Your Undecaying Flames by
Full-length: Two Indian-American siblings set off on a cross-country road trip to see their ailing mother, but the journey is complicated when one shows sign of possession by a demon from Hindu legend.
Maximillian Gill
Maximillian Gill
Maximillian Gill is a New York-based playwright who was born in India and received his master’s in creative writing in California. His work has been staged by a number of companies and festivals in the U.S., UK, Canada, and Australia. His plays include Stay Up and Keep Rolling (Premiere Stages semi-finalist), Blank Slate (Bay Area Playwrights Festival semi-finalist), and American Divide (Kitchen Dog finalist,...
Maximillian Gill is a New York-based playwright who was born in India and received his master’s in creative writing in California. His work has been staged by a number of companies and festivals in the U.S., UK, Canada, and Australia. His plays include Stay Up and Keep Rolling (Premiere Stages semi-finalist), Blank Slate (Bay Area Playwrights Festival semi-finalist), and American Divide (Kitchen Dog finalist, Creede Repertory finalist, Landing Theatre Company semi-finalist). A short film based on his monologue How Do You Fall out of Love With Country Music? recently showed at the Tasveer South Asian Film Festival.
Plays
Machines Eat People by Maximillian Gill
·Cast:5Genre: drama·Keyword: Indian-Americans, suicide + 3 moreGenre: dramaKeyword: Indian-Americans, suicide, new england, family drama, mixed-race couplesFull-length: Two couples on a getaway to a cabin in New England face the specters of the past and present after an Indian brother and sister receive an unexpected phone call.Stay Up and Keep Rolling by Maximillian Gill
Recommendations: 4··Cast:5–8Genre: drama·Keyword: Truckers, Supply Chain Woes + 2 moreGenre: dramaKeyword: Truckers, Supply Chain Woes, economic decline, SikhsFull-length: Three truckers from very different backgrounds struggle in a time of high gas prices and supply chain breakdowns.Blank Slate by Maximillian Gill
Recommendations: 3··Cast:6Genre: drama, experimental + 1 more·Keyword: Civil War, White nationalism + 5 moreGenre: drama, experimental, politicalKeyword: Civil War, White nationalism, white supremacism, Immigrants, uprising, January 6, insurrectionFull-length: After a white nationalist uprising is suppressed, immigrants are hired to reform the perpetrators with the use of a mind-altering device that may do more harm than good.Future War by Maximillian Gill
Recommendations: 2··Cast:3Genre: comedy, romantic comedy·Keyword: dating, dating appsGenre: comedy, romantic comedyKeyword: dating, dating apps10 minutes: Emily has a special dating app that tells her more than anybody should know about a prospective match.Spittles by Maximillian Gill
·Cast:4Genre: comedy·Keyword: Country and Western Music, heavy metal + 1 moreGenre: comedyKeyword: Country and Western Music, heavy metal, MaineFull-length: A country singer faces her worst nightmare when the venue for her breakout performance becomes a heavy metal club overnight.Civics by Maximillian Gill
Recommendations: 3··Cast:2Genre: dark comedy·Keyword: citizenship, Indian-Americans + 2 moreGenre: dark comedyKeyword: citizenship, Indian-Americans, racism, microaggressions10 minutes: A routine citizenship test turns deeply intrusive.Hard Soil by Maximillian Gill
Recommendations: 2··Cast:5Genre: adaptation, comedy + 1 more·Keyword: Winery, Dionysus + 5 moreGenre: adaptation, comedy, fantasyKeyword: Winery, Dionysus, Bacchae, Euripides, Greek tragedy, bipoc, LGBTQIA+Full-length: The first BIPOC-woman-owned winery in the state is failing. When a conservative politician tries to shut it down for good, the owners call on Dionysus, the god of wine.Things Stalin Never Said by Maximillian Gill
Recommendations: 3··Cast:3Genre: comedy·Keyword: empathy, sci-fiGenre: comedyKeyword: empathy, sci-fi15 minutes: Parker suddenly feels a depletion of empathy and visits a specialist for help.How Do You Fall Out Of Love With Country Music? by Maximillian Gill
Recommendations: 8··Cast:1Genre: drama, political·Keyword: Country and Western Music, Honky tonk + 2 moreGenre: drama, politicalKeyword: Country and Western Music, Honky tonk, Indian (South Asian) women, racism10-minute monologue: Amy Singh just wants to sign country and western on stage, but it's not easy for an Indian-American in the deep south.Flame White by Maximillian Gill
Recommendations: 1··Cast:3Genre: drama·Keyword: India, Indian-American + 2 moreGenre: dramaKeyword: India, Indian-American, features LGBTQ characters, suicide45 minutes: An Indian-American student returns from his father's funeral to find the women he is renting a room from in the middle of relationship troubles.Stockholm Reunion by Maximillian Gill
Recommendations: 8··Cast:5Genre: dark comedy, drama + 1 more·Keyword: Stockholm syndrome, immigration + 5 moreGenre: dark comedy, drama, politicalKeyword: Stockholm syndrome, immigration, White nationalism, white supremacism, alt-right, hostage crisis, domestic terrorismFull-length: A year after a hostage crisis perpetrated by white nationalists, captors and captives meet for a reunion. It gets real.Fresh Paint by Maximillian Gill
Recommendations: 7··Cast:1Genre: drama·Keyword: Indian, Immigrants + 5 moreGenre: dramaKeyword: Indian, Immigrants, Sikhs, Hate Crimes, 9/11, monologue, BIPOC voicesShort monologue: A young Indian-American woman tries to deal with her father's response to hate crimes in the wake of the 9/11 attacks.All the Rooms and Corners of a Quiet City by Maximillian Gill
Recommendations: 1··Cast:2Genre: comedy, drama + 1 more·Keyword: COVID, coronavirus + 3 moreGenre: comedy, drama, zoomKeyword: COVID, coronavirus, pandemic, Quarantine, divorce30-minute Zoom serial: Marion and Dennis find their plans for a divorce derailed by Covid as they end up stuck together during the worst of the pandemic in New York.Pirate Queen of the Hudson, a High Seas Adventure Yarn Set on a River of Medium Width by Maximillian Gill
Recommendations: 7··Cast:7Genre: adventure, dark comedy + 4 more·Keyword: climate change, global warming + 4 moreGenre: adventure, dark comedy, drama, fantasy, political, science fictionKeyword: climate change, global warming, dystopian future, immigration, refugee crisis, piratesFull-length: In a future ravaged by climate change, some flee the burning equatorial regions for more hospitable climes while others decide that piracy is a viable career path. Kali, a pirate queen with a fierce reputation, leads her fleet on raids along the Hudson River in New York, but she faces a formidable challenge when one of her rivals arrives to oppose her primacy on the river.American Divide by Maximillian Gill
Recommendations: 10··Cast:4Genre: drama, political·Keyword: immigration, border + 2 moreGenre: drama, politicalKeyword: immigration, border, refugee, DystopiaFull-length: Ten years from now, the east and west coasts of the United States break off and form their own republics after a fascist, anti-immigrant government takes over the United States. A California police officer, a Nevada border control officer, a smuggler, and a desperate refugee meet in a bar in Las Vegas near the border between the present U.S. and a new nation. They want money, justice, or escape,...Full-length: Ten years from now, the east and west coasts of the United States break off and form their own republics after a fascist, anti-immigrant government takes over the United States. A California police officer, a Nevada border control officer, a smuggler, and a desperate refugee meet in a bar in Las Vegas near the border between the present U.S. and a new nation. They want money, justice, or escape, but mostly they just want to survive in a world falling apart around them.The Mimosa War by Maximillian Gill
Recommendations: 8··Cast:4Genre: comedy, dark comedy + 3 more·Keyword: resistance, a political satire + 1 moreGenre: comedy, dark comedy, drama, political, satireKeyword: resistance, a political satire, Civil WarFull-length: Two Manhattan couples find their brunch plans derailed when martial law is declared and the national guard occupies the city. As the months pass, a resistance movement splinters into a civil war among rival factions. An absurdist dark comedy that explores the lengths people will go to just to hold onto a piece of Manhattan real estate.Corrector by Maximillian Gill
Recommendations: 5··Cast:2Genre: drama, fable/folktale + 2 more·Keyword: refugee, Immigrants + 2 moreGenre: drama, fable/folktale, political, science fictionKeyword: refugee, Immigrants, assimilation, Border issues20 minutes: A refugee desperate to find shelter in a new country meets a “corrector” who is able to help, but the cost of refuge may be too much to bear.And Shahrazad Broke Off . . . by Maximillian Gill
Recommendations: 3··Cast:2Genre: drama·Keyword: Thousand and One Nights, Syria + 3 moreGenre: dramaKeyword: Thousand and One Nights, Syria, Syrian Civil War, war, refugees10 minutes: A young woman trapped with her brother-in-law in a city under siege tries to distract both of them from reality with tales from the Thousand and One Nights.Cold Dead Heart by Maximillian Gill
Recommendations: 20··Cast:2Genre: dark comedy, drama + 1 more·Keyword: vampire, immortality + 1 moreGenre: dark comedy, drama, fantasyKeyword: vampire, immortality, romance15 minutes: A vampire and a mortal in a long-term relationship discover that love between the living and the undead can be tough to manage.
Top Shelf Tolstoy by Maximillian Gill
Recommendations: 31··Cast:3Genre: comedy·Keyword: library, Anna Karenina + 2 moreGenre: comedyKeyword: library, Anna Karenina, Tolstoy, Cocktail Bar10 minutes: A new arrival in a small town finds her quest to check out a copy of a Tolstoy novel thwarted when she discovers that the library has resorted to drastic means to raise funds.Stick by Maximillian Gill
Recommendations: 15··Cast:2Genre: comedy·Keyword: bad boss, corporate cultureGenre: comedyKeyword: bad boss, corporate culture10 minutes: An employee tells his boss to take the stick out of his you-know-what, but he is woefully unprepared for the consequences.Bottle Episode by Maximillian Gill
Recommendations: 25··Cast:3–6Genre: comedy, experimental·Keyword: bottleGenre: comedy, experimentalKeyword: bottle10 minutes: A bottle faces an existential crisis after being discarded by the side of the road.The Trouble with Mustard Greens by Maximillian Gill
Recommendations: 13··Cast:1Genre: drama·Keyword: monologue, Indian immigrants + 1 moreGenre: dramaKeyword: monologue, Indian immigrants, mother daughter relationshipMonologue (based on full-length The Bitter and the Sweet): A young woman reconciles with her mother and her South Asian heritage through her connection with a family recipe.Pale Revelry by Maximillian Gill
Recommendations: 9··Cast:4Genre: comedy, dark comedy + 1 more·Keyword: plague, death + 1 moreGenre: comedy, dark comedy, fantasyKeyword: plague, death, pandemicOne-act: When a plague starts wiping out the population of New York City, three party people decide they’re going to dance until the end, but a visit from the Angel of Death spoils their plans.Flirt with Fury by Maximillian Gill
Recommendations: 3··Cast:5Genre: comedy, drama·Keyword: Riot Grrrl, punk rock women band + 1 moreGenre: comedy, dramaKeyword: Riot Grrrl, punk rock women band, Lower East SideFull-length: Fifteen years after Dana’s punk band dissolved, she puts together a reunion show to try for one last shot at fame, but a series of mishaps that could only befall a rock and roll band result in a disastrous set. When a former bandmate shows up, old rivalries flare up and force Dana to decide what music really means to her.Stars and Crescent by Maximillian Gill
Recommendations: 4··Cast:4Genre: drama, political·Keyword: Alternate history, Muslim Americans + 1 moreGenre: drama, politicalKeyword: Alternate history, Muslim Americans, speculative fictionFull-length: In an alternative reality where Middle Eastern culture colonized Europe and dominates the world, two Muslim parents have to face their prejudices when their daughter brings home a Christian boyfriend.The Bitter and the Sweet by Maximillian Gill
Recommendations: 3··Cast:5Genre: drama·Keyword: Punjabi, family + 1 moreGenre: dramaKeyword: Punjabi, family, ImmigrantsFull-length: A young Indian-American woman tries to cope with her family’s expectations while trying to find her own identity. A tale of uncomfortable family secrets and an immigrant’s struggles for assimilation suffused with a love of Indian cooking.Road Movies and Why We Hate Them by Maximillian Gill
Recommendations: 7··Cast:7–8Genre: adventure, comedy + 2 more·Keyword: hacking, Hollywood + 2 moreGenre: adventure, comedy, farce, satireKeyword: hacking, Hollywood, spy, road moviesFull-length: A young scriptwriter is kidnapped by a commando team from a minor nation whose dictator she mocked in her movie. She and her captors are pursued by her boss and an intelligence agent on a rescue mission. Yet everyone soon realizes that geopolitical intrigue is nothing compared to the ruthlessness of the movie business.Bollywood Ending with Minor Destruction by Maximillian Gill
Recommendations: 3··Cast:5Genre: comedy, experimental + 2 more·Keyword: bollywood, Hindu mythology + 1 moreGenre: comedy, experimental, fantasy, romantic comedyKeyword: bollywood, Hindu mythology, Indian immigrants45 minutes: A young Indian-American woman makes a meaningful change in her relationships with her family and her boyfriend with the inspiration of a totemic Hindu goddess.Walima by Maximillian Gill
Recommendations: 2··Cast:5Genre: comedy, dark comedy + 3 more·Keyword: Syria, Civil War + 2 moreGenre: comedy, dark comedy, drama, political, tragedyKeyword: Syria, Civil War, Arab Spring, wedding30 minutes: In the days before the complete collapse of Syria into a brutal civil war, two families have gathered together for a walima (wedding reception). One is connected to the Assad regime, the other attempting to benefit from the connection. As the bride's mother frets over the disappearance of her son due to dissident activities, the web of fragile loyalties unravels into betrayals and a harbinger...30 minutes: In the days before the complete collapse of Syria into a brutal civil war, two families have gathered together for a walima (wedding reception). One is connected to the Assad regime, the other attempting to benefit from the connection. As the bride's mother frets over the disappearance of her son due to dissident activities, the web of fragile loyalties unravels into betrayals and a harbinger of the madness that will soon tear the country apart.Demon Eyes by Maximillian Gill
Recommendations: 3··Cast:5–9Genre: adventure, comedy + 5 more·Keyword: demons, angels + 4 moreGenre: adventure, comedy, dark comedy, drama, fable/folktale, fantasy, tragedyKeyword: demons, angels, Coriolanus, Shakespeare, immigration, mythologyFull-length: One daughter is an orphaned demon, the other half-angel. Mom's a fallen angel, while dad's just a hapless mortal. But only when the demon daughter goes looking for her origin does this family get really dysfunctional. A riff on the Coriolanus story and a fable about trying to find out where you really belong. And yes, the title is a pun.Glory Obscured by Maximillian Gill
Recommendations: 7··Cast:2Genre: drama, fantasyGenre: drama, fantasy15 Minutes: A fallen angel walks into a bar run by a demon. Originally written for the Quarantine Bake-Off series.