Got a Light? by
10 min: Joan of Arc tied at the stake argues for her life as a modern-day feminist, while her executioner fails to get the fire lit. (Comedic play works well for high school, Zoom)
Jean Koppen
Jean Koppen
Jean Koppen is an award-winning playwright who lived in Alexandria, VA for over 25 years before moving to Portugal in 2021. Her plays have been seen at the Kennedy Center's Page to Stage Festival, at Keegan Theatre (D.C.), the Capital Fringe Festival (D.C.), SkyPilot Theatre (LA), and The Alumnae Theatre (Toronto). Capsmittment was Active Culture’s 2012 playwriting competition winner, and Got a Light?, a...
Jean Koppen is an award-winning playwright who lived in Alexandria, VA for over 25 years before moving to Portugal in 2021. Her plays have been seen at the Kennedy Center's Page to Stage Festival, at Keegan Theatre (D.C.), the Capital Fringe Festival (D.C.), SkyPilot Theatre (LA), and The Alumnae Theatre (Toronto). Capsmittment was Active Culture’s 2012 playwriting competition winner, and Got a Light?, a finalist in City Theatre’s 2019 National Award for Short Playwriting, will be published in Smith and Kraus’ forthcoming The Best Ten-Minute Plays 2022. Unprotected was a Trustus Playrights' Festival Finalist and a semi-finalist in Unicorn Theatre's Plays in Progress series. Most recently, Jean's play The Best Worst That Can Happen was on stage at Aldersgate Community Theater (Alexandria, VA) this past July, and is available for purchase and licensing through Next Stage Press. Jean is an alumnae of the Kennedy Center Playwrights Intensive, a member of Honor Roll! and a Dramatist Guild member. www.jeankoppen.com
Plays
The Best Worst That Can Happen by Jean Koppen
Recommendations: 3··Cast:4Genre: comedy, drama + 2 more·Keyword: Strong women roles, Alzheimer's Disease + 8 moreGenre: comedy, drama, movement/physical, romantic comedyKeyword: Strong women roles, Alzheimer's Disease, aging, mother and daughter, memory, middle-aged love story, Fantasy, dementia, caregiving, sibling rivalryFull-length: Joanna is worried about her mother's failing memory. Margie is concerned about her daughter's career and love life. In truth, both are terrified about how they will handle the worst that can happen - Margie contracting Alzheimer's Disease. When an unlikely new housemate enters their lives and his movie producer brother pays an unexpected visit, both Margie and Joanna discover the...Full-length: Joanna is worried about her mother's failing memory. Margie is concerned about her daughter's career and love life. In truth, both are terrified about how they will handle the worst that can happen - Margie contracting Alzheimer's Disease. When an unlikely new housemate enters their lives and his movie producer brother pays an unexpected visit, both Margie and Joanna discover the best that can happen in the worst situation. Four characters. Play and rights inquiry available via Next Stage Press https://www.nextstagepress.com/the-best-worst-that-can-happen/A Sunday by Jean Koppen
Recommendations: 2··Cast:6Genre: comedy, drama + 1 more·Keyword: family, siblings + 8 moreGenre: comedy, drama, periodKeyword: family, siblings, Chicago, Irish Catholic, Vietnam War, engagement, memory, facing the past, mother and daughter, death10 min: It's a Sunday and the Fallons are enjoying breakfast, but today is not just any day. As a woman remembers a poignant day in her life, she can't bring herself to share everything for some memories are too painful to revisit.Unprotected by Jean Koppen
Recommendations: 4··Cast:6Genre: drama·Keyword: sexual assault, sexual abuse + 8 moreGenre: dramaKeyword: sexual assault, sexual abuse, family, teenagers, marriage, metoo, feminism, siblings, dysfunction, Family SecretsFull-length: A seemingly small incident among teenagers at a local high school unearths deep wounds among family members about the legacy of abuse and the subtle subjugation of women. Unprotected is a modern- day drama in which a mother and her teenage daughter confront sexual assault and the vulnerability they face as women.Capsmittment by Jean Koppen
Recommendations: 4··Cast:2Genre: comedy·Keyword: hockey, bromance + 8 moreGenre: comedyKeyword: hockey, bromance, marriage, commitment, friendship, sports, sports fan, Stanley Cup, comedy, zoomTwo hockey friends discuss whether they are ready for the commitment of season tickets. (note: a "clean" version without swearing is also available; a "ZOOM" version is also available)The Aloha Life by Jean Koppen
Recommendations: 6··Cast:2Genre: comedy, romantic comedy·Keyword: Hawaii, marriage + 8 moreGenre: comedy, romantic comedyKeyword: Hawaii, marriage, love, tourist, romantic comedy, vacation, false alarms, disaster, mature love, two-hander10 min: A couple vacationing in Hawaii are surprised by an unexpected missile alert. (Easy to produce; Two-hander; works well on Zoom)Final Assignment by Jean Koppen
Recommendations: 3··Cast:2–3Genre: drama, science fiction·Keyword: mother and daughter, regret + 8 moreGenre: drama, science fictionKeyword: mother and daughter, regret, loss, humanity, memory, parenthood, sci-fi, futuristic, two-hander, strong female rolesIn the future, Patricia is visited by an android programmed as her daughter Maggie with memories of their life together. The only problem is that Patricia never had a daughter. The two women tackle the question of who created Maggie, for what purpose, and how will Maggie achieve her goal of becoming fully human. Strong female roles. Well suited for Zoom or audio play formats.Someplace Better by Jean Koppen
Recommendations: 1··Cast:4Genre: adventure, comedy + 3 more·Keyword: marriage, journey + 8 moreGenre: adventure, comedy, drama, fantasy, movement/physicalKeyword: marriage, journey, the odyssey, Dystopian, Relationships, Surreal, United States, theatricality, counseling, talking dolphinDriven from their home country by disease and political unrest, a couple journeys hoping to re-locate to someplace better. In their quest for a new community, Hope and Peter encounter an inept guardsman, a media-hungry newscaster, a biased marriage counsellor, a cycloptic judge and a talking dolphin. With each interaction, Hope and Peter's biggest test comes not from the impossible tasks given to them, but from their own relationship.Slight Delay by Jean Koppen
Recommendations: 1··Cast:3Genre: comedy·Keyword: airline, frustration + 7 moreGenre: comedyKeyword: airline, frustration, cancellation, passenger, meteorology, flying, Airport, travel, comedyEver have a flight delayed or cancelled? Then you know the frustration Passenger feels when confronted with an Attendant who just doesn't seem to get it. Even the airline announcements seem part of the conspiracy!Cold by Jean Koppen
Recommendations: 3··Cast:2Genre: comedy, dark comedy + 3 more·Keyword: Frosty the Snowman, christmas + 7 moreGenre: comedy, dark comedy, farce, holiday, parody/spoofKeyword: Frosty the Snowman, christmas, holiday, global warming, immigration, government, Canada, dark comedy, Flexible CastingFrosty attempts to immigrate to Canada while an unsympathetic border official thinks melting is a better option. A heart-warming Christmas tale about friendship and global warming.Scared Straight by Jean Koppen
Recommendations: 1··Cast:4Genre: comedy·Keyword: actors, acting + 6 moreGenre: comedyKeyword: actors, acting, theater, comedy, audition, business, parenthood, theatreLyla shows up excited for an audition, but instead finds three bitter, depressed and defeated actors discouraging her from her dream.Unfocused by Jean Koppen
Recommendations: 3··Cast:8Genre: comedy, farce + 2 more·Keyword: focus group, Voting + 8 moreGenre: comedy, farce, political, satireKeyword: focus group, Voting, Roman Empire, Farce, democracy, Russian, comedy, citizenship, America, AmericanIn this modern day comedy, a quirky group of characters assemble for a focus group while the neurotic moderator tries and fails to keep the conversation focused. Unfocused is about election apathy and its effect on American democracy.Housekeeping by Jean Koppen
Recommendations: 2··Cast:3Genre: comedy, drama·Keyword: women, child pornography + 6 moreGenre: comedy, dramaKeyword: women, child pornography, maid, revenge, illegal, Working, cleanliness, briberyWhile cleaning a wealthy client’s home, three house cleaners make a surprise discovery and disagree over what course of action to take.
First Chair by Jean Koppen
Recommendations: 4··Cast:2Genre: comedy, movement/physical + 3 more·Keyword: classical music, orchestra + 8 moreGenre: comedy, movement/physical, pantomime, political, romantic comedyKeyword: classical music, orchestra, marriage, equal pay, equality, dance, Fantasy, music, movement, comedyBen and Leslie are both first chairs in their professional orchestra, and married, but Ben is paid more. This conflict is exacerbated when Leslie is given a "lesser" chair, or perhaps it is because of the secret she is finally ready to reveal. First chair is part comedy, part political play, and part fantasy fight ballet.Black Hole by Jean Koppen
Recommendations: 1··Cast:6Genre: drama·Keyword: hoarding, marriage + 6 moreGenre: dramaKeyword: hoarding, marriage, siblings, DNR, family, childbirth, objects, death of parentsAfter the recent death of her mother, Jane feels compelled to combat her father’s hoarding while also trying to reconcile with her estranged brother and his family. As Jane works on cleaning up the family possessions and problems, she is pulled between the life she has made with her husband and the family life she thinks will fill the loss she’s feeling. Jane becomes more desperate to maintain control,...After the recent death of her mother, Jane feels compelled to combat her father’s hoarding while also trying to reconcile with her estranged brother and his family. As Jane works on cleaning up the family possessions and problems, she is pulled between the life she has made with her husband and the family life she thinks will fill the loss she’s feeling. Jane becomes more desperate to maintain control, devolving into her own obsession with the past and finding solace in the things her parents valued.Wearing White After Labor Day (and other acts of terrorism) by Jean Koppen
Recommendations: 2··Cast:2Genre: comedy·Keyword: mother and daughter, marriage + 5 moreGenre: comedyKeyword: mother and daughter, marriage, Sex, dating, mother, family, comedyWhen Jenny’s mother Merrill arrives for their weekly lunch date, their usual bickering takes a turn neither suspects.
Married Bliss by Jean Koppen
Recommendations: 3··Cast:2Genre: dark comedy·Keyword: marriage, infidelity + 5 moreGenre: dark comedyKeyword: marriage, infidelity, love, commitment, dreams, cheating, RelationshipsA couple discuss hypothetical infidelity.Feebleminded by Jean Koppen
Recommendations: 2··Cast:3Genre: docudrama/historic, drama + 1 more·Keyword: reproductive freedom, law + 8 moreGenre: docudrama/historic, drama, politicalKeyword: reproductive freedom, law, Eugenics, Buck v Bell, cerebral palsy, sterilization, law school, social justice, History, disabilityLaw student Jill chooses to argue for upholding the 1927 Supreme Court case Buck v Bell which was used to sterilize thousands of women against their consent based on their physical, mental or social inadequacies. Jill relishes the opportunity to challenge the assumptions of her classmates that her disabilities (cerebral palsy, wheelchair) dictate her personal beliefs. Through her research into the case's...Law student Jill chooses to argue for upholding the 1927 Supreme Court case Buck v Bell which was used to sterilize thousands of women against their consent based on their physical, mental or social inadequacies. Jill relishes the opportunity to challenge the assumptions of her classmates that her disabilities (cerebral palsy, wheelchair) dictate her personal beliefs. Through her research into the case's past, including in person interactions with the woman at the center of the case, Jill makes decisions which send her life in a completely different direction than she ever considered.Kavanaugh by Jean Koppen
Recommendations: 3··Cast:4Genre: comedy, drama + 1 more·Keyword: justice, Kavanaugh + 6 moreGenre: comedy, drama, politicalKeyword: justice, Kavanaugh, women, Times Up, sexual assault, America, Supreme Court, PoliticsJustice Kavanaugh petitions the court of American Women for official classification as a "good guy."The Delivery by Jean Koppen
Recommendations: 1··Cast:2Genre: drama, fable/folktale + 1 more·Keyword: New Mexico, motherhood + 4 moreGenre: drama, fable/folktale, mystery/thrillerKeyword: New Mexico, motherhood, mysticism, mythology, Native American, animalsA woman makes an ordinary delivery stop at an art gallery that turns out to be anything but. Not only is the item being delivered unusual, the gallery owner's connection to the item, and to the delivery woman, is magical.The Lesson (a monologue) by Jean Koppen
Recommendations: 2··Cast:1Genre: drama·Keyword: British, high school + 5 moreGenre: dramaKeyword: British, high school, class, education, social media, social class, teachersMs. Houndsworth has a lesson her class is not suspecting. A lesson that is far more personal than they've had before.