Lindsay Kennedy

Lindsay Kennedy

Lindsay Kennedy is an award-winning, nationally produced playwright. Her full-length plays "Rattler" and "River Like Sin" were both named Semi-Finalists for the 2018 and 2019 O’Neill National Playwrights Conference, and her in-progress musical written with Rebecca Nisco "Like Cinders" was a semi-finalist for the O’Neill Musical Theatre Conference. "Her Own Devices"...
Lindsay Kennedy is an award-winning, nationally produced playwright. Her full-length plays "Rattler" and "River Like Sin" were both named Semi-Finalists for the 2018 and 2019 O’Neill National Playwrights Conference, and her in-progress musical written with Rebecca Nisco "Like Cinders" was a semi-finalist for the O’Neill Musical Theatre Conference. "Her Own Devices" received two awards from the Kennedy Center and the 2016 Judith Barlow Prize. Her plays have been produced and developed at Women's Project Theatre (NYC), Theatre Alliance (DC), The Kennedy Center Page-to-Stage Festival (DC), Keegan Theatre (DC), CLIMB Theatre (MN), Interrobang Theatre (MD), This is Water Theatre (TX), The Hub Theatre (VA), KC Public Theatre (MO), Fishtank Theater (MO), Rising Tide Productions (MO), The Pearl KC (MO), Westport Center for the Arts (MO), Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival (PA), and The One Minute Play Festival (DC), among many others. She has also been commissioned by CLIMB Theatre, Westridge Middle School, and Johnson County Arts and Heritage Center to write works for young audiences. In addition to her playwriting she works as a freelance dramaturg, director, and teaching artist. She received her MFA in Playwriting from the Catholic University of America and is a proud member of the Dramatists Guild.

Plays

  • Her Own Devices by Lindsay Kennedy
    Recommendations: 8
    ·
    Cast: 
    5–7
    ·
    Genre: comedy, drama + 4 more
    ·
    Keyword: auto-immune disorders, Medical ethics + 7 more
    Genre: comedy, drama, fantasy, movement/physical, political, science fiction
    Keyword: auto-immune disorders, Medical ethics, imaginary friend, Robots, dreams, disability, sexism, women in science, virus
    FULL-LENGTH: Madeleine has spent her entire life in a lab as a test subject. The scientists who watch her are no closer to finding a cure, and meanwhile every night the King of Germs visits her in her dreams and tries to touch her with his contaminating hand. She enlists the help of her imaginary friend the Robot to fight him off and soon must make a choice whether to leave the only home she's ever known.
  • River Like Sin by Lindsay Kennedy
    Recommendations: 3
    ·
    Cast: 
    9–20
    ·
    Genre: comedy, drama + 5 more
    ·
    Keyword: rural America, loss + 8 more
    Genre: comedy, drama, fable/folktale, movement/physical, period, tragedy, verse
    Keyword: rural America, loss, hymns, dance, faith, coming of age, feminism, community, folktale, Dust Bowl
    FULL-LENGTH: A dancing river is the last thing keeping this struggling farming community alive. Everything changes when young Wren Walker crosses the river on a dare, and discovers the town ghost is an elderly woman whose tears keep the river flowing. As Wren continues to visit, the woman stops weeping and the land begins to dry up. When the crops wither and dust fills their lungs, the townspeople question...
    FULL-LENGTH: A dancing river is the last thing keeping this struggling farming community alive. Everything changes when young Wren Walker crosses the river on a dare, and discovers the town ghost is an elderly woman whose tears keep the river flowing. As Wren continues to visit, the woman stops weeping and the land begins to dry up. When the crops wither and dust fills their lungs, the townspeople question their faith and grow angry, looking for something, or someone, to blame.
  • Viper by Lindsay Kennedy
    Recommendations: 5
    ·
    Cast: 
    5–8
    ·
    Genre: adaptation, drama + 6 more
    ·
    Keyword: puppets, motherhood + 6 more
    Genre: adaptation, drama, fable/folktale, fantasy, horror, movement/physical, period, tragedy
    Keyword: puppets, motherhood, magic, rape, postpartum depression, snakes, Mental Health, trauma
    FULL-LENGTH: In Victorian England, newlywed Lilly moves into a small country estate with her near-stranger husband. After a chance encounter with a snake in her garden, the equilibrium of her life is shattered as she grapples with a pregnancy she didn’t want. Is she the only one that can see the monster that follows her, or is she truly losing her mind?

    An exploration into the origins of the...
    FULL-LENGTH: In Victorian England, newlywed Lilly moves into a small country estate with her near-stranger husband. After a chance encounter with a snake in her garden, the equilibrium of her life is shattered as she grapples with a pregnancy she didn’t want. Is she the only one that can see the monster that follows her, or is she truly losing her mind?

    An exploration into the origins of the shadowy mythological persona of Lillith, Viper is inspired by the folklore and apocrypha surrounding the Creation story.
  • Dead Zone by Lindsay Kennedy
    Cast: 
    6–8
    ·
    Genre: comedy, dark comedy + 3 more
    ·
    Keyword: terrorism, environmental pollution + 8 more
    Genre: comedy, dark comedy, farce, political, satire
    Keyword: terrorism, environmental pollution, environmental activism, animals, fish, water pollution, political satire, absurdism, green, funny
    A dark comedy about humans, fish, and everything in between, Dead Zone explores water pollution and eco-terrorism and asks the important questions…What does it truly mean to coexist? How far are we willing to go to enact change? And the age-old question, what more can you do to make it clear to him you JUST AREN’T INTERESTED? The answer is nothing short of staging your own death. Dead Zone is a comically brutal...
    A dark comedy about humans, fish, and everything in between, Dead Zone explores water pollution and eco-terrorism and asks the important questions…What does it truly mean to coexist? How far are we willing to go to enact change? And the age-old question, what more can you do to make it clear to him you JUST AREN’T INTERESTED? The answer is nothing short of staging your own death. Dead Zone is a comically brutal play about how far we will go to protect those we love and the places we call home.
  • Rattler by Lindsay Kennedy
    Recommendations: 8
    ·
    Cast: 
    6
    ·
    Genre: dark comedy, drama + 1 more
    ·
    Keyword: sexual assault, small town + 5 more
    Genre: dark comedy, drama, mystery/thriller
    Keyword: sexual assault, small town, rape, rape culture, mother and son, Race, football
    FULL-LENGTH: After Jen's son Wyatt is accused of sexually assaulting his ex-girlfriend at a party, she is introduced to a support group for women whose relations have been accused of rape. With their encouragement, she decides she will stop at nothing to get to the truth of the matter and to get Wyatt's charges dropped.
  • Dead Zone - Ten Minute Play by Lindsay Kennedy
    Recommendations: 10
    ·
    Cast: 
    2
    ·
    Genre: comedy, dark comedy + 2 more
    ·
    Keyword: environment, pollution + 8 more
    Genre: comedy, dark comedy, drama, political
    Keyword: environment, pollution, family, absurdism, green, river, fish, funny, Touching, mother and child relationships
    TEN MINUTE PLAY: A catfish family faces the slow decline of their neighborhood into a Dead Zone due to pollution.

    Arthur Miller drama meets ecological absurdist comedy in this comically brutal ten-minute play.
  • Me and Mr. Tom by Lindsay Kennedy
    Recommendations: 1
    ·
    Cast: 
    4
    ·
    Genre: comedy, dark comedy + 3 more
    ·
    Keyword: art, Jewish + 7 more
    Genre: comedy, dark comedy, farce, period, satire
    Keyword: art, Jewish, Anti-Semitism, author, British, based on a true story, poetry, groucho marx, TS Eliot
    A stranger-than-fiction pen pal relationship between Groucho Marx and T.S. Eliot, leads to just one meeting between the two men and both of their much younger wives in 1964, the year before Eliot's death. Me and Mr. Tom dramatizes this real-life meeting, as these mismatched characters banter and fight their way through multiple courses, far too many drinks, and at least two cigars in a darkly comic...
    A stranger-than-fiction pen pal relationship between Groucho Marx and T.S. Eliot, leads to just one meeting between the two men and both of their much younger wives in 1964, the year before Eliot's death. Me and Mr. Tom dramatizes this real-life meeting, as these mismatched characters banter and fight their way through multiple courses, far too many drinks, and at least two cigars in a darkly comic exploration of art, persona, and prejudice.
  • Cottonmouth by Lindsay Kennedy
    Recommendations: 11
    ·
    Cast: 
    1–3
    ·
    Genre: docudrama/historic, drama + 7 more
    ·
    Keyword: mother, children + 2 more
    Genre: docudrama/historic, drama, experimental, fable/folktale, horror, immersive, mystery/thriller, period, tragedy
    Keyword: mother, children, murder, inspired by real life
    TEN MINUTE PLAY: The story of a mother’s curse unfolds from the perspective of her daughter, in this atmospheric Southern Gothic play. Through monologue, music, and puppetry, a bloody secret comes to light.

    Inspired by the story of Mary Ann Cotton and written for the 365 Women A Year Playwriting Project.
  • Skating by Lindsay Kennedy
    Recommendations: 3
    ·
    Cast: 
    5
    ·
    Genre: comedy, drama + 4 more
    ·
    Keyword: loss, children + 6 more
    Genre: comedy, drama, fantasy, immersive, movement/physical, young audiences
    Keyword: loss, children, moving, single parent, dance, magic, ice skating, intergenerational
    TYA ONE ACT: Ten year old Ellie struggles to adapt to her new surroundings after her mother moves them up to Michigan. When the grandfather she hasn’t seen in a year offers to teach her to ice skate, it is the last thing she wants to do. But with some help from a magical being called Lady Winter and the unending warmth and goofy jokes of her grandfather, she begins to enjoy their skating sessions. Their...
    TYA ONE ACT: Ten year old Ellie struggles to adapt to her new surroundings after her mother moves them up to Michigan. When the grandfather she hasn’t seen in a year offers to teach her to ice skate, it is the last thing she wants to do. But with some help from a magical being called Lady Winter and the unending warmth and goofy jokes of her grandfather, she begins to enjoy their skating sessions. Their sessions are forced to end after a heartbreaking loss, and Ellie has to learn how to skate on her own. Skating is a story of love, loss, and the magic of playing on ice.
  • Spots by Lindsay Kennedy
    Cast: 
    3
    ·
    Genre: comedy, farce + 3 more
    ·
    Keyword: creativity, zebras + 8 more
    Genre: comedy, farce, immersive, movement/physical, young audiences
    Keyword: creativity, zebras, puppets, physical comedy, Painting, accountability, responsibility, funny, dalmatians, art
    TYA ONE-ACT: Dash works in a special factory that paints the patterns on animals. His job is to paint the spots onto dogs and his friend Myrna paints the stripes onto zebras. He loves his job, but he wants to try painting other shapes too. He talks his friend Myrna into switching jobs one day, but realizes that painting stripes isn't as easy as he thought it would be. Madness and mayhem ensue across the...
    TYA ONE-ACT: Dash works in a special factory that paints the patterns on animals. His job is to paint the spots onto dogs and his friend Myrna paints the stripes onto zebras. He loves his job, but he wants to try painting other shapes too. He talks his friend Myrna into switching jobs one day, but realizes that painting stripes isn't as easy as he thought it would be. Madness and mayhem ensue across the factory, and Dash learns an important lesson about taking responsibility for his actions. This play is intended for Pre-K to 2nd grade students.

    Script in Process: contact playwright for a draft.
  • Women Wear White by Lindsay Kennedy
    Recommendations: 13
    ·
    Cast: 
    4
    ·
    Genre: comedy, dark comedy + 2 more
    ·
    Keyword: White Feminism, racism + 5 more
    Genre: comedy, dark comedy, political, satire
    Keyword: White Feminism, racism, Women's March, intersectional feminism, suffrage, Susan B. Anthony, votes for women
    TEN MINUTE PLAY: Four white women prepare for a march in DC, but through their planning the holes in their intersectionality and their unconscious racism emerges.
  • I am... by Lindsay Kennedy
    Recommendations: 4
    ·
    Cast: 
    10–20
    ·
    Genre: comedy, drama + 2 more
    ·
    Keyword: diversity, middle school + 6 more
    Genre: comedy, drama, political, young audiences
    Keyword: diversity, middle school, friendship, inclusion, immigration, microaggressions, racism, sports
    TYA ONE ACT: A diverse group of students struggle with defining themselves, fitting in, and finding people that understand them. Xiomara and Roger are immigrants from Honduras, Jake's father is in jail, Emily's dealing with her anxiety, and Shara is sick of Addy's racial microaggressions. They all have more than enough on their plate without also having to survive Middle School.

    ...
    TYA ONE ACT: A diverse group of students struggle with defining themselves, fitting in, and finding people that understand them. Xiomara and Roger are immigrants from Honduras, Jake's father is in jail, Emily's dealing with her anxiety, and Shara is sick of Addy's racial microaggressions. They all have more than enough on their plate without also having to survive Middle School.

    Commissioned by Westridge Middle School and based on the writings of real middle schoolers.
  • Our Man Harry by Lindsay Kennedy
    Cast: 
    14–35
    ·
    Genre: adventure, docudrama/historic + 5 more
    Genre: adventure, docudrama/historic, drama, movement/physical, musical, period, political
    A new musical with music by Rebecca Nisco, book and lyrics by Lindsay Adams.

    Determined to find her husband who is serving as a union medic during the Civil War, Harriet disguises herself as a man and enlists. Her journey takes her into unfamiliar territory, teaching her about sacrifice, family, and how little she knows about her own country. This musical explores the untold stories and...
    A new musical with music by Rebecca Nisco, book and lyrics by Lindsay Adams.

    Determined to find her husband who is serving as a union medic during the Civil War, Harriet disguises herself as a man and enlists. Her journey takes her into unfamiliar territory, teaching her about sacrifice, family, and how little she knows about her own country. This musical explores the untold stories and sacrifices of the women of the Civil War.
  • Flesh by Lindsay Kennedy
    Cast: 
    4
    ·
    Genre: dark comedy, drama + 3 more
    Genre: dark comedy, drama, fable/folktale, movement/physical, mystery/thriller
    A woman is killed and her husband and daughter grow further and further apart in their grief. An attempt to reach out to his daughter leads this father to a disturbing realization. A story of mistaken identity, loneliness, and lust, Flesh is a funny, twisted take on how we blur the lines and seek comfort on the Internet.

    Script in Process. Contact Author for more information.
  • In the Eyes of Men by Lindsay Kennedy
    Cast: 
    2
    ·
    Genre: drama, political
    ·
    Keyword: stop-loss, war + 6 more
    Genre: drama, political
    Keyword: stop-loss, war, marriage, separation, Gritty, soldiers, veterans, raw
    TEN MINUTE PLAY: A recently married couple reevaluate their relationship and decide on their future when one of them is forced to return to war.
  • For Beginners, or How Not to Kill a Plant by Lindsay Kennedy
    Cast: 
    4
    ·
    Genre: comedy, dark comedy + 3 more
    ·
    Keyword: marriage, Relationships + 7 more
    Genre: comedy, dark comedy, drama, experimental, romantic comedy
    Keyword: marriage, Relationships, millennials, infidelity, non-linear, humor, adult, growing up, friendship
    After a devastating betrayal, a young married couple try to pick up the pieces and discover how difficult it is to start again or keep a potted plant alive for more than a month. Their first meeting, their marriage, and the times between are woven together in this non-linear play.

    Contact Author for Script.
  • What We Carry by Lindsay Kennedy
    Recommendations: 1
    ·
    Cast: 
    2
    ·
    Genre: drama
    ·
    Keyword: adoption, teenage pregnancy + 5 more
    Genre: drama
    Keyword: adoption, teenage pregnancy, mother and daughter, motherhood, bittersweet, emotional, raw
    TEN MINUTE PLAY: A women is forced to relive a painful decision from her past when faced with an unexpected visitor.
  • Christmas on Strike by Lindsay Kennedy
    Recommendations: 1
    ·
    Cast: 
    1
    ·
    Genre: comedy, dark comedy + 4 more
    ·
    Keyword: christmas, holiday + 4 more
    Genre: comedy, dark comedy, farce, holiday, satire, zoom
    Keyword: christmas, holiday, Black comedy, spoof, worker rights, Santa
    Sparky the elf is determined to change the script this year and give Santa the Christmas surprise he deserves...an elven worker's strike.
  • Death Likes to Monologue: A Zoom Play by Lindsay Kennedy
    Cast: 
    1
    ·
    Genre: comedy, dark comedy + 1 more
    Genre: comedy, dark comedy, horror
    A Grim Reaper shares a little about the day-to-day of the job, revealing it may be a bit less glamourous than one might assume.
  • The Last Supper: A Zoom Play by Lindsay Kennedy
    Recommendations: 1
    ·
    Cast: 
    2
    ·
    Genre: comedy, dark comedy + 1 more
    ·
    Keyword: Quarantine, Covid-19 + 7 more
    Genre: comedy, dark comedy, drama
    Keyword: Quarantine, Covid-19, shelter-in-place, relationship drama, couples, intense, breakup, zoom, Video Chat
    A couple separated by quarantine shares their "last supper" of the random ingredients left in their apartments over Zoom, only for underlying tensions and a hunger for deeper connection to emerge.
  • Whisper Music by Lindsay Kennedy
    Recommendations: 2
    ·
    Cast: 
    2
    ·
    Genre: drama, fable/folktale + 2 more
    ·
    Keyword: folk music, appalachia + 5 more
    Genre: drama, fable/folktale, horror, mystery/thriller
    Keyword: folk music, appalachia, horror, thriller, instruments, tension, intense
    A ranger searching for a lost girl discovers more than they bargained for while interviewing an old woman who lives by herself and makes instruments. A tale of music and mayhem, Whisper Music will keep you on the edge of your seat.