Adam Szymkowicz

ADAM SZYMKOWICZ’s plays have been produced throughout the U.S., and in Canada, England, The Netherlands, New Zealand, Australia, Germany, Greece, Mexico, Turkey, South Korea, Thailand, Sweden, Austria, Slovenia and Lithuania. His work has been presented or developed at such places as Portland Center Stage, MCC Theater, Ars Nova, South Coast Rep, Playwrights Horizons, LCT3, LAByrinth Theater Company, The Lark, Rattlestick Playwrights Theater, Primary Stages and The New Group, among others.

Published plays include Deflowering Waldo, Pretty Theft, Food For Fish, Hearts Like Fists, Hearts Like Planets, Incendiary, Clown Bar, The Why Overhead, Adventures of Super Margaret, 7 Ways To Say I Love You, Rare Birds, Marian Or The True Tale of Robin Hood, Marian Or The True Tale of Robin Hood...

ADAM SZYMKOWICZ’s plays have been produced throughout the U.S., and in Canada, England, The Netherlands, New Zealand, Australia, Germany, Greece, Mexico, Turkey, South Korea, Thailand, Sweden, Austria, Slovenia and Lithuania. His work has been presented or developed at such places as Portland Center Stage, MCC Theater, Ars Nova, South Coast Rep, Playwrights Horizons, LCT3, LAByrinth Theater Company, The Lark, Rattlestick Playwrights Theater, Primary Stages and The New Group, among others.

Published plays include Deflowering Waldo, Pretty Theft, Food For Fish, Hearts Like Fists, Hearts Like Planets, Incendiary, Clown Bar, The Why Overhead, Adventures of Super Margaret, 7 Ways To Say I Love You, Rare Birds, Marian Or The True Tale of Robin Hood, Marian Or The True Tale of Robin Hood; The Musical, Kodachrome, Mercy, The Book Store, Old Fashioned Cold Fusion, The Parking Lot, The Night Children, Clown Bar 2, Clown Bar Christmas, The Wooden Heart, Stockholm Syndrome, When Jack Met Jill, Heart of Snow, 100 Things I Never Said To You, 100 Love Letters I Never Sent and Nerve. His plays are published by Dramatists Play Service, Concord/Samuel French, Playscripts, Broadway Play Publishing, Theatrical Rights Worldwide, Stage Partners and Original Works Publishing, and are featured in numerous Smith and Kraus and Applause books. His monologue book, Small Explosions came out from Applause in early 2023. His playwriting book, Letters To A Young Playwright came out from Applause in fall of 2024.

He was the premiere Resident Playwright at The Chance Theater in Anaheim, CA and the first playwright to participate in Bloomington Playwrights Projects’ Square One Series. He has been to The Orchard Project and to JAW at Portland Center Stage, served twice as Playwright in Residence at the William Inge Center, and twice as a Dramatists Guild Fund’s Traveling Masters. Szymkowicz received two grants from the CT Commission on Culture & Tourism, and has been commissioned by South Coast Rep, Rising Phoenix Rep, Texas State University, The NOLA Project, Single Carrot Theater, Majestic Rep, The Chance Theater, Concord Theatricals/The Educational Theatre Association and Flux Theater Ensemble.

Adam received a Playwright’s Diploma from The Juilliard School's Lila Acheson Wallace American Playwrights Program and an MFA from Columbia University where he was the Dean’s Fellow. Szymkowicz is a two-time Lecomte du Nouy Prize winner, a member of the Dramatists Guild, Writer’s Guild of America, and was a member of Primary Stages’ Dorothy Strelsin New American Writer’s Group, the MCC Playwright’s Coalition and of the very first Ars Nova Play Group.

He has interviewed 1100 playwrights on his blog.

For more, go to www.adamszymkowicz.com.

Scripts

Still Life With Julianne and Bicycle

by Adam Szymkowicz

Synopsis

In the course of her various errands, Julianne discovers her ex, Hank, is back in town. She's still reeling from the death of her mother whose presence is following her around. Is she ready to get back into it, if that is even what she wants? And what does Hank want? And why do people keep having epiphanies about their lives wherever she goes? A tale of small town life, love and grief.

In the course of her various errands, Julianne discovers her ex, Hank, is back in town. She's still reeling from the death of her mother whose presence is following her around. Is she ready to get back into it, if that is even what she wants? And what does Hank want? And why do people keep having epiphanies about their lives wherever she goes? A tale of small town life, love and grief.

God Splat

by Adam Szymkowicz

Synopsis

a highly flexible ensemble play for anywhere from 1 to 25 actors! The piece explores the absolute wonder that is human existence by embodying both its profundity and its absurdity. The ensemble journeys—often hilariously—through key life milestones (birth, high school, falling in love, breaking up, the death of a parent, etc.) at an accelerated speed, shifting fluidly among roles and perspectives. A poignant and...

a highly flexible ensemble play for anywhere from 1 to 25 actors! The piece explores the absolute wonder that is human existence by embodying both its profundity and its absurdity. The ensemble journeys—often hilariously—through key life milestones (birth, high school, falling in love, breaking up, the death of a parent, etc.) at an accelerated speed, shifting fluidly among roles and perspectives. A poignant and funny scene about the life of an artist craters into the ensemble questioning whether life is worth living at all. Popping red balloons represent the shattered hopes of youth as the humans contemplate whether to go on. (There is suicide ideation in the piece.) Ultimately though, through humor, the play celebrates not only the ephemeral nature of life, but of art itself.

Bart and Arnie

by Adam Szymkowicz

Synopsis

Two pals making their way in the city. Existential dread and friendship. Puppets. Modern Dance. Whimsy. Full length play but can be cut to be a one act. The financial difficulties of living in the big city and the highs and lows of art and commerce. It's hard to want things.

Two pals making their way in the city. Existential dread and friendship. Puppets. Modern Dance. Whimsy. Full length play but can be cut to be a one act. The financial difficulties of living in the big city and the highs and lows of art and commerce. It's hard to want things.

The Sex Writer

by Adam Szymkowicz

Synopsis

FULL LENGTH. Jane's father, an "important" writer has just died by suicide and Jane goes home to her small town to deal with the details of death. Jane is a professor and writer of erotica and as she meets new possibilities and old loves, she narrates all her sexual longings. She struggles to deal with the grief from her father's death and the feeling that he deserted her a long time ago.

NOTE: Undressing...

FULL LENGTH. Jane's father, an "important" writer has just died by suicide and Jane goes home to her small town to deal with the details of death. Jane is a professor and writer of erotica and as she meets new possibilities and old loves, she narrates all her sexual longings. She struggles to deal with the grief from her father's death and the feeling that he deserted her a long time ago.

NOTE: Undressing is not necessary and I’d prefer if you did it only slightly or not at all. This is not intended to be a play with nudity in it.

Such Small Hands

by Adam Szymkowicz

Synopsis

FULL LENGTH. Long-married couple Paul and Marie are the center of this moving new play about love, aging, selfishness, and selflessness. As Paul’s illness progresses, he can sense his mind changing and doesn’t want to let it go too far. Still cherishing their many years of happiness, Marie strives to convince him to continue the fight.

FULL LENGTH. Long-married couple Paul and Marie are the center of this moving new play about love, aging, selfishness, and selflessness. As Paul’s illness progresses, he can sense his mind changing and doesn’t want to let it go too far. Still cherishing their many years of happiness, Marie strives to convince him to continue the fight.

Love Letter to Seaside City

by Adam Szymkowicz

Synopsis

60 minutes.

Julie gives us a tour of her new home, Seaside City. A whimsical journey through a seemingly mundane day in a place that is anything but.

60 minutes.

Julie gives us a tour of her new home, Seaside City. A whimsical journey through a seemingly mundane day in a place that is anything but.

Hearts Like Planets

by Adam Szymkowicz

Synopsis

FULL LENGTH, PUBLISHED : A very bright, very fast object is careening towards the Earth and in this moment of imminent death, our heroes and villains make big life and love choices. Dr. X leads a prison break. He and Orphan Drillnose are off to find the woman with the face like a plate. The New Crimefighters, Magpie, Hummingbird and Butterfly fight to restore order and save the world. Harry Hardnose, ace...

FULL LENGTH, PUBLISHED : A very bright, very fast object is careening towards the Earth and in this moment of imminent death, our heroes and villains make big life and love choices. Dr. X leads a prison break. He and Orphan Drillnose are off to find the woman with the face like a plate. The New Crimefighters, Magpie, Hummingbird and Butterfly fight to restore order and save the world. Harry Hardnose, ace reporter, will record it all.

*sort of a sequel to Hearts Like Fists but stands on its own.

https://www.dramatists.com/cgi-bin/db/single.asp?key=6656

Young Love

by Adam Szymkowicz

Synopsis

Young Love, a play in two plays. The lives of two high school students become intertwined as they rehearse Romeo and Juliet in a classroom. In a graveyard, we chronicle the ups and downs of a couple over the course of twenty-six years.

Young Love, a play in two plays. The lives of two high school students become intertwined as they rehearse Romeo and Juliet in a classroom. In a graveyard, we chronicle the ups and downs of a couple over the course of twenty-six years.

New Love

by Adam Szymkowicz

Synopsis

FULL LENGTH: While rehearsing a play, two actors fall in love. But the course of true love never did run smooth.

FULL LENGTH: While rehearsing a play, two actors fall in love. But the course of true love never did run smooth.

The Christmas Tree Farm

by Adam Szymkowicz

Synopsis

PUBLISHED, FULL LENGTH. A series of vignettes, mostly love stories, taking place at a Christmas tree farm. 5-21 actors. Most parts can be any gender.

A breakup, a breakdown, a meet cute, four Santas, a film director, high school sweethearts, and some carolers. A holiday play about love and joy.

https://www.broadwayplaypublishing.com/the-plays/the-christmas-tree-far…

PUBLISHED, FULL LENGTH. A series of vignettes, mostly love stories, taking place at a Christmas tree farm. 5-21 actors. Most parts can be any gender.

A breakup, a breakdown, a meet cute, four Santas, a film director, high school sweethearts, and some carolers. A holiday play about love and joy.

https://www.broadwayplaypublishing.com/the-plays/the-christmas-tree-far…

KODACHROME

by Adam Szymkowicz

Synopsis

FULL LENGTH, PUBLISHED: Welcome to Colchester, a town of dashed dreams and fervent hope, history and longing. And there's a hardware store too.

ONE ACT VERSION ALSO AVAILABLE.

“This breezy new play by Adam Szymkowicz, receiving its world premiere production at Portland Center Stage under the direction of Rose Riordan, is warm and cheerful but clear-eyed about the impermanence of love.” --The Oregonian...

FULL LENGTH, PUBLISHED: Welcome to Colchester, a town of dashed dreams and fervent hope, history and longing. And there's a hardware store too.

ONE ACT VERSION ALSO AVAILABLE.

“This breezy new play by Adam Szymkowicz, receiving its world premiere production at Portland Center Stage under the direction of Rose Riordan, is warm and cheerful but clear-eyed about the impermanence of love.” --The Oregonian

“Overall, I highly recommend KODACHROME. You'll leave Colchester with a newfound determination to stop putting off whatever it is you've been putting off and, in the words of Harold Hill, "make today worth remembering." –Broadway World

"The play intermixes moments of gut-wrenching sadness with lighthearted humor, all while forcing the audience to pause and confront each emotion with the click of a shutter.”--The Portland Mercury

“This is a beautiful play–understated, tricky, often humorous, and universal. It’s a story about ordinary people going about their lives.” --Judy Nedry

Article in Sam French's Magazine: https://www.breakingcharacter.com/home/2019/7/30/my-town-adam-szymkowic…

100 Things To Never Say On A First Date

by Adam Szymkowicz

Synopsis

ONE ACT. 4-112 actors, all genders. A very flexible one act comedy.

Author’s Note: I wrote a play in this format called 100 Things I Never Told You and I liked the flexibility of it and was excited how different it could be with different actors. So I wrote another one called 100 Love Letters I Never Sent. These were well received and I liked the form so I have continued to play around with a version of the...

ONE ACT. 4-112 actors, all genders. A very flexible one act comedy.

Author’s Note: I wrote a play in this format called 100 Things I Never Told You and I liked the flexibility of it and was excited how different it could be with different actors. So I wrote another one called 100 Love Letters I Never Sent. These were well received and I liked the form so I have continued to play around with a version of the same formA flexible comedic one act with a cast of 4-100+

100 Love Letters I Never Sent

by Adam Szymkowicz

Synopsis

PUBLISHED (40 minutes) Cast size is 4-108. Sister play to 100 Things I Never Told You. This is a play about various ways to love that I hope is literally for everyone.

https://www.concordtheatricals.com/p/95643/100-love-letters-i-never-sent

PUBLISHED (40 minutes) Cast size is 4-108. Sister play to 100 Things I Never Told You. This is a play about various ways to love that I hope is literally for everyone.

https://www.concordtheatricals.com/p/95643/100-love-letters-i-never-sent

100 Things I Never Said To You

by Adam Szymkowicz

Synopsis

PUBLISHED (40 Min) Cast size is 4-110 actors. Julie has died. There is a school assembly and the students say things they never said to her.

https://www.concordtheatricals.com/p/95335/100-things-i-never-said-to-y…

PUBLISHED (40 Min) Cast size is 4-110 actors. Julie has died. There is a school assembly and the students say things they never said to her.

https://www.concordtheatricals.com/p/95335/100-things-i-never-said-to-y…

The Meet Cute... In 100 Simple Steps

by Adam Szymkowicz

Synopsis

One Act. 4-127 actors. A lighter version of its sister play, Heartbreak. Different versions of The Meet Cute. A love letter to rom coms.

Author’s Note: I wrote a play in this format called 100 Things I Never Told You and I liked the flexibility of it and was excited how different it could be with different actors. So I wrote another one called 100 Love Letters I Never Sent. These were well received and...

One Act. 4-127 actors. A lighter version of its sister play, Heartbreak. Different versions of The Meet Cute. A love letter to rom coms.

Author’s Note: I wrote a play in this format called 100 Things I Never Told You and I liked the flexibility of it and was excited how different it could be with different actors. So I wrote another one called 100 Love Letters I Never Sent. These were well received and I liked the form so I have continued to play around with a version of the same form in these two new one-act plays.

Heartbreak, 100 Unnatural Shocks To My Damaged Heart

by Adam Szymkowicz

Synopsis

One Act. 4-112 actors, all genders. A humorous and heartfelt look at various kinds of heartbreak,

Author’s Note: I wrote a play in this format called 100 Things I Never Told You and I liked the flexibility of it and was excited how different it could be with different actors. So I wrote another one called 100 Love Letters I Never Sent. These were well received and I liked the form so I have continued to...

One Act. 4-112 actors, all genders. A humorous and heartfelt look at various kinds of heartbreak,

Author’s Note: I wrote a play in this format called 100 Things I Never Told You and I liked the flexibility of it and was excited how different it could be with different actors. So I wrote another one called 100 Love Letters I Never Sent. These were well received and I liked the form so I have continued to play around with a version of the same form in these two new one-act plays.

Clown Bar, a clown noir

by Adam Szymkowicz

Synopsis

FULL LENGTH, PUBLISHED. Long ago Happy left the Clown Bar and the organized clown crime world to work for the good guys. Now his junkie brother Timmy has been murdered and Happy returns to his old life to ask a few questions. But can he go home again without getting sucked into the seedy clown underbelly of vice and violence? Can he survive the gun toting clowns who used to be his friends or Blinky, the lady...

FULL LENGTH, PUBLISHED. Long ago Happy left the Clown Bar and the organized clown crime world to work for the good guys. Now his junkie brother Timmy has been murdered and Happy returns to his old life to ask a few questions. But can he go home again without getting sucked into the seedy clown underbelly of vice and violence? Can he survive the gun toting clowns who used to be his friends or Blinky, the lady clown he left behind.

This play is published. Rights: http://www.samuelfrench.com/p/16741/clown-bar

Adam Szymkowicz’s script is unabashedly funny but also shrewd.” – Ken Jaworowski, New York Times Critics Pick

“…hilarious and ebullient…devastating and pitch-perfect.” - Julia Hochner, New York Theatre Review

“…a perfect storm of ridiculousness…it’s weird how well this works.” - - Regina Robinns, Theatre is Easy

“…the team responsible…should be hired by everyone for everything all the time immediately.” - Mary Notari, nytheatre.com

"Clown Bar...[does] things with [its] genre that I have never seen on stage before." - HowlRound

Clown Bar 2

by Adam Szymkowicz

Synopsis

PUBLISHED. FULL LENGTH. It's a year later and the Clown Bar is in disrepair and Happy has gone missing. Has he been offed by clown cowboy Brigham Bill or was it an inside job? Two cops who knew Happy when he was on the force go undercover as clowns in the Clown Bar to find out what happened.

"this play is serious fun." --Eat More Art Vegas

Commissioned by Majestic Repertory, Las Vegas, NV.

PUBLISHED. FULL LENGTH. It's a year later and the Clown Bar is in disrepair and Happy has gone missing. Has he been offed by clown cowboy Brigham Bill or was it an inside job? Two cops who knew Happy when he was on the force go undercover as clowns in the Clown Bar to find out what happened.

"this play is serious fun." --Eat More Art Vegas

Commissioned by Majestic Repertory, Las Vegas, NV.

Clown Bar Christmas

by Adam Szymkowicz

Synopsis

PUBLISHED. FULL LENGTH. A prequel to Clown Bar. During a snowstorm, the denizens of Clown Bar try to entertain some clown kids with some clown holiday stories. This play not appropriate for children.

https://www.concordtheatricals.com/p/97225/clown-bar-christmas

PUBLISHED. FULL LENGTH. A prequel to Clown Bar. During a snowstorm, the denizens of Clown Bar try to entertain some clown kids with some clown holiday stories. This play not appropriate for children.

https://www.concordtheatricals.com/p/97225/clown-bar-christmas

Hearts Like Fists

by Adam Szymkowicz

Synopsis

FULL LENGTH, PUBLISHED. A superhero noir comedy about the dangers of love. The city's heart beats with fear: Doctor X is sneaking into apartments and injecting lovers with a lethal poison. Lisa's heart beats with hope: Now that she's joined the elite Crimefighters, maybe she can live a life with meaning. And every beat of Peter's wounded heart brings him closer to death, but he's designing an artificial...

FULL LENGTH, PUBLISHED. A superhero noir comedy about the dangers of love. The city's heart beats with fear: Doctor X is sneaking into apartments and injecting lovers with a lethal poison. Lisa's heart beats with hope: Now that she's joined the elite Crimefighters, maybe she can live a life with meaning. And every beat of Peter's wounded heart brings him closer to death, but he's designing an artificial replacement that will never break. Can the Crimefighters stop Doctor X? Do Peter and Lisa have a chance at love? And who is the girl with a face like a plate?

This play is published. Rights: http://www.dramatists.com/cgi-bin/db/single.asp?key=4688

"Parody and punches fly…The combination is madcap. Pretty hysterical too." —NY Times. (Critic's Pick)

"So much fun…comic-book action and delicious one-liners…exhilarating, nerdy-sexy, and silly-smart." —LA Times. (Critic's Choice)

"…the colorful energy of a comic book [and] the dialogue is smart, self-aware, and wickedly funny. It's hard to imagine a better night at the theater." —i09.com.

"A fun, twisted exploration of what it means when someone Hulk-smashes your heart on the ground into a million pieces…It's goofy. It's absurd. But it hits hard where it counts—right in the ticker." —Village Voice.

Marian or The True Tale of Robin Hood

by Adam Szymkowicz

Synopsis

FULL LENGTH, PUBLISHED. (TEEN VERSION ALSO AVAILABLE) In this comedic new take on the classic tale, Robin Hood is and has always been Maid Marian in disguise. Robin/Marian leads a motley group of Merry Men (many of whom are not men) against the greedy Prince John. As the poor get poorer and the rich get richer, who will stand for the vulnerable if not Robin? Modern concerns and romantic entanglements clash...

FULL LENGTH, PUBLISHED. (TEEN VERSION ALSO AVAILABLE) In this comedic new take on the classic tale, Robin Hood is and has always been Maid Marian in disguise. Robin/Marian leads a motley group of Merry Men (many of whom are not men) against the greedy Prince John. As the poor get poorer and the rich get richer, who will stand for the vulnerable if not Robin? Modern concerns and romantic entanglements clash on the battlefield and on the ramparts of Nottingham Castle. A play about selfishness and selflessness and love deferred and the fight. Always the fight. The fight must go on.

This play is published: http://www.samuelfrench.com/p/62565/marian-or-the-true-tale-of-robin-ho…

“a sheer comic delight. This gender-bending, myth-rending gallivant through Sherwood Forest and Prince John’s keep boasts the funniest and most appealing band of Merry Men you’re likely to meet in Manhattan. –Blogcritics

“a sweet farce” --Timeout New York

“the show thrives on its own playfulness and silly energy while still tying everything up at the end. Marian manages to present something important without taking itself too seriously – and that makes it all the more resonant. It doesn’t need to overstate anything. This is feminism in action (in all its beautiful, heroic glory).” --Theatre Is Easy

“95 minutes of first-class writing, acting, and directing.” -Show Showdown

The Bookstore

by Adam Szymkowicz

Synopsis

FULL LENGTH: PUBLISHED ! (One Act version also available) A whimsical almost magical bookstore where people fall in and out of love. Flexible casting. Ida, the idiosyncratic store owner has died and has left it to her niece, Rachel, a harried and poor assistant book editor. The customers and employees are desperate to keep the fantastical haven as it is, but real estate magnate, Max Brewer is offering more...

FULL LENGTH: PUBLISHED ! (One Act version also available) A whimsical almost magical bookstore where people fall in and out of love. Flexible casting. Ida, the idiosyncratic store owner has died and has left it to her niece, Rachel, a harried and poor assistant book editor. The customers and employees are desperate to keep the fantastical haven as it is, but real estate magnate, Max Brewer is offering more and more money to turn the building into luxury apartments. Rachel must decide if she can say no to more money than she ever thought possible and also what to do about her fiance and if she has any patience for whimsy and for this sappy kind of love that's all around

https://www.playscripts.com/play/5101

The Wooden Heart

by Adam Szymkowicz

Synopsis

PUBLISHED FULL LENGTH: Mitch wants to be a carpenter. Heather wants to be a woodcarver. The wolf wants to be an intellectual. Ruby wants to escape the wolf. The woodcutter wants to escape the narrator. A fable-inspired play about love and wood and finding your purpose.

https://trwplays.com/the-wooden-heart/

PUBLISHED FULL LENGTH: Mitch wants to be a carpenter. Heather wants to be a woodcarver. The wolf wants to be an intellectual. Ruby wants to escape the wolf. The woodcutter wants to escape the narrator. A fable-inspired play about love and wood and finding your purpose.

https://trwplays.com/the-wooden-heart/

Small Explosions

by Adam Szymkowicz

Synopsis

Now published! http://www.applausebooks.com/books/9781493071371

Formerly titled Morning Monologues.

90 monologues written mostly in the morning. This book is inspired in part by Frank O’Hara’s Lunch Poems, a slim volume of poems O’Hara wrote on his lunch breaks while working at the Museum Of Modern Art. None of these monologues are like those poems but you should totally buy and read that book of poems. They...

Now published! http://www.applausebooks.com/books/9781493071371

Formerly titled Morning Monologues.

90 monologues written mostly in the morning. This book is inspired in part by Frank O’Hara’s Lunch Poems, a slim volume of poems O’Hara wrote on his lunch breaks while working at the Museum Of Modern Art. None of these monologues are like those poems but you should totally buy and read that book of poems. They are excellent.
...

I’m calling these morning monologues because these monologues
were mostly written in the morning.
...
None of these monologues are taken from plays. They are plays themselves. Most of them don’t have character names or stage directions. Most are about a minute long. They’re kind of like short stories you’re supposed to read out loud.

The Night Children

by Adam Szymkowicz

Synopsis

PUBLISHED. High School. Dara died in a car accident and West is still mourning her. April climbs through his window. One day in the lives of the Day Children and the Night Children as they navigate death and love.

PUBLISHED. High School. Dara died in a car accident and West is still mourning her. April climbs through his window. One day in the lives of the Day Children and the Night Children as they navigate death and love.

Pretty Theft

by Adam Szymkowicz

Synopsis

FULL LENGTH, PUBLISHED. Pretty Theft is a play about ballerinas, boxes and the dangers of beauty. After losing her father, Allegra falls under the wing of bad girl Suzy, only to find an unexpected friendship with Joe, an autistic savant. When things take a violent turn, Allegra and Suzy escape cross country and befriend Marco, a mysterious thief who claims he cannot be caught.

This play is published. Rights:...

FULL LENGTH, PUBLISHED. Pretty Theft is a play about ballerinas, boxes and the dangers of beauty. After losing her father, Allegra falls under the wing of bad girl Suzy, only to find an unexpected friendship with Joe, an autistic savant. When things take a violent turn, Allegra and Suzy escape cross country and befriend Marco, a mysterious thief who claims he cannot be caught.

This play is published. Rights: http://www.samuelfrench.com/p/515/pretty-theft

"Disturbing but touching...Mr. Szymkowicz writes quirky plays about contemporary topics like online dating and gender roles, but there always seems to be something — a knife, a rope, a dead body — in an unexpected place. In Pretty Theft, the undercurrent of danger goes beyond quirkiness; it's more subtle and ultimately more horrifying. The play takes place in a terrifying world where reckless people get hurt, and so do more or less innocent bystanders. — The New York Times

"Szymkowicz has not only taken the notion of theft and flipped it on its head — he's taken a story about human beings at their worst and shown how we can claw our way back from the brink by finding the good within ourselves." — The Villager

"Adam Szymkowicz has written a play full of interesting people...The dialogue and humor in this play are excellent...It runs a lean, intermission-less 90 minutes and is very satisfying...This would be good theater for young women not only to see but also to perform." — NYTheatre.com

East Haddam

by Adam Szymkowicz

Synopsis

FULL LENGTH: Something odd is happening in East Haddam. The Secret Agents are tracking the Green Swamp Lady. And Michael is back in town. He's probably an angel. And there's a unicorn too. And those clowns. What are they about? But maybe all that matters is if Julie can convince the high school freshmen she teaches that Romeo and Juliet were not in love.

FULL LENGTH: Something odd is happening in East Haddam. The Secret Agents are tracking the Green Swamp Lady. And Michael is back in town. He's probably an angel. And there's a unicorn too. And those clowns. What are they about? But maybe all that matters is if Julie can convince the high school freshmen she teaches that Romeo and Juliet were not in love.

The Parking Lot

by Adam Szymkowicz

Synopsis

FULL LENGTH, PUBLISHED, A couple decides their fate in a parking lot. A play meant to be performed outside by two actors quarantined together (1M, 1F) who can play a couple. It takes place in a parking lot and people watch from the safety of their cars.

FULL LENGTH, PUBLISHED, A couple decides their fate in a parking lot. A play meant to be performed outside by two actors quarantined together (1M, 1F) who can play a couple. It takes place in a parking lot and people watch from the safety of their cars.

The Jack and Jill Plays

by Adam Szymkowicz

Synopsis

Full Length. (A series of short plays) Take a theatrical journey through the life and times of Jack And Jill's relationship. A one act version of this play also exists. Flexible casting.

The one act version is published by Stage Partners under the title When Jack Met Jill. https://yourstagepartners.com/when-jack-met-jill

Full Length. (A series of short plays) Take a theatrical journey through the life and times of Jack And Jill's relationship. A one act version of this play also exists. Flexible casting.

The one act version is published by Stage Partners under the title When Jack Met Jill. https://yourstagepartners.com/when-jack-met-jill

Sarah Sarah Sarah

by Adam Szymkowicz

Synopsis

Sarah is an author, rock star and religious leader played by a volunteer from the audience. The audience is divided into three and each group sees the play in a different order with a different Sarah. A story of a haunted person and the people she touched.

Sarah is an author, rock star and religious leader played by a volunteer from the audience. The audience is divided into three and each group sees the play in a different order with a different Sarah. A story of a haunted person and the people she touched.

Incendiary

by Adam Szymkowicz

Synopsis

FULL LENGTH, PUBLISHED. Elise is a pyromaniac fire chief who falls in love with Jake, the detective investigating her fires. Carrie, Elise's therapist, is trying to get her to stop lighting fires and Carrie's husband, Gary, is leading the life of a somewhat ineffective corporate spy. This play is published: https://www.broadwayplaypub.com/the-plays/incendiary/

FULL LENGTH, PUBLISHED. Elise is a pyromaniac fire chief who falls in love with Jake, the detective investigating her fires. Carrie, Elise's therapist, is trying to get her to stop lighting fires and Carrie's husband, Gary, is leading the life of a somewhat ineffective corporate spy. This play is published: https://www.broadwayplaypub.com/the-plays/incendiary/

Alcott

by Adam Szymkowicz

Synopsis

At a woman's college, 10 years ago Erin was writing a play for Prague to direct. And there was an uneasy love triangle with Erin's roommate, Jessie. In the present, Prague and Erin meet up to talk about a play of Erin's Prague might direct. Jessie and Erin live together now and are talking about a baby. Or, wait. Was everything we saw in the first act actually the play Erin wrote? Why is there a sword...

At a woman's college, 10 years ago Erin was writing a play for Prague to direct. And there was an uneasy love triangle with Erin's roommate, Jessie. In the present, Prague and Erin meet up to talk about a play of Erin's Prague might direct. Jessie and Erin live together now and are talking about a baby. Or, wait. Was everything we saw in the first act actually the play Erin wrote? Why is there a sword fight right now? Why does Violet insist everyone call her Elizabeth?

R and J

by Adam Szymkowicz

Synopsis

The lives of two high school students become intertwined as they rehearse Romeo and Juliet. About 60 min long. 2 characters. A play about love.

The lives of two high school students become intertwined as they rehearse Romeo and Juliet. About 60 min long. 2 characters. A play about love.

Good Morning, Good Night

by Adam Szymkowicz

Synopsis

Anna and Amir are co-workers then friends then enemies, then friends. An office play about modern dread and anxiety with dance routines and unicycling and bubbles. A play about the monotony of life and friendship and non-romantic love.

Anna and Amir are co-workers then friends then enemies, then friends. An office play about modern dread and anxiety with dance routines and unicycling and bubbles. A play about the monotony of life and friendship and non-romantic love.

Food For Fish

by Adam Szymkowicz

Synopsis

FULL LENGTH, PUBLISHED. Bobbie drops the pages from his novel into the Hudson River. They tell the story of three sisters: Sylvia, a reporter, Barbara, an agoraphobe (played by a man in drag), and Alice, a scientist with a plan to isolate and eliminate the gene for love. The three sisters are going to have to bury their father—when they get around to it. His coffin has been sitting in the living room for a year...

FULL LENGTH, PUBLISHED. Bobbie drops the pages from his novel into the Hudson River. They tell the story of three sisters: Sylvia, a reporter, Barbara, an agoraphobe (played by a man in drag), and Alice, a scientist with a plan to isolate and eliminate the gene for love. The three sisters are going to have to bury their father—when they get around to it. His coffin has been sitting in the living room for a year now, and he's starting to smell. Meanwhile, Bobbie goes out each night kissing strangers, and Sylvia goes out each night looking for Bobbie. A story of unrequited love, missed connections and a novel in a bottle.

This play is published. Rights: http://www.dramatists.com/cgi-bin/db/single.asp?key=3820

"…fabulously weird and weirdly fabulous…the reconsidered stereotypes and unexpected observations keep coming." —NY Times. "…a smart, well-done play…Catch it before it's gone…" —NYTheatre.com.

Elsewhere

by Adam Szymkowicz

Synopsis

FULL LENGTH. When Teddy comes to Celia’s house to deliver a package, he doesn’t expect to be invited for dinner. When he comes to dinner, he doesn’t expect to be invited to live with her. When he starts to live with her, he doesn't expect to fall in love with her sister Amanda. And he definitely doesn't expect to be drugged ... or buried alive.

FULL LENGTH. When Teddy comes to Celia’s house to deliver a package, he doesn’t expect to be invited for dinner. When he comes to dinner, he doesn’t expect to be invited to live with her. When he starts to live with her, he doesn't expect to fall in love with her sister Amanda. And he definitely doesn't expect to be drugged ... or buried alive.

Violent Bones

by Adam Szymkowicz

Synopsis

FULL LENGTH: Violent Bones is about being young, successful and broken. Kidnappings, stabbings, novel writing, a SWAT team and lots of interns.

FULL LENGTH: Violent Bones is about being young, successful and broken. Kidnappings, stabbings, novel writing, a SWAT team and lots of interns.

Where You Can't Follow

by Adam Szymkowicz

Synopsis

FULL LENGTH: Matt learns he has only a few weeks to live and tries to live the life he has always wanted. Most of all, he wants to fall in love before he dies. He leaves his old life and flies to Paris where he meets Josette, who says she will teach him what love is. 2M, 2F with doubling or as many as 10M 10F.

FULL LENGTH: Matt learns he has only a few weeks to live and tries to live the life he has always wanted. Most of all, he wants to fall in love before he dies. He leaves his old life and flies to Paris where he meets Josette, who says she will teach him what love is. 2M, 2F with doubling or as many as 10M 10F.

Nerve

by Adam Szymkowicz

Synopsis

FULL LENGTH, PUBLISHED. NERVE is a dark comedy about falling into a relationship on the first date. Elliot has never had an online date before…at least not one that showed up. Susan has had far too many but would prefer not to discuss them. When they meet in a bar one night, all their personality flaws are revealed, along with a puppet, some modern dance and a desperation that may or may not be love.

This play...

FULL LENGTH, PUBLISHED. NERVE is a dark comedy about falling into a relationship on the first date. Elliot has never had an online date before…at least not one that showed up. Susan has had far too many but would prefer not to discuss them. When they meet in a bar one night, all their personality flaws are revealed, along with a puppet, some modern dance and a desperation that may or may not be love.

This play is published. Rights: http://www.dramatists.com/cgi-bin/db/single.asp?key=3821

Press: "…sweet, sexy, neurotic friendly." —NY Times. "…frequently laugh-out-loud funny, and in the end a neat little demonstration, if you needed one, of how much better live theatre can be than TV or movies when it comes to convincingly recreating human relationships in all their delicious complexity." —Gothamist. "With NERVE, playwright Adam Szymkowicz ventures into the minefield that is online dating and emerges with a wickedly entertaining and darkly comic romance. Cyber-dating may be rife with tales of nightmarish encounters with neurotics and sociopaths, Szymkowicz seems to say, but don't sociopaths deserve love, too? Anyone who sees NERVE will be inclined to say yes." —OffOffOnline.com.

STOCKHOLM SYNDROME: OR, REMEMBER THE TIME JIMMY’S ALL AMERICAN BEEFSTEAK PLACE WAS TAKEN OVER BY THAT GROUP OF RADICALS? an immersive musical

by Adam Szymkowicz

Synopsis

FULL LENGTH, PUBLISHED, STOCKHOLM SYNDROME: OR, REMEMBER THE TIME JIMMY’S ALL AMERICAN BEEFSTEAK PLACE WAS TAKEN OVER BY THAT GROUP OF RADICALS? That mouthful of a title is set, appropriately, at Jimmy’s All-American Beefsteak Restaurant – a fictional chain (the kind you love to hate) – whose employees and patrons suddenly find themselves in the midst of a hostage crisis…and a love story.

"an outrageous farce...

FULL LENGTH, PUBLISHED, STOCKHOLM SYNDROME: OR, REMEMBER THE TIME JIMMY’S ALL AMERICAN BEEFSTEAK PLACE WAS TAKEN OVER BY THAT GROUP OF RADICALS? That mouthful of a title is set, appropriately, at Jimmy’s All-American Beefsteak Restaurant – a fictional chain (the kind you love to hate) – whose employees and patrons suddenly find themselves in the midst of a hostage crisis…and a love story.

"an outrageous farce of violence and lasciviousness"! --The New Orleans Advocate

“Stockholm Syndrome is a hilarious and captivating show, in the best way possible.” --Gambit Weekly

"In all its absurdity, the troupe has come up with an entirely new genre of theater - the interactive terrorist musical comedy. ...you'll get a hearty kick out of "Stockholm Syndrome." --The Times-Picayune

"But for all the talk about immersion, maybe the most important piece for an audience member to feel immersed in is thematic. And that’s what I enjoyed most about the show.
At the heart of Stockholm Syndrome is a group of characters who look at their lives at some point in the show and realize they’re not totally happy with how things are going. Worse yet, they don’t even understand how their lives got to this level of disappointment.
A server who sings about the dissatisfaction of every day being exactly the same as the last. A diner who doesn’t have her needs fulfilled by her husband. A manager whose dedication and loyalty frequently lead to letdowns and heartbreak. A woman who wants a man with more ambition. And a man who just wants a woman to go home and hold hands with.
This story is full of realizations of life-gone-astray, and that’s a realization most of us can relate to at at least one point or another." --Very Local

https://www.broadwayplaypub.com/the-plays/stockholm-syndrome/

A Thing Of Beauty

by Adam Szymkowicz

Synopsis

FULL LENGTH. A much despised art critic who is slowly going blind falls under the spell of a painter with an agenda of her own.

FULL LENGTH. A much despised art critic who is slowly going blind falls under the spell of a painter with an agenda of her own.

Fat Cat Killers

by Adam Szymkowicz

Synopsis

FULL LENGTH: After getting laid off, Michael and Steve decide to kidnap the CEO of the company who laid them off.

FULL LENGTH: After getting laid off, Michael and Steve decide to kidnap the CEO of the company who laid them off.

Mercy

by Adam Szymkowicz

Synopsis

FULL LENGTH, PUBLISHED. Orville is trying to get on with his life after his wife was killed in a car accident. His father is mostly taking care of his still unnamed infant daughter while his boss as work is aggressively trying to comfort him. Everything changes when he sees the man responsible for his wife's death. Is someone in this much pain capable of forgiveness?

FULL LENGTH, PUBLISHED. Orville is trying to get on with his life after his wife was killed in a car accident. His father is mostly taking care of his still unnamed infant daughter while his boss as work is aggressively trying to comfort him. Everything changes when he sees the man responsible for his wife's death. Is someone in this much pain capable of forgiveness?

Rare Birds

by Adam Szymkowicz

Synopsis

FULL LENGTH, PUBLISHED. Sixteen-year-old Evan Wills is an avid bird watcher who wears colorful songbird shirts to school despite the constant antagonism it brings him. Evan’s mother just wants Evan to be normal, and happy—and normal—and get along with her new boyfriend. While Evan summons the courage to talk to Jenny Monroe (whose locker is next to his), troubled bully Dylan has something darker in mind. After...

FULL LENGTH, PUBLISHED. Sixteen-year-old Evan Wills is an avid bird watcher who wears colorful songbird shirts to school despite the constant antagonism it brings him. Evan’s mother just wants Evan to be normal, and happy—and normal—and get along with her new boyfriend. While Evan summons the courage to talk to Jenny Monroe (whose locker is next to his), troubled bully Dylan has something darker in mind. After some stupid choices and unexpected results, Evan learns that the worst thing you can do in high school is admit you love something.

This play is published: http://www.dramatists.com/cgi-bin/db/single.asp?key=5678

Deflowering Waldo

by Adam Szymkowicz

Synopsis

FULL LENGTH, PUBLISHED. Waldo is having a bad day. He's afraid of crowds, spiders, skyscrapers, flowers, brown soap and sex. His father won't stop being Scottish. His therapist wants to seduce him. His ex-girlfriend could spontaneously combust at any moment. And the new woman in his life seems to want something else completely. Will he manage to find true love—or at least mow the lawn?

This play is published...

FULL LENGTH, PUBLISHED. Waldo is having a bad day. He's afraid of crowds, spiders, skyscrapers, flowers, brown soap and sex. His father won't stop being Scottish. His therapist wants to seduce him. His ex-girlfriend could spontaneously combust at any moment. And the new woman in his life seems to want something else completely. Will he manage to find true love—or at least mow the lawn?

This play is published. Rights: http://www.dramatists.com/cgi-bin/db/single.asp?key=3728

The Why Overhead

by Adam Szymkowicz

Synopsis

FULL LENGTH. PUBLISHED. At the call center, all are desperate to connect with each other, seek greater meaning and take their desires to extremes. Sam is in love with Violet, a customer who called once with a warranty question, and he smashes all barriers to rendezvous with her. Alan and Sid are blinded in their rivalry for Jessica and together, build a decorative glass window over her cubicle to worship her...

FULL LENGTH. PUBLISHED. At the call center, all are desperate to connect with each other, seek greater meaning and take their desires to extremes. Sam is in love with Violet, a customer who called once with a warranty question, and he smashes all barriers to rendezvous with her. Alan and Sid are blinded in their rivalry for Jessica and together, build a decorative glass window over her cubicle to worship her under. Annie and Nigel have a hate-hate relationship and are each plotting the other’s demise. Karen, the department head, plays hooky and makes plans with her sometimes talkative dog to leave the working world entirely in favor of the hobo life. Donald is home too, plotting revenge for being canned as office manager. In the end, the CEO, Mr. Henderson, will sweep in and make everything right, because that's what CEO's do, right?

This play is published. Rights: http://www.originalworksonline.com/THE-WHY-OVERHEAD-by-Adam-Szymkowicz_…

“genuinely funny”—The New York Times

“enjoyable from start to finish.” — New York Theatre Review

“engaging, silly fun with a satisfyingly intelligent underpinning.” —TheatreMania

“charming and funny” —NYTheatre.com

The Adventures of Super Margaret

by Adam Szymkowicz

Synopsis

(35-55 min) PUBLISHED. TYA. Super Margaret is having a hard day. She has too much Geometry homework, and the prom queen and king have been kidnapped. If she doesn't rescue them from the Nefarious Evil Genius, who will? Certainly not her wanna be sidekick, Louis who won't stop following her and narrating her life. Certainly not Super Lee who is busy enough at Central High. It's hard to be both super powered...

(35-55 min) PUBLISHED. TYA. Super Margaret is having a hard day. She has too much Geometry homework, and the prom queen and king have been kidnapped. If she doesn't rescue them from the Nefarious Evil Genius, who will? Certainly not her wanna be sidekick, Louis who won't stop following her and narrating her life. Certainly not Super Lee who is busy enough at Central High. It's hard to be both super powered and super smart.

This play is published https://www.playscripts.com/play/2782

7 Ways To Say I Love You, short plays

by Adam Szymkowicz

Synopsis

COLLECTION OF SHORT PLAYS. PUBLISHED. "This collection of funny, sweet, silly, poignant and stylistically diverse short plays from New York favorite Adam Szymkowicz has something for everyone. From the awkwardness of asking out a pizza store clerk (Ambience Pizza), to a campy infidelity revenge comedy (Film Noir), to the couple destined to be together no matter the obstacles (John and April), this collection...

COLLECTION OF SHORT PLAYS. PUBLISHED. "This collection of funny, sweet, silly, poignant and stylistically diverse short plays from New York favorite Adam Szymkowicz has something for everyone. From the awkwardness of asking out a pizza store clerk (Ambience Pizza), to a campy infidelity revenge comedy (Film Noir), to the couple destined to be together no matter the obstacles (John and April), this collection explores heart, grief, pain, and humor as the plays dance around the eternal human theme of love."

This play is published: https://www.playscripts.com/play/2734

Old Fashioned Cold Fusion

by Adam Szymkowicz

Synopsis

PUBLISHED. COLLECTION OF SHORT PLAYS. 7 short 2 character comedies about love. From pirates to cowboys, construction workers to aliens and other folks in between.

PUBLISHED. COLLECTION OF SHORT PLAYS. 7 short 2 character comedies about love. From pirates to cowboys, construction workers to aliens and other folks in between.

Sue and Stu, a construction play

by Adam Szymkowicz

Synopsis

SHORT PLAY. Co-workers on a construction site notice one another. Part of Old Fashioned Cold Fusion, a night of short plays about love.

SHORT PLAY. Co-workers on a construction site notice one another. Part of Old Fashioned Cold Fusion, a night of short plays about love.

Golden Town

by Adam Szymkowicz

Synopsis

SHORT PLAY. A rhyming fairy tale for adults.

SHORT PLAY. A rhyming fairy tale for adults.

STAR TRIPS!

by Adam Szymkowicz

Synopsis

10 MINUTE PLAY. A space parody. Not for kids. Probably. Like there's like too much sex talk I think.

10 MINUTE PLAY. A space parody. Not for kids. Probably. Like there's like too much sex talk I think.

Emily and Sanders and 36 Questions, Parts One, Two and Three

by Adam Szymkowicz

Synopsis

SHORT PLAY. Emily and Sanders decide to fall in love, even if it takes all night. Part of Old Fashioned Cold Fusion, a night of short plays about love.

SHORT PLAY. Emily and Sanders decide to fall in love, even if it takes all night. Part of Old Fashioned Cold Fusion, a night of short plays about love.

Bad Bert and Sheriff Sally, a wild west play

by Adam Szymkowicz

Synopsis

SHORT PLAY. When a black hat falls for a sheriff. Part of Old Fashioned Cold Fusion, a night of short plays about love.

SHORT PLAY. When a black hat falls for a sheriff. Part of Old Fashioned Cold Fusion, a night of short plays about love.

Snow

by Adam Szymkowicz

Synopsis

SHORT PLAY. Four friends searching for love during a snowstorm.

SHORT PLAY. Four friends searching for love during a snowstorm.

Lady Bemonny and Lord Vistrith, an arranged marriage play

by Adam Szymkowicz

Synopsis

SHORT PLAY. An arranged marriage during the English Renaissance. Part of Old Fashioned Cold Fusion, a night of short plays about love.

SHORT PLAY. An arranged marriage during the English Renaissance. Part of Old Fashioned Cold Fusion, a night of short plays about love.

Berbert

by Adam Szymkowicz

Synopsis

SHORT PLAY about falling in love instead of doing your job. Absurdist. Loosely based on The Book of Titus, commissioned by Spark and Echo. Audio recording: https://sparkandecho.org/illumination/berbert_adam-szymkowicz/

SHORT PLAY about falling in love instead of doing your job. Absurdist. Loosely based on The Book of Titus, commissioned by Spark and Echo. Audio recording: https://sparkandecho.org/illumination/berbert_adam-szymkowicz/

YOU

by Adam Szymkowicz

Synopsis

Monologue, 3 minutes, Sheila talks about the joys and sorrows of wearing a mask daily.

Monologue, 3 minutes, Sheila talks about the joys and sorrows of wearing a mask daily.

Doyanney and Markham, a space play

by Adam Szymkowicz

Synopsis

SHORT PLAY. A space parody about love and aliens. Part of Old Fashioned Cold Fusion, a night of short plays about love.

SHORT PLAY. A space parody about love and aliens. Part of Old Fashioned Cold Fusion, a night of short plays about love.

Mine, a quarantine monologue

by Adam Szymkowicz

Synopsis

2-3 min monologue for Stage Partners' monologue project. A kleptomaniac passenger on a quarantined cruise ship,

2-3 min monologue for Stage Partners' monologue project. A kleptomaniac passenger on a quarantined cruise ship,

Three Cheerleaders Cheering for the Worst Team in the History of High School Sports

by Adam Szymkowicz

Synopsis

SHORT PLAY. A very short, fairly adult play about high school cheerleaders

SHORT PLAY. A very short, fairly adult play about high school cheerleaders

Terrible Louise and Red Beard Ryan, a pirate play

by Adam Szymkowicz

Synopsis

SHORT PLAY. It's hard being a pirate in love. Part of Old Fashioned Cold Fusion, a night of short plays about love.

SHORT PLAY. It's hard being a pirate in love. Part of Old Fashioned Cold Fusion, a night of short plays about love.

Marisa and Ted, a bodega play

by Adam Szymkowicz

Synopsis

SHORT PLAY. A meet cute in a Brooklyn bodega. Part of Old Fashioned Cold Fusion, a night of short plays about love.

SHORT PLAY. A meet cute in a Brooklyn bodega. Part of Old Fashioned Cold Fusion, a night of short plays about love.