The Playwrights Database
DAN O'BRIEN
Nationality: USAemail: Click here to contact Website: Click here
Literary Agent: Abrams Artists Agency
(picture credit: David Bornfriend) Dan O'Brien's recent projects include The Body of an American, winner of the 2011 L. Arnold Weissberger Award, and Theotokia / The War Reporter, an opera with composer Jonathan Berger and director Rinde Eckert, premiering at Bing Concert Hall at Stanford University in 2013. Previous productions include The Cherry Sisters Revisited (Actors Theatre of Louisville's Humana Festival), The House in Hydesville (Geva Theatre Center), The Voyage of the Carcass (SoHo Playhouse; Page 73 Productions), The Dear Boy (Second Stage Theatre), and Moving Picture (Williamstown Theatre Festival). He has served as a Hodder Fellow at Princeton University, the inaugural Djerassi Fellow in Playwriting at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and twice the Tennessee Williams Fellow at The University of the South (Sewanee). Residencies include the Rockefeller Foundation's Bellagio Center, O'Neill National Playwrights Conference, Yaddo, and the Thomas J. Watson Foundation. O'Brien's poetry has appeared recently in Missouri Review, Malahat Review, Poetry Review, North American Review, and elsewhere. Originally from New York, O'Brien lives in Los Angeles with his wife, actor and writer Jessica St. Clair.
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below is a list of Dan O'Brien's plays - click on a Play Title for more information
Am Lit, or Hibernophilia Angel in the Trees Body of an American, The Cherry Sisters Revisited, The Crazy Jane on God Dear Boy, The Demon Dinner Table Disappearance of Daniel Hand, The either/or Her First Screen Test House in Hydesville, The Irish Play, An Kandahar to Canada Key West Lamarck Last Supper Restoration, The Moving Picture Ondine Snapshot Southern Cross Three Christs of Ypsilanti, The Voyage of the Carcass (full-length), The Voyage of the Carcass (one-act), The Will You Please Shut Up?Am Lit, or Hibernophilia
Synopsis:
A recently widowed professor at a nameless midwestern college contemplates returning to Ireland in search of lost love, youth, and perhaps himself. Told via emails, phone calls, and old-fashioned letters, Am Lit is a modern epistolary monologue of loss and yearning.
Notes:
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1st Produced:
Keen Company - Jose Quintero Theatre (New York, NY, United States) 2001
Company:
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1st Published:
Playscripts, Inc - New York -
Music:
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Genre:
15-25 min Play/Drama
Parts:
Male: 1 Female: - Other: 1 male
Further Reference:
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Top of PageAngel in the Trees
Synopsis:
A year after moving to Lowden, a small town below the Mason-Dixon line, native New Yorker Madeline Singer encounters an unexplained phenomenon while walking through the woods. The Angels in the Trees is an evocative one-woman show about ghosts, God, and the American South.
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1st Produced:
Company:
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1st Published:
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Genre:
Monologue play
Parts:
Male: - Female: 1 Other: -
Further Reference:
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Top of PageBody of an American, The
Synopsis:
Autobiography and documentary collide in this incredible journey from Africa to the Arctic. In 1993, while famously photographing the desecration of an American soldier in the streets of Mogadishu, Paul Watson heard the dead man speak to him: "If you do this, I will own you forever." Dan O'Brien's 2011 L. Arnold Weissberger Award-winning play searches for the meaning of this haunting refrain through the story of a playwright named Dan and a war reporter named Paul as they confront their own demons in pursuit of the truth behind the facts.
Notes:
Winner of the 2011 L. Arnold Weissberger Award. Commissioned and developed with support from The Playwrights' Center's 2009-2010 McKnight Commission and Residency Program, Minneapolis, MN. Additional support received from the Rockefeller Foundation Bellagio Residency, a Future Collaborations Grant from Theatre Communications Group, a Sundance Institute Time Warner Storytelling Fellowship, the 2010 PlayLabs at The Playwrights' Center, the 2011 New Harmony Project, a workshop at Pioneer Theatre in 2011, and the 2011 JAW Festival at Portland Center Stage.
1st Produced:
Portland Center Stage, Portland, OR 02 Oct 2012
Company:
Portland Center Stage
1st Published:
Samuel French, Inc -
Music:
-
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Genre:
Drama
Parts:
Male: 2 Female: - Other: -
Further Reference:
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Top of PageCherry Sisters Revisited, The
Synopsis:
The Cherry Sisters Revisited is a new play based on the true story of Addie, Effie, Lizzie, Ella, and Jessie Cherry, five sisters from Marion, Iowa, who took the vaudeville world by storm with the collective awfulness of their talent.
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1st Produced:
Actors Theatre of Louisville's Humana Festival of New American Plays 2010
Company:
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1st Published:
- Playscrips inc, 2010
Music:
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Genre:
comedy Play with Music
Parts:
Male: 1 Female: 5 Other: -
Further Reference:
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Top of PageCrazy Jane on God
Synopsis:
Ayoung man and an older woman; a young poet and his greatest fan. One night in a house in the woods in winter. A Drama.
Notes:
Manhattan Theatre Club (New York, NY), 6@6 Reading Series, 2000
1st Produced:
Company:
Drama League Directors Project
1st Published:
- -
Music:
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Genre:
30 min
Parts:
Male: 1 Female: 1 Other: -
Further Reference:
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Top of PageDear Boy, The
Synopsis:
On the verge of retirement, English teacher James Flanagan questions the life he didn't live. In Dan O'Brien's stirring Drama, unexpected encounters help him realize who he is and what he has accomplished.
Notes:
Directed by Michael John Garces. Supported by Tennessee Williams Fellowship in Playwriting in 2002 - 03 At the University of the South (Sewanee)
1st Produced:
Second Stage Theatre, New York 2005
Company:
-
1st Published:
- -
Music:
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Genre:
Drama, 90 min Play/Drama
Parts:
Male: 3 Female: 1 Other: -
Further Reference:
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Top of PageDemon
Synopsis:
Elisabeth's son has been acting strange lately, praying all the time. But each step she takes toward understanding her son's behavior only threatens Elisabeth more. A chamber piece for two voices, and a memory play of sorts, Demon is a Dramatic poem about the manifestations of secrecy and the mystery of family.
Notes:
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1st Produced:
Next Page Reading Series 2007
Company:
Atlantic Theatre Company
1st Published:
- -
Music:
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Genre:
Play/Drama
Parts:
Male: 1 Female: 1 Other: -
Further Reference:
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Top of PageDinner Table
Synopsis:
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Notes:
Originally performed under the overall title "Obstruction Plays" with five other plays.
1st Produced:
Company:
Slant Theater Project
1st Published:
- -
Music:
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Genre:
One act
Parts:
Male: - Female: - Other: -
Further Reference:
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Top of PageDisappearance of Daniel Hand, The
Synopsis:
Have you ever wanted to disappear? Daniel Hand disappeared, but he left behind some clues: a note, some video artwork, and a school full of conflicting impressions and theories. When Shannon, an aspiring filmmaker, starts shooting a documentary about the enigma of her missing classmate, she learns he was an athlete, honors student, artist, drug user, and perhaps a religious fanatic. Can she believe all the labels the other students are trying to slap on him? Is Daniel, Shannon, or anyone what everyone perceives them to be?
Notes:
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1st Produced:
William Penn Charter School (Philadelphia, PA, United States) 2004
Company:
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1st Published:
Playscripts, Inc - New York -
Music:
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Genre:
100-120 min Play/Drama
Parts:
Male: 3 Female: 5 Other: 3 males, 5 females (8-15 actors possible: 3-6 males, 5-9 females)
Further Reference:
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Top of Pageeither/or
Synopsis:
Over the course of three vignettes in a coffee shop, three pairs of farcically troubled people grapple with the social mores that define who we are -- sometimes through classical Greek wrestling, sometimes by whacking a slab of high-priced beef. Together,either/or and its companion piece"Will You Please Shut Up?"ruthlessly pinpoint the absurdities, insecurities, and indulgences that riddle modern relationships.
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1st Produced:
Project Y Theatre Company (New York International Fringe Festival) (New York, NY, United States) 2000
Company:
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1st Published:
Playscripts, Inc - New York -
Music:
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Genre:
25-35 min Comedy
Parts:
Male: 3 Female: 3 Other: 3 males, 3 females (4-6 actors possible: 2-3 males, 2-3 females)
Further Reference:
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Top of PageHer First Screen Test
Synopsis:
A young vaudeville actress prepares for her first photo shoot. This piece is part of Snapshot, an anthology of short plays. To perform this piece independently, click "Add to Shopping Cart" above. To perform this piece as part of the full-length collection, go to Snapshot.
Notes:
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1st Produced:
Company:
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1st Published:
Playscripts, Inc - New York -
Music:
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Genre:
5-10 min Comedy
Parts:
Male: - Female: 1 Other: 1 female
Further Reference:
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Top of PageHouse in Hydesville, The
Synopsis:
In the winter of 1847, the Fox family moved from Rochester to a small house in the snow-covered fields of Hydesville, New York. Soon after, they began to hear strange sounds-rapping in the walls-amidst tales of a long-ago murder. Where was this knocking sound coming from? What secrets did the house hold within its walls? Inspired by the true story of the Fox sisters, founders of Modern Spiritualism, The House in Hydesville is a haunting Drama that explores the mystery of family and the wellsprings of the soul.
Notes:
Commissioned by Geva Theatre Centerand developed At PlayLabs 2007, Playwrights' Center, Minneapolis, MN
1st Produced:
Geva Theatre Center, in Rochester, New York 2009
Company:
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1st Published:
- -
Music:
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Genre:
Drama Historical
Parts:
Male: 2 Female: 5 Other: -
Further Reference:
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Top of PageIrish Play, An
Synopsis:
Amateur actors in Cork City, Ireland convene at their local pub-theater for the first read through of a new Irish play. What no one knows yet is that the play has been written by an American, and that an African-American has been cast in the lead. Over the course of the evening the newly assembled cast debates (in typically Irish fashion) the play's deficiencies and merits, who will play which part, and whether or not to do the play at all. There's Ed, a patriot and single father, whose idea it was to do the play in the first place; Martha, the stage-manager; Michael, playwright and all-around lady's man; Cynthia, an aging ingenue and self-proclaimed Celtic goddess; Willie, the theater's patriarch; Joachim, an African-American just recently married into the Irish culture; and acid-tongued Declan, a young man with ambition but no direction. Irish and American Cultures come into conflict, old rivalries re-ignite, and secrets are revealed as the group struggles towards an understanding of this enigmatic Irish play. What begins as a comedic examination of Irish theatre and identity, becomes by evening's end a character Drama of strong emotional force.
Notes:
Directed by John Emigh
1st Produced:
Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island 1999
Company:
-
1st Published:
Dramatic Publishing, Inc, -
Music:
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Genre:
Comedy Drama, 100 min Comedy
Parts:
Male: 5 Female: 2 Other: -
Further Reference:
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Top of PageKandahar to Canada
Synopsis:
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Notes:
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1st Produced:
Ensemble Studio Theatre
549 West 52nd Street, 2nd floor, New York, NY 10019 18 May 2013
549 West 52nd Street, 2nd floor, New York, NY 10019 18 May 2013
Company:
34th Marathon of One Act Plays
1st Published:
- -
Music:
-
To Buy This Play:
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Genre:
one act
Parts:
Male: - Female: - Other: -
Further Reference:
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Top of PageKey West
Synopsis:
It's a rainy night in Key West, Florida, when Brigid - a young woman from the Bronx - ducks into Niall O'Neill's dusty pub. She's searching for her missing car keys and wonders if Niall has found them. But as they share a drink and a conversation, it becomes clear that what Brigid is really seeking is much deeper - and more mysterious
Notes:
Directed by Skip Greer. Commissioned by Manhattan Theatre Club
1st Produced:
Geva Theatre Center, Rochester, New York 2004
Company:
-
1st Published:
- -
Music:
-
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Genre:
Drama, 90 min Play/Drama
Parts:
Male: 1 Female: 1 Other: -
Further Reference:
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Top of PageLamarck
Synopsis:
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Notes:
Winner of the M. Elizabeth Osborn Award for Playwriting Excellence by the American Theatre Critics Association.
1st Produced:
Perishable Theatre (Providence, Rhode Island) 1998
Company:
-
1st Published:
- -
Music:
-
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Genre:
Drama, 120 min Play/Drama
Parts:
Male: 6 Female: 2 Other: -
Further Reference:
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Top of PageLast Supper Restoration, The
Synopsis:
weaves the imagined story of Leonardo da Vinci with an art restorer in Milan during World War II
Notes:
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1st Produced:
Kennedy Center, Washington 1997
Company:
-
1st Published:
Samuel French, NY, 1998 -
Music:
-
To Buy This Play:
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Genre:
Play/Drama
Parts:
Male: 4 Female: 1 Other: -
Further Reference:
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Top of PageMoving Picture
Synopsis:
Vaudeville and slap-stick collide with the towering figure of famed American inventor Thomas Edison in this new comedic Drama about the birth of the motion picture.
Notes:
Directed by Darko Tresnjak. Commissioned by Ensemble Studio Theatre Sloan/First Light Grant
1st Produced:
Williamstown Theatre Festival, Williamstown, Mass 2002
Company:
-
1st Published:
- -
Music:
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Genre:
Drama, 90 min Play/Drama
Parts:
Male: 9 Female: - Other: -
Further Reference:
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Top of PageOndine
Synopsis:
This lovely, bitter-sweet fairy tale of star-crossed lovers is unlike anything else we have on tap for the season. Traveling through a forest, knight errant Hans meets and falls in love with the water sprite Ondine despite an engagement to a woman at court. Ondine's relatives are skeptical of the match, and Ondine wagers with Hans's life - should he betray her, he will die. Once married and living in Hans's world, trouble quickly threatens the young lovers' happiness. Giraudoux is among the most influential European playwrights of the twentieth century; learn why when this gem of a play makes its UMass Amherst debut.
Notes:
Adapted from the play by Jean Giraudoux. Directed by Gina Kaufmann, with designers Jane Cox, Rob Kaplowitz, Sean Cote, Sarah Nelson, Margaret Inners As Dramaturg.
1st Produced:
Rand Theater, UMass Amherst Campus, Amherst, Massachusetts 2008
Company:
University of Massachusetts-Amherst
1st Published:
- -
Music:
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Genre:
Romance
Parts:
Male: - Female: - Other: flexible
Further Reference:
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Top of PageSnapshot
Synopsis:
A photograph captures and documents a single moment in time and space -- a snapshot of history, of a reality bounded by the photo's frame. But what lies outside, beyond, behind the photograph? And what stories, memories, or associations does an image of place inspire? In this multi-writer project from Actors Theatre of Louisville, a diverse assortment of talented playwrights encounter and transform Mount Rushmore, South Dakota, 1969, a compelling image of the monument by renowned photographer Lee Friedlander. Their thought-provoking scenes and monologues range from delightful comedy to utterly serious tragedy, each approaching the photo's themes through a new lens. To perform the entire collection, click "Add to Shopping Cart" above. To perform an individual piece independently, click on its title below:
Notes:
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1st Produced:
Company:
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1st Published:
Playscripts, Inc - New York -
Music:
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Genre:
80-100 min Drama/Comedy
Parts:
Male: 11 Female: 11 Other: 11 males, 11 females (4-25 actors possible: 2-15 males, 2-15 females)
Further Reference:
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Top of PageSouthern Cross
Synopsis:
-
Notes:
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1st Produced:
- -
Company:
-
1st Published:
- -
Music:
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Genre:
-
Parts:
Male: - Female: - Other: -
Further Reference:
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Top of PageThree Christs of Ypsilanti, The
Synopsis:
The Three Christs of Ypsilanti is the story of three men who thought they were Jesus Christ and the doctor who tried to change their minds. Adapted from the seminal psychological study of the same title by Dr. Milton Rokeach.
Notes:
Adapted from the nonfiction book by Milton Rokeach.
1st Produced:
Playwrights' Center, Ruth Easton New Plays Series, Minneapolis, Minnesota 2008
Company:
Playwrights' Center
1st Published:
- -
Music:
-
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Genre:
Play/Drama
Parts:
Male: 4 Female: 1 Other: -
Further Reference:
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Top of PageVoyage of the Carcass (full-length), The
Synopsis:
Bo'sun Smythe is dead. Trapped in the ice at the North Pole, only three members of the doomed Carcasscrew remain: Bane Barrington, buffoonish explorer; Ship's Chaplain Kane, a rector in drag; and Israel, their mute Canadian first mate. Will they make it home alive? First, they'll take a five-minute break, and explore themselves, their roles, and their predicament as the actors Bill, a struggling mime; his wife Helen, erstwhile actress; and Dan, the passive-aggressive puppet-master, i.e. the writer of this play. Weaving commedia dell'arte with theatre verite, The Voyage of the Carcass is a play about dreams, and the aftermath. (A one-act version of this play is also available.)
Notes:
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1st Produced:
Perishable Theatre (Brown University New Plays Festival) (Providence, RI, United States) 1999
Company:
-
1st Published:
Playscripts, Inc - New York -
Music:
-
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Genre:
100-120 min Comedy/Drama
Parts:
Male: 2 Female: 1 Other: 2 males, 1 female
Further Reference:
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Top of PageVoyage of the Carcass (one-act), The
Synopsis:
Bo'sun Smythe is dead. Trapped in the ice at the North Pole, only three members of the doomed Carcasscrew remain: Bane Barrington, buffoonish explorer; Ship's Chaplain Kane, a rector in drag; and Israel, their mute Canadian first mate. Will they make it home alive? (A full-length version of this play is also available.)
Notes:
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1st Produced:
Appalachian State University (Boone, NC, United States) 2006
Company:
-
1st Published:
Playscripts, Inc - New York -
Music:
-
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Genre:
45-55 min Comedy/Drama
Parts:
Male: 2 Female: 1 Other: 2 males, 1 female
Further Reference:
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Top of PageWill You Please Shut Up?
Synopsis:
Sylvia and Tom haven't seen each other in years when they bump into each other on the NYC subway. They were the loves of each other's lives, but something got in the way. . . Moving backwards in time, the play traces the origins of their toxic loathing to a once idyllic love. Together, "Will You Please Shut Up?" and its companion pieceeither/or ruthlessly pinpoint the absurdities, insecurities, and indulgences that riddle modern relationships.
Notes:
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1st Produced:
Kennedy Center/Kenan Foundation (Washington, DC, United States) 2003
Company:
-
1st Published:
Playscripts, Inc - New York -
Music:
-
To Buy This Play:
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Genre:
40-50 min Comedy
Parts:
Male: 1 Female: 1 Other: 1 male, 1 female
Further Reference:
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