Ivan Mosley

Ivan Mosley is a playwright and dramaturg from North Carolina. He graduated from Wake Forest University with a BA in Theatre. His play Evelyn & His Brothers was selected as a semifinalist for the 2018 Bay Area Playwrights Festival. He is a proud alumnus of the Kennedy Center Summer Playwrights Intensive and the Advanced Playwriting Program at the National Theatre Institute. He has developed his plays at the Greensboro Playwrights Forum, the John F. Kennedy Center, the Eugene O’Neill Theatre Center, the Ring Theatre and Route 66 Theatre Company. He has served as the dramaturg for The Sting of White Roses by Angelica Cheri and The Right Reverend Dupree in Exile by Jackie Alexander. In 2022, he received his Master of Fine Arts in Playwriting and his Masters in Arts Administration.

Scripts

Kenyatta's Party

by Ivan Mosley

Cast Size

Genre

drama

(Full Length. One Act.) As Hampstead Homes is closing, Amiri is the last remaining resident. When he discovers his son Kenyatta will be released from prison the next day, Amiri decides to throw one final celebration. Can he pull everything for the party together in time for Kenyatta’s arrival?

Evelyn & His Brothers

by Ivan Mosley

Cast Size

Genre

drama

(Full Length. Two Acts.) A year after a devastating loss, the Rhodes brothers are facing the forfeiture of their home. Can they overcome their differences to unite to save the legacy their father worked so hard to build or is the strain of their past relationships too much of a burden?

Part One of The Rhodes Boys

An Old Broom

by Ivan Mosley

Cast Size

Genre

drama

ONE ACT: Two friends, confronted by past betrayals, struggle to save their complicated relationship.

Available for Freelance Dramaturgy

Artistic Statement

Services

New Play Development

Recommended by

Small Jokes About Monsters

by Steven Strafford

What a small gem of a play! In this play, Stafford uses humor to show how family members can turn against one another in the wake of tragedy. The jokes begin as lighthearted fun, but they become more barbed as the play goes on. This play starts as an examination of grief but shifts to investigate who is responsible for the trauma in this family. The reveals had me screaming at my computer screen! I am jealous of the audience that got to see this play onstage! Dear God, I hope I get the same privilege one day!

What a small gem of a play! In this play, Stafford uses humor to show how family members can turn against one another in the wake of tragedy. The jokes begin as lighthearted fun, but they become more barbed as the play goes on. This play starts as an examination of grief but shifts to investigate who is responsible for the trauma in this family. The reveals had me screaming at my computer screen! I am jealous of the audience that got to see this play onstage! Dear God, I hope I get the same privilege one day!
Absentia

by Olivia Matthews

I had the privilege to see this play develop from a first draft to a production. Each time I revisit the world of Absentia, I realize a new level on which Matthews is operating. By focusing on a young Black woman, the narrative subverts the standard abduction stories that focus on White women. The story also explores the role of storytelling in Southern African-American culture, the definition of motherhood, and how trauma reverberates throughout a family. Using Robyn the Rabbit and shadow play, Matthews crafts psychological suspense, further drawing the audience into Esther's story. I cannot...

I had the privilege to see this play develop from a first draft to a production. Each time I revisit the world of Absentia, I realize a new level on which Matthews is operating. By focusing on a young Black woman, the narrative subverts the standard abduction stories that focus on White women. The story also explores the role of storytelling in Southern African-American culture, the definition of motherhood, and how trauma reverberates throughout a family. Using Robyn the Rabbit and shadow play, Matthews crafts psychological suspense, further drawing the audience into Esther's story. I cannot recommend this play enough.

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ASS2MOUTH

by Haygen-Brice Walker

This was my first time reading a play by Mr. Walker and, my Lord, was it an experience! In this genre-hopping piece of work, Walker explores how misdirected desire and secrets lead to the destruction of a group of teens. Through his characters' use of social media and theatre, he also challenges the stability of identity. The characters are recognizable yet disturbing. The story is graphic in the best sense of the word. And the humor is the cherry on top! Audiences will be enthralled until the very end. Produce this play now!

This was my first time reading a play by Mr. Walker and, my Lord, was it an experience! In this genre-hopping piece of work, Walker explores how misdirected desire and secrets lead to the destruction of a group of teens. Through his characters' use of social media and theatre, he also challenges the stability of identity. The characters are recognizable yet disturbing. The story is graphic in the best sense of the word. And the humor is the cherry on top! Audiences will be enthralled until the very end. Produce this play now!
The Write Choice

by Daysha Veronica

This play is a layered exploration of the ways Black women are silenced in America. Through Violet, we see how respectability politics don't serve Black women but hurt them. Additionally, Ms. Veronica lampoons White theatres who don't give black playwrights agency in the production of their work. Above all, this play is a call to action for black women to fight for control of their own narratives. I thoroughly enjoyed this play and I hope to see it onstage one day.

This play is a layered exploration of the ways Black women are silenced in America. Through Violet, we see how respectability politics don't serve Black women but hurt them. Additionally, Ms. Veronica lampoons White theatres who don't give black playwrights agency in the production of their work. Above all, this play is a call to action for black women to fight for control of their own narratives. I thoroughly enjoyed this play and I hope to see it onstage one day.
Blooming in Dry Season

by Eljon Wardally

In this quietly poignant play, Ms. Wardally uses gender roles to deftly explore the murky boundary between supporting someone else's dream and completely sacrificing your identity in service to it. She expertly uses subtext and humor to show the joys and pains in the older characters' marriage. Their struggle to encourage their daughter to pursue her dreams while accepting their own failures resonated with me the most. This play makes a powerful statement about how we embrace opportunity. I look forward to seeing it onstage.

In this quietly poignant play, Ms. Wardally uses gender roles to deftly explore the murky boundary between supporting someone else's dream and completely sacrificing your identity in service to it. She expertly uses subtext and humor to show the joys and pains in the older characters' marriage. Their struggle to encourage their daughter to pursue her dreams while accepting their own failures resonated with me the most. This play makes a powerful statement about how we embrace opportunity. I look forward to seeing it onstage.

View all 6 recommendations

Ivan Mosley

Scripts

Kenyatta's Party

by Ivan Mosley

Evelyn & His Brothers

by Ivan Mosley

An Old Broom

by Ivan Mosley

Small Jokes About Monsters

Absentia

ASS2MOUTH

The Write Choice

Blooming in Dry Season