THE DRAGON GRISWYNDE w. Mr. Charles Turner

Chosen for League of Professional Theatre Women’s celebration of their 30th anniversary. 

THE ONCE-POWERFUL DRAGON GRISWYND, FIRE-BREATHING CAPACITIES DOWN TO BARELY A PUFF, SURVEYS HIS BURNED-OUT PLANET FROM ATOP AN EXTINCT VOLCANO AND WAITS PATIENTLY FOR THE END. LIFE WITHOUT THE HUMANS IS QUIET, BUT BORING. THEN, ON THE HORIZON, A SPECK MOVES CLOSER. FRIENDS? INVADERS? SOMEONE TO TALK TO?

2012

THE DIAMOND EATER

 dir.  Bob Kalfin  w. Steven Hauck & Eric Kutter 

A CAMP. 1945. EARLY SPRING. THOUGH A DRUNK AND A LOUT AND A PRICK, COMMANDANT HERR OBERSCHAARFUHRER DIETZ KNEW HE WAS THE RAW MATERIAL OF A BRILLIANT AND PRESCIENT SCIENTIFIC MIND. HIS QUESTION TODAY: “CAN A GYPSY’S KIDNEY BE TRANSPLANTED INTO A JEW, AND THE JEW SURVIVE”

 2012

DR. SCHIZO

    w. Frank Anderson  & Erika Rolfsrud 

EVEN WITH A MEDICAL DEGREE HONED ON THE STREETS, DR. SCHIZO STILL MANAGES TO OUT-DIAGNOSE THE BEST AND BRIGHTEST OF URBAN U’s MEDICAL CENTER. AFTER ALL, HE HAS PLENTY OF EDUCATED VOICES INSIDE HIS HEAD WITH WHOM TO CONSULT.

2012

SAWBONES

dir. Pamela Hunt  w. Cynthia Harris, Terry Layman, & Forrest MacClennon 

Chosen as part of TACT’s newTACTics New Plays Festival

 The Actors Company Theatre – Wall Street Journal’s Best Company of 2012    

NORTHERN FIELD HOSPITAL. VIRGINIA. 1862. WHERE MEDICINE IS PRIMITIVE AND SURGICAL TECHNIQUE IS NON-EXISTENT. DR. CUTTERIDGE KNOWS THAT ONE OF EVERY TWO PATIENTS WILL DIE. WHEN FREEMAN JEBEDIAH WALL BRINGS IN A REBEL KID NEEDING AN AMPUTATION, DOC TEACHES JEB HOW A LEG LOST CAN SAVE A LIFE. BUT YEARS LATER, THE DOC FINDS HIMSELF AT THE WRONG END OF THE SPLINT.

2013

THE DIAMOND EATER

    dir. George Ferencz  w. Timothy Doyle & Pete McCabe 

TWO JEWS, A DOCTOR & A JEWELER, OUTFOX THE NAZIS.

MR. FERENCZ WAS CURATOR OF THE LAMAMA EXPERIMENTS SERIES OF SALON READINGS FOR MANY YEARS. AFTER THE 1ST 45-MINUTE VERSION OF THE DIAMOND EATER WAS PRESENTED AT THE PLAYROOM THEATRE, MR. FERENCZ INVITED THE PIECE TO BE READ AT LAMAMA ON OCTOBER 29TH, 2012, THE DAY THAT HURRICANE SANDY HIT NY & NJ. RAINDATE WAS SET FOR JAN. 7, 2013.

2013

SAWBONES & THE DIAMOND EATER, a double [surgical] bill

SEE CLIPS FROM DOUBLE FEATURE

 2 Wars; 100 Years Apart… at HERE ARTS/NYC  
dir. Tazewell Thompson w. Wynn Harmon, Gregory Marlow, & Erika Rolfrud

NOMINATED FOR 6 NY Innovative Theatre Awards-   (the most nominations given out that year.) 

…NORTHERN VIRGINIA. MID-SUMMER. 1862. WHILE THE CIVIL WAR RAGES, A FREEMAN WITH A HORSE & CART MAKES HIMSELF USEFUL ‘ROUND THE FIELD HOSPITAL & FINDS OUT HE HAS A KNACK FOR MEDICINE. TEN YEARS LATER THE FREEMAN OWNS AN MD.
 
…POLAND. EARLY SPRING. 1945. COLD. TWO JEWS, A SURGEON AND A JEWELER, OUTWIT THE NAZIS.

2014

BEDSIDE MANNERS

The Members of TACT: Jeffrey Hawkins, Ron McClary, Greg Salata, Scott Schafer, & Margot White, with guest Thomas Leverton

 (runner-up at TACT’s newTACTics new plays  festival) 

+A HALF-DONE TRANSSEXUAL, A BLOOD-SOAKED MOBSTER, A ‘NICEGUY’ WAITING TO DIE… THE USUAL SUSPECTS. AND THAT’S JUST THROUGH NOON. ALL IN A LONG DAY’S WORK FOR THE YOUNG DOCTORS OF WELLVIEW HOSPITAL. AND DR. CUTTER JUST HOPES HE CAN KEEP THE SOULS IN HIS CARE ALIVE FOR ANOTHER DAY. BUT CAN HE HANG ONTO HIS OWN HUMANITY?

2015

Le WEDDING DRESS

– Dir. By Paul Dobie w. Ms’s. Jodie Gelb, Kristie Dale Sanders, & Jenne Vath

SEMI-FINALIST, NYNW THEATRE FESTIVAL

IN A CUSTOM WEDDING EMPORIUM IN NEW JERSEY, A BRIDE-TO-BE AND HER MOTHER ARRIVE FOR THE FINAL FITTING OF THE GOWN. BUT CAN THE TWO MANAGE THE PURCHASE WITHOUT DESTROYING EACH OTHER AND THE WHOLE STORE BEFORE THE DRESS IS WRAPPED?

2015

THE ACTRESS

– Dir by Paul Dobie

FINALIST, Thespis Theater Festival – 2016

w. Ms. Mikel Sarah Lambert, Ms. Dana Smith-Croll, & Mr. Steven Hauck

MS. ALBERTINE REINE WAS A DIVINITY ONSTAGE, ADORED AND WORSHIPPED BY FANS WORLDWIDE. BACKSTAGE, HOWEVER, WAS A DIFFERENT STORY. ACCORDING TO STAGE MANAGEMENT, THE “GODDESS” WAS FAR FROM HEAVENLY. BUT SHE TAUGHT HER COSTUME DESIGNER A FEW GOOD TRICKS, AND ONE PARTICULARLY DIFFICULT DAY, MS. REINE SAVED HER DESIGNER’s ASS.

2016

MAGICAL THINKING: MY FAVORITE INDIGENTS & SEVERE CLEAR

– w. Mr. Robert Cuccioli & Ms. Erika Rolfsrud. Dir. By Paul Dobie

Presented at the Goddard/Riverside Center Theatre by the 29^th Street Playwrights Collective as part of their New Works Series [Awarded a 2016 Creative Engagement Grant from the
   Lower Manhattan Cultural Council & N.Y. Dept. of Cultural Affairs]

2016

PART 1:  MY FAVORITE INDIGENTS

w. Mr. Robert Cuccioli , Mr. Thomas Leverton, Ms. Mimi Turque & Mr. Tony Naumovsky

IN A LARGE URBAN HOSPITAL, A DOCTOR-IN-TRAINING GUARDS HIS FLOCK OF ANONYMOUS AND SMELLY “SHEEP”. IN RETURN, THESE LOST SOULS, PATIENTS ON SOCIETY’S FRINGE, SHOW HIM HOW TO HOLD ONTO HIS SOUL WITH GRACE.

2016     

PART 2: SEVERE CLEAR

w. Mr. Robert Cuccioli & Ms. Erika Rolfsrud

ON A PERFECT AUTUMN MORNING IN 2001, A RETIRED DOCTOR BUMPS UP AGAINST THE POWER OF DENIAL. FACED WITH CATACLYSMIC TRAGEDY, HE DISCOVERS HIS LIFELONG COMPANIONS ‘REASON’ AND ‘LOGIC’ ARE USELESS. HIS WIFE, HER DENIAL FIRMLY IN PLACE, REMAINS OPTIMISTIC.

2016

OBSESSIONS OF AN ART STUDENT

– Dir by Luke Tudball

(Chosen for the NYNW THEATRE FESTIVAL – 2016)

TWO ART STUDENTS REVEAL CURIOUS EVENTS WHICH HAVE FOLLOWED THEM IN THEIR LIFELONG PURSUIT OF DRAWING SKILLS. FROM FAILING WATERCOLOR CLASS AT ONLY EIGHT TO GETTING CAROTENEMIA AFTER TOO MANY CARROT-Y SNACKS WHILE DRAWING, IT’S CLEAR ART ISN’T ALWAYS AN EASY COMPANION—EXCEPT WHEN ART IS THE ONLY THING THAT COMFORTS.

2016

THE DEATH & LIFE OF DR. CUTTER, a VAUDEVILLE

PHOTO GALLERY

– with Music by Shelly Gartner; Lyrics by Robbins Based on Observations by & of R.D.ROBBINS, MD, Reading dir by Paul Dobie.

DR. CUTTER IS VERY SICK… NOW HE CAN SEE EVERY MINUTE OF WHAT’S LEFT OF HIS FUTURE – AND THE SCIENCE HE’S ALWAYS BELIEVED IN MOVES AT A SNAIL’S PACE. A MORTALITY TALE WITH SONGS.
[A Magical Musical Medical Mystery Tour]

2017

MY SWOLLEN FEET

PHOTO GALLERY

Chosen by NY Summerfest 
A YOUNG DESIGNER GETS THE BIG BREAK SHE’S BEEN DREAMING OF WHEN THEATRE LEGEND JASON GASCOIGNE III SUMMONS HER TO INTERVIEW FOR HIS NEW MUSICAL. ONLY TWO PROBLEMS: A COLOSSAL COLD IS MAKING IT HARD FOR HER TO GET OUT OF BED, AND GASCOIGNE IS A LEGENDARY ECCENTRIC WHOSE “CURIOUS” WAYS OF WORKING COULD PROVE HER UNDOING.

BASED ON A TRUE SERIES OF EVENTS.

2017 

AN AFFORDABLE PLUMBER

2016. THE OBAMAS, HOME-SHOPPING IN PREPARATION FOR LEAVING THE WHITE HOUSE, HAVE CHOSEN A STUNNING 9-BEDROOM, 8 ½ BATHROOM BEAUTY IN A LOVELY GATED D.C. COMMUNITY — A STEAL AT 8.1 MIL! BUT HAVING JUST MOVED IN, MR. O’s FAVORITE BATHROOM HAS SPRUNG A LEAK. WITH NO STAFF YET IN PLACE, MR. O HAS BEEN FORCED TO CALL A PLUMBER HIMSELF. WHAT ENSUES IS A LESSON FOR ALL IN THE IMPORTANCE OF HAVING FUNCTIONING PLUMBING AT ANY COST.

2018 

THE DRAGON GRISWYND

Invited into Theater for the New City’s Dream Up Festival, presented by Crystal Field, Artistic Director 

THE DRAGON GRISWYND, LAST OF HIS KIND ON EARTH, LIVES IN HIS LAIR HIGH ABOVE A DYING WORLD. THE HUMANS HAVE DAMAGED EARTH BEYOND REPAIR AND FLED TO A NEW PLANET THEY NAMED EARTHAGAIN, LEAVING THE ANCIENT DRAGON BEHIND TO PONDER A LONELY FATE. SUDDENLY, A PAIR OF RESEARCH ANDROIDS SENT BY THE HUMANS ENTERS. NOW THE DRAGON’S CAMPAIGN TO HITCH A RIDE TO EARTHAGAIN IS ON…

2018 

PIE LESSONS

Invited into Theater for the New City’s “Scratch Nite At TNC” by Crystal Field, Artistic Director 

A FATHER, EMIGRATED FROM THE OLDE COUNTRY, TEACHES HIS YOUNG DAUGHTER HISTORY AND POLY-SCI WITH DAILY AFTER-DINNER LESSONS…
BUT SOMETIMES DESSERT GETS IN THE WAY.

A PAVLOVIAN TALE WITH KLEZMER MUSIC.

PLEASE COME EARLY;
HOMEMADE PIE WILL BE SERVED.

2019 

PIE LESSONS

A FATHER, EMIGRATED FROM THE OLDE COUNTRY, TEACHES HIS YOUNG DAUGHTER HISTORY AND POLY-SCI WITH DAILY AFTER-DINNER LESSONS…
BUT SOMETIMES DESSERT GETS IN THE WAY.

A PAVLOVIAN TALE WITH KLEZMER MUSIC.

HOMEMADE PIE WILL BE SERVED.

2019 

FOR THE LOST CHILDREN OF PARIS

THE STORY AS IT OCCURRED IN HISTORY:
IN PARIS, 1942-1944, THE NAZIS, WITH THE HELP OF FRANCE’S VICHY GOVERNMENT, GATHERED UP ALL THE JEWISH CHILDREN THEY COULD FIND &TOOK THEM TO AUSCHWITZ. IN TOTAL, THEY COLLECTED 11,400 CHILDREN. IN 1945, AT THE LIBERATION, WITH THE AID OF EXCELLENT GERMAN RECORD-KEEPING, 200 CHILDREN WERE FOUND ALIVE. THIS IS THE STORY OF ONE CLASS-ROOM’S COLLECTION DAY AND ITS AFTERMATH.

2019