Brent Alles

(Full length, two acts.) After the death of her second husband, 91-year-old CHRISTINE EVIGAN moves in with her estranged 71-year-old daughter EVELYN FOSTER. The comic friction starts immediately as we watch the trials and tribulations of these ACCIDENTAL ROOMMATES.

(One act play, approximately 26-30 minutes.) It’s the end of the world, and a scientist has created an artificial life form, B.E.A.U.T.Y., to try to keep what was beautiful about humanity alive after the species itself has apparently expired.

(One act play.) In the 1930's, the famous Linguini Brothers Circus travels from town to town, thrilling people with its fabulous acts. Chief among them is the great lion, Lionel, whose roar thrills and chills crowds wherever he goes. Lionel's young son, Barry, unfortunately, cannot roar like his dad, and he needs to find what he can do to be a "star" on his own. He'll make friends with a miming monkey named Marceau, a pygmy elephant named Chendra, and a sad clown named Canio, as they all try to find their own "star talent" to perhaps be the next circus star.

(One act.) They are the galaxy's greatest heroes, and they even clean their own litter box. CAPTAIN KAYATO (tabby) leads his motley crew of SAM ANTHA and DEAN NAH, twin sister tuxedo cats; "BIG" BILL, a large orange cat; and the human RIKKI ROCKET, a young girl who the Catsairs rescued from the evil Osaverans when they had abducted her and her parents. Together they traverse the galaxy, stealing back whatever the Osaverans have taken and giving it back to the rightful owners. Tune into the latest adventure of CAPTAIN KAYATO... AND THE CATSAIRS!

(Full length play.) For 11-year-old Danny Trooper, it's a new start at a new school after the devastating loss of his father in an overseas conflict. Danny will quickly make new friends and a few enemies at his new school, but none more important than Janet Starr, who will show Danny a portal into a world where myth is made real and the inspiration for everything that children love exists. Can Danny defend all that is good from the forces of evil and still make it home in time to catch the school bus?

(Full length, three acts.) It's been two years (in the "real" world) since young Danny Trooper first discovered ModMyth, the world where the inspiration for everything that kids love and fear exists. Now, it's time for Danny's father, the heroic G. I. Maxx, to keep a promise and take him to the "older" realms of mythology, specifically the Norse realms, the Hall of Valhalla, home of Odin, king of the Norse pantheon! Little does Danny know that the old trickster Loki has plans to bring down Asgard, but nothing will be as it seems as the forces of good and evil battle against each other with the multiverse in the balance.

(Two act play, approximately 2 hours.) DAN TROOPER is just your normal 25-year-old trying to live a normal life. He's got a promising job, a beautiful fiance', and overall a pretty comfortable existence. (If he can just remember to call his mother on occasion.) However, all that is about to be fractured as Dan is unexpectedly confronted by the adventures he had in childhood, adventures he can't seem to remember for some reason. But he needs to, or all of reality itself may be at stake. The adventure continues in DANNY TROOPER IN THE FORGOTTEN REALMS!

(One act play.) Inspired by the “Little Nemo in Slumberland” comic strips of Winsor McKay, this is the story of Nemo, who dreams himself into Slumberland at the request of Somnus, Lord of Slumberland. Oomp, an imp, helps Nemo begin his journey, and along the way Nemo will meet many fascinating characters, including Midori (a green kangaroo), Pokoko (a jester), and Cheecaumo (a fairy). His ultimate mission will be to save Somnus and his daughter the Dream Princess from the evil of Phobetor (ruler of the Nightmare Realm) and his minions Nyx and Erebus. Hopefully Nemo will find the courage... and the ability to fly in his dreams... to defeat the forces of nightmare before it's too late!

(One act.) David goes out snowmobiling in a blizzard and finds his way to a bar that’s strangely open despite the conditions. He’s about to learn the secrets of why “It’s Dead in Here on Tuesdays.”

(One act play.) They are known throughout the land of Olympia: Zeus, Hera, Hades, Demeter, Amphitrite, Hestia, and Aphrodite. The Pantheon! Every year, they add one more to their ranks via Olympia's hottest "reality" TV challenge show: THE ULTIMATE PANTHEON CHALLENGE. This year the field of contestants is stronger than ever - Ares, Hephaestus, Hebe, Apollo, Artemis, Hermes, and even Dionysus - but there's one "dark horse" that may be able to win it all: "Kid" Heracles. A fun and funny spoof of reality television combined with Greek mythology can be found in KID HERACLES AND THE ULTIMATE PANTHEON CHALLENGE!

(One act play.) A loving homage to the “Dick Tracy” comic strip that’s run from the 1930’s until present day. The characters in this can all be played by young actors, however, as it's an alternate world where all the heroes and villains are kids! Thrill as Lake City's top "gumshoe" and his allies try to take down "Little Brat" Alfredo Caprese and his gang once and for all!

(Audio play, roughly 30-40 minutes.) A loving homage to the “Dick Tracy” comic strip that’s run from the 1930’s until present day. An audio play version meant for five actors playing multiple characters. Thrill as Lake City's top "gumshoe" and his allies try to take down "Little Brat" Alfredo Caprese and his gang once and for all!

*END OF PLAY 2024 PROJECT - FEEDBACK APPRECIATED!* (Full length play in two acts, approximately 2 hrs.) (Last revision 5/13/24.) For over 20 years, former NCAA football player Mike Davis has served as an assistant coach at Maplewood High School to beloved and successful Coach "Bud" Thompson, who sadly and unexpectedly passes away. Mike is subsequently hired as the head school football coach, and then the "fun" really begins. Mike not only has to satisfy an uptight, anxiety-ridden athletic director but also has to try to collaborate effectively with a newly hired (and slightly controversial) offensive coordinator and a defensive coordinator who just happens to be the son of the former head coach. Beyond that, Mike has to deal with his ex-wife and his estranged son, who plays on the team but doesn't exactly have his dad's aptitude for the sport. Throw in a star quarterback with troubles of his own, a head cheerleader who is determined to succeed at all costs, and an earnest "water girl" who loves the sport more than any of them and you have the slightly messy recipe for a seriocomic look at living up to expectations, what happens when we don't, and the complicated relationships between fathers and sons and sons and fathers.

(One act play.) A tabby cat. A brown howler monkey. A basset hound. And a lovable little lab mouse. Fate brought them together, and perhaps it will allow them to save each other. Escape from the prison that holds them is only the beginning of the adventure for the young mouse Sully and his new friends Jerry, Nina, and Margie. Along the way, they'll face mutated ravens, demonic feral cats, and the ever present specter of the lab they escaped from as they try to make it to "The Safe Place"... before it's too late. SULLY'S JOURNEY begins with a single step into darkness but ultimately shines with the light of the power of friendship and community.

(Full length play, 2 acts, roughly 90 minutes RT.)

It's a day like any other day for 13-year-old Jennifer "Jenny" Robinson: go to school, try to pass a test, and then come home and do her homework while trying to avoid her annoying kid brother. Except today is actually NOT like any other day, because today... is the LAST day... of the planet Earth! Jenny will survive thanks to her best friend Duncan Hines and then learn that the END of the world is only the BEGINNING of the adventure. Murderous teddy bears, panicked robots, and feline space pirates are only some of the wild things Jenny will encounter as she deals with the fact that she just may be THE LAST KID IN THE UNIVERSE.

(One act play.) Brian, Lilly, and their mom Julie travel to a cottage on a lake in Northern Michigan. Brian is at first bored but while participating in some "forced fun" by his mother, he encounters Wendy, a girl who lives next door and seems to harbor a dark secret. The rest of the week will bring other surprises as Brian and Lilly discover just what exactly is going on... with the Little Girl Down by the Lake.

(Full length play, two acts.) MATT LOCKE lives a great life. He has a funny, beautiful wife - ABBY - and two smart, rambunctious kids - JIMMY and SAMANTHA. He's trying to run his own bed and breakfast, a lifelong dream of his. He even puts up with the well meaning but annoying next door neighbor TOBY whenever he barges in. However, all is not as it seems, as we learn the secret behind MATT LOCKE's life and what might bring the Locke Inn crashing down around him.

(One act audio play, approximately 30-40 minutes.) MI5 agent Dominic Sinclair is tasked with investigating a peculiar incident that recently occurred in the town of Sussexville. Teacher Gottfried Plattner found himself in a most unusual situation and is now sharing his story. In the end, Sinclair may not wish to hear it. (Based on the short story "The Plattner Story" by H. G. Wells.)

(Full length play, two acts.) It's 1944 in Brooklyn, and while World War II rages overseas, back on the homefront, aspiring artist May Macy wants to break into the comic strip business. Her sister Ellen has a husband who's fighting in Europe. Ellen has a precocious 12-year-old son, Billy, who serves as May's latest inspiration. May's hoping her reporter friend Johnny Foster will be able to convince his boss Mr. Patson to give her comic strip a chance in his paper, the New York Daily Post. Then, one fateful day, aspiring pinup Betty Bump storms into May's life and changes everything.

(One act play.) A tragedy strikes Superior City as its main superhero team, the Superior Society, vanishes from the face of the planet in a battle with their archnemeses, the Sinister Squadron. They leave behind their able sidekicks: Sparrow, Van and Vanna (the Extra-Terrestial Kids), Mighty Mutt, Micro Kid, and Sammy "Snap" Smith. However, the villains left behind their minions - Sykko Fant, Castor and Pollux (the Gemini Twins), El Maton, E-22-9-12, and Merry Andy. Sykko is going to try to lead the minions into new villains... will our sidekicks be able to rise to the challenge and stop them before it's too late? A fast and funny homage and loving spoof of Saturday morning superhero cartoon shows and an examination of what it means to "move up" in the world.

(One act, approximately 30-40 minutes.) Based on the short story by Rudyard Kipling, this is the story of one brave young mongoose, RIKKI TIKKI TAVI, and how he overcomes personal loss and manages to become the supreme protector of a human family and all the animals that live in the garden around their house. Squabbling but loving Tailorbirds DARZEE and DARZINA and a cowardly but sympathetic muskrat CHUCHUNDRA become friends to RIKKI as he battles the likes of NAG, NAGAINA, and KARAIT, snakes in the garden that would like nothing more than to see the mongoose GONE... one way or another. A fun and exciting telling of the Kipling tale (tail?) for all audiences.

(One act play, roughly 30 minutes.) It begins with the funeral of John's mother. From there, we soon learn just what else happened in his life to drive him to the brink. Some will try to help him. Others will not. Can he ultimately find redemption? Time will tell.

TRIGGER WARNING: This play depicts attempted suicide. If you or someone you know is contemplating suicide, please call 988 (in the United States) or text 741741 to speak to trained crisis counselors.

(10-minute play) LARA STEELE, famous for playing "Commander Zeta" on the sci-fi show _Chance Encounter_, finds herself trapped in an elevator with her biggest fan, MARK. She could perhaps indulge his fandom... but she may indeed rather prefer plunging to her death.

(Audio play, 10 minute.) A police deputy takes an author out into the northern Michigan wilderness on a cold winter night. The unexpected then occurs.

(10 minute play.) Henry holds a rummage sale of his most precious things. Unfortunately, everything must go.

(10-minute play.) EMMA, a young woman, is fleeing from a masked killer, "MAD" MARTY", in the woods. All is not as it seems, however, and "MAD" MARTY is about to find out just why EMMA is the "Final Girl."

(Short play, approx. 10-12 minutes.) Five individuals are chosen for a unique focus group for marketing research. No idea is a bad idea… even in the worst of times, right? They're about to find out. Hopefully they'll be able to... FOCUS.

(10 minute play.) Out on a date, BECKY takes a drunken BOBBY to her grandparents’ fallout shelter. Bobby thinks he’s about to get lucky, but he’s about to find that his luck is indeed about to change as Becky reveals just why she brought him to “shelter.”

(One act play, approximately 15 minutes.) Terry has to start the cleaning process after the death of her husband. As she does, she discovers some secrets that she may not be ready to face.

NOTE FOR READERS: This play deals with issues regarding suicide but does not depict the act of suicide. If you or someone you know is contemplating suicide, please call 988 (in the United States) or text 741741 to speak to trained crisis counselors.

15-MINUTE PLAY. Sir Jay and Sir Kay are Knights of the Realm who find themselves holed up in what's left of a castle with a dragon bearing down on them. But all is not as it seems...

(10-minute play.) BRETT and CAMILLA have been married for 20 years. They're on summer vacation, and unfortunately for JENNY, a perky server at popular winery Chateau Chateau, they've decided to do some wine tasting. Thus begins JENNY's quest to provide something sweet enough for them to remember this vacation fondly... or at least to leave her alone.

(10-15-minute play.) A man and a woman have an unusual living arrangement in which they go on dates and then come home and tell each other about them, whether they want to hear about them or not. More will be revealed as they both delve into the wonders and horrors of the latest dating app: "Look-Up Hook-Up." Will their living arrangement survive?

(10-minute play.) A women finds herself in a strange posh hotel staffed by a concierge. Is he helpful? Harmful? All will be revealed as the woman confronts her past, present, and possible future.

(10-15 minute play.) Hockey fans Bret and Rob get into comic mishaps, misunderstandings, and mischief at the good old hockey game.

(10-minute play) A man finds himself in another realm and having to make an impossible choice. Which way will he choose? And will we find out what happens to the giraffes?

10-minute play. A chance encounter between Mark, a grocery delivery person, and Nina, seemingly a creature of the night. What dark secrets are held in her dance? Can Mark save her... from herself?

(10-minute play.) BETH finds herself in detention. Her teacher, MR. MIDDLETON, is willing to cut a deal with her. Actually pay attention to Shakespeare's Sonnet 130, try to understand it, god forbid APPRECIATE it, and he'll end detention early. We'll see if BETH is able to endure some Shakespearean interpretation and if the teacher can actually learn something from the student for once.

(10-MINUTE PLAY) George, trying to "kill time" while his wife shops, finds himself alone in an interesting store on the outskirts of the mall. The shopkeeper of this particular establishment offers potables... very intriguing potables indeed. If George chooses to imbibe, he might just find out that he's in for more than he ever expected. Are some things better left unlearned? George just might discover the answer to that when he learns about TIME IN A BOTTLE.

(11-13 minute play. Also available as audio play - see "Script Sample" for that.) RACHEL, a recently divorced mother of two - BEN and MARY - is forced to take her kids to the truck stop restaurant on Christmas Day for dinner, as nothing else is apparently open. While there, they meet a long-suffering server at the restaurant, LINDA, who can definitely use some festive Christmas cheer.

(10-minute play.) It's 4:30 a.m., and that means it's time for the morning news at station WKUP in Grand Rapids, MI! MYLA CHESLOCK and TED BONNICK are your anchors, JERRY FINE is the floor news director, the nine months' pregnant ABRIL DESIR covers weather and traffic, and MIRANDA LOKA covers local interest stories. There's a lot that can go wrong at 4:30 in the morning, and pretty much everything does in WAKE UP WITH WKUP.