Norm Reynolds

Norm Reynolds. Winner! Best in Venue:-Making It Up (One Playwright to Another): Hamilton Fringe ‘22’, Nominated for 4 Broadway World Awards & Philadelphia Fringe “Fringie” Award Winner ‘23; adapted Anne Tyler's Dinner at the Homesick Restaurant for the stage. Put Up Your Hand: Summerworks; performed by the author, Red SandCastle Theatre (Toronto). Gay Positive: KW Little Theatre Popcorn series ('25). Two-Hander: Newmarket National Ten Minute Play Festival. The Good-bye Play: workshopped at the Humber School for Writers with Edward Albee. Reynolds has published short fiction in the United States and Canada, and book reviews in the Canadian national press. He is a thirty year member of the Playwrights Guild of Canada.

Scripts: Making It Up (One Playwright to Another): played New Zealand &...

Norm Reynolds. Winner! Best in Venue:-Making It Up (One Playwright to Another): Hamilton Fringe ‘22’, Nominated for 4 Broadway World Awards & Philadelphia Fringe “Fringie” Award Winner ‘23; adapted Anne Tyler's Dinner at the Homesick Restaurant for the stage. Put Up Your Hand: Summerworks; performed by the author, Red SandCastle Theatre (Toronto). Gay Positive: KW Little Theatre Popcorn series ('25). Two-Hander: Newmarket National Ten Minute Play Festival. The Good-bye Play: workshopped at the Humber School for Writers with Edward Albee. Reynolds has published short fiction in the United States and Canada, and book reviews in the Canadian national press. He is a thirty year member of the Playwrights Guild of Canada.

Scripts: Making It Up (One Playwright to Another): played New Zealand & Dunedin Fringe Festivals in 2024. Gay Positive: shortlisted 2018 Short & Sweet Festival (Sydney, Australia); Two-Hander: Newmarket National Ten Minute Play Festival (July 2017); shortlisted- 10 by 10 in The Triangle (2013). Pass:- Void Room Theatrics "Play-Offs" (April 1st, 2016). The Good-Bye Play: Canadian Play Festival- Huron Heights Secondary School, Newmarket, Ontario (2017); Monologue performance: April 30th, 2016 The Hub14, Toronto; workshopped, Humber School for Writers (Edward Albee) (2004)- Theatre Starts  (2011)- Staged Reading- Playwrights of Spring, Theatre Aurora (2010)- Top Ten Finalist- Dubuque Fine Arts Players One Act Playwriting Contest (2007)- Shortlisted- Short and Sweet Play Festival (Sydney, Australia) (2007). Put Up Your Hand: Red SandCastle (September 7, 2014)- Summerworks (1991)- WordWorks Festival (1992). Worthy Causes:- longlisted- Drama Association of Wales One Act Play Festival (2004).

Reviews:
Dinner at the Homesick Restaurant
"Deft... authentic... unusual"- Patrick Young, writer/actor/teacher
The Good-bye Play
"....a really wonderful monologue"- Edward Albee

Put Up Your Hand
"In one hour, I was moved, I laughed. Remember the name Norm Reynolds. I think we're going to hear from him again.- Richard Ouzounian, Later the Same Day, CBC Radio

Making It Up (One Playwright to Another)
"Tour de force!" (Gaydio UK)

“Reynolds’s work has a certain gravity to it and in the mere span of forty minutes might cause a tidal shift somewhere deep inside you… An audience could always have been right on the other side of the camera, you could almost feel them breathing.”- Young-Howze Theatre Journal

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Scripts

Dinner at the Homesick Restaurant

by Norm Reynolds

Cast Size
1—5
Genre
adaptation,
comedy,
dark comedy,
drama,
period

"Dinner at the Homesick Restaurant" is a sweeping, forty-year domestic comedy/drama about three siblings struggling to find their place in the world, and with each other, in the wake of their father’s abandonment and their mother’s anger and resentment. In the end, they come to terms with the family dynamic, when one of them unexpectedly invites the father to their mother’s funeral.

Adapted with permission from...

"Dinner at the Homesick Restaurant" is a sweeping, forty-year domestic comedy/drama about three siblings struggling to find their place in the world, and with each other, in the wake of their father’s abandonment and their mother’s anger and resentment. In the end, they come to terms with the family dynamic, when one of them unexpectedly invites the father to their mother’s funeral.

Adapted with permission from the novel by Anne Tyler

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Soccer & Haircuts

by Norm Reynolds

1
Cast Size
2
Genre
comedy,
dark comedy,
drama,
melodrama

Patrick is a good father to Sam, but wishes he didn’t have to do it. He suggests his best friend Bernard try it. Be careful what you wish for. Who is the better father? The godfather who’d like to raise Sam, or his real dad? And what does Sam think?

[NOTE: The recommendation below refers to an earlier draft of 'Soccer and Haircuts."]

Patrick is a good father to Sam, but wishes he didn’t have to do it. He suggests his best friend Bernard try it. Be careful what you wish for. Who is the better father? The godfather who’d like to raise Sam, or his real dad? And what does Sam think?

[NOTE: The recommendation below refers to an earlier draft of 'Soccer and Haircuts."]

Gay Positive

by Norm Reynolds

2
Cast Size
3
Genre
dark comedy

10 Minute Play: Summary: Set in the early 2000’s, Claudia worries about crossing a line with her students, so she lies and tells them she’s straight. For solace and advice, she reaches out to her colleague Annie. Annie’s trying to be "gay positive" about it; she’s just not positive enough. In the end, Annie's own crossing the line with sex and sexuality catches up with her.

Playing Aug. 28th-30th/2025...

10 Minute Play: Summary: Set in the early 2000’s, Claudia worries about crossing a line with her students, so she lies and tells them she’s straight. For solace and advice, she reaches out to her colleague Annie. Annie’s trying to be "gay positive" about it; she’s just not positive enough. In the end, Annie's own crossing the line with sex and sexuality catches up with her.

Playing Aug. 28th-30th/2025, Kitchener-Waterloo Little Theatre. Popcorn Plays Showcase. https://kwlt.org/the-2025-popcorn-plays-programme/the-2025-popcorn-play…

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Put Up Your Hand- The Monologues

by Norm Reynolds

Cast Size
1—8
Genre
comedy,
dark comedy,
drama,
satire

What's School for? In six monologues, (and one scene for two characters), that eternal question is posed by different characters, including a young parent on her child's first day of classes, a befuddled executive giving advice to a directionless teenager, the "professional student", a teacher having a nervous breakdown in front of her class, and an octegenarian valedictorian.

[*strong language]

What's School for? In six monologues, (and one scene for two characters), that eternal question is posed by different characters, including a young parent on her child's first day of classes, a befuddled executive giving advice to a directionless teenager, the "professional student", a teacher having a nervous breakdown in front of her class, and an octegenarian valedictorian.

[*strong language]

The Good-bye Play

by Norm Reynolds

Cast Size
2
Genre
comedy,
dark comedy,
drama

Some relationships never die. Leo and Patricia have split. Patricia has come back for closure. Leo isn't having any of it. A comedy about grievances, petty and great, and the difficulty of finally saying good-bye.
*******************************************************************************************
... really wonderful monologue...
- Edward Albee

Some relationships never die. Leo and Patricia have split. Patricia has come back for closure. Leo isn't having any of it. A comedy about grievances, petty and great, and the difficulty of finally saying good-bye.
*******************************************************************************************
... really wonderful monologue...
- Edward Albee

Put Up Your Hand

by Norm Reynolds

Cast Size
7—8
Genre
comedy,
dark comedy,
drama

Why did Lisa stop teaching? And will she teach again? Can't she measure up to her idol, Mr. Patterson, who taught her how to press one less button at the ATM? Afraid she'll descend to the depths of her worst teacher, Patsy, who quizzed students on her private life? Or is it all to do with Jerry, the head-injured, favourite student, who failed and succeeded, together with Lisa, when Lisa enrolled him at community...

Why did Lisa stop teaching? And will she teach again? Can't she measure up to her idol, Mr. Patterson, who taught her how to press one less button at the ATM? Afraid she'll descend to the depths of her worst teacher, Patsy, who quizzed students on her private life? Or is it all to do with Jerry, the head-injured, favourite student, who failed and succeeded, together with Lisa, when Lisa enrolled him at community college? "Put Up Your Hand" weaves together a tapestry of people and experiences for anyone who ever sat in a classroom and was left wondering: what's school for?

[*Strong language]

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Two-Hander

by Norm Reynolds

1
Cast Size
2
Genre
comedy,
farce,
satire

10 Minute Play: “Two-Hander” is a fast-paced exploration of the friendship, or competition, between Trey and Daniel, two actors. Trey is nice, but struggling. Daniel is ambitious, and cruel in his desire to succeed. Will Daniel obliterate Trey from the profession, or will Trey exact his revenge?

10 Minute Play: “Two-Hander” is a fast-paced exploration of the friendship, or competition, between Trey and Daniel, two actors. Trey is nice, but struggling. Daniel is ambitious, and cruel in his desire to succeed. Will Daniel obliterate Trey from the profession, or will Trey exact his revenge?

Meanwhile in Another Part of the School, Or Toman's Will

by Norm Reynolds

Cast Size
16
Genre
comedy,
melodrama,
mystery/thriller,
parody/spoof,
young audiences

Why is the school newspaper trashing the production of "Romeo and Juliet"? Is the school haunted by a previous student? Is there a clue in the graffiti in the theatre, gym, and library? And is the school secretly up for sale? There's a part for everyone to figure out the mysteries in this play on themes of freedom and kindness, a school comedy of intrigue and humour.

Why is the school newspaper trashing the production of "Romeo and Juliet"? Is the school haunted by a previous student? Is there a clue in the graffiti in the theatre, gym, and library? And is the school secretly up for sale? There's a part for everyone to figure out the mysteries in this play on themes of freedom and kindness, a school comedy of intrigue and humour.

Pass

by Norm Reynolds

1
Cast Size
6—9
Genre
dark comedy,
drama

Pass- to be successful in a test or examination; amatory or romantic advances; to die; to decide not to do something; to allow to happen without comment or intervention (eg. to pass for being straight, instead of gay)

Why is Toby outing Mr. Ramsey in the school newspaper? Did Ramsey play a role in Kevin's suicide by staying in the closet? PASS pits the responsibility of an adult role model in a charged era of...

Pass- to be successful in a test or examination; amatory or romantic advances; to die; to decide not to do something; to allow to happen without comment or intervention (eg. to pass for being straight, instead of gay)

Why is Toby outing Mr. Ramsey in the school newspaper? Did Ramsey play a role in Kevin's suicide by staying in the closet? PASS pits the responsibility of an adult role model in a charged era of diversity against one's right to lead a life as one sees fit, not as others expect.

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An October Crisis

by Norm Reynolds

Cast Size
6—8
Genre
drama,
melodrama

"An October Crisis" is a love story rooted in childhood, against the political backdrop of The October Crisis in Montreal, 1970. Charles and Jean-Francois are childhood friends but a misunderstanding leads to their split. Can they reconcile twenty years later, or has each changed too much to make redemption possible?

"An October Crisis" is a love story rooted in childhood, against the political backdrop of The October Crisis in Montreal, 1970. Charles and Jean-Francois are childhood friends but a misunderstanding leads to their split. Can they reconcile twenty years later, or has each changed too much to make redemption possible?