Patricia Milton

Patricia Milton

Patricia Milton’s plays include "Bamboozled," "The Victorian Ladies' Detective Collective," "Escape from the Asylum," "Enemies: Foreign and Domestic," "The Engine of Our Disruption," "Bystanders," "The Law of Attraction," "Reduction in Force," "Without Mercy," "Hearts of Palm," "Believers," "...
Patricia Milton’s plays include "Bamboozled," "The Victorian Ladies' Detective Collective," "Escape from the Asylum," "Enemies: Foreign and Domestic," "The Engine of Our Disruption," "Bystanders," "The Law of Attraction," "Reduction in Force," "Without Mercy," "Hearts of Palm," "Believers," "Solving Sunflowers," "In the Silence of Tangerine Groves," "Driven," and "The Only Virgin in Jubilee County." She co-authored with Andrew Black three plays: "P*rn Yesterday," "Strange Bedfellows," and "It’s Murder, Mary!"
Her musicals include "Not Without Our Women" (lyrics and libretto), with Andrew Black and Caroline Altman, and "Moments of Truth" (libretto) with Caroline Altman.

Awards and honors include:
"Best of Maine," BroadwayWorld Critics Choice, 2022, (Victorian Ladies' Detective Collective)
"Outstanding World Premiere Play," Theatre Bay Area, 2015 (Enemies: Foreign and Domestic).
"Outstanding Production," Theatre Bay Area, 2018 (Bamboozled)
"Outstanding Production, East Bay," SF Bay Area Theatre Critics Circle, 2022 (Escape From The Asylum)
Finalist, Best Original Script, SF Bay Area Theatre Critics Circle, 2022 (Escape From The Asylum)
Broadway World San Francisco Best Local Play 2011 (Reduction in Force).
Finalist, "Outstanding World Premiere Play," Theatre Bay Area, 2018 (Bamboozled)
Finalist, Monterey County Weekly Best Production of 2016 (Believers)
Finalist, 2015 Playwrights Foundation Playwriting Residency.
2013 Titan Finalist, Theatre Bay Area ATLAS Program.
Finalist, Women in Arts and Media Collaboration Award 2013 (Moments of Truth).
Finalist, Southern Appalachian Repertory ScriptFest 2011 (Not Without Our Women).
Finalist, Dayton Theatre FutureFest 2010 (Solving Sunflowers).
Winner, 3rd Prize, Eudora Welty New Play Festival 2009 (Solving Sunflowers).

***

Patricia’s full-length plays have been produced by Central Works, New Conservatory Theatre Center, Wily West Productions, Curan Repertory Company (New York), Theatre Esprit Asia (Denver), Paper Wing Theatre (Monterey), Public Theater (Maine), Lavanta Productions (Istanbul), Theatre Out (Santa Ana), Fritz Theatre (San Diego), East Mountain Center for Theatre (New Mexico), BardsTown Theatre (Louisville, KY), Hill Country Community Theatre (Texas), Emerald Theatre Company (Memphis, TN), StageQ (Madison, WI), Khaos Theatre, and Desert Rose Theatre (Palm Springs, CA). ***

She has had more than one hundred productions and readings of short plays internationally, including at the San Francisco Exploratorium, PlayGround SF, Woman’s Will, Women’s Theatre Project, Bay Area One Acts, and City Lights Theatre. She has participated in the Playwrights Foundation’s One Minute Play Festival and Flash Plays! for five years.

Her plays have received staged readings at Playwrights Revolution at Capital Stage, Last Frontier Theatre Festival, City Lights Theatre, Playwrights Center of San Francisco, 3Girls Theatre, New Stage Theatre in Jackson, MS, and Arts/West in Athens, OH.

Publications: The Only Virgin in Jubilee County, Eldridge Publishing. Stonehenge, Smith and Kraus, 2014 Best Ten-Minute Plays. Busybody, Original Works Publishing. Her monologues are published in Urgent Maturity, International Centre for Women Playwrights (ICWP).

Patricia is a Resident Playwright and a Company Member of Central Works. She is a member of Theatre Bay Area, the Dramatists Guild (SF Bay Area Rep), the International Centre for Women Playwrights, Playwrights Center of Minneapolis, Playwrights Center of San Francisco, and Central Works Writers Workshop.

Plays

  • The Victorian Ladies' Detective Collective by Patricia Milton
    Recommendations: 5
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    Cast: 
    4
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    Genre: comedy, dark comedy + 3 more
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    Keyword: metoo, 1890's London + 7 more
    Genre: comedy, dark comedy, melodrama, mystery/thriller, period
    Keyword: metoo, 1890's London, feminism, Bechdel Test, classic mystery, thriller, murder, rape, abuse of women
    Nominated: SF Bay Area Theatre Critics Circle, Best Production, East Bay and SF Bay Area, 2019 Excellence in Theater Awards. Best of Maine BroadwayWorld Critics Choice 2022.
    A "cheeky thriller" that centers women detectives and victims instead of the killer. In 1893, a serial killer not unlike Jack the Ripper terrorizes actresses in the Battersea district of London. As the police have been...
    Nominated: SF Bay Area Theatre Critics Circle, Best Production, East Bay and SF Bay Area, 2019 Excellence in Theater Awards. Best of Maine BroadwayWorld Critics Choice 2022.
    A "cheeky thriller" that centers women detectives and victims instead of the killer. In 1893, a serial killer not unlike Jack the Ripper terrorizes actresses in the Battersea district of London. As the police have been unable to stop the Battersea Butcher, three women who live in Mrs. Hunter's Lodging House for Ladies take up the task. But without modern forensics, access to crime scenes, or cooperation from the authorities, how can they succeed? The answer lies in believing women.
    A Theatre Bay Area Recommended Production and an SF Bay Area Theatre Critics Circle "Go See!" Production

    "A bone-chilling and unexpectedly hilarious thriller." ~Lou Fancher, East Bay Express


  • Escape from the Asylum by Patricia Milton
    Recommendations: 2
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    Cast: 
    4
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    Genre: adventure, comedy + 1 more
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    Keyword: feminism, female detective + 8 more
    Genre: adventure, comedy, mystery/thriller
    Keyword: feminism, female detective, classic mystery, comedy-mystery, Victorian England, Victorian era, Victorian Women, mystery, Freud, seance
    Can the lady detectives escape the madness of the patriarchy? Nominated for 2022 Best Original Script and awarded Best Production, East Bay, by the SF Bay Area Theatre Critics Circle.

    1895 London: When Loveday, Katie, and Valeria (The Victorian Ladies' Detective Collective) learn a perfectly sane woman explorer has been consigned to an asylum by her husband, they hatch a plan to set her free...
    Can the lady detectives escape the madness of the patriarchy? Nominated for 2022 Best Original Script and awarded Best Production, East Bay, by the SF Bay Area Theatre Critics Circle.

    1895 London: When Loveday, Katie, and Valeria (The Victorian Ladies' Detective Collective) learn a perfectly sane woman explorer has been consigned to an asylum by her husband, they hatch a plan to set her free. At the same time, they investigate the mystery of who is stealing the explorer's inheritance, piece by valuable piece. The woman's husband insists it's the serving girl, and all clues point that direction ... but is that a ruse? Two mysteries are solved in this character-driven comedy/mystery that also features a Victorian seance, a pre-Freudian alienist, cross-dressing, and other theatrical pleasures.
  • The Engine of Our Disruption by Patricia Milton
    Recommendations: 1
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    Cast: 
    4
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    Genre: comedy, dark comedy + 1 more
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    Keyword: ai, artificial intelligence + 2 more
    Genre: comedy, dark comedy, satire
    Keyword: ai, artificial intelligence, AI ethics, AI technology
    a new comedy about bad behavior: Artificial intelligence meets Authentic Misconduct

    Kamiri is the newly-hired Chief Ethics Officer of a mega-tech company named Bubble, where Artificial Intelligence promises to open up a whole new world of technological possibilities. But when Kamiri discovers that Bubble is developing a new wearable device intended to guide users in their day-to-day ethical...
    a new comedy about bad behavior: Artificial intelligence meets Authentic Misconduct

    Kamiri is the newly-hired Chief Ethics Officer of a mega-tech company named Bubble, where Artificial Intelligence promises to open up a whole new world of technological possibilities. But when Kamiri discovers that Bubble is developing a new wearable device intended to guide users in their day-to-day ethical decisions, she finds herself in an ethical dilemma of her own. Will she risk her job in order to do the right thing? What is the right thing to do? Oh, and her boss is an ex-lover. What does Artificial Intelligence say about that?
  • Bystanders by Patricia Milton
    Recommendations: 1
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    Cast: 
    2
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    Genre: drama, mystery/thriller + 1 more
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    Keyword: gun violence, mass shooting + 8 more
    Genre: drama, mystery/thriller, political
    Keyword: gun violence, mass shooting, school shooting, guilt, Politics, Iraq war, Stalking, Bystander, children and guns, aftermath Gun violence
    In the wake of a tragic and senseless act of gun violence, two women strive to connect despite their grief and guilt. Zayne is determined to learn if Hannah could have foreseen the mass shooting, or even prevented it. Hannah is sick to death of clichéd calls for "thoughts and prayers." She has a secret, daring plan to put an end to the violence. But will her idea work? Is it ethical? ... Or might it...
    In the wake of a tragic and senseless act of gun violence, two women strive to connect despite their grief and guilt. Zayne is determined to learn if Hannah could have foreseen the mass shooting, or even prevented it. Hannah is sick to death of clichéd calls for "thoughts and prayers." She has a secret, daring plan to put an end to the violence. But will her idea work? Is it ethical? ... Or might it create even more trauma? Inside a culture that’s inundated with news of everyday shootings, two citizens struggle to understand their duties as bystanders.
  • Bamboozled by Patricia Milton
    Recommendations: 3
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    Cast: 
    4
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    Genre: comedy, drama + 1 more
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    Keyword: Race, stereotypes + 8 more
    Genre: comedy, drama, political
    Keyword: Race, stereotypes, law, Black women, white women, race relations, LGBTQ, courtroom, reparations, intersectionality
    Winner, Outstanding Production, Theatre Bay Area, 2018
    Finalist, Outstanding World Premiere Play, Theatre Bay Area, 2018
    Winner, Outstanding Ensemble of a Play, Theatre Bay Area, 2018
    Stranded in Tennessee, and charged with defrauding a Daughter of the Confederacy out of family Civil War heirlooms worth over $1M, a young black appraiser from L.A. must find a way to win the suit, or face...
    Winner, Outstanding Production, Theatre Bay Area, 2018
    Finalist, Outstanding World Premiere Play, Theatre Bay Area, 2018
    Winner, Outstanding Ensemble of a Play, Theatre Bay Area, 2018
    Stranded in Tennessee, and charged with defrauding a Daughter of the Confederacy out of family Civil War heirlooms worth over $1M, a young black appraiser from L.A. must find a way to win the suit, or face ruin. Inspired by the true story of an Antiques Road Show appraiser who cheated a family out of a million dollars' worth of Confederate memorabilia, this four-woman play looks at what we value, and what it costs us. A timely exploration of the improbable road to reparations, and a look at how justice bats last. This play premiered February 2018 at Central Works in Berkeley, CA, USA, and was a Theatre Bay Area Awards Recommended Production, and an SF Bay Area Theatre Critics Circle "Go See!" production.
  • ENEMIES: Foreign and Domestic by Patricia Milton
    Recommendations: 3
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    Cast: 
    4
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    Genre: dark comedy, drama + 1 more
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    Keyword: Bechdel Test, refugee + 7 more
    Genre: dark comedy, drama, political
    Keyword: Bechdel Test, refugee, death, domestic violence, war, child abuse, anti-Muslim prejudice, xenophobia, anti-refugee prejudice
    because counter-terrorism begins at home…

    Recipient, "Outstanding World Premiere Play," 2015, Theatre Bay Area Awards.
    This 4-woman drama with a lot of black humor examines interrelated cycles of family and state-sponsored violence. When the rebel among three odd sisters returns home to reconcile with her estranged mother, cultures clash, sibling rivalries erupt, and bombs...
    because counter-terrorism begins at home…

    Recipient, "Outstanding World Premiere Play," 2015, Theatre Bay Area Awards.
    This 4-woman drama with a lot of black humor examines interrelated cycles of family and state-sponsored violence. When the rebel among three odd sisters returns home to reconcile with her estranged mother, cultures clash, sibling rivalries erupt, and bombs start falling. Called by critics "stunningly intelligent and politically provocative," and "a wickedly funny black comedy that relates an intimate history of family trauma and abuse while drawing fascinating parallels between domestic abuse, terrorism, and the waging of war.”

    Supporting video (cut and paste) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r6haoXlwTyQ
  • Hearts of Palm by Patricia Milton
    Recommendations: 1
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    Cast: 
    5
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    Genre: comedy, dark comedy + 2 more
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    Keyword: social commentary, corporate colonialism + 4 more
    Genre: comedy, dark comedy, political, satire
    Keyword: social commentary, corporate colonialism, unrequited love, climate change, capitalism, Bechdel Test
    Hearts of Palm follows the personal ethical crises that play out among a group of United States land negotiators intent on expanding a Southeast Asian palm oil plantation. Relaxed safety standards, nonexistent environmental regulations, and dirt-cheap labor – these are the qualities that attracted Empire Holdings to the island of Marititu. Idealistic Empire negotiator Vi Wells is faced with what seems like an...
    Hearts of Palm follows the personal ethical crises that play out among a group of United States land negotiators intent on expanding a Southeast Asian palm oil plantation. Relaxed safety standards, nonexistent environmental regulations, and dirt-cheap labor – these are the qualities that attracted Empire Holdings to the island of Marititu. Idealistic Empire negotiator Vi Wells is faced with what seems like an impossible choice: close a land purchase that will destroy the habitat of endangered orangutans, or, procure a tract that’s home to indigenous families -- forcing them to relocate from their ancestral land.

    When another negotiator quits Empire and “goes rogue” to join local rebels fighting the deal, Vi must match wits with a Marititu negotiator who seems to have only her own interests at heart. Over the course of a chaotic and difficult negotiation, Vi finds herself unable to support the unprincipled stance of her colleagues. She must decide if she will cooperate, quit, negotiate her way out of the deal, or find another solution entirely.

    The play satirizes and subverts several well-worn tropes, including unrequited love, “white savior” complex, and the notion that “women don’t know how to negotiate,” popularized in Sheryl Sandberg’s book, Lean In. Against a backdrop of larger issues, the play looks at Vi’s dilemmas: being forced to choose between her personal ethics and the interests of her employer, and navigating a workplace freighted with gender bias.

    Hearts of Palm calls attention to the routine methods of palm oil production that ravage the environment, contribute to our global climate crisis, and accompany human rights and land rights abuses. Palm oil is ubiquitous, as it’s used as an ingredient in fully half of all packaged products worldwide. The play brings to light the ways in which multinational businesses like the palm oil industry carry on the same abuses as global colonial powers in the emerging world.
  • Without Mercy by Patricia Milton
    Recommendations: 1
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    Cast: 
    3
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    Genre: drama, political
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    Keyword: Death Penalty, family + 6 more
    Genre: drama, political
    Keyword: Death Penalty, family, mother and daughter, crime, capital punishment, ethics, Bechdel Test, Criminal Justice
    Learning that her missing daughter has been murdered, an anguished mother battles her surviving daughter to make sure the killer receives the death penalty. Their clash of deep-seated beliefs causes long-held resentments to erupt around the family’s tragedy. Their legal advocate swears he’s neutral, but his actions contradict his claim. Challenged by a terrible trade-off, the three struggle to reach a...
    Learning that her missing daughter has been murdered, an anguished mother battles her surviving daughter to make sure the killer receives the death penalty. Their clash of deep-seated beliefs causes long-held resentments to erupt around the family’s tragedy. Their legal advocate swears he’s neutral, but his actions contradict his claim. Challenged by a terrible trade-off, the three struggle to reach a resolution.

    Note: The script for download features a man and two women, but the character of Sam is written to be played by a man or woman actor. The script with female pronouns is available - just ask!
  • Believers by Patricia Milton
    Recommendations: 3
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    Cast: 
    4
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    Genre: comedy, dark comedy + 5 more
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    Keyword: Fantasy, apocalypse + 2 more
    Genre: comedy, dark comedy, fable/folktale, fantasy, romantic comedy, satire, science fiction
    Keyword: Fantasy, apocalypse, fairy tale, the Frog King
    Is it really better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all? Or is it better to find a pharmaceutical remedy?

    Believers is an apocalyptic romantic comedy inspired by the Grimms fairy tale The Frog King.

    The world seems poised on the brink of environmental collapse. Inside a remote pharmaceutical lab, researcher Rockwell Wise is bent on creating a love vaccine to...
    Is it really better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all? Or is it better to find a pharmaceutical remedy?

    Believers is an apocalyptic romantic comedy inspired by the Grimms fairy tale The Frog King.

    The world seems poised on the brink of environmental collapse. Inside a remote pharmaceutical lab, researcher Rockwell Wise is bent on creating a love vaccine to keep his heart safe. His ex-lover, drug developer Grace Wright, hungers to create a love potion to rejuvenate our romance-starved planet. When Grace is hired to lead Rocky's development team in the midst of a company crisis, they become locked in a struggle over love and drugs --- with unexpected side effects.

    Part romantic comedy, part pharmaceutical satire, part sci-fi, this play asks questions about love, drugs, and the side effects of both.

    Video link (cut and paste) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-vCyrHKuIQA
  • Reduction in Force by Patricia Milton
    Recommendations: 1
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    Cast: 
    3
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    Genre: comedy, farce + 3 more
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    Keyword: economic collapse, financial crisis
    Genre: comedy, farce, political, romantic comedy, satire
    Keyword: economic collapse, financial crisis
    An economic comedy about ass-kissing, back-stabbing, and survival of the sneakiest.

    This 3-hander (2f, 1m) requires a single, simple set and offers three very meaty roles.

    Production History
    “Reduction in Force” finished a successful five-week premiere run in August 2011, at Central Works in Berkeley, CA, filling houses and receiving favorable reviews. It was produced by...
    An economic comedy about ass-kissing, back-stabbing, and survival of the sneakiest.

    This 3-hander (2f, 1m) requires a single, simple set and offers three very meaty roles.

    Production History
    “Reduction in Force” finished a successful five-week premiere run in August 2011, at Central Works in Berkeley, CA, filling houses and receiving favorable reviews. It was produced by Bard’s Town Theatre in Louisville, KY in July 2013. It was awarded “Best Local Play” in the 2011 Broadway World San Francisco Theater Awards.

    Synopsis
    This play is a “ripped from the headlines” comedy set on the luxurious campus of Icarus Financial Services. Set in real time, the play follows the minute-to-minute decisions made by three characters on the morning of a massive layoff. When employees Anita and Mitch are marked for potential termination, they cook up a sting to bring down their boss Gabby, a wealth manager. At the same time, Mitch and Anita rally Icarus’ secretaries and assistants to help topple the company. Riffing on real-life financial shenanigans like hurricane futures and insider trading, “Reduction in Force” serves up revenge, rebellion and romance.

    A Central Works Method play.
  • Stonehenge by Patricia Milton
    Recommendations: 3
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    Cast: 
    3
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    Genre: comedy
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    Keyword: Lesbian, LGBTQ + 3 more
    Genre: comedy
    Keyword: Lesbian, LGBTQ, surrogate, parenthood, adult relationships
    This ten-minute play is published by Smith and Kraus in their 2014 Best Ten-Minute Plays, and was presented at City Lights Theatre and the Women's Theatre Project.