Ben Scranton

2-9 min. Two people who work in Santa’s Worship at a department store during the holiday season meet up for drinks. One person portrays Santa and the other one plays an elf. Santa's mysterious behavior is a curiosity. His co-worker is determined to find out more.

12 min. The Warehouse at the End of the World takes place after nuclear war and relentless climate change disasters have decimated the planet. It is an absurdist landscape played with urgency and theatricality. Witty wordplay provides initial fun. While humor and irony drive the beginning, the relationship that evolves between the tortured boy and two men creates an emotional subtext. The presence of a maniacal despot throws danger in the mix. Survival and a successful outcome is far from certain in this world after war.

2-3 min. After a devastating car accident Todd's college football career is over. His father tries to carve out a potential career path for him as a football official. Sister Meg is caught in the middle. What are her career options?

10-12 min. Lee faces her husband’s controlling nature on a daily basis. Lately it has gotten worse. Trust issues surface when Lee’s elderly mother, who is struggling with dementia, recalls a childhood field trip. The story of the trip has repercussions for Lee and Dag linking them to an important event. Their relationship is tested by the revelation.

1 min. A homeless couple pull a hand-written piano sonata from a dumpster, The score may be of value to them. But at what cost? And, who left it there?

1-min. A young married couple face an unplanned event that upends their world.

10 min version. Early one summer morning, four residents of the Bluebonnet Village Retirement Community wave at passing cars for the fun of it. Life affirming friendship mingles with insults. Verbal barbs fly as the excitement leads to a revealing ‘literary’ conclusion.

Recommendation: “The audience loved The Back-Porch Gang. The laughter rang long and loud. Thank you for a charming piece of work.” Gary Bullock, Literary Manager. Mil Nicholson, Director. The Blue Sphere Alliance at the Lex Theatre, Hollywood, CA

12-15 min. When an African-American woman submits an unusual piece of original art to a show whose
theme is ‘The End of Society as We Know It’ debate ensues between the white arts administrator
and the artist. They navigate a treacherous maze of verbal sparring, populated with racial barbs
and personal threats. The play is a satire on race relations, the role of art in society,
communication barriers, and the discovery of common ground.

30 min. (A finalist for the 2020 James Stevenson Prize of Short Comedic Plays.) Two opportunistic Irishmen place a bar bet to see who has the biggest head in the city. The men ride a wave of conspiracy theories and convoluted word play as they try to figure out how to win. Lopsided love and family devotion play a hand in the outcome.

12-14 min. Two friends are propelled into the world of the ‘The Emperor’s New Clothes’ after one of them recalls a curious dream. Suddenly they find themselves working in the castle’s laundry room. The play examines gender communications, what it means to speak truth to power, and the evolution of change.

45 min. Decades after World War II a Nazi doctor is haunted by his actions. Was he a pawn doing as he was told, bending under the gaze of his superiors, or a willing participant responsible for the death of hundreds? In this powerful memory play we enter into a recurring dream which is experienced by the old man on a nightly basis. It is a world inhabited by the spiritual presence of his daughter, grandson and a child of the Holocaust. The child’s persistent manner and calm demeanor propels the old man back and forth in time toward an explosive conclusion. Does she drive the narrative and hold him accountable? Or will evil prevail?

1 min. A court worker escorts a convicted felon to her court-assigned community service. The felon harbors a secret which will make her community service rather ironic. The perils of auditioning have serious consequences.

45 min. Charlie Walker runs an old movie house assisted by his teen-aged son Tommy. While changing the movie marquee late one night, he is confronted by Charlotte Lange, a troubled and grief-stricken loner with a tragic past. Through a series of fictional movie references, and an emotionally shattering story, she accuses Charlie of a personal indiscretion dating back to high school. The events upend their world and force Charlie to confront his relationship with both Charlotte and his son. His memory is tested as he struggles to do the right thing.

Production: The New Works Festival, Pittsburgh, Pa, 2019.

Review: "Perhaps the most astonishing play I had the pleasure of seeing at the Pittsburgh New Works Festival was Charlotte's Revival....so much of the power of the show lies in the gradual revelations and the horror, anguish, and sympathy that the audience experiences as the characters do. Expertly written."
Eva Phillips, Pittsburgh in the Round.

15 min. The lives of three very different teenagers intertwine at a call-back audition for a coming-of-age film. One is coping with the disappearance of his mother and a distant father. Another with the façade of supportive parents. The stakes are high as they navigate a treacherous maze of self-discovery, the need for stability, love and acceptance. Family dysfunction, drugs, weight, and a desire to be perfect are hauntingly apparent. The story is told in flashback.

20-25 min. Struggling to continue the family tradition of holiday baking, sisters Birdie and Mary face the first Christmas without their mother. Birdie is so grief-stricken she channels her mother and dresses and speaks as she would. Their Aunt Maggie attempts to help but her childhood resentments undermine the girl’s cherished memories. When a mysterious letter is found at the bottom of a flour tin everything changes. Can the young women manage their grief while honoring the memory of their mother?

Full-length version (90 minutes). Residents at a retirement community in Maine struggle with loneliness, boredom and purpose. To pass the time they wave at cars to see if they can get a wave back. This harmless activity takes an unexpected turn with the appearance of a police officer and a quirky stranger. Suddenly the residents are forced to face the past and its impact on the present. Secrets are revealed as they navigate a treacherous maze of guilt and missed opportunity. The play is a comic take on relationships that seniors have with family, friends and lovers. It examines the visceral need to be noticed and acknowledged..

Production coming in 2024: The ACT Theater Co., Topeka, KN. Performance dates August 9-18.
Production: The Overtime Theatre, San Antonio. 2022.
Reading: Bing Productions, Springfield, MA. 2024
Reading: Just Write Lakeland, Florida. 2022, 2023.
Reading: Play Incubation Collective, Massachusetts. 2021

Testimonials:

"This endearing script features a lovable and zany cast of characters you can’t help but root for. Each character has a distinct backstory and unique quirks with well-defined relationships to each other. The commentary on life at senior living facilities is rife with comedy, but the waving game they play also speaks to the invisibility of the elderly in our society. The play entertainingly twists and turns beyond the initial set-up, creating a heartwarming story of love lost and found again."
- Catherine Randazzo, Associate Artist/Literary Manager, Florida Studio Theater, Sarasota, FL

:Ben Scranton’s concept of senior citizens who wave at passing cars in hopes of getting a wave back speaks to the visceral human need to be noticed. The Overtime Theater is honored to have presented the world premiere of The Back-Porch Gang, a play that explores the themes of love, forgiveness, and renewal. Night after performance night, this superbly written comedy garnered nonstop laughs from the audience who seemed immediately drawn to each finely etched character. Scranton is a master storyteller and his funny, heartwarming play deserves to be seen."
~ Jade Esteban Estrada, Artistic Director, Overtime Theater, San Antonio, Texas

“Very dear and lovely. I am reminded of ‘Mornings at Seven.’”
~ Marsha Mason, Actor, Writer, and Director

“The Back-Porch Gang is full of life and love and lots of laughs. Scranton knows these characters well, and he gives them relationships and situations that make senior life more fun than high school.”
~ Marcia Milgrom Dodge, Tony & Drama Desk Award Nominated Director & Choreographer