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“Hamlet Goes Hollywood” to be published
Posted by Dwayne Yancey in News, Uncategorized on February 25, 2014
I got word this week that my hour-long one-act “Hamlet Goes Hollywood” will be published later this year by Big Dog Plays.
That’s the same publishing house that has published some of my other scripts, including “Santa Claustrophobia,” which has been produced 17 times. (Others from Big Dog include “Spiders” and “Red, Ripe and Round”; you can find my complete list of 0ne-acts, published and unpublished here, with this explanation of why I don’t charge royalties for unpublished work.)
Here’s the synopsis of “Hamlet Goes Hollywood,” coming soon to a play catalog near you (and, I hope, some high school stages):
HAMLET GOES HOLLYWOOD
Shakespeare himself is on the set of a Hollywood production of “Hamlet” when the director decides a few modest script changes are in order. Shakespeare objects, the director decides to experiment with setting the show in different genres — police show, science fiction, western, and so forth. The costumes keep changing, as do some of the characters. Ophelia clamors for a role with a sword, Laertes wants a bigger part, and Shakespeare himself eventually tries a rap version. Cast: 20 — 8 males, 4 female, 8 non-gender. Running time: One hour.
Video: “Choose Your Companions Carefully” at the Liminal
Posted by Dwayne Yancey in News, Uncategorized, Video on February 14, 2014
A few years ago, I read a book about Antarctica, which inspired several pieces — a one-act called “Lionized,” and three short pieces called “Countdown to 2041” (when the treaty governing the continent is set to expire), “Fairweather at the Pole” and “Choose Your Companions Carefully.”
Most of those pieces (“Countdown to 2041″ is the exception”) deal with the same uncomfortable topic — explorers forced to resort to cannibalism to stay alive.
On January 27, the Liminal gallery had one of its regular readings, with the theme “A Midwinter’s Night Dream.” I didn’t really have any odes to winter, but I did have “Choose Your Companions Carefully.” If Antarctic exploration isn’t winter, what is?
Mike Allen read the piece for me — putting on a full-fledged shivering act. Weeks later, I still have people who were there talking about it. As for the people who were there, you’ll notice an empty auditorium in the video. That’s because the audience was on the stage, and this video was shot from a side view.
Bon apetit.
“Hurleyburg Twirling Society” is finalist in Michigan festival
Posted by Dwayne Yancey in News, Uncategorized on February 4, 2014
My full-length script “The Hurleyburg Twirling Society” was one of 10 finalists out of 107 entries in a festival sponsored by the Branch County Community Theatre in Coldwater, Michigan.
Alas, it didn’t finish in the top three to qualify for production, but this marks the first official recognition of a script I’ve always thought would be fun to produce.
Here’s the formal description:
THE HURLEYBURG TWIRLING SOCIETY
A twirler from back East finds herself stranded in Texas, in trouble with the law for accidentally setting fire to a motel room with her fire baton. To make amends, the judge orders her to teach baton twirling to the girls in the town. However, there are only three — all daughters of a local survivalist, who would rather spend time in weapons training than in baton classes. Meanwhile, the state of Texas drops the town from the highway map. To get back on the map, the town busybody thinks it would be a fine idea for this new baton corps to march in the Cotton Bowl parade. Comedy ensues, involving batons, armadillos, chickens falling from the sky, and many other things Texan. Cast: Eight — five female, three male. The females consist of one senior, one late teens or early 20s who can twirl a baton, and three teens.
Congratulations to Thomas J. Misuraca, Richard Manley and Jeff Stolzer, who finished in the top three.
Video: “A Nice, Relaxing Cup of Tea” in Ontario walking tour festival
Posted by Dwayne Yancey in News, Productions, Uncategorized, Video on January 15, 2014
There’s a fascinating theatre festival each year in Kitchener, Ontario that I’d love to see — it’s a walking tour festival where audience members are led around downtown to various venues, and theatre occasionally breaks out.
While I haven’t been there, some of my work has been. In 2013, the Asphalt Jungle Shorts program included my piece “Requiem for a Buzzard” — you can find photos here from the June production and here from the September reprise.
Now the Asphalt Jungle Shorts folks have unearthed this video from the 2009 production of my short piece, “A Nice, Relaxing Cup of Tea.” Here, Nicholas Cumming and Emma Dines perform the piece at The Kava Bean, directed by Robin Bennett.
Photos from staged reading of “Softball Is Life”
Posted by Dwayne Yancey in News, Photos, Productions, Uncategorized on January 7, 2014
Larsen (played by Emma Sala) gets ready to throw a softball through a hornet’s nest, under the glaring eye of Mr. Barnett (Patrick Kennerly), the hard-hearted science teacher and softball coach and the hopeful eye of Kristin Turner (Kelly Anglim), the soft-hearted principal who hopes the feat will show the coach the troublesome student has a gift.
My latest full-length script, “Softball Is Life,” had a very successful staged reading on January 4, 2014 at Showtimers community theatre in Roanoke, Virginia. Strong performances, strong turn-out, plus I came away with a list of small tweaks to make to the script.
My goal with “Softball Is Life” was to write a sports play for women. This isn’t really a sports play, though. Except for the opening scene, the entire play takes place outside softball season. It’s really about family relationships. A former high school softball star sits in prison, estranged from her 14-year-old daughter who shares her mother’s talent for pitching but doesn’t realize it. Instead, the girl lives in fear of the creepy boyfriend of the cousin she’s living with. The script is set mostly in 1994-95, with a few flashbacks to 1979.
Melora Kordos, former artistic director of Studio Roanoke who is now active in Lynchburg theatre, came to town to direct the reading.
* Stage directions: Vickie Haynie
* Kristin Turner, the school principal: Kelly Anglim
* Mr. Wellington, the school principal in 1979: Gary Reid
* Mr. Barnett, the science teacher/softball coach: Patrick Kennerly
* Linda Alderson, the former high school softball star now in prison: Heather Sexton
* Larsen Alderson, her 14-year-old daughter: Emma Sala
* Prison guard: Stevie Holcomb
* Squirrel, the creepy boyfriend of the cousin that Larsen is living with: James Honaker
I have video of the reading here with a complete photo gallery here.
Here are some key shots below: Read the rest of this entry »
Video: Staged reading of “Softball Is Life”
Posted by Dwayne Yancey in News, Productions, Uncategorized, Video on January 7, 2014
A staged reading of my script “Softball Is Life” was held January 4, 2014 at Showtimers in Roanoke, Virginia. Here’s the video (reading was quite good, my video, not so much.)
Act 1 is above, Act 2 is below. Alas, the video cuts off in the final scene, so you miss the final minute or so.
From left to right:
* Vickie Haynie (stage directions), Heather Sexton (Linda, the former school softball star who is now in prison), Stevie Holcomb (prison guard), Patrick Kennerly (Mr. Barnett, the science teacher/softball coach), Kelly Anglim (high school principal), Emma Sala (Larsen, Linda’s daughter and an undiscovered phenom), Jeff Price (custodian), Gary Reid (Mr. Wellington, the former principal), and James Honaker (Squirrel, the creepy boyfriend of the cousin that Larsen is living with.)
Directed by Melora Kordos.
Cast photo from “On the Thirteeth Day of Christmas”
Posted by Dwayne Yancey in News, Photos, Productions, Uncategorized on December 19, 2013
Here’s a photo from “On the Thirteenth Day of Christmas,” which was produced this month at Santiam High School in Mill City, Oregon.
This was the first production of this script, and the sixth full-length script I’ve had produced.
MORE ON THE SHOW
* Director calls “On the Thirteenth Day of Christmas” a “true gem.”
* About “On the Thirteenth Day of Christmas.”
“On the Thirteenth Day of Christmas” called “a true gem”
Posted by Dwayne Yancey in News, Productions, Reviews, Uncategorized on December 17, 2013
One of my Christmas plays, “On the Thirteenth Day of Christmas,” was produced last week in Oregon at Santiam High School in Mill City.
This marks my sixth full-length script to be produced.
Director Bill Brown sends this account (and promises photos soon):
“It went very well. Many people commented on how funny the show was and all thoroughly enjoyed it . . . Thank you for the awesome opportunity to “test out” On the 13th Day of Christmas for you. It is a true gem.”
I have a synopsis — plus a list of my other full-length scripts that have been produced — here. As “On the Thirteenth Day of Christmas” is unpublished, it remains available royalty-free.
“Softball Is Life” to have staged reading January 4
Posted by Dwayne Yancey in News, Productions, Uncategorized on December 10, 2013
I’m thrilled to announce that my latest full-length script, “Softball Is Life,” will have a staged reading on Saturday, January 4, 2014 at Showtimers in Roanoke, Virginia.
Melora Kordos of Lynchburg will direct. The cast consists of Kelly Anglim, James Honaker, Stevie Holcomb, Patrick Kennerly, Jeff Price, Gary Reid, Emma Sala and Heather Sexton — an all-star cast of performers from the Roanoke Valley (with the exception of Jeff, who is an all-star performer from Lynchburg.)
This is a script I’m very excited about and was eager to see and hear how it works. I’m indebted to Showtimers for helping make this happen, and the talent cast and director for volunteering their time.
My goal was to write a sports play for women, although the result is somewhat different. Despite the title, this play isn’t really about sports; it’s about something else entirely. Relationships, I suppose you could say.
The quick synopsis goes like this: A former high school softball star sits in prison, estranged from her 14-year-old daughter, who shares her gift for pitching but doesn’t realize it. Instead, she is more concerned about protecting herself from the predatory boyfriend of the cousin she’s forced to live with.
Note: Some adult language and situations.
There is no sports action in the show (sports action always being hard to depict on stage, anyway.) The opening scene has the sounds of a softball game happening off-stage; after that, the play takes place entirely outside softball season. Some of it takes place in a women’s prison; some of it takes place around a Dumpster.
Cast of eight — three women, one teen-age girl, three men, and one non-gender role (the school custodian, which will be played here by Jeff Price.)
“57 Hours in the House of Culture” called “well-crafted” and “compelling”
Posted by Dwayne Yancey in News, Reviews, Uncategorized on November 19, 2013
Just got one of the nicest rejection letters ever, this from a theatre in . . . well, let’s just say somewhere in the United States.
This was in reference to my full-length script “57 Hours in the House of Culture,” about the Moscow theatre siege.
And I quote:
“I did want to let you know that out of the 200 submissions we considered, 57 Hours in the House of Culture made a very strong impression and stayed on our shortlist until close the very end. It is a well-crafted story told in a compelling manner with characters that are diverse and strong. However, due to the larger cast size along with technical elements we felt were essential to telling this story correctly, we had to pass on it this year. However, we look forward to considering it again next year, along with any other work you submit in the future.”
The show was originally produced in May 2012 at Studio Roanoke in Roanoke, Virginia. Here’s more on that production:
MORE ON “57 HOURS IN THE HOUSE OF CULTURE”:
* Video: “57 Hours in the House of Culture” at Studio Roanoke in May 2012
* Backstage graffiti from the show
* Photos from the show
* Audience reaction to the show
* Review: “It ain’t ‘Oklahoma!'”
* Congressman Goodlatte attends the show
* Review: “Most interactive show I’ve seen”
* Media interviews about the show
* The set takes shape
* Rehearsal photos
* Rehearsal begins
* The poster for the show
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