Playwriting
Thank you to Cleveland Public Theatre, John Busser (a formidable playwright in his own right - check out his work here), Mindy Herman, and all of the playwrights and actors through Dark Room who have helped me debut my pieces and develop my voice, as well as others throughout Cleveland including David Hansen, Eric Mansfield, Eric Coble, Kari Barclay, and others.
Upcoming Productions
Whatever You Conceive Him to Be @
BorderLight Theatre Festival - July 25-27, 2024
Thursday, July 25, 7:30 and 9:30 pm
Friday, July 26, 6:30 and 8:30 pm
Saturday, July 27, 6:30 and 8:30 pm
Bob Keefe (Man), Samantha Cocco (Woman), Ariana Starkman (Bartender)
Directed by Kari Barclay, assistant directed by Ariana Starkman
"A woman sits, alone, at a bar, world-weary. An old man enters and takes the stool next to her. Things get quite personal, quite fast, between these two strangers as they seek their own healing. This piece asks whether forgiveness is possible, and if not, what is?"
https://www.borderlightcle.org/whatever-you-conceive-him-to-be/
Friday, July 26, 6:30 and 8:30 pm
Saturday, July 27, 6:30 and 8:30 pm
Bob Keefe (Man), Samantha Cocco (Woman), Ariana Starkman (Bartender)
Directed by Kari Barclay, assistant directed by Ariana Starkman
"A woman sits, alone, at a bar, world-weary. An old man enters and takes the stool next to her. Things get quite personal, quite fast, between these two strangers as they seek their own healing. This piece asks whether forgiveness is possible, and if not, what is?"
https://www.borderlightcle.org/whatever-you-conceive-him-to-be/
Ista and Her Garden
World Premiere @ Talespinner Children's Theatre - May 2025
Ista and Her Garden is the story of the native plants and flowers of Cuyahoga Valley National Park. Cuyahoga means 'crooked' in Mohawk, and our story centers an older female named Ista, the Mohawk word for mother. Ista has spent her life teaching people about the various parts of her kaheta, her garden, and takes us on a journey to show us all the different parts. She first shows us plants and flowers we recognize- daffodils, lilies, roses - and then asks the children if they want to see her favorite part of her garden, the Cuyahoga Valley. She then shows the children the river and the plants and flowers that are native to Ohio - milkweed, bee balm, golden rod, the cardinal flower, and even the rose of sharon, canadian lily, and wild daffodil. Each flower and plant has its own sound/music, feel, color, accompanying insect or small animal, and even scent.
Ista needs the children’s help - lately, there have been fewer children in the park because of the cold weather, and this has been making the plants sad. They thrive when children are present to enjoy them! Children are small but their hearts are very large, and they love plants and flowers in a very special way. She teaches the children a simple song to sing and teaches them how to touch the flowers gently and with kindness so the flowers continue to thrive. The more you learn about a plant and flower, the happier and healthier they are. They especially love when children use their names - i.e. 'there's a milkweed!' The play encourages children to get out into nature as often as they can, to notice and appreciate the flowers and plants around them, and to identify ones they may see growing naturally, in the National Park or elsewhere.
Ista needs the children’s help - lately, there have been fewer children in the park because of the cold weather, and this has been making the plants sad. They thrive when children are present to enjoy them! Children are small but their hearts are very large, and they love plants and flowers in a very special way. She teaches the children a simple song to sing and teaches them how to touch the flowers gently and with kindness so the flowers continue to thrive. The more you learn about a plant and flower, the happier and healthier they are. They especially love when children use their names - i.e. 'there's a milkweed!' The play encourages children to get out into nature as often as they can, to notice and appreciate the flowers and plants around them, and to identify ones they may see growing naturally, in the National Park or elsewhere.
Temptation of Adam
Written May-October 2023
Performances
Synopsis
It's the end of the world; what would you do for love? The onset of World War 3 forces a select few to move underground to top secret missile silos. In one such bunker we find Adam, a nuclear scientist given a grave responsibility; his loyal friend Danny, grappling with his family's health; and Marie, the strong-willed object of Adam's affection. While Danny and Marie worry about the survival of their loved ones and the world, Adam's trepidation lies with whether his budding relationship with Marie would survive above ground. Temptation of Adam examines the toll that isolation takes on our lives and relationships and what we might do when desperate for love and connection.
Length
90 minutes
Characters
3-4
Fun Facts
Performances
- Cleveland Public Theatre, March 2024
- 3 performances (90 minute version)
- Starring Casey McMann, Katherine Nash, and Perry Reed
- Directed by Mike Frye; production design by Rob Wachala; Test Flight new works festival
- Cleveland Public Theatre, September 2023
- 3 performances (15 minute version)
- Starring Michael Montanus, Katherine Nash, Greg Mandryk, and Assad Khashigi
- Directed by Kari Barclay; Pandemonium benefit fundraiser
Synopsis
It's the end of the world; what would you do for love? The onset of World War 3 forces a select few to move underground to top secret missile silos. In one such bunker we find Adam, a nuclear scientist given a grave responsibility; his loyal friend Danny, grappling with his family's health; and Marie, the strong-willed object of Adam's affection. While Danny and Marie worry about the survival of their loved ones and the world, Adam's trepidation lies with whether his budding relationship with Marie would survive above ground. Temptation of Adam examines the toll that isolation takes on our lives and relationships and what we might do when desperate for love and connection.
Length
90 minutes
Characters
3-4
- Adam - late 20s/early 30s, male, any ethnicity
- Marie - late 20s, female, any ethnicity
- Danny - 30s-50s, any gender/ethnicity
- Transmission (recorded voiceover or off-stage) - any gender/ethnicity
Fun Facts
- This piece is a fleshing out of the song The Temptation of Adam by Josh Ritter (2008). I saw Josh in concert at Cleveland’s Beachland Ballroom and fell in love with this song - now one of my all time favorites.
- The narrator’s name in the song isn’t explicitly stated, but I always felt it was Adam based on the title, which is obviously a play on the Biblical temptation of Eve and the Garden of Eden. I believe it's also a double entendre - if you read it as The Temptation of Atom, as in the atomic bomb. A responsible playwright would have done more research on this.
A Couple More Hours
Written August 2023
Readings
- September 2023: reading at CWRU's Survivor Speak-Out
- October 2023: reading at Cleveland Public Theatre's Dark Room
Synopsis
An exploration of how the body stores trauma.
Length
5 minute monologue
Characters
1 woman, mid-30s
Facts (they're not fun):
There's a Don*ld Tr*mp reference in here. See if you can find it and cringe when you do.
Whatever You Conceive Him to Be
Written August 2023
Performances
Synopsis
A woman sits, alone, at a bar, world-weary. An old man enters and takes the stool next to her. Things get quite personal, quite fast, between these two strangers as they seek their own healing. This piece asks whether forgiveness is possible, and if not, what is?
Length
20 minutes
Characters
2-3
Fun Facts:
Performances
- BorderLight Theatre Festival, July 2024
- 6 Performances
- featuring Bob Keefe, Samantha Cocco, Ariana Starkman
- directed by Kari Barclay; assistant directed by Ariana Starkman
Synopsis
A woman sits, alone, at a bar, world-weary. An old man enters and takes the stool next to her. Things get quite personal, quite fast, between these two strangers as they seek their own healing. This piece asks whether forgiveness is possible, and if not, what is?
Length
20 minutes
Characters
2-3
- Woman - late 30's/early 40's, female presenting, any ethnicity
- Man - late 70's/early 80's, male and male presenting, same ethnicity as woman
- Bartender - any age, gender, ethnicity. If performed in an actual bar, can utilize actual bartender. No lines. Pours drinks and delivers check.
Fun Facts:
- The title of this piece comes from The Desiderata, a poem by Max Ehrmann that has significance to me.
Foots Foots Foots
Written July 2023
Readings
Synopsis
Loren returns home from work to their partner Jo as well as a severed... limb... in the bedroom. Jo, who works from home, has no explanation and seems strangely unbothered by its presence. What was the limb, you ask? Well, the answer to that question is exactly the problem.
Length
10 minutes
Characters
4-5
Fun Facts:
Readings
- August 2023: workshop staged reading at Cleveland Public Theatre's Dark Room, starring Stuart Hoffman, Katherine Nash, Sam Dee, John Busser, and Greg Mandryk
Synopsis
Loren returns home from work to their partner Jo as well as a severed... limb... in the bedroom. Jo, who works from home, has no explanation and seems strangely unbothered by its presence. What was the limb, you ask? Well, the answer to that question is exactly the problem.
Length
10 minutes
Characters
4-5
- Loren - under 40, male, any ethnicity
- Jo - under 40, any gender/ethnicity
- Sergeant Hall - over 40, any gender/ethnicity
- Officer Perelman - under 40, any gender/ethnicity
- Siri (recorded voiceover or off-stage) - female-sounding
Fun Facts:
- The title of this piece is a nod to the line 'words, words, words...' from Shakespeare's Hamlet, which is uttered in response to the question, 'what do you read, my Lord?' indicating that what he is reading is meaningless. This piece pokes fun at people, often straight men, who simply must be right about things that are meaningless. ACTUALLY, I'm referring to mansplaining. I've been going on first dates with men for years and my personal data indicates that 84% of all straight men possess this tendency. This piece is for them.
Straight Play
Written April 2023
Readings
Synopsis
Lark and Vaughn, quintessentially Midwestern self-appointed connoisseurs of all things culture, are excited to be in the audience for the local premiere of a new musical when things start to feel... off.
Length
10 minutes
Characters
3-10
Fun Facts
Readings
- May 2023 - workshop staged reading at Cleveland Public Theatre's Dark Room, starring Liz Huff, Joe Milan, and Matthew Thompson
Synopsis
Lark and Vaughn, quintessentially Midwestern self-appointed connoisseurs of all things culture, are excited to be in the audience for the local premiere of a new musical when things start to feel... off.
Length
10 minutes
Characters
3-10
- Vaughn - 30-50 y.o., male, white
- Lark - 30-50 y.o., female, white
- Raven - any gender, preference for trans/nonbinary, under 30, non-white
- Optional: 2-7 additional actors (non-speaking, essentially for dramatic effect, on stage for last 2 minutes)
Fun Facts
- Lark is my mom's name, and Vaughn is named for a friend she had in my childhood I was convinced she was having an affair with. Turns out he's just fabulous and they were best friends. Vaughn always carried an air of importance and snootiness that I thought was hilarious - though, real life Vaughn was doing it for the bit.
- This piece was inspired by a conversation with playwright J.C. Pancratz, who wrote a beautiful piece called Seahorse I was cast in in April 2023. After the show, which he flew in from New York to see, we were talking about how people don't want to see real, raw theatre - they just want flashy musicals and dance numbers, which I would argue is often times masks good acting - and came up with a scenario where we would trick people into seeing Seahorse by telling them it was a musical. Seahorse is about as raw as it gets, following the story of a trans man attempting to inseminate himself with the sperm of his dead husband's brother. No flashy dance numbers there.
- Some of the inspiration for Raven’s piece came from this SNL skit. Long live Aidy Bryant and Kate McKinnon.