Debra A. Cole

60-90 Minutes

TAG LINE:
"Dream Home or Nightmare? How Far Would You Go to Reclaim Your Future?"

SYNOPSIS:
After years of saving and planning, a young couple purchases their dream home. With a plan to use RENTRHOME to pay off the mortgage before they move in, their dreams quickly turn to a nightmare when they discover that a former guest, now squatter, has taken up residence in their perfect home. What are people willing to do to protect their dreams?

10 MINUTE PLAY

SYNOPSIS:
After years of saving and planning, a young couple purchases their dream home. With a plan to use RENTRHOME to pay off the mortgage before they move in, their dreams quickly turn to a nightmare when they discover that a group of squatters has taken up residence in their perfect home.

60-75 Minutes

TAG LINE:
"Uncorseted and Unconventional: Berthe Morisot Defies Parisian Society for Art and Autonomy"

SYNOPSIS:
At a time when women from the Parisian haute bourgeoisie were kept corseted and confined, the aspiring Impressionist painter Berthe Morisot jeopardized her ‘good girl’ reputation to model for Édouard Manet. While waging mutiny against her mother’s matchmaking, Morisot asserted herself as an independent, self-supporting artist and her connection with Manet was food for Parisian society. Would the Manet name ever be a reality for this revolutionary woman?

NOTE: This play is based on real characters. However, certain details, timelines, incidents, locations, and most of the dialogue have been fictionalized for dramatic purposes. Actually documented quotes were used when possible.

2-3 Minute Monologue

Pre-Teen Male

ONE ACT - 30-40 Minutes

Powerstories Theatre - Voices of Women Theatre Festival - 2023

Blind faith after a recent death causes a break with reality when grief is not properly dealt with within this Christian Science family. Here, matter is false, disease does not exist, death is not acknowledged, and truth depends on who is telling it.

10 Minute Play

SYNOPSIS:
Stress and anxiety are known to cause bad dreams, but just maybe, there is a little more to it.

25-30 MINUTES

An expecting couple visits New York City for a surprise vacation for the holidays before the new baby arrives. Will there be room at the boutique hotel for them?

10 Minute Play

Theatrical Shenanigans 2025

SYNOPSIS:
Local playwright Emily Barker’s dreams of making a name for herself in community theatre are dashed by a new, snarly arts critic with a flair for the dramatic…and the pointed.

10 - 45 MINUTES

TRIGGER WARNING: Discussions of suicide

SYNOPSIS: This Theatre of the Oppressed inspired short piece is to be performed at Middle School and High School faculty in-service meetings to engage in a conversation about a teacher’s role in LBGTQIA+ harassment in the classroom and the possible results of doing nothing, minimizing it, or fanning the flames.

28 Plays Later
Brief #21: “Today, you are to create a play that manages to incorporate all four types of Boal theatre, and create something that is world-changing, life-changing but also makes for an incredible and fascinating watch.”

10 Minute Play

SYNOPSIS:
A stupid decision has changed lives forever. A mother needs answers, and a teen needs time to be reversed.

Prompt: “It’s not like we planned it.” – first line

30 Minute Jukebox Musical

The title says it all.

28 Plays Later – Brief #11: 2/10/23 “London is hosting the Brits Awards, celebrating new music. So why not take advantage of the opportunity to get our lyrical challenge out of the way, and this year, your task is to pick any of the 50+ artists that are nominated this year and write a jukebox musical based on their songs.”

10-Minute Play

SYNOPSIS:
Sometimes there is more behind the headlines. What happens in the friendly skies does always stay in the friendly skies.

12 MINUTES

Reading: Literary and Discourse Society, Devon, England

28 Plays Later - PROMPT #10: Write a radio play that draws inspiration from the doomed poet himself, Dylan Thomas, and specifically, from his masterpiece Under Milk Wood.

Inspiration: Under Milk Wood's regional charm and colorful characters.

Synopsis:
Residents of small towns in Kansas are known for being good neighbors. If a monumental birthday is on the calendar, you can be sure that the women at the local café will find just the right to celebrate the achievement.

60- 75 Minutes (Depending on which commercials are used)

Music tracks available upon request - POP GENRE

SYNOPSIS:
Calendar Kingdom is place of respect and harmony as each royal holiday has a unique and special day to honor. What could possibly disrupt this perfect sense of community and support for these colorful princesses and princes who keep the entire kingdom celebrating? This large cast youth play with music offers two originals songs, dancing, lines for everyone, and pure joy all with a message of respect and collaboration.

10 MINUTE PLAY

A Sanskrit inspired short play about faith, dogma, and what happens when the right question is asked.

Around the World in 7 Plays 2023, Ubeda, Spain Playwright’s Residency: Ancient Sanskrit drama

10 MINUTE PLAY

SYNOPSIS:
A big moment between mother and son requires just the right decision.

Written for Wichita State University 24-Hour Plays 2024
Bicycle Face Productions 2024

INCLUDED:
She said YES: Christine (monologue)
She said YES: Stacey (monologue)
She said YES: Craig (monologue)
She said YES: A Trilogy (3-minute play)

SYNOPSIS:
Three perspectives… one YES.

28 (29) Plays Later 2024
Briefs 12/13/14: “Write a Trilogy.”

5 MINUTE PLAY

SYNOPSIS:
A simple red cardinal visits David and Lacey’s window sparking a discussion on death, grief, and hope.

10 MINUTES

SYNOPSIS:
Separated from the main foraging party, ants can lose the pheromone track and begin to follow one another, forming a continuously rotating circle. This circle is commonly known as a "death spiral.”

10 MINUTE PLAY

SYNOPSIS:
One glance and one impulse later, and Ben finds himself on a first date with Rachel in the first-class cabin on a flight to Vegas for a long weekend. What could possibly go wrong?

5 MINUTE PLAY

SYNOPSIS:
The final prompt for humans and zombies alike…

28 (29) Plays Later 2024:
THE FINAL Brief #29: “Zombies…”

10 MINUTE PLAY

SYNOPSIS:
What the conversation SHOULD have been before the combining of the two iconic families.

28 (29) Plays Later 2024:
Brief 28: “So choose any of the plays you've written this year, and write a second piece to accompany it on an evening of a double-bill of your works.”

Companion piece to The Brady Girls: https://newplayexchange.org/plays/3197492/brady-girls

5 MINUTE PLAY

SYNOPSIS:
Thanks to a recent trend on social media, many young people believe that the answer to all problems lies within a popular, expensive water bottle with a handle and straw. One GenXer may not agree.

28 (29) Plays Later 2024:
Brief 27: “Write an Inanimate Object Play.”

10 MINUTE PLAY

SYNOPSIS:
It isn’t that uncommon for couples to have unspoken rules to ensure a happy relationship. Hannah and Tyler aren’t an ordinary couple… in fact they’re barely a couple, and Hannah… there is nothing ordinary about her.

28 (29) Plays Later 2024:
Brief 20: The dreaded “Rules” Challenge

Unlike the 28/29 Plays Later Brief #20 rules, this short play is based on an ACTUAL list of rules, 22 of them to be exact, someone found in a newly purchased used car in 2018. I wish the happy couple all the best, although I assume they are no longer together, as there are probably murder charges currently pending.

10-Minute Play

NOTE: Check on fun public domain music that could actually be used on stage

SYNOPSIS:
In the town of Panto, Tennessee, one parent believes that panto theatre and is adamant that its performers have no place in a classroom. Will creativity and engagement win?

28 (29) Plays Later:
Brief 15: Pantomime - Panto

10 Minute Play

Bicycle Face Productions 2024

SYNOPSIS:
Based on the Sanskrit’s children’s story of the same name, four strangers find themselves in peril. Will they survive?

28 (29) Plays Later 2024:
Brief 18: “Sanskrit”

10-Minute Play

SYNOPSIS:
What the conversation SHOULD have been before the combining of the two iconic families.

28 (29) Plays Later 2024:
Brief 17: “Today we're going to adapt. Find a short story, or a film, or a poem, or a song, or a TV show... or... whateves.”

10 MINUTE PLAY

SYNOPSIS:
Blind dates can be nerve wracking. Will Vanessa and Kate find common ground and a possible connection?

28 (29)Plays Later 2024:
Brief 4: “Pick a Number – Match the Phobia”
#299: Medorthophobia

10 MINUTE PLAY

SYNOPSIS:
Millennials have had a more difficult path to home ownership. Is this the right house for Scarlet and Beth?

28 Plays Later 2024
Brief 1: "Let’s write a play about TLC."

10 MINUTE PLAY

Big Bad Wolf hosts his first cocktail party for a few friends… or at least a few fairytale characters. Will they see his new side?

10 MINUTE PLAY

Mini Shenanigans Podcast - August 2024

SYNOPSIS:
A family finds themselves in a tense situation. Where is Beth?

10 MINUTE PLAY

SYNOPSIS:
During an overseas school trip, strange things to start to happen in the hallways outside of student hotel rooms. Can one teacher chaperone figure out what is really going on?

10 MINUTE PLAY

Dramatic Chaos Productions - Plethora of Plays 2023 - Online Reading

SYNOPSIS:
A father and son share a game of catch while the father works through his worries about an upcoming special birthday.

28 Plays Later:
Brief #27: “Create a double-bill play possibility similar in theme or story to a previously written piece in the 2023 28 Plays Later Challenge.” Show goes with my 10 minute play, Bedtime Story – both about the challenges of fatherhood. The same two actors can be used in both.

10 Minute Play

SYNOPSIS:
Prenatal classes cover all the basics for soon-to-be parents including how to choose name. Will this group find the right names for their babies in time for the births?

28 Plays Later:
Brief #26: “Each of us has a name. So today let's honor our names and write about them.”

10 minute play

Available at Next Stage Press - Part of the collection THE WRINKLE RANCH AND OTHER PLAYS ABOUT GROWING OLD

SYNOPSIS:
Estrogen rules the bodies of many humans, and the outcomes of that estrogen varies during the different stages of life. Sometimes they work well together. Sometimes… not so much.

28 Plays Later:
Brief #23: “Body parts - meet writers, writers - meet body parts.”

7-10 MINUTE PLAY

SYNOPSIS:
Father and son have a nightly bedtime story tradition, but tonight, another man has entered the scene.

28 Plays Later
Brief #20: “We are looking at the limits of talent, writing, copyright, all the moral and ethical questions as well as the artistic ones that come with such technology. What are the boundaries and can we/should we/must we cross them?”

10 MINUTE PLAY

Mini-Shenanigans Podcast - March 2024 Release
Midwest Dramatist Conference - 2023

Life of a side show circus performer is the best some can hope for in 1886. Some performers want more. Based on the life of Stella Harper, the Camel Girl.

28 Plays Later – Brief #20: Today we're writing a play for a circus show

10 MINUTE PLAY

Eden Prairie Players’ Women's One Acts+ 2024
Semi-Finalist Good Vibes Summer, Broken Arts Entertainment, 2024

2023 - 28 Plays Later - Brief #17: BETTER LATE THAN NEVER

SYNOPSIS:
An American is finally touring the grounds of a classic English manor house in Sussex.

10 MINUTE PLAY

Reading: Literary and Discourse Society, Devon, England

SYNOPSIS:
A cohort of three playwrights meet biweekly to write, support one another, and share submission opportunities. Some are simple and clear… some… not so much.

Written for 28 Plays Later 2023 – Brief #16…. See text in the play itself for the details...no kidding...these are the actual details of the brief.

10 Minute Play

28 Plays Later - Prompt 3: "On this day in 1975, the world lost one of the leading singers of the 20th century, the nuanced and incredible Star of the East - the one and only, Fatima Ibrahim as-Sayed El-Beltagi, AKA Umm Kulthum. Whether you want to write a play inspired by her life, by her songs, by her distinct cats-eye sunglasses, or just write a play in the melodramatic style of the Egyptian movies, choice is yours." I immediately thought of an American contemporary - Ella Fitzgerald.

On October 7, 1955, jazz singer Ella Fitzgerald was arrested with other performers and staff backstage between sets. The newly integrated audiences in Houston, Texas were ready, but the Texas lawmen had a different plan.

8-10 minutes

28 Plays Later - Day 1 - Brief: To write a play with a 'time' reference - BONUS points: use the idea of firsts

One mother and daughter duo make final checks before the move to college in the morning, but one BIG thing on the checklist is still not completed.

10-Minute Play

Friends help each other. Friends are there during tough times. Some friends are not on the same page.

10 Minute Play

The holiday season brings many expectations, especially after watching a certain holiday channel.

10 Minute Play

Theatrical Shenanigans 12 Plays of Christmas 2024

The annual family holiday newsletter may need a little revision after Stella asks Dan to give a little feedback.

10 MINUTE PLAY

Successful marriages require successful negotiations. It’s one of the most crucial aspects of making a modern relationship work. Becca and Phillips made negotiated concerning what was important to them early in the relationship, and the results of those rules being broken has now brought them to this moment.

10-MINUTE PLAY

Available at Next Stage Press - Part of the collection THE WRINKLE RANCH AND OTHER PLAYS ABOUT GROWING OLD

New Play Lab, 40th William Inge Theatre Festival - 2023
Reading: Literary and Discourse Society, Devon, England - 2023
The Deluth Playhouse What She Said New Play Festival - 2023

Weddings are usually a time of joy and celebration, but some weddings bring up strong emotions and wounds that are still raw and healing.

10 MINUTE PLAY

Trish and Kraig find themselves in a rough patch of their marriage. One has a plan to start things a new and the other to dissolve the union. The question is, which one is which?

10 MINUTE PLAYS

Reading: Literary and Discourse Society, Devon, England

Job hunting is never easy, but this hunt may be a little more complicated than most.

10 MINUTE PLAY

Jakespeare Virtual Theatre Company
WORCHESTER, MA
2023

Reading: Literary and Discourse Society, Devon, England

Julie and Betsy, sittin’ in a tree, k.i.s.s.i.n.g. First comes love, then comes marriage, then comes baby in the baby carriage. If it were only this simple and pure.

10 MINUTE PLAY

Reading: Literary and Discourse Society, Devon, England

Beginning of the year teacher in-service training is a time gather old and new teachers as well as go over objectives and student needs. Some need the training more than others.

10-MINUTE PLAY

Reading: Literary and Discourse Society, Devon, England

All dolls need repair from time to time. These three dolls have been through more than most.

10 MINUTE PLAY

Available at Next Stage Press - Part of the collection THE WRINKLE RANCH AND OTHER PLAYS ABOUT GROWING OLD

Two recently retired RV owners are in a rut until a twisted visitor reminds them of what brought them together in the first place.

10 MINUTE PLAY

Staged Reading: Potluck Productions, Kansas City, KC 2022
Reading: Literary and Discourse Society, Devon, England

Never try to fool a mother. They always know. They have their ways.

10 MINUTE PLAY

Reading: Literary and Discourse Society, Devon, England

Science shows that heart rates on a first date mimic those of jumping out of a plane. So, why not do both at the same time? What could go wrong?

10 MINUTE PLAY

New neighbors often must negotiate a peaceful existence. Some, ask for more than is reasonable.

10 MINUTE PLAY

Available at Next Stage Press - Part of the collection THE WRINKLE RANCH AND OTHER PLAYS ABOUT GROWING OLD

GULF COAST: Theatre Writers Circle READING
KC POTLUCK PRODUCTIONS - Reading

Janice finds herself with mortally enemies in her new home living with her son and his wife. Just who will survive is in question.

10 Minute Play

The Best 10-Minute Plays 2024, Smith & Kraus, Inc
Eclectic Full Contact Theatre, Chicago, Illinois 2023
Theatrical Shenanigans Podcast - 2023
https://rss.com/podcasts/theatrical-shenanigans/762601/
A is For… One Act Play Festival Finalist 2023
Nomad Theatre's Polling Place Plays Finalist 2024

Voting has consequences, and in this new world, The Stork Patrol holds voters responsible for their beliefs and values.

10 MINUTE PLAY

Families morph and change, but the key to happiness is valuing the past as we move forward and cherishing the ones we truly love.

10 MINUTE PLAY

Reading: Literary and Discourse Society, Devon, England

A first date with an environmentalist brings a new experience and a little bit of mystery.

10 MINUTE PLAY

Available at Next Stage Press - Part of the collection THE WRINKLE RANCH AND OTHER PLAYS ABOUT GROWING OLD

Modern DNA tests can be fun and fascinating… and also heartbreaking.

10 MINUTE PLAY

Available at Next Stage Press - Part of the collection THE WRINKLE RANCH AND OTHER PLAYS ABOUT GROWING OLD

Stage Reading with Potluck Productions, Kansas City, KC 2022

Welcome to the competition that NOBODY really wants or needs. Two “Karens” battle it out for who is the worst of the worst.

10 MINUTE PLAY

Available at Next Stage Press - Part of the collection THE WRINKLE RANCH AND OTHER PLAYS ABOUT GROWING OLD

With social media influencers promoting the latest finds, it might take a rainy day in a park to decide if old school or new school is the best trend.

10 Minute Play

Reading: Literary and Discourse Society, Devon, England

A father finds himself in a precarious situation that defies his idea of strength, intellect, and power.

10 MINUTE PLAY

Available at Next Stage Press - Part of the collection THE WRINKLE RANCH AND OTHER PLAYS ABOUT GROWING OLD

Short + Sweet Dubai
Short + Sweet, Perth, Australia - VOTED FAN FAVORITE
Short + Sweet, Sydney, Australia
Short + Sweet, Illawarra, Australia

Endeavour Theatre, Perth, Australia
Centers for the Arts Bonita Springs, Staged Reading Series, JAN 2023
Reading: Literary and Discourse Society, Devon, England

The female residents of Rancho Felicidad Assisted Living Facility can only play so much Scrabble before they decide to pony up for some more exciting activities.

10 MINUTE PLAY

Reading: Literary and Discourse Society, Devon, England

A terrible hit-and-run accident brings two families together in a hospital ICU room. Fate has a way of putting people together just as it is needed.

10 MINUTE PLAY

READING: Gulf Coast Playwrights Circle, Summer Sessions 2022

A stressed young woman finds herself in a relationship that feels safe and familiar – maybe too familiar… just like the last time.

10 MINUTE PLAY

Reading: Literary and Discourse Society, Devon, England

Appreciating employees is a true art. One boss crosses a line, and instead of the employee feeling grateful, he makes her examine her current placement and what comes next.

10 MINUTE PLAY

Available at Next Stage Press - Part of the collection THE WRINKLE RANCH AND OTHER PLAYS ABOUT GROWING OLD

Crafton Hills College’s New Works Festival for 2022.

A well-traveled, art enthusiast finds herself preparing for a flight and unknown adventure with her brother without her usual preparation and planning. Sometimes, surprises bring about a sort of life that planning could never yield.

10 MINUTE PLAY

Available at Next Stage Press - Part of the collection THE WRINKLE RANCH AND OTHER PLAYS ABOUT GROWING OLD

Couple friends are a rare gift, but when one of the couples separates and a new partner is found, one friend has a difficult time switching gears and opening himself up to this new adventure.

10 MINUTE PLAY

Whiskey Theatre Factory, Orlando, Florida

Pack and Ship stores are busy with returns after the holidays across the country. In one small Kentucky town, one woman is overwhelmed with her obligations and finds new ears to hear about her burdens of motherhood.

10 MINUTE PLAY

A creative, enrichment teacher tries to bring literature to life in a 5th grade zoom classroom only to find that the themes they are exploring are already being taught at home.

10 MINUTE PLAY

Theatrical Shenanigans 2024
Different Strokes! 369 Monologue and Short Play Festival 2024
VOTED AUDIENCE FAVORITE - Different Stroke! 369 Monologue and Short Play Festival 2024

Secrets have a way of catching up with us, and two sisters start to uncover answers to years of gnawing questions after taking an DNA test. Some secrets are destructive – others create new families.

10 MINUTE PLAY

Available at Next Stage Press - Part of the collection THE WRINKLE RANCH AND OTHER PLAYS ABOUT GROWING OLD

Herald of the Hope Theatre Company, Washington D.C.
5th annual Central PA Theatre & Dance Fest Playwriting Competition 2022
Pend Oreille Players' One Act Play Festival 2022

The death of Albert’s wife was the final straw for his children. It was time to liquidate the household belongings and move Albert into an assisted living facility. The estate sale is the final step before Albert starts his new life.

10 MINUTE PLAY

Available at Next Stage Press - Part of the collection THE WRINKLE RANCH AND OTHER PLAYS ABOUT GROWING OLD

The Talisman Theatre Group, Midlands, United Kingdom
Mad Lab Theatre Roulette, Columbus, OH

During World War II, many romances bloomed through letters between young women at home and soldiers overseas during World War II. Some love stories defined two different lifetimes, others defined four.

10 MINUTE PLAY

Summers in Oregon during the 1950s was a time for growing up and sharing lives for two cousins. Forts, farm life, and friendship will be tested this summer before high school begins as they move from childhood to whatever comes next.

10 MINUTE ONE ACT PLAY

Surgery waiting rooms at hospitals are a strange place where strangers share moments of great concern and sadness. Anxiety takes on many forms in humans. During a singular shared moment in time, family, friends, and strangers cope the best they can

10-MINUTE SCIFI ONE ACT

Disease, mental disabilities, crime, pain, and physical abnormalities have been eliminated. Now, humans are at their peak of perfection including the gift of telepathy. The gift helps create a perfect society with The Registry at the helm. For the few humans who do not possess psychic ability, they are considered a risk and need processing before phasing out.

10 MINUTE PLAY

A highway rest stop bench is the annual meeting place for one family of crisis and other weary travelers who need respite from the road.

10 MINUTE PLAY

Midwest Dramatist Conference, Olathe, KS

Her Too explores contrasting ideas about troubling male/female sexual relations among three generations in a single family. Each family member insists that his or her point of view is the right one.  The real truth changes everything.

10 MINUTE PLAY

A seasoned playwright collides with a young writer in the one arena no one should ever enter: social media.

6-8 MINUTES

28 Plays Later: Brief #7: Pick a play you love - it could be yours, or a famous play that you know well and... well, love. Now... your job is to pick one key element of the play that is so crucial to the plot, that if you change it, the whole play changes.

Using some of the original text from Mary Chase’s HARVEY, the tables are about to turn.

5 MINUTE PLAY

SYNOPSIS:
It started with a simple story from an 8-year-old in Kansas. It ended with a dramatic story about love, cake, and meteors.

I wrote this play after a 2nd grade student, Stellan, wrote the story below. I gave it a life on stage.

Bigfoot’s Big Day
Story by Stellan, Age 7
“I’m Bigfoot, and I am nice. It is my Mom’s birthday. I need to get the stuff for her party, but I live in the forest. Suddenly, I got a mysterious letter that said I should go to the city at 5:30 pm. I went to the city, and I got a box. After that, I went back to the forest. There, I opened the box, and inside was the very best stuff for my Mom’s birthday party. CRASH! Oh no! It’s a meteor! Quick! I forgot the box! I need to look for it. Oh no! The box got squished by the meteor. I have to tell my mom!”

28 (29) Plays Later 2024:
Brief 22: “Write a play for 3-6 year-old”

5 MINUTE PLAY

Plethora of Plays 2024

SYNOPSIS:
AI has seeped into every corner of our lives, transforming everything from healthcare to entertainment. The first AI humanoid artist, Monalis-AI is not just showcasing her capabilities; she is actively participating in the art world, and her existence makes humans question everything.

28 (29) Plays Later 2024:
Brief 26: “You need to write a kitchen-sink, realistic play, with no emotions, no end and no logic.”

I chose to go with the lack of emotions and an ending that is not clear.

5 MINUTE PLAY

SYNOPSIS:
Friendship, love, and betrayal… one apple upsets the entire cart.

28 (29) Plays Later:
Brief 11: Opening Line: “Put the knife down, Linda! Fine, I'll tell you what he did with the apple!”

5 MINUTE PLAY WITH MUSIC

SOUNDCLOUD link included in text.

SYNOPSIS:
A simple park. A simple moment. A new reality.

28 (29) Plays Later:
Brief 10: “Let's write something with songs!”

5 MINUTE PLAY

SYNOPSIS:
Where do we search for answers when life is pressing down upon us? How do we find peace and maybe just get closer to fine?

28 (29) Plays Later:
Brief 9: Write a play inspired by female music artists. BONUS points for using acutal lyrics.
A tribute to The Indigo Girls

5 MINUTE PLAY

SYNOPSIS:
Sports can be a healthy option or a destructive one. It’s all about how the team plays together.

28 (29) Plays Later:
Brief 8: “Let’s Get Sporty”

5 Minute Play

SYNOPSIS:
What happens when a famous counting vampire is struggling with numbers… numbers beyond ten?

28 Plays Later 2024:
Brief 2: Numbers

5 MINUTE

SYNOPSIS:
Thanksgiving brings out the very best of families and the very worst.

28 (29) Plays Later:
Brief 3: Write a Monodrama

5 MINUTE PLAY

SYNOPSIS:
A simple classroom assignment lights a fire in Rowan, and his/her/their parents are there to see the ignition.

5 MINUTE PLAY

SYNOPSIS:
The demands on mothers across the world can be difficult. For some, the expectations are just too great.

28 Plays Later – PROMPT #15: Write a play with a flawed narrator.

5 MINUTE PLAY

28 Plays Later:
BRIEF #14: Write a journey – emotional, spiritual, mental, or physical journey.

SYNOPSIS:
Home is where you make it, and one young tourist learns more than any guide could teach.

5 MINUTE PLAY

SYNOPSIS:
A fictional interaction based on the Cleveland Elementary School mass shooting that took place on January 29, 1979, at Grover Cleveland Elementary School in San Diego, California. Considered the first mass shooting by a teen, Brenda Spencer had little remorse.

Written as a response to Brief #12 for 28 Plays Later:
Write inspired by “vile language... all forms of violence... extremes of characters, from the surreal and innocent to the murderous and villainous. Obscenities peppered with the most exuberant poetic language. Visual moments on stage that will literally make your audience sick.”

5 MINUTE PLAY

Available at Next Stage Press - Part of the collection THE WRINKLE RANCH AND OTHER PLAYS ABOUT GROWING OLD

Reading: Literary and Discourse Society, Devon, England

Divination from reading teacup leaves is not an exact science, but perhaps a connection will be made between Joseph, Miss Eleanor, and what Joseph truly needs after the loss of his wife.

5 MINUTE PLAY

One mother finds herself face to face with a new kind of insecurity that she never saw coming… even in a room with such shiny things.

5 MINUTE PLAY

One young man’s 5th birthday changes everyone’s lives forever.

5 MINUTE PLAY

A unique vampire-slaying kit is up for auction, and the STAKES have never been higher.

5 MINUTE PLAY

Choices are made. Consequences are delivered.

5 MINUTE PLAY

Available at Next Stage Press - Part of the collection THE WRINKLE RANCH AND OTHER PLAYS ABOUT GROWING OLD

A mother drives her daughter and her roommate home for a weekend visit. Pushing boundaries are what college is all about, and this daughter plans on making the most of it to embarrass her mother.

5 MINUTE PLAY

Available at Next Stage Press - Part of the collection THE WRINKLE RANCH AND OTHER PLAYS ABOUT GROWING OLD

Reading: Literary and Discourse Society, Devon, England

An anniversary tradition of cake and a flower is enjoyed while memories of the past are shared.

5 MINUTE PLAY

2024 Valencia College Theatre Student Directed One Act Festival of Plays

A concert can be a great first date unless the date in question shows her true colors right out of the gate.

5 MINUTE PLAY

Available at Next Stage Press - Part of the collection THE WRINKLE RANCH AND OTHER PLAYS ABOUT GROWING OLD

Sometimes good fences make good neighbors, and other times, they make fresh starts... if there is a gate.

5 MINUTE PLAY

Available at Next Stage Press - Part of the collection THE WRINKLE RANCH AND OTHER PLAYS ABOUT GROWING OLD

A Wedding is a beautiful day to solidify new family ties, but maybe not all members should be tied together.

5 Minute Play

Knowing the right moment for an elderly spouse to go into care is never easy, but sometimes, the universe gives you a sign.

5 Minute Play

Available at Next Stage Press - Part of the collection THE WRINKLE RANCH AND OTHER PLAYS ABOUT GROWING OLD

Fresh Words: An International Literary Magazine's - CONTEMPORARY NEW YORK PLAYS-2022 (Volume 1)

An aging man has a breakfast tradition where humor is always on the menu.

5 Minute Play

Available at Next Stage Press - Part of the collection THE WRINKLE RANCH AND OTHER PLAYS ABOUT GROWING OLD

There are many national holidays celebrated by all. January 8 is celebrated by a select few, but the work they do is for all womankind.

5 MINUTES

28 Plays Later - BRIEF #9: Japanese theatre style - Noh

A modern retelling of a Japanese folk tale about how theatre came to Japan – told with NOH drama elements of masks and movement.

5 Minute Play

Available at Next Stage Press - Part of the collection THE WRINKLE RANCH AND OTHER PLAYS ABOUT GROWING OLD

A distinguished woman finds herself being offered a gift that she doesn’t want.

3-5 Minutes

28 Days Later
Prompt: Use the first line, "Strauss! That's all they had to say before attacking me, but I showed them, I showed them real good and now Al wants to avenge my mum, Clara."
Bonus: End with, ""That Spanish chicken will kill you, you big lump of nothingness!"

Synopsis:
With AI technology entering the world of the arts, how long before the playwrights of New Play Exchange are no longer needed?

2-3 Minute Play

Reading: Literary and Discourse Society, Devon, England

It’s nice when co-workers at the office notice a change in your appearance, unless one shares his true opinion.

2-3 Minutes

Babysitting an active grandson come with some unique challenges.

2-3 Minutes

A first date with an environmentalist brings a new experience and a little bit of mystery.

3 - ONE MINUTE PLAYS

Couple’s Fun – A One-Minute Play
SYNOPSIS:
A couple collapses with exhaustion onto the couch after an evening of couple’s fun.

Happy Anniversary – A One-Minute Play
SYNOPSIS:
One octogenarian couple celebrates their anniversary in a surprising way.

What If – A One-Minute Play
SYNOPSIS:
Two friends take a bold, first step.

28 (29) Plays Later 2024:
Brief 21: “The title of your play is:
I'd do anything for love (but I won't do that)"

1 MINUTE PLAY

SYNOPSIS:
Knowledge is power, but sometimes, it’s a threat.

28 (29) Plays Later 2024:
Brief 25: “Lets go personal today. Deeply personal. Let's use some psychodramatic tools to... you know... deal with some shit.”

1 MINUTE PLAY

Gi60: The International One Minute Theatre Festival - Houston, Texas 2024

SYNOPSIS:
How we address each other matters.

28 (29) Plays Later 2024:
Brief 24: “Gender-Neutral Writing”

1 MINUTE PLAY

SYNOPSIS:
In Texas, since Senate Bill 8, a six-week abortion ban, took effect, state and local agencies in place to help victims of sex assault and/or unwanted pregnancies are under fire and trapped within the law.

28 (29) Plays Later 2024:
Brief 23: “Let’s write a play with the intention of offending others.”

This is just ONE of the many things offensive to me.

1 MINUTE PLAY

SYNOPSIS:
Life can get stressful. Sometimes and an old friend is a wonderful surprise. Other times an one old friend and one new friend show up, and it’s a nightmare.

28 (29) Plays Later 2024:
Brief 19: “Body parts - meet writers, writers - meet body parts. Hope you get physical with each other!”

1-Minute Play

SYNOPSIS:
DISSONANCE: lack of harmony among musical notes.
A usually harmonious family has found dissonance in their composition.

28 (29) Plays Later 2024:
Brief 16: “The task for today is to think of the theatre as a concert hall and to think of your actors as your orchestra. Create music with your words.”

1 MINUTE PLAY

SYNOPSIS:
Possibilities are just 30 words and a few questions away.

28 Plays Later:
Brief 5: Use Only 30 Words
(Me, Us, No, Just, Why, Not, Okay, Her, Him, That’s, There’s, It, More, Of, Course, Three, Yes, Concerns, Benefits, Equal, Always, Honesty, Pain, Sometimes, Never, On, Purpose, Love, So, Ready)

1 MINUTE PLAY

Anything is possible when the devil is on trial.

28 (29) Plays Later:
Brief 7: “Find an expression, an idiom, a cliché, etc...and use it as a literal impetus for the play.”

1 MINUTE PLAY

20th Gi60: The International One Minute Theatre Festival, Leeds, UK, 2025

SYNOPSIS:
Riddles are enjoyed by some and missed completely by others.

28 (29) Plays Later 2024
Brief 6: Write a Riddle Play

1 MINUTE PLAY

SYNOPSIS:
The DMV is known for many things, but a place to get lucky has never before been on the menu.

1 Minute Play

A Conversation

1 MINUTE PLAY

Gi60: The International One Minute Theatre Festival, Leeds, England 2023

SYNOPSIS:
Blind dates are the worst when you’re young. They’re even worse when you have had a full life already.

1 MINUTE PLAY

Gi60: The International One Minute Theatre Festival - Houston, Texas 2023

SYNOPSIS:
Going to sleep is tough sometimes, and some aids can make it even harder.

1 MINUTE PLAY

SYNOPSIS: The United States have some strange laws still on the books.

1 MINUTE PLAY

SYNOPSIS: Some snacks are delicious… others really pay off.

1 MINUTE PLAY

SYNOPSIS: Coffee can bring people together… so can names at coffee shops.

1 MINUTE PLAY

Gi60: The International One Minute Theatre Festival, Leeds, England 2023

SYNOPSIS: Small hotels in various countries bring unique experiences and some surprises.

1 MINUTE PLAY

SYNOPSIS: There’s always someone in worse shape than you, and sometimes, it pays to be at the bottom on the ladder.

1 MINUTE PLAY

SYNOPSIS: Trends come and go, but grandmother and granddaughter connections are forever.

1 MINUTE PLAY

SYNOPSIS: Miss Eleanor may be a happy resident of the nursing home, but she still finds a daily purpose.

1 MINUTE PLAY

SYNOPSIS: Relationships between grandmothers and granddaughters can be very special… and honest.

1 MINUTE PLAY

SYNOPSIS:
probable cause: n. sufficient reason based upon known facts to believe a crime has been committed or that certain property is connected with a crime.

1 MINUTE PLAY

SYNOPSIS: The English language… how hard can it be?

1 MINUTE PLAY

Gone in 60 Seconds (Gi60) One Minute Theatre Festival 2023

SYNOPSIS: When in doubt… DNA tests.

ONE MINUTE PLAY

SYNOPSIS: When three glasses is clearly too much…

1 MINUTE PLAY

SYNOPSIS:
28 Plays Later – BRIEF #18
“Pick a theme! Any theme! But make it an abstract theme.”
-----
So, I chose to write this in the DADA method of writing. I took all the words from the brief, cut them up, let my cat Lucy knock the bowl of small words over to mix them up, let my subconscious pull the correct handful out, and then put the words in a new and correct order.

1 MINUTE PLAY

28 Plays Later Challegen - PROMPT: Write a RIDDLE play

Some old riddles don’t stand the test of time and viewpoints. Some exceed them.

1 MINUTE

28 PLAYS LATER - BRIEF #4: FARCE - BONUS: POLITICAL

Southern family planning is tough for everyone.

1 MINUTE PLAY

Reading: Kansas City Playwriting Group

Life on the road requires laundry stops.

1 MINUTE PLAY

Semi-Finalist Minnesota Shorts Play Festival, 2023
Reading: Kansas City Playwriting Group, 2023

Big life changes are tough. Some life lessons are even tougher when you don’t pay attention.

1 MINUTE PLAY

One man tries to move a cow facing imminent death from an oncoming train.

1 Minute Play

Gone in 60 Seconds (Gi60) One Minute Theatre Festival 2023

28 Plays Later - Day 2 - Brief: To write a play that can ONLY be performed ONCE - NEVER AGAIN

Some moments are only once in a lifetime… for others, a second moment of magic occurs.

1 MINUTE PLAY

The Decameron Project - Hollywood, 2023

An impromptu visit to a childhood home comes with many memories and emotions.

1 MINUTE PLAY

"Literature Today", January 2023

Sometimes, a first date is life changing.

1 MINUTE PLAY

Sometimes, a picnic with family is just what is needed.

1 MINUTE PLAY

Expectations are important for children before events.

1 MINUTE PLAY

March Madness bring basketball fans together and some couples further apart.

1 MINUTE PLAY

Student travel brings many surprises.

1 MINUTE PLAY

Modern Classics Theatre Company of Long Island's Gimme A Minute Play Festival in December, 2025

Husbands and wives approach sleep very differently.

1 MINUTE PLAY

Kids have the best questions about the birds and the birds… and sometimes they have requests.

1 MINUTE PLAY

Some must believe. Some don’t believe. Some can’t believe.

1 MINUTE PLAY

Gi60: The International One Minute Theatre Festival - Houston, Texas 2022
“Et tu, Brute? -Volume 1” Anthology 2022

Patterns in geese can teach us a great deal about the power and danger of leadership.

1 MINUTE PLAY

Tragedy comes with its own etiquette and some big questions for the innocent.

1 MINUTE PLAY

Small schools and small towns can often create big worries for those ready to fly.

1 MINUTE PLAY

Some thoughts should just remain thoughts.

1 MINUTE PLAY

Modern Classics Theatre Company of Long Island's Gimme A Minute Play Festival in December, 2025
Fresh Words: An International Literary Magazine’s Contemporary One Minute Plays (Volume 3)

A senior citizen attempts to create a drive thru where there was none before.

1 MINUTE PLAY

Interactions in a fast food drive-thru can reveal a great deal about us.

1 MINUTE PLAY

A clash of generations puts one scratch lottery ticket on the line.

1 MINUTE PLAY

The cannabis gummy world is always looking for the next big thing.

1 MINUTE PLAY

Many things don’t change much at a ten-year high school reunion. Some things change quite a lot.

1 MINUTE PLAY

Reading: Literary and Discourse Society, Devon, England

Security cameras can catch thieves and make stars.

1 MINUTE PLAY

Gi60: The International One Minute Theatre Festival - UK Live Edition 2022

Police are called to find Walter. Soon, he becomes a legend.

1 MINUTE PLAY

Active shooter drills can help prepare students but not parents.

2 Minutes

SYNOPSIS:
One Dad’s journey to protect his daughter

2 Minute Monologue

One Father’s realization that his child didn’t trust him during his journey.

(3 - 4 Minutes)

FEMALE
40s
Hispanic

SYNOPSIS: A sniper killed 3 and wounds 8 on August 11, 1976 from the 26th floor balcony of a Holiday Inn in downtown Wichita, Kansas. He tried to access the rooftop. The roof was inaccessible, so he forced a maid out of a room on the twenty-sixth floor and went in, locking the door behind him and starting firing indiscriminately at the pedestrians and cars below. His name will not be used. This monologue IS NOT his story....it is hers.

28 Plays Later
Brief #13 Prompt: Today we are focused on writing a play based on real life, and particularly this oh-so-loved sub0-genre of true crime, which brings up an entirely different question - do we have a responsibility for the truth, when we are dramatizing events?

2 MINUTE MONOLOGUE

One spouses illness reestablishes normal for the relationship.

2-3 MINUTE MONOLOGUE

SYNOPSIS:
What would you do if the time froze for everyone but you? One human already knows the answer.

28 Plays Later:
Brief #28: “We started with time, and its time to end with where there is no time - black holes (or there is time, but it stands still, potentially, or... you know... it's complicated”

2-3 Minute Monologue

SYNOPSIS:
A lover remembers a dear partner along with thousands of others. Times may have changed, but memories and pain do not.

28 Plays Later:
Brief #25: Truth in Art

2-3 MINUTE MONOLOGUE

SYNOPSIS: soon to be exonerated death row inmate monologue

28 Plays Later – Brief #24: Redemption

1-2 MINUTE MONOLOGUE

Jazz made me think of horns... horns made me think of farts... the dots were connected.

28 Plays Later
Brief #22: “Today we're going to write a Jazz play. And no, I don't mean write a play inspired by the fascinating history of jazz (which would also make a cool brief in itself), I mean write a play that uses the same understanding of writing for jazz.”

MONOLOGUE - 2 Minutes

Boog City Festival 18 - 2022, Poet's Theatre, NYC

Aging woman asks for more than kindness. She asks for grace.

MONOLOGUE - 2 Minutes

Different Strokes Performing Arts Collective "369 Monologue and Short Play Festival"

A retired teacher is still guiding the questions.

MONOLOGUE

Everyone over 50 should have a colonoscopy - just hope you do better prepping than this guy.

MONOLOGUE

Raising a strong, independent daughter has many joys and some pitfalls that become clear one day a year.

MONOLOGUE - 2 Minutes

Selected for The Playground Experiment - Faces of America Monologues, NYC - Volume 1

Transitions in life yield memories of life and death.

ADULT MONOLOGUE

One woman's explaination about her unique hobby.

ADULT MONOLOGUE

Dramatic Chaos Productions, London, England 2022

This monologue reflects on a young, first kiss and the lessons learned through the experience.

FULL LENGTH CHILDREN'S MUSICAL

Full Production: The Independent School, Wichita, Kansas
Concert Production: Galileo School for Gifted Learning, Sanford, Florida

The train depot in 1880s Dodge City sees numerous rambunctious cowboys and weary travelers riding the rails in search of new adventures out west. Restauranteur Mr. Fred Harvey creates a way to not only feed the masses, but also bring elegance and manners to these rough and tumble travelers by creating The Harvey Girls. These poised ladies find a way to tame the west with grace and style, all while reaching for their own dreams.

YOUTH (Ages 6-12) One Act: 35-45 Minutes

Both Vocal and Instrumental Versions of Finale Song Available Upon Request - IN ORDER TO GROW written by Daniel Denton. Vocal song clip link below.

Theatre Lawrence, August 2023: Princess Camp

SYNOPSIS:
Two royal declarations keep two kingdoms, separated by a mountain and valley, divided and very different. Will the next generation of royals find a way to bring balance to both kingdoms with help from The Seven Rainbow Sisters and their gifts?

YOUTH 30-40 MINUTES

Full Production: Theatre Lawrence, Lawrence, Kansas

The Royal Academy is an elite school where princesses and princes from around the world train in the finer art of being royal. With Head Mistress Madame Bingham missing, this year might bring some unexpected surprises.

30-40 Minutes: YOUTH ONE ACT with MUSIC

MTWichita Summer Youth Workshop 2022
Theatre Lawrence, Youth Troupe 2023

Nursery Rhyme Poetry Court has a full docket with characters looking for answers. Will poetic justice be served in this lively courtroom?

YOUTH FULL LENGTH

Cats or dogs? A group of birds help discover which neighborhood was the true inspiration for so many of the world’s idioms. Will this flock be able to settle the dispute and establish brighter days by realizing that “great minds think alike?”

YOUTH FULL LENGTH

Chaos reigns the city streets on Grantham as words run rampant without structure or control. Words run without stopping, mysteries are left unsolved, dancers don’t dazzle, toddler beauty queens exist in chaos, and that is all before the citizens even start to face the beast that lives within the Cave of Terror. Without a complete understanding of punctuation, the city of Grantham will never find peace. It will take the fearless team of G3: Grammar Guardians of Grantham to establish order and ultimately save the day... and language.

YOUTH FULL LENGTH

Full Production: The Independent School, Wichita, Kansas

Students are on a field trip to an Art Museum when suddenly, they are no longer viewers, but active participants with famous artists as they create their masterpieces and pass along valuable lessons.

TEEN 10-MINUTE PLAY

Theatre Lawrence 2022

Senior pranks are a tradition in many American high schools. Some are clever. Some go way too far and some, alter the present and futures.

TEEN MONOLOGUE

Maneuvering through the world of High School norms can be tough for a teen on the spectrum. If only socializing was like a math equation.

TEEN MONOLOGUE

Teen Girl - Boys tell her to "smile."

TEEN MONOLOGUE

Friendships change and sometimes, a friend is the last to know

TEEN MONOLOGUE

Teens love zombies and this year's homecoming theme reflects that. One teen discovers that this year's theme may be too real.

TEEN MONOLOGUE

One teen experiences a funeral from a new perspective - one of joy and laughter.

TEEN MONOLOGUE

Deciding to be a vegetarian is a wonderful thing, but everything can change once one teen becomes a murderer.

TEEN MONOLOGUE

Cheating on tests is not that hard, but when someone respected discovers it, it's actually pretty hard on the cheater.

TEEN MONOLOGUE

Wearing a fox tail to school each day of high school can be problematic, but one teen sees it as just a reflection of herself.

TEEN MONOLOGUE

“Though she be but little, she is fierce!” Thanks, Shakespeare. Being short isn't as poetic as he makes it out to be.

TEEN MONOLOGUE

Swimming up stream is not an easy task. That goes for salmon and teens.

TEEN MONOLOGUE

Suburban teens seem to live in a bubble to outsiders, but sometimes, that bubble bursts.

YOUTH/TEEN MONOLOGUE

Cruella DaVille is just misunderstood. If everyone would just take a moment to try to understand her, she could run her fashion empire with ease.