Melissa Leilani Larson

Housecleaner Evelyn Mercado is a self-taught artist who finds quiet joy in casually copying masterworks at the Met. But as she works toward US citizenship and a long awaited reunion with her daughter in the Philippines, Evelyn finds herself drawn into an art forgery scheme that could endanger everything—and everyone—she loves. *in development*

GIN MUMMY is a drawing room comedy in which a young Victorian aristocrat comes to terms with what she wants and what her family expects on the night of her engagement party. Also, there is a mummy.

Emma Hauck realizes that her husband's political ambitions are changing him — and their marriage. She finds refuge in her writing, and in the unexpected friendship of a new servant. As both relationships grow more complex, Emma most face difficult truths about herself that she never knew existed. Inspired by a heartbreaking true story, this new play explores the intersection between marriage, illness and the power of a pencil. Full-length, no interval. O'Neill Semifinalist.

One act. Finlay has done Helen a terrible wrong and now they are trapped, alone together, in a strange and empty in-between. What if the only escape is forgiving the unforgivable?

“Our fears do make us traitors.” ~ Macbeth, Act IV, Scene 2

Almost from their first meeting, Elizabeth Bennet finds herself at odds with the reticent Mr. Darcy; she finds him cold and arrogant while he disapproves of her family and social standing. Brought together by events beyond their control, both must reconsider their first impressions. A crisp, theatrical imagining of Jane Austen's most popular classic.

TYA, 10-minute. 16-year-old Rory is figuring out she is ace but is unsure who to talk to about it. Can she trust her mom or her best friend? In the meanwhile, she confides in her grandmother who, because of her dementia, tends to forget.

Mixed Filipino filmmaker Lark Timon is no stranger to failure; it has loomed large throughout her career. Plagued by debt and professional disappointment, Lark chances upon a potentially career-changing opportunity only to be confronted by questions about her art, her relationships and her identity as a queer mestiza.

**Winner of the 2022 American Alliance for Theatre & Education (AATE) Distinguished Play Award.
Plagued by a mysterious illness, teenage shut-in Ash longs to see the world. She refuses to be sad, befriending strangers as they parade past her window. A magical and theatrical contemporary adaptation of Rabindranath's Tagore’s classic play. TYA one act. Runs 55 minutes, but a 40-minute version is also available for competition. Available for perusal and licensing at YouthPLAYS.com.

Adapted from Jane Austen’s beloved final novel, PERSUASION is a bittersweet story of first love and second chances. Anne Elliot, persuaded by duty and title to give up marriage at a younger age, now finds herself face to face with the man she once refused. By turns heartbreaking and hilarious, this new take on Austen’s quiet masterpiece is refreshingly theatrical while remaining faithful to the original text.

Winter 1850. Tamson English has been alone with three young children on the Utah frontier for more than a year. Haunted by guilt over an extramarital affair, Tamson convinces herself that God has trapped her in the wilderness as a punishment for her sins. When she prays for a reprieve, an old friend appears at her door—but it’s hard to know if his coming is a miracle or a curse.

What if you were called to serve in the restoration of polygamy? You could blog about it. An intimate look at first love, second wives and last chances.

PILOT PROGRAM is the story of Abigail Husten, a childless woman asked to join her husband in a pilot program restoring polygamy to contemporary LDS/Mormon practice. Abigail brings her friend and former student into her home as her husband's plural wife knowing that none of their lives will be the same.

Claire and Brennan have been best friends for years. But when the two are brought back together after two years apart, Claire wonders if the feelings she has for Brennan might go beyond friendship.

**I now have a 45-50 minute one act version of this play for competition or fringe performances. Email me to request a perusal PDF.

One act, TYA. 10-year-old Anna decides to stop eating so that she can look like the women she sees in magazines and on TV. But it's hard to ignore your food when it starts talking to you.

The story of Catherine, a Christian martyr who, after her death, is assigned to guide a young peasant girl as she becomes the woman history will revere as Joan of Arc. Accompanying Joan throughout her legendary career, Catherine finds that her influence directly affects the girl’s successes and failures. As Joan spirals toward the inevitable, Catherine questions her assignment and, ultimately, her own faith.

2005 IRAM Best New Play.