Alma, Kitty and Hattie have one thing in common. The men that they love and married are in prison. Wives visit their men behind bars every day and wonder how their lives brought them to this place. This story focuses on three of these women. Alma is an exotic dancer who seems, at first glance, to be a bit of a nitwit. But on closer inspection she has a street-smart wisdom and humor. Hattie is a hard working African American with four children who is trying to keep her family together. Then there is Kitty, a wealthy socialite, who in spite of the shame and embarrassment of visiting a prison where her husband refuses to see her, doggedly visits every other week. In a series of flash backs we see these women when they lived normal lives with their husbands and children. The plot explodes when Chelsea, Alma and Charlie's daughter, disappears. One visiting day something happens that will change each of their lives forever as the visiting room erupts with violence and heartbreak. This story is based in truth and was inspired while the author was at the Dixon Correctional Facility in Dixon, Illinois, waiting to visit a confessed murderer. It was heart breaking to observe the women and children waiting to see their husbands, fathers, sons and brothers who might be incarcerated for a few months or for life.
Four young, brash actors come to Hollywood to live out their dreams of making it big in tinsel town. They are convinced that hard work and honed skills will bring them everything that they want. They discover that hard work and talent have very little to do with succeeding. This full length play tells the story of the unflagging optimism of these four actors. They never give up in spite of the daily exploitation and frustration. This comedic drama portrays the real story behind the auditions, the type casting, the ruthlessness and hidden agendas of the casting directors. How the beautiful people, with virtually no acting talent, become stars overnight while trained, talented actors work for years in menial jobs while pursuing a career in film and theatre. The four characters are representational of all the fine, new actors that Hollywood lures into its machination of heartbreak. The author purposely uses only first names as a symbol of how dispensable these young people are. A surprising and shocking ending will keep the audience on the edge of their seats.
The story of a young woman who rose above poverty, rape, bigotry, prostitution and imprisonment to become one of the most memorable and celebrated artists of the twentieth century. This one woman show portrays the life of a black jazz singer in America during the 30's. The script does not dwell on the sensationalism of her addiction to alcohol and drugs but chooses, rather, to celebrate the whole woman and her music. As Billie tells us not only her story, but the nation's story, she injects her tale with her most famous music as well as some of her more obscure songs. In her own words, she talks about her struggle to succeed in spite of the segregation of that time and the difficulties she experienced singing with the great bands, most of which were white men. Without pity for herself, she talks about the daily slings and arrows that are a part of bigotry. Billie takes complete responsibility for her life, her choices, and her actions. Her triumph was her music and her songs that will live on forever.
Innocent men do go to prison and stay there for decades. Chicago. 1946. Joe Doheny is seventeen, enrolled at the University of Illinois, Navy Pier, but he has a secret life; he's a burglar. Joe's parents migrated from Ireland and surviving the depression, they managed to keep their family together. Even though he holds down part time jobs, he steals so that he can continue in school and help his parents financially. Joe is finally caught for petty theft by the police and arrested. And less than five hours later is charged with murder! He is questioned and brutally tortured for days at the Cook County Jail and finally, in fear for his life, he signs a confession. Without a trial, he plea bargains and is sentenced to life, with parole. The next fifty one years are told in vignettes by Joe [middle aged], and seventeen-year-old Joe, often on stage together. Joe tells his story in an interview with an anchor person from a television news magazine. His quest for freedom, the people supporting him; the woman in his life who has stood by him for three decades. The death of his beloved mother, the friends along the way and finding the man who actually committed the murder. The tale unfolds in a series of flash backs until the audience finally realizes that there is no happy ending to Joe's story and that Joe is still in prison after sixty plus years.
Dorothy and Jock have been friends since elementary school. He's from the wrong side of the tracks with an alcoholic mother. She's an honor role student with a good, supportive home life. They are now sixteen and he begins smoking Marijuana. Dorothy finds out her best friend is mixed up with drugs and tries to save him. 1f. 1m.
It's the roaring twenties in San Francisco, a decade famous for hot jazz and bath tub gin. Violet (The Guyer Girls) has grown into a beautiful woman with children of her own. She has left her small hometown in the Pacific Northwest to pursue a successful basketball career and with her earnings, she has bought a bar and grill. She is a 'flapper' in every sense of the word; working all day and playing all night. While her teenage daughter raises her seven year old son, Violet is out on the town with her latest man de' jour. Dressed in her signature red dress, she is the toast of the town and owner of a speakeasy where she hosts the cream of San Francisco's society, city politicians, Arch Bishops, and Hollywood celebrities. But there is an underbelly of corruption, grifters, the mob, excess, and neglect in Violet's life. Her two children are an afterthought and she chooses her men over their well being time and time again. Their childhood needs are always trumped by her self-indulgent desires. The two children are possessions that she can put down or pick up again on a whim. To show off to her current beau or friends and then forgotten. And when they get in her way, she gets rid of them.
Author, playwright, and poet, Trisha Sugarek has been writing for four decades. Until recently her writing had focused on stage plays (Publisher: Samuel French, Inc.) that ranged from prison stories to children's fables. She has expanded her body of work to include two books of poetry, a group of children's books and her debut novel, "Women Outside the Walls". Newly released, a series "ShortN'Small" short plays, small casts which are used in classrooms in this country and internationally. She has enjoyed a thirty year career in theatre as an actor and director. Originally from Seattle, she has worked in theatres from coast to coast and her plays have been produced across the country and abroad. Trisha lives in Savannah, Georgia with her three golden retrievers. Trisha's plays and books can be found on her web site at: www.writeratplay.com
Comedy Characters: 9 female, 2 male, 2 either, with extras Cheets, the irrepressible elf, saves Emma and the enchanted forest from certain destruction! Lord Hazard has employed Patsy, the Banana Spider, to keep Emma ensnared in her web while Hazard sells the forest to developers. Given his reputation for mischief, no one believes Cheets when he claims that he has found Emma because no one but Cheets can see her. Audience participation is encouraged, especially when Emma plays charades with Cheets to make herself understood. A stand alone sequel to Emma and the Lost Unicorn, new characters are introduced; Thomas, a sea turtle, nautical to his toes; Patsy, the spider, means well but cannot resist the tasty bugs supplied to her by Hazard. Rose and Lord Hazard, century old lovers, reunite. This fable contains greed, ecology, friendship, enduring love and justice.
Original, contemporary monologues for women. Both comedic and dramatic pieces written for the strong character actress. A chapter on the 'do's and don't's' when auditioning. Selections include several dynamic pieces for the African-American actress. This all in one book of monologues for women also features monologues from the Classics such as Shakespeare, Moliere, and Chekov
Volume II, a collection of twelve short plays, written specifically for the young actor in the classroom. Some are fun and silly; some are more serious. The collection is all 'G' rated and the educator does not need to worry about any 'adult' surprises in this collection. Perfect for the classroom the plays are approximately 10-15 minutes in length with minimal or no sets.
In Book 3 of The World of Murder series, Detectives O'Roarke and Garcia are called when a famous Broadway director dies. It appears that everyone hated this man, making the murder cops' job just that much harder. They have their pick of suspects as everyone within a five mile radius of Broadway had a reason to want this guy dead. From the jealous stage manager, to the resentful actors, to a disappointed and hurt lover. From a scorned understudy, to his ex-wives, any one of them could have done it. This mystery takes the reader back stage into the tumultuous, gossip ridden, world of the theatre.
Characters: 5 females From the opening moments when Ivah cuts Violet's eye brows off, this story romps through the sibling antics and rivalry of a large family. The first act takes place as the young teenage girls are growing into lovely women.In a series of family stories, set in the 1920's, we enjoy the girls' hilarious pranks, antics, joys and humiliations. There is laughter in abundance. Tears, love, and sibling rivalry as these four delightful sisters grow up under the guidance of their matriarch, "Mama." A prestigious marriage, a female pro-basketball player, and a run away to Alaska, these young women couldn't be more diverse.Fast forward to the 1940's. In Act two, the sisters are adults, starting their own families and Pearl Harbor has just been attacked. This stage play is a rich tapestry of an American family. It has been likened to a cross between Little Women and I Remember Mama.
Adriana seems to have so much pressure in her life. Grades, getting into a good school, doing well in sports, and keeping up with her community volunteer work. The last thing she wants to do is disappoint her parents and her teachers. A friend tells her how good she'll feel after she 'cuts'. She'll try anything to calm herself down and get some relief. 3f. 2m.Cutting is an attempt to interrupt strong emotions and pressures that seem impossible to tolerate. It can be related to broader emotional issues that need attention. Most of the time, cutting is not a suicide attempt.Cutting affects many teens and preteens — even beyond those who self-injure. Many teens worry about a friend who cuts, or face pressure from peers to try cutting as a daring thing to do.In many cases, cutting — and the emotions that go along with it — is something teens struggle with alone. But because of growing awareness, more teens can get the assistance they need. Cutting among teenagers is on the rise. Under great stress from teachers, peers, and parents to excel, it is one way that they try to get relief. Here is one family's story.
Megan thinks her boyfriend truely loves her...so then why does he lose his temper and hurt her? Staggering statistics inspired the playwright to write a play addressing this topic, with the hope that it might help stop the violence. About one in three high school students have been or will be involved in an abusive relationship. Forty percent of teenage girls ages 14 to 17 say they know someone their age that has been hit or beaten by a boyfriend. 2f. 1m.
Josh and Sarah are teenagers from an enduring, stable home life with two parents. Their folks ever splitting up isn't a passing thought for them, even though more than half their friends come from a broken home. These two teenagers are the exception to the rule........until today when they walk into their house, after school, to find their parents waiting for them. 2f. 2m. Divorce is at an all time high. How does today's family, and in particular teens, deal with this family fracture?
In this full length stage play, three ordinary women have one thing in common. The men they love are in prison. Wives visit their men behind bars every day and wonder how their lives brought them to this place. This story focuses on three of these women. Alma is an exotic dancer who seems, at first glance, to be a bit of a nit-wit. But on closer inspection she's found to have a street-smart wisdom and humor. Hattie is a hard working African American with four children who is trying to keep her family together. Then there is Kitty, a wealthy socialite, who in spite of the shame and embarrassment of visiting a prison where her husband refuses to see her, doggedly visits every week. In a series of flash backs the reader explores the lives of these women when they lived normal lives with their husbands and children. The plot explodes when Chelsea, Alma and Charlie's daughter, disappears. One visiting day something happens that will change each of their lives forever as the visiting room erupts in violence and heartbreak.
Always wanted to write a play? Start with a short play. A one act or a ten minute. Or jump right in and try your hand at a full length, two act play. It doesn't matter. Give yourself permission. Sit down and write.This journal/workbook gives you space to write down your ideas for a play. Develop your story line. Create the characters. Try out different dialogue. 250+ blank, lined pages with famous quotes by actors, playwrights, and writers on each page to inspire the writer in you. Included are instructions on: how to write a play. How to write dialogue. How to stage and 'block' the scenes. Set Design. How to write a short play versus a full length play.
Favorite thing to wear? Orange socks. Ever since Henry was old enough to wear socks, rain or shine, he would take them off at the first opportunity.....unless they were orange. So his mother dyed all of his socks orange. Now at age fourteen, Henry has a school project in social studies. Create and market a product for the school's business Fair. The obvious choice? Orange Socks. Little does Henry and his mother know but this is just the beginning of Henry's business career. 2m. 1f.
A whore tells the audience how she got dead. This beautiful, poignant monologue for a woman is edgy, harsh and tender. How does a stripper, sometimes prostitute end up dead, thrown from a car like so much garbage? A great audition piece or short, one act for a strong character actor. 1f. This script is part of a collection called 'Short N'Small'. That is a short one act play with a small cast. No sets, no costumes.
Author, playwright, and poet, Trisha Sugarek has been writing for four decades. Until recently her writing had focused on stage plays (Publisher: Samuel French, Inc.) that ranged from prison stories to children's fables. She has expanded her body of work to include two books of poetry, a group of children's books and her debut novel, "Women Outside the Walls". Newly released, a series "ShortN'Small" short plays, small casts which are used in classrooms in this country and internationally. She has enjoyed a thirty year career in theatre as an actor and director. Originally from Seattle, she has worked in theatres from coast to coast and her plays have been produced across the country and abroad. Trisha lives in Savannah, Georgia with her three golden retrievers. Trisha's plays and books can be found on her web site at: www.writeratplay.com
Bigger, Better! Volume 3 is a collection of more short plays, written specifically for the young actor in the class room or drama department. Some are fun and silly; some are more serious, addressing real issues in a teen's life. The collection is all "G" rated and the educator does not need to worry about any 'adult' surprises in this collection. Perfect for the classroom the plays are approximately 10-15 minutes in length with no sets or costumes.
A young couple have their first waltz and fall in love. Ivah, a hoedown tomboy in her first dress, going to her first dance. Arthur, an up and coming attorney who has his pick of girls. But he only has eyes for Ivah. It's a perfect star studded night filled with flowers, music and love. That is, until Ivah's under pants fall down around her ankles. 1f. 1m.
A teenager is inspired by the poetry of Robert Service and plans to run away to Alaska. The turn of the twentieth century was a simpler time; kids could wander around at will without much danger. La Verne believes that only in the wilderness of Alaska can she fully explore the composing of her music. The ghost of the poet and she are friends and Mr. Service tries to dissuade her from her plans. When all else fails he accompanies her on her adventure. 3f, 1m
This full length stage play is set in the roaring twenties in San Francisco. Violet, one of the sisters from The Guyer Girls,has grown into a beautiful woman with children of her own. In the intervening years she has had a successful athletic career and has since bought her own bar and grill. She is working all day and playing all night. While her teenaged daughter raises her seven year old son, Violet is out on the town. Her second marriage is a stone around her neck and she is about to get rid of her loser husband who is a compulsive gambler. Jay, her boyfriend, has eyes for her teenaged daughter. A dark drama with comedic relief provided by the two children.
Double betrayal! What would you do if you were a wife who walked into your home just hours after your husband commits suicide, only to discover he also betrayed you with another woman? This play looks at a crumbling marriage. The wife wants to fight to save the relationship spanning twenty-seven years. The husband, who is going through a severe mid-life crisis, wants out. The pressure of the situation results in his suicide. A strong female part for a strong character actor. 1f. This one act play is in the 'Short n' Small' series; (one act play*small cast).
This short play for the classroom or drama department offers a safe environment for teenagers to explore the risks of running away from home. Molly is fifteen and defiant when it comes to the rules her single parent Mom has set down. When she is forbidden to see the older boy she is dating and then grounded for a month, Molly runs away. Only to find that the streets are no place to run to. 3f. 1m. Cast can be expanded. Part of the series, "Shortn'Small," a collection of short plays/small casts ideal for the classroom. 'Some troubled teens are high risk for becoming teen runaways when they feel like they can't handle problems at home. This can be a frightening experience for parents and for teens. According to the National Runaway Switchboard, 1.6 to 2.8 million young people run away every year. Many teen runaways quickly find that running away is worse than the problems they have at home, but they may be afraid to go home.
Much more than a journal for your creative writing, this spirited handbook provides the writer with the 'how to's' of writing. Tips, instructions and prompts to help you to hone your writing skill. Over 275 blank, lined page has writing exercises and quotes from other famous authors to inspire you.
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