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FRANK J AVELLA |
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Nationality: US (of Italian heritage) Email: Click here to contact Website: Click here to visit |
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Literary Agent: n/a |
Frank just completed his sixteenth full-length play, NEMESIS, about a daughter's diabolical plan to seek revenge on her absent gay father. NEMESIS was just approved for its first public reading at the Dramatists Guild Friday Night Footlights Series to take place on January 27, 2012. Frank's play VATICAN FALLS, set against the explosive backdrop of the Catholic sex abuse scandal, will have a NYC staged reading in 2012. The play was originally workshopped in NYC and Cincinnati. The Spring 2011 production in Rome, Italy was cancelled one day before it's scheduled opening amidst controversy and death threats. In 2010, Frank wrote THE MAD ONES, which explores a closeted-gay movie star's dilemma with keeping his sexuality a secret. The play was successfully workshopped in August and September of 2010 and was given a staged reading in June of 2011 in NYC. He also completed CONSENT, which confronts bullying and homophobia. CONSENT was read at the Dramatists Guild Friday Night Footlights Series in February, 2011 where it was very well-received. A revised and expanded version had a SRO stage reading on August 5, 2011 at Chelsea Studios in NYC and an encore on October 11, 2011 (at the National Comedy Theatre to benefit The Trevor Project) that took the work to a new level. Frank also recently completed the edgy and honest play LESS THAN SIX DEGREES (and its sister play LESS THAN 2 DEGREES.) He wrote the book for BLUEBIRDS IN MY BELFRY, a musical about Hollywood star Betty Hutton, that bowed in Sanford, NC in January 2008 and sold out every performance. Frank is Artistic Director of the NYC-based Impetus Ensemble (www.impetusensemble.com). Produced stage works include: GREENER, THE BUBBLE, IRIS, ABOUT CHRISTINE, LEXY, MICHAEL'S #1 FAN, 3 CAINS and UNHINGING. Upon reviewing IRIS in 2005, the Cincinnati Post wrote: "Avella's plays tend to send earthquakes through his audience's comfort zones." Cincinnati Newswire: "IRIS is a powerful look at what we call a family, and what ethics govern what is considered acceptable in a private sexual relationship." Frank's other plays include: the lunatic Hollywood satire SCREW THE COW. He has completed 3 screenplays: UNHINGING and SCREW THE COW, both adapted from his plays, and the family drama 3 of 10. Frank is a film/theatre reporter for NewYorkCool.com with his own column. He did his graduate work in Cinema Studies & Dramatic Writing at NYU's Tisch School of the Arts. Frank is a proud member of the Dramatists Guild.
Plays by Frank J Avella
3 Cains | ||
| 1st Produced: | Bank Street Theatre, New York | 1995 | ||||
Company: | New Cockpit Ensemble | |||||
| 1st Published: | I don't think it has been published. Try emailing Playwright or Agent where listed at top of page. | ISBN/ASIN: | - | |||
| Music: | - | doollee no | #58738 | |||
To Buy This Play: | If Publisher (above) is underlined then the play may be purchased by direct click from the Publisher, otherwise (below) are AbeBooks for secondhand, signed & 1st eds and other Booksellers for new copies | |||||
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Genre: | Comedy | |||||
| Parts: | Male | 4 | Female | 3 | ||
Parts other: | - | |||||
Notes: | - | |||||
Synopsis: | 3 CAINS depicts what happens when a 35-year old writer breaks down and must summon two earlier alters, ages 25 and 15, to help him survive and comprehend why his inner world has imploded while his "real" world has spiraled out of control. The maniacal mayhem of Act One climaxes in the courtroom meets game show hysterics of Acts Two and Three where Cain is forced to stand trial for murder and for his sanity! | |||||
Further Reference: | - | |||||
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About Christine | ||
| 1st Produced: | Groundfloor Theatre, NYC | 2002 | ||||
Company: | New Cockpit Ensemble | |||||
| 1st Published: | I don't think it has been published. Try emailing Playwright or Agent where listed at top of page. | ISBN/ASIN: | - | |||
| Music: | - | doollee no | #58732 | |||
To Buy This Play: | If Publisher (above) is underlined then the play may be purchased by direct click from the Publisher, otherwise (below) are AbeBooks for secondhand, signed & 1st eds and other Booksellers for new copies | |||||
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Genre: | comedy drama Play/Drama | |||||
| Parts: | Male | 2 | Female | 3 | ||
Parts other: | - | |||||
Notes: | The play has minimal production demands and is set in Tony's apartment and Jeanetta's living room. | |||||
Synopsis: | Unknown twentysomething playwright, Tony Scarpellini, is desperate to interest 40-year old soap vet Jeanetta Jamison in his new play. So desperate that he kidnaps her and cuffs her to his coffee table! But after a justified tantrum and some bitter banter, Jeanetta manages to manipulate herself free. . .and goes about two thousand steps too far in turning the tables on tortured Tony. To what lengths will these two go to get what they want? And what exactly do they want? | |||||
Further Reference: | - | |||||
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Bubble, The | ||
| 1st Produced: | Bank Street Theatre, New York City | 2006 | ||||
Company: | New Cockpit Ensemble | |||||
| 1st Published: | I don't think it has been published. Try emailing Playwright or Agent where listed at top of page. | ISBN/ASIN: | - | |||
| Music: | - | doollee no | #58733 | |||
To Buy This Play: | If Publisher (above) is underlined then the play may be purchased by direct click from the Publisher, otherwise (below) are AbeBooks for secondhand, signed & 1st eds and other Booksellers for new copies | |||||
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Genre: | Comedy | |||||
| Parts: | Male | 4 | Female | 3 | ||
Parts other: | - | |||||
Notes: | The play is set in the mind of a writer, on a rehearsal stage and in a living room, respectively. It has a cast of seven and requires minimal production demands. | |||||
Synopsis: | THE BUBBLE ambitiously explores the creative process as we journey into the head of a determined playwright and watch him struggle as he gives mental birth to a host of crazy characters who declare mutiny on him. Once the play is completed, the focus shifts to the rehearsal stage where parallel characters are immersed in theatrical politics while the driven writer plots to make certain his production is a success. The work culminates in the play itself, where autobiography and memory run amok. Stage Buzz called THE BUBBLE "clever and funny" and wrote: "Avella has an ear for dialogue and knows how to turn a nice phrase," and "&With clever dialogue, sight gags, sex, passion, insanity, love, hate, music, dancing, drama and revelation, this show has a little something for every audience member to enjoy." | |||||
Further Reference: | - | |||||
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Consent | ||
| 1st Produced: | - - - | - - - | ||||
Company: | Impetus Ensemble | |||||
| 1st Published: | I don't think it has been published. Try emailing Playwright or Agent where listed at top of page. | ISBN/ASIN: | - | |||
| Music: | - | doollee no | #123947 | |||
To Buy This Play: | If Publisher (above) is underlined then the play may be purchased by direct click from the Publisher, otherwise (below) are AbeBooks for secondhand, signed & 1st eds and other Booksellers for new copies | |||||
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Genre: | Drama/Comedy | |||||
| Parts: | Male | 3 | Female | 2 | ||
Parts other: | - | |||||
Notes: | There have been 3 staged readings of CONSENT in 2011 in NYC. | |||||
Synopsis: | Consent examines the many types of bullying gay teens face, both obvious and subtle. The work focuses on Seth, a troubled 16-year-old, trying to come to terms with his sexuality in the face of ridicule. In addition, the play honestly depicts Seth's sexual awakening as he crushes on his bully's younger brother and discovers that his feelings may be reciprocated. Seth is also involved in a questionable relationship with his baseball coach and must deal with the return of his estranged mother. He soon finds his life spinning out of control and contemplates suicide. CONSENT speaks to the responsibilities we all have to teach our children to celebrate their differences instead of denigrating them. The play also warns against taking advantage of the trust teens place in the adults they look up to. CONSENT explores the myriad of reasons gay teens feel compelled to consider suicide and provides quite the twist to a much too prevalent story. | |||||
Further Reference: | - | |||||
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Greener | ||
| 1st Produced: | Bank Street Theatre, New York City | 2006 | ||||
Company: | New Cockpit Ensemble | |||||
| 1st Published: | I don't think it has been published. Try emailing Playwright or Agent where listed at top of page. | ISBN/ASIN: | - | |||
| Music: | - | doollee no | #47608 | |||
To Buy This Play: | If Publisher (above) is underlined then the play may be purchased by direct click from the Publisher, otherwise (below) are AbeBooks for secondhand, signed & 1st eds and other Booksellers for new copies | |||||
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Genre: | Play/Drama | |||||
| Parts: | Male | 5 | Female | - | ||
Parts other: | - | |||||
Notes: | Greener takes place entirely in a cemetery. | |||||
Synopsis: | A supernatural thriller set entirely in a cemetery, GREENER is about a group of friends who gather together on the eve of their 10-year high school reunion after one has committed suicide--an identical twin who's spirit is in a major state of unrest. Haunted by their own inner demons as well as actual apparitions and phantasms that abound around them, each character must deal with certain chilling realities about their respective lives. And some must confront more other-worldly issues. GREENER explores death, suicide and the concept of the afterlife in provocative fashion, eschewing the traditional Judeo-Christian teachings and opting for more controversial hypotheses. | |||||
Further Reference: | - | |||||
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Iris | ||
| 1st Produced: | Know Theatre, Cincinatti, Ohio | 2005 | ||||
Company: | Know Theatre Tribe, Cincinnati, OHIO | |||||
| 1st Published: | I don't think it has been published. Try emailing Playwright or Agent where listed at top of page. | ISBN/ASIN: | - | |||
| Music: | - | doollee no | #58734 | |||
To Buy This Play: | If Publisher (above) is underlined then the play may be purchased by direct click from the Publisher, otherwise (below) are AbeBooks for secondhand, signed & 1st eds and other Booksellers for new copies | |||||
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Genre: | Comedy/Farce Farce | |||||
| Parts: | Male | 3 | Female | 2 | ||
Parts other: | - | |||||
Notes: | The play is set in NYC, has a cast of five and requires minimal production demands. | |||||
Synopsis: | IRIS takes place in a world of broken sexual taboos. It's a daring, farcical look at a young woman with a very vivid and cinematic imagination who finds her real life spinning a nuttier web than her mind could ever create as her search for her biological father leads her down a fascinating path of willful defiance. This work has the potential to truly challenge an audience as well as make them hurt with laughter. The Cincinnati Post wrote: "Avella's plays tend to send earthquakes through his audience's comfort zones." and called IRIS, "a theatrical bull of a play that stampedes every sexual taboo. . .outrageous and full of energy!" The Cincinnati Newswire stated: "IRIS is a powerful look at what we call a family, and what ethics govern what is considered acceptable in a private sexual relationship. IRIS will make you think and question the elaborate set of rules and customs that govern sexuality in our society." | |||||
Further Reference: | - | |||||
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Less Than Six Degrees | ||
| 1st Produced: | - - - | - - - | ||||
Company: | n/a | |||||
| 1st Published: | I don't think it has been published. Try emailing Playwright or Agent where listed at top of page. | ISBN/ASIN: | - | |||
| Music: | - | doollee no | #58736 | |||
To Buy This Play: | If Publisher (above) is underlined then the play may be purchased by direct click from the Publisher, otherwise (below) are AbeBooks for secondhand, signed & 1st eds and other Booksellers for new copies | |||||
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Genre: | Drama/Comedy Play/Drama | |||||
| Parts: | Male | 8 | Female | - | ||
Parts other: | - | |||||
Notes: | aka M4M4NOW | |||||
Synopsis: | The play follows the cyber-antics of eight gay guys and their own personal pursuits of . . .happiness. Less Than Six Degrees is an edgy, hypersexual play about 'connecting' in today's internet savvy world. And while it does not shy away from the risky and risque, it is quite powerful and thought-provoking. Eight gay boys frantically search for love and sex through an internet chat room. | |||||
Further Reference: | - | |||||
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Lexy | ||
| 1st Produced: | Producers Club 2 Theatre, New York | 2002 | ||||
Company: | New Cockpit Ensemble | |||||
| 1st Published: | I don't think it has been published. Try emailing Playwright or Agent where listed at top of page. | ISBN/ASIN: | - | |||
| Music: | - | doollee no | #58735 | |||
To Buy This Play: | If Publisher (above) is underlined then the play may be purchased by direct click from the Publisher, otherwise (below) are AbeBooks for secondhand, signed & 1st eds and other Booksellers for new copies | |||||
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Genre: | Comedy and/or drama Play/Drama | |||||
| Parts: | Male | 2 | Female | - | ||
Parts other: | - | |||||
Notes: | There are two versions of this play. One is a comedy. The other more drama. The comedy has 6 characters. The drama, 5. Minimal set requirements for both. They are differentiated by Lexy-the comedy and Lexy-the tragedy. | |||||
Synopsis: | LEXY is about a Park Avenue therapist who apprehensively agrees to treat a very troubled 16-year old boy. The teen, Scott, discovers horrific secrets about his family and Lexy must help him through his repressed memories. Along the way she is faced with demons of her own. Can she help Scott or is he past the point of no return? LEXY is also about the search for love. Our heroine must reenter the world of dating after her sexy significant other, Miriam, walks out on her. Lexy finds herself falling for an old high school acquaintance who happens to be male! Just when Lexy thinks her world might be making sense again, Miriam returns. . .and Scott acts out. . .with tragic results. | |||||
Further Reference: | - | |||||
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Mad Ones, The | ||
| 1st Produced: | - - - | - - - | ||||
Company: | Impetus Ensemble | |||||
| 1st Published: | I don't think it has been published. Try emailing Playwright or Agent where listed at top of page. | ISBN/ASIN: | - | |||
| Music: | - | doollee no | #123948 | |||
To Buy This Play: | If Publisher (above) is underlined then the play may be purchased by direct click from the Publisher, otherwise (below) are AbeBooks for secondhand, signed & 1st eds and other Booksellers for new copies | |||||
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Genre: | n/a | |||||
| Parts: | Male | 3 | Female | 2 | ||
Parts other: | - | |||||
Notes: | - | |||||
Synopsis: | THE MAD ONES follows five actors who are about to embark on a controversial new Broadway play titled Ruination, which itself is about a tortured film director, hounded by the media and forced to flee the U.S. after he is accused of sexually assaulting a minor. Central to the work are the struggles of a young closeted-gay movie star who must keep his sexuality a secret in order to pursue his passion. The play examines the notion of the ideal life vs. the reality most people have to contend with. The play explores how our culture loves to raise our entertainers to royalty-like heights only to delight in seeing them crash and burn--and how the media feed this particular ritual. Ultimately, the play wonders if being forced to hide ones true nature is worth the price of fame and the power that comes with it. | |||||
Further Reference: | - | |||||
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Michael's 1 Fan | ||
| 1st Produced: | Producers Club 2 Theatre, New York | 2000 | ||||
Company: | New Cockpit Ensemble | |||||
| 1st Published: | I don't think it has been published. Try emailing Playwright or Agent where listed at top of page. | ISBN/ASIN: | - | |||
| Music: | - | doollee no | #58737 | |||
To Buy This Play: | If Publisher (above) is underlined then the play may be purchased by direct click from the Publisher, otherwise (below) are AbeBooks for secondhand, signed & 1st eds and other Booksellers for new copies | |||||
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Genre: | Play/Drama | |||||
| Parts: | Male | 3 | Female | 4 | ||
Parts other: | - | |||||
Notes: | - | |||||
Synopsis: | Robert is on the verge of suicide as events spiral out of control around him. There is an octogenarian serial killer - Monstrous Molly on the rampage; his dead Aunt Bonnie who seems to be hanging around; is he about to be betrayed by his boyfriend ace reporter Don and what is the secret about his families past? Lily, his almost-sister in law and seventies film star-wannabe, Michael Sarrazin must help Robert figure his messy, lineage-lousy life out before it's too late. | |||||
Further Reference: | - | |||||
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Nemesis | ||
| 1st Produced: | - - - | - - - | ||||
Company: | n/a | |||||
| 1st Published: | I don't think it has been published. Try emailing Playwright or Agent where listed at top of page. | ISBN/ASIN: | - | |||
| Music: | - | doollee no | #134157 | |||
To Buy This Play: | If Publisher (above) is underlined then the play may be purchased by direct click from the Publisher, otherwise (below) are AbeBooks for secondhand, signed & 1st eds and other Booksellers for new copies | |||||
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Genre: | Drama/Comedy | |||||
| Parts: | Male | 3 | Female | 1 | ||
Parts other: | - | |||||
Notes: | - | |||||
Synopsis: | Nemesis examines the all-consuming nature of revenge as one young girl makes it her mission to destroy the father she never knew. Paul is a misanthropic, blocked writer who fills his time picking up unattractive men in gay bar parking lots. One night he encounters, Tyler, a ridiculously attractive 18-year-old on the prowl--for him. Initially apprehensive, Paul soon finds himself taken with Tyler and feeling a hope he hasn't felt since childhood. Alas, the boy is part of a scheme to con Paul, led by his biological daughter, Bree. Although they've never met, Bree blames Paul for all of the misfortune in her life, including an upbringing that involved a drug-addicted mother. Bree's elaborate plot also involves hustling Paul's neurotic significant other, Luke. Bree poses as Jane Fonda's cousin in order to solicit Luke's bizarre "life-instructor" services. When Bree finally comes face-to-face with Paul, things take a startling turn. Nemesis blends harsh realism with black-comedy melodrama, revealing the humanity of its deeply damaged characters in unexpected ways and suggesting an atypical type of salvation. | |||||
Further Reference: | - | |||||
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Screw The Cow | ||
| 1st Produced: | - - - | - - - | ||||
Company: | n/a | |||||
| 1st Published: | I don't think it has been published. Try emailing Playwright or Agent where listed at top of page. | ISBN/ASIN: | - | |||
| Music: | - | doollee no | #67899 | |||
To Buy This Play: | If Publisher (above) is underlined then the play may be purchased by direct click from the Publisher, otherwise (below) are AbeBooks for secondhand, signed & 1st eds and other Booksellers for new copies | |||||
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Genre: | Comedy/Satire Comedy | |||||
| Parts: | Male | 6 | Female | 3 | ||
Parts other: | - | |||||
Notes: | The play is set in Hollywood, NYC, Rome, Cannes, the midwest and other locales and would require 8 or 9 actors to stage (6 principles and 2 or 3 others to play multiple roles). | |||||
Synopsis: | SCREW THE COW follows the lunatic world of moviemaking as two distinctly different directors do what they must to capture their vision on film and then watch their work marketed, festivaled, screened, judged--critically and by audiences-and finally by their peers via the ultimate prize: Oscar. Along the tarnished road to grabbing the little gold god, lives will alter, careers will be made and broken. Just how far are "artists" willing to go to get their share of fame, fortune and power? What are they are willing to sacrifice? And just how much of their soul they are willing to part with? | |||||
Further Reference: | - | |||||
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Turbulence | ||
| 1st Produced: | Where Eagles Dare Theater, NY | 2004 | ||||
Company: | New Cockpit Ensemble | |||||
| 1st Published: | I don't think it has been published. Try emailing Playwright or Agent where listed at top of page. | ISBN/ASIN: | - | |||
| Music: | - | doollee no | #58739 | |||
To Buy This Play: | If Publisher (above) is underlined then the play may be purchased by direct click from the Publisher, otherwise (below) are AbeBooks for secondhand, signed & 1st eds and other Booksellers for new copies | |||||
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Genre: | Comedy/Drama/Thriller Comedy | |||||
| Parts: | Male | - | Female | - | ||
Parts other: | various | |||||
Notes: | - | |||||
Synopsis: | Anthology of monologues and one acts including: Brad's Story-gay boy goes crazy when his lover agrees to a threesome. By The Way, My Name's Sharon-lesbian serial killer describes her gruesome killings. Godforsaken-last two men on earth encounter a mutant female. Spumoni to Go-Italian-American sibs on a beach argue over who gets the hottie. Cafe Boyz (from M4M4NOW)-Gay cafe skit Rage 2-bigoted old woman must talk Satan out of keeping her | |||||
Further Reference: | - | |||||
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Turbulence 2 | ||
| 1st Produced: | Where Eagles Dare Theater, NY | 2004 | ||||
Company: | New Cockpit Ensemble | |||||
| 1st Published: | I don't think it has been published. Try emailing Playwright or Agent where listed at top of page. | ISBN/ASIN: | - | |||
| Music: | - | doollee no | #58740 | |||
To Buy This Play: | If Publisher (above) is underlined then the play may be purchased by direct click from the Publisher, otherwise (below) are AbeBooks for secondhand, signed & 1st eds and other Booksellers for new copies | |||||
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Genre: | Comedy/Drama/Thriller Comedy | |||||
| Parts: | Male | - | Female | - | ||
Parts other: | various | |||||
Notes: | - | |||||
Synopsis: | Anthology of monologues and one acts including: The Pitch (from Screw the Cow). The Power (from Screw the Cow). Both involve two filmmakers pitching ideas to a Weinstein-esque studio exec. Godforsaken Pink (sequel to Godforsaken). Last two women on earth encounter a hottie boy mutant (and his superior). Spumoni revisited-more beach fun. Cafe Boyz 2-more gay fun. The Bubble (original one act form). Writer's characters declare mutiny on his creative process | |||||
Further Reference: | - | |||||
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Unhinging | ||
| 1st Produced: | Judith Anderson Theater, Theater Row, New York City | 1994 | ||||
Company: | New Cockpit Ensemble | |||||
| 1st Published: | I don't think it has been published. Try emailing Playwright or Agent where listed at top of page. | ISBN/ASIN: | - | |||
| Music: | - | doollee no | #58741 | |||
To Buy This Play: | If Publisher (above) is underlined then the play may be purchased by direct click from the Publisher, otherwise (below) are AbeBooks for secondhand, signed & 1st eds and other Booksellers for new copies | |||||
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Genre: | Comedy | |||||
| Parts: | Male | 4 | Female | 2 | ||
Parts other: | - | |||||
Notes: | The play is set in NYC, has a cast of six and requires minimal production demands. | |||||
Synopsis: | UNHINGING takes a bold look at love, lust and longing when a seemingly inconsequential internet ad bonds a gaggle of young and misguided Manhattanites. Andy, a repressed English teacher, places an online ad looking for Mr. Right.. Christina, a ballsy movie ad exec, answers the ad. Misunderstanding or manipulation? While Andy awaits his date at his fav Bistro, waiter Phil brazenly comes on to him. Budding romance or raging hormones? As they boys bond, Denny, Phil's slutty ex returns and demands a second chance. Jealousy or sincerity? Phil's wise 'n wacky mom, Evelyn arrives to charm and confuse everyone. And Dan, a sexy Southern boy who everyone wants, rounds out the cuckoo cast. | |||||
Further Reference: | - | |||||
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Vatican Falls | ||
| 1st Produced: | Know Theater, Cincinnati | 2007 | ||||
Company: | Know Theatre Tribe | |||||
| 1st Published: | I don't think it has been published. Try emailing Playwright or Agent where listed at top of page. | ISBN/ASIN: | - | |||
| Music: | - | doollee no | #67900 | |||
To Buy This Play: | If Publisher (above) is underlined then the play may be purchased by direct click from the Publisher, otherwise (below) are AbeBooks for secondhand, signed & 1st eds and other Booksellers for new copies | |||||
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Genre: | Play/Drama | |||||
| Parts: | Male | 8 | Female | 2 | ||
Parts other: | - | |||||
Notes: | - | |||||
Synopsis: | Set in Rome and the United States, VATICAN FALLS examines the effect of abuse on one specific group of survivors and asks the question: what would happen if these survivors collectively decided to retaliate against the Church, to seek retribution? At it's core, the work is a love story between a Roman woman, working for the Vatican, and an Italian-American man. Both must choose between their causes or their love. VATICAN FALLS is a play with music and written in some Italian as well. | |||||
Further Reference: | - | |||||
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