J.E. Hibbard

J.E. Hibbard

J.E. Hibbard (she/they) is a neurodivergent Playwright, Performer, Singer, and Storyteller who has lived in Indiana their entire life with 30+ years of theatrical experiences. They bring 10 years of Technical theatre experience to the table as well.
Hibbard’s immersion in the arts have lead them here; writing plays for Women (all women), invisible illnesses, animal rights, dwelling in the realm of dark...
J.E. Hibbard (she/they) is a neurodivergent Playwright, Performer, Singer, and Storyteller who has lived in Indiana their entire life with 30+ years of theatrical experiences. They bring 10 years of Technical theatre experience to the table as well.
Hibbard’s immersion in the arts have lead them here; writing plays for Women (all women), invisible illnesses, animal rights, dwelling in the realm of dark comedies/dramedies.

PRODUCTION HISTORY
2022 A (Happy) Holiday
Writing team member and co-creator
World Premiere December, 2022 with Theatre Unchained

2022 My Grandfather vs The Wilkolek
10 min Storytelling play featuring shadow puppetry
Debuted at Fonseca Theatre, as part of Boo-La-La 2022

2022 Sweet Dreams, Pillowman
60 min One Act play with songs, Fringe play
World Premiered with American Lives Theatre at the 2022 IndyFringe Festival

2022 The Silver Lining of a Bottomless Pit
1 min play for 2 Actors
Gi60 Short Play Festival, New York, NY

2022 Plutonian Grove
40 min Family friendly play for young audiences
Debuted at The Indianapolis Children’s Museum March 2022 - April 2022 (55 performances) in the Lilly Theatre

2020 Brewing A Revolution (virtual)
Online Monologue Festival, “Quaranteeny Fest”
Produced w/live actors via Zoom
Courtesy of Fat Turtle Theatre Company (501C3) Indianapolis, IN

2020 TEXT: A Soundscape Play
The Fletcher Collins Theatre, Mary Baldwin University.
This production featured five 10 Minute Plays without words.
Produced by The NU Theatre, Staunton, VA.

2019 Letters Sent
The Indy 11 Stage at the IndyFringe Theatre.
Produced by Fat Turtle Theatre Company (501C3) Indianapolis, IN

2012 Imagine That
The IndyFringe Theatre at the Indianapolis Fringe Festival.
Self Produced as part of the 11 day festival in downtown Indianapolis, IN

PUBLICATION
2022 “A Painting,” published online in the month of May by the Heartland Society of Women Writers. Their first every Drama publication.

2022 “The Woman She Was In Pictures,” published online and available in print through Amazon, by SweetyCat Press.

2021 “By Design,” published online as part of the Indiana Spirit and Place Festival. Poem inspired by the works of Edith Vonnegut.

2019 “No, Neighbors, I Will Not Spray My Dandelions” published in chapbook Human/Nature, Printed and distributed by The Sierra Club, Indiana Chapter

2017 “Small Talk” published in literary magazine Hoosier Lit: Volume 1 Spring 2017
Printed and distributed by The Geeky Press

Plays

  • Ballad of the Book Women by J.E. Hibbard
    Recommendations: 1
    ·
    Cast: 
    4–10
    ·
    Genre: biography, comedy + 3 more
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    Keyword: women, women’s history + 8 more
    Genre: biography, comedy, docudrama/historic, drama, period
    Keyword: women, women’s history, herstory, appalachia, plays with music, book bans, books, librarians, libraries, puppet
    When Eleanor Roosevelt announces that she will be going on tour to support public libraries and the packhorse librarian project, four charming Appalachian librarians and their mule, Nellie, work to bring their little library up to snuff. From fording streams to fending off criminals, these women will do anything to secure a meaningful education for their community, and they'll do it with a song in their...
    When Eleanor Roosevelt announces that she will be going on tour to support public libraries and the packhorse librarian project, four charming Appalachian librarians and their mule, Nellie, work to bring their little library up to snuff. From fording streams to fending off criminals, these women will do anything to secure a meaningful education for their community, and they'll do it with a song in their heart. Set in 1930’s Appalachia, this inspiring historical play with music sings the songs and tells the stories of a community of passionate women who fought for the joy of knowledge and equitable schooling in the hills of depression-era America.

    Ballad of the Book Women premiered at the 2023 IndyFringe DivaFest in Indianapolis, IN.
  • Please Try Again (one-minute play) by J.E. Hibbard
    Cast: 
    3
    ·
    Genre: dark comedy, drama
    ·
    Keyword: one minute play, telemarketing + 4 more
    Genre: dark comedy, drama
    Keyword: one minute play, telemarketing, operating system, choices, options, overwhelmed
    If you were offered a Rewind button, would you press it? In a world full of automated options, make sure you choose wisely.
  • Plutonian Grove by J.E. Hibbard
    Cast: 
    4–10
    ·
    Genre: adventure, comedy + 3 more
    ·
    Keyword: Theatre for Young Audiences, border wall + 7 more
    Genre: adventure, comedy, drama, fantasy, young audiences
    Keyword: Theatre for Young Audiences, border wall, environmental activism, accessibility, forest, forest creatures, bullying, anxiety, friendship
    Plutonian Grove is a drab, gray scale world inhabited by The Townspeeps, a no-nonsense working class civilization built on form and function. The city of Plutonia is surrounded by a wall, meant to keep the Townspeeps inside their industrial daydream. Lovey, a young person of Plutonia, refuses to conform. With the help of their momma, Alma, and rule follower, Pax, Lovey must venture beyond the wall of the city...
    Plutonian Grove is a drab, gray scale world inhabited by The Townspeeps, a no-nonsense working class civilization built on form and function. The city of Plutonia is surrounded by a wall, meant to keep the Townspeeps inside their industrial daydream. Lovey, a young person of Plutonia, refuses to conform. With the help of their momma, Alma, and rule follower, Pax, Lovey must venture beyond the wall of the city and into the magical forest beyond to bring some much needed color into their world.
    *Run time: 40 minutes
  • #SquirrelLife by J.E. Hibbard
    Recommendations: 2
    ·
    Cast: 
    4
    ·
    Genre: comedy
    ·
    Keyword: environmental, nature + 5 more
    Genre: comedy
    Keyword: environmental, nature, forest, animals, squirrels, Tennessee, ten minute comedy
    In the Smokey Mountains in Tennessee, 3 forest loving Squirrels are sitting in a tree, O-B-S-E-R-V-I-N-G.
    It’s that time of year again... and here come all the bipeds to see the leaves fall.
    These 3 squirrels have seen it all.
    *10 minute play
  • Sweet Dreams, Pillowman by J.E. Hibbard
    Recommendations: 3
    ·
    Cast: 
    5–10
    ·
    Genre: comedy, dark comedy
    ·
    Keyword: fringe plays, puppets + 7 more
    Genre: comedy, dark comedy
    Keyword: fringe plays, puppets, rats, imaginary, loneliness, Mourning, agoraphobia, Mental Health, parody songs
    Part Tribute, part parody, this absurd comedy dripping in magical realism is a 60 minute romp into the apartment and through the mind of Monique, a reflective character of recent human experience.
    Monique is alone. So very alone. Except for the Chorus of Rats who live in the basement. Out of loneliness, and dirty laundry, her friend Pillowman is born. This script Premiered at the 2022 Indianapolis Fringe...
    Part Tribute, part parody, this absurd comedy dripping in magical realism is a 60 minute romp into the apartment and through the mind of Monique, a reflective character of recent human experience.
    Monique is alone. So very alone. Except for the Chorus of Rats who live in the basement. Out of loneliness, and dirty laundry, her friend Pillowman is born. This script Premiered at the 2022 Indianapolis Fringe Festival For 4 performances in August,2022. Produced by American Lives Theatre, Directed by Pat Mullen.
  • Meat Market by J.E. Hibbard
    Recommendations: 1
    ·
    Cast: 
    2
    ·
    Genre: comedy, dark comedy + 1 more
    ·
    Keyword: two hander, ten minute + 5 more
    Genre: comedy, dark comedy, romantic comedy
    Keyword: two hander, ten minute, vampires, witches, apocalypse, romantic comedy, comedy horror
    CAMILLA and MERCY have been together a few hundred years, give or take a century. But prolonging their existence while all Hell breaks loose on Earth offers up a unique challenge of withstanding an actual Apocalypse. These undead queens of the night seek to quench their collective thirsts via modern day meat markets; dating apps.
    A 10 minute play for 2 women
  • Isle of Dol by J.E. Hibbard
    Recommendations: 1
    ·
    Cast: 
    8
    ·
    Genre: adventure, comedy + 8 more
    ·
    Keyword: horror, suspense + 8 more
    Genre: adventure, comedy, dark comedy, drama, fable/folktale, horror, immersive, mystery/thriller, science fiction, tragedy
    Keyword: horror, suspense, thriller, haunted, immersive, science, women explorers, mythology, folklore, superstition
    A team of modern day Explorers journey across the Pacific Ocean in search of the Isle of Dol; a mythological island rumored to be haunted by the spirits of those lost at sea. Their expedition hits a snag when the ship runs aground and members of the team begin to disappear. Will the exploration team discover the elusive ‘Isle of Dol’ and live to tell the tale?
    *3 Act play, approx. run time: 70 minutes
  • TEXT, a Soundscape Play by J.E. Hibbard
    Recommendations: 7
    ·
    Cast: 
    1
    ·
    Genre: comedy, movement/physical + 4 more
    ·
    Keyword: sound effects, technology + 4 more
    Genre: comedy, movement/physical, pantomime, satire, science fiction, young audiences
    Keyword: sound effects, technology, isolation, addiction, cell phones, soundscape
    TEXT showcases addiction to technology and our growing dependence on our handheld, radiation emitting devices. Yet, The Slob just can’t seem to put down their phone and to see what is happening around them.
    *10 minute play
  • What About Bismarck by J.E. Hibbard
    Recommendations: 4
    ·
    Cast: 
    2
    ·
    Genre: comedy, dark comedy + 1 more
    ·
    Keyword: two hander, ten minute comedy + 4 more
    Genre: comedy, dark comedy, zoom
    Keyword: two hander, ten minute comedy, women, train, Minimalist, zoom play
    Two women on train. Both running from the past, Anne and Meryl discover how to mold their new futures.
    *10 minute play
  • A Painting by J.E. Hibbard
    Recommendations: 2
    ·
    Cast: 
    2
    ·
    Genre: drama, experimental
    ·
    Keyword: absurdism, dramatic + 5 more
    Genre: drama, experimental
    Keyword: absurdism, dramatic, gothic, abstract, symbolism, painter, contemporary verse
    Two beings split between longing and understanding have lived an eternity within the safety of their walls. The walls they have built. They exist in opposition of the other, that very existence boiling down to one important question: Are we happy?
    *10 minute play
  • Small Talk by J.E. Hibbard
    Recommendations: 1
    ·
    Cast: 
    4
    ·
    Genre: comedy, dark comedy + 1 more
    ·
    Keyword: Small Talk, absurd + 5 more
    Genre: comedy, dark comedy, farce
    Keyword: Small Talk, absurd, Farce, strangers, mundane, business, killing time
    An absurd farce of the mundane, 4 people engage in small, impersonal dialogue.
  • CLOCK by J.E. Hibbard
    Recommendations: 1
    ·
    Cast: 
    1
    ·
    Genre: drama, experimental
    ·
    Keyword: time, regret + 8 more
    Genre: drama, experimental
    Keyword: time, regret, absurd, abstract, hours, running out of time, clocks, ticking, chimes, theatre of the absurd
    SHORT PLAY: One person contemplating and unraveling the human concept of time as they feel their own time running out.
  • Woodstock by J.E. Hibbard
    Recommendations: 1
    ·
    Cast: 
    1
    ·
    Genre: comedy, drama + 1 more
    ·
    Keyword: solo piece, solo performance + 4 more
    Genre: comedy, drama, fantasy
    Keyword: solo piece, solo performance, dreams, psychology, haunted, reoccurring dream
    The character records their dreams in a journal. Here, they are recalling sequences of their dreamscape in which they have conversations with their dead father.

    The character can be played by any one actor, open gender orientation, open to actors of color, all abilities, etc.
  • Letters Sent by J.E. Hibbard
    Recommendations: 1
    ·
    Cast: 
    7
    ·
    Genre: comedy, dark comedy + 2 more
    ·
    Keyword: Mental Health, anxiety + 7 more
    Genre: comedy, dark comedy, drama, melodrama
    Keyword: Mental Health, anxiety, substance abuse, Depression, Therapy, family, divorce, Michigan, medical marijuana
    FULL LENGTH: In Letters Sent, Claire experiences the real aftermath of surviving suicide. Exposing a range of human behavior post trauma, she faces her family, the recipients of Claire’s suicide notes. Letters Sent is a dramatic interpretation of an uncomfortable, growing reality of mental health in modern America.
    *Trigger warnings: suicide, depression, substance abuse.
  • They Simply Shine by J.E. Hibbard
    Recommendations: 1
    ·
    Cast: 
    1
    ·
    Genre: drama, verse
    ·
    Keyword: earth, stars + 6 more
    Genre: drama, verse
    Keyword: earth, stars, planets, space, perspective, monologue, one minute, inspired by real life
    A human in awe of of immense stars which seem so tiny from our tiny planet which is indeed immense is inspired by the beauty and terror of it all. It’s all about perspective.
  • Brewing A Revolution by J.E. Hibbard
    Recommendations: 2
    ·
    Cast: 
    1
    ·
    Genre: comedy
    ·
    Keyword: pollution, consumerism + 3 more
    Genre: comedy
    Keyword: pollution, consumerism, Garbage, earth, environment
    Ron is on a mission to take down single use coffee pods and the machines that make them.
  • The Silver Lining Of A Bottomless Pit by J.E. Hibbard
    Recommendations: 1
    ·
    Cast: 
    2
    ·
    Genre: comedy, dark comedy
    ·
    Keyword: consciousness, abstract + 4 more
    Genre: comedy, dark comedy
    Keyword: consciousness, abstract, metaphor, rock bottom, desperation, silver linings
    Two thoughts, Pro, and Con, debate whether or not they are indeed at the end of their proverbial rope, of if they still have a ways to go.
  • Imagine That by J.E. Hibbard
    Cast: 
    5
    ·
    Genre: comedy, dark comedy + 2 more
    ·
    Keyword: Toxic love, Relationships + 7 more
    Genre: comedy, dark comedy, drama, farce
    Keyword: Toxic love, Relationships, hallucinations, family, imagination, imaginary friend, absurd, Mental Health, Profanity
    60 MINUTE ONE ACT: This play takes place during a group session in a mental health facility with the future happiness of all at stake. Close knit brothers Brandon, who is at his wits end, and Evan, suffering from lifelong hallucinations, have never seen eye to eye when Evan’s imaginary girlfriend, Vivian, is concerned. They are joined by Amy, a pathological liar who possesses a colorful way with swear words...
    60 MINUTE ONE ACT: This play takes place during a group session in a mental health facility with the future happiness of all at stake. Close knit brothers Brandon, who is at his wits end, and Evan, suffering from lifelong hallucinations, have never seen eye to eye when Evan’s imaginary girlfriend, Vivian, is concerned. They are joined by Amy, a pathological liar who possesses a colorful way with swear words as well as the peculiar doctor, Dr. Feelgood. Can Evan and Amy’s new found friendship be the answer to banishing Evan’s imaginary delusions once and for all?
  • Mary/Mary by J.E. Hibbard
    Cast: 
    4–6
    ·
    Genre: dark comedy, drama
    ·
    Keyword: death, mother + 7 more
    Genre: dark comedy, drama
    Keyword: death, mother, daughters, stroke, medical emergency, family, friendship, alcoholism, hospitals
    Mary has suffered a stroke at age 65 and has lost the use of the left side of her body. Her estranged daughter, Mary Elise, resurfaces, and steamrolls her way through Mary’s medical emergency as well as her mothers friendship with surrogate niece and neighbor, Elizabeth. Tensions rise as blood relations test love and friendship.
    *In progress, available for development into full length.
  • That Holiday Feeling by J.E. Hibbard
    Recommendations: 4
    ·
    Cast: 
    4–6
    ·
    Genre: comedy, dark comedy + 3 more
    ·
    Keyword: holiday, charity + 6 more
    Genre: comedy, dark comedy, farce, holiday, political
    Keyword: holiday, charity, christmas, loneliness, homelessness, downtown, social commentary, human decency
    10 MINUTE PLAY: Marilyn has had a rough holiday season. It’s almost Christmas and she decides to spread a little cheer while raising money for the poor. The night does not go according to plan.