“Among theatrical people it is an axiom that the play which reads well rarely acts well, and that is quite right. Not often is the finished dramatist’s dialogue overwritten. It will be terse, staccato, almost choppy. For he appreciates how the lift of an eyebrow, a shrug, a sigh, a grunt, any well-devised bit of by-play, will emphasize the meaning he wishes to convey so clearly that further language is superfluous; whereas the novelist, or the essayist, seeking sonorousness in his prose, for the sensuous effect of fine writing, may be as discursive as he pleases. Regardless of its length or its brevity, a phrase for the stage should do one of three things: advance the motive, strengthen a characterization, or produce an emotional reaction—laughter, thrill, what not—in the minds of the audience. If it accomplishes one of these three things it is good; if, as happily occurs once in a blue moon, it accomplishes all three of these things, why that’s perfection.”
-Irvin S. Cobb in “Exit Laughing,” 1941
Below are the script files, in .pdf format. Each script is copyrighted. The copyright owner authorizes their non-commercial dissemination. He would like, after discussion and upon agreement with interested parties, to authorize their realization in live performance. If you would like to bring one of these scripts to the stage, please shoot me an e-mail.
In reverse chronological order (newest work first):
BREVIS 2014 (2 female + 3 male; 80 minutes)
SHORT FORM 2012 (3 any; 10 minutes)
PROBLEM PLAY; Or, REDUCTIO 2012 (8 any; 85 minutes)
THE PROPERTY 2002 (1 female + 4 male + 1 any; 90 minutes)
A COUPLE OF KIDS FROM QUEENS 2001 (1 female + 1 male; 30 minutes)
TIME’S PRICE 2001 (3 female + 1 male; 90 minutes)
WHAT THE LIGHT LIGHTS UP 1985 (4 female + 3 male; 120 minutes)
HORACE WHIRLEY’S WOE 1983 (3 female + 4 male; 105 minutes)
NEVER MIND THE WIND 1978 (5 female + 5 male; 110 minutes)
COMING FOR A VISIT 1978 (1 female + 1 male; 10 minutes)