Craig Pospisil

Craig Pospisil

CRAIG POSPISIL is author of MONTHS ON END, JOURNEY TO THE POLES OF INACCESSIBILITY, SOMEWHERE IN BETWEEN, THE DUNES, LIFE IS SHORT, the collection CHOOSING SIDES. He is multiple award-winning author, six time Heideman Award finalist, and received the Kennedy Center/American College Theatre Festival’s award for Excellence in Playwriting.

MONTHS ON END had its world premiere at the Purple Rose...
CRAIG POSPISIL is author of MONTHS ON END, JOURNEY TO THE POLES OF INACCESSIBILITY, SOMEWHERE IN BETWEEN, THE DUNES, LIFE IS SHORT, the collection CHOOSING SIDES. He is multiple award-winning author, six time Heideman Award finalist, and received the Kennedy Center/American College Theatre Festival’s award for Excellence in Playwriting.

MONTHS ON END had its world premiere at the Purple Rose Theater Company and has been produced around the country, as well as in Australia and Hong Kong. SOMEWHERE IN BETWEEN premiered at the Detroit Repertory Theater and has since had more than sixty productions, including ones in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles and Paris. JOURNEY TO THE POLES OF INACCESSIBILITY had its world premiere at the Unicorn Theatre in Kansas City, Missouri, and THE DUNES was produced by the Gallery Players in Brooklyn, after a workshop at the Venice Theatre, readings at the Barrow Group and Michael Chekhov Theatre in New York, and winning Theatre Conspiracy's New Play Contest.

He is a co-author, alongside Lynne Halliday, James Hindman & Arlene Hutton, of THE GORGES MOTEL and ONE CHRISTMAS EVE AT EVERGREEN MALL, which premiered at the 20th and 21st New York International Fringe Festivals. Both plays are published by Dramatists Play Service. The four have also written a collection called BY THE NUMBERS, which was a commission to write short plays based on math theorems. BY THE NUMBERS is published by TRW Plays.

In 2015, Craig adapted the first scene from MONTHS for the screen and directed it as a short film called JANUARY, which was accepted into twenty film festivals, including the Berkshire International Film Festival, Big Apple Film Festival, Cayman International Film Festival, Bahamas Film Festival, Big Easy Film Festival and more. It received on Honorable Mention for Screenwriting from the American Filmatic Awards.

Craig was the head writer for theAtrainplays, the twenty-four hour theater company, for which he wrote sixteen short plays and musicals, including IT'S NOT YOU, TOURIST ATTRACTION and THE BEST WAY TO GO, which are published by Playscripts in "theAtrainplays" and "theAtrainplays Vol. II." Other publications include ON THE EDGE in Under Thirty: Plays for a New Generation and Best Ten-Minute Plays 2005; THERE'S NO HERE HERE in Outstanding Short Plays, Vol. 2 and Best American Short Plays 2014-2015; GUERILLA GORILLA in Plays and Playwrights 2001; HAPPENSTANCE in Best Ten Minute Plays 2015; PERCHANCE in the Best Ten Minute Plays 2006; and his one-act DISSONANCE is included in Best American Short Plays 2011-2012 and Outstanding Short Plays, Vol. 3.

Craig's work has been seen at Ensemble Studio Theatre, New World Stages, Bay Street Theater, New York Musical Festival, Barrington Stage, Cherry Lane Studio Theater, New York International Fringe Festival, City Theatre (Miami), Road Theatre (Los Angeles) and the Caldwell Theater, has been performed on six continents, and translated into seven languages. A native New Yorker, Craig received his Masters from New York University’s Dramatic Writing Department and is a member of the Dramatists Guild. He lives in New York with his wife Bloomberg TV anchor Alix Steel and their daughter.

Plays

  • JOURNEY TO THE POLES OF INACCESSIBILITY by Craig Pospisil
    Recommendations: 1
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    Cast: 
    6–12
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    Genre: adventure, comedy + 3 more
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    Keyword: Fantasy, epic journey + 2 more
    Genre: adventure, comedy, fable/folktale, fantasy, romantic comedy
    Keyword: Fantasy, epic journey, hero's journey, Joseph Campbell
    If magic was real, how far would you travel to find it? Dylan is comfortable with his insular life, working at an insurance company and living with his wheelchair-bound aunt. Then he meets Chris, a young woman of boundless energy, on a quest to gather what magic may remain at the world's most remote places, the Poles of Inaccessibility. Dylan and Chris circle the globe on an epic journey of discovery,...
    If magic was real, how far would you travel to find it? Dylan is comfortable with his insular life, working at an insurance company and living with his wheelchair-bound aunt. Then he meets Chris, a young woman of boundless energy, on a quest to gather what magic may remain at the world's most remote places, the Poles of Inaccessibility. Dylan and Chris circle the globe on an epic journey of discovery, comedy, danger, and romance.
  • WATER/MUSIC by Craig Pospisil
    Recommendations: 1
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    Cast: 
    4
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    Genre: drama
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    Keyword: dysfunctional family, death in the family + 5 more
    Genre: drama
    Keyword: dysfunctional family, death in the family, Alzheimer's Disease, success and failure, love, grief, redemption
    Tricia returns to the Berkshires to deal with her mother's death after a battle with Alzheimer’s. But at the funeral home she collides with Fitz, a prodigy and former piano student of her mother's, with secrets of his own, and her estranged aunt Peggy, who challenge her loyalty and choices. Tricia wanted to avoid her mother’s estranged sister, Peggy, but they must confront each other over finalizing the estate.
  • ONE CHRISTMAS EVE AT EVERGREEN MALL by Craig Pospisil
    Recommendations: 1
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    Cast: 
    6
    ·
    Genre: comedy, drama + 2 more
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    Keyword: christmas, holiday + 3 more
    Genre: comedy, drama, holiday, romantic comedy
    Keyword: christmas, holiday, ensemble, comedy, drama
    ONE CHRISTMAS EVE AT EVERGREEN MALL by Lynne Halliday, James Hindman, Arlene Hutton & Craig Pospisil follows eight intertwined stories in a Midwestern shopping mall on the day before the holiday. An assorted cast of characters, from a love-sick mall Santa to an over-eager mall cop, a petulant college freshman to pair of newlyweds, navigate first meetings, second chances, and last-minute choices, as ONE...
    ONE CHRISTMAS EVE AT EVERGREEN MALL by Lynne Halliday, James Hindman, Arlene Hutton & Craig Pospisil follows eight intertwined stories in a Midwestern shopping mall on the day before the holiday. An assorted cast of characters, from a love-sick mall Santa to an over-eager mall cop, a petulant college freshman to pair of newlyweds, navigate first meetings, second chances, and last-minute choices, as ONE CHRISTMAS EVE wraps the joys and sorrows of the season into one festive package.
  • MONTHS ON END by Craig Pospisil
    Cast: 
    10
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    Genre: comedy, romantic comedy
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    Keyword: Relationships, family + 2 more
    Genre: comedy, romantic comedy
    Keyword: Relationships, family, friendship, the Beatles
    In a series of comic scenes we follow the intertwined lives of a circle of friends and family, whose lives are poised between happiness and heartbreak. Phoebe and Ben are engaged to be married, but have some lingering doubts. Even so, Elaine is jealous of their relationship, especially since none of hers last more than five dates. She's ready to give up on love until she meets Walter, whose only flaw may...
    In a series of comic scenes we follow the intertwined lives of a circle of friends and family, whose lives are poised between happiness and heartbreak. Phoebe and Ben are engaged to be married, but have some lingering doubts. Even so, Elaine is jealous of their relationship, especially since none of hers last more than five dates. She's ready to give up on love until she meets Walter, whose only flaw may be that he's married. Walter's brother Nick is single, but when he proposes to his girlfriend Paige on a beach her answer is to scream and drop the engagement ring. Heidi, Phoebe's sister, delivers a comic gem of a commencement address in May that starts as a tribute to the graduates' parents, but degenerates into a hysterical tirade against them. Phoebe's wedding day meltdown isn't helped by her father, who, trying to calm her fears, tells her to "Pretend you're in a plane that's crashing ... " Walter and Nick battle hilariously in July over what they find sexy about women. As the year draws to a close, a fight over the Beatles threatens to break-up Ben and Phoebe, but a death bonds them more strongly together. The funny and touching December scene finds Walter and Nick still as different as siblings can be, but finally united by their failed relationships.
  • SOMEWHERE IN BETWEEN by Craig Pospisil
    Cast: 
    6–10
    ·
    Genre: comedy, fantasy + 1 more
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    Keyword: episodic, New York + 1 more
    Genre: comedy, fantasy, romantic comedy
    Keyword: episodic, New York, absurdism
    The play begins in the dark, as Jasper confesses his feeling of isolation to the audience. But he becomes unnerved by the dark and calls for lights. In the first scene, Jasper is stuck between floors on an elevator with a claustrophobic man, who goes hilariously over the edge. At work a sleazy co-worker gives him farcical advice on how to pick up women, and that night Jasper goes to a bookstore and tires to...
    The play begins in the dark, as Jasper confesses his feeling of isolation to the audience. But he becomes unnerved by the dark and calls for lights. In the first scene, Jasper is stuck between floors on an elevator with a claustrophobic man, who goes hilariously over the edge. At work a sleazy co-worker gives him farcical advice on how to pick up women, and that night Jasper goes to a bookstore and tires to pick-up a pretty clerk, Holly. He strikes out, but gets picked up by another woman, who takes him home ... where she lives with her boyfriend. A ride on the subway turns into a comic free-for-all as he and other riders enthusiastically give advice to a lost tourist. Crossing paths with Holly at a party, Jasper gamely starts a conversation, hoping she won't recognize him, but she does and teases him flirtatiously. On their first date they go to a cozy restaurant, but the couple seated on one side erupts in a battle of the sexes, while the couple on the other side engages passionate verbal foreplay. Later, Jasper walks Holly home and their conversation seems mundane, but their fantasies are anything but. A chance encounter with a homeless man forces Jasper to gain a little perspective on his life. Back at work, Jasper snaps when a friend tells him Holly is dating someone else. He kicks a chair, breaks his foot and gets fired. Feeling suddenly liberated, he hobbles to the bookstore to ask Holly if she's seeing someone. She isn't. They kiss - and leave for the hospital. In the end, Jasper briefly talks to the audience again, understanding he must accept life's uncertainties, which aren't all bad, and make the best of what comes his way.
  • THE DUNES by Craig Pospisil
    Cast: 
    6
    ·
    Genre: adaptation, drama
    ·
    Keyword: Chekhov, financial crisis + 1 more
    Genre: adaptation, drama
    Keyword: Chekhov, financial crisis, contemporary
    THE DUNES follows the downward spiral of fading actress Laura Robertson and her family; step-daughter Vanessa, daughter Anne and brother Garret. Laura, who has become better known for her turbulent relationships than her acting, returns to her family home to East Hampton, New York to lick her wounds, after her current marriage has fallen apart. The others, particularly the practical Vanessa and her fiance...
    THE DUNES follows the downward spiral of fading actress Laura Robertson and her family; step-daughter Vanessa, daughter Anne and brother Garret. Laura, who has become better known for her turbulent relationships than her acting, returns to her family home to East Hampton, New York to lick her wounds, after her current marriage has fallen apart. The others, particularly the practical Vanessa and her fiance Jeremy try to get her life and career back on track, but Laura's debts and inability to face reality and make painful decisions mean they may lose things that are far more valuable than a beach house.
    Inspired by The Cherry Orchard.
  • ON THE EDGE by Craig Pospisil
    Recommendations: 4
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    Cast: 
    2
    ·
    Genre: comedy, dark comedy + 2 more
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    Keyword: coming of age, LGBTQ
    Genre: comedy, dark comedy, drama, romantic comedy
    Keyword: coming of age, LGBTQ
    Gene, a young man of seventeen, is so distraught that Amanda, the girl of his dreams, is kissing someone else at a party that he decides to jump off the ledge of a New York apartment building. In front of her. While he's waiting for Amanda to leave, Sammy, another schoolmate at the party, comes to the window to have a smoke. She discovers Gene there, and, far being worried or trying to talk him out of it,...
    Gene, a young man of seventeen, is so distraught that Amanda, the girl of his dreams, is kissing someone else at a party that he decides to jump off the ledge of a New York apartment building. In front of her. While he's waiting for Amanda to leave, Sammy, another schoolmate at the party, comes to the window to have a smoke. She discovers Gene there, and, far being worried or trying to talk him out of it, Sammy teases him for being melodramatic and for being so in love with a girl who's "not that great."
  • THERE'S NO HERE HERE by Craig Pospisil
    Recommendations: 3
    ·
    Cast: 
    4
    ·
    Genre: comedy, parody/spoof + 1 more
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    Keyword: absurdism, writing + 3 more
    Genre: comedy, parody/spoof, romantic comedy
    Keyword: absurdism, writing, Paris, French, Gertrude Stein
    Lance moves to Paris to follow his dream of becoming a writer, but his work goes badly. As does his relationship with Juliette, a beautiful Parisian. But a strangely familiar woman at their local bistro forces Lance to dig deeper into himself.
  • IT'S NOT YOU by Craig Pospisil
    Cast: 
    4
    ·
    Genre: comedy, dark comedy
    ·
    Keyword: absurdism, New York + 1 more
    Genre: comedy, dark comedy
    Keyword: absurdism, New York, Relationships
    Friends can drift apart, but they generally don't announce they're "breaking up" with you. Especially not when you're riding downtown on the A train. Natalie's friends, on the other hand, think it's the perfect place to make a clean break.
  • DISSONANCE by Craig Pospisil
    Recommendations: 2
    ·
    Cast: 
    2
    ·
    Genre: drama
    ·
    Keyword: dysfunctional family, disability
    Genre: drama
    Keyword: dysfunctional family, disability
    Tricia returns to the Berkshires to deal with her mother's death after a battle with Alzheimer’s. But at the funeral home she collides with Fitz, a prodigy and former piano student of her mother's, with secrets of his own, who challenges her loyalty and choices.
  • HAPPENSTANCE by Craig Pospisil
    Recommendations: 2
    ·
    Cast: 
    4
    ·
    Genre: comedy, dark comedy + 1 more
    ·
    Keyword: absurdism
    Genre: comedy, dark comedy, romantic comedy
    Keyword: absurdism
    Cassidy, a conflicted and high-strung woman, is at a coffee shop with her husband, when she spots her ex-boyfriend Abe. Should she talk to him? Or not? Tell her husband? Or not? Abe approaches her, and in a midst the small talk he drops some bombshells about their past relationship. But Cassidy won't let him get away with that. Every time Abe starts taking a path she doesn't like, Cassidy makes...
    Cassidy, a conflicted and high-strung woman, is at a coffee shop with her husband, when she spots her ex-boyfriend Abe. Should she talk to him? Or not? Tell her husband? Or not? Abe approaches her, and in a midst the small talk he drops some bombshells about their past relationship. But Cassidy won't let him get away with that. Every time Abe starts taking a path she doesn't like, Cassidy makes a twirling motion with one hand and rewinds time, until things play out the way she wants. Or does it?
  • HER HEAD ON THE PILLOW by Craig Pospisil
    Recommendations: 3
    ·
    Cast: 
    2
    ·
    Genre: dark comedy, drama + 2 more
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    Keyword: redemption, love + 4 more
    Genre: dark comedy, drama, faith-based, fantasy
    Keyword: redemption, love, forgiveness and redemption, forgiveness, loneliness, questions of religion
    Inspired by Tennessee Williams' poem of the same name, HER HEAD ON THE PILLOW imagines a surprisingly redemptive "morning after" after for an unlikely couple following a one-night stand.
  • THE BIG SHELL by Craig Pospisil
    Recommendations: 1
    ·
    Cast: 
    6
    ·
    Genre: comedy, mystery/thriller + 2 more
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    Keyword: noir, math
    Genre: comedy, mystery/thriller, parody/spoof, period
    Keyword: noir, math
    Written as part of a commission for plays inspired by math theorems or equations, THE BIG SHELL is a "math noir" comedy, about hard-boiled detective Philip Fibonacci, who takes on a perplexing case in the shape of femme fatale Brooke Taylor, involving blackmail, murder and a golden nautilus shell.
  • INFANT MORALITY by Craig Pospisil
    Recommendations: 1
    ·
    Cast: 
    4
    ·
    Genre: comedy, dark comedy + 1 more
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    Keyword: parenthood, new parents
    Genre: comedy, dark comedy, satire
    Keyword: parenthood, new parents
    Trish is at the front desk of a hospital when Stephanie comes in carrying a shopping bag from an expensive store. She has something to return. Trish doesn't understand until she looks in the bag and sees a baby. Trish is staggered, but Stephanie can't understand what the problem is. Things get even stranger before the resolution of this black comedy.
  • JANUARY by Craig Pospisil
    Recommendations: 1
    ·
    Cast: 
    2
    ·
    Genre: comedy, holiday + 1 more
    Genre: comedy, holiday, romantic comedy
    New Year's Eve is tough. When Elaine finds herself alone at midnight at a party in a stranger's apartment, she decides to drown her sorrows in champagne, but her plan is spoiled by an relentlessly positive guy, who's determined to see her champagne flute as half full.
  • THE LAST DECEMBER by Craig Pospisil
    Recommendations: 2
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    Cast: 
    2
    ·
    Genre: comedy, fantasy + 2 more
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    Keyword: elderly, christmas
    Genre: comedy, fantasy, holiday, romantic comedy
    Keyword: elderly, christmas
    An elderly couple sit at home on a cold winter's night. The old man wants to finish watching his football game, but his wife tries to get him ready to go out on some errand. The man is bitter, and clearly doesn't want to go. His patient wife listens but gently prods. But there's more to the old man than meets the eye, and the play ends with surprising sweetness and love.