Jeremy J. King

Jeremy is a writer (and sometimes performer) with a passion for speculative fiction and adaptation. As a novelist, Jeremy authored Immortal Testimonies, a young adult horror fantasy for Bold Strokes Books. At the time of its release in 2012, the series was among the first to feature queer protagonists and was listed in Advocate’s “Top 10 Books for Young LGBT Folks and Anyone Who Wants to Understand Them,” recommended by the American Library Association’s GLBT Round Table, and nominated for the Rainbow Award in fantasy. His dramatic work includes the adaptations of several notable works ranging from a musical of David B. Feinberg’s Eighty-Sixed (which received its World Premiere in 2022 at Diversionary Theater) to a queer investigation of Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby to a contemporary...

Jeremy is a writer (and sometimes performer) with a passion for speculative fiction and adaptation. As a novelist, Jeremy authored Immortal Testimonies, a young adult horror fantasy for Bold Strokes Books. At the time of its release in 2012, the series was among the first to feature queer protagonists and was listed in Advocate’s “Top 10 Books for Young LGBT Folks and Anyone Who Wants to Understand Them,” recommended by the American Library Association’s GLBT Round Table, and nominated for the Rainbow Award in fantasy. His dramatic work includes the adaptations of several notable works ranging from a musical of David B. Feinberg’s Eighty-Sixed (which received its World Premiere in 2022 at Diversionary Theater) to a queer investigation of Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby to a contemporary exploration of Stoker’s Dracula to a reimagining of journals from a sixteenth-century crossing to the New World. Jeremy toes the line between literal and emotional adaptations of his favorite works and explores their queer characters or themes through magic realism, fantasy, and horror. He believes that genre is an excellent tool for making difficult themes and ideas accessible, especially to audiences who might otherwise not engage with them. Jeremy is a 2018 Dramatist Guild Foundation Fellow, Affiliated Artist with Musical Theatre Factory, and a 2018 Resident at SPACE on Ryder Farm.

Scripts

Eighty-Sixed

by Jeremy J. King

1

Cast Size

12

Genre

adaptation,

dark comedy,

drama,

musical,

period

It's 1986 and BJ Rosenthal swears that everything is fine. He's living his best life in New York City and he knows absolutely no one with AIDS—perhaps because he's keeping the entire gay community at arm's length. But when a chance encounter with an ex-lover brings him face to face with the epidemic, BJ realizes he can only run so far. Memories of men from bygone days are everywhere, and he can no longer ignore...

It's 1986 and BJ Rosenthal swears that everything is fine. He's living his best life in New York City and he knows absolutely no one with AIDS—perhaps because he's keeping the entire gay community at arm's length. But when a chance encounter with an ex-lover brings him face to face with the epidemic, BJ realizes he can only run so far. Memories of men from bygone days are everywhere, and he can no longer ignore the sealed jar of phone numbers beneath his bed. Can he learn how to face his fears and reconnect before he loses his friends, his happiness, and his mind? Inspired by David B. Feinberg's best-selling novel, EIGHTY-SIXED is a new musical about a man confronting his past before his present disappears.

Book by Jeremy J. King
Music & Lyrics by Sam Salmond

The Pentad Or Five Beastly Sodomitical Boys

by Jeremy J. King

2

Cast Size

7

Genre

dark comedy,

drama,

fable/folktale,

fantasy,

horror,

immersive,

period

In May, 1629, the ship Talbot set sail for the New World with a hundred farming families, thirty marines, six goats, nineteen cannons, and...”five beastly sodomitical boys.” Upon their discovery, the Puritans deemed the boys’ acts so foul they were sent back to England for prosecution. But there are no records of their return. THE PENTAD imagines how these boys met, fought against Puritanical ideas, and left...

In May, 1629, the ship Talbot set sail for the New World with a hundred farming families, thirty marines, six goats, nineteen cannons, and...”five beastly sodomitical boys.” Upon their discovery, the Puritans deemed the boys’ acts so foul they were sent back to England for prosecution. But there are no records of their return. THE PENTAD imagines how these boys met, fought against Puritanical ideas, and left their mark on history.

A Ritualistic Reading Inspired By True Events

Sum of My Blood

by Jeremy J. King

2

Cast Size

3

Genre

adaptation,

dark comedy,

fantasy,

horror

Thomas Travers is a junior account executive at a luxury real estate firm, and he’s been offered the chance of a lifetime: to sell the architectural masterpiece, “Poehler House.” But this won’t be easy, as Thomas has to deal with the home’s mysterious and boisterous owner, Nicky Rubiano. When a freak accident strands Thomas at the house for longer than anticipated, the two men must engage in ways that people...

Thomas Travers is a junior account executive at a luxury real estate firm, and he’s been offered the chance of a lifetime: to sell the architectural masterpiece, “Poehler House.” But this won’t be easy, as Thomas has to deal with the home’s mysterious and boisterous owner, Nicky Rubiano. When a freak accident strands Thomas at the house for longer than anticipated, the two men must engage in ways that people from their two generations rarely do. Inspired by the Dracula mythos, SUM OF MY BLOOD explores the divide between gay men of different ages, and the monsters they make of one another.

Small Parties, Or the Unreliable Nick Carraway

by Jeremy J. King

Cast Size

6

Genre

adaptation,

comedy,

drama

The Great Gatsby has long been the subject of contemplation, criticism, and debate. What’s it about? Whose story is it? Is its narrator reliable? While the novel is most remembered for its large, lavish celebrations, SMALL PARTIES dramatizes its more intimate gatherings to examine themes that are both explicit and suggested, as well as explore the inspiration, intent, and interpretation of possibly queer work in...

The Great Gatsby has long been the subject of contemplation, criticism, and debate. What’s it about? Whose story is it? Is its narrator reliable? While the novel is most remembered for its large, lavish celebrations, SMALL PARTIES dramatizes its more intimate gatherings to examine themes that are both explicit and suggested, as well as explore the inspiration, intent, and interpretation of possibly queer work in the early twentieth century.

Son of Mourning

by Jeremy J. King

3

Cast Size

5

Genre

dark comedy,

drama,

fantasy,

horror,

political

The city is no longer habitable and Christopher isn’t adjusting to his new life in a small town. With the suffocating conservatism, threats from neighbors, and his boyfriend’s recent death, Christopher doesn’t feel safe or sane. It’s up to his twin sister, Becca, to keep her brother from unraveling by throwing an impromptu dinner party. But this get-together couldn’t happen at a worse time, for Christopher has...

The city is no longer habitable and Christopher isn’t adjusting to his new life in a small town. With the suffocating conservatism, threats from neighbors, and his boyfriend’s recent death, Christopher doesn’t feel safe or sane. It’s up to his twin sister, Becca, to keep her brother from unraveling by throwing an impromptu dinner party. But this get-together couldn’t happen at a worse time, for Christopher has just taken matters into his own hands by turning to some…seriously dark forces to help him find solace. As their home is plagued by mysterious visits, everyone must confront what really scares them—one another. Son of Mourning explores the horrors that lurk in the dark and inside us.