John Hendel

John Hendel

John Hendel's plays wrestle with the New Dread. They have been seen in the Hollywood Fringe Festival, the Cincinnati Fringe Festival, and the NY Artists, Unlimited International CringeFest. He is a multi-time participant at the Last Frontier Theater Conference in Valdez, AK, as both a playwright and an actor. He appeared in the 2019 Uncle John's Bathroom Reader for a viral tweet. He got his playwriting MFA at Ohio University.

Plays

  • Procreation (Keep Fucking)
    Reunited for the first time during their incarceration, Lisa and Martin Fogel playact living a life outside the prison that's been their home for 15 years. But how will they respond to the temptation of a door mysteriously left open?

    3/1/24: This is a developmental draft, so please take that into consideration and know that I welcome any feedback you wish to give!
  • Wearhorse
    Two performance artists struggle to collaborate on a project when they come in possession of a horse carcass. Based on a true horse.
  • Pulling Off Procreation (Or is it Wrong to Keep Fucking if the Baby Starts Crying?)
    Two new parents believe the only way their infant son can be of value to this world is if cable news celebrates him, either by being a genius or abducted. So when tragedy falls as a result of their stupidity, Lisa and Martin focus all of their energies on using cable news to their full advantage while keeping their loving marriage intact. Narrated by Balloon Boy and The Sun.
  • The Christmas Special
    ‘Twas the week before Christmas, and all through the cabin,
    Barbara was asking, “What exactly will happen?”
    Her husband was giving his life up to Claus,
    But Barbara was left there without any cause.
    Then what in her is’lated world did appear?
    The son she gave up in a moment of fear!
    He’s handsome and famous, and possibly could
    Whisk Babs away to old Hollywood....
    ‘Twas the week before Christmas, and all through the cabin,
    Barbara was asking, “What exactly will happen?”
    Her husband was giving his life up to Claus,
    But Barbara was left there without any cause.
    Then what in her is’lated world did appear?
    The son she gave up in a moment of fear!
    He’s handsome and famous, and possibly could
    Whisk Babs away to old Hollywood.
    But hubby is slavish to the plan that they made,
    “You must be devoted to Santa’s crusade!”
    Will Barbara decide that her son’s the solution,
    Or will she stay true to the revolution?
  • Magic Benji
    On Benji's birthday, an old friend from way back when shows up at the casino where Benji works to whisk him away to a vacation spot from his childhood. But as the memories come back piece by piece, the vacation becomes a quest to confront a dormant trauma and maybe ANSWER THE PHONE WHEN YOUR MOTHER CALLS ON YOUR BIRTHDAY, BENJAMIN.
  • Be Head
    Hear ye, hear ye, and huzzah! The king has been executed! Allegra, a peasant, has a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to join the new Revolutionary Council. All she must do is eradicate the monarchial spirit by destroying the king’s head. But Allegra’s ambitions and desire to be heard make sharing power difficult, especially with the daffy elites who lopped the king’s head off. Through dreams, necromancy, and the...
    Hear ye, hear ye, and huzzah! The king has been executed! Allegra, a peasant, has a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to join the new Revolutionary Council. All she must do is eradicate the monarchial spirit by destroying the king’s head. But Allegra’s ambitions and desire to be heard make sharing power difficult, especially with the daffy elites who lopped the king’s head off. Through dreams, necromancy, and the occasional iambic pentameter, Be Head explores whether any old time is the right time for revolution.

    Content Warning

    The characters in this play depict:
    • Cannibalism
    • Manslaughter via poisoning and asphyxiation
    • Communication with the dead
    The characters in this play speak of but do not depict:
    • Decapitation and other acts of gory violence
    • Corporal and emotional punishment of children
    • Adult language
  • The Ghost of Christmas Procreation
    A sequel to Pulling Off Procreation (Or, Is It Wrong to Keep Fucking if the Baby Starts Crying?).

    SPOILERS AHEAD FOR PULLING OFF PROCREATION: Upon their execution by electric chair, Lisa and Martin Fogel find themselves in Bethlehem at the time of the census, with Lisa carrying the Christ child. The baby is born and God arrives to discuss the terms of their ménage a trois.

    Trigger...
    A sequel to Pulling Off Procreation (Or, Is It Wrong to Keep Fucking if the Baby Starts Crying?).

    SPOILERS AHEAD FOR PULLING OFF PROCREATION: Upon their execution by electric chair, Lisa and Martin Fogel find themselves in Bethlehem at the time of the census, with Lisa carrying the Christ child. The baby is born and God arrives to discuss the terms of their ménage a trois.

    Trigger Warnings: includes depraved, consensual sex acts, violence, and discussions of rape.
  • The Drip
    Darren's girlfriend is in the morgue, and he arrives to settle some unfinished business with her ghost.
  • (The Death of Our Alien Savior) Manchego Queso
    A man operating under the alias of Manchego Queso has convinced those close to him that he is a secret government agent from another planet sent here centuries ago with the mission to deliver the United States of America to its predestined glory. When Manchego dies (on July 4th, no less), his fiancee, her assistant, and their lawyer must decide what to do with his body and estate. Will the government agents...
    A man operating under the alias of Manchego Queso has convinced those close to him that he is a secret government agent from another planet sent here centuries ago with the mission to deliver the United States of America to its predestined glory. When Manchego dies (on July 4th, no less), his fiancee, her assistant, and their lawyer must decide what to do with his body and estate. Will the government agents come for his body? Do they even know he's dead? Is he even dead? And what's the deal with the 1,200 guns he kept lying around his condo?
  • Dreaming in Vibrant Colors
    Stella Baker is very lazy, but very smart. Her sister, Eartha is focused and hard-working, but lacks Stella's remarkable brain. The two of them work to advance their lot in life, Eartha through typical career means, Stella through a medicine of her own creation which opens up her dream world to new places.
  • Fortune Lauderdale
    Ernie Rico takes his friend Jessi out to the Fortune Lauderdale Casino and Hotel to celebrate her recent divorce. When Ernie hits it big on a machine, it becomes clear to Jessi that Ernie's priorities, as well as his grip on reality, leave something to be desired. The fanatical response of others in the casino don't help either.

    Set at a cultish casino in South Florida, the characters...
    Ernie Rico takes his friend Jessi out to the Fortune Lauderdale Casino and Hotel to celebrate her recent divorce. When Ernie hits it big on a machine, it becomes clear to Jessi that Ernie's priorities, as well as his grip on reality, leave something to be desired. The fanatical response of others in the casino don't help either.

    Set at a cultish casino in South Florida, the characters of Fortune Lauderdale scream, they sing songs, and they know when to double on a 9.
  • Generosity is a Bad Idea - a Monologue
    A landlord's small act of generosity lands them in hot water with the Landlord's Association, putting their benefits and livelihood at risk.
  • The Fine Print Says I Can Rob You
    David is interviewing for a position writing video games, but he did not read the fine print close enough when he submitted his writing sample. Now the interview is an unpaid notes session and he feels himself getting sapped dry by the company.