Mora V. Harris

Mora V. Harris

Mora V. Harris writes character-driven comedies under a blanket in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Her alien comedy SPACE GIRL has had dozens of productions in schools, colleges, and community and professional theaters throughout the United States. It is published by Playscripts Inc., alongside MIRCALLA—a TYA adaptation of the gothic vampire novel Carmilla, and her contributions to two ten-minute play anthologies...
Mora V. Harris writes character-driven comedies under a blanket in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Her alien comedy SPACE GIRL has had dozens of productions in schools, colleges, and community and professional theaters throughout the United States. It is published by Playscripts Inc., alongside MIRCALLA—a TYA adaptation of the gothic vampire novel Carmilla, and her contributions to two ten-minute play anthologies for teens. Her work has received development and support through the Pittsburgh Public Theater, City Theatre Company, The Hangar Theatre, Alliance/Kendeda, the Sewanee Writers’ Conference, Pittsburgh Opera, the Greater Pittsburgh Arts Council, and the Kennedy Center’s Eugene O'Neill Theatre Center Fellowship. She was a two-time National Finalist for the Kennedy Center's John Cauble Award for Outstanding Short Play for her plays BOXED IN and ONDINE'S CURSE, and a Second Place winner of the Alfred P. Sloan Script Competition for her screenplay, EGGHEAD GENIUS. She holds a B.A. in Creative Writing and Theater from Oberlin College and an M.F.A. in Dramatic Writing from Carnegie Mellon University, where she studied with Rob Handel. She currently teaches Middle School Literary Arts at Pittsburgh CAPA and serves as Pittsburgh's Regional Co-Representative for the Dramatist Guild.

Mora loves adapting and referencing classic texts, rehearsal rooms full of women, plays that feel like great pop songs, and laughs that sneak up on you. She also can't seem to stop writing about animals and food, but to be honest, hasn't really tried that hard. She occasionally updates her website at www.moravharris.com.

Plays

  • Space Girl by Mora V. Harris
    Recommendations: 11
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    Cast: 
    7
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    Genre: comedy, dark comedy + 1 more
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    Keyword: space, Lesbian + 6 more
    Genre: comedy, dark comedy, science fiction
    Keyword: space, Lesbian, aliens, roller derby, teenagers, climate change, global warming, female friendship
    FULL LENGTH: Arugula Suarez just wants to fit in. But it’s not easy when you’re a 16 year old alien from the Planet Zlagdor. Stuck in a world where the only things that make sense are Roller Derby and salad, Arugula and her father, Nancy, must find out what it means to be human before time runs out for Planet Earth.
  • Indoor Cats by Mora V. Harris
    Recommendations: 11
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    Cast: 
    4
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    Genre: comedy, dark comedy + 1 more
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    Keyword: COVID-19 pandemic, Pennsylvania + 8 more
    Genre: comedy, dark comedy, romantic comedy
    Keyword: COVID-19 pandemic, Pennsylvania, cats, sisterhood, animal anthropomorphism, break ups, Talking Animals, natural world, Adult Siblings, Youtube
    FULL-LENGTH: Recently dumped filmmaker Jules, is holed up with her cat at her parents cabin in Central Pennsylvania, watching her career dreams dry up in the face of the pandemic and screening her infuriatingly competent sister’s calls. When she flirtatiously encounters her Naturalist neighbor Pete, she begins a foray into the bizarre world of making films for feline viewing. Faced with uncertainty both...
    FULL-LENGTH: Recently dumped filmmaker Jules, is holed up with her cat at her parents cabin in Central Pennsylvania, watching her career dreams dry up in the face of the pandemic and screening her infuriatingly competent sister’s calls. When she flirtatiously encounters her Naturalist neighbor Pete, she begins a foray into the bizarre world of making films for feline viewing. Faced with uncertainty both personal and global, Jules must use instinct to decide who gives her art, and life, meaning, even when it’s feeling more and more like the end of the world.
  • The Slush by Mora V. Harris
    Cast: 
    6
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    Genre: comedy, dark comedy + 1 more
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    Keyword: Alternative Holiday, Christmas holiday + 6 more
    Genre: comedy, dark comedy, holiday
    Keyword: Alternative Holiday, Christmas holiday, neighbors, families, Snowman, mothers, Pittsburgh Pennsylvania, ensemble cast
    FULL-LENGTH: It's December in Pittsburgh and an old urine-and-car-exhaust-stained Snowman has a story to tell you. Llewie's got her lights up, but somethings wrong with the breaker. Delilah's coming home for Christmas. But Henry never left. Babs is going to make sure every last kid in the Greater Pittsburgh Area has a gift to open on the 25th if it's the last thing she does. And somehow it...
    FULL-LENGTH: It's December in Pittsburgh and an old urine-and-car-exhaust-stained Snowman has a story to tell you. Llewie's got her lights up, but somethings wrong with the breaker. Delilah's coming home for Christmas. But Henry never left. Babs is going to make sure every last kid in the Greater Pittsburgh Area has a gift to open on the 25th if it's the last thing she does. And somehow it's up to silly old Thomas, the neighborhood joke, to keep the people on his street from completely going the way of Frosty. It's a story about neighbors, stolen gifts, and the lies we tell ourselves this time of year to make the nights a little brighter. In other words, it's a Christmas story, and you better hear it before he melts.
  • The Bergerac Simulation by Mora V. Harris
    Recommendations: 6
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    Cast: 
    6–8
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    Genre: adaptation, comedy + 1 more
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    Keyword: Cyrano de Bergerac, virtual reality + 6 more
    Genre: adaptation, comedy, romantic comedy
    Keyword: Cyrano de Bergerac, virtual reality, technology, comedic roles for women, female friendships, romantic comedy, adaptation, Rostand
    FULL LENGTH: Burdened with a prodigious nose and useless playwriting degree, Sara (No-H) Bergerac is thrilled to be contracted by a well-funded virtual reality startup to assist in their research into human emotions and the facial expressions that come with them. She finds herself working alongside Kris a gorgeous but socially awkward computer scientist. When Kris confesses that she’s falling for Rocky, the...
    FULL LENGTH: Burdened with a prodigious nose and useless playwriting degree, Sara (No-H) Bergerac is thrilled to be contracted by a well-funded virtual reality startup to assist in their research into human emotions and the facial expressions that come with them. She finds herself working alongside Kris a gorgeous but socially awkward computer scientist. When Kris confesses that she’s falling for Rocky, the handsome actor they’ve hired to make faces, the two women hatch a scheme in which Sara writes the script for Kris’ flirtation. But when Sara’s feelings for Rocky become more reality than virtual, the three find themselves in an emotional uncanny valley; at a glance the romance seems perfect, but deep down there’s a flaw in the code.
  • The Astronots by Mora V. Harris
    Recommendations: 6
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    Cast: 
    7–8
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    Genre: adventure, comedy + 1 more
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    Keyword: billionaires, space exploration + 5 more
    Genre: adventure, comedy, political
    Keyword: billionaires, space exploration, capitalism, ensemble cast, Mars, outer space, C.E.O.
    FULL-LENGTH: In the very near future, billionaire C.E.O Alston Garth invites four lucky contest winners to ride with him on a quick scenic orbit around the Earth in an unmanned craft. But when Alston reveals he has a larger adventure in store, the passengers are determined to reverse the ship’s course before they languish away in a metallic tube full of strangers. The outcome may look bleak, but Alston assures...
    FULL-LENGTH: In the very near future, billionaire C.E.O Alston Garth invites four lucky contest winners to ride with him on a quick scenic orbit around the Earth in an unmanned craft. But when Alston reveals he has a larger adventure in store, the passengers are determined to reverse the ship’s course before they languish away in a metallic tube full of strangers. The outcome may look bleak, but Alston assures them he didn’t select anyone who wasn’t ready to leave the Earth behind...And all billionaires are geniuses, right?
  • You Are What You by Mora V. Harris
    Recommendations: 10
    ·
    Cast: 
    5
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    Genre: comedy, dark comedy
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    Keyword: Competitive Eating, eating disorders + 6 more
    Genre: comedy, dark comedy
    Keyword: Competitive Eating, eating disorders, Sisters, food, cooking, teenagers, family, pot roast
    FULL LENGTH: Competitive eater Francie is desperate to find a way to help her younger sister Trisha eat. When celebrity chef Electra Sinclair arrives on their doorstep, she thinks she may have found just the thing to set Trisha on the road to recovery. Yet Trisha's illness worsens as she begins seeing visions of a talking Pot Roast, and Francie becomes distracted by an ex hell-bent on exploiting her in a...
    FULL LENGTH: Competitive eater Francie is desperate to find a way to help her younger sister Trisha eat. When celebrity chef Electra Sinclair arrives on their doorstep, she thinks she may have found just the thing to set Trisha on the road to recovery. Yet Trisha's illness worsens as she begins seeing visions of a talking Pot Roast, and Francie becomes distracted by an ex hell-bent on exploiting her in a cogent work of non-fiction. The sisters struggle to take care of each other and nourish themselves in this comedy about learning from the things we crave.
  • Mircalla; A Sanguine Comedy by Mora V. Harris
    Recommendations: 1
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    Cast: 
    5–8
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    Genre: adaptation, comedy + 5 more
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    Keyword: vampire, Vampire Hunters + 5 more
    Genre: adaptation, comedy, horror, parody/spoof, period, radio drama, young audiences
    Keyword: vampire, Vampire Hunters, teenagers, Gothic horror, Victorian supernatural, audio play, LGBTQ
    FULL LENGTH: Forced to live a life of solitude, drinking tea and drying out bat specimens in Upper Styria, nineteen-year-old Laura is thrilled when a mysterious guest, Carmilla, joins her and her father's quiet household. But when her new friend excites in her tumultuous feelings one might even remark upon as pleasurable and nocturnal visits end in sharp sensations at the base of the throat, it becomes...
    FULL LENGTH: Forced to live a life of solitude, drinking tea and drying out bat specimens in Upper Styria, nineteen-year-old Laura is thrilled when a mysterious guest, Carmilla, joins her and her father's quiet household. But when her new friend excites in her tumultuous feelings one might even remark upon as pleasurable and nocturnal visits end in sharp sensations at the base of the throat, it becomes clear that there is more to Carmilla than meets the eye. The question is, is there more to Laura?

    Cheekily adapted from CARMILLA by Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu.
    This production can be presented both as a live staging or as an audio play.

  • Ghost Walks into a Bar by Mora V. Harris
    Recommendations: 4
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    Cast: 
    7
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    Genre: comedy, dark comedy + 1 more
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    Keyword: ghosts, stand-up + 4 more
    Genre: comedy, dark comedy, romantic comedy
    Keyword: ghosts, stand-up, bar, mass shooting, death, grief
    FULL LENGTH: Oh, Connor's Bar and Comedy Club is a hub of paranormal activity, especially when it's Ghost Comedy Night, and especially since the shooting. A group of lonesome ghosts puzzles through the tasks they must perform in order to move on, over fancy old school cocktails and depressing stand up routines. In the middle of it all, Ivy, the one breather of the bunch, must make a choice between...
    FULL LENGTH: Oh, Connor's Bar and Comedy Club is a hub of paranormal activity, especially when it's Ghost Comedy Night, and especially since the shooting. A group of lonesome ghosts puzzles through the tasks they must perform in order to move on, over fancy old school cocktails and depressing stand up routines. In the middle of it all, Ivy, the one breather of the bunch, must make a choice between joining the ghosts permanently in the Ghost World or coming back to the land of living. 
  • Boxed In by Mora V. Harris
    Recommendations: 49
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    Cast: 
    2
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    Genre: comedy
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    Keyword: mime, brothers + 2 more
    Genre: comedy
    Keyword: mime, brothers, LGBTQ, teenagers
    30 MINUTE PLAY: Jerry's been responsible for his socially anxious brother, Tyler, ever since their parents died. He keeps a roof over his head, food in his belly, and is even saving money to send him to Greenburg Tech. But when 17-year-old Tyler announces his intention to go to mime college, the car-fixing, beer-swigging Jerry is thrown through a loop. Sexuality, parenthood, and pantomime are explored in...
    30 MINUTE PLAY: Jerry's been responsible for his socially anxious brother, Tyler, ever since their parents died. He keeps a roof over his head, food in his belly, and is even saving money to send him to Greenburg Tech. But when 17-year-old Tyler announces his intention to go to mime college, the car-fixing, beer-swigging Jerry is thrown through a loop. Sexuality, parenthood, and pantomime are explored in this comedy about love and acceptance.
  • Ondine's Curse by Mora V. Harris
    Recommendations: 8
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    Cast: 
    3
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    Genre: comedy, dark comedy + 1 more
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    Keyword: mythology, fairy tale + 6 more
    Genre: comedy, dark comedy, fantasy
    Keyword: mythology, fairy tale, Greece, revenge, mermaids, feminism, nature, love triangle
    30 MINUTE PLAY: In this acerbic twist on Greek mythology and classic fairy tales, nymph Ondine falls in love with the mortal Mort. When Mort chooses his human girlfriend Bertha over her, Ondine lays a powerful curse on him: If he falls asleep he dies. Bertha races against time to save Mort, while Ondine faces the repercussions of her vengeful act in this distinctly non-Disney romance.
  • Classic Portia by Mora V. Harris
    Recommendations: 3
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    Cast: 
    2
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    Genre: adaptation, comedy + 3 more
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    Keyword: love, feminism + 5 more
    Genre: adaptation, comedy, dark comedy, political, tragedy
    Keyword: love, feminism, Shakespeare, Julius Caesar, 365 Women A Year Playwriting Project, women in history, television
    30 MINUTE PLAY: "I do not want this to be another story about a girl who is so obsessed with her boyfriend she turns a blind eye to murder and cuts her thigh open to prove her devotion and then kills herself by swallowing hot coals. I’m just so sick of hearing that story, you know?"

    In this darkly comedic retelling of Shakespeare's Julius Caesar, we experience the story from...
    30 MINUTE PLAY: "I do not want this to be another story about a girl who is so obsessed with her boyfriend she turns a blind eye to murder and cuts her thigh open to prove her devotion and then kills herself by swallowing hot coals. I’m just so sick of hearing that story, you know?"

    In this darkly comedic retelling of Shakespeare's Julius Caesar, we experience the story from Portia's perspective...which may or may not be the perspective of a frustrated Showrunner who just wants to take care of the Writer's Room's rat problem before this episode airs.
  • My Opera Nemesis (A Chamber Opera with Music by Evan Neely) by Mora V. Harris
    Cast: 
    4
    ·
    Genre: comedy, opera
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    Keyword: opera, metatheatrical + 7 more
    Genre: comedy, opera
    Keyword: opera, metatheatrical, Art and Artists, jealousy, bromance, stage manager, success and failure, singing, friendship
    SHORT CHAMBER OPERA: In this short chamber opera, Sean is giving the performance of his life when a cellphone goes off in the audience. When he stops the show to publicly humiliate the culprit, it turns out to be none other than Milo, his Opera Nemesis and former-duet-partner-slash-friend. The two singers argue over what went wrong in their friendship (Sean is bad at returning emails, Milo gossiped about Sean’s...
    SHORT CHAMBER OPERA: In this short chamber opera, Sean is giving the performance of his life when a cellphone goes off in the audience. When he stops the show to publicly humiliate the culprit, it turns out to be none other than Milo, his Opera Nemesis and former-duet-partner-slash-friend. The two singers argue over what went wrong in their friendship (Sean is bad at returning emails, Milo gossiped about Sean’s vibrato), the jealousy they have for each other (Sean has found success as a singer, Milo has found love), and finally reminisce about the wild summers they spent creating art together. All of this while being constantly interrupted by the Stage Managers who just want to get on with the show. A meditation on success and artistic friendships in the age of cellphones.
  • What You Don't Know by Mora V. Harris
    Recommendations: 2
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    Cast: 
    2
    ·
    Genre: comedy, dark comedy
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    Keyword: roadkill, pet death + 1 more
    Genre: comedy, dark comedy
    Keyword: roadkill, pet death, honesty
    10 MIN: Ripley and Troxler struggle to identify the species of the flattened carcass they are scraping off the road. When the question of whether or not the animal will be missed arises, they must decide whether it's more harmful to tell the truth or lie to the animal's owner.
  • Gorilla gorilla by Mora V. Harris
    Recommendations: 1
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    Cast: 
    2
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    Genre: comedy, drama + 1 more
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    Keyword: wildlife conservation, animal anthropomorphism + 3 more
    Genre: comedy, drama, movement/physical
    Keyword: wildlife conservation, animal anthropomorphism, zoo, extinction, Gorillas
    10 MIN: Two male gorillas argue about a female being introduced to their enclosure and attempt to agree on which of them will be her mate, eventually facing the realization that the three of them may be the only gorillas left.

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  • Black Lipstick Girl by Mora V. Harris
    Recommendations: 5
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    Cast: 
    2
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    Genre: comedy, dark comedy
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    Keyword: high school, school shooting + 3 more
    Genre: comedy, dark comedy
    Keyword: high school, school shooting, goth, do-gooders, teenagers
    10 MIN: Kayla, who is a good person, decides to extend her friendship to loner Exie in their high school's parking lot, you know, before Exie goes nuts and does something bad. When the two girls encounter a real threat, they discover they have more in common than they thought.