Chicago Alliance For Playwrights

	Back to the front page Organizational Members Current Affairs			Playwrights Alphabetical Index by lastname Abarbanel, Jonathan Alex. Daviid Bertam, Anne Bolan, Chloe Boyd, Jane Burns, Molly Callan, J. Sean Carr, Gregory S. Danzis, Steve Dubin, Kitty Erickson, Karen L. Fedorko, Joseph . Finfer, June Fishman, Grace . Fitch, Alanah Grippo, Charles Guilford-Blake, Evan Helgeson, Jeff Hogan II, Andre R. Holmes, Lisa M. Kelley, Nambi E. Knight, Jeremy Koch, Joanne Kramer, Norbert Gunther Kufrin, Joan Levenfeld, Wendy Radavich, David Rosati, Mark Rosenthal, Lisa Savit, Joseph Schaeffer, Joan Seward, Phillip
				Back to alphabetical index Abarbanel, Jonathan 831 West Roscoe Street, Chicago, IL 60657 (773) 248-9307 Jonathan Abarbanel is an award-winning theatre critic and dramaturge, published in North Shore Magazine, Stagebill, Backstage, American Theatre and Show Music among others. He's developed over 60 new American plays and musicals as literary manager for St. Nicholas and Milwaukee Rep theaters, the Midwest Playwrights Program and the Chicago Theatre Project. He's a member of The Dramatists Guild, and the American Theatre Critics Association and the International Association of Theatre Critics. A Holiday Spin (with Scott G. Ferguson) A perfect holiday revue incorporating traditional songs of many countries, some unfamiliar ones, holiday stories, a few giveaway gifts, and a number of surprises. Songs in English, Latin, French and Spanish, including Mozart and Praetorius. Audience interactive order of songs determined by spins of a large wheel of chance. (One-Act) Cast: 2 male, 2 female. Set and Special Requirements: Wheel of chance of special design; a Santa Claus suit; soprano or mezzo with some operatic training (for Mozart). Previous Productions/Readings: Successfully introduced at Bailiwick Repertory (Chicago) Nov.- Dec. 1994. Milwaukee Vibrator (with Steve Sperry, Alan Barcus and Blue Miller) The American Motorcycle Revue, tracing 90 years of biking history - and Harley Davidson motorcycles in particular - through war and peace, across the highways and city streets of America. 23 songs in various pop/ rock styles. Substantial dance opportunities. (Musical) Cast: 4-10 male, 4-10 female. Set and Special Requirements: Cast should be evenly split between m/f, and between singers who move well and dancers who can carry a tune. Previous Productions/Readings: In negotiation at deadline. Moses at the Jordan (Jonathan Abarbanel, libretto; Hans Wurman, music) A cantata commissioned in 1993 by WFMT, Moses is a secular, folkloric look at the Moses of Numbers and Deuteronomy, who carries on a dialogue with God, and dies on the banks of the Jordan. Scored for baritone and soprano soloists, mixed chorus, string quartet and harp. (One Act) Cast: 1 male, 1 female, plus mixed chorus. Set and Special Requirements: Originally scored for unison chorus, a full SATB arrangement is available. Previous Productions/Readings: National radio broadcast, WFMT, 1993; also live performances at North Shore Congregation Israel, Oak Park Temple, the Halevi Choir, and churches and synagogues in LaGrange, IL, Santa Barbara and Syracuse. Pedrolino's Revenge A jazz/rock opera based on Flaminio Scala commedia dell-arte scenario, with music by noted composer William Russo. Originally produced with companion one-act, "Isaballa's Fortune." Pantaloon and his son compete for a young girl's affections, with a fake dentist complicating matters. (One Act) Cast: 4 male, 3 female. Set and Special Requirements: Standard rock hand plus a French Horn. Previous Productions/Readings: Center for New Music, Chicago, 1973; West Side Theatre, New York, 1974. Back to alphabetical index
				Back to alphabetical index Alex, David 1060 Warwick Circle N. Hoffman Estates, IL 60194 (847) 884-1125 Email: dalex@d211.org His writing often portrays humanity’s struggle to balance the conflicting forces of society and the tragedy of those who cannot. Productions in New York City, Chicago, Kalamazoo, Boca Raton, Long Branch, N.J., and Hoffman Estates (IL). Award winning plays include one-acts published by Dramatic Publishing. Recent awards include Juneteenth Festival Award for Ends at Univ. of Louisville African-American Theatre Program, first place for Onto Infinity at Buntville Crew (IL) Competition. Ends While hiking in the wilderness, a white man, recently returned from fighting in Vietnam, confronts an African-American man who has lived alone and isolated for fourteen years. Each must decide if he should return to "civilization" Cast: 2 male Set and Special Requirements: Cabin interior. Previous Productions/Readings: Productions: New Jersey Repertory Company, Workshop Production, Victory Gardens Theatre, and Columbia College (Chicago). Awards: American Theatre Program (Univ. of Louisville), Juneteenth Festival (Finalist), Delaware Theatre Company Playwriting Competition, Illinois Arts Council "Recognition of Playwriting" award. Onto Infinity While searching for a higher level of infinity, a mathematician loses touch with the finite, the real world. Paralleling his search is his infinite but tragic love for his dying wife. Cast: 4 male, 2 female Set and Special Requirements: A non-realistic set may be used. Previous Productions/Readings: Awards: 2000 Das Goldkiel Award (Buntville Crew Theatre), Finalist in South Carolina Playwrights Festival, Semi-finalist in Jewel Box National New Play Networks Midwest Plays Section, New Jersey Repertory Company. Bowen Theatre (Waukegan, IL). By The Rivers of Babylon The Biblical prophet, Jeremiah, is imprisoned with a Babylonian in ancient Judah. During their encounter, each one's faith is tested, and they find renewed strength and dedication. Cast: 5 male, 1 female. Set and Special Requirements: Set may be realistic or nonrealistic. Previous Productions/Readings: Playwrights’ Center (Chicago). Reading: Victory Gardens (Chicago). The Lutwidge Canvass This no comedic holds barred, zany mystery set in the 1930s, is full of Russian spies, mistaken identities, puns, innuendo and murder. It revolves around the most original and unique couple to ever destroy one's equilibrium. Cast: 14. Several combinations, some double casting possible. Set and Special Requirements: A living room, table and chairs for a restaurant meeting. Previous Productions/Readings: Hoffman Estates (IL) High School EROICA Eroica is the story of a woman patriot living in small town, U.S. A., 1967. While her brother is missing in action in Vietnam, she learns her husband, Victor,--the town's high school basketball hero and now coach--has faked a medical injury to avoid the draft. Victor is protective of his disabled siser, Grace, a nun who participates in prayer vigils at demonstrations. Charles, an embittered former athlete, learns Victor's secret and seeks revenge for being kicked off the team. Cast: 2 men, 2 women, all in their twenties. Set. A single unit set. Productions, readings, etc. Finalist in Coldwater Theater Competition, Semifinalist in Mill Mountain Theatre Competition, readings at Chicago's Victory Gardens Theater, and WNEP Theater, Heartland Theater (Normal, IL). THE TINKER WINS An eccentric family, who when faced with a crisis, is forced to examine what it thought were its values. Cast: 3 men, 3 women Set: A single unit set is utilized. Previous Productons, readings. An high school production and a staged reading at Chicago's Victory Gardens Theater. HEART OF THE SUFFERER The conflicts between a husband and wife take their toll on their seventeen year old son. Cast; 3 men, 1 woman Set, A single unit set. Previous Productions. A high school production. THE E-MAIL CONSPIRACY In this one-act acomedy, a mother secretly invites many of her daughter's friends to prove to the father--an artist who demands absolute silence in order to create his masterieces.-that there is room in the house for a piano. Names of teachers in the school may be used in the production. Cast size: Any number of males and females, but at least eleven is recommended. Set. A single set. Productions; Selected for Illinois Theatre Festival, also staged by Hoffman Estates High School. A SLICE OF TEEN LIFE This is an original collection of nine monologues written especially for high school students. The monologues deal with issues and situations which confront today's youth. Cast: 9 youths Set: A non-realistic set may be used. Productions; Staged by invitation, Chicago Theater Building, student production at Hoffman Estates High School. Back to alphabetical index
				Back to alphabetical index Bertram, Anne 3616 45th Avenue South, Minneapolis, MN 55406 (612) 729-9968 Email: abertram@isd.net Anne Bertram's work has been produced by Theatre Unbound (Minneapolis, MN) Bedlam Theater (Minneapolis, MN), TNT: The New Theatre (St. Louis), Ukiah Players Theatre (Ukiah, CA), and Love Creek Productions (Off-Off Broadway), among others. She is a member of Studio Z, an Associate Member of The Playwrights' Center, and the Associate Artistic Director of Theatre Unbound, a Minneapolis company dedicated to creating opportunities for women theater artists. Liability Two temporary file clerks work on a lawsuit involving botulism in bottled mushrooms. As they work, their relationship evolves, and they learn increasingly disturbing facts about the case. Cast: 1 male, 2 female. Set and Special Requirements: Unit set. Previous Productions/Readings: Finalist, 2001 O'Neill Playwrights' Conference. Premiered at the 2002 Minnesota Fringe Festival. Winner, 2002 Tennessee Williams One-Act Prize. 2003 production by the University of New Orleans Department of Drama. St. Luke’s Chicago, 1931: Three very different young women enter the St. Luke’s Hospital School for Nurses. As they weather the rigorous training program, they realize they must gain one another’s support in order to succeed. Cast: 3 male, 9 female. Set and Special Requirements: Unit set. Previous Productions/Readings: Commissioned by Studio Z (1999). Winner, Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing Media Award (2001). Premiered at Theatre Unbound (2001). The Donner Gold Two men meet on the internet and head for the Great Salt Desert of Utah in search of the lost gold of the Donner Party. Hoover, an engineer, brings credit cards and a Palm. Reed, a descendant of Donner Party survivors, brings a family map and a hidden agenda. One will find a way out. One will be consumed. Cast: 2 male, 2 female, 2 male or female. Previous Productions/Readings: Commissioned by The Playwrights' Center. Finalist, 2002 O'Neill Playwrights' Conference. Finalist, 2002 PlayLabs. Self-produced workshop reading, 2002. Sherry's Basement An affectionate tribute to Sherlock Holmes. A brilliant coffee barista and her roommate join forces to solve a baffling case of identity theft! Cast: 1 male, 3 female. Previous Productions/Readings: Finalist, 2003 O'Neill Playwrights' Conference. Premiere at Theatre Unbound (2003). Back to alphabetical index
				Back to alphabetical index Bolan, Chloe 195 Bluff Ave., Grayslake, IL 60030 Recipient of grants (Target, IL Arts Council and Humanities Council) and fellowship (Midwest Playwrights Lab). Producer, director, teacher of literature and creative writing, including playwriting. Published short stories, articles and children's book, Monsieur Kiki, which was the basis for the play of the same name. Angel AIDS Two senior citizens, former AIDS volunteers, find themselves in heaven, bored, missing their volunteer work, and striving to find meaning in eternal life. (One Act) Cast: 1 male, 1 female. Set and Special Requirements: Angel costumes. Previous Productions/Readings: Readings: Joseph's Hospital, Chicago, summer 1996, and Writer's Bloc Festival, Chicago, August 1996. Egg \|Members of a run-down, ethnically mixed neighborhood discover a giant egg in their midst. Through their individual interpretations, an eventual reconciliation of the neighborhood takes place. (One Act) Cast: 4 male, 3 female. Set and Special Requirements: Creative set designer needed to simulate giant egg which can be done through lighting. Mixed cast: black, white, Hispanic, and Asian. Previous Productions/Readings: Readings at Live Bait, Chicago, 1989; Oakton Community College, Des Plaines, IL, 1980; University of Wisconsin, Madison, Midwest Playwrights Fellowship, 1979; Playwright's Center, Chicago, 1978. Monsieur Kiki A distinguished looking pig in love with his keeper, Monique, must face a pig-eating villain and his own piggish Jealousy in the truffle hunt of his life. (Musical One-Act for Young Audiences) Cast: 2 male, 2 female. Set and Special Requirements: Musician needed, preferably guitarist (not included with cast). Previous Productions/Readings: Acres of Art, Crystal Lake, IL, 1995-1997 (Target grant); Starbucks in Northbrook, IL & Winnetka, IL, 1996; Theatre Hut, Ridgefield, IL, 1995; Newport Coffeehouse, Bannockburn, IL, & Kohl's Children's Museum, Wilmette, IL 1994. Peck Peck Two attractive, middle-aged women in a cancer support group put on their minks for a night on the town. What they find is an inexplicable maitre d’, an unpredictable fur fanatic and a most promising waiter. (One Act) Cast: 1 male, 3 female. Set and Special Requirements: Set in restaurant and on street. Previous Productions/Readings: Starbucks, Northbrook, IL, 1997; Theatre Building, Chicago, IL, 1996 Back to alphabetical index
				Back to alphabetical index Boyd, Jane 442 W. Lafayette St. Rushville, IL 62681 (217) 322-6136 Artistic Associate of New Tuners Theatre since 1990; book writer for musical theatre. Charlie's Oasis (Music and Lyrics by Gregg Opelka) Winter visitors to Florida scheme to save their favorite watering spot from demolition to make way for one more condominium. (Musical) Cast: 7 male, 5 female Set and Special Requirements: One set; all actors sing; 5-piece combo (piano only acceptable) Previous Productions/Readings: Produced by New Tuners, Chicago, 1990; Musical Theatre of Omsk, Russia, 1990; Red Barn Theatre, Saugatack, MI, 1991; Pandora's Playhouse, Rushville, IL, 1992; Compass Players, Tampa, FL, 1993 Hans Brinker (Music by Philip Seward, Lyrics by John Sparks) A Dutch boy learns valuable lessons in character and the value of friendship as he deals with his father's long illness and growing up in poverty. (Musical) Cast: 7 male, 7 female. Set and Special Requirements: One set; all actors must sing and move well. Previous Productions/Readings: New Tuners, Holiday Production (1994-98). Back to alphabetical index
				Back to alphabetical index Burns, Molly 7443 N. Campbell Ave. Chicago, IL 60645 (773) 262-8957 I work primarily as a director, but am interested in writing adaptations for the stage. I am also experienced in developing theatre for and by young people. Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (adapted from Roald Dahl’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory) When Charlie Bucket, a poor boy, becomes the fifth golden ticket finder, his luck changes. The adventure begins when Mr. Wonka takes Charlie and the other spoiled winners on a wacky, unforgettable tour of his Chocolate Factory. (Musical, Young-Audiences) Cast: 14+ male, 13+ female. (plus Oompa-Loompa Chorus, Townspeople chorus, News coverage extras). Set and Special Requirements: Multiple settings. Previous Productions/Readings: Ebinger School, Chicago 1996. Back to alphabetical index
				Back to alphabetical index Carr, Gregory S. Email: griottheatre@earthlink.net Productions Revolution/Revelation, 1991 - a one-act play, was produced by the Pamoja Theatre Workshop. The play was a supposition on the African National Congress' of South Africa's battle with the pro-apartheid National Party. Lunch Rush, 1999 - a ten-minute play, was the winner of the first Just Once A Month Ten-Minute Playwriting Contest, and was produced at the Lamb's Theatre in New York City and underwritten by HBO. Barbara Montgomery of "Amen" fame, popular producer Kevin Arkadie of "New York Undercover" and "Soul Food" as well as noted actress Phylicia Rashad served as judges for the competition. The play focused on a racial slur and its ripple effect on the employees of a St. Louis pizzeria. Sandtown, 2004 -a one-act play, received third prize from the Catholic University of America, and will be published as a part of an anthology in 2005. The play was based on an historical Catholic settlement on the Missouri River in the 1920's, its poor inhabitants and a priest. Ain't Got Time To Die, 2004 -a two-act play, was produced by the First Run Theatre in St. Louis. (See www.firstruntheatre.com/photogallery.shtml) The play dealt with an African American family living in Depression Era Southern Illinois and their struggle for dignity. Staged Readings Jacob's Well, 1991 -a two-act play was given a staged reading at the St. Louis Playwright's Festival. The lives of a sharecropper and his landlord when the landlord's son is rescued from the farm's well by the sharecropper. The Evolution of Jimmy Brown, 1992 - a short play, was given a staged reading at the 23rd Street Theatre by the Middle Passage Theatre. The story is a humorous and satirical look at the African American psyche. No Place To Go, 1995 -a one-act play, was given a reading at the Missouri Association of Playwrights. The play centers around a homeless family on Christmas Eve, on the coldest night of the year. The Watershed Syndrome, 2001 -a ten-minute play, was given a staged reading with the Missouri Association of Playwrights. The play was part of am excercise called "the Seven Deadly Sins." A young man struggles with his lust for bottled water, which are represented by attractive women. Losing Mogadishu, 2003 -a one-act play, (now a two-act play) was given a staged reading in Winston-Salen, NC at the National Black Theatre Festival. The play, set in war-torn Somalia in 1994, involves a relationship between an African American Marine and a Somali woman. Johnnie Taylor Is Gone, 2005 -a two-act play, will receive its world premiere at the historic Karamu Theatre in Cleveland, OH, from January 26-February 20, 2005, my two-act comedy, "Johnnie Taylor Is Gone" will receive its World Premiere at the historic Karamu Theatre in Cleveland, OH. (See www.karamu.com) The play, set in a bar, in St. Louis 2003, is a comedy that focuses on the patrons interaction with each other and the news of the day. Back to alphabetical index
				Back to alphabetical index Callan, J. Sean 1835 N. Pond Lane Lake Forest, IL 60045 (847) 735-9509 Email: SeanCallan@prodigy.net Born in Dublin, Ireland. Has been a Chicago-area resident since 1984. Trained as a Physician/Psychiatrist. Has been a playwright since 1996. One production to date: The Day Room. The Day Room Feisty residents of an Irish old folk’s home fight the promise and perils of euthanasia. Much humor and patho. Cast: 4 male, 4 female Set and Special Requirements: Converted drawing room of an old Irish manor house. Previous Productions/Readings: Irish American Heritage Center. The Day Patient Malfeasance in a modern Irish hospital. Cast: 7 male, 2 female Set and Special Requirements: None Previous Productions/Readings: Chicago Dramatists workshop. Home is the Hearth About a family conflict over a farm in Ireland. Cast: 2 male, 2 female Set and Special Requirements: None Previous Productions/Readings: Chicago Dramatists Back to alphabetical index
				Back to alphabetical index Danzis, Steve 4449 N. Leavitt St., Apt. 1 Chicago, IL 60625 (773) 506-1009 Email: sdanzis@rcn.com Steve Danzis, a member of the Dramatist’s Guild, began to write plays after leaving Stanford University, where he earned a master’s degree in English literature. He works as a writer and editor in educational publishing. Nightshade A tale of a law student who falls in love with a physician’s daughter and gets drawn into her father’s strange experiment. Nightshade was inspired by the Nathaniel Hawthorne story "Rappaccini’s Daughter." Cast: 3 male, 2 female Previous Productions/Readings: Workshopped at the Prop THTR Festival Recovery from the Passage of an Iron Bar through the Head Recovery tells the story of Phineas Gage, a railroad foreman who is injured in a gruesome accident. Although he recovers physically, his personality undergoes a drastic change. Cast: 6 male, 2 female. Previous Productions/Readings: Workshop production at the Theatre Building. The Hostage Old wounds are reopened when a journalist returns to his childhood home after being held hostage in Lebanon. His mother becomes determined to drag him back into the family—but at what cost? Cast: 4 male, 2 female. Previous Productions/Readings: Staged readings at Circle Theatre and the Writer’s Bloc New Plays Festival. Back to alphabetical index
				Back to alphabetical index Dubin, Kitty 380 Wilbleton Road Birmingham, Ml, 48009 (248) 642-5636 Email: Writerkd@aol.com Kitty Dubin is an award winning playwright whose past productions include The Last Resort at the Live Oak Theatre in Austin, Texas and at The Jewish Ensemble Theatre in West Bloomfield, Michigan, Mirrors, at the State Fair Theatre in Detroit, Ties That Bind, at the Purple Rose Theatre in Chelsea, MI.,Change of Life, The Day We Met, Dance Like No One's Watching at the Jewish Ensemble Theatre and Could Thise Be Love? at the Trinity House Theatre in Livonia, Mi. One acts that have been produced include Tough As Nails, Mimi and Me, Blockbuster, The Prom Dress, Mystical Body, Bye Bye Love, Skin Deep, Strictly Personal, The Joy of Sex, and The Other Side. Awards include: first prize in the Detroit Motion Picture Playwriting Competition. Finalist in Turnip Theatre's New York City 15 minute playwriting festival for MIMI AND ME and semi finalist in the same competition a year later for TOUGH AS NAILS. Recipient of a Jewish Women in the Arts award for her contribution to the arts in the Detroit area. Two individual artist grants in playwriting from the Michigan Council for the Arts and Cultural Affairs. Kitty also teaches Playwriting at Oakland University in Rochester, Michigan. Comin of Age (drama with humor) Three baby boomers confront the reality of their aging. (2 hours) Cast: 2 men, 2 women Set: A summer cottage Dance Like No One's Watching (drama with humor) A wife tries to save her marriage by going into marital counseling, but the sessions turns into a psychological roller coaster for everyone--the husband, the wife, and the therapist who has his own troubled marital past. (2 hours) Cast: 2 men, 1 woman Previous productions:-Jewish Ensemble Theatre Readings:Performance Network, Ann Arbor, Mi. and 2001-Festival of New Plays, Jewish Ensemble Theatre Set: Office of a marriage counselor The Day We Met Six comic vignettes that involve first time meetings which prove to be life changing. (2 hours ) Cast: 2 men, 2 women play an assortment of roles Previous Productions: Jewish Ensemble Theatre Readings: Festival of New Plays-Jewish Ensemble Theatre Change of Life (comedy drama) Two women meet when they are hospital roommates and form an unlikely friendship that helps them deal with their respective mid life crises. (2 hours) Cast: 3 men, 2 women Set: Unit Previous Productions: Jewish Ensemble Theatre Readings: Abingdon Theatre, NYC Ties That Bind -(comedy drama) An insecure psychologist whose Phd thesis on intimate relationships becomes a best seller, gets thrust into celebrity status,causing her own marriage to unravel. Cast: 3 men, 3 women Unit set Previous Productions: Purple Rose Theatre Readings: Wayne State University One Act Plays: Tough as Nails (Comedy-15 minutes) A depressed young woman wants to pamper herself with a manicure, but instead receives an important lesson in life from a seasoned manicurist. Cast-2 women Produced: Heartlande Theatre Company; Turnip Theatre, NYC Blockbuster (Comedy-15 minutes) Sparks fly when a man and woman with radically different taste in films meet a video store. Cast: 1 man, 1 woman Produced: Heartlande Theatre Company; Jewish Ensemble Theatre The Prom Dress (Drama with humor-15 minutes) A mother and daughter battle for control in a department store fitting room over who will decide which dress to buy. Produced: Heartlande Theatre; Many high schools and colleges across the country Cast: 2 women The Joy of Sex (Comedy-15 minutes) A newly married couple seeks to rekindle their rapidly fading passion with the help of an inept therapist. Cast: 2 men, 1 woman Produced: Jewish Ensemble Theatre; Trinity House Theatre The Other Side -(Comedy-drama 15 minutes)-A skeptical but guilt stricken woman meets with a medium in a desperate attempt to make contact with her deceased mother. Cast: 2 women, 1 man Productions: Heartlande Theatre Company Strictly Personal (Comedy-30 minutes) A man and a woman meet through a personal ad in the Jewish News. Cast: 2 women, a man. Produced: Jewish Ensemble Theatre Bye Bye Love (Comedy 15 minutes) explores the relationship between two women who meet at a funeral home and their connection with the departed. Cast: 2 women Produced: Heartlande Theatre; Trinity House Theatre Skin Deep (Comedy-15 minutes) concerns a divorced woman's attempt to jump start her love life through plastic surgery. Cast: 1 man, 1 women Productions: Heartlande Theatre; Trinity House Theatre Back to alphabetical index
				Back to alphabetical index Erickson, Karen L. 1227 C. Central St. Evanston, IL 60201 (847) 328-6393 Email: kerickson@etpost.net A member of the Dramatists Guild and the Author's League of America, Ms. Erickson has been working as a professional playwright since 1984 when she worked with Tennessee Williams at the Goodman Theater. She was playwright in residence for Trinity Square Ensemble for six years and is currently having several of her works for youth produced by Center Theater in Chicago. The Canterbury Tales Six of Chaucer's Tales are told in a brisk, spirited script with music, dancing, and bawdy humor from the period. A combination of Chaucer's language and modern language makes the script easily accessible. Cast: 2-3 male, 2-3 female. Set and Special Requirements: Unit set. Previous Productions/Readings: Trinity Square Ensemble; The Chicago Botanical Gardens. The Outcasts of Poker Flat (with Jeff Helgeson) This western drama is based on the short story by Bret Harte. Six people are trapped in a snowstorm: four ruthless characters and two young lovers. Cast: 3 male, 3 female. Set and Special Requirements: One set interior. Previous Productions/Readings: Produced by Trinity Square Ensemble to rave reviews. Prairie Voices: Tales from Illinois Illinois folklore and music is traced through time as ghosts from the past tell tales and recreate people from previous centuries. Also available in a touring version. Two characters must sing. (Play is full length, also a one-act version, There can be any number of characters.) Cast: 1-2 male, 1-2 female (at minimum). Set and Special Requirements: Unit set. Previous Productions/Readings: Trinity Square Ensemble. Transforming Sexton Based on the life, letters and poetry of Anna Sexton; using movement and music by Joe Cerqua, the play makes a statement about growing up and older in our society. Cast: 2 male, 3 female. Set and Special Requirements: Open unit set. Actors must be able to sing and move. Previous Productions/Readings: Center Theater in Chicago. Back to alphabetical index
				Back to alphabetical index Fedorko, Joseph 5871 North Glenwood Ave., 1st Floor Chicago, IL 60660. (773) 275-4259 (voice and fax)\| Email: jafedorko@earthlink.net Joseph Fedorko is a Resident Playwright at the Chicago Dramatists Workshop, member of the Dramatists Guild, and a board member of the Chicago Alliance for Playwrights. He is an independent grant writer, freelance editor, and teacher of composition at Roosevelt University, Chicago. He is helping to formulate an M.F.A. program in Scriptwriting at Roosevelt. He holds degrees from Cleveland State and Northwestern Universities. 18 U.S. Code 871 A duty-bound Secret Service officer develops a dangerous relationship with a lone soul who enjoys making periodic death threats against the American President. Full-length suspense drama. Set and Special Requirements: Single set. Guns (one fires). 1-3 musicians playing variations on a jazz standard (can be pre-recorded). Previous Productions/Readings: Chosen for development as part of New Plays 2000 National New Plays Festival, Chicago IL. Received Honorable Mention in the Stage Play Script Category, Writers Digest 2000 Writing Competition. Acts of Contrition A play about a widow and her obsession with the man who murdered her husband -- an obsession that transforms from the desire to see him die into a desperate fight to stop his execution. The play was revised and updated to reflect developments in the administration of the death penalty, in particular the moratorium on the use of the death penalty in the state of Illinois. A reading of that revised version of the play took place October, 2002, at Chicago Dramatists." Cast: 5 male (1 Latino or African-American), 2 female (3 roles can be cast as male or female). Set and Special Requirements: Single set. Gun. 1-2 musicians (guitar/vocals). Music can be pre-recorded. Previous Productions/Readings: Greenwich House Theatre, New York City, 1994; Terrapin Theatre, Chicago, IL, 1995. Cinnamon Girl When the son of a Croatian immigrant gets involved with a refugee from the Bosnian War, he confronts his own expectations and ideals about love and its limits. A play about family, nationality, and survival. Cast: Four men (one plays two roles; one over 60), four women (one over 60). Set and Special Requirements: Single set with multiple playing areas. Previous Productions/Readings: January, 2003, at Circle Theatre, Forest Park, IL. The Least You Should Know About English Paul dreams of literate conversations with comely co-eds about Shakespeare'smotivations. Unfortunately, he's teaching remedial English to working mothers at a community college. In two acts, will Paul be able to achieve his dream of critical stardom -- and if not, can he ever find happiness in dangling participles? A comedy in twelve periods. Cast: 2 or 3 male (one may double); 4 female (2 African-American, one of which plays a teenager). Set and Special Requirements: Single set with optional small scrim. Previous Productions/Readings: Staged readings, Chicago, IL, 1996-1997. Back to alphabetical index
				Back to alphabetical index Finfer, June 2068 W. Farwell Avenue Chicago, IL 60645 (773) 338-4340 Email: junediana@sbcglobal.net www.lostandfoundproductions.org I’m interested in the intersection of art and science. Since I also produce documentary films, the subjects of my plays are often further delvings into the human stories behind great achievements. Art, architecture, and creativity of all kinds holds fascination for me. One of my first projects,an adaptation of a Shirley Jackson story, was produced for American Playhouse. Much of my other work has been featured in museums and schools and as special events for civic groups. I am a member of the Writers Guild of America, East; Dramatists Guild; New Tuners Workshop, and serve as vice-president of the Chicago Alliance for Playwrights. My documentaries are produced by Filmedia Ltd. and Lost and Found Productions. The Glass House Architect Mies van der Rohe builds a modern country house for Dr. Edith Farnsworth. The glass house becomes an architectural sensation, but results in a highly public lawsuit. Mies collides with mid-America in mid-century. Did the client think the architect went with the house? Cast: 2 male, 2 female Previous Productions/Readings: Writers Bloc New Play Festival 2000, Art Institute of Chicago 2001, Arts Club of Chicago 2002, Raven Theatre Company 2004 Performed at the Farnsworth House 2004. The Hall of Man When sculptor Malvina Hoffman is hired to model "racial types" for the 1933 Hall of Man at the Field Museum, her intuition and experience clash with scientific theory. Cast: 5 male, 2 female Set and Special Requirements: multicultural cast, doubling. Previous Productions/Readings: Writers Bloc New Play Festival, 1996; Women's Theatre Alliance New Play Festival, 1997; Field Museum, 1998. One-Act and Short Plays Graceland Lives In three related one-acts that take place in Graceland Cemetery, home to Chicago's best known dead people, their summing up determines the eternal fate of businessmen and architects, Marshall Field, Philip Armour, George Pullman, Louis Sullivan, Daniel Burnham, John Root, and Bertha and Potter Palmer. Cast: 3 male, 1 female Previous Productions/Readings: Chicago Dramatists Workshop, 1996; Chicago Cultural Center, 1995; Chicag Historical Society, 1997; Chicago Architecture Foundation Special Event, 2002. The Writers Block A group of writers gets together to "create" a new play. Politically incorrectness abounds in this one-act romp. Cast: 3 male, 2 female (diverse in age and ethnicity) Previous Productions/Readings: Steel Beam Theater, St. Charles, IL, 2003. He and She The conflict between a boy and girl’s commitment and their desire for independence is repeated when they meet again after many years. Previous Productions/Readings: API Theater of Kalamazoo,1999; Boxer Rebellion Ensemble, Chicago 2000. Do You Remember? Conflicting memories of their shared past reveal strange things about two women. Are they sisters? Clones? Crazy? A seaside setting and a wheelchair become opportunities for disaster. Cast: 2 women Previous Productions/Readings: Chicago Writers Bloc New Play Festival, 2003. You and Your Aftican Grey Parrot Report of a scientific study gone awry when the balance of power shifts between the animal and the scientist. Cast: 2 Previous Productions/Readings: Chicago Writers Bloc New Play Festival, 2003. Go to www.lostandfoundproductions.org to see full listing of works by June Finfer. Back to alphabetical index
				Back to alphabetical index Fishman, Grace 1460 Cloverdale Ave. Highland Park, IL 60035 (847) 831-2456 Email: arnfishman@aol.com A member of Off Campus Writers Workshop, Writers Bloc and Women’s Theatre Alliance. Grace headed the PsychoDrama program for some years at the Oaklawn Health Institute in Elkhart, Indiana. She was a runner-up in Robert J. Pickering Award for Playwriting Excellence for Maiden Voyage. Checkmate This one-act play takes place in the seventies when race relations were more strained than today. Three characters, a young Caucasian woman, a middle-aged African-American woman and her son struggle in their friendships. (One-Act) Cast: 1 male, 3 female Set and Special Requirements: Hospital room w/ 2 beds and a table between. A chair or 2. Previous Productions/Readings: October 31^st reading — Theatre Building — Writers’ Bloc Annual New Play Festival. The Holy Infidel Gracia Nasi, one of the wealthiest women of the 16^th century, an intimate of Suleiman the Magnificent, fails in her attempt to establish a home in Palestine for Jewish people. Cast: 4 male, 4 female. Set and Special Requirements: Act 1 — Sitting Room, Nasi Mansion-Venice; Act 2 — Sitting Room Nasi Mansion-Constantinople; Act 3 — Throne Room — Topkapi Palace-Constantinople. Previous Productions/Readings: Chicago Dramatists Workshop — New Plays Festival of the Women’s Theatre Alliance (1997); New Plays Festival — Writers’ Bloc (1997). The Maiden Voyage Two people intent on a day of pleasure sailing unintentionally reveal traumatic incidents in their lives that have led to their current disillusionment with society and their failures to succeed in chosen professions. Cast: 1 male, 1 female. Set and Special Requirements: Deck of sailboat — galley of sailboat. Previous Productions/Readings: Heartland Café; Highland Park Local Access Channel 3. Back to alphabetical index
				Back to alphabetical index Fitch, Alanah 1524 Wilmette Ave. Wilmette, IL, 60091 (847) 256-8243 Email: afitch@luc.edu 43, mother of two, suburban, university Professor of Chemistry; funded research in environmental sciences-, working on a Certificate of Theatre; past Associate of New Tuners from Loyola. Jessie and the Fat Man Public housing resident confront Mies van der Rohe about life, creativity and poverty. (One Act) Cast: 1 male, 3 female Previous Productions/Readings: Loyola, May 1996 and 1997. Back to alphabetical index
				Back to alphabetical index Grippo, Charles c/o The Dramatists Guild of America 1501 Broadway Suite 701 New York, New York 10036 (212)398-9366 www.charlesgrippo.org Mr. Grippo is a playwright, entertainment attorney, author, composer- lyricist and producer. His books "Business and Legal Forms for Theater" and "The Stage Producers Business and Legal Guide" have been critically acclaimed as the most complete and indispensable reference books available to theater professionals.They may be purchased at fine bookstores and online. Mr. Grippo is a nationally recognized authority on theater, motion picture, and music law who is much in demand as a speaker at industry conferences.His plays are produced regularly in commercial theaters across the country.The following are only two of his principal works: A Wife’s Tale In this monodrama, Char, a middle age housewife , wrestles with her conflicting feelings about her husband who has left her, after 19 years of marriage, to pursue an alternate lifestyle. Cast: 1 female. Set and Special Requirements: Bare stage. Previous Productions/Readings: August 2001, Ojai Arts Festival, Ojai, California (Directed by Academy Award nominee Steven Grumette). Off-Broadway, March, 2001, by Spotlight On Productions, N.Y. City. Writers Bloc Festival, Nov. 2000 (Chicago). CAP Diversity on Stage, Nov. 1999, Chicago. Chicago Dramatists Workshop, 1997. Semi-Finalist in the Strawberry Arts Festival of the Riant Theatre, New York City. Sex Marks the Spot Highly commercial farce. A conservative Senator must hide his affair with a Madonna-like star from his wife and a nosy reporter. Packed with one-liners, frantic action and some surprising twists. Cast: 5 male, 3 female. Set and Special Requirements: Hotel suite with several doors. Racial & gender blind casting possible. Previous Productions: Mud Creek Players, Indianapolis, Indiana (2002). Cortland Repertory Theatre, Cortland, N. Y. (2000). Red Barn Theatre, Frankfort, Indiana (2000). Back to alphabetical index
				Back to alphabetical index Guilford-Blake, Evan Guilford-Blake, Evan 2158 North Decatur Road #3 Decatur,GA 30033 (404) 315-7757 (404) 583-1270 fax: (509) 52-0293 Email: ejbplaywright@yahoo.com Evan is a Resident Playwright Alumnus of Chicago Dramatists and serves on its advisory board. He has had more than 60 productions and 100 readings of 27 plays throughout theU.S. The Firebird was developed there, with an ensemble of deaf and hearing actors. His other principal works include Nighthawks (Jeff nomination; Tennessee Williams Award; produced 10 times); Ceremonies of Prayer (Utah Playfest Winner; four productions) and True Magic, a Christmas Farce with Unoriginal Music for the Entire Family (six productions). Evan has also worked with ACTF and ATHE as a dramaturge, and serves on the Creative Team of Art Within theatre of Atlanta. He has an extensive repertoire of full-lengths, one-acts, 10-minute plays, short-shorts and children's material available. Several of his works may be reviewed online at: http://www.singlelane.com/proplay/byplaywright.html The Firebird Called "a unique blend of [ASL], music and speech [that] families will especially enjoy" by the Bloomington(IN) Herald-Times, The Firebird deals (in a non-didactic way) with finding non-traditional ways to communicate. Cast: See below. Set and Special Requirements: Cast of 7: 2m, 2f, 3 either gender. 5 cast members must be proficient in ASL. Ideal for multi-cultural/lingual casting. Previous Productions: Bloomington Playwrights Project (1998); API Theatre, Kalamazoo(1999); Tour of St. Joseph and Kalamazoo (MI) Counties schools (1999) Nighthawks Hailed as "an outstanding piece of writing" by Gay Chicago Magazine, "pertinent and thought provoking" by Chicago's Pioneer Press, Nighthawks' two stories "... converge nicely and come to an intense and racially charged climax." (High Plains Reader,Fargo, ND). The play, suggested by the renown Edward Hopper painting, explores the themes of the painting: loneliness, the need for contact and the sleepless isolation of the "nighthawks" of American society. Cast: w (20); 2wm (45-55; 30); 1bm (28) Set and Special Requirements: Unit set: A diner, suggested by the Hopper painting. Previous Productions: Thistle-Dew Theatre, Sacramento, CA (2003); Theatre of the Invisible Guests, Moorhead, MN (2000); Johnson County Community College, Overland Park, KS (1999); API Theatre, Kalamazoo, MI (1998); Steppin' Out Productions, Inc., New York (Equity Showcase)(1996); Steppin' Out Productions, Inc. (non Equity Showcase)(1996); Toronto (ONT) Fringe Festival (Part II: The Night Cafe)(1996); The Artfull Circle, San FranciscoÜ(1993); Dayton (OH) Playhouse(1992); Circle Theatre, Forest Park, IL(1992) True Magic A Christmas Farce with Unoriginal Music for the Entire Family The Brattleboro (VT) Reformer said it was "Pure fun... one of the most entertaining holiday scripts you'll ever see." The Ashland (OR) Revels called it "A rollicking good time." In True Magic, A Christmas Carol meets The Comedy of Errors in a most unusual musical intended to be sung a cappella (all the songs are based on popular Christmas carols). A miserly old man is shown the spirit of Christmas, with the help of an assortment of unusual Christmas Eve visitors (all of whom are more than whom they seem to be), among them a young magician, an extraordinary stringless puppet, Tinkerbell and Ms. Santa Claus herself! Cast: 3w, 3m or4w, 2m (expandable to 15 or more, for school and community theatre use). Any ages, any voice ranges. Set and Special Requirements: May be done with no set or a very extensive one. Previous Productions: Northwestern Louisiana University (2003); Greenbelt (MD) Arts Center (2002); The Asylum Theatre, Las Vegas(1999); The Asylum Theatre, Las Vegas (1998); Actors Theatre, Talent, OR(1996); Whetstone Theatre Company, Brattleboro, VT(1995) Some Unfinished Chaos, a sad comedy "A well written and insightful look into the mystical world of writers" said Chicago's Inside Lincoln Park.The Kalamazoo (MI) Gazette called it "An exceptional script ... an engaging story told through ... superior dialogue." Chaos explores the ways people create and sometimes destroy in order to survive, physically and spiritually. Cast: 1w (23); 1m (39) Set and Special requirements:Unit set:single interior (living room, bedroom of an apartment). Simple tech and contemporary costumes. Previous Productions/Readings: API Theatre,Kalamazoo,MI (1998); Equity Library TheatreChicago(1992). Readings: Golden Squirrel Theatre, New York (1998); Dayton(OH) FutureFest (1993); Ensemble Studio Theatre, New York (1991) Back to alphabetical index
				Back to alphabetical index Helgeson, Jeff 6330 N. Lakewood Chicago, IL. (773) 764-0353 jhelgeso@roosevelt.edu Jeff Helgeson is a lifelong Chicagoan with roots in the Nelson Algren, Saul Bellow areas of the city. He has also done the Jack Kerouac thing back and forth across the country working odd jobs, in addition to completing graduate school at the University of Chicago and teaching at Roosevelt University, as well as writing over a dozen plays produced in Chicago, Saint Louis, and New York City. College College is a collection of three one-act plays (In His Own Image, Sins of the Father, and Fall From Grace), which examine issues of young adulthood, maturity, and advancing age in stylistically different ways. (One Act) Cast: 5 male, 1 female Set and Special Requirements: Limited to minor prop and set pieces. Previous Productions/Readings: Victory Gardens Theatre, Chicago. In rep at various art galleries/theatres. Graces A theatrical one-act play which deals with the conflicts of three actresses during the rehearsal process of a play. It is a psychological piece that finally demonstrates acceptance among women. (One Act) Cast: 3 female. Set and Special Requirements: Limited props and set pieces. Previous Productions/Readings: Stage Left Theatre, Chicago; Babotto Art Salon, Elgin Workhouse Theatre, N.Y. Ménage a Trois A trilogy (Stalemate, Self-Portrait, Solitaire) based upon a romantic triangle in which the point of view of each participant is given in a play exhibiting a unique theatrical style. Cast: 4 male, 4 female. Set and Special Requirements: Contemporary living room. Previous Productions/Readings: Zebra Crossing Theatre, Chicago; Amethyst Theatre, Chicago. Time and Tide Explores the conflict between duty and personal responsibility. It is a human drama set against the background of World War II with a surprise ending that is both probable and true to life. (One Act) Cast: 1 male, 1 female. Set and Special Requirements: Period bedroom. Previous Productions/Readings: Chopin Theatre, Chicago. Back to alphabetical index
				Back to alphabetical index Hogan II, Andre R. 5057 S. Drexel Blvd. Apt. 3B (773) 924-9507 Email: a_hoganii@hotmail.com I am currently a student at Columbia College, Chicago, majoring in Liberal Arts/Professional Writing. I am also a scriptwriter/researcher for a not for-profit (cable access) talk show. The Cool vs. The Nerd An overly intelligent, arrogant and rather frustrated student tells of his life in school and the lives of others. (Young Audiences) Cast: 9 male, 1 female Set and Special Requirements: A three piece set (living room, street, classroom), sound and lighting Previous Productions/Readings: A staged reading at the Field Museum April 1998. An Ode to the Washermen An older man confronts a rather preoccupied but smart young man about the importance of cleaning. (One-Act) Cast: 3 male Set and Special Requirements: A train station, music (blues) A Play of a Playing Play A high school student is caught in the middle -- or rather being the monkey on it -- regarding sex, education and his own thoughts and desires between the two. (Young Audiences) Cast: 7 male, 4 female Set and Special Requirements: Tables, chairs, street, living room, classroom. Sugar for Coffee A father/husband is destined to having his children move out of his house, based on their issues relating to relationships and sexuality; even his wife, though she’s not on the list. Cast: 2 male, 2 female Set and Special Requirements: A kitchen, doors leading to bedrooms, and bath, coffeepot Previous Productions/Readings: A staged reading at Columbia College April 1998 Back to alphabetical index
				Back to alphabetical index Holmes, Lisa M. (773) 262-3540 Email: lisamholmes@earthlink.net Lisa is a playwright, and the founder and artistic director of Whimsy City, a theatrical youth outreach program on the southwest side of Chicago. She was awarded a Richard H. Driehaus Foundation Grant for her play "Summer Solstice" through the Chicago Writers Bloc; and her play, "the breaking and making of manuela," has been staged at Chicago Dramatists and The Theatre Building. "Oscar Bagley's Last Day on Earth," was selected as one of six plays to appear in the Steel Beam Theater's New Plays Reading Series; and "Anticipation," was included in a recent 10-minute workshop at Chicago Dramatists. Summer Solstice On the longest day of the year, Susan Paschen reluctantly returns home for her mother's birthday "celebration" where she is met with morning sickness, an unwanted visit from her ex-fiancé, and the ongoing torment of her semi-lucid parent. This budding entomologist learns to defend more than her career as she struggles to escape her painful past unscathed. Cast: 1 male, 2 female. Set and Special Requirements: Should hint at modest nursing home setting, but can be stark, surreal. Previous Productions/Readings: American Theatre Company, Footsteps Theater, Theater Building, through Chicago Writers' Bloc and Women's Theater Alliance. The breaking and making of manuela Is a coming-of-age at the moment-of-death. Young Manuela is an artist "broken" by her drug-addicted father and co-dependent mom. Along her difficult journey, she searches for something outside herself to fill up her emptiness -- ultimately learning that peace can only come by loving herself. Cast: 3 female, 3 male. Set and Special Requirements: The stage is divided into three parts: an arts studio, a modest home, an opulent home. Can be sparse, with one or two items suggesting location. Previous Productions/Readings: Chicago Dramatists, Chicago Writers' Bloc. Oscar Bagley's Last Day On Earth This 20-minute play looks at the post-apocalyptic lives of a lonely telemarketer and his giant, uncaring lesbian canary. Will these last two creatures on earth manage not to hate each other to death? Cast: 1 female. 1 male. Set and Special Requirements: Will need a window with a bird decal. A painted backdrop of a burning city should be seen behind it. The canary should dress with subtlety. A yellow boa, no beak. Previous Productions/Readings: Steal Beam Theatre, St. Charles, IL; Chicago Writers' Bloc. Anticipation This 10-minute play is a painful look at an awkward, teenaged boy preparing to meet a cheerleader. Cast: 1 male. Set and Special Requirements: None. Previous Productions/Readings: Chicago Dramatists. Back to alphabetical index
				Back to alphabetical index Kelley, Nambi E. 523 West Brompton #116 Chicago, IL 60657 (773) 929-1453 As a playwright, Nambi is currently serving as a New Plays Lab Playwright at the Steppenwolf, and is the proud recipient of the Colonel Stanley R. McNeil Fellowship at HealthWorks Theatre where she was their 1997 playwright-in-residence, writing HealthWorks Theater’s first anti-violence play for high-school aged children. This play, titled Peace to the Fourth Power received The Peace Maker of the Year Award in the area of Arts, sponsored by the Peace Museum and Ben & Jerry’s Ice cream. Nambi is a member of the Women’s Theatre Alliance, the Chicago Alliance for Playwrights, Chicago Dramatists Workshop, The Playwright’s Center in Minneapolis, and MPAACT. Mine Eyes Have Seen A soul-singing Aretha, Jesus the Jig-a-lo, and the eloquent spirit of Martin Luther King, Jr. play inside the mind of She. But the journey belongs to She’s husband, Cornbread The Revolutionary/Evolutionary Black man who must travel deep inside his wife’s troubled mind to save her from the scattered souls who haunt her. Will he be able to save his wife from the scattered souls who haunt her? Mine Eyes Have Seen explores the nature of empathy, the existence of evil, and the power of love. Cast: 4 male, 2 female. Set and Special Requirements: None. Previous Productions/Readings: Steppenwolf New Plays Lab 1998 Commission. Back to alphabetical index
				Back to alphabetical index Knight, Johnny 839 W. Sheridan Rd. #317 Chicago, IL 60613 (773) 832-0372 Email: tomatobacon@hotmail.com Since graduating from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Johnny Knight has worked as a playwright, actor, still photographer, and film director. He spent a brief period in Hollywood as a script reader, but he hated the weather. He is currently a Network Playwright with Chicago Dramatists. Carry the Killer and Her Uncle Floyd A pubescent psycho killer and her pedophile uncle roam rural North Carolina, seeking an elusive rest from their high-strung fugitive existence. A dark comedy with an emotional core. Cast: 4 male, 3 female. Set and Special Requirements: Minimal set, some violence. Previous Productions/Readings: University of North Carolina Dept. of Dramatic Art (Workshop) 1997. Stiff Upper Lip 1970. A philandering college professor whose young son is missing must choose between saving his job and keeping a student out of Vietnam. Cast: 2 male, 2 female Set and Special requirements: College faculty office, no special requirements. Previous Productions/Readings: University of North Carolina, Lab Theatre (1996) Back to alphabetical index
				Back to alphabetical index Koch, Joanne 343 Dodge Ave. Evanston, IL 60202 (847) 864-5357 Email: jkoch@nl.edu Author of 13 plays and musicals produced in the past 10 years at theaters Off-Broadway, Queens, Albany, Syracuse, Scarsdale and Saratoga Springs, NY, Miami, Boca Raton, Boynton Beach, Ft. Lauderdale, and Tampa, FL, Philadelphia and New Hope, PA, Boston and Lenox, MA, Metuchen and Madison, NJ, Chicago, Carbondale, Galesburg and Peoria, IL and 30 universities around the country. Joanne Koch is also a screenwriter whose teleplays have been broadcast on the Fox Network, CBS, NBC in Chicago and local PBS and cable stations. Recipient of three Illinois Arts Council grants, including a Playwriting Fellowship for "Hearts in the Wood," an Individual Artist's Grant from the Evanston Arts Council for "Safe Harbor," the International Piscator Award for "Haymarket," a Richard H. Driehaus Grant through Writers' Bloc for "A Leading Woman" and an Emmy Award for the TV Series "High Top Tower." Dr. Koch is Director of the Master of Science in Written Communication Program at National-Louis University, where she teaches a variety of writing courses including Screenwriting and Playwriting. She is a guest lecturer at Columbia College Chicago in Screenwriting and at Northwestern University in Women in Film and other Women's Studies courses. Sophie, Totie & Belle by Joanne Koch and Sarah Blacher Cohen The late, great entertainers Sophie Tucker, Totie Fields and Belle Barth find themselves together in an anteroom of the afterlife, trying to figure out what kind of act will get them into heaven. Reviewers have called this musical comedy "an r-rated act made in heaven." Cast: 3 women, 1 male Set and Special Requirements: minimal set. All performers must sing. Piano player or trio Previous Productions: Theatre Four Off-Broadway, Wilton, Playhouse, Ft. Lauderdale, Drama Center Boca Raton, Royal Palms Boca Raton, Odette's New Hope and Cabaret Romano Philadelphia, Queens Theatre in the Park and Forum Theater in Metuchen, NJ, Egg Theater Albany, NY, Angel Cabaret Theatre in New Port Ritchie, FL, Atlantis Playhouse, Atlantis, FL, developed through Dramatists Guild grants to Chicago Writers' Bloc. Safe Harbor by Joanne Koch This play is based on the true story of one of the few families to survive in hiding during the Nazi occupation of Salonika, Greece, and the story of Greeks who had the courage to risk their lives to protect them. Cast :6 men, 4 women and 1 boy of about 10 Set and special requirements. Minimal set requirements. Music of the period and special Ladino songs can be played live or supplied by playwright, including songs recorded for Safe Harbor by world-renowned tenor Alberto Mizrahi. Previous productions: Red Hen Production at Organic Theater, Chicago, Chicago Historical Society "Ohi" Day Resistance Celebration co-sponsored Greek Orthodox Diocese and American Jewish Committee, Sephardic Synagogue of Los Angeles, CA, Harper College, National-Louis University, Beth Emet, BJBE and KAM Synagogues in Chicago. Optioned for a feature film. American Klezmer book by Joanne Koch and Sarah Blacher Cohen music by Ilya Levinson. lyrics by Owen Kalt This new musical draws on the rich tradition of Eastern European Klezmer music, a musical style that has been called Jewish jazz and soul music of Eastern Europe, to tell the story of two sisters and a group of itinerant musicians who come to American in 1910. Cast: 2 women, 3 men, a klezmer trio:violin, clarinet & piano or keyboard In development through concert readings at Theatre Building Chicago Musical Theatre Workshop, Acorn Theater in Three Oaks, Michigan, Temple Shalom in Milwaukee, Congregation BJBE in Glenview, IL. In 2004, Columbia College Chicago and the Ashkenaz Festival of Yiddish Culture in Toronto, Canada. Recipient of an Illinois Arts Council Special Assistance Grant. Hearts in the Wood book by Joanne Koch music and lyrics by Jim Lucas A heartwarming Thanksgiving story of a folksinging grandpa and grown granddaughter rediscovering family and reconnecting with their West Virginia-Appalachian roots. Cast: 3 women, 3 men Special requirements: 1 of the women and 2 of the men should play a string instrument. Piano and other string accompaniment optional if these 3 actors can accompany themselves. Banjo, fiddle, guitar, autoharp, dulcimer, pennywhistle can be used. Developed at Stages Festival, Theatre Building Chicago, Recipient of Illinois Arts Council Playwriting Fellowship. Produced at Northeastern Illinois University in Chicago, with concert readings at the Acorn Theater in Three Oaks, Michigan. Danny Kaye: Supreme Court Jester book by Joanne Koch and Sarah Blacher Cohen music & lyrics of original songs by Mark Elliott, with additional songs of the period An inside look at the man who became America's Number one movie star playing Walter Mitty, Hans Christian Andersen, Yakobovsky, and the Court Jester, this musical dwells on his early years, his stormy relationship with his wife, manager, lyricist and producer Sylvia Fine Kaye, and his relationships with Laurence Olivier, Princess Margaret, Moss Hart, Eve Arden, Gertrude Lawrence, and Papa Kaminsky. Cast: 2 women, 2 men, 1 piano accompanist Productions at Atlantis Playhouse, Atlantis, Florida, Bendheim Center, Scarsdale, New York, State University of New York in Albany co-sponsored by New York State Writers' Institute, University of Illinois, Sinai Temple, Chicago Writers' Bloc Benefit, Temple Shalom in Milwaukee, Jewish Community Council of Grand Rapids, Michigan. Soul Sisters by Joanne Koch and Sarah Blacher Cohen Two singers, one African American, one Jewish American, help each other through success, tragedy and rediscovery of their identities through music. Both traditions are represented in new and old music, some written for the show by Mark Elliott; other songs by Cole Porter, Debbie Friedman, Billie Holiday and many others. Soul Sisters will be published by The University of Wisconsin in an anthology Shared Stages which includes Driving Miss Daisy, Fires in the Mirror, I'm Not Rappaport, The Day the Bronx Died, Left Hand Singing, Medal of Honor Rag. and Sarah and The Sax. Cast: 2 women singers, 1 man who doesn't sing, 1 piano accompanist Set requirements minimal. Previous productions: Tour to 27 universities around the country including Cornell University, Boston U., Syracuse U., Indiana U., University of Missouri, Columbia, National-Louis University in Evanston, Illinois, Bradley U., Hamilton College, Franklin & Marshall College, Drew University, State University of New York at Albany, Michigan State University, Theatre of the Berkshires, Lenox, MA. Nesting Dolls The true story of one woman's struggle to overcome the trauma of childhood incest and a resultant multiple personality. Lila attends graduate school and raises a child while she integrates her 16 personalities. Cast: 3 women, 3 men Set and special requirements: Fluid staging, changes accomplished with lighting and simple props. Previous productions/readings: Northwestern University Women's Center, Harper College, Southern Illinois University (Best New Play Award), API Theatre of Kalamazoo ("a perfect fit of cast and script"), TV Broadcast on local PBS stations, grants from Chicago Foundation for Women for Midwest Tour by Zebra Crossing Theater, Award from Ohio Psychiatric Association. Sandburg Among the Goats Carl Sandburg, aided by a guitar-player/folksinger, looks back on a remarkable life as poet, reporter, folksinger and song collector, Lincoln biographer, author of children's tales, husband, father and grandfather, a life not without some regrets as his wife's goats attract more attention than his writing.

Abarbanel, Jonathan

Alex, David

Fedorko, Joseph

Guilford-Blake, Evan