Joe PRAML

Joe PRAML

Joe Praml is an award-winning playwright, Sam A. Shubert Playwrighting Fellow at the University of Minnesota Graduate School of Theatre, winner of the McKnight Foundation Humanities Award for Shorter Drama; wrote about modern jazz for the Twin Cities Jazz Society. Moved to London and lived there 14 years working as a stage actor, playwright, stage manager, and writer for London’s Time Out magazine. His plays...
Joe Praml is an award-winning playwright, Sam A. Shubert Playwrighting Fellow at the University of Minnesota Graduate School of Theatre, winner of the McKnight Foundation Humanities Award for Shorter Drama; wrote about modern jazz for the Twin Cities Jazz Society. Moved to London and lived there 14 years working as a stage actor, playwright, stage manager, and writer for London’s Time Out magazine. His plays have been produced in the US and London. In Los Angeles: Award winning stage director. Community activist and member of the Board of Directors of Coalition for Economic Survival, the leading affordable housing organization in Los Angeles, Counselor and key person in the development of the CES Tenants’ Rights Clinic; former Rent Stabilization Commissioner for the City of West Hollywood; performance reader of poetry and literature at colleges and libraries. Currently writer of fiction, nonfiction, autobiographical novel, essays.

Plays

  • Jason, full-length play by Joe PRAML
    Cast: 
    7–13
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    Genre: drama
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    Keyword: Magic Realism, plague + 4 more
    Genre: drama
    Keyword: Magic Realism, plague, abuse of power, noir comedy, Corrupted idealism, surrealistic present
    JASON. Set in surrealistic present. Unique, epic story laced with biting wit. Three main characters: Jason, ambitious idealistic; Finnegan, goodhearted outsider always on the escape from prison; the Old Man, powerful driving force, head of the Company. He recruits Jason to serve the Company. As Jason rises, he twists idealism to perfect the product, reform Finnegan, dominate the Company, eradicate a secret...
    JASON. Set in surrealistic present. Unique, epic story laced with biting wit. Three main characters: Jason, ambitious idealistic; Finnegan, goodhearted outsider always on the escape from prison; the Old Man, powerful driving force, head of the Company. He recruits Jason to serve the Company. As Jason rises, he twists idealism to perfect the product, reform Finnegan, dominate the Company, eradicate a secret unnamed plague. The Official reminisces about a corporate head who captivated people’s hearts and fears. Jason uses power and fear. He betrays Finnegan and the Old Man and ends up powerful, cold, alone.
  • The Moneyman, one-act play by Joe PRAML
    Cast: 
    4
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    Genre: drama, movement/physical
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    Keyword: noir, drama + 2 more
    Genre: drama, movement/physical
    Keyword: noir, drama, simple set, Collection
    THE MONEYMAN, produced in the US: Scene: Run-down boxing arena with a ring. A white boxer, once a promising contender knocked out on this night in the ring; an old black trainer who trained Archie Moore and Jersey Joe Walcott; Elena, an attractive woman, seen better days; and Fred, a gay failing artiste, wait and clash over who or what The Moneyman is or may be. At the end, Fred shapes them into a human living...
    THE MONEYMAN, produced in the US: Scene: Run-down boxing arena with a ring. A white boxer, once a promising contender knocked out on this night in the ring; an old black trainer who trained Archie Moore and Jersey Joe Walcott; Elena, an attractive woman, seen better days; and Fred, a gay failing artiste, wait and clash over who or what The Moneyman is or may be. At the end, Fred shapes them into a human living replica of Polydorus’ Laocoon. Drama with dark humor.
  • The Pearl, one-act play by Joe PRAML
    Recommendations: 1
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    Cast: 
    5
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    Genre: comedy
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    Keyword: Collection, family conflict + 2 more
    Genre: comedy
    Keyword: Collection, family conflict, Magic Realism, drama
    THE PEARL, a comedy produced in the US. Dick, Jane and Sally appear outside Grandma’s house during her death throes. They grumpily complain at the likelihood of no inheritance. They reluctantly call in a doctor who operates on her. He finds inside her an enormous black pearl, puts it back and sews her up again. He comes out of the house and informs the three, who are overjoyed at the news. Out of the house...
    THE PEARL, a comedy produced in the US. Dick, Jane and Sally appear outside Grandma’s house during her death throes. They grumpily complain at the likelihood of no inheritance. They reluctantly call in a doctor who operates on her. He finds inside her an enormous black pearl, puts it back and sews her up again. He comes out of the house and informs the three, who are overjoyed at the news. Out of the house comes Grandma in full vibrant force. She goes off with a naked, jigging sailor who she saw out of the corner of her eye while under anesthesia.
  • The Trick, one-act play by Joe PRAML
    Cast: 
    5
    ·
    Genre: dark comedy, drama
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    Keyword: Collection, comedy + 2 more
    Genre: dark comedy, drama
    Keyword: Collection, comedy, dark comedy, simple set
    THE TRICK, produced at the Orange Tree, London and the US. Two businessmen enter an empty run-down bar hosted by a sinister bartender. The two men haggle over prices with two hookers. Meanwhile, across the  street an unseen man, standing on the top of a building, jumps from the ledge and plunges to his death as a street full of unseen people give him a rousing ovation. The two hookers, without a deal, exit...
    THE TRICK, produced at the Orange Tree, London and the US. Two businessmen enter an empty run-down bar hosted by a sinister bartender. The two men haggle over prices with two hookers. Meanwhile, across the  street an unseen man, standing on the top of a building, jumps from the ledge and plunges to his death as a street full of unseen people give him a rousing ovation. The two hookers, without a deal, exit leaving the two men in the clutches of the malefic bartender. 
  • Anatol, comedy, adaptation by Joe PRAML
    Cast: 
    9
    ·
    Genre: adaptation, comedy + 1 more
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    Keyword: class and male/female wars, world premiere
    Genre: adaptation, comedy, drama
    Keyword: class and male/female wars, world premiere
    Arthur Schnitzler, a Jewish Viennese playwright who influenced Sigmund Freud, wrote Anatol in 1892. It takes place in fin de siècle Vienna, a time of repressed sex and class consciousness. It is a sensual comedy about the eternal male-female wars. Anatol is a young, handsome Viennese Don Juan. He exerts his charm and high social position in the pursuit of the perfect affair with seven women in seven episodes....
    Arthur Schnitzler, a Jewish Viennese playwright who influenced Sigmund Freud, wrote Anatol in 1892. It takes place in fin de siècle Vienna, a time of repressed sex and class consciousness. It is a sensual comedy about the eternal male-female wars. Anatol is a young, handsome Viennese Don Juan. He exerts his charm and high social position in the pursuit of the perfect affair with seven women in seven episodes. These vividly drawn women toy with Anatol as much as he toys with them. After Elsa leaves, Anatol says to himself "Just one more. How stupid it all is." He meets his match with Ilona. Anatol is the ultimate loser.
  • POLDROCK, A Monologue in an Abandoned Saloon by Joe PRAML
    Cast: 
    1
    ·
    Genre: dark comedy, drama
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    Keyword: noir, monologue + 1 more
    Genre: dark comedy, drama
    Keyword: noir, monologue, drama
    Pin returns to a saloon where years before he and Forster, a hard-nosed product rep from work, came for an evening of entertainment and got more than they bargained for. They witness a nameless man jump off the ledge of a building next door. Pin is deeply affected by this and returns years later to remember and honor the man called Harold Poldrock. Pin says: “People don’t much give a damn about one another…If I...
    Pin returns to a saloon where years before he and Forster, a hard-nosed product rep from work, came for an evening of entertainment and got more than they bargained for. They witness a nameless man jump off the ledge of a building next door. Pin is deeply affected by this and returns years later to remember and honor the man called Harold Poldrock. Pin says: “People don’t much give a damn about one another…If I don’t remember him who will remember me when I go?”