The 8th Swing by
An actor has called out last minute. It is up to a random audience member to save the day...hopefully...
|2-minute play|
|2-minute play|
David Lipschutz
David Lipschutz
David Lipschutz (he/him) is a company member of Hell in a Handbag Productions and an associate member of the Dramatists Guild. With Handbag, he wrote the Jeff Recommended THE GOLDEN GIRLS: THE LOST EPISODES, VOL. 3 (co-written with Artistic Director David Cerda) and had a reading of his first full length musical, FRIGAY THE 13TH! THE MUSICAL.
David has written works performed throughout the...
David has written works performed throughout the...
David Lipschutz (he/him) is a company member of Hell in a Handbag Productions and an associate member of the Dramatists Guild. With Handbag, he wrote the Jeff Recommended THE GOLDEN GIRLS: THE LOST EPISODES, VOL. 3 (co-written with Artistic Director David Cerda) and had a reading of his first full length musical, FRIGAY THE 13TH! THE MUSICAL.
David has written works performed throughout the United States, Canada, England and Australia. He is a 2023 TANYS Award Recipient for Excellence in Playwriting for G'OY VEY! with Spoonie Theater, and he was the Judge's Choice for Best Play for THE SHOMER with The San Diego Center for Jewish Culture. Other plays include PETE & PETRIA'S PETRIFYING PODCAST (co-written with Dana Hall) with Gather by the Ghostlight; PERSEVERANCE and PERFORMANCE ANXIETY [OR, ON BEING LATE TO A VIRTUAL WORK CALL] with Left Edge Theatre; HYDRATION with Theatre West; and AHAVAH (co-written with Dana Hall) which has been performed with over a dozen theatres around the world.
Several of his plays have been published, including with Smith & Kraus, where HYDRATION and AHAVAH are featured in The Best Ten-Minute Plays 2022 and 2023, respectively, and THE SHOMER in the The Best Men's Monologues 2023.
David has written works performed throughout the United States, Canada, England and Australia. He is a 2023 TANYS Award Recipient for Excellence in Playwriting for G'OY VEY! with Spoonie Theater, and he was the Judge's Choice for Best Play for THE SHOMER with The San Diego Center for Jewish Culture. Other plays include PETE & PETRIA'S PETRIFYING PODCAST (co-written with Dana Hall) with Gather by the Ghostlight; PERSEVERANCE and PERFORMANCE ANXIETY [OR, ON BEING LATE TO A VIRTUAL WORK CALL] with Left Edge Theatre; HYDRATION with Theatre West; and AHAVAH (co-written with Dana Hall) which has been performed with over a dozen theatres around the world.
Several of his plays have been published, including with Smith & Kraus, where HYDRATION and AHAVAH are featured in The Best Ten-Minute Plays 2022 and 2023, respectively, and THE SHOMER in the The Best Men's Monologues 2023.
Plays
Ahavah by David Lipschutz
Recommendations: 6··Cast:2Genre: comedy, dark comedy + 4 more·Keyword: Jewish, Sitting shiva + 4 moreGenre: comedy, dark comedy, drama, melodrama, radio drama, zoomKeyword: Jewish, Sitting shiva, death and grief, self esteem, Interfaith relationships, acceptanceCo-Written with Dana Hall. After his Bubbie’s death, Saul returns home to his family after a long absence to sit Shiva. Alice, Saul’s girlfriend joins him. Saul tries to portray the perfect version of what he thinks his family wants. However, a message from the beyond leads both Saul and Alice to some meaningful realizations.
|10-minute play|The All-New Dating Game! Video Game Edition by David Lipschutz
Recommendations: 4··Cast:5–6Genre: comedy, parody/spoof + 2 more·Keyword: nintendo, Game Show + 7 moreGenre: comedy, parody/spoof, period, satireKeyword: nintendo, Game Show, The Dating Game, 1980s, video games, Super Mario Bros., donkey kong, Legend of Zelda, Ten-Minute PlayIt's everyone's favorite 1980's game show, "The All-New Dating Game!", but with a twist. On this particular episode, three familiar video game characters vie for the heart of one very special princess. Who will win? Tune in and find out!
|10-minute play|The Berenstain Bearadox by David Lipschutz
Recommendations: 14··Cast:1Genre: comedy, dark comedy + 2 more·Keyword: The Berenstain Bears, The Berenstein Bears + 5 moreGenre: comedy, dark comedy, horror, zoomKeyword: The Berenstain Bears, The Berenstein Bears, Existential Crisis, bedtime stories, monologue, audition monologue, zoomA father has an existential crisis after reading his child a bedtime story.
|2-minute monologue|
NOTE: Zoom/virtual and 1-minute adaptations are also available upon request.Birthright by David Lipschutz
Recommendations: 9··Cast:4–7Genre: fable/folktale, horror + 2 more·Keyword: Jewish, vampire + 6 moreGenre: fable/folktale, horror, mystery/thriller, radio dramaKeyword: Jewish, vampire, horror, family, bat mitzvah, rabbi, radio play, audio dramaAs her daughter's Bat Mitzvah date draws near, a mother finds herself in a struggle against a vampire of Jewish folklore.
|10-minute radio play|The [C]Han[n]uk[k]a[h] Play by David Lipschutz
Recommendations: 12··Cast:5Genre: comedy, dark comedy + 1 more·Keyword: Channukkah, Chanukah + 7 moreGenre: comedy, dark comedy, holidayKeyword: Channukkah, Chanukah, Chanuka, Hannukkah, Hannukah, Hanuka, Jewish, Holidays, familyWhen Rae brings their new partner home to meet the family for the first time during the Jewish holiday of Channukkah (also spelled Hanukkah, Hannuka, etc.), things don’t go exactly as planned.
|10-minute play|A Date With Dagon by David Lipschutz
Recommendations: 3··Cast:3Genre: comedy, dark comedy + 5 more·Keyword: Dagon, lovecraft + 3 moreGenre: comedy, dark comedy, fable/folktale, fantasy, holiday, horror, science fictionKeyword: Dagon, lovecraft, horror comedy, first date, holidayCo-Written with Dana Hall. Immortal fish-god Dagon emerges from the deepest, darkest depths of the Pacific Ocean for holiday (a/k/a humanity’s destruction). However, before celebrating the holiday (a/k/a destroying humanity), Dagon decides to go on a date for the first time in over 10,000 years.
|10-minute play|G'Oy Vey! by David Lipschutz
Recommendations: 7··Cast:7Genre: comedy, farce + 1 more·Keyword: Jewish, family + 6 moreGenre: comedy, farce, zoomKeyword: Jewish, family, LGBTQ characters, queer, virtual, zoom, one-act zoom play, fifteen-minute Zoom playA virtual first date between Ezra, who is Jewish, and Taylor, who is not, goes awry when Ezra’s entire family shows up.
|one-act virtual play|George Santos is a Farshtunkener! by David Lipschutz
Recommendations: 4··Cast:1Genre: comedy, political + 1 more·Keyword: Jewish, Politics + 3 moreGenre: comedy, political, satireKeyword: Jewish, Politics, Yiddish, Yiddish curses, one-minute playA person gives their honest opinion of George Santos.
|1-minute monologue|The Greatest Jewish Summer Camp Game Ever Played by David Lipschutz
Recommendations: 9··Cast:4Genre: biography, comedy + 4 more·Keyword: Jewish, Jewish summer camp + 7 moreGenre: biography, comedy, faith-based, period, romantic comedy, zoomKeyword: Jewish, Jewish summer camp, Summer Camp, Camp Ramah, based on a true story, true story, Tennis, 8th grade, love storyThis is the true-ish Jewish story of Artie, an 8th grader, and his summer in the year 2000 at Camp Ramah (a summer camp in Wisconsin). Will he become champion of the annual tennis competition? Will he defeat the bully and win the heart of the girl of his dreams? Will it truly be the greatest Jewish summer camp game ever played?
|5-minute play|hYdration by David Lipschutz
Recommendations: 6··Cast:2Genre: comedy, drama·Keyword: drag queen, Deaf culture + 5 moreGenre: comedy, dramaKeyword: drag queen, Deaf culture, ASL, Jewish, LGBTQ, queer, Bechdel TestTwo women have a chance encounter outside of a drag bar.
|10-minute play|
NOTE: Script available upon request.Matzah Ball Soup by David Lipschutz
Recommendations: 1··Cast:1Genre: drama, faith-based + 2 more·Keyword: Jewish, Sitting shiva + 6 moreGenre: drama, faith-based, melodrama, zoomKeyword: Jewish, Sitting shiva, death and grief, self esteem, Interfaith relationships, acceptance, monologue, women's monologueCo-Written with Dana Hall. Inspired by the short play, AHAVAH. After his Bubbie's death, Saul returns home to his family after a long absence to sit Shiva. Alice, Saul’s girlfriend, joins him. While Saul is already in the room where services are being held, Alice is outside, contemplating whether or not to enter.
|5-minute monologue|Mayor Bob is DEAD! by David Lipschutz
Recommendations: 1··Cast:5Genre: comedy·Keyword: Ten-Minute Play, comedy + 2 moreGenre: comedyKeyword: Ten-Minute Play, comedy, Smalltown, scatalogical humorMayor Bob is dead! What happened? Find out…in the next ten minutes. This play was written based on the prompt of "Mayor Bob of Smalltown, IL" from Westchester Civic Theatre.
|10-minute play|Modus Operandi by David Lipschutz
Recommendations: 3··Cast:4Genre: comedy, farceGenre: comedy, farceThings aren't as they seem as two detectives interrogate a suspect.
|10-minute play|
NOTE: Bogus Operandi, a 1980's adaptation of Modus Operandi, is also available upon request.Moon Logic by David Lipschutz
·Cast:3Genre: adventure, comedy + 4 more·Keyword: point and click, point and click adventure + 7 moreGenre: adventure, comedy, fable/folktale, fantasy, parody/spoof, zoomKeyword: point and click, point and click adventure, Castle, damsel in distress, logic games, puzzle, computer games, Ten-Minute Play, easy zoom adaptableAkin to point-and-click adventure games of the late 80s/early 90s (think, the Kings Quest series), MOON LOGIC follows Sir Llewellyn as he comes to the final chapter of his quest to save Princess Nightingale and help restore the Kingdom of Lavendreer.
|10-minute play|Performance Anxiety [Or, On Being Late To A Virtual Work Call] by David Lipschutz
Recommendations: 5··Cast:4Genre: comedy, dark comedy + 4 more·Keyword: work from home, mind bending + 4 moreGenre: comedy, dark comedy, experimental, horror, mystery/thriller, zoomKeyword: work from home, mind bending, technology on stage, fourth wall, reality versus fiction, zoom theatre and live theatreA man thinks he is going into a work Zoom call like any other day, but this time, Zoom seems to have a mind of its own.
|one-act play|PerSEVERance by David Lipschutz
Recommendations: 6··Cast:2–3Genre: dark comedy, horror + 2 more·Keyword: horror, ghost + 6 moreGenre: dark comedy, horror, mystery/thriller, zoomKeyword: horror, ghost, supernatural, paranormal, bipoc, virtual, online, Bechdel TestA live online workout class is interrupted by mysterious and potentially sinister events.
|10-minute virtual play|Pete & Petria's Petrifying Podcast by David Lipschutz
Recommendations: 2··Cast:6–11Genre: horror, mystery/thriller + 2 more·Keyword: radio play, audio drama + 6 moreGenre: horror, mystery/thriller, radio drama, science fictionKeyword: radio play, audio drama, Horror Play, Haunted House, creepy dolls, true crime, true crime podcast, one act playCo-written with Dana Hall. Who doesn’t love true crime stories filled with paranormal activities and ghastly hauntings? Tune in each week to “Pete & Petria’s Petrifying Podcast” to hear tales of strange and terrifying events.
|one-act radio play|The Pi(e) Guy by David Lipschutz
Recommendations: 2··Cast:5–11Genre: comedy, mystery/thriller·Keyword: television pilot, math + 7 moreGenre: comedy, mystery/thrillerKeyword: television pilot, math, murder mystery, comedy-mystery, crime solving, Pie, queer, LGBTQ characters, one-act playWhen Mathematics Professor Archie Medes returns home to help his ailing mother run the family pie shop, he gets more than he bargained for as his mathematical prowess thrusts him into the world of crime solving. THE PI(E) GUY is presented as a television pilot (a la Murder, She Wrote), but it is written to be performed on the stage.
|one-act play|The Shomer by David Lipschutz
Recommendations: 3··Cast:2Genre: drama, faith-based + 1 more·Keyword: Jewish, death + 1 moreGenre: drama, faith-based, melodramaKeyword: Jewish, death, shomerA shomer watches over the body of a recently deceased Jewish man.
|10-minute play|Solid Gold by David Lipschutz
Recommendations: 1··Cast:2Genre: comedy, radio drama + 1 more·Keyword: halloween, playlist + 6 moreGenre: comedy, radio drama, zoomKeyword: halloween, playlist, best buds, Andrew Gold, Spooky Scary Skeletons, Thank You For Being a Friend, The Golden Girls, audio dramaWhen creating a Halloween-themed playlist, two best buds make an unexpected discovery.
|3-minute play|Tripping on Xanax at a Mumford & Sons Concert by David Lipschutz
Recommendations: 2··Cast:3–4Genre: comedy, drama·Keyword: Concert, Mumford & Sons + 4 moreGenre: comedy, dramaKeyword: Concert, Mumford & Sons, grief, denial, stuffed animals, Ten-Minute PlayTwo friends are sitting in BYO lawn chairs at a concert venue, waiting for Mumford & Sons to begin their set. After one of them leaves to find the bathroom, leaving the other alone, an unexpected guest takes the empty seat.
|10-minute play|Two Pigeons Talk About Sh*tting On People And Then They Sh*t On People, A Love Story by David Lipschutz
Recommendations: 6··Cast:2Genre: comedy, zoom·Keyword: pigeon, pigeon poop + 6 moreGenre: comedy, zoomKeyword: pigeon, pigeon poop, scatalogical humor, bird, love story, public service announcement, PSA, zoomTwo pigeons talk about sh*tting on people. Then they sh*t on people. It is also a love story!
|5-minute play| / |5-minute virtual play|Winifred and Henry Celebrate Their Fifth Wedding Anniversary by David Lipschutz
Recommendations: 1··Cast:2Genre: comedy, dark comedy + 2 more·Keyword: Couple, wedding anniversary + 8 moreGenre: comedy, dark comedy, mystery/thriller, zoomKeyword: Couple, wedding anniversary, anniversary, wood, twist ending, dark comedy, vampire, vampires, graveyard shift, Ten-Minute PlayAs a couple celebrates their fifth wedding anniversary, the evening takes an unexpected turn.
|10-minute play|