FULL LENGTH PLAYS
IMMERSION
Immersion is a three act drama that uses the mikvah (a Jewish ritual bath) to explore crises that come with menopause and poignant points of history:
- Medina, Saudi Arabia, 634, following the death of Mohammed and his first wife Aisha’s rise to power.
- Khazaria (currently Ukraine), 964, where the peaceful co-existence of Judaism, Christianity and Islam encourage minds like Maiomedes..
- Spain, 1492, when female conversos hide in convents and everyone hides from Torquemada, some by following Columbus to the new world.
- Austria, 1869, during the Age of Enlightenment, innovations in treating intractable depression by Mesmer and the writings of Sofie von la Roche and Margaret Murray.
- Glastonbury, England, 1924 when the occult took on new life with Aleister Crowley and Dion Fortune.
- San Francisco, CA, present day
Each woman enacts a scene from her life with the others playing the people with whom she interacts. Each of these is followed by the women discussing the obstacles and challenges.
It is revealed that the mikvah is designed for Rachel with the help of her ancestors. Under water, the different aspects of Rachel come together to help her look at her future.
HISTORY: The Last Mikvah was originally written as two three-act plays. Two of the characters were removed, and the first of the two plays, Ritual Wash, received a reading in 2006. It has been refined into one three-act play.
PRINT LENGTH: 71 pages
All except the Shekinah (woman, 25ish) are women 45+ years old
| SHEKHINAH | The shomeret of the mikvah |
| MIRIAM | Saudi Arabian wealthy widow and mother of two grown daughters, she is friend of Mohammed’s first wife, Aisha. The year is 634. (speaks with an Arabic accent) |
| CHICHEK | Khazarian mother of two grown sons, divorcing her husband and assistant to King Yosef. The year is 964. (speaks with a Russian accent) |
| RITA | Spanish converso, widow and mother of two grown sons. hiding as a nun. The year is 1492. (speaks with a Spanish accent) |
| HANNAH | Austrian writer who suffers from chronic depression and is married to a doctor. She lives in 1869. (speaks with an Austrian accent) |
| JUDITH | British single woman and Kabbalist taking care of her mother with Altzheimers. The year is 1924. (speaks with a British accent) |
| RACHEL | American professor of history in San Francisco, CA. She lives in the present. |
VISIONS OF CHOCOLATE
What would it be like if you could see the primary neuroses of other people in visual form? Visions of Chocolate is a fast-moving two-act comedy that invites theatrical innovation and includes two dream sequences.
Diane has inherited this gift of seeing. The play opens with her throwing a party so her mama, who also sees, can meet her friends. One of them brings spiked chocolates that make her friends see the same things she does, which makes for a crazy night. Any thoughts Diane had about a romantic relationship with her fellow federal agent, Greg, are dashed when she finds out he is interested in the military use of the drug used. He’s also curious about the unusual talents of her friend, Janine.
Diane quits her job and will no longer talk to Greg, convinced that a normal life is all she really wants. As a peace offering, he gives her glasses that make her sight normal. The only problem is the side effect — it increases whatever she feels at the time. Nor is she ready to forgive Greg. She blacks out when the glasses are removed and has strange visions that include the Queen of Chocolate and a chorus of chocolate bunnies. She awakens without her ability to see or to feel, which suits her fine. Friends rush to her aid although they are challenged by their own problems which make for dynamic subplots that focus on the thin line between the mental and the spiritual.
Greg tries to bring Diane back to herself with more of the spiked chocolate. After more strange visions with a chorus of princesses this works but only at the expense of their relationship — again. Diane is reunited with her friends at Greg’s sister’s wedding which includes a paintball fight as part of the ceremony. However, when the stalker of the groom tries to shoot the bride with a real gun, Janine steps in. Diane and Greg cover the shooter with paint before she can do any more harm and Janine’s body simply disappears.
At Janine’s memorial, Diane and her friends toast her memory and share the goodbyes each received from Janine after she died. Diane and Greg celebrate their love by firing off silly string.
Print length: 111 pages
Cast size: 7 women, 5 men, 2-6 whichever
DIANE | 25-35 |
GWEN | 50-60 in a wheel chair |
GREG | 30-40 (when “seen” by Diane, wears bouncing nose on his head; when others are under the influence of the chocolates, a nose covers his head) |
MINDY | 60 (when “seen” by Diane, wears plungers for hands; when others are under the influence of the chocolates, wears vacuum cleaner hoses for hands; later wears oversized ears) |
STEVE ONE* | 25-35 and very depresse (when “seen” by Diane or when others are under the influence of the chocolates, wears a paper bag or veil on his head) |
STEVE TWO* | 25-35 |
ADA | 25-35 with wavy hair (when “seen” by Diane, her hair is frizzy and sticks out; when others are under the influence of the chocolates, she has an afro) |
SUSIE | 20-30 with lots of tattoos (when “seen” by Diane, she has translucent skin; when others are under the influence of the chocolates, her body is a skeleton; later, she loosely resembles a cat) |
RUSTY | 25-35 (when “seen” by Diane, he loosely resembles a dog; when others are under the influence of the chocolates, he loosely resembles a wolf) |
JANINE | 25-35 (when “seen” by Diane, she wears a crown of lights; when others are under the influence of the chocolates, the crown of lights flash; later she is covered in lights and wears a crown of thorns) |
JONAH | same age as Diane (when “seen” by Diane, he wears a beauty contest outfit; when others are under the influence of the chocolates, he wears a thong and a sash; later his beauty contest outfit turns very dark) |
EMANUEL | 35-45 (when “seen” by Diane, he wears a suit of money; when others are under the influence of the chocolates, money falls off of him) |
GINA | 18-25 (when “seen” by Diane, she looks like a monster) |
TWO FEDERAL AGENTS | |
CHORUS | |
*Steve One and Steve Two can be played by the same person but need to look very different.
STAGES OF AGES
Stages of Ages, a percussive musical/not-musical, explores stages of development as four characters move in and out of time, periodically taking on different characters, to better learn how to resolve their current dilemmas. Sheet music is available, but this piece can be performed without it. Music includes simple raps and songs using African polyrhythms.
Each character is at a crossroads – their decisions could alter their behavior in a positive way. Emilio, a recluse, is required to find a new place to live. Ramona deals with issues that include her daughter, her lover and her mother. Sally discovers how her abusive father conditioned her choices around marriage and the consequences of being abandoned by her husband. Doug is at a loss at how to deal with a new health diagnosis that requires him to quit his job on fishing boats and live full-time with his family. Each character enact scenarios that help one another learn:
- the needs of each stage of development
- how their needs were not met
- the negative messages they received that continue to echo in their minds
- how these messages have influenced their personalities and behavior
- what changes they need to make to resolve to effectively move forward.
This play uses a variety of dramatic forms and music to seek out and find the root causes for why characters do what they do. The more physicality the better.
Cast size: 2 women, 2 men
EMILIO | Hispanic software programmer in his 20’s |
RAMONA | African-American attorney, 30-40 years old |
SALLY | Mother of baby in her 20’s |
DOUG | Professional fisherman, 30-40 years old |
A new full length musical/non-musical script is in process. It will include polyrhymic songs with sheet music.
Stages of Ages (Part I) was presented January 29, 1988 for New City Theater’s New Works Festival in Seattle, Washington, where it received Best of Festival honors.
HE Peter Sorenson
SHE Carolyn Ayres
HIM G. Valmont Thomas
HER Z. Sharon Glantz
Directed by Roger Tomkins
Stages of Ages (Part II) was presented November 19, 1988 for the New City Theater’s Playwrights Festival in Seattle, Washington and the Northwest Playwrights Guild/Storefront Theater, November 20, 1988 in Portland, Oregon where it received Best of Festival honors.
HE Mark Rabe
SHE Mary Lathrop
HER Tijuana Layne
HIM Aldrick Allen
Directed by Z. Sharon Glantz
Stages of Ages, the first version that combines both parts was presented as a reading by the Jane Doe Theater Ensemble March 15, 1993 in Seattle, Washington.
EMILIO Jose Gonzales
ESTHER Meredith Berlin
DELTA Demene Hall
DOUG Michael Whistler
Directed by Meleesa Knappert
Selected parts of Stages of Ages Part I and Part II are included in Stages of Ages: Rechilding Your Inner Child by Elaine Childs Gowell Ph.D and Z. Sharon Glantz, that looks at the innovative therapeutic intervention and process known as corrective parenting.
OXYMORONIC FUSION
Oxymoronic Fusion, a full-length metaphysical farce, explores the complex co-existence of contradictory reality constructs and belief systems. Serendipity, with the assistance of Madame X, a psychic, channels the entity, Clepotha. Unpleasant yet alluring, Clepotha has gained popularity through her instructional videos marketed by her business manager, Betsy Ross. Unbeknownst to anyone, Betsy is one-half the consciousness of an extraterrestrial. She and her other half, a hand puppet or dummy, plan to use the Clepotha entity as their fusion catalyst to bring them back together and recapture their ship so they can go home. Dona P. Shpilkas, a lawyer, works on suing Clepotha out of Sera’s body. She and Sera’s psychiatrist, have be reincarnated many lives during which they’ve chased the Clepotha entity from body to body. To end their karmic cycling, the psychiatrist seduces Clepotha. In her dimension, Sybil, Madame X’s cat, is a physicist, who fell through a portal while working on oxymoronic fusion. Malarie Black documents many of these events in her television newscast, Tabloid News. When Sera finds herself pregnant with Y, Malarie appears as her spirit guide to help Sera and Y decide whether or not Y is ready to be born. Tabitha, Sera’s live-in lover, reveals to Madame X that she is actually the goddess, Persephone, and wants to host a party to bring Sera out of her depression. All of the characters come together as Sybil invokes oxymoronic fusion so that Clepotha helps everyone get their needs met.
Print length: 115 pages
HISTORY: Oxymoronic Fusion received two readings in 1989. Live virtual productions were performed on Second Life in 2010. See the trailer here.
Cast size: 6 women, 2 men, 1 whatever
SERENDIPITY WHITE & CLEPOTHA | Actress and channeled entity |
SAM DOCTOR | Psychiatrist who has been reincarnated |
MALARIE BLACK | Newscaster and spirit guide |
DONA P. SHPILKAS | Attorney who has been reincarnated |
BETSY ROSS | Financial Advisor and ½ an alien |
TABITHA PLUTO | Professor and Persephone |
MADAME X | Psychic |
SYBIL | Cat and physicist from another dimension |
Y | Unborn |
DUMMY | Puppet and ½ an alien |
NOTE: DUMMY’S VOICE CAN BE THAT OF AN ACTOR HIDDEN ONSTAGE OR PROJECTED FROM A HIDDEN MICROPHONE. Y AND DUMMY CAN BE DOUBLE-CAST
I GAVE AT THE OFFICE
I Gave At The Office looks at office politics and the transformation of Sonia Starguardia, marketing director of a medium sized law firm.
Sonia receives an invitation to her 20 year high school reunion. She tries to ignore the fact her secretary’s been fired, her promotion is in name only, her budget is not adequate and she’s required to integrate the conflicting feedback of the partners on the firm brochure.
Sonia does receive some support from Cecily, her good friend the receptionist and Rod, freelance graphic artist and her phone lover. While typing and talking to herself, her world changes.
Sonia’s equipment takes on the personalities of those with whom she works: her secretary becomes a clock; the head of finance becomes an adding machine; the managing partner becomes her computer; partners replace pencils; and, Cecily and Rod replace her phone. Sonia’s interactions with her office equipment force her to confront her own resistance and fear of confronting her past.
After killing her phone, a delivery girl delivers her back to reality. Giddy yet determined, Sonia begins making changes in her life, her job and her way of working.
Print length: 51 pages
HISTORY: I Gave At The Office was commissioned by A Contemporary Theater (ACT), Seattle, WA as part of their First Act program in 1991. A live virtual production was performed on Second Life in 2009 and was featured at the Second Life Community Convention. Trailer can be seen here.
Cast size: 5 women, 2 men, 3-6 whichever
DELIVERY GIRL | Woman in early 20’s with fluorescent hair on skates |
SONIA STARGUARDIA | Hispanic woman in late 30’s |
AKIKO (Clock) | Japanese-American woman in late 20’s |
MNA WASHINGTON (Adding Machine) (pronounced “Mmmm ma”) | African woman in late 40’s |
CECILY (Phone) | Large woman in late 30’s |
ROD (Phone) | Short man in 40’s |
MR. HAMMOND (Computer) | Man in 50’s |
3-5 PARTNERS (Pencils) | Men and women in suits that resemble each other |