Steven Strafford

Steven Strafford

Steven Strafford is a Brooklyn-born playwright and actor. He is the author of the award-winning solo play, Methtacular! He has performed Methtacular! across the country in NYC, Chicago, regional theaters, universities, and LGBTQ+ spaces. Methtacular! was recorded at Steppenwolf Theatre’s 1700 Space in 2109. His play Small Jokes About Monsters won the New American Voices Contest in 2016 and was a semi-finalist...
Steven Strafford is a Brooklyn-born playwright and actor. He is the author of the award-winning solo play, Methtacular! He has performed Methtacular! across the country in NYC, Chicago, regional theaters, universities, and LGBTQ+ spaces. Methtacular! was recorded at Steppenwolf Theatre’s 1700 Space in 2109. His play Small Jokes About Monsters won the New American Voices Contest in 2016 and was a semi-finalist for The O’Neill National Playwrights Conference. Small Jokes About Monsters had productions in Houston at Landing Theatre; (nominated for Outstand New Play, Houston Theater Awards) Chicago at 16th Street Theater; and in Sioux City at The Lamb Theater. His play, Greater Illinois was a semifinalist in the 2021 O’Neill National Playwrights Conference and a finalist for the Jackie Demaline New Play Contest at Ensemble Theater Cincinnati. The play also received a workshop with Tantrum East in NYC in November 2021. His short play Use Your Noodles was produced at Middlesex College, Ohio University, and Colby College. His ten-minute The Breakup Play was produced by New American Folk Theater in Chicago. Methtacular! will be included in a forthcoming anthology of solo plays from Opus Books. His essay, “College Dreams,” was published in the book, The Anatomy of Silence. His acting credits include film, TV, stage, and commercials.

Plays

  • The Model Congressman by Steven Strafford
    Cast: 
    6–7
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    Genre: comedy, tragedy
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    Keyword: centers lgbt characters, American politics + 2 more
    Genre: comedy, tragedy
    Keyword: centers lgbt characters, American politics, closeted gay, tragicomedy
    It's 1994, and Kevin's just a kid hoping to win a big scholarship and get enough money to go to the school of his dreams. It's 1994, and Kevin's just a closeted kid who secretly goes on adults-only chat rooms looking for men. It's 1994, and Kevin's just an ambitious, closeted kid who has to decide how far he's willing to go to impress the man who can change or ruin his life....
    It's 1994, and Kevin's just a kid hoping to win a big scholarship and get enough money to go to the school of his dreams. It's 1994, and Kevin's just a closeted kid who secretly goes on adults-only chat rooms looking for men. It's 1994, and Kevin's just an ambitious, closeted kid who has to decide how far he's willing to go to impress the man who can change or ruin his life. It's time to go to the 1994 Model Congress!
  • Small Jokes About Monsters by Steven Strafford
    Recommendations: 11
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    Cast: 
    4
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    Genre: comedy, dark comedy + 1 more
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    Keyword: addiction, family + 4 more
    Genre: comedy, dark comedy, drama
    Keyword: addiction, family, death, forgiveness, jokes, Effects of trauma
    (Full length. One act.) In Small Jokes About Monsters, we meet three brothers. Ryan, the middle brother, is explaining his theory about there being three different kinds of funny people: Godzillas, Mothras and Gameras. His older brother, John, and his younger brother, Derek, interject with jokes and conversational obstructions. The dialogue is fast and funny.

    Soon, we realize they have arrived in...
    (Full length. One act.) In Small Jokes About Monsters, we meet three brothers. Ryan, the middle brother, is explaining his theory about there being three different kinds of funny people: Godzillas, Mothras and Gameras. His older brother, John, and his younger brother, Derek, interject with jokes and conversational obstructions. The dialogue is fast and funny.

    Soon, we realize they have arrived in a rented beach house after their estranged father’s funeral. Their father has left them an envelope to open after his death. They joke some more. They reminisce.

    Their mother arrives. Two of them are annoyed at the third brother for inviting her. What ensues is a series of conversations where truth is revealed and tempers flair. The show has a few reveals, and ultimately it’s about what we choose to do with trauma and how we use humor to cover it up.

    In the end, we have witnessed a family take a step, forward or back is up to the audience.
  • The Match Game by Steven Strafford
    Recommendations: 4
    ·
    Cast: 
    7
    ·
    Genre: comedy, drama
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    Keyword: A Family Comedy/drama, cancer + 2 more
    Genre: comedy, drama
    Keyword: A Family Comedy/drama, cancer, dementia, dark comedy
    (Full length. Two Acts.) Steph has cancer, but that's the least of her worries. She has to contend with a dad who may be faking his dementia, a truth-telling mom who hates her dad, a missing husband, and brother and his too-young boyfriend, all at a birthday party at her home. Will Steph be able to get what she needs from her estranged dad, and keep her life together at the same time?
  • Greater Illinois by Steven Strafford
    Recommendations: 4
    ·
    Cast: 
    7
    ·
    Genre: drama, mystery/thriller + 2 more
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    Keyword: American political protest, fear + 7 more
    Genre: drama, mystery/thriller, political, tragedy
    Keyword: American political protest, fear, LGBTQ, White Supremacy, Dystopia, dark comedy, intersectionality, class race and gender politics, Chicago
    (Full length. Two Acts.) Multiple timeliness, a woman standing her ground, a gay man terrified for his life, the ghosts that haunt them, and what lengths we’ll go to seek justice. Greater Illinois tells two stories interwoven that examine the intersections of fear, race, homophobia, and The Greater Illinois Council, a government agency insistent on “making a brighter tomorrow today,” no matter the human cost....
    (Full length. Two Acts.) Multiple timeliness, a woman standing her ground, a gay man terrified for his life, the ghosts that haunt them, and what lengths we’ll go to seek justice. Greater Illinois tells two stories interwoven that examine the intersections of fear, race, homophobia, and The Greater Illinois Council, a government agency insistent on “making a brighter tomorrow today,” no matter the human cost. Greater Illinois is the story of who chooses fight, flight, or freeze and what happens when they choose.
  • Mona Quimby: Age 38 by Steven Strafford
    Recommendations: 2
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    Cast: 
    4
    ·
    Genre: comedy
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    Keyword: roadtrip, comedy + 2 more
    Genre: comedy
    Keyword: roadtrip, comedy, fourth wall, literary homage
    (Full length. One act.) A former free-spirit who saddled herself in a bad relationship and a go-nowhere job goes on a road trip to take her name off a Holocaust-Trivia distribution list. Along the way, she learns to take up a bit more room without apologizing for it.
  • Methtacular! by Steven Strafford
    Recommendations: 11
    ·
    Cast: 
    1
    ·
    Genre: biography, comedy + 4 more
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    Keyword: drug addiction, Recovery + 3 more
    Genre: biography, comedy, dark comedy, docudrama/historic, drama, musical
    Keyword: drug addiction, Recovery, Broadway, pop culture, Game Show
    (Full length, solo show in one act) METHTACULAR! written and performed by Steven Strafford, directed by Adam Fitzgerald, is Strafford’s hilarious and harrowing account of his three year run as a crystal meth addict in Chicago. As Steven weaves together stories, songs and sitcom trivia, and a game show, audiences will laugh their way down into the depths of his drug addled, sex crazed life. Methtacular! is a...
    (Full length, solo show in one act) METHTACULAR! written and performed by Steven Strafford, directed by Adam Fitzgerald, is Strafford’s hilarious and harrowing account of his three year run as a crystal meth addict in Chicago. As Steven weaves together stories, songs and sitcom trivia, and a game show, audiences will laugh their way down into the depths of his drug addled, sex crazed life. Methtacular! is a roller coaster ride you won’t soon forget. Video of full production is included on this page.
  • Penumbra, LLC by Steven Strafford
    Recommendations: 4
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    Cast: 
    2
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    Genre: comedy, political
    ·
    Keyword: Invasion of Privacy, privacy rights
    Genre: comedy, political
    Keyword: Invasion of Privacy, privacy rights
    (Short play) Cindy makes a video call to Jane to discuss a problem Jane has with the rules.
  • Use Your Noodles by Steven Strafford
    Recommendations: 5
    ·
    Cast: 
    2
    ·
    Genre: comedy, romantic comedy
    ·
    Keyword: LGBTQ
    Genre: comedy, romantic comedy
    Keyword: LGBTQ
    (short play)Chris is trying to study, but Sam has other things on his mind.
  • The Breakup Play by Steven Strafford
    Recommendations: 5
    ·
    Cast: 
    3
    ·
    Genre: comedy
    ·
    Keyword: features LGBTQ characters
    Genre: comedy
    Keyword: features LGBTQ characters
    (ten min.) The author of the play tries to recount the moment in time where his relationship ended. The other characters fight for narrative control.
  • Falling Out With Each Other by Steven Strafford
    Recommendations: 2
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    Cast: 
    2–3
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    Genre: comedy, parody/spoof + 1 more
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    Keyword: aging, absurd comedy + 1 more
    Genre: comedy, parody/spoof, zoom
    Keyword: aging, absurd comedy, comedy
    (short play) A middle aged gay man inspects his receding hair, and then we zoom in to see the last two hairs who've stayed in "the old neighborhood" of his right temple's original hairline. When one hair says she's leaving for greener pastures, they have a hard goodbye.
  • Choosing Herself, a Tiny Polemic by Steven Strafford
    Recommendations: 1
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    Cast: 
    3
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    Genre: drama, political
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    Keyword: abortion rights, abortion + 1 more
    Genre: drama, political
    Keyword: abortion rights, abortion, good roles for women
    (short play) Three women discuss how abortion was the right decision for them.