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Matt Pelfrey

MATT PELFREY

  
Nationality:    USA
facebook     email:    Click here to contact     Website:    n/a

Literary Agent:    Bret Adams Ltd  

Matt Pelfrey is a theatre, film and television writer. His plays have been produced around the country and overseas and include COCKROACH NATION, TERMINUS AMERICANA, AN IMPENDING RUPTURE OF THE BELLY, PURE SHOCK VALUE, FREAK STORM and recently the stage adaption of IN THE HEAT OF THE NIGHT. Los Angeles Theatre Works produced an audio version of IN THE HEAT OF THE NIGHT, which aired nationally on National Public Radio. A live version of the LATW production toured the U.S. and played over twenty venues. His plays are available from Broadway Play Publishing, Original Works Publishing, and Samuel French. He is the winner of the Actor's Theater of Louisvilles Heideman Award, a Backstage Garland Award for playwriting, and was nominated for an LA WEEKLY playwriting award and a Los Angeles Ovation award. He worked as a staff writer on the MTV drama SKINS. His screenplay SURVIVALISM was included on the 2011 Blood List. He received his BA in Creative Writing from San Francisco State and his Master in Fine Arts in Playwriting from UCLA. He teaches undergraduate playwriting at UCLA.

Research:    Member of the Dramatists Guild of America (as at 2015)

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below is a list of Matt Pelfrey's plays - click on a Play Title for more information

         Basketball Diaries, The         Cockroach Nation         Drive Angry         Feast of Famine, A         Freak Storm         Gore Hounds         Honkies With Attitude         Impending Rupture of the Belly, An         In the Heat of the Night         Jerry Springer is God         John Ball's In the Heat of the Night         Lycanthrophobia         Monkey         No Good Deed         Page Cage, The         Pilo Family Circus, The         Pure Shock Value         Reason For The Season         Terminus Americana         Winkie
Basketball Diaries, The

Synopsis:
Matt Pelfrey adapts for the stage Jim Carroll's remarkable book of a key period in American culture. Set in New York City, starting in 1963, Jim is an all-star basketball player at an elite catholic school leading a double life-experimenting with drugs and getting hooked, hustling gay men to support a heroin addiction, and becoming a poet and a future rock singer.
- press release

Notes:
from book by Jim Carroll

1st Produced:

Organisations:

1st Published:
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Music:
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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

Booksellers:

Genre:
Adaptation

Parts:
Male:  8            Female:  2            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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Cockroach Nation

Cockroach Nation
Middle class Hank wakes up one morning to find himself in a rubbish bag. He gets out and finds himself in the longest and dirtiest alley in the city where he meets Boone the self-styled leader and his sidekick Cockroach Boy who is half-human and half cockroach. He walks on all fours and talks in clicks and hisses. there is also the Trash King who is a bit of a philosopher: "the wrapper outlasts the burger, the bottle outlasts the wine,the can outlasts the Coke."

Notes:
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1st Produced:
Moving Arts Presentation At The Los Angeles Theater Center     2000

Organisations:
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1st Published:

Music:
-

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

Booksellers:

Genre:
Play/Drama

Parts:
Male:  8            Female:  4            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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Drive Angry

Synopsis:
Existential pollution drives two young men to dire acts as they careen through LA traffic. This examination of diseased bodies and diseased societies is laced with provocative and dark humor

Notes:
part of Life Under 30

1st Produced:

Organisations:
-

1st Published:
Humana Festival 1999: the Complete Plays, ed Michael Bigelow Dixon & Amy Wegener, Smith & Kraus, 1999
in Ten Minute Plays From Actors Theatre Of Louisville, Vol 5, Samuel French NY   

Music:
-

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

Booksellers:

Genre:
Ten Min

Parts:
Male:  2            Female:  -            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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Feast of Famine, A

Synopsis:
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Notes:
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1st Produced:
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Organisations:
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1st Published:
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Music:
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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

Booksellers:

Genre:
Short play

Parts:
Male:  -            Female:  -            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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Freak Storm

Synopsis:
Lynn and Adam are to be married. Two weeks before the wedding friends of Adam arrive saying that the couple must be protected from something in the rain.

Notes:
-

1st Produced:
Victory Theater, Burbank     2001

Organisations:
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1st Published:
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Music:
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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

Booksellers:

Genre:
Play/Drama

Parts:
Male:  4            Female:  3            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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Gore Hounds

Synopsis:
Three friends get hold of an authentic snuff movie. they plan to watch it as part of their drug fuelled weekend. When one of the people in the film bursts through the television screen and into their room they think they have the opportunity to carry out their darkest fantasies.

Notes:
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1st Produced:
-    

Organisations:
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1st Published:
Original Works, Los Angeles,    

Music:
-

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

Booksellers:

Genre:
-

Parts:
Male:  3            Female:  1            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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Honkies With Attitude

Synopsis:
Alarmed at the increase in crime in the area a group of men form their own gang to fight back

Notes:
-

1st Produced:
Moving Arts, Los Angeles     01 May 2001

Organisations:
-

1st Published:
-   

Music:
-

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

Booksellers:

Genre:
-

Parts:
Male:  -            Female:  -            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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Impending Rupture of the Belly, An

Synopsis:
How far would YOU go to defend your family? AN IMPENDING RUPTURE OF the BELLY concerns Clay Stilts' desire to fortify his house in preparation for both a new baby and the apocalypse he's convinced is just around the corner. Clay worries about so many things, nuclear terrorism, avian bird flu, killer earthquakes, riots, small pox crop dusters flying over Dodger Stadium. His obsessions are sidetracked when a slowly escalating battle with a neighbor who refuses to curb his dog explodes in an impulsive act of violence. In one reckless moment, Clay's world spins out of control, becoming a microcosm for a global struggle against threats to our security, both real and imagined.

Notes:
part of Life Under 30

1st Produced:

Organisations:

1st Published:

Music:
-

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

Booksellers:

Genre:
dark comedy Comedy

Parts:
Male:  4            Female:  1            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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In the Heat of the Night

In the Heat of the Night
It's 1962 and a hot August night lies heavy over the small town of Argo, Alabama. A dead white man is discovered and the local police arrest a black stranger named Virgil Tibbs. the police discover that their prime suspect is in fact a homicide detective from California. As events unfold, Tibbs becomes the racially-tense community's single hope in solving a brutal murder that is turning up no witnesses, no motives, and no clues.

Notes:
This is Acclaimed playwright Matt Pelfrey's Adaptation of John Ball's In the Heat of the Night based on the Award-winning book that inspired the Oscar-winning film And the Emmy-winning television series

1st Produced:
-    

Organisations:
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1st Published:
Samuel French Inc   

Music:
-

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

Booksellers:

Genre:
adaptation

Parts:
Male:  8            Female:  2            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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Jerry Springer is God

Synopsis:
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Notes:
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1st Produced:
-    

Organisations:
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1st Published:
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Music:
-

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

Booksellers:

Genre:
-

Parts:
Male:  -            Female:  -            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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John Ball's In the Heat of the Night

John Ball's In the Heat of the Night
It's 1962. A hot August night lies heavy over the small town of Argo, Alabama. A dead white man is discovered and the local police arrest a black stranger named Virgil Tibbs. the police discover that their prime suspect is in fact a homicide detective from California. As it happens, Tibbs becomes the racially-tense community's single hope in solving a brutal murder that is turning up no witnesses, no motives, and no clues.

Notes:
Acclaimed playwright Matt Pelfrey's Adaptation of John Ball's In the Heat of the Night based on the Award-winning book that inspired the Oscar-winning film And the Emmy-winning television series.

1st Produced:

Organisations:
Godlight Theatre Company

1st Published:

Music:
-

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

Booksellers:

Genre:
Adaptation

Parts:
Male:  8            Female:  2            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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Lycanthrophobia

Synopsis:
-

Notes:
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1st Produced:
-    

Organisations:
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1st Published:
-   

Music:
-

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

Booksellers:

Genre:
Ten minute play

Parts:
Male:  -            Female:  -            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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Monkey

Synopsis:
-

Notes:
-

1st Produced:
Moving Arts 6th Annual One Act Play Festival     1999

Organisations:
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1st Published:
-   

Music:
-

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

Booksellers:

Genre:
One act

Parts:
Male:  -            Female:  -            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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No Good Deed

Synopsis:
Josh is driven to ruin and death after an act of bravery. In the afterlife he meets two superheroes and they devise a time travelling plan to go back and undo their good deeds

Notes:
-

1st Produced:
-    

Organisations:
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1st Published:
http://www.broadwayplaypub.com/   

Music:
-

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

Booksellers:

Genre:
drama 110 min

Parts:
Male:  6            Female:  2            Other:  doubling

Further Reference:
-

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Page Cage, The

Synopsis:
-

Notes:
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1st Produced:
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Organisations:
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1st Published:
-   

Music:
-

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

Booksellers:

Genre:
-

Parts:
Male:  -            Female:  -            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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Pilo Family Circus, The

Synopsis:
Jamie never dreamed of running away to join the circus, but you just don't say no to a headhunting troupe of exuberantly sadistic clowns. But in a centuries-old carnival and a nightmare world of acrobats, clowns, dwarves, freaks and fortunetellers, he may lose more than just his way. When the whiteface goes on, Jamie becomes JJ - the most vicious clown of all. And JJ wants Jamie dead. A darkly funny, gleefully macabre nightmare. This is part of Ice Factory 2012.
- nytheatre.com

Notes:
based on the novel of the same name

1st Produced:
New Ohio Theatre, 154 Christopher Street, New York     11 Jul 2012

Organisations:
Godlight Theatre Company

1st Published:
-   

Music:
-

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

Booksellers:

Genre:
adaptation

Parts:
Male:  -            Female:  -            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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Pure Shock Value

Synopsis:
Three friends are trying to make a movie in Hollywood. They need funds. How low will they go to get them?

Notes:
-

1st Produced:
-    

Organisations:
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1st Published:
-   

Music:
-

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

Booksellers:

Genre:
Drama

Parts:
Male:  3            Female:  1            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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Reason For The Season

Synopsis:
Deanna has lost her job and husband James has had his hours cut. They can't afford reasonable Christmas presents. Having gone to bed on Christmas Eve they realise that they have not eaten the magic cookies their son has made and left out for Santa. They rush downstairs and start eating them. They hear a noise - thinking it might be their son they hide. But it is Santa who pops out from the fireplace - and he is not happy that half his cookies have been eaten

Notes:
-

1st Produced:
Artists Repertory Theatre, Portland, Oregon     26 Nov 2013

Organisations:
-

1st Published:
-   

Music:
-

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

Booksellers:

Genre:
One act

Parts:
Male:  -            Female:  -            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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Terminus Americana

Synopsis:
-

Notes:
-

1st Produced:
-    

Organisations:
-

1st Published:
-   

Music:
-

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

Booksellers:

Genre:
-

Parts:
Male:  -            Female:  -            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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Winkie

Synopsis:
Clifford Chase's scathingly funny novel Winkie is brought to life by Godlight theatre Company. When a mild-mannered teddy bear finds himself on the wrong side of America's War on Terror, he becomes trapped inside the jaws of a society rabid with fear and paranoia. Is Winkie the evil mastermind behind dozens of terrorist attacks? Or is he an innocent scapegoat for zealots on both sides of the terror wars? An emotionally gripping and intellectually compelling exploration of the absurdities of our post-9/11 age.
- nytheatre.com

Notes:
-

1st Produced:
59E59 theaters
59 East 59th Street, New York, NY 10022     13 Mar 2011

Organisations:
Godlight Theatre Company

1st Published:
-   

Music:
-

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

Booksellers:

Genre:
Play/Drama

Parts:
Male:  7            Female:  2            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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