Elana Gartner

Elana Gartner

Internationally produced and recognized playwright Elana Gartner was a 2021 semi-finalist for the Eugene O'Neill, a 2020 Dayton FutureFest finalist, and a PlayLab recipient for the 2013 Great Plains Theatre Conference. She attended the 2021 Kennedy Center Playwriting Intensive. Elana received 2nd Place in the 2018 Henley Rose Playwright Competition for Women and 3rd prize in the Pen and Brush Playwriting...
Internationally produced and recognized playwright Elana Gartner was a 2021 semi-finalist for the Eugene O'Neill, a 2020 Dayton FutureFest finalist, and a PlayLab recipient for the 2013 Great Plains Theatre Conference. She attended the 2021 Kennedy Center Playwriting Intensive. Elana received 2nd Place in the 2018 Henley Rose Playwright Competition for Women and 3rd prize in the Pen and Brush Playwriting contest. Her works were finalists for the Gulfshore Playhouse New Works Festival, Met Life Nuestras Voces Playwriting Competition, Little Fish Theatre’s Hella Fresh Fish 3.0 Short Play Festival, the Stone Soup Theatre’s Double (XX) Fest 2.0 and the Open Book Playwriting Competition. Two monologues from Elana’s plays Daughter and Because of Beth were published in “Audition Monologues for Young Women #2: More Contemporary Auditions for Aspiring Actresses “(Meriwether Publishing, Ltd., 2013). Elana founded the EMG Playwriting Workshop which has fostered a supportive community for playwrights since 2004 and is also a member of the Manhattan Oracles playwriting group. Elana founded the International Centre for Women Playwrights 50/50 Applause Awards and served on the ICWP board for five years. Elana was the founding artistic director of Four Walls Theater, created during the corona virus pandemic to produce socially responsible theater. Elana is a member of the Dramatists Guild and writes for HowlRound as a freelancer. She received her MFA from Spalding University. http://www.elanagartner.com

Plays

  • Before Lesbians by Elana Gartner
    Recommendations: 7
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    Cast: 
    4
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    Genre: docudrama/historic, drama + 3 more
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    Keyword: Lesbian, lesbian history + 5 more
    Genre: docudrama/historic, drama, period, political, tragedy
    Keyword: Lesbian, lesbian history, American Civil War, female doctors, Bechdel Test, Abraham Lincoln, lgbtqia
    When Charlotte and Vivian meet, they are about to marry their fiancés who are leaving to fight for President Lincoln. Through letters and visits, Charlotte and Vivian nurture their friendship, sharing books and projects to support the troops and their husbands. In an era where women were not recognized as sexual beings and when words did not exist for women falling in love, Charlotte and Vivian struggle to...
    When Charlotte and Vivian meet, they are about to marry their fiancés who are leaving to fight for President Lincoln. Through letters and visits, Charlotte and Vivian nurture their friendship, sharing books and projects to support the troops and their husbands. In an era where women were not recognized as sexual beings and when words did not exist for women falling in love, Charlotte and Vivian struggle to understand the confusing feelings they are developing for each other while the Civil War rages on.
  • Ernie Evan by Elana Gartner
    Recommendations: 6
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    Cast: 
    1
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    Genre: drama
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    Keyword: Sailor, marriage + 2 more
    Genre: drama
    Keyword: Sailor, marriage, dreams, accents
    Weathered sailor Ernie Evan is spooked by a nightmare of his dead mother, commanding him to take a wife. With his laid-back lifestyle on his ship at stake, Ernie Evan wrestles with the disruptions this would cause, his relationship with women, and what it would be like to live on land.
  • Runtime Error by Elana Gartner
    Recommendations: 5
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    Cast: 
    4
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    Genre: drama, experimental + 2 more
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    Keyword: Male Survivor, metoo + 6 more
    Genre: drama, experimental, fantasy, tragedy
    Keyword: Male Survivor, metoo, sexual abuse, Men, tech industry, educational, career, LGBTQ
    Tal is trying to get a competitive internship when he approaches his college advisor and mentor for an introduction to the company. The famous Professor Carson is all too willing to make the introduction but for a terrible price. As Tal hides this from everyone in his life, he has a compounding uncomfortable situation arise with his best friend, Celia. Unsure how to proceed now with his classes, his internship...
    Tal is trying to get a competitive internship when he approaches his college advisor and mentor for an introduction to the company. The famous Professor Carson is all too willing to make the introduction but for a terrible price. As Tal hides this from everyone in his life, he has a compounding uncomfortable situation arise with his best friend, Celia. Unsure how to proceed now with his classes, his internship and his relationships, Tal finds himself constantly trapped in replays of his memories, trying to figure out what he could have done differently. A play inspired by the #MeToo movement and the Brett Kavanaugh hearings, this play explores similar themes for men and how they cope or don’t.
  • Tag on Toe by Elana Gartner
    Recommendations: 8
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    Cast: 
    2
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    Genre: drama
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    Keyword: baby, pregnancy + 2 more
    Genre: drama
    Keyword: baby, pregnancy, parenthood, Bechdel Test
    While discussing the birth of their colleague’s son, Kay is rattled when her co-worker, Annabel, shares her unorthodox reasons to have a child.
  • Where We Are Now by Elana Gartner
    Recommendations: 4
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    Cast: 
    2
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    Genre: docudrama/historic, drama + 1 more
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    Keyword: election, Donald Trump + 3 more
    Genre: docudrama/historic, drama, political
    Keyword: election, Donald Trump, 2016 presidential election, George Washington, Martha Washington
    A few weeks after the election of 2016, George and Martha are still reeling and they are taking it out on each other. They have different ideas about how to save their country and their family. But can they come together to do it?
  • Daughter by Elana Gartner
    Recommendations: 3
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    Cast: 
    6
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    Genre: drama
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    Keyword: adoption, family + 7 more
    Genre: drama
    Keyword: adoption, family, teenagers, girls, birth mother, mother and daughter, daughters, Bechdel Test, teenage girls
    When sixteen year old Robyn’s biological mother contacts her on Facebook, Robyn tries to ignore her. She has been happy with her adoptive family and hasn’t wanted to search for her biological parents. But her biological mother, Millie, is persistent and finally tells her why: she needs a bone marrow transplant within a week or she will have to go into an experimental trial program. While still trying to protect...
    When sixteen year old Robyn’s biological mother contacts her on Facebook, Robyn tries to ignore her. She has been happy with her adoptive family and hasn’t wanted to search for her biological parents. But her biological mother, Millie, is persistent and finally tells her why: she needs a bone marrow transplant within a week or she will have to go into an experimental trial program. While still trying to protect herself and the family she grew up with, Robyn struggles to decide if she wants to fight to try to save Millie.
  • Jagged Journey by Elana Gartner
    Recommendations: 5
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    Cast: 
    7
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    Genre: biography, drama + 1 more
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    Keyword: disability, Invisible Disability + 7 more
    Genre: biography, drama, movement/physical
    Keyword: disability, Invisible Disability, epilepsy, women, motherhood. illness, motherhood, mothers, disabled teens, Bechdel Test
    Jagged Journey is an achronological exploration of the contentious relationship between Ginny and the personification of her Epilepsy. As Epilepsy cartwheels through Ginny’s life, trying to be her friend, Ginny must decide what is worth fighting for, even if it means endangering herself. Inspired by real life events, Ginny and Epilepsy’s challenging dynamic plays out over twenty three years as they battle over...
    Jagged Journey is an achronological exploration of the contentious relationship between Ginny and the personification of her Epilepsy. As Epilepsy cartwheels through Ginny’s life, trying to be her friend, Ginny must decide what is worth fighting for, even if it means endangering herself. Inspired by real life events, Ginny and Epilepsy’s challenging dynamic plays out over twenty three years as they battle over sex, college, driving, relationships, friendships, marriage, children and, most of all, power.
  • Because of Beth by Elana Gartner
    Recommendations: 2
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    Cast: 
    4–5
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    Genre: drama
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    Keyword: mother, death of a parent + 7 more
    Genre: drama
    Keyword: mother, death of a parent, death in the family, divorce, custody, teenagers, girls, Bechdel Test, teenage girls
    When teenage Penny’s long-missing father doesn’t recognize her at her mother’s funeral, she risks her relationship with her irresponsible older sister to learn about him and possibly overturn the guardianship her mother chose. But, in her haste, Penny discovers how post-death experiences for the living can be treacherous when secrets are fresh, powerful and dangerous.
  • Pilar's Brother by Elana Gartner
    Recommendations: 2
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    Cast: 
    4
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    Genre: drama
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    Keyword: LGBTQ, Immigrants + 7 more
    Genre: drama
    Keyword: LGBTQ, Immigrants, 1960s, Catholic, mental illness, America, hispanic, family, teenagers
    Julian’s mother has returned to Chile to care for his dying grandmother, leaving obedient Julian to juggle his temporary responsibility for his mentally-ill sister, his studies, his job and his American lifestyle: the one that his family knows about and the closeted gay and aspiring actor lifestyle that they don’t. Set in 1968 Brooklyn and in a strong Chilean immigrant and Catholic family, this story explores...
    Julian’s mother has returned to Chile to care for his dying grandmother, leaving obedient Julian to juggle his temporary responsibility for his mentally-ill sister, his studies, his job and his American lifestyle: the one that his family knows about and the closeted gay and aspiring actor lifestyle that they don’t. Set in 1968 Brooklyn and in a strong Chilean immigrant and Catholic family, this story explores the choices that Julian has to make when a big opportunity arises and the volatile sister that complicates them. Inspired by a true story.
  • Cortex Kin by Elana Gartner
    Recommendations: 2
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    Cast: 
    2
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    Genre: dark comedy, drama + 1 more
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    Keyword: death in the family, props + 3 more
    Genre: dark comedy, drama, fantasy
    Keyword: death in the family, props, self-reflection, twins, brothers
    When Daniel takes a sick day and visits his brain, he discovers ornery housekeeper, Hank, already starting to clean the dust from months of neglect. Through their combative work and conversation, Daniel eventually starts to face the horrifying reasons behind his absence.
  • Working Title: Tornado by Elana Gartner
    Cast: 
    8
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    Genre: drama, tragedy
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    Keyword: full-length play, A Family drama + 5 more
    Genre: drama, tragedy
    Keyword: full-length play, A Family drama, environmental disaster, tornado, cerebral palsy, bittersweet love story, Dark and Stormy
    There has been a tornado in the Midwestern town that Marietta and Leo live in. As the townspeople work through the rubble, the pieces they uncover inspire memories: a challenging marriage, and a child who was never supposed to live past the age of five. The question remains: who is under the rubble and are they alive?
  • Age of Chimes by Elana Gartner
    Recommendations: 1
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    Cast: 
    2
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    Genre: drama, experimental + 1 more
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    Keyword: gay, Ten-Minute Play + 1 more
    Genre: drama, experimental, fantasy
    Keyword: gay, Ten-Minute Play, alternate timelines
    Nate and Oscar are having an unusual morning after their third date: time keeps mysteriously shifting each of them in opposite directions. Will they still care about each other or will they discover things that will doom the relationship before it really gets started?