My short play THE CELLPHONES OF THE DEAD has been included in a collection of 20 short plays about school shootings in the United States. Oregon playwright Rachael Carnes put out a call recently for short plays memorializing the victims of specific shootings; I contributed THE CELLPHONES OF THE DEAD, which was written in the aftermath of the Virginia Tech shooting in 2007 that killed 32 people plus the shooter. Rachael pulled all the pieces together and organized them so they can be presented in a single reading — or organizers can pick and choose the pieces.

So far, PLAYWRIGHTS SAY NEVER AGAIN TO SCHOOL SHOOTINGS has had readings in Eugene, Oregon; Chattanooga, Tennessee; and Montclair, New Jersey.

You can find stories on the New Jersey program here and here.

For more information about how to put on a royalty-free reading of PLAYWRIGHTS SAY NEVER AGAIN TO SCHOOL SHOOTINGS, email coderedplaywrights@gmail.com.

Meanwhile, THE CELLPHONES OF THE DEAD has been included in a separate program — a staged reading in Washington, D.C. on March 24 to coincide with “March for Our Lives.” That reading, organized by Nu Sass Productions, featured 17 short plays to coincide with the number of victims in the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida. Nu Sass found my play listed through Protest Plays and the New Play Exchange.

Here’s some of what people have said about THE CELLPHONES OF THE DEAD:

“Your piece is stunning.” –– producer

“I had multiple people approach me after and say how moved they were by your play.” –– producer

“It’s one of the more moving pieces for me” — actor.

About the piece:

THE CELLPHONES OF THE DEAD
A police officer’s somber monologue: He was at the scene of a mass shooting, and could literally hear the awful news start to spread — as the cellphones of the victims started to ring with desperate messages from their frantic friends.

Cast:
Police officer (M)
Multiple bodies on the floor

Running time: Five minutes.