William A. Smith

William A. Smith is an award-winning American playwright whose work spans comedy, drama, musicals, political theatre, and intimate character studies. An alumnus of the American Academy of Dramatic Arts, Smith brings over forty years of professional experience as a writer, actor, director, and producer. His plays are known for sharp, actor-driven dialogue, moral inquiry, and a balance of humor and emotional gravity. Frequently set in liminal spaces—bus stations, diners, waiting rooms—his work examines power, faith, fear, family, grief, and the cost of silence, placing ordinary people in moments where waiting becomes reckoning.
A U.S. Navy veteran with formal training in psychology and law, Smith writes with an emphasis on ethical tension, character accountability, and producibility. His...

William A. Smith is an award-winning American playwright whose work spans comedy, drama, musicals, political theatre, and intimate character studies. An alumnus of the American Academy of Dramatic Arts, Smith brings over forty years of professional experience as a writer, actor, director, and producer. His plays are known for sharp, actor-driven dialogue, moral inquiry, and a balance of humor and emotional gravity. Frequently set in liminal spaces—bus stations, diners, waiting rooms—his work examines power, faith, fear, family, grief, and the cost of silence, placing ordinary people in moments where waiting becomes reckoning.
A U.S. Navy veteran with formal training in psychology and law, Smith writes with an emphasis on ethical tension, character accountability, and producibility. His plays are festival-tested, company-friendly, and designed to offer strong roles for actors while remaining flexible in casting and production scale.

Scripts

A Room Without Windows

by William A. Smith

Synopsis

A Room Without Windows explores generational trauma and the bittersweet possibility that it’s never too late to finally see each other clearly—even when the room gets small, even when love was never learned right the first time.
ACT I & II: A ROOM WITHOUT WINDOWS In a small, airless living room, young Marlene draws in silence while her mother Lillian folds laundry. They’re waiting—for Rafe to come home, for the...

A Room Without Windows explores generational trauma and the bittersweet possibility that it’s never too late to finally see each other clearly—even when the room gets small, even when love was never learned right the first time.
ACT I & II: A ROOM WITHOUT WINDOWS In a small, airless living room, young Marlene draws in silence while her mother Lillian folds laundry. They’re waiting—for Rafe to come home, for the right moment to leave, for courage neither quite possesses. Rafe never raises his hand, but his unpredictable rage fills every corner. Marlene makes herself small. Lillian sharpens her tongue into the only weapon she has. When a social worker offers help, they finally step through the door together—into an uncertain future.
ACT III: WHEN THE ROOM GETS SMALL Thirty years later, Lillian is seventy-nine, her memory fading. Marlene, forty-six, returns to her mother’s dim bedroom out of obligation rather than love. Through brutal exchanges and haunting silences, they excavate decades of buried pain—Lillian’s inability to show affection even after escape, Marlene’s hunger for a mother who never learned softness, the ghost of Rafe still between them. As the room shrinks around them, they inch toward understanding: sometimes the closest thing to love is simply staying together.

The Regulars

by William A. Smith

Synopsis

Set in a small neighborhood coffee shop in the early morning, The Regulars follows Maya, a barista, and Ellis, a longtime customer who visits twice a week without fail. For three years, Maya has watched Ellis arrive with the same order, the same seat, and the same unopened laptop.
When she finally asks about his routine, Ellis reveals that he is a novelist who has not written since the sudden death of his wife...

Set in a small neighborhood coffee shop in the early morning, The Regulars follows Maya, a barista, and Ellis, a longtime customer who visits twice a week without fail. For three years, Maya has watched Ellis arrive with the same order, the same seat, and the same unopened laptop.
When she finally asks about his routine, Ellis reveals that he is a novelist who has not written since the sudden death of his wife on the day his book was published. Unable to separate his creative life from his grief, he continues coming to the café as a way of honoring the life they planned together.
Maya shares her own experience of loss following her brother’s death and how she learned to rebuild her life by simply showing up again. Through quiet conversation, humor, and mutual understanding, the two form a tentative but meaningful connection.
Over the course of one morning, Ellis takes a small step toward possibility, and Maya offers encouragement without pressure. The Regulars is an intimate, character-driven exploration of grief, resilience, and the healing power of everyday human connection.

The Divide

by William A. Smith

Synopsis

THE DIVIDE is a marathon televised debate where faith confronts power in real time. Four voices gather under studio lights: Alex Brennan, a Moderator seeking truth, Pastor Toby Carson defending Christian nationalism, Dr. Lystra Vale embodying working-class rage, and Yeshua—Jesus, played by different actors throughout, appearing in various forms to different people.
The debate explores immigration, wealth...

THE DIVIDE is a marathon televised debate where faith confronts power in real time. Four voices gather under studio lights: Alex Brennan, a Moderator seeking truth, Pastor Toby Carson defending Christian nationalism, Dr. Lystra Vale embodying working-class rage, and Yeshua—Jesus, played by different actors throughout, appearing in various forms to different people.
The debate explores immigration, wealth inequality, nationalism, and law enforcement. For most of the play, Yeshua embodies infinite patience. He responds to border wall advocacy with parables about strangers, to prosperity gospel with warnings about rich men and needles. To law-and-order rhetoric with questions about whose order, whose law.
Until Act II, Scene IIIA, when breaking news shatters the studio: ICE agent Jonathan Ross has shot and killed Renée Good, a U.S. citizen and mother of three. Federal agents have killed Alex Pretti, a legal observer documenting protests. ICE has detained five-year-old Liam Conejo Ramos, using him as bait.
For the first time, Yeshua breaks. His voice—so patient through every provocation—now thunders with prophetic rage. He names the dead. He recites statistics: $75 billion allocated, 2,450% surge in arrests of the innocent, nine federal shootings since September. He turns scripture into indictment: "I was a stranger and you welcomed me" becomes "I was a stranger and you put me in a cage."
The confrontation ends with prophecy: "When you meet me again, you will tell me about your seventy-five-billion-dollar answer."
The debate continues, but nothing is abstract anymore. This is reckoning disguised as dialogue.

Layover, Layunder, Lie Down, and Weep

by William A. Smith

Synopsis

Stranded travelers at Echo Possum Regional Air Terminal face endless delays, cryptic announcements, and a gate agent who speaks only in fabricated Bible verses. As a goat pageant occupies the runway, unionized livestock negotiate hay breaks, and time collapses into absurdity, the passengers confront an existential question: is the flight ever coming—or have they already arrived somewhere else entirely? Part...

Stranded travelers at Echo Possum Regional Air Terminal face endless delays, cryptic announcements, and a gate agent who speaks only in fabricated Bible verses. As a goat pageant occupies the runway, unionized livestock negotiate hay breaks, and time collapses into absurdity, the passengers confront an existential question: is the flight ever coming—or have they already arrived somewhere else entirely? Part Waiting for Godot, part surreal fever dream, Layover, Layunder, Lie Down and Weep is a dark absurdist comedy about waiting, uncertainty, and the rituals we invent to survive purgatorial limbo at America's strangest regional airport.

The Last Table Diner

by William A. Smith

Synopsis

In a worn-out roadside diner battered by a relentless storm, five strangers find themselves trapped together as the night stretches thin. Becca, the sharp-tongued waitress, keeps the coffee flowing and the peace—barely. Ray, a cook with a past, knows trouble when it walks through his door. Sam, young and wired with fear, carries a secret worth killing for. Jules, calm and calculating, watches like she’s already...

In a worn-out roadside diner battered by a relentless storm, five strangers find themselves trapped together as the night stretches thin. Becca, the sharp-tongued waitress, keeps the coffee flowing and the peace—barely. Ray, a cook with a past, knows trouble when it walks through his door. Sam, young and wired with fear, carries a secret worth killing for. Jules, calm and calculating, watches like she’s already playing the last move. And Lane, a smooth-talking drifter, stirs old wounds with every word.
What starts as small talk unravels into tense confrontations as hidden agendas collide. Secrets are revealed, alliances shift, and by morning, no one will leave unchanged.
The Last Table Diner is a taut, one-act thriller about truth, leverage, and what happens when the storm outside is nothing compared to the storm inside.

Bench Karma

by William A. Smith

Synopsis

In a tired, flickering bus station, three strangers—Harry, a sardonic drifter; Maria, a stressed-out professional; and Ben, a young man overflowing with awkward charm—wait for a bus that may never come. As the wait stretches, what begins as tension and banter gives way to reflection and connection. From fart jokes to philosophical musings, they reveal more about themselves than they ever intended.

Amid it all...

In a tired, flickering bus station, three strangers—Harry, a sardonic drifter; Maria, a stressed-out professional; and Ben, a young man overflowing with awkward charm—wait for a bus that may never come. As the wait stretches, what begins as tension and banter gives way to reflection and connection. From fart jokes to philosophical musings, they reveal more about themselves than they ever intended.

Amid it all is a vending machine with attitude, an elusive transit inspector, and finally, Sophia—an older woman who arrives after the others have left. Her playful conversations with the bench and machine frame the story’s closing moment with warmth, humor, and a quiet truth: that in life, as in bus stations, sometimes the most important things happen while you're waiting. Bench Karma is a thoughtful comedy about delays, detours, and the beautiful randomness of human connection.

Lox and Loaded

by William A. Smith

Synopsis

***Over All Winner of the International Playwriting Competition - Carlow, Ireland 2023*** Best friends, Bernie Bloomberg and Sol Rabinowicz have operated their own hardware store in New York, for 50 years. It all comes apart after Bernie defaults on a loan from mobsters. Sol pretends they are themselves mobsters and sets about threatening to kill the local kingpin, "Joey Legs." It's no surprise, then, when Sol...

***Over All Winner of the International Playwriting Competition - Carlow, Ireland 2023*** Best friends, Bernie Bloomberg and Sol Rabinowicz have operated their own hardware store in New York, for 50 years. It all comes apart after Bernie defaults on a loan from mobsters. Sol pretends they are themselves mobsters and sets about threatening to kill the local kingpin, "Joey Legs." It's no surprise, then, when Sol and Bernie end up in the witness protection program in Texas, they have some difficulty "fitting in." Written by William A Smith & Andrew R. Looney. Comedy 60-min

The Elephant Delivery

by William A. Smith

Synopsis

The Elephant Delivery is a short one-act comedy/drama running approximately 10 minutes. The cast includes three men or three women or any combination thereof. The characters ages range from 20-70. Waiting for a delivery of odd pigeons, Chris strikes up a conversation with Pat, who is waiting for a delivery of elephants he didn’t order. Sometimes it is hard to make sense of strangers, but we’ve got to try, right?

The Elephant Delivery is a short one-act comedy/drama running approximately 10 minutes. The cast includes three men or three women or any combination thereof. The characters ages range from 20-70. Waiting for a delivery of odd pigeons, Chris strikes up a conversation with Pat, who is waiting for a delivery of elephants he didn’t order. Sometimes it is hard to make sense of strangers, but we’ve got to try, right?

Trail Mix Hotel

by William A. Smith

Synopsis

Tom checks into a hotel. When he arrives in his room he finds a stranger, Joe, is already there. The room has been double-booked. They are both in town for business conferences, and they each may have to share the room with a stranger. Following bad news, other bad news, and other-other bad news, will they need rules to make the best of a lousy situation? Comedy 10-minutes

Tom checks into a hotel. When he arrives in his room he finds a stranger, Joe, is already there. The room has been double-booked. They are both in town for business conferences, and they each may have to share the room with a stranger. Following bad news, other bad news, and other-other bad news, will they need rules to make the best of a lousy situation? Comedy 10-minutes

Monster Business

by William A. Smith

Synopsis

Dracula is leading the Monster Business quarterly meeting to review their stats for scarings and to get prepared for Halloween. All the regular monster meeting issues are on the agenda. The Wolfman, Godzilla, and Frankenstein’s Monster are all in attendance and they have a special guest paranormal researcher who has brought along a spectral guest of her own. Comedy. 10-minutes.

Dracula is leading the Monster Business quarterly meeting to review their stats for scarings and to get prepared for Halloween. All the regular monster meeting issues are on the agenda. The Wolfman, Godzilla, and Frankenstein’s Monster are all in attendance and they have a special guest paranormal researcher who has brought along a spectral guest of her own. Comedy. 10-minutes.

The Why Are You Here People

by William A. Smith

Synopsis

Bob is an Iraq war vet who, like so many, has brought much of the war home with him. By his own admission he’s not a nice person. Betty is a soccer mom whom Bob calls a busybody. Their meeting in a doctor’s office sets them on a course toward conflict, humor, and ultimately understanding. The Why Are You Here People is a short one-act comedy/drama running approximately 10 minutes. The cast includes one man and...

Bob is an Iraq war vet who, like so many, has brought much of the war home with him. By his own admission he’s not a nice person. Betty is a soccer mom whom Bob calls a busybody. Their meeting in a doctor’s office sets them on a course toward conflict, humor, and ultimately understanding. The Why Are You Here People is a short one-act comedy/drama running approximately 10 minutes. The cast includes one man and one woman. The characters ages range from 25-35 for the male role and 35-60 for the female. The play is set in the interior of a doctor’s office waiting room. Costuming includes simple current street clothes.

Water, Water

by William A. Smith

Synopsis

Danny and his Dad have never been close but what they have is further strained by being trapped on their roof, surrounded by water, awaiting rescue after a hurricane and flood. Tempers are short, drinking water is low, and their history is tumultuous. Open honesty may be the only thing that can keep their relationship afloat. Drama 10-minutes

Danny and his Dad have never been close but what they have is further strained by being trapped on their roof, surrounded by water, awaiting rescue after a hurricane and flood. Tempers are short, drinking water is low, and their history is tumultuous. Open honesty may be the only thing that can keep their relationship afloat. Drama 10-minutes

Bagels and Boots

by William A. Smith

Synopsis

"Bagels and Boots" is a hilarious comedy that follows the misadventures of best friends Bernie and Sol, who find themselves entangled in another precarious situation despite being part of the Witness Protection program. Running a thriving business called the Kosher Cowboy Feed, Seed, and Deli, the duo hopes to leave their troubled past behind. However, their idyllic life takes a comedic turn when mobsters are...

"Bagels and Boots" is a hilarious comedy that follows the misadventures of best friends Bernie and Sol, who find themselves entangled in another precarious situation despite being part of the Witness Protection program. Running a thriving business called the Kosher Cowboy Feed, Seed, and Deli, the duo hopes to leave their troubled past behind. However, their idyllic life takes a comedic turn when mobsters are sighted in town. Unable to shake off their past encounters, Bernie and Sol, fear that the mob may have caught up with them once again. As they attempt to lay low and fit into the community, their efforts to lead a normal life hilariously backfire. Bernie and Sol's schemes to stay out of trouble only make matters worse. As the situation intensifies, mistaken identities and zany encounters abound. Will Bernie and Sol be able to keep their past hidden and finally find a place where they truly belong? Join them on this sidesplitting adventure as they navigate through a web of chaos, friendship, and unexpected surprises.
"Bagels and Boots," written by William A Smith & Andrew R. Looney, is a 50-minute companion piece to the popular comedy "Lox and Loaded." Packed with witty dialogue, physical comedy, and unforgettable characters, this comedy promises an uproarious evening of entertainment that will leave audiences in stitches. A companion piece for Lox and Loaded. Comedy 50-min

That Time We Got Took

by William A. Smith

Synopsis

SYNOPSIS: Bobo Hill and Earl Hicks travel as often as they can to their cabin in the mountains of Arkansas for relaxation, beer drinking, hunting, and fishing. It doesn't take long for their latest trip to become a test of their friendship. Earl is abducted by Bigfoot and despite his insistence on the truth Bobo doesn't believe the story until Bobo is himself abducted by aliens and finds himself in the position...

SYNOPSIS: Bobo Hill and Earl Hicks travel as often as they can to their cabin in the mountains of Arkansas for relaxation, beer drinking, hunting, and fishing. It doesn't take long for their latest trip to become a test of their friendship. Earl is abducted by Bigfoot and despite his insistence on the truth Bobo doesn't believe the story until Bobo is himself abducted by aliens and finds himself in the position of trying to convince Earl. A goofy Sheriff, a fast talking old woman and a beautiful young lady show up to make their complicated vacation, well… more complicated. Ultimately, Bobo and Earl will have to stick together and learn who they can trust if they are to survive the ordeal.

MISS HARPER HAS HAD ENOUGH (But Also Maybe Learned Something?) [Monologue]

by William A. Smith

Synopsis

When a group of preschoolers launches an unexpected revolt over unfair snack policies, Miss Harper—an exhausted but well-meaning teacher—finds herself at the mercy of pint-sized revolutionaries. Through chaos, barricades, and a crayon-scrawled manifesto, she begins to question the rigid rules and routines of the classroom. Told as a comedic and heartfelt monologue, Miss Harper Has Had Enough (But Also Maybe...

When a group of preschoolers launches an unexpected revolt over unfair snack policies, Miss Harper—an exhausted but well-meaning teacher—finds herself at the mercy of pint-sized revolutionaries. Through chaos, barricades, and a crayon-scrawled manifesto, she begins to question the rigid rules and routines of the classroom. Told as a comedic and heartfelt monologue, Miss Harper Has Had Enough (But Also Maybe Learned Something?) explores power, autonomy, and the profound lessons adults can learn from the very young.

Water, Water: Danny's Monologue

by William A. Smith

Synopsis

DANNY and his DAD are trapped on their home’s roof surrounded by flood waters, awaiting rescue, following a hurricane. DANNY is laying out all the ways his DAD has mistreated, offended, and abused his family, as well as other people around him.

DANNY and his DAD are trapped on their home’s roof surrounded by flood waters, awaiting rescue, following a hurricane. DANNY is laying out all the ways his DAD has mistreated, offended, and abused his family, as well as other people around him.

Layover, Layunder, Lie Down, and Weep

by William A. Smith

Synopsis

Stranded travelers at Echo Possum Regional Air Terminal face endless delays, cryptic announcements, and a gate agent who speaks only in fabricated Bible verses. As a goat pageant occupies the runway, unionized livestock negotiate hay breaks, and time collapses into absurdity, the passengers confront an existential question: is the flight ever coming—or have they already arrived somewhere else entirely? Part...

Stranded travelers at Echo Possum Regional Air Terminal face endless delays, cryptic announcements, and a gate agent who speaks only in fabricated Bible verses. As a goat pageant occupies the runway, unionized livestock negotiate hay breaks, and time collapses into absurdity, the passengers confront an existential question: is the flight ever coming—or have they already arrived somewhere else entirely? Part Waiting for Godot, part surreal fever dream, Layover, Layunder, Lie Down and Weep is a dark absurdist comedy about waiting, uncertainty, and the rituals we invent to survive purgatorial limbo at America's strangest regional airport.