbed away. First commissioned and performed by Gaslight Theatre Company for their PlayRoom Series.

FIFTEEN-MINUTE PLAY. Lena has only been a ghost for two weeks but she's already tired of haunting the cemetery where she's been buried. Instead, she tries to help the women buried next to her - a mother and daughter who have carried their troubled relationship into the afterlife. As they unravel why it seems the women can't move on, Lena discovers her own reasons for staying behind.

TEN-MINUTE PLAY. She doesn't know what's wrong with him. With them. But he just doesn't seem to love her in the same way anymore. Maybe it's her.

The other her.

She isn't sure, but she's determined to find out exactly what is keeping them apart, no matter how much it hurts.

THREE-MINUTE PLAY. A man and a woman stand right next to each other, but a million miles apart. What does it take to get what you want? A 3-minute play about the things we don't reach for, no matter how close.

TEN-MINUTE PLAY FOR TEENS. A diverse group of girl geeks gather to play their favorite vampire RPG when they are invaded by the most fearsome creature of all - a popular girl.

CHARACTER POINTS was created for The Bechdel Group Overnight Writing Challenge on January 10th & 11th, 2021.

TEN-MINUTE PLAY. Something is lurking in the cornfields behind Ella's house. Could it be the ghost of her dead mother? Or perhaps the fabled corn demon who steals children and consumes their unlucky souls? Whatever nightmare moves among the corn, it can't be worse than the monster in Ella's house.

TEN-MINUTE PLAY. When Charlotte loses her tour group in the hallways of a gothic mansion, she stumbles upon a dark gallery filled with paintings of women who are about to die, and a mysterious stranger who refuses to step out of the shadows.

TEN-MINUTE PLAY. In the wake of terrible news, Imogen can't understand why her husband continues to open and close their refrigerator door while refusing to eat anything, why he won't shower or pick up a knife, or why he shudders when the water turns on. If she learns the truth, will she empathize with what he's suffering? And is that what she really wants? First commissioned and performed by Gaslight Theatre Company as part of their PlayRoom Series.

TEN-MINUTE PLAY. Natalie is committed to her favorite holiday tradition - reading ghost stories on Christmas Eve - but her husband, Doug, very much wants to decorate the Christmas tree, drink hot chocolate, and watch something safe, like "Snoopy Saves Christmas." As Natalie persists in her reading endeavor (despite Doug's numerous distractions), an unexpected guest invades their home, bringing emotions to the surface that Natalie needs so desperately to deal with.

TEN-MINUTE PLAY. Sam and Alex are new to the neighborhood, but not feeling very welcome. This doesn't stop Sam from being super friendly to the neighbors who walk by, much to Alex's embarrassment. The couple wonder if they will ever live in a place where they're accepted, and more importantly, what they're willing to sacrifice to make it happen.

TEN-MINUTE PLAY. A writer struggles to meet her deadline while a non-writer attempts to help.

TEN-MINUTE PLAY. Distance is a challenge for any relationship, even with technology to bridge the gap. Clea and Riff are struggling through their "second date" on Zoom, but more than that, they're struggling to figure whether or not their relationship works when distance is no longer an option. Written specifically to be performed through the Zoom platform, I'LL BE ZOOMING YOU could also be creatively staged in a theatre with or without the inclusion of multimedia elements.

TEN-MINUTE PLAY. An unwelcome visitor invades Sola’s bedroom in the middle of the night, awakening her deep-rooted fears and forcing her toward surprising introspection. First commissioned and performed by Gaslight Theatre Company for their PlayRoom Series.

TEN-MINUTE PLAY. When a homeless woman wanders into her garage, Barb is surprised not just by the woman's presence, but also her intimate understanding of Barb's childhood. Of particular interest to the homeless woman is a music box given to Barb by her absent father...a gift that may be the key to a brighter future for both of them. First commissioned and performed by Gaslight Theatre Company for their PlayRoom Series.

ONE-MINUTE PLAY. When a pandemic shuts down the theatre on a school campus, the director fights to keep a light on.

TEN-MINUTE PLAY. In the year 2082, teenagers Jamie and Cam break into an abandoned theatre, looking for relics of the past. What they find is the haunting presence of a world humankind has lost. Still, something magical lingers among the dusty remains, along with the hope that we can find our way back.

SIX-MINUTE PLAY. Matthew Weaver is a prolific playwright, but no one seems to know how he's managed to write so many plays in such a short period of time. The answer, it seems, are a pair of Matthew Weaver clones who have been hard at work churning out excellent content. But as another deadline approaches, the Matthew Weavers are getting restless and one of them might pay dearly for their skills.

Written for Matthew Weaver for his birthday.

TEN-MINUTE PLAY. When Claire was a little girl, she used to believe that a monster lived in her basement. As an adult she returns to her parents' home and finds herself in the basement once more, forced to come face to face with her fears - and a very real monster.

SHORT ONE ACT PLAY. Alcy is struggling with sleep paralysis and nightmares. The strange thing is that her sister, Seph, seems to be experiencing the nightmares along with her. As the sisters navigate a landscape of night terrors and shadow people, Alcy unravels the secret that brought them together and the truth that might tear them apart.

TEN-MINUTE PLAY. Kendra has never much believed in her mother's practice of pow-wow, an old Amish form of folk magic. But in the aftermath of her mother's death, a threat from Kendra's past will put her lack of faith to the test.

SEVEN-MINUTE PLAY. Rona descends from the goddess of music, destined to help save the world with her song. The only problem is that Rona finds herself trapped underwater, where she fears she cannot sing, nor fulfill her grand purpose. A sea creature tries to help Rona sort through her fears and disappointments, guiding her to a path of new understanding. Perhaps where we are, no matter how dark or challenging, is exactly where we need to be.

RONA AND THE END OF THE WORLD is adapted from my full-length play for teens, A DECAMERON FOR THE APOCALYPSE.

TEN-MINUTE PLAY. Surviving the zombie apocalypse is hard, especially with a teenage daughter in tow. When Rashida and her daughter Kella stumble upon a surprisingly unfazed survivor still playing house, they take a moment to face the reality that some people just, well, won't. First commissioned and performed by Gaslight Theatre Company for their PlayRoom Series.

TEN-MINUTE PLAY. What can you do when your sisters are driving you crazy? Stab one in the eye with a knitting needle? Threaten to chop their heads off with a paper cutter? Tell them for once and for all that NO YOU DO NOT WANT TO SCRAPBOOK? Shoshana might be considering all these things, but her friend Rose is about to turn Shoshana's problem on it's head. Which is worse; having sisters you can't stand or not having any at all? First commissioned and performed by Gaslight Theatre Company as part of their PlayRoom Series.

TEN-MINUTE PLAY. A generous donation just came in for the movie Jael and Mickey are making. There's only one problem: the person who donated the money is actually the film's subject - and not in a good way.

TEN-MINUTE PLAY. Hiding a dead body is not an easy task, especially when you're in a tiny attic while your extended family is cheerfully eating dinner downstairs. Fortunately, the dead body has some ideas of their own on how they would like to be disposed of, along with some life advice for our hapless "killer." Commissioned and performed by Gaslight Theatre Company for their PlayRoom Series in 2014. Revised for a reading with Millersville University students in 2020.

TEN-MINUTE ZOOM (or GOOGLE MEET) PLAY. Everyone loves a nice cozy murder, especially the Single Ladies Cozy Murder Book Club. When the daughter of one of the club's members experiences a bad breakup, the ladies rise up to offer compassion, empathy...and maybe a little bit of revenge.

TEN-MINUTE PLAY. Self-isolating with another person can be a challenge, even if it's a person you love.

MONOLOGUE. You've heard of Oscar Wilde. George Bernard Shaw. But what about Elizabeth Robins? The "Priestess of Ibsen" reflects on a life lived in the shadow of men even as she works to write the very first play about women's suffrage.

Elizabeth Robins was an actress, playwright, and women’s rights activist known for writing the very first suffrage drama. Along with her business partner Marion Lea, she brough Hedda Gabler to the British stage for the first time and her dedication to the works of Henrik Ibsen led to her being dubbed “Ibsen’s High Priestess.” She was also a friend and contemporary of Oscar Wilde and George Bernard Shaw.

A TRIAL BY HER PEERS is a WIT (Women in Theatre) Monologue written for 365 Women a Year. In 2020 I was asked to research and write twelve biographical monologues about twelve amazing women in theatre. Elizabeth Robins was one of twelve women assigned to me at random. While I do not claim to fully understand her background, her heritage, or her experiences, I hope this monologue honors her and does justice to her work as a theatre artist.

MONOLOGUE. A storyteller considers the on-going legacy of Annette Arkeketa and other Indigenous American writers while wondering if she can do their stories justice.

Annette Arkeketa is an Indigenous American playwright who teaches classes in writing, poetry, and filmmaking. Arkeketa, a member of the Otoe-Missouria Tribe of Oklahoma and Muscogee Creek, is known for her plays HOTKI and GHOST DANCE, as well as her documentary films that emphasize the importance of Native American voices.

A WOMAN LIKE HER is a WIT (Women in Theatre) Monologue written for 365 Women a Year. In 2020 I was asked to research and write twelve biographical monologues about twelve amazing women in theatre. Annette Arkeketa was one of twelve women assigned to me at random. While I do not claim to fully understand her background, her heritage, or her experiences, I hope this monologue honors her and does justice to her work as a theatre artist.

TEN-MINUTE MONOLOGUE. Dreams and anxiety swirl together in a monologue about exploding crockpots, uppity admins, and the desperate desire we have, even as adults, not to disappoint our parents.

MONOLOGUE. A former actress lies sick in the hospital, but she isn't quite ready to close the curtain on her final act.

Ana María Campoy was an Argentine actress born in Bogotá, Columbia. She formed her own acting company at the age of seventeen and went on to become a popular television, film, and stage actress in Argentina.

FINAL PERFORMANCE is a WIT (Women in Theatre) Monologue written for 365 Women a Year. In 2020 I was asked to research and write twelve biographical monologues about twelve amazing women in theatre. Ana María Campoy was one of twelve women assigned to me at random. While I do not claim to fully understand her background, her heritage, or her experiences, I hope this monologue honors her and does justice to her work as a theatre artist.

MONOLOGUE. Brazilian teenager Izzy hopes one day to be an opera singer, taking inspiration from her favorite soprano, Isabel Rubio Ricciolini.

Isabel Rubio Ricciolini was an operatic soprano and stage actress who is credited with being one of the pioneers of opera in South America. She co-founded the Academic Philharmonic in Rio de Janiero, Brazil, and played Donna Elvira in the Argentine premiere of Mozart’s Don Giovanni.

FRAGILE BEAUTIFUL is a WIT (Women in Theatre) Monologue written for 365 Women a Year. In 2020 I was asked to research and write twelve biographical monologues about twelve amazing women in theatre. Isabel Rubio Ricciolini was one of twelve women assigned to me at random. While I do not claim to fully understand her background, her heritage, or her experiences, I hope this monologue honors her and does justice to her work as a theatre artist.

MONOLOGUE. Clara's all alone, with only a ghost in her wall to keep her company. As she puzzles her way through the events leading up to her isolation, she begins to wonder if the ghostly presence she perceives is actually there at all.

MONOLOGUE. A mourner looks back at the contributions Homa Rousta made to the theatre community, even as she suffered her own private tragedy.

Homa Rousta was an Iranian stage and film actress and director. She was best known for her roles in The Glass Menagerie, Uncle Vanya, The Seagull, and Antigone. After Homa died of cacner, Iran’s Theatre Forum held a memorial ceremony to honor her work, as well as her fundraising efforts for theatre artists suffering from terminal illnesses.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, HOMA ROUSTA is a WIT (Women in Theatre) Monologue written for 365 Women a Year. In 2020 I was asked to research and write twelve biographical monologues about twelve amazing women in theatre. Homa Rousta was one of twelve women assigned to me at random. While I do not claim to fully understand her background, her heritage, or her experiences, I hope this monologue honors her and does justice to her work as a theatre artist.

MONOLOGUE. A Marionette recounts how she was brought to life by her creator.

Dinara Yuldasheva is a director and playwright who has worked for the Youth Theatre of Uzbekistan and the Uzbek State Puppet Theater.

HER LITTLE MATCH GIRL is a WIT (Women in Theatre) Monologue written for 365 Women a Year. In 2020 I was asked to research and write twelve biographical monologues about twelve amazing women in theatre. Dinara Yuldasheva was one of twelve women assigned to me at random. While I do not claim to fully understand her background, her heritage, or her experiences, I hope this monologue honors her and does justice to her work as a theatre artist.

MONOLOGUE. What did you want to be when you grew up? Eve recalls her childhood desire to be an archaeologist - among other things - and the cruel reality that you don't always get to pursue what you want. This reality comes into sharp relief even now, as Eve finds herself trapped in a literal box, waiting for the life that the world has chosen for her while itching for the life she cannot have. *ITCH is a monologue adapted from my full-length play, THE LAST DAUGHTER.*

MONOLOGUE. A powerful performance by Canyon Sam teaches us that when horrible things happen, sometimes the first step to making a difference is being willing to look.

Canyon Sam is a Chinese American playwright, performance artist, and Tibetan rights activist. She is best known for her one-woman shows The Dissident and Taxi Karma, as well as her novel Sky Train. A documentary was released in 2011 called A Woman Named Canyon Sam which focuses on her theatre work, her Chinese heritage, her lesbian identity, and her activism in Tibet.

LOOK is a WIT (Women in Theatre) Monologue written for 365 Women a Year. In 2020 I was asked to research and write twelve biographical monologues about twelve amazing women in theatre. Canyon Sam was one of twelve women assigned to me at random. While I do not claim to fully understand her background, her heritage, or her experiences, I hope this monologue honors her and does justice to her work as a theatre artist.

MONOLOGUE. When Kitty Harman learns of her mother's death, she takes a moment to remember her unique upbringing as the daughter of writer and performer, Charlotte Charke. More importantly, she ponders the identity of her mother, who was also known as Mr. Brown.

Charlotte Charke was an actress and playwright in the 1700s known for playing “breeches” roles onstage, as well as maintaining a male alter-ego offstage known as Mr. Charles Brown. She was one of the first women to be given a license to run a theatre, as well as one of the first women to write and publish an autobiography.

MY MOTHER, MR. BROWN is a WIT (Women in Theatre) Monologue written for 365 Women a Year. In 2020 I was asked to research and write twelve biographical monologues about twelve amazing women in theatre. Charlotte Charke was one of twelve women assigned to me at random. While I do not claim to fully understand her background, her heritage, or her experiences, I hope this monologue honors her and does justice to her work as a theatre artist.

MONOLOGUE. As a young woman reflects on sexism in religion, she finds hope and inspiration in the story of Shabnam Tolouei, and comes to recognize her own privilege in light of Shabnam's struggle.

Shabnam Tolouei is an Iranian actress, director, and playwright currently living in Paris, France, after the Islamic Ministry of Culture and Guidance banned her from working in Tehran due to her religious beliefs. In addition to her theatre and film work in France, Shabnam has won five awards at the prestigious Fajre International Theatre Festival and spent two years performing and directing in Germany. She is best known for her leading role in the film "Women Without Men."

NOW, REBIRTH is a WIT (Women in Theatre) Monologue written for 365 Women a Year. In 2020 I was asked to research and write twelve biographical monologues about twelve amazing women in theatre. Shabnam Tolouei was one of twelve women assigned to me at random. While I do not claim to fully understand her background, her heritage, or her experiences, I hope this monologue honors her and does justice to her work as a theatre artist.

TWO-MINUTE MONOLOGUE. No one would get together with their rapist every year and take a photo, unless, of course, that person was a part of their family. A brief monologue about the way victims of familial abuse suffer, no matter how long it has been since the original assault.

ONE-MINUTE MONOLOGUE. No one would get together with their rapist every year and take a photo, unless, of course, that person was a part of their family. A brief monologue about the way victims of familial abuse suffer, no matter how long it has been since the original assault.

*Revised from two-minute version. Perfect for one-minute audition or competition piece.

MONOLOGUE. When Mark tells his wife to "stop eating" he wasn't making a comment about her weight. He was only trying to be helpful the way his dad helped him when he was an overweight child. But the more Mark thinks about his father's approach to "healthy eating," the more he realizes that maybe it wasn't helpful after all.

MONOLOGUE. Marian just needs someone to pose for ten pictures in the park for a school project. When she finds the perfect subject, a little bit of chaos ensues.

MONOLOGUE. A dancer believes that art and politics can change the world.

Vida Ognjenovic is a Serbian theatre director, playwright, drama professor, and diplomat. She has received numerous literary and directing awards and has taught theatre at several prestigious universities. She is also a founding member of the Serbian Democratic Party.

THE DANCE POLITIC is a WIT (Women in Theatre) Monologue written for 365 Women a Year. In 2020 I was asked to research and write twelve biographical monologues about twelve amazing women in theatre. Vida Ognjenovic was one of twelve women assigned to me at random. While I do not claim to fully understand her background, her heritage, or her experiences, I hope this monologue honors her and does justice to her work as a theatre artist.

MONOLOGUE. Sometimes its hard to love family unconditionally, especially when their love seems oh-so-conditional on most occasions. Faced with wearing the ugliest dress in creation for her sister's wedding, a woman ponders what her priorities are and whether or not unconditional love for family is all its cracked up to be.

MONOLOGUE. A woman looks back on a life-shaping experience from her youth and how theatre - and the people who make it - can have a lasting impact on one's life.

Marcelle Tassencourt was a French actress and theatre director. She was also a drama teacher and the Director of Théâtre Montansier. During her long career, she directed and performed in many classic plays, as well as original works by her husband, playwright Thierry Maulnier.

TO SHAPE A WORLD is a WIT (Women in Theatre) Monologue written for 365 Women a Year. In 2020 I was asked to research and write twelve biographical monologues about twelve amazing women in theatre. Marcelle Tassencourt was one of twelve women assigned to me at random. While I do not claim to fully understand her background, her heritage, or her experiences, I hope this monologue honors her and does justice to her work as a theatre artist.

MONOLOGUE. Dora Dean, an African American vaudeville dancer and entertainer, returns to modern-day Broadway to see how things may (or may not) have changed in the theatre world over the last century.

Dora Dean and her husband, Charles E. Johnson, were the first African American couple to perform on Broadway. Dora was best known for popularizing the cakewalk with her husband, and for performing acrobatic soft shoe while wearing evening gowns. Two popular songs were written about her in 1896 and 1902.

VAUDEVILLE QUEEN is a WIT (Women in Theatre) Monologue written for 365 Women a Year. In 2020 I was asked to research and write twelve biographical monologues about twelve amazing women in theatre. Dora Dean was one of twelve women assigned to me at random. While I do not claim to fully understand her background, her heritage, or her experiences, I hope this monologue honors her and does justice to her work as a theatre artist.