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Brian Dykstra

BRIAN DYKSTRA

  
Nationality:    USA
email:    Click here to contact     Website:    Click here

Literary Agent:    n/a

Yo. I've written plays and poems and performed in things. I've written things you should read. And those things are the things on this website. I've written other things that you should read but aren't yet on this website. I wish I could tell you where to read them, but I can't. Cuz' I don't rightly know. Or wrongly know. Listen, it's all political (unless it isn't) if you're not interested in that, click on some other playwright on this website. . .they're good. If you are interested in the political, you're in the right place. If you want to know more. . .google me. . .I'm on that web in a couple joints. I gots a new play on the way. It's all up and through there. It's a hip-hop play written in the language of hip-hop (so, in other wordz) it's going to be commercially challenged. Oh, well. I make a living acting and writing so who's complaining? It's a great job, theatre. So, check out what you want and ignore the rest. Ciao. . .(or whatever).

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

         Brian Dykstra: Cornered And Alone         Clean Alternatives         Education         Faith         Forsaking All Others         Freedom         Hiding Behind Comets         Ho!         Jesus Factor, The         Just Us         Lewis Black         Mean Queen And the Thief Of Hearts         Myth America         No Problem         Play On Words, A         Silence         Something of a Music Aficionado         Spill the Wine         Standards Of Decency Project         Strangerhorse         Things That Go Pop In the Night         Two Totally Naked Guys Standing Around Talking About Blasphemy Without Getting All That Violent About It - then A Sermon
Brian Dykstra: Cornered And Alone

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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:
Solo Play/Drama

Parts:
Male:  1            Female:  -            Other:  -

Further Reference:
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Clean Alternatives

Synopsis:
an incendiary tale of an environmentally-friendly family business afloat in a sea of corporate sharks. a chemical reaction ignites a love affair, dirty little secrets are exposed, and a young woman finds a way to make her life organically solvent

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1st Produced:

Organisations:
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1st Published:
http://www.indietheaternow.com/Plays   

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:  2            Female:  1            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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Education

Synopsis:
A high school senior is suspended when he tries to burn an American flag for a school art fair project. Undeterred, he conspires with his classmate, a slam poet in trouble for an expletive-laden poem, to enter a controversial new piece, setting off a free speech firestorm in a small Ohio town. EDUCATION is a provocative new play about two young people who fight for their right to express themselves in a society hostile to and fearful of change.

Notes:
Education began as a one-act play called Mick Just Shrugs commissioned by The Drilling Company for an evening called HONOR. It was just the first scene--A kid who sets up an art project to burn an American Flag gets into trouble and is sent to the principal's office. It was published by The New York Theatre Experience in: Plays and Playwrights 2005. Brian then developed the idea into a full-length and has developed the play at The Lark Play Development Center. It has received public readings at The Actor's Studio, NJ Rep and PolitiKos, a political theatre festival in NYC.

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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:  3            Female:  2            Other:  -

Further Reference:
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Faith

Synopsis:
Declaring "We all believe in something. . .don't we?," the Drilling Company has set a short play project on the subject of faith. the nine short plays cover a range of ideas and writing styles. the program includes plays by Brian Dykstra, Kate McCamy, Richard Mover, C. Denby Swanson, Scott Baker, and Stephen Bittrich, all regular contributors to past Drilling Company projects, plus newcomers Jennifer Fawcett, Misha Shulman, and Christine Whitley.
- nytheatre.com

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Organisations:
theDrillingCompaNY

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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Forsaking All Others

Synopsis:
Alan is married to Jenifer, who is sleeping with David who is dating Chloe who is sleeping with alan.Deceit, betrayal, vicious one-upmanship and marital infidelity are the bitter outcome when a group of young professional blur the boundaries between friendship, marriage and sexual conquest

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1st Produced:
Powerhouse Theatre     1998

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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:
dark comedy/Drama

Parts:
Male:  2            Female:  2            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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Freedom

Synopsis:
Now in its tenth year, theDrillingCompaNY is well known for its collections of new plays around common themes. the theme this year is FReeDOM. "We chose it because of all of the attention our FRee -market economy has gotten lately and because we're still fighting wars for the same cause," says artistic director Hamilton Clancy. "Franklin Roosevelt outlined four freedoms America was responsible for defending-that was the kick-off point for playwrights." With grants from the New York State Council on the Arts and Lower Manhattan Cultural Council, theDrillingCompaNY commissions writers to write around the chosen theme. the directors of this year's plays are: Hamilton Clancy, Robert a. Wilson, Tom Demenkoff, Jude Domski, David Marantz, Richard Mover, and Rebecca Hengstenberg.
- nytheatre.com

Notes:
authors Brian Dykstra, Andrea Moon, C. Denby Swanson, Trish Harnetiaux, Richard Mover, Sean Lewis, eric Henry Sanders, Kate McCamy

1st Produced:

Organisations:
theDrillingCompaNY

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:
short play

Parts:
Male:  -            Female:  -            Other:  -

Further Reference:
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Hiding Behind Comets

Synopsis:
although twin brother and sister, Troy and Honey, share an unusually strong bond, they seem as different as night and day. One late summer evening, a stranger wanders into their family-owned bar. When he starts asking personal questions, it soon becomes clear that his visit to this small-town dive has not been purely coincidental. the extent of his journey, it's underlying motivation and the past horrors that have directed it provide a roller coaster of surprises that keep audiences on the edge of their seat until the plays final moments.

Notes:
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1st Produced:
Cincinnati Playhouse In The Park     2004

Organisations:
-

1st Published:
http://www.indietheaternow.com/Plays   

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/dark comedy

Parts:
Male:  2            Female:  2            Other:  -

Further Reference:
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Ho!

Synopsis:
Move over Hallmark. Brian Dykstra puts his unique stamp on the holidays in two quirky Christmas tales with HO! the first half is a Dr. Suess-style piece about the commercialization of Christmas that pits Santa and his merry band of lawyers against those that would dare try to usurp his branding. the second act is the heartwarming story of Sammy, a majestic pine tree from Vermont. Trucked to the big city, Sammy waits on the sidewalk to fulfill his destiny - to become the perfect Christmas tree.
- nytheatre.com

Notes:
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1st Produced:
Drilling Company theatre
107 West 82nd Street, 1a, New York, NY 10024     29 Nov 2010

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:
75 min Play/Drama

Parts:
Male:  1            Female:  -            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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Jesus Factor, The

Synopsis:
an impassioned indictment of the religious right
- press release

Notes:
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1st Produced:
Barrow Street Theatre, NY     2008

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:  1            Female:  -            Other:  -

Further Reference:
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Just Us

Synopsis:
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Notes:
theDrillingCompaNY presents Justice, A themed evening of original short plays

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Organisations:
theDrillingCompaNY

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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:
One act

Parts:
Male:  -            Female:  -            Other:  -

Further Reference:
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Lewis Black

Synopsis:
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Notes:
part DeBT - 10 short plays About something we All have, the hot potato of America! Who's DeBT is it Anyway?

1st Produced:
Drilling Company theatre
107 West 82nd Street, #1a, New York, NY 10024     15 Apr 2012

Organisations:
theDrillingCompaNY

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:
short play

Parts:
Male:  -            Female:  -            Other:  -

Further Reference:
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Mean Queen And the Thief Of Hearts

Synopsis:
an uptight queen needs a good shag and Jimmy Jack Rude will oblige.

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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:
-

Parts:
Male:  1            Female:  -            Other:  -

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Myth America

Synopsis:
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Notes:
written by Arthur Kopit, Theresa Rebeck, Israel Horovitz, Rachel Axler, Ian Cohen, Brian Dykstra, Jason Grote, Julien Schwab, Matthew Paul Olmos, Saviana Stanescu, And Lloyd Suh.

1st Produced:
TBG Theatre, NY     2007

Organisations:
Personal Space theatrics

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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No Problem

Synopsis:
One man, whose happiness depends upon finding conflict and argument, finds he has run into an existensial madness when he can find "no problem" wherever he looks. In his 14th premiere at the Drilling Company, master wordsmith Brian Dykstra skewers the notion of happiness and those who seem to find it only in debate.
- nytheatre.com

Notes:
part of "Happiness". the Drilling Company commissioned eight playwrights to write short works on the subject of the search for happiness

1st Produced:
Drilling Company theatre
107 West 82nd Street, #1a, New York, NY 10024     12 May 2011

Organisations:
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1st Published:
-   

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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Play On Words, A

Synopsis:
Seinfeld meets Waiting for Godot in this ferociously witty play on, about, and exploding with language. Rusty and Max have been friends since grade school and they've been arguing almost the entire time. Today they're scheming up something big. Brian Dykstra's signature style crackles in this uproarious romp through backyard suburbia where two (slightly above) average Joes spar in a relentlessly fanatical pursuit of what is said, what is intended, and what is
- press release

Notes:
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1st Produced:
Kitchen Theatre Company, Ithaca, New York    

Organisations:
-

1st Published:
http://www.indietheaternow.com/Plays   

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:  2            Female:  -            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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Silence

Synopsis:
Based on a true story, Silence, is the story of a group of "at risk" high school students at a summer Arts camp in Fargo, North Dakota. With their teachers they explore how their challenges, fears and hopes could be discussed in the form of Drama. One young man was put in the program after trying to kill himself over his fear of his father's reaction to his homosexuality. although he never told his Father he was gay, he wrote a play as a way of coming out to his parents. His Father never saw the play because the administration canceled the performance. they decided that the material was inappropriate. Children should not make fun of authority figures. Teenagers should not discuss homosexuality and should not think of or portray homosexual relationships as normal. Young adults should not use the word "God" except when praying or praising the Lord. and, of course, young men and women should never use words like hell and damn.but it may be OK to say bitch, slut and fag. This is a play about these kids a

Notes:
Based on A true story.

1st Produced:
College Of The Holy Cross     2001

Organisations:
-

1st Published:
http://www.indietheaternow.com/Plays   

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:  7            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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Something of a Music Aficionado

Something of a Music Aficionado
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Notes:
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1st Produced:
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Organisations:
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1st Published:
in the Best Ten-Minute Plays 2011, Smith & Kraus; (June 1, 2012)   

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:
10 min play

Parts:
Male:  -            Female:  -            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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Spill the Wine

Synopsis:
Emma and her husband Page wrestle with the pain and confusion of her leaving him for a woman, when it seems that she discovers her true sexuality. Emma is faced with the reality of having to choose between the husband she knows she loves, and the new woman in her life. But when Page uncovers a secret, the characters are forced to confront the truth and what it really means to be in love
- press release

Notes:
-

1st Produced:
TBG Arts Complex     2008

Organisations:
GaYFeST NYC

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. - - Gay, theme/character full length

Parts:
Male:  2            Female:  3            Other:  -

Further Reference:
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Standards Of Decency Project

Synopsis:
Blue Coyote theater Group presents a program of nine new short plays that collectively the notions of decency and obscenity. the playwrights were asked to write a piece that includes at least one of these elements--nudity, blasphemy, and violence--in a manner that is fully warranted and justified (that is, that avoids mere gratuitousness or sensationalism), while also intended to offend conventional standards of decency. Blue Coyote says that it seeks to spark a discussion about the uses and abuses of transgressive performance onstage with this presentation.
nytheatre.com

Notes:
the playwrights Are: David Johnston, Mathew Freeman, David Foley, Brian Dykstra, Boo Killebrew, Laura Henry, Kristen Palmer, John Yearley, And Stan Richardson

1st Produced:
Access Theatre, 380 Broadway, 4th Floor, New York, NY 10013     2006

Organisations:
Blue Coyote Theater Group

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:
Short Play One act

Parts:
Male:  -            Female:  -            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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Strangerhorse

Synopsis:
Set against the contemporary backdrop of New York City, Strangerhorse centers around Zach, a 30-something white hospital volunteer. While volunteering, Zach meets T. Rex, a 16 year old black drug dealer whose grandmother is in the hospital. T. Rex entrusbriefcasets $15,000 cash to Zach to be used to pay his grandmother's medical bills. Trouble erupts when Zach's boyfriend, a 29 year old black man named Graham, finds the cash in Zach's

Notes:
the play explores issues of race, homophobia, class, ethics And morality

1st Produced:
Access Theatre, 380 Broadway, 4th Floor, New York, NY 10013     2002

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:
Black Comedy Comedy

Parts:
Male:  4            Female:  -            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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Things That Go Pop In the Night

Synopsis:
What's more terrifying (and hystErical) than alien invasions, gun toting madmen, and two men dressed as Betty White and Lindsay Lohan? Find out in this creepy / funny evening of short plays presented by at Hand theatre Company. . .
- nytheatre.com

Notes:
the playwrights include: Rob Ackerman, Anton Dudley, Brian Dykstra, Joseph Palestina, And Mark Snyder.

1st Produced:
Robert Moss Theatre, NY     21 Oct 2010

Organisations:
at Hand 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:
short plays

Parts:
Male:  -            Female:  -            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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Two Totally Naked Guys Standing Around Talking About Blasphemy Without Getting All That Violent About It - then A Sermon

Synopsis:
-

Notes:
-

1st Produced:
-     2006

Organisations:
Blue Coyote Theater Group

1st Published:
in "Standards of Decency Series 1", http://www.indietheaternow.com/Plays   

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:
short play

Parts:
Male:  -            Female:  -            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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