Poster for staged reading of “Olga” in New York
Posted by Dwayne Yancey in News, Productions, Uncategorized on December 5, 2014
Here’s the poster for the staged reading of my 10-minute play OLGA, which will be part of a festival of short plays about women in history in New York on Sunday, December 14.
The Olga in question is Olga Romanova, the first victim of the Moscow theatre seige in 2002. I have a full-length play about that event — 57 HOURS IN THE HOUSE OF CULTURE — which was staged in Roanoke in 2012 and has come oh-so-close to being staged at two other theatre since then. (Here’s a link to more about 57 HOURS.)
This 10-minute play is not a cutting, but a spin-off that focuses on one of those characters.
This festival is put on by the Mad & Merry Company, and will be at the IRT Theatre at 154 Christopher Street #3B in Manhattan (West Village, or thereabouts) on December 14. Showtime is 7 p.m. Admission is free, but $5 donation suggested.
I’m told that space is limited, so if you’re interested in going, please email madandmerrytheatreco@gmail.com to reserve a spot. Here’s some more on OLGA.
“Klaus” called “a dark and dizzying journey”
Posted by Dwayne Yancey in News, Productions, Reviews, Uncategorized on December 5, 2014
“A dark and dizzying journey.”
That’s how producer Rose Bonczek — who teaches at Brooklyn College — describes KLAUS, my full-length Christmas play that had a staged reading in New York on December 2, under the direction of Christopher Thomasson.
She further tells me via e-mail: “I wanted to let you know that last night’s reading was terrific – Christopher put together a brilliant cast, mostly Gi60 company members, but several colleagues who he knows from Santaland (perfect!). Jay Nickerson as Klaus, and Jonathan Hadley as the headmaster were particularly brilliant – though Helen Huff as Mary was a delight, and the three young men were balanced wonderfully, with sharp and distinct characters. The fellow who played Grinchley should simply be guaranteed that role for life.”
Here’s a link to the poster.
And here’s the synopsis:
KLAUS: How it all began
Where did Santa Claus come from? There is no particular origin myth, until now. This story begins in the 1740s with an eccentric German professor of what we now call physics. He invents time travel, and when he becomes the target of the wrath of a mob who wants to burn him as a witch, he uses it to escape. Involves science fiction, treason against the king, a love story, and some cooking. Cast: Seven – six male, one female.
This was the second staged reading for the script; the first was in Roanoke in December 2012. Here’s a set of links to photos and such from that reading.
Poster for staged reading of “Klaus” in New York
Posted by Dwayne Yancey in News, Productions, Uncategorized on November 21, 2014
Poster for KLAUS.
Here’s the poster for my full-length Christmas play, KLAUS, which will have a staged reading in New York on December 2.
More details and background here.
“The Angel Tree” to be produced in Roanoke in December
Posted by Dwayne Yancey in News, Productions, Uncategorized on November 20, 2014
My one-act Christmas play, THE ANGEL TREE, is getting a lot of attention this fall.
A community theatre in Collbran, Colorado will produce it in December. So, too, will Showtimers community theatre in Roanoke. The Showtimers shows will be December 5-7, as part of a night of four one-acts about Christmas, the other three by other writers.
THE ANGEL TREE
An angel appears to a single mother at Christmas and helps her find a common bond with her surly teenage daughter. Cast: Three females. Running time: 20 minutes.
Here are the shows I have upcoming:
* November 7, 8, 14, 15, 22, and 23: DEMOTING PLUTO, one-act, Short Science Play Showcase at the Explora Science Center and Children’s Museum, Albuquerque, New Mexico.
* November 12: JENNA AND HER PRIZE-WINNING PIG CHANGE THE COURSE OF HISTORY, Lewis and Clark School District, Minot, North Dakota.
* December 2: KLAUS, staged reading in New York, as part of the Gi60 Extended Editions.
* December 6-7: THE BEAUTIFUL OGRE AND OTHER FAIRY TALES, CAN I?, CHEF PIERRE DOES NOT DO SIMPLE, and GOD AND THE DEVIL MEET FOR A BUSINESS LUNCH, by the Jeonju Players, Joenju, South Korea.
* December 16: OLGA, staged reading at IRT Theatre, New York, N.Y.
* December 19-20: LET THERE BE LIGHTS! by Mockingbird Players, Columbia City, Indiana.
* December 19-20: THE ANGEL TREE and A ZOMBIE CHRISTMAS, by CW Actors Group, Collbran, Colorado.
And here’s a partial list of productions this year:
Shake it, shake it, in local celebrity lip sync contest
Posted by Dwayne Yancey in Personal, Uncategorized on November 20, 2014
I’m a writer, not a performer. The last time I was on stage, it was in the church Easter pageant. But recently I was invited to perform in a lip sync contest of local celebrities in Roanoke as a fund-raiser for Happy Healthy Cooks, a non-profit that teaches kids about cooking and nutrition. How could I say no? Well, probably rather easily, but I didn’t, as you can see . . .
Two Christmas one-acts to be performed in Colorado
Posted by Dwayne Yancey in News, Productions, Uncategorized on November 11, 2014
The CW Actors Group in Collbran, Colorado will produce two of my Christmas one-acts on December 19 and 20.
They scripts are THE ANGEL TREE and A ZOMBIE CHRISTMAS. This will be the first production of the latter; there may be a prior production of THE ANGEL TREE at another theatre before then, but I’m still waiting on confirmation on that.
THE ANGEL TREE
An angel appears to a single mother at Christmas and helps her find a common bond with her surly teenage daughter. Cast: Three females. Running time: 20 minutes.
A ZOMBIE CHRISTMAS
A grandfather and grandmother dress up as a zombie and a vampire to try to connect their their teen-age granddaughter. Miscommunication ensues. Cast: Four – one senior male, one senior female, one adult female, one teen female. Running time: Fifteen minutes.
Here’s a full list of my Christmas plays.
Here are the shows I have upcoming:
* November 7, 8, 14, 15, 22, and 23: DEMOTING PLUTO, one-act, Short Science Play Showcase at the Explora Science Center and Children’s Museum, Albuquerque, New Mexico.
* November 12: JENNA AND HER PRIZE-WINNING PIG CHANGE THE COURSE OF HISTORY, Lewis and Clark School District, Minot, North Dakota.
* December 2: KLAUS, staged reading in New York, as part of the Gi60 Extended Editions.
* December 6-7: THE BEAUTIFUL OGRE AND OTHER FAIRY TALES, CAN I?, CHEF PIERRE DOES NOT DO SIMPLE, and GOD AND THE DEVIL MEET FOR A BUSINESS LUNCH, by the Jeonju Players, Joenju, South Korea.
* December 16: OLGA, staged reading at IRT Theatre, New York, N.Y.
* December 19-20: LET THERE BE LIGHTS! by Mockingbird Players, Columbia City, Indiana.
And here’s a partial list of productions this year:
“Olga” to have staged reading in New York festival
Posted by Dwayne Yancey in News, Productions, Uncategorized on October 29, 2014
My ten-minute play OLGA will have a staged reading in New York in December by the Mad & Merry Theatre Company as part of the company’s Women’s Histories Festival. The show will be at the IRT Theatre at 154 Christopher Street #3B in Manhattan (West Village, or thereabouts) on December 14. (UPDATE: Showtime is 7 p.m. Admission is free, but $5 donation suggested.)
About the festival:
The Women’s Histories Festival is an incubator for new work, which will run alongside Mad & Merry’s production of Daughters of Leda at IRT this December. The goal of the festival is to bring new voices to the stage and drastically widen the spectrum of women’s voices and narratives being represented.
I’m obviously not a woman but OLGA is about one — based on the true-life story of Olga Romanova, the first victim of the 2002 Moscow theatre siege:
OLGA
A look at the true story of Olga Romanova, a 26-year-old perfume clerk who came in off the street during the Moscow theatre siege of 2002 and tried to help — but got killed by terrorists instead. Cast: Eight – 3 female, 2 male, 3 non-gender. Running time: 10 minutes.
This piece is related to my full-length script about that terrorist attack, 57 HOURS IN THE HOUSE OF CULTURE, but this is a separate, stand-alone work, not a cutting.
So, here’s the latest list of my upcoming productions (and one reading):
* November 7, 8, 14, 15, 22, and 23: DEMOTING PLUTO, one-act, Short Science Play Showcase at the Explora Science Center and Children’s Museum, Albuquerque, New Mexico.
* November 9: HIT THE BOOKS, Lafayette County High School, Higginsville, Missouri.
* November 12: JENNA AND HER PRIZE-WINNING PIG CHANGE THE COURSE OF HISTORY, Lewis and Clark School District, Minot, North Dakota.
* December 2: KLAUS, staged reading in New York, as part of the Gi60 Extended Editions.
* December 6-7: THE BEAUTIFUL OGRE AND OTHER FAIRY TALES, CAN I?, CHEF PIERRE DOES NOT DO SIMPLE, and GOD AND THE DEVIL MEET FOR A BUSINESS LUNCH, by the Jeonju Players, Joenju, South Korea.
* December 19-20: LET THERE BE LIGHTS! by Mockingbird Players, Columbia City, Indiana.
And here’s a partial list of productions this year:
“Klaus” to have staged reading in New York City in December
Posted by Dwayne Yancey in News, Productions, Uncategorized on October 20, 2014
My full-length script that imagines an origin story for Santa Claus — KLAUS — will have a staged reading in New York on December 2, exact venue and such still TBA.
This is through the auspices of Gi60 — the annual “Gone in 60 Seconds” Festival of one-minute plays that takes place each summer in New York, with a counterpart in Great Britain. I’ve been fortunate to have had my short work done there for several years. Now, the Gi60 folks are using their “off-season” to feature longer scripts by some of the Gi60 writers.
KLAUS: How it all began
Where did Santa Claus come from? There is no particular origin myth, until now. This story begins in the 1740s with an eccentric German professor of what we now call physics. He invents time travel, and when he becomes the target of the wrath of a mob who wants to burn him as a witch, he uses it to escape. Involves science fiction, treason against the king, a love story, and some cooking. Cast: Seven – six male, one female.
This will be the second staged reading for KLAUS. The first was in 2012 in Roanoke, Virginia, through Hollins University.
Here’s video from that reading and also some other links:
* Background on the show
* Photos from first day of rehearsal
* Photos from second day of rehearsal
* Photos from third day of rehearsal
* Photos from the staged reading of “Klaus”
Two one-acts to be produced in Missouri and North Dakota
Posted by Dwayne Yancey in News, Productions, Uncategorized on October 1, 2014
The fall high school theatre season is soon upon us, and that means I have two new productions to announce:
* HIT THE BOOKS, by Lafayette County High School, Higginsville, Missouri on November 9. This script is published by Eldridge Plays and Musicals; this is the 16th production of this script.
* JENNA AND HER PRIZE-WINNING PIG CHANGE THE COURSE OF HISTORY, by the Lewis and Clark School District, Minot, North Dakota on November 12. This script is published through Playscripts; this is the third production of this script.
I’ve got one-acts published through five different publishers (the list is in the right-hand column). Some report productions as they get booked; some not until after the fact, so it’s possible I have others out there and just don’t know about it yet.
Here are synopses of these two scripts:
HIT THE BOOKS
A slapstick farce set in a college dorm. A student studying for exams becomes so frustrated she hits herself in the head with her art history textbook. Suddenly, she thinks she’s the Mona Lisa. Her roommate becomes frantic. A suitemate arrives who thinks the logical thing to do is to hit the woman on the head with another book. Throughout, each time someone gets hit in the head with a book, they instantly acquire command of the subject matter. The scene becomes increasingly more chaotic as the students search for a solution. You’ll need some soft books, because everyone gets hit on the head at least once, and usually more. Cast: Five — four female, one male. Running time: Twenty five minutes.
JENNA AND HER PRIZE-WINNING PIG CHANGE THE COURSE OF HISTORY
A bored teen-ager with a vivid imagination creates havoc at the county fair, involving a TV crew and two glad-handing politicians, when she gets them arguing over a non-existent bill before Congress. Cast: Ten — three female, three male and four of either gender. Set requirements: Minimal, although it would help to have a television camera and microphone.
So, here’s the latest list of my upcoming productions:
* November 7, 8, 14, 15, 22, and 23: DEMOTING PLUTO, one-act, Short Science Play Showcase at the Explora Science Center and Children’s Museum, Albuquerque, New Mexico.
* November 9: HIT THE BOOKS, Lafayette County High School, Higginsville, Missouri.
* November 12: JENNA AND HER PRIZE-WINNING PIG CHANGE THE COURSE OF HISTORY, Lewis and Clark School District, Minot, North Dakota.
* December 6-7: THE BEAUTIFUL OGRE AND OTHER FAIRY TALES, CAN I?, CHEF PIERRE DOES NOT DO SIMPLE, and GOD AND THE DEVIL MEET FOR A BUSINESS LUNCH, by the Jeonju Players, Joenju, South Korea.
* December 19-20: LET THERE BE LIGHTS! by Mockingbird Players, Columbia City, Indiana.
And here’s a partial list of productions this year:
Four short scripts to be produced in South Korea in December
Posted by Dwayne Yancey in News, Productions, Uncategorized on September 29, 2014
I’ve just scored my first production in South Korea.
The Jeonju Players, an English-language company in Joenju, are producing two nights worth of short comic pieces on December 6 and 7.
Among the 14 pieces are four of mine, all of which have been previously produced:
CAN I?
A lesson in both grammar and assertiveness. A restaurant customer asks: “can I have the daily special?” A bossy waiter or waitress says “no.” Cast: Two, non-gender. Running time: Five minutes.
* Produced by Flush Ink Productions in Asphalt Jungle Shorts Festival in Kitchener, Ontario, September 2014. (Photos from that production here.)
GOD AND THE DEVIL MEET FOR A BUSINESS LUNCH
God and the devil meet in an out-of-the-way lunch spot to discuss a
business proposition: The devil thinks the Almighty should reimburse him for
punishing the wicked. Comes in two versions, one 5 minutes, one 10
minutes. Cast: Three — 2 males, 1 female. Running time: Five
minutes or ten minutes.
* Five-minute version performed at No Shame Theatre, Roanoke, Va., August 2004 and October 2004 as part of The Best of No Shame.
* Produced by Homespun Productions, broadcast on Channel 18, Sacramento, California, October 2005. Here’s video of.
* Classroom presentation, Averett College, Danville, Va., Dec. 3, 2007.
* Radio play by Falcon Radio Theatre, Seattle, 2013. Here’s audio.
* Staged reading by Lake Players, Smith Mountain Lake, Va., April 2014. (Photos from that reading here.)
THE BEAUTIFUL OGRE AND OTHER FAIRY TALES
A father reads his daughter a fairy tale as a bedtime story — which the characters begin to act out. The girl doesn’t like how the story is going — no strong female role models, for instance — so she changes it all around. This is the result. Cast: Five — three males, two females. Running time: Eight minutes.
• Produced by the Paw Paw Village Players, Paw Paw, Michigan, Feb. 15-16, 22-23, 2008.
• Produced by Youth Education on Stage Summer Shorts, Williston, North Dakota, June 24-26, 2008.
• Produced by Subversive Theatre, Buffalo, N.Y., various nights between May 2-17, 2009.
• Produced by Play’n’Well Players, Plainview, Michigan, last weekend of May 2009.
CHEF PIERRE DOES NOT DO SIMPLE
A television producer explains to a TV chef that he need to simplify some of his language because many younger viewers do not understand them. He reacts badly and winds up creating a mess with broken eggs and flour. Cast: Four — One male, three non-gender. Running time: Ten minutes.
• Produced by Newburgh Free Academy, Newburgh, N.Y., May 2009. (Photos here.)
So, here’s the latest list of my upcoming productions:
* November 7, 8, 14, 15, 22, and 23: DEMOTING PLUTO, one-act, Short Science Play Showcase at the Explora Science Center and Children’s Museum, Albuquerque, New Mexico.
* December 6-7: THE BEAUTIFUL OGRE AND OTHER FAIRY TALES, CAN I?, CHEF PIERRE DOES NOT DO SIMPLE, and GOD AND THE DEVIL MEET FOR A BUSINESS LUNCH, by the Jeonju Players, Joenju, South Korea.
* December 19-20: LET THERE BE LIGHTS! by Mockingbird Players, Columbia City, Indiana.
And here’s a partial list of productions this year:
dwayneyancey 