George Sapio

George Sapio

I am a mid-career playwright, director, producer, actor, and dramaturg. My play Ghosts won the Mildred and Albert Panowski Playwriting Award. A later play, Oatmeal and a Cigarette was awarded Critics' Pick at the 2008 Cincinnati Fringe and subsequently published by Broadway Play Publishing. Several of my shorter plays have appeared in recent “Best of” anthologies.

In response to new...
I am a mid-career playwright, director, producer, actor, and dramaturg. My play Ghosts won the Mildred and Albert Panowski Playwriting Award. A later play, Oatmeal and a Cigarette was awarded Critics' Pick at the 2008 Cincinnati Fringe and subsequently published by Broadway Play Publishing. Several of my shorter plays have appeared in recent “Best of” anthologies.

In response to new playwrights colleagues asking me about my development experiences, I wrote the how-to book "Workshopping the New Play: A Guide for Playwrights, Directors, and Dramaturgs" (published by Globe Pequot Books). For the past ten years I have produced and hosted the podcast Onstage/Offstage, featuring interviews with theatre professionals from around the world and live readings of new short plays. And because I believed that Ithaca, NY, desperately needed new and exciting theatre blood, I co-founded and served as the artistic director of the Ithaca Fringe Festival (2013-2017).

Websites: www.gsapio.com; www.onstageoffstage.org;

Plays

  • Wolves by George Sapio
    Recommendations: 3
    ·
    Cast: 
    7
    ·
    Genre: dark comedy, drama + 2 more
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    Keyword: apocalypse, classical music + 6 more
    Genre: dark comedy, drama, horror, tragedy
    Keyword: apocalypse, classical music, Castle, end of the world, Survival, Terror, claustrophobia, unseen enemy
    Full-length.
    Seven world-class classical musicians abandoned in a 15-century castle besieged by packs of wolves must negotiate how to survive together until help comes. If it does at all.

    "Masha's Monologue" published by Smith and Kraus "Best Men's Stage Monologues 2023" (link below)
  • Night Witch by George Sapio
    Recommendations: 8
    ·
    Cast: 
    1
    ·
    Genre: adventure, biography + 5 more
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    Keyword: strong female character, women pilots + 7 more
    Genre: adventure, biography, docudrama/historic, drama, period, political, zoom
    Keyword: strong female character, women pilots, WWII, nightwitches, biplanes, fighterpilots, misogyny, all female cast, monologue
    SOLO ONE-ACT. For three years during WWII, the 588th Night Bomber Regiment of the Soviet Air Force, the first-ever female fighter pilots (in the history of war) flew nightly missions against the massive German war machine. They flew in all kinds of weather: rain, snow, sub-zero freezes, with no radar, lights, or parachutes. They flew over 300 sorties, often with ten or more missions per squad every night,...
    SOLO ONE-ACT. For three years during WWII, the 588th Night Bomber Regiment of the Soviet Air Force, the first-ever female fighter pilots (in the history of war) flew nightly missions against the massive German war machine. They flew in all kinds of weather: rain, snow, sub-zero freezes, with no radar, lights, or parachutes. They flew over 300 sorties, often with ten or more missions per squad every night, dropping bombs on the Nazi front lines. The regiment was staffed entirely of women, including all support staff. They were one of the most highly decorated elite regiments in Soviet history. They flew biplanes. They dealt with misogyny and hardship. And they had the Nazis terrified of them.
  • Vinnie Suitcases by George Sapio
    Recommendations: 2
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    Cast: 
    6
    ·
    Genre: adventure, comedy + 3 more
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    Keyword: comedy, Mob + 6 more
    Genre: adventure, comedy, dark comedy, parody/spoof, romantic comedy
    Keyword: comedy, Mob, mafia, scam, family, loyalty, FBI, Strong Female Characters
    FULL LENGTH - The Tortellinis are like any other long-term mob family: ruthless, conniving, and lovable. Vincent (Vinnie “Suitcases”) and wife Kate are at the end of their usefulness. When a mob hit goes wrong, they, daughter Maria, and son-in-law “Little Joey” Carpentieri need to think fast in order to make it to the end of this play. Throw in a couple of surprises on Vinnie's part and unexpected FBI...
    FULL LENGTH - The Tortellinis are like any other long-term mob family: ruthless, conniving, and lovable. Vincent (Vinnie “Suitcases”) and wife Kate are at the end of their usefulness. When a mob hit goes wrong, they, daughter Maria, and son-in-law “Little Joey” Carpentieri need to think fast in order to make it to the end of this play. Throw in a couple of surprises on Vinnie's part and unexpected FBI interference, and the Tortellinis embark on a minute-by-minute journey no one expected.
  • Whitewash by George Sapio
    Cast: 
    15–20
    ·
    Genre: drama, political + 1 more
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    Keyword: bipoc, whitewash + 4 more
    Genre: drama, political, young audiences
    Keyword: bipoc, whitewash, Race, white privilege, young adult, high school
    A Young Adult one-act which deals with the practice of casting white actors in roles meant for BIPOC.
  • Do You Want Fries With That? by George Sapio
    Recommendations: 3
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    Cast: 
    6
    ·
    Genre: comedy, dark comedy + 3 more
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    Keyword: humanity, dignity + 7 more
    Genre: comedy, dark comedy, drama, political, satire
    Keyword: humanity, dignity, feminism, identity, corporations, absurd, comedy, female lead, capitalism
    FULL-LENGTH. Identity & humanity in the modern corporate workforce: can either of them survive within a dehumanizing system? After many years away, Martha, a middle-aged woman, re-enters the workforce in a global corporation. No matter how she tries to work her way up the ladder or improve her work life, she finds herself undervalued and all of her efforts frustrated. Her relationship with her sole co-...
    FULL-LENGTH. Identity & humanity in the modern corporate workforce: can either of them survive within a dehumanizing system? After many years away, Martha, a middle-aged woman, re-enters the workforce in a global corporation. No matter how she tries to work her way up the ladder or improve her work life, she finds herself undervalued and all of her efforts frustrated. Her relationship with her sole co-worker and immediate supervisor evolves into a contentious battle of underhanded tactics and sabotage. Forced to change from a passive person into a pro-active individual, Martha begins to discover that she is more capable than she imagined.
  • The Final Word by George Sapio
    Recommendations: 3
    ·
    Cast: 
    8–11
    ·
    Genre: dark comedy, docudrama/historic + 3 more
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    Keyword: free speech, speech + 6 more
    Genre: dark comedy, docudrama/historic, drama, political, satire
    Keyword: free speech, speech, law, SCOTUS, university, shutting down speech, civil rights, civil liberties
    FULL-LENGTH. Lizzie Featherstone, in the interests of education and social awareness, publishes an essay from a distinguished alumna. Political forces immediately try to discredit her, but she will not back down. The issue becomes a legal battle that serves as an allegory for the record of SCOTUS free speech cases in the 20th century.
    Chances are, you may not know nearly enough about free speech in America.
  • The Viking Suicides by George Sapio
    Recommendations: 3
    ·
    Cast: 
    7–8
    ·
    Genre: comedy, dark comedy + 5 more
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    Keyword: suicide, teenagers + 6 more
    Genre: comedy, dark comedy, drama, farce, political, satire, tragedy
    Keyword: suicide, teenagers, feminism, education, family, absurd comedy, Strong Female Characters, great for women over 50
    FULL-LENGTH. At a posh urban private school, a Viking-themed teenage group suicide attempt sparks off a series of events leading to the formation of a women’s refuge society with dubious goals. Society observes and reacts, not always intelligently, and a well-meaning yet eminently clueless father must find a way to get back to his now-famous daughter by whatever means possible.
  • Fault Lines by George Sapio
    Recommendations: 1
    ·
    Cast: 
    4
    ·
    Genre: comedy, dark comedy + 1 more
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    Keyword: Sisters, cooking + 7 more
    Genre: comedy, dark comedy, drama
    Keyword: Sisters, cooking, mother, secrets, Nuns, pornography, doctor, robbery, women40+
    FULL-LENGTH. A robbery leads to revelations for three sisters: fragile Stazi, a forensic pathologist who is chronically single; Ginger, whose "adventurous" past comes back to haunt her; and Theresa, a cigarette-smoking, foul-mouthed nun, who has always been the stalwart eldest sibling. Add in Ginger's husband, Shawn, whose bruised ego and desperate attempts to make it as a chef further complicate...
    FULL-LENGTH. A robbery leads to revelations for three sisters: fragile Stazi, a forensic pathologist who is chronically single; Ginger, whose "adventurous" past comes back to haunt her; and Theresa, a cigarette-smoking, foul-mouthed nun, who has always been the stalwart eldest sibling. Add in Ginger's husband, Shawn, whose bruised ego and desperate attempts to make it as a chef further complicate matters. Sibling rivalry, pornography, a dead mother who's still very much a potent presence, a fistful of condoms, secret ingredients, and family secrets threaten to tear the sisters apart.

    *3 roles for women 40+.*

    PARTIAL SCRIPT AVAILABLE. For full script, please contact Next Stage Press (see below).
  • Oatmeal and a Cigarette by George Sapio
    Recommendations: 1
    ·
    Cast: 
    3
    ·
    Genre: dark comedy, drama + 1 more
    ·
    Keyword: family, mother + 6 more
    Genre: dark comedy, drama, tragedy
    Keyword: family, mother, children, babysitter, abuse, love, growing up, motherhood
    ~60 min One-act. Billy, in his 30s, believes he is three. "Mommy" Claire, (who is actually Billy's older brother) has never let him out of the apartment, keeping him there with scary stories about the outside world. Babysitter Jane comes every day and behind Claire's back, hypnotizes and interviews Billy about his past. Billy, unable to contain his adult urges, makes advances to Jane. Jane...
    ~60 min One-act. Billy, in his 30s, believes he is three. "Mommy" Claire, (who is actually Billy's older brother) has never let him out of the apartment, keeping him there with scary stories about the outside world. Babysitter Jane comes every day and behind Claire's back, hypnotizes and interviews Billy about his past. Billy, unable to contain his adult urges, makes advances to Jane. Jane puts him off, but encourages him to leave with her and put himself in the hands of her doctor associates. Things reach crisis when Billy, fed up with both Jane's stalling and Claire's dominance, finally refuses to cooperate with Jane and she is forced to either abandon the project or commit emotionally to him.

    Critics' Pick - 2008 Cincinnati Fringe Festival

    **PARTIAL SCRIPT AVAILABLE. For full script, contact Broadway Play Publishing (see below).
  • Kynges Games by George Sapio
    Cast: 
    10–15
    ·
    Genre: adventure, biography + 9 more
    ·
    Keyword: Richard III, England + 7 more
    Genre: adventure, biography, comedy, dark comedy, docudrama/historic, drama, farce, period, political, satire, tragedy
    Keyword: Richard III, England, king, History, Plantagenets, Princes in the tower, Bosworth, murder, royalty
    FULL-LENGTH. Comedic drama. Heavily researched over three years, this is an as-close-to-factual story of the notorious King Richard III of England. 10 actors, 25 roles, runs a little over two hours, designed to be done on a simple set.

    From his 18th birthday to his death at (what was believed to be) Market Bosworth, Kynges Games looks at the political forces that shaped and directed his life....
    FULL-LENGTH. Comedic drama. Heavily researched over three years, this is an as-close-to-factual story of the notorious King Richard III of England. 10 actors, 25 roles, runs a little over two hours, designed to be done on a simple set.

    From his 18th birthday to his death at (what was believed to be) Market Bosworth, Kynges Games looks at the political forces that shaped and directed his life. Said by some to be a smart and dedicated king, by others a ruthless child murderer, Richard remains a controversial figure. Great opportunity for inventive casting, doubling, and sportscasted battle scenes!
  • Ghosts by George Sapio
    Cast: 
    8
    ·
    Genre: drama, fantasy + 3 more
    ·
    Keyword: ghosts, abuse + 7 more
    Genre: drama, fantasy, horror, mystery/thriller, tragedy
    Keyword: ghosts, abuse, New Orleans, film, secrets, detective, rape, sexual predator, right to die
    FULL-LENGTH. Bobno, a documentary maker, and his assistant, Maddie, travel to New Orleans to film the right-to-die case of a woman who has been in a vegetative state since she was assaulted 20 years before. Complications arise as they are visited by the local Sheriff, who is also Bobno's stepfather. Maddie's investigation reveals that Bobno is more involved with the coma case than he has let on. The...
    FULL-LENGTH. Bobno, a documentary maker, and his assistant, Maddie, travel to New Orleans to film the right-to-die case of a woman who has been in a vegetative state since she was assaulted 20 years before. Complications arise as they are visited by the local Sheriff, who is also Bobno's stepfather. Maddie's investigation reveals that Bobno is more involved with the coma case than he has let on. The coma victim may be trying to communicate. All of this parallels Maddie's investigation into a hundred-year-old ghost story (a child's tragic death) that supposedly took place in the townhouse hotel room they are staying in.
  • Headstrong by George Sapio
    Recommendations: 3
    ·
    Cast: 
    4
    ·
    Genre: comedy, dark comedy + 3 more
    ·
    Keyword: writers, writing + 7 more
    Genre: comedy, dark comedy, fantasy, horror, romantic comedy
    Keyword: writers, writing, impotence, dismemberment, literature, publishing, murder, affair, Sex
    FULL-LENGTH. Norman Miller is an unemployed writer of literature tainted with passages so explicitly sexual that no one wants to publish them. His wife Mixie has stopped believing in him. Her affair with Ted leads to murder. Murder leads to disposal problems just as Norman's agent shows up with earth-shaking news.
  • Burgers by George Sapio
    Recommendations: 6
    ·
    Cast: 
    1
    ·
    Genre: comedy
    ·
    Keyword: burgers, vegetarian + 3 more
    Genre: comedy
    Keyword: burgers, vegetarian, acting, audition, vomit
    A 15-minute monologue about vegetarianism, The Greatest Burgers in the World, and of course, auditions.
  • The Appointment by George Sapio
    Recommendations: 4
    ·
    Cast: 
    3
    ·
    Genre: dark comedy, drama + 1 more
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    Keyword: American politics, Politics + 4 more
    Genre: dark comedy, drama, political
    Keyword: American politics, Politics, dignity, adult agendas and bully culture, bullying, prostitution
    15-minute play. Is an ambassador's decision to reject a political appointment based solely on ethical grounds or is it a chance to get back at a tyrannical bully?
  • Border Run by George Sapio
    Recommendations: 7
    ·
    Cast: 
    2
    ·
    Genre: drama, political + 2 more
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    Keyword: abortion, reproductiverights + 3 more
    Genre: drama, political, radio drama, zoom
    Keyword: abortion, reproductiverights, womensrights, fascism, reproductive politics
    Lisa, pregnant (a rape victim), needs to get to the neighboring state for an abortion and Stan is her guide. Failing to make it past the border checkpoint could be calamitous for them both.
  • The Bottle by George Sapio
    Recommendations: 2
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    Cast: 
    2
    ·
    Genre: dark comedy, drama
    ·
    Keyword: assisted suicide, healthcare
    Genre: dark comedy, drama
    Keyword: assisted suicide, healthcare
    20 min. Sage, terminally ill, has a master plan to end her life on her own terms. However, she faces two difficulties: finding the worst play in the world and getting her magic potion back from a purse snatcher.
  • Buried Treasure by George Sapio
    Cast: 
    2
    ·
    Genre: comedy
    ·
    Keyword: single mother, pirate + 3 more
    Genre: comedy
    Keyword: single mother, pirate, treasure, absent grandfather, absent father
    Carol tries to get her recalcitrant (and recent ex-con) father, Ranger, to show up at her son's 5th birthday party. But Ranger has a surprise of his own. (Part one of "Carol: A Triptych".)

    **Published by Smith and Kraus; Best Short Plays of 2023**
  • Carol: A Triptych by George Sapio
    Recommendations: 1
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    Cast: 
    4
    ·
    Genre: comedy, drama
    ·
    Keyword: family, women's struggle + 3 more
    Genre: comedy, drama
    Keyword: family, women's struggle, perseverance, robbery, single mom
    35 minutes. Three glimpses into Carol's life and the men in it: her father, an ex-husband, and her son. Each scene can be performed independently.
  • Cranberry by George Sapio
    Recommendations: 10
    ·
    Cast: 
    2
    ·
    Genre: comedy, dark comedy + 1 more
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    Keyword: BDSM, bondage + 2 more
    Genre: comedy, dark comedy, romantic comedy
    Keyword: BDSM, bondage, Seniors, love
    10-minute play. Can one find love and punishment in the golden years?
  • Fascinating by George Sapio
    Recommendations: 3
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    Cast: 
    3
    ·
    Genre: adventure, comedy + 6 more
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    Keyword: detective, detective noir + 2 more
    Genre: adventure, comedy, farce, melodrama, mystery/thriller, period, radio drama, romantic comedy
    Keyword: detective, detective noir, lesbian noir, Farce
    10-MINUTE PLAY. A dangerously sexy client... a strange object people are willing to kill for... and a dangerous romance...all making for one really insipid evening.
  • Hocking Murray by George Sapio
    Recommendations: 17
    ·
    Cast: 
    2
    ·
    Genre: comedy, dark comedy + 1 more
    ·
    Keyword: Diamond, widow + 3 more
    Genre: comedy, dark comedy, drama
    Keyword: Diamond, widow, hock, bio-ethics, morality
    10-minutes. A widow attempts to hock her late husband after she has his ashes turned into a diamond ring.
  • I Know by George Sapio
    Recommendations: 6
    ·
    Cast: 
    2
    ·
    Genre: drama, experimental
    Genre: drama, experimental
    7-8 minutes. A cast-as-you-wish pas-de-deux for actors ready to explore tempo and connection. A is appalled at B's horrific behavior and B, caught off guard, tries to make amends.
  • The Kiss by George Sapio
    Recommendations: 12
    ·
    Cast: 
    3
    ·
    Genre: docudrama/historic, holiday + 2 more
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    Keyword: kissing, women's rights + 5 more
    Genre: docudrama/historic, holiday, period, political
    Keyword: kissing, women's rights, assault, World War II, VE Day, Eisenstadt, photography
    10-minute play. Based on the iconic Alfred Eisenstadt VE-Day photo from 1945; a sailor, glad to be home safe from the war, kisses a strange young woman. The woman does not respond the way he hoped she might.
  • Maria and Little Joey Have a Baby by George Sapio
    Recommendations: 3
    ·
    Cast: 
    2
    ·
    Genre: comedy, dark comedy + 5 more
    ·
    Keyword: love, mafia + 7 more
    Genre: comedy, dark comedy, fable/folktale, holiday, parody/spoof, romantic comedy, satire
    Keyword: love, mafia, teenagers, pregnancy, satire, nativity, Jesus, hitman, hotel
    15 minutes. Maria's on the run from Daddy. Little Joey needs to find her fast. Can they find a way out of this mess before the goons show up?
  • Messages by George Sapio
    Recommendations: 9
    ·
    Cast: 
    3
    ·
    Genre: dark comedy, drama + 4 more
    ·
    Keyword: ecology, ecoplay + 4 more
    Genre: dark comedy, drama, horror, political, satire, science fiction
    Keyword: ecology, ecoplay, message, bottle, Garbage, landfill
    10 minutes. The world's only extensive collection of messages in bottles. What's not as interesting is that it's kept in the world's third largest beachfront refuse landfall--which is the size of a small metropolitan city.
  • Misfit Toys by George Sapio
    Cast: 
    8
    ·
    Genre: comedy, dark comedy + 2 more
    ·
    Keyword: Maritalaids, dildo + 6 more
    Genre: comedy, dark comedy, farce, satire
    Keyword: Maritalaids, dildo, vibrator, identity, Therapy, self-awareness, LGBTQ, Non-Binary
    15-minute play. Identity is everything, especially if you're a dildo. (Or a vibrator.) Buzz, new to the group, seeks an answer to a troubling question, and is brought into the light concerning his own identity.
  • The Monty Problem by George Sapio
    Recommendations: 1
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    Cast: 
    4
    ·
    Genre: comedy, dark comedy + 1 more
    ·
    Keyword: heaven, hell + 8 more
    Genre: comedy, dark comedy, faith-based
    Keyword: heaven, hell, purgatory, judgment, Monty Hall, Keith Richards, icon, suicide, choose, critical decision
    When the state of one's soul is borderline, who better than Monty Hall to help you choose which door to open?
  • Putt-Putt by George Sapio
    Recommendations: 8
    ·
    Cast: 
    4
    ·
    Genre: comedy, farce + 1 more
    ·
    Keyword: christianity, mini-golf + 1 more
    Genre: comedy, farce, satire
    Keyword: christianity, mini-golf, putt-putt
    10-minute play. Jeff's new company divestment brainstorm is Christian-themed minigolf. What he doesn't know is that the idea strikes a little too close to home amongst his officemates.
  • Quack by George Sapio
    Recommendations: 4
    ·
    Cast: 
    3
    ·
    Genre: comedy, musical + 3 more
    Genre: comedy, musical, radio drama, romantic comedy, zoom
    Jack is well-known for his deep preps in acting. But where does craftsmanship end and mania begin?
  • Reunion by George Sapio
    Cast: 
    2
    ·
    Genre: comedy, dark comedy
    ·
    Keyword: reunion, high school + 4 more
    Genre: comedy, dark comedy
    Keyword: reunion, high school, apology, senior prom, desertion, dark comedy
    What started out as a long-overdue apology has turned into a mission of spite. Theo Bennet shows up at his 40th high school reunion after being ostracized for deserting his date at the senior prom. So who's the first person he runs into when he arrives?
  • Scream by George Sapio
    Recommendations: 5
    ·
    Cast: 
    2
    ·
    Genre: dark comedy, drama + 3 more
    ·
    Keyword: Scream, existential + 3 more
    Genre: dark comedy, drama, fantasy, science fiction, zoom
    Keyword: Scream, existential, narcissism, universe, Therapy
    One person's therapy is another's torture. Woody attempts to dump angst in the Existential Void...but finds that it's occupied. And not receptive at all.
  • Seasons by George Sapio
    Recommendations: 9
    ·
    Cast: 
    3
    ·
    Genre: comedy, fable/folktale + 1 more
    ·
    Keyword: grandmother, granddaughter + 6 more
    Genre: comedy, fable/folktale, fantasy
    Keyword: grandmother, granddaughter, spring, summer, winter, fall, family, Fantasy
    10-minute play. Grandma has her hands full getting her exhausted granddaughter out of bed. If she doesn't, will nature ever recover?
  • We Got Married by George Sapio
    Recommendations: 7
    ·
    Cast: 
    3
    ·
    Genre: comedy, dark comedy + 1 more
    ·
    Keyword: marriage, rehearsal + 2 more
    Genre: comedy, dark comedy, zoom
    Keyword: marriage, rehearsal, revenge, prank
    Getting into character might carry far more serious consequences than the actors
    dreamed of. What if a play about getting married may have gone a bit too far?