Plays in Alphabetical Order
Assisted Living – A One-Act Play
Award-Winning Entry – A Ten-Minute Play
Character Development – A play in one act
Delivered – A Ten-Minute Play
The End of Innocence – A play in one act
Feeding Frenzy – A Ten-Minute Play
InSex– A Ten-Minute Play
Live Before a Studio Audience – A One-Act Play
Silent Night – A Short Play
Standards of Conduct (currently in development) – Full Length
Still Life – A play in one act
The Uses of Enchantment (currently in development) – Full Length
Zeus's Women – A One-Act Play
Award-Winning Entry – A Ten-Minute Play
Character Development – A play in one act
Delivered – A Ten-Minute Play
The End of Innocence – A play in one act
Feeding Frenzy – A Ten-Minute Play
InSex– A Ten-Minute Play
Live Before a Studio Audience – A One-Act Play
Silent Night – A Short Play
Standards of Conduct (currently in development) – Full Length
Still Life – A play in one act
The Uses of Enchantment (currently in development) – Full Length
Zeus's Women – A One-Act Play
Synopses, Production History, & Critical Reception
Assisted Living
Synopsis: A tense visitation occurs in an assisted living facility as an old man, imprisoned by aphasia, lies confined to a hospital bed.
Character List:
· Old Man (M)
· Young Man (M)
· Nurse (F)
Production History:
· Winner, Front Range Playwrights’ Showcase (Louisville, CO). Staged reading directed by Dan Schock, August 2010.
· Winner, Chameleon Theatre Circle New One Act Play Competition (Minneapolis/St. Paul). Staged Reading directed by Ashley Davis, September 2010.
· Emerging Artists Theatre’s EATfest (New York, NY). The play was given a full company reading on July 11, 2010 and an Equity waver showcase production March 7-20, 2011.
· Winner, "Best One Act Play," Rocky Mountain Theater Association Festival Playwriting Competition. The play was adjudicated by RMTA judges in January 2011 and given a staged reading at RMTA's festival in Cheyenne, Wyoming on February 10.
· Winner, Theatre du Mississippi (Winona, MN) One-Act Play Competition, May 2011.
· Finalist, Samuel French Off Off Broadway Festival (New York, NY), July 2011.
Character List:
· Old Man (M)
· Young Man (M)
· Nurse (F)
Production History:
· Winner, Front Range Playwrights’ Showcase (Louisville, CO). Staged reading directed by Dan Schock, August 2010.
· Winner, Chameleon Theatre Circle New One Act Play Competition (Minneapolis/St. Paul). Staged Reading directed by Ashley Davis, September 2010.
· Emerging Artists Theatre’s EATfest (New York, NY). The play was given a full company reading on July 11, 2010 and an Equity waver showcase production March 7-20, 2011.
· Winner, "Best One Act Play," Rocky Mountain Theater Association Festival Playwriting Competition. The play was adjudicated by RMTA judges in January 2011 and given a staged reading at RMTA's festival in Cheyenne, Wyoming on February 10.
· Winner, Theatre du Mississippi (Winona, MN) One-Act Play Competition, May 2011.
· Finalist, Samuel French Off Off Broadway Festival (New York, NY), July 2011.
Award-Winning Entry
Synopsis: A playwright submits an ambitious play to a ten minute play festival in this ambitious play for ten minute play festivals. Award-Winning Entry not only playfully toys with the boundaries between fiction and reality, but it also takes a wrecking ball to pretty much every held theatrical convention.
Character List:
· Playwright (M)
· Antagonist (F)
· Stage Manager (Non-gender specific role)
Production History:
· This short play brought down the house as the final staged reading of the Fourth Annual Playwrights Showcase of the Western
Region (Denver, Colorado) in August 2009.
· Finalist, Snowdance Comedy Festival 2010, staged by Over Our Heads Players (Racine, Wisconsin) in January 2010.
· Staged by Turtle Shell Productions in April 2010 as part of the 8 Minute Madness Festival (Times Square Arts Center Theatre, New York, New York). The play was awarded "Best Production" of the festival and I was named "Best Playwright" by attending industry voters.
· Finalist, 2010 Pint Sized Play Competition; staged in Pembrokeshire, Wales in September & October 2010.
· Winner, First Place Audience Favourite, Script Slam 2010, Theatr Gwaun, Fishguard, UK, October 2010. Given an encore presentation in December 2010 at Picton Castle in Wales.
· Staged by One Night Stand Theater as part of "Inspiration Strikes," a night of short plays (Vintage Theatre, Denver, Colorado) in February 2012.
Character List:
· Playwright (M)
· Antagonist (F)
· Stage Manager (Non-gender specific role)
Production History:
· This short play brought down the house as the final staged reading of the Fourth Annual Playwrights Showcase of the Western
Region (Denver, Colorado) in August 2009.
· Finalist, Snowdance Comedy Festival 2010, staged by Over Our Heads Players (Racine, Wisconsin) in January 2010.
· Staged by Turtle Shell Productions in April 2010 as part of the 8 Minute Madness Festival (Times Square Arts Center Theatre, New York, New York). The play was awarded "Best Production" of the festival and I was named "Best Playwright" by attending industry voters.
· Finalist, 2010 Pint Sized Play Competition; staged in Pembrokeshire, Wales in September & October 2010.
· Winner, First Place Audience Favourite, Script Slam 2010, Theatr Gwaun, Fishguard, UK, October 2010. Given an encore presentation in December 2010 at Picton Castle in Wales.
· Staged by One Night Stand Theater as part of "Inspiration Strikes," a night of short plays (Vintage Theatre, Denver, Colorado) in February 2012.
Character Development
Synopsis:
An acclaimed author experiences the ultimate writer’s block when a character in her new novel refuses to be written.
Character List:
· Woman 1
· Woman 2
· Man
Production History:
Character Development was awarded production as part of the 2004 Stage Left Theatre Company’s One Act Play Festival. The play was produced under the working title “Writing Evangeline.”
Sample Dialogue: Available on request
Delivered
Synopsis:
Four people's lives collide when they witness a strange and disturbing occurrence. Based on real events, it is a play about the dangerous crossroads of prejudice and complacency.
Character List:
· Flo (F, 60's)
· Sharita (F, late 20's-early 30's)
· Dave (M, 30's)
· Pete (M, 30's)
Production History:
· Finalist, FUSION Theatre's 2011 annual short play contest, "The Seven" (Albuquerque, New Mexico), May 2011.
· Finalist, Walking Fish Theatre Ten Minute Play Festival, (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania), August 2011.
· Workshop, ON YOUR FEET at the Edge Theatre, (Lakewood, Colorado), November 2011.
Four people's lives collide when they witness a strange and disturbing occurrence. Based on real events, it is a play about the dangerous crossroads of prejudice and complacency.
Character List:
· Flo (F, 60's)
· Sharita (F, late 20's-early 30's)
· Dave (M, 30's)
· Pete (M, 30's)
Production History:
· Finalist, FUSION Theatre's 2011 annual short play contest, "The Seven" (Albuquerque, New Mexico), May 2011.
· Finalist, Walking Fish Theatre Ten Minute Play Festival, (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania), August 2011.
· Workshop, ON YOUR FEET at the Edge Theatre, (Lakewood, Colorado), November 2011.
The End of Innocence
Synopsis:
The End of Innocence is a retelling of the pivotal last moments of “Hansel & Gretel,” the classic childhood story by the Brothers Grimm. This short, two character comedy is, as the title suggests, an absurd exploration about how human beings often sacrifice innocence in the pursuit of moral, psychological, and physical well-being.
Character List:
· Hansel
· Gretel
Production History:
· First produced at San Diego's North Park Playwright's Festival in October 2009. The play was awarded top prize as "Best of the Festival" for the weekend of its premiere.
· Prodcued by Snorks & Piñs at the company's "By The Light of a Match" Festival (New York, NY) in February 2011.
Sample Dialogue: Available on request
Feeding Frenzy
Synopsis:
3 paparazzi + 1 young, dead celebrity = a very dark, little satire about America's obsession with fame.
Character List:
· Darren (M)
· Carmen (F)
· Mel (M)
Production History:
Written for festival consideration, this play has not yet been produced.
3 paparazzi + 1 young, dead celebrity = a very dark, little satire about America's obsession with fame.
Character List:
· Darren (M)
· Carmen (F)
· Mel (M)
Production History:
Written for festival consideration, this play has not yet been produced.
InSex
Synopsis: Postcoital tensions arise between two praying mantises.
Character List:
· Brad (A male praying mantis)
· Claire (A female praying mantis)
Production & Awards History:
· Winner, Chameleon Theatre Circle New Ten-Minute Play Competition (Minneapolis/St. Paul), September 2010.
· Second Place Winner, Claire Donaldson 8 in 48 Festival (Sioux Falls, South Dakota), September 2010.
· Winner, Magnolia Arts Center Ten Minute Play Contest (Greenville, North Carolina), November 2010.
· Winner, "Best Short Play," Rocky Mountain Theater Association Festival Playwriting Competition. The play was adjudicated by RMTA judges in January 2011 and given a staged reading at RMTA's festival in Cheyenne, Wyoming on February 10.
· 2012 Heideman Award Finalist, National Ten-Minute Play Contest (Louisville, Kentucky), August 2011.
· Finalist, 2011 Pint Sized Play Competition; staged in Pembrokeshire, Wales in September-October 2011
· Red Rocks Community College Main Stage production (Lakewood, Colorado), November 2011.
Character List:
· Brad (A male praying mantis)
· Claire (A female praying mantis)
Production & Awards History:
· Winner, Chameleon Theatre Circle New Ten-Minute Play Competition (Minneapolis/St. Paul), September 2010.
· Second Place Winner, Claire Donaldson 8 in 48 Festival (Sioux Falls, South Dakota), September 2010.
· Winner, Magnolia Arts Center Ten Minute Play Contest (Greenville, North Carolina), November 2010.
· Winner, "Best Short Play," Rocky Mountain Theater Association Festival Playwriting Competition. The play was adjudicated by RMTA judges in January 2011 and given a staged reading at RMTA's festival in Cheyenne, Wyoming on February 10.
· 2012 Heideman Award Finalist, National Ten-Minute Play Contest (Louisville, Kentucky), August 2011.
· Finalist, 2011 Pint Sized Play Competition; staged in Pembrokeshire, Wales in September-October 2011
· Red Rocks Community College Main Stage production (Lakewood, Colorado), November 2011.
Live Before a Studio Audience
Synopsis:
Live Before a Studio Audience transpires in real time during the taping of a fictional daytime talk show. Over the course of this otherwise uneventful (in fact, cliché) taping, an emotional confrontation between two guests leads to an act of unimaginable horror. At times lightly satirical, at turns darkly tragic, Live Before a Studio Audience blurs the line between fiction and reality, inviting the audience to reevaluate their own responses to the violence and sexual situations that proliferate on reality TV.
Character List:
· Stage Manager (M, mid-40’s)
· Kris Quinn (non-gender specific role; host of a highly-rated daytime talk show)
· Roylene Brady (F, late 40’s)
· Bo Junior (M, late teens) Roylene’s son
· Jerry Mann (M, 30’s)
· Elizabeth Mann (F, 30’s) Jerry’s wife
· Paramedic
· Security Guard
· Audience Member #1
· Audience Member #2
Production History:
“Live” was first produced under the working title Talk as part of the Stage Left Theatre Company’s Second Annual One Act Play Fesitval. In her review, critic Denise Ronald writes that Talk was "by far the most entertaining” offering of the festival.
Sample Dialogue: Available on request
Live Before a Studio Audience transpires in real time during the taping of a fictional daytime talk show. Over the course of this otherwise uneventful (in fact, cliché) taping, an emotional confrontation between two guests leads to an act of unimaginable horror. At times lightly satirical, at turns darkly tragic, Live Before a Studio Audience blurs the line between fiction and reality, inviting the audience to reevaluate their own responses to the violence and sexual situations that proliferate on reality TV.
Character List:
· Stage Manager (M, mid-40’s)
· Kris Quinn (non-gender specific role; host of a highly-rated daytime talk show)
· Roylene Brady (F, late 40’s)
· Bo Junior (M, late teens) Roylene’s son
· Jerry Mann (M, 30’s)
· Elizabeth Mann (F, 30’s) Jerry’s wife
· Paramedic
· Security Guard
· Audience Member #1
· Audience Member #2
Production History:
“Live” was first produced under the working title Talk as part of the Stage Left Theatre Company’s Second Annual One Act Play Fesitval. In her review, critic Denise Ronald writes that Talk was "by far the most entertaining” offering of the festival.
Sample Dialogue: Available on request
Silent Night
Synopsis:
Silent Night is a dramatic snapshot of a woman driven to destruction on a lonely Christmas Eve. Based on one of the most notorious tales from antiquity this play is a very modern story about motherhood, madness, jealousy, and retribution.
Character List:
· Maddie (F, late 30’s or early 40’s)
Production History:
· First produced at the Vintage Theatre (Denver, Colorado) in December 2010.
· Published in the collection Modern Goddesses: Two Short Plays of Mythic Proportions by JAC Publishing & Promotions in 2011 along with Zeus's Women.
Sample Monologue: See monologue page
Silent Night is a dramatic snapshot of a woman driven to destruction on a lonely Christmas Eve. Based on one of the most notorious tales from antiquity this play is a very modern story about motherhood, madness, jealousy, and retribution.
Character List:
· Maddie (F, late 30’s or early 40’s)
Production History:
· First produced at the Vintage Theatre (Denver, Colorado) in December 2010.
· Published in the collection Modern Goddesses: Two Short Plays of Mythic Proportions by JAC Publishing & Promotions in 2011 along with Zeus's Women.
Sample Monologue: See monologue page
Standards of Conduct
Synopsis:
Chaos. Cruelty. Scandal. Sabotage. Fistfights. Profanity. Just your typical day at the office.
Actually, business is not “as usual” at the corporate headquarters of Books & Music Unlimited, the fictional Fortune 500 company at the heart of this play. During a media event to announce an initiative that will hopefully save the company from bankruptcy, the Director of Marketing does something so outrageous that it not only rocks the organization to its foundation, but also creates a national scandal.
Standards of Conduct is a dark comedy about the humanity and hypocrisy that underscores American corporate culture. It is a timely satire that examines just how far some companies will go in an age of corporate lay-offs and company closings.
Character List:
· Rick (M, mid-50’s)
· Dave (M, 40’s)
· Al(M, 60’s)
· Jay (M, 40’s)
· Marcus (early 20’s)
Production History:
· Staged Reading, Colorado Theatre Guild New Venture Series (Denver, Colorado), October 2011.
Sample Dialogue: Upon Request
Chaos. Cruelty. Scandal. Sabotage. Fistfights. Profanity. Just your typical day at the office.
Actually, business is not “as usual” at the corporate headquarters of Books & Music Unlimited, the fictional Fortune 500 company at the heart of this play. During a media event to announce an initiative that will hopefully save the company from bankruptcy, the Director of Marketing does something so outrageous that it not only rocks the organization to its foundation, but also creates a national scandal.
Standards of Conduct is a dark comedy about the humanity and hypocrisy that underscores American corporate culture. It is a timely satire that examines just how far some companies will go in an age of corporate lay-offs and company closings.
Character List:
· Rick (M, mid-50’s)
· Dave (M, 40’s)
· Al(M, 60’s)
· Jay (M, 40’s)
· Marcus (early 20’s)
Production History:
· Staged Reading, Colorado Theatre Guild New Venture Series (Denver, Colorado), October 2011.
Sample Dialogue: Upon Request
Still Life
Synopsis:
What happens when Adolf Hitler, Carmen Miranda, Marilyn Monroe, and Elvis Presley get together? They talk about legumes, reality television, and the nature of fame, of course. This comical play presents a philosophical dialogue about fame and the idea of cultural iconography.
Character List:
· Carmen Miranda
· Adolf Hitler
· Marilyn Monroe
· Elvis Presley
· Abraham Lincoln
· Charlie Chaplin (a non-speaking role, of course)
· The Voice From Above
Production History:
Still Life was first produced as part of the Stage Left Theatre Company’s 2005 One Act Play Festival. Theater critic Denise Ronald writes, “the jewel of the festival is a play by Jeffrey Neuman called Still Life. This is the third original play by the Denver playwright to be performed by Stage Left and … true to form, Neuman has thrown in a twist that will leave you laughing” (Mountain Mail).
Sample Dialogue: Available on request
What happens when Adolf Hitler, Carmen Miranda, Marilyn Monroe, and Elvis Presley get together? They talk about legumes, reality television, and the nature of fame, of course. This comical play presents a philosophical dialogue about fame and the idea of cultural iconography.
Character List:
· Carmen Miranda
· Adolf Hitler
· Marilyn Monroe
· Elvis Presley
· Abraham Lincoln
· Charlie Chaplin (a non-speaking role, of course)
· The Voice From Above
Production History:
Still Life was first produced as part of the Stage Left Theatre Company’s 2005 One Act Play Festival. Theater critic Denise Ronald writes, “the jewel of the festival is a play by Jeffrey Neuman called Still Life. This is the third original play by the Denver playwright to be performed by Stage Left and … true to form, Neuman has thrown in a twist that will leave you laughing” (Mountain Mail).
Sample Dialogue: Available on request
The Uses of Enchantment
Synopsis:
Étienne, a young man recently interred in a prison, finds himself caught between hope and despair when he is befriended by Herman, an older inmate. Herman, a middle-aged folklorist, attempts to placate Étienne’s fears by reciting story after story to him. As the stories unfold in Herman’s words and Étienne’s imagination, the audience learns about the young man’s life and the events that brought him to this evening – an evening that holds him on a precipice between choosing life and accepting death.
Character List:
· Herman (M, 50’s)
· Étienne (M, late teens)
THE STORIES (A corps of six players, who take on a variety of roles throughout the play):
o Papan (M, Middle aged)
o Henri (M, 20’s)
o Cecile (F, late teens or early 20’s)
o Maman (F, A matronly woman)
o Veronique (F, An enigmatic woman)
Production History:
· Premiere staging by Stage Left Theatre Company, Salida, Colorado, October 2010.
· Staged reading, Paragon Theatre's Trench new play development series (Denver, Colorado), August 1, 2011.
· Semi-finalist: Edge Theatre Company's 2012 Festival of New Works(Denver, Colorado).
Sample Dialogue: Available on request
Étienne, a young man recently interred in a prison, finds himself caught between hope and despair when he is befriended by Herman, an older inmate. Herman, a middle-aged folklorist, attempts to placate Étienne’s fears by reciting story after story to him. As the stories unfold in Herman’s words and Étienne’s imagination, the audience learns about the young man’s life and the events that brought him to this evening – an evening that holds him on a precipice between choosing life and accepting death.
Character List:
· Herman (M, 50’s)
· Étienne (M, late teens)
THE STORIES (A corps of six players, who take on a variety of roles throughout the play):
o Papan (M, Middle aged)
o Henri (M, 20’s)
o Cecile (F, late teens or early 20’s)
o Maman (F, A matronly woman)
o Veronique (F, An enigmatic woman)
Production History:
· Premiere staging by Stage Left Theatre Company, Salida, Colorado, October 2010.
· Staged reading, Paragon Theatre's Trench new play development series (Denver, Colorado), August 1, 2011.
· Semi-finalist: Edge Theatre Company's 2012 Festival of New Works(Denver, Colorado).
Sample Dialogue: Available on request
Zeus's Women
Synopsis:
Zeus's Women, explores the complex relationships between one man and the women in his life. This series of interrelated monologues, based on Greek mythology, breaks down the barrier between ancient times and our own modern world to show how love is both heroic and tragic, both empowering and debilitating.
Character List: (Since these are immortals the age of the actors is irrelevant)
· Hera
· Europa
· Athena
· Aphrodite
· Mnemosyne
· Io
Production History:
· First produced in 2004 by Stage Left Theatre Company, Stage Left has subsequently performed the play at the Salida Steamplant Riverfest and the Colorado Community Theatre Coalition state festival, where it garnered several awards.
· Zeus’s Women was also workshopped at the Third Annual Playwrights Showcase of the Western Region, where Scott Gibson, writing for the Colorado Springs Gazette, praised the "uninhibited brilliance" of the play's use of language.
· Published, 4 scenes from Zeus’s Womenincluded in InterJACtions, a monologue compilation from JAC Publishing released in 2010.
· Published in the collection Modern Goddesses: Two Short Plays of Mythic Proportions by JAC Publishing & Promotions in 2011 along with Silent Night.
Sample Monologue: See monologue page
Zeus's Women, explores the complex relationships between one man and the women in his life. This series of interrelated monologues, based on Greek mythology, breaks down the barrier between ancient times and our own modern world to show how love is both heroic and tragic, both empowering and debilitating.
Character List: (Since these are immortals the age of the actors is irrelevant)
· Hera
· Europa
· Athena
· Aphrodite
· Mnemosyne
· Io
Production History:
· First produced in 2004 by Stage Left Theatre Company, Stage Left has subsequently performed the play at the Salida Steamplant Riverfest and the Colorado Community Theatre Coalition state festival, where it garnered several awards.
· Zeus’s Women was also workshopped at the Third Annual Playwrights Showcase of the Western Region, where Scott Gibson, writing for the Colorado Springs Gazette, praised the "uninhibited brilliance" of the play's use of language.
· Published, 4 scenes from Zeus’s Womenincluded in InterJACtions, a monologue compilation from JAC Publishing released in 2010.
· Published in the collection Modern Goddesses: Two Short Plays of Mythic Proportions by JAC Publishing & Promotions in 2011 along with Silent Night.
Sample Monologue: See monologue page
