Cassandra Rose

Secularly-raised Julie doesn't know how many good days she has left. That's why she's brought her three best friends to this abandoned church in Chicago. They all left their faiths for various reasons, so who better for Julie to ask about god? These four friends spend the day putting their own queer, feminist, and atheistic spins on Judeo-Christian mythology's most famous (and infamous) characters. The Amen Trilogy is a seven-hour epic with a picnic. Originally commissioned by Chicago Dramatists as part of their Tutterow Fellowship. A Semi-Finalist in Unicorn Theatre's 2020 In-Progress New Play Reading Series

FKA At His Best. The morning of her wedding, a woman wakes up next to a man who asks her, "Are you still going to marry him?" Twentysomething years later, another girl, also getting ready for her wedding at the end of the week, opens the door to a man that says, "I used to know your mother." Two times are connected by one man's secrets. And the ghost of the house is not happy about his return.

Oliver "Billy" Sipple saved President Ford's life in San Francisco on September 22nd, 1975. Two days later, Harvey Milk outed him as gay to the entire world. A diverse ensemble of folks visiting the GLBT Historical Society in modern-day San Francisco become Billy's friends and reclaim history. Billy to His Friends was developed through Broken Nose Theatre’s new play development program, The Paper Trail.

Siblings Izzy Edelmar and Paul Sterling live in a family steeped in history. Even Izzy's ten-year-old son, Derek, can see the correlation between how Izzy and Paul look at each other and what befell the last of King Priam's children. Izzy's husband might not have as keen an eye as Derek, but he knows enough to want teenaged Paul gone. In this modern take on the Greek tragedy, Izzy must confront her past or be doomed to repeat it

Dora's mistress has returned to the country estate just in time for the solar eclipse. Yet Christine's intentions are much darker than the changing sky. Christine wishes Dora to use her powers as the witch daughter of the estate to give her a child. But what is given shall never be returned.

A young woman with the innate ability to channel lightning escapes her restrictive life on the ground by joining a scientific expedition into the unexplored skies above. Currently seeking support to develop the full-length version

In March 1981, Roger Fisher published an article detailing a new, more personal form of nuclear deterrence: The nuclear launch codes would be surgically placed behind a volunteer's beating heart. The President would have to kill one person before killing millions. With the help of one driven woman, Fisher's thought experiment becomes a modern reality. Winner of Stage Left Theatre's Downstage Left Residency. A Finalist for Unicorn Theatre's 2019 In-Progress New Play Reading Series.

A series of Chicagoans seek and find moments of genuine connection in the same dive bar. The Scripted Digital Series winner of 2022 Austin Film Fest

FKA Persona, part of The Dictionary Project, Volume II. A woman goes on a date with another woman for the first time in her life, despite the fact she's not quite sure who she is yet.

FKA Caligula, part of The Dictionary Project. Late at night, all alone, a handsome stranger approaches a very drunk Kira. He's got a simple question for her: In this kill or be killed world, which would you rather be?

FKA Apartment House, part of The Dictionary Project, Volume II. In this send-up to Anton Chekhov, a couple tries to work out whether or not they, in fact, just went on a date.

FKA Wake. A man's wife has been in a coma for months with no signs of improvement. The doctors want him to make a decision. So he goes to a bar.

Stevie calls on Audrey to help them pick out a dress to wear in public for the first time. But when the president bans trans people from serving in the military, Stevie will have to decide whether or not now is the best time to dress up and step out. Written for Headline Theatre's 24 hour play festival.

Frankie's gallery opening is going fantastic. So why is she hiding and smoking in the alley? Frankie and Ridley come to blows about what it means to be a successful artist.

Originally part of The Dictionary Project, Volume V. Hey kids! Did somebody say that Robert E. Lee isn't that racist? Then do I have a song for you!

Three best friends get together to celebrate Cora's 30th birthday, before it's too late. Written for Nothing Without A Company's 24 hour play festival.

Originally part of The Dictionary Project, Volume II. In this homage to Sarah Kane, a girl is trapped in a hotel room with her owner, a nasty bout of bacterial meningitis, and a toothbrush.

Originally VOYEUR, part of The Dictionary Project, Volume II. Gerald is an avid butterfly collector. So when he brings monarch butterfly Marco a queen in the form of Louise, Marco can't help but be smitten.

Originally part of The Dictionary Project, Volume III. A boat trip up the coast of California in the 1850s makes Tucker Monroe realize there's no such thing as a clean start.

Originally part of The Dictionary Project, Volume V. A knight and a princess navigate their way through their one and only shot at honesty

Originally part of The Dictionary Project, Volume I. A woman slaves late into the night to make baked goods for something that keeps calling her Mommy.

"The world is full of cruel and bitter things." -J. Robert Oppenheimer

A familiar face walks through the door of James Garrison, P.I.; pretty, smart, and deadly. He spends the rest of his night hunting down a missing physicist. If he succeeds, it could mean the end of the war. Or the end of the world.

Two ballet dancers are put through their paces as their strict dance teacher watches over them. This doesn't stop their minds from wandering. An adaptation of the Degas painting of the same name

Originally CURRENT, part of The Dictionary Project, Volume I. As commissioned by Dirk and Guido: The Swordsmen!, the duo recap the adventures that Guido had while he was away from the Bristol Renaissance Faire

Originally part of The Dictionary Project, Volume IV. Miss Chloe is all a-tizzy over her most recent letter from Mr. Cameron Stillwater. Perhaps a little roleplaying with her servant Elizabeth will help sort things out.

17th of July, 1986. Freddie Mercury is on the tail end of his last tour with Queen. Duncan, a kid who's only 17, has somehow ended up in Freddie's backstage dressing room with a tape recorder. This fictional interview explores who can and can't come out as gay, and why.

Originally ANGER, part of The Dictionary Project, Volume IV. The new game show Let's Find Out! endeavors to discover if its contestants have the know-how to succeed. When two of their contestants feel pretty confident about their chances in surviving a nuclear holocaust, their host puts them to the test. Also available as a radio play

A couple decides to have a child. But when they learn that their child to be has a serious genetic disorder, a new decision has to be made.

Every morning, Alex wakes up in a different person’s body. And every night, someone is finding her and killing her. Dr. Margrave might be the only one who can save her. Previously a ten-minute play commissioned for Bechdel Fest 5 with Broken Nose Theatre

Originally part of The Dictionary Project, Volume I. When a band of military messengers disgrace Hermes, the God of Messengers, they are cursed. One by one the messengers leave with terrible news, never to return. It is up Gyles to set things right again.

Originally part of The Dictionary Project, Volume I. After Lord Thornton Grishenwald and Lady Eloise Bucksley attend a fancy masquerade party, they must deal with the heartache of their new acquaintance Sir Reginald Drake III.

Late at night, Emma calls her sister to try and explain why she had to run away from home.

Originally part of The Dictionary Project, Volume III. Three academically gifted high school graduates become hopelessly entangled in a sex scandal

In the middle of the night, a high school teacher comes face-to-face with his desire to sleep with one of his students.

Originally AUTHORIZATION, part of The Dictionary Project, Volume V. David gets a call from a suicide prevention helpline. One that's authorized to make outgoing calls, when necessary. Also available as a radio play

When 15-year-old Gracie shows up out of the blue at her dairy farm, 50-something Halle will have to reconnect with the family that disowned her 8 years ago. A 2022 finalist for the West Side Showroom's Rockford New Words

Originally part of The Dictionary Project, Volume I. Something has cracked in Ronald Reagan. His entire world is now as colorful as the movies he used to make. Unfortunately for Reagan, that color is starting to bleed.

Originally part of The Dictionary Project, Volume III. When Colonel Davenport falls over dead, only Detective Graveling can determine who the killer is.

Gail can't leave the dead alone. Which is how she's ended up with an internship in the taxidermy department of the local museum. But soon she discovers that the dead aren't willing to leave her alone either. A radio play

From the inside out. In an interrogation room, Reece has just had the shit kicked out of her. Her interrogator, Officer Ian Morovic, waits patiently until his boss is done with Reece's boss on the other side of the wall. In this tragic drama, two pieces in someone else's chess game connect in unexpected ways.

Originally part of The Dictionary Project, Volume IV. Two Irish missionaries are trying and failing to build a church in Scotland. One of them proposes a grisly solution.

Originally BARGE, part of The Dictionary Project, Volume III. Astronaut Jackie Purdue grapples with timesickness when her crew's mission goes sideways. Also available as a radio play

Funding has been cut, and America's real-life tradition of reenacting Washington crossing the Delaware on Christmas eve has been canceled. But one family's George Washington refuses to let the past die.