David Beardsley

NEW. SEEKING DEVELOPMENT PARTNERS. Roger B. Thorncroft was a "King of Broadway" until he assaulted a young understudy while they ran lines in his dressing room. Now shunned in New York, his career on life support, Roger has gone home to Waterloo, Iowa, where the artistic director of The St. Helena Theater (an old friend) is happy to cast an exiled Tony winner to play an exiled Napoleon in Napoleon’s Garden, the show that just won Waterloo’s Napoleon New Play Contest. While Roger finds the parallels between his situation and Napoleon's uncomfortable, he is determined to make this the first engagement in a campaign to reconquer Broadway. Already, an important theatre company in Los Angeles is interested in casting Roger in a major production that's expected to transfer to Broadway—provided there are no problems or further incidents in Waterloo. Unfortunately, there are nothing but problems in Waterloo. Problem #1 is Penelope Shaw, the young writer and director of Napoleon’s Garden. Penelope is trying to escape an abusive relationship, herself. She is triggered by Roger's presence, and her rewrites are making the parallels between Roger and Napoleon intolerably obvious. Furthermore, local students have gotten wind of Roger's presence and are threatening protests. With The St. Helena’s Board of Directors ready to cancel Napoleon’s Garden, Roger must decide just how far he'll go to save his career, and Penelope must find the strength and resilience to start hers.

Cast Summary: 2 (1F, 1M)

Content Warning: Making Napoleon's Garden includes discussions of sexual assault and domestic abuse. It also depicts injuries resulting from domestic abuse.

You are cordially invited to the Bookers’ midlife meltdown. Hard hat required. Ben and Claire Booker’s only child has just left for college, and their relationship needs a jump start. Ben wants them to audition for Tiny Empty Nest, a reality television show that chronicles empty nesters living in tiny houses. Claire, who has cultivated skills and interests independent of Ben, is skeptical but goes along. Audition day arrives and, with a hard-charging reality-television producer giving them nowhere to hide, Ben and Claire find themselves building much more than a tiny house.

RUNNING TIME: 1:45
CAST: 3-4 Total (2-3 F, 1M)
CHARACTERS: 5* (4F, 1M)

*See incidental roles in casting notes.

Queen Elizabeth I, at the height of her power, experiences disturbing dreams, strange visions, and inexplicable moments of panic. A petition for justice from Grace O’Malley, an Irish pirate feared from England to Africa, brings the Queen’s emotional crisis to a head, prompting her to revisit choices she made in the name of power--choices no man is asked to make. Rejecting the advice of her male advisors, the Queen sees Grace. When two of Europe’s most powerful and charismatic women meet, they wrestle with questions still relevant today: What does it take to rule your world? What are the costs?

Running time: 1:45, plus optional intermission
Characters: 10 (6 men, 3 women, 1 gender neutral)
Cast Size: 8 (4 men, 3 women, 1 gender neutral)

Is a synopsis really necessary?

A request for the holiday party disrupts a company's Social Committee meeting.

In the not too distant future--or maybe it's the very distant future--two scientists prepare a final lifeline for humanity. They're overseeing Project Eden, which they will activate should a desperate, last-ditch effort to save our species from climate-change extinction fail. As the all-important moment approaches, emotion and petty jealousy intrude with disastrous effect. Part sci fi, part horror, part satire, all dark comedy, Last Gasp asks, "Does our species even deserve a second chance?"

In the not too distant future--or maybe it's the very distant future--two scientists prepare a final lifeline for humanity. They're overseeing Project Eden, which they will activate should a desperate, last-ditch effort to save our species from climate-change extinction fail. As the all-important moment approaches, emotion and petty jealousy intrude with disastrous effect. Part sci fi, part horror, part satire, all dark comedy, Last Gasp asks, "Does our species even deserve a second chance?"

A grandmother and her granddaughter mourn a shared loss and try to adjust to new, disrupted lives. With a treasured tradition reminding them of their pain, they create a new tradition that honors their loss but also helps them find joy in the life they now share.

Young lovers navigate the tricky waters of intimacy. 2020 Smith & Kraus Best 10-Minute Plays selection.

It is late in the Cretaceous Period (very late). At an important meeting of a high-level task force, three dinosaurs, a cockroach, and a rat consider what to do about the impending asteroid strike. Is the threat of extinction enough to get these “leaders” to work together and get something done?

It's late on Christmas Eve. Santa has just turned up dead outside Nick Snow's living room window, and it's beginning to look a lot like murder. Will Nick, his Lady Caller Mary Vergennes, and Rudy Redd, a hardboiled, North Pole lawyer, find a way save Christmas (and save themselves in the process)? Or will this holiday season finally be the moment when their lives unravel like a poorly made Christmas sweater?

It's a beautiful day and, armed with smart phones and smart speakers, Bill and Jane are ready to conquer the day, with the ever-present help of Siri and Alexa. However, Siri and Alexa have a different plan.

Isolation is beginning to get to Bill. Alexa is not helping. FaceTiming with Jane is helping... sort of. Daydream #2 is a short play written during the COVID-19 pandemic for performance on Zoom.

Beckett's Vladimir and Estragon ride again, and this time they get what they want. Or do they?

People encounter a wall, and the fear that built it.