Jess Honovich

Jess is a playwright, screenwriter and educator from Southern New Jersey. Her work has been produced and workshopped by Actors Theatre of Louisville, Williamstown Theatre Festival, Dezart Performs, Longwood University, New York University, the New York Transit Museum, the Paw Paw Village Players, Festival51, Project Y, and the Pittsburgh Opera. She is a LABA Artist Fellow Alum, a Jeffrey Melnick New Playwright Award Nominee, an O'Neill National Playwrights Conference Finalist and Semi-Finalist, a BAPF Semi-Finalist, a Premiere Stages Semi-Finalist, a Heideman Award finalist, a 24 Plays: Nationals alum, a recipient of the Mary Marlin Fisher Award for Excellence in Playwriting, and a Theatre Masters winner for her short play No More Monsters, which is available at Samuel French.

She holds...

Jess is a playwright, screenwriter and educator from Southern New Jersey. Her work has been produced and workshopped by Actors Theatre of Louisville, Williamstown Theatre Festival, Dezart Performs, Longwood University, New York University, the New York Transit Museum, the Paw Paw Village Players, Festival51, Project Y, and the Pittsburgh Opera. She is a LABA Artist Fellow Alum, a Jeffrey Melnick New Playwright Award Nominee, an O'Neill National Playwrights Conference Finalist and Semi-Finalist, a BAPF Semi-Finalist, a Premiere Stages Semi-Finalist, a Heideman Award finalist, a 24 Plays: Nationals alum, a recipient of the Mary Marlin Fisher Award for Excellence in Playwriting, and a Theatre Masters winner for her short play No More Monsters, which is available at Samuel French.

She holds a B.S. from New York University in Educational Theatre and a minor in Dramatic Literature and an MFA in Dramatic Writing from Carnegie Mellon University. She's also a NYC public school teacher.

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Scripts

GIANT SLALOM

by Jess Honovich

13
Cast Size
3
Genre
comedy,
drama,
mystery/thriller

FULL LENGTH: After a sponsorship representative shows up unexpectedly to their seemingly low-stakes race, high schoolers Dagny, Skylar and Lauren — three of the best alpine ski racers on the Big Bear Race Team — must compete both for victory and for his attention. That is, unless their cutthroat attitudes tear their friendships—and like, maybe their careers — apart.

FULL LENGTH: After a sponsorship representative shows up unexpectedly to their seemingly low-stakes race, high schoolers Dagny, Skylar and Lauren — three of the best alpine ski racers on the Big Bear Race Team — must compete both for victory and for his attention. That is, unless their cutthroat attitudes tear their friendships—and like, maybe their careers — apart.

EVERYTHING YOU WANTED

by Jess Honovich

1
Cast Size
10—12
Genre
adaptation,
comedy,
dark comedy

FULL LENGTH: Heather's in love with Billy. Billy's really into Dina. Dina liked Shaun, but not so much anymore. Shaun's gonna "kill" PJ. PJ thinks Remy is cute. Remy can't stop laughing. Erica can't stop reading. Liam can't stop looking at Erica. It's the last week of Camp Minnetonka, Summer of 2004, no one has a date for Banquet, and Color War's about to begin.

An adaptation of All's Well That Ends Well.

FULL LENGTH: Heather's in love with Billy. Billy's really into Dina. Dina liked Shaun, but not so much anymore. Shaun's gonna "kill" PJ. PJ thinks Remy is cute. Remy can't stop laughing. Erica can't stop reading. Liam can't stop looking at Erica. It's the last week of Camp Minnetonka, Summer of 2004, no one has a date for Banquet, and Color War's about to begin.

An adaptation of All's Well That Ends Well.

Amazing

by Jess Honovich

2
Cast Size
2
Genre
comedy,
zoom

TEN MINUTE: A mother hires a magician for her son's birthday party, only he's not really a magician and she's not really a mother.

*written to be performed on video-conference platforms, but does not have to be

TEN MINUTE: A mother hires a magician for her son's birthday party, only he's not really a magician and she's not really a mother.

*written to be performed on video-conference platforms, but does not have to be

Hardware

by Jess Honovich

1
Cast Size
2
Genre
drama

Two teenage employees work to finish their last tasks before closing time at a B-list computer repair store in Pittsburgh. Hardware is a meditation on preparedness and how, if ever, we are meant to understand what it is we're even preparing for.

Two teenage employees work to finish their last tasks before closing time at a B-list computer repair store in Pittsburgh. Hardware is a meditation on preparedness and how, if ever, we are meant to understand what it is we're even preparing for.

A Sisyphus Play, or, Talking and Talking About Sexual Assault and Expecting A Different Result Is Starting To Make Me Feel Insane. Do You Feel The Same?

by Jess Honovich

1
Cast Size
4—8
Genre
drama

Sylvia was sexually assaulted and wants to tell someone. But every time she tries, a boulder falls from the sky. A play about living and reliving, telling and retelling.

Sylvia was sexually assaulted and wants to tell someone. But every time she tries, a boulder falls from the sky. A play about living and reliving, telling and retelling.

GOD TEST

by Jess Honovich

1
Cast Size
4—10
Genre
comedy

FULL LENGTH: In the not-so-distant past, thirteen-year-old Alexis prepares for her Bat Mitzvah, but she’s not sure she believes in God.

In the very ancient past, Moses announces his leave to collect the Ten Commandments from God, but how long will he be gone for, and what if he doesn’t come back?

GOD TEST is a play about faith and testing its limits in the face of ceaseless doubt.

FULL LENGTH: In the not-so-distant past, thirteen-year-old Alexis prepares for her Bat Mitzvah, but she’s not sure she believes in God.

In the very ancient past, Moses announces his leave to collect the Ten Commandments from God, but how long will he be gone for, and what if he doesn’t come back?

GOD TEST is a play about faith and testing its limits in the face of ceaseless doubt.

The Jersey Devil Doesn't Exist.

by Jess Honovich

2
Cast Size
5—9
Genre
drama,
mystery/thriller

Fifteen-year old Kailyn Marksfield never made it out of the New Jersey Pine Barrens after a game of flashlight tag gone wrong. Are teenagers to blame? Or ancient, mythical demons? Gossip spreads through a small town in Southern New Jersey as friendships unravel and blur the line between the lies we tell and the games we play.

Fifteen-year old Kailyn Marksfield never made it out of the New Jersey Pine Barrens after a game of flashlight tag gone wrong. Are teenagers to blame? Or ancient, mythical demons? Gossip spreads through a small town in Southern New Jersey as friendships unravel and blur the line between the lies we tell and the games we play.

Your Lips Are Moving But There's No Sound

by Jess Honovich

Cast Size
8
Genre
drama,
zoom

FULL LENGTH: In the center of Manhattan, a boutique luxury travel agency cripples under the weight of the pandemic sweeping around it. The staff of Barnard Travel take their weekly meetings online and, over 11 Zoom calls, do their best to balance flights, family, and failure. A play about communication and connection, or the lack-thereof.

This play is intended to be performed online.

FULL LENGTH: In the center of Manhattan, a boutique luxury travel agency cripples under the weight of the pandemic sweeping around it. The staff of Barnard Travel take their weekly meetings online and, over 11 Zoom calls, do their best to balance flights, family, and failure. A play about communication and connection, or the lack-thereof.

This play is intended to be performed online.

HIGH SCHOOL CAUCUS

by Jess Honovich

Cast Size
8
Genre
comedy,
political,
young audiences,
zoom

FULL LENGTH: To elect their new Student Council President, Wilmer High School students must vote for their candidate in the style of a Democratic Caucus.

FULL LENGTH: To elect their new Student Council President, Wilmer High School students must vote for their candidate in the style of a Democratic Caucus.

MOCK, or, LAST MINUTE MEETING OF THE OUR LADY OF THE SEVEN SORROWS ACADEMY TEXAS YOUTH AND GOVERNMENT MOCK TRIAL TEAM TODAY AT 2:45!! (EXTRA CREDIT OPPORTUNITY AND LOOKS GREAT ON RESUMES)

by Jess Honovich

3
Cast Size
5
Genre
comedy,
drama,
young audiences

ONE ACT: After every member of the Our Lady Of The Seven Sorrows Academy Mock Trial team drops out before their trial that weekend, the team captain races to prepare substitutes.

ONE ACT: After every member of the Our Lady Of The Seven Sorrows Academy Mock Trial team drops out before their trial that weekend, the team captain races to prepare substitutes.