|
S
Y N O P S E S |
| FULL
LENGTH PLAY |
THREE
WOMEN LEFT AT A BUS STOP
Play
takes place at a bus stop on top of a hill at the edge of a dangerous
neighborhood in
New York City
. We meet three women who gather here to wait for the bus upstate to
Bloomington
,
New York
. Pia is homeless and lives at the bus stop under the enclosure. She
believes that she sees the future and all that is hidden and feels she
has a mission to let the truth be known. Another woman, Tamara,
arrives in a mink coat early in the afternoon, after being dropped off
by Luigi. She refuses to see anything but beauty in the world, and it
could be said, lives in a world of dreams. Louanne, the third woman, a
suburban housewife, dressed as if she were
still in the fifties, arrives with hair fluffed
up at the edges and neatly wrapped packages that she is taking on her
journey to see her mother in law. Except for Pia, the other two
believe that they are simply there waiting for a bus.
Initially
these three have a rough time together. However, as a storm arrives,
buses pass and a crash
takes place at the bottom of the hill, causing state troopers to
arrive and suspect an explosion, things between them change. They are
forced to interact intensely and discover a great deal. As the play
progresses they learn who they really are, how to care for each other
and where they are truly headed on their journey. By the time the play
ends, they are no longer the same.
One
set; 3 characters (women)
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UNDER
THE SHADE OF ONE TREE
Under
The Shade Of One Tree,
which was recipient of the Chilcote Award for best play of the
festival at the Cleveland Public Theater.
This
play, which is a comic drama, takes place in a midwestern God fearing
town outside of
Chicago
in the 1940’s. A serial
killer has arrived in this town, and has been killing the women and
burying them under the shade of one tree. The play opens in the
family’s living room where visitors and other family members gather,
each one bringing more news. As the terrified father hears what’s
going on he finally decides not let anyone leave the home. We not only
meet the members of this unusual, extended family, but other important
people in the town who arrive as well, not knowing that they will be
forced to stay together until the killer is found.
As the situation intensifies, and roadblocks are set up
outside, the inner life of this family and community become totally
exposed.
Soon
suspicion arises among them and due to unexpected events that occur,
it becomes obvious to all that the killer is someone in the room.
A
surprising twist discloses not only the killer, but the source of evil
in this town. And then, even more unexpectedly, as the play closes we
see that it is possible for truth and compassion to ultimately
prevail.
One
set; 7 characters - 3 women, 4 men
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CAPPUCCINO
Cappuccino takes place in a small, beautiful, all glass cafe on the Rue de les
Champs, ruled by the Waiter who only makes Cappuccino for those he
accepts into his cafe. Once a place for the rich and famous, the cafe
is now a gathering place for has-beens who seek consolation. At four
every afternoon, lines of people gather, peering in, waiting to be
accepted.
Among
those accepted into the cafe are The Woman, a newcomer. She comes to
the cafe enticed by the Waiter and the incredible Cappuccinos he
makes. There is also the Man, once a financial wizard,
now completely dependent upon the Waiter. Before long The Man
cannot bear to be parted from the Woman either.
During
the course of the play we watch the relationship develop between the
Man and Woman, each of whom are struggling for meaning, power and
validation in their lives. At a crucial moment, Belle, a former
patron, arrives. As soon as Belle appears, the Man dashes to her, to
find out where she disappeared to,
leaving the Woman behind.
Although
he is only present sporadically, all of the characters at the café
revolves around the Waiter, waiting
for him, craving his approval and longing for his Cappuccinos
which he only serves when he is ready, and to whom he chooses.
The
play is humorous and surrealistic. At times it has a
dance like quality, at other times it is real and gutsy. We
watch the characters struggle with themselves, each other and what
they are doing here in the cafe. Ultimately, we see their incredible
hunger for the peace and consolation the Cappuccinos finally bring.
One set, 4 characters – 2 men, 2 women
Performed at
18th St.
Theater
,
NY; run extended
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LET'S
DANCE
This
lively, poignant comedy takes place during the course of one night, at
a weekly disco party for singles in their thirties and forties, all of
whom are looking for that one, perfect dance.
Lights
flash, love songs plays, dancers keep dancing, as characters weave in
and out, searching for their true love.
Sara,
a regular at these parties has been coming for three years. She
pretends to be someone else and sits and talks to the bartender, Tony,
with whom she's madly in love. She keeps asking Tony to give her a
dance, leave the place with her, have a regular date outside.
Tony
Marado, half owner of the bar, loves talking to Sara, but turns
instead to Mother Mary for what he really needs. He isn't allowed to
dance with the customers, is afraid to leave the bar with Sara, but
keeps promising it will happen one day. He can't be sure when.
Harold
Kapowsky, who intermittently talks on his cell phone to his analyst
has been coming to this party for the past few weeks. The victim of
three bad marriages, he tells his analyst he knows he'll love again
one day when he finds, Sara, his first love.
During
this particular evening Harold gets the courage to approach Sara,
realizes who she really is – and reminds her where she knows him
from. Sara, completely shocked, is now forced to grapple with both her
past and who she is today. Tony tries to get rid of Harold, but as he
cannot, must now decide the next steps he’ll take.
During
the course of this zany night, all dreams of the past see the light of
day, and Sara, Harold and Tony finally discover who they really are
and how to proceed. At the
end of the play, two of them are finally able have a wonderful dance.
One
set,
5 characters – 2 women, 3
men
Workshoped
at Ensemble Studio Theater
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This
takes place in the home of a Hasidic Rabbi in
Williamsburg
, Brooklyn., where homeless
people and beggars surround the neighborhood and there is a sense of
unpredictability.. At the time the play opens
not only the Rabbi’s family, but the entire community
eagerly await and expect the coming of Messiah any day now.
The
Rabbi’s family consists of Mother, who is just recovering from a
high fever, the brother Yankel, who stays home all day praying,
Hy, the renegade brother who comes for Shabbos meals,and Shayna
the lively daughter who studies Talmud, worries about the homeless in
the neighborhood and desperately tries to understand what God truly
wants from them all.
Suddenly,
in the midst of a Sabbath meal, Fendelson,
the vegetable store owner, bursts in bringing news from
Israel
that top Rabbis believe the
Messiah has arrived. The rest of the play deals with the way the
family and community greet the news of Messiah, how it affects their
relationships with themselves, one another and the homeless man who
now comes knocking
persistently on their door. This play deals with the issue of
where Messiah truly is and how we bring him/her.
One set;
6
characters – 4 men, 2 women
Directed
by Edward M. Cohen, former associate director of The Jewish Repertory
Theater was read at Jewish
Repertory Theater
,
N.Y.
,
and workshopped at
Ensemble
Studio Theater
,
New York
.
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DOUBLE
BLESSING
Produced at Jewish
Repertory Theater
,
N.Y.
Comedy-drama. Takes place in Borough Park Brooklyn in a Hasidic Jewish
family, where the family tries to marry off a young, rebellious
daughter, Chana. She scares her suitors away by talking dirty to them
over the phone. Mother is distraught by her behavior and leans upon
her own unmarried suitor of years HaGoodnick. Finally, all the family
come to celebrate the announcement of her engagement to someone Chana
is about to meet for the first time. The suitor never arrives, but
sends his best friend in his place, a strange, lovely, non-religious
violinist, who can’t figure out how to get in the house and climbs
in through the window in the middle of the party. He and Chana
promptly fall in love and her mother and HaGoodnick try to pretend to
whole family that he is someone else. At a surprise twist in the play,
HaGoodnick reveals secrets of his past, steps in to fight to Chana’s
marriage to the musician, and at the close of the play, there is a
double blessing for all to enjoy.
Mood:
Charming, fun, touching, light hearted.
Characters: Four. Mother, Chana, Morris and Mother's Suitor.
Performed: This play had a full performance at the Jewish Repertory
Theater, NYC, where it was a hit. Run extended.
Full performance by Equity Company.
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A
ROOM FOR THE NITE
This
play takes place along a hotel strip in
Santa
Monica
,
where Clea comes from
New
York
, to
visit her brother David, who is trying to escape the family and who
she hasn't seen for three years. Their father has just died, and
unbeknownst to David, Clea comes bringing a letter from him.
Clea,
has a fear of being alone. She expects to stay with her brother, but
to her amazement, he refuses to even let her get near his place. They
now have to find her a room for the nite.
During
the course of this mysterious, and often surreal night, we watch them
try to find a room in one of the strange hotels on the strip, and deal
with some of the characters who stay there. They struggle with their
relationship with each other, their dead father, and the family's
past. By the end of the evening, David receives and reads the letter,
Clea discovers what is going on in her brother's apartment, and both
of them are irrevocably changed for life.
2
sets,
4
characters, 2 men, 2 women
Workshopped at Ensemble Studio Theater Summer Conference
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| SOLO
FULL LENGTH PLAY |
WHERE
PRAYERS COME TRUE
This
one woman play is a humorous and poignant piece which depicts a modern
woman’s struggle between contemporary society and her yearning to
return to her Jewish roots. We
watch Rivkah as she struggles with her Jewish identity, compulsively
going back and forth to a small orthodox synagogue hidden admist the
shops, cafes and tall buildings on the upper East Side of
Manhattan
. As she tries to join in and
become part of the community, we meet a host of different characters
some of whom horrify and repel Rivkah and some who deeply touch and
inspire her, including a beautiful, powerful, unapproachable Rabbi who
is complete in his dedication to God.
Large parts of the play take place in the synagogue. We hear the
prayers, see the relationships in the women’s section, and listen to
the Rabbi’s talks which mesmerize Rivkah and offer a completely
different perspective on all aspects of life. The stark contrast
between the secular and religious point of view and its moral and
spiritual implications is explored. This play, which is particularly
timely now has moments of intense surrealism, mixed with sorrow, humor
and joy. In essence it asks and struggles with the question of our
true place and purpose in life.
One set, One character
This play was finalist in Dorothy Silver Playwriting Contest and The
Streisand Festival.
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| ONE
ACTS
|
The
play, a semi comic burlesque which includes high drama, takes place on
the Lower East Side in the 1940's, in the small insurance offices of
Manny and Jakey, two older men, business partners for years, who start
receiving crank phone calls, demanding that Jakey write an opera and
put it on. Jakey, the
practical partner who works in the back, behind the scenes, adamantly
refuses to have anything to do with this crazy request.
As the calls come more and more frequently, Jakey faces the loss of
both his business and his sanity. Manny, the jovial partner, the front
man, begs Jakey to reconsider, to write the opera and invite his
estranged family to come and play the parts. “What’s in me to
write an opera about?” Jakey cries. “Write it and see,” Manny
demands.
As the calls continue we watch Jakey’s relationship both with Manny
and his overly devoted secretary Vivien unravel in front of our eyes.
The truth of their lives together becomes exposed. Jakey is finally
forced to write an opera, call his estranged family to be in it, and
then put it on for the callers to see. As work on the opera proceeds,
Jakey confronts his life completely.
The play has both real and surrealistic elements. Slides of scenes
from the forties are intermittently shown in the background to connect
events in Jakey'’ life with what is happening in the outside world.
Finally, as the opera is about to go on, a mysterious visit takes
place, which compeltely turns Jakey’s life around. He then realizes
who the callers are and what they really want from him.
Play
workshopped at Jewish Repertory Theater and Ensemble Studio Theater
One set;
Four
characters – two men, two women
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THE
CURE
The
Cure is a comic drama about two women, Dr. Clara Bronson, accomplished
psychiatrist who is desperate for a Cure, and her prime patient, Berta
Shannon, one time Spokeswoman for the Woman's Movement, who could no
longer go on.
In this wild, sometimes surrealistic play, we see the two women
struggling for power, identity, reality and above all, love. Dr.
Bronson is to be the main speaker in a nationwide Conference on
Schizophrenia, where she is to bring a Cure. Berta is the patient she
is bringing. A few days before the conference, when the play opens,
Berta starts acting up, claiming once again that she is being followed
by the victims of the war.
As Dr. Bronson
struggles to prepare Berta for the conference, we see Berta's reality
and as the play continues, the question emerges about which one of the
two women is really crazy, and what it really means to have a Cure.
Play
performed at Double Image Festival
One set, Two
characters - women
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SANCTUARY
Paul
goes to confession every morning with the new Priest in town. He
constantly asks for forgiveness for his obsession with other women,
though he loves and lives with Loretta. During course of play, Paul
falls in love with Priest and begs him to leave his parish and run
away with him. After much turmoil, inner revelations about he
Priests’s life come forth and both he and Paul have a deeper
understanding about serving God.
Performed: Samuel French One Act Play Festival; 1997
2 sets,
Characters: Three; Paul, Loretta and Father Midion.
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THE
REGULARS
Takes
place at a bench in the zoo, near the wild bird sanctuary. Fred, a
regular at the zoo, hangs out at the bench, talks to the Parrots, and
tries, unsuccessfully to pick up girls.
Alice
comes along to meet a date, who is late. While she waits, she and Fred
start to talk despite the fact that Fred’s best friend Carmine, the
Zoo Keeper comes along, tries to interrupt and warns that Fred is
damaged and
Alice
better move along. In a surprise move,
Alice
behaves in a way no girl every has
with Fred and turns both her and his life around.
One
set,
Characters,
4 – 3 men, one woman
Performed: One-Act Theater Company. Non-Equity.
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A
woman who is unable to forget what happened at Ground Zero goes down
to the site every night to talk to the spirits of those who have died.
She meets a wonderful old man there who brings her comfort.
Performed
at Pippin Festival
One set, 2 characters
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LOOKING
FOR RAINBOWS
This
play takes place in the Center for Intense Primal Therapy, where
Herman’s mother is waiting for him to be through with his session.
She waits for him three times a week, over the past 12 years. All this
time he has not improved, does not speak, brings flowers for his
therapist Gregor (the Center’s Director) hoping he will be loved. We
meet some other Primal therapists, trained by Gregor, an ex Priest and
ex dancer. Today Herman is
late for his session and his mother had enough. She tries to get the
other therapists to help, and when Herman finally comes out, a
dramatic, unexpected event takes place, which stuns everyone. Although
lively and humorous the play deals with who is responsible for
suffering and how to bring it to an end.
Performed at
Swampking Festival
One set,
5
characters – 3 women, 2 men
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THE
VISITOR
In this play, Clea has come to
California
from NY to visit her brother who will not allow her to stay at his
place. Their father has just died, and Clea has come to continue the
father’s search for her mother, who went missing 3 years ago. As
Clea and her brother explore their relationship and what is possible
for them now, Clea unexpectedly discovers news which turns her life
around.
One
set,
Two
characters – one man, one woman
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