Plays
This Helen Hayes award-winning drama is a moving piece of nonlinear theater that mixes passion, comedy, and clowning, blurring the past and present of Asa and Dory, parents to a young son. Asa is a truck mechanic used to a life of labor, who spends his energy avidly working to renovate a run-down house. Meanwhile, Dory, an elementary school teacher, desires to expand her universe. Her world opens with the help of Franz, a theatrical improviser and clown at a summer program in Calgary. At home, Dory’s friend and single mom, Holly, is helping Asa with the day-to-day stresses of childcare. When Dory returns, her life with Asa faces challenges neither of them could have imagined.
A House in the Country was developed at Shenandoah International Playwrights Retreat in Verona, Virginia. It was first presented by Charter Theatre (Keith Bridges, Artistic Director) in Washington, D.C. in October 2000, directed by Keith Bridges, set design by Chris Stezin, lighting design by Mike Daniels, sound design by Richard Washer, with the following cast:
Asa.......Mark Rhea
Dory.....Lee Mikeska Gadner
Franz....Michael Kramer
Holly....Kerri Rambow
Stage Manager: Caroline Summers
Winner: 2001 Charles MacArthur Outstanding New Play Award, Helen Hayes Award, Washington, D.C.
A “riotous and arrestingly revelatory” musical jaunt through the desperate, profound, and often farcical loves of Edgar Allan Poe’s life and the women who provided so much material for his writing. The play consists mostly of Poe’s words taken from his stories, poems, aesthetic and critical writing, and from his letters, all dynamically woven together with the smoky passion of the love songs of Cole Porter and Johnny Mercer. This is the story of love, loss, and redemption, of Poe’s wild, often comic, always lyrical, and bordering-on-hallucinogenic search for love—for the love of women in his life who become afflicted with disease and die, and for the love of his long-lost mother, who died when he was 2 years old.
With music by Cole Porter and Johnny Mercer
"90 minutes of clowning, theatrics, psychological drama, dry humor, jazz standards, and raw sexuality…it’s fantastic!" DC Going Out Gurus, Fringe Must Sees
Poe & All That Jazz was developed at Shenandoah International Playwrights Retreat in Verona, Virginia. It was first presented by Charter Theatre (Keith Bridges, Artistic Director) in Washington, D.C. in October 2002, directed by Lee Mikeska Gardner, musical direction by Mike Goll, set and lighting design by Chris Stezin and Thom Seymour, with the following cast:
Edgar Allan Poe.....Christopher Lane
Eliza Poe................Amy McWilliams
Piano Player...........Mike Goll
Stay Manager: Delia Taylor
In this adaptation of Julliard Professor Michael White’s book, the passionate lover and erratic genius of Mozart emerges from his music and imaginary letters written by those who knew him intimately at pivotal times in his life.
Imaginary Letters - Mozart Remembered (based on the book by Michael White) was first presented by Wintergreen Performing Arts Festival (Larry Alan Smith, Artistic Director), Wintergreen, VA, on July 15, 2010, directed by Boomie Pedersen, Set design by J. Taylor, lighting design by Larry Hugo, with the following cast:
Stephen Elliott, a fictional biographer.....Jim Johnston
Multiple Roles………………………….……….....Joel Jones
Multiple Roles……………………….………….….Boomie Pedersen
Multiple Roles………………………….…..…......Jennifer Hoffman
Stage Manager: J. Taylor
A gritty adaptation of O. Henry’s classic short story, this version is a redemptive love story set in New York City during the financial panic of 1907. James and Della Young are a young couple just getting on their feet in a time riddled with economic hardship. Bound to spend their first Christmas together lacking enough extra money for a modest dinner or even token presents, they are each separately shown a path to financial stability. But at what cost?
The Gift of the Magi was first presented by First Draft at The Rose Theatre Company (Leslie Kobylinski, Artistic Director) at the Arts Club of Washington in Washington, D.C. in December 2019. It was directed by Christopher Lane, with the following cast:
James............Sun King Davis
Della.............Jen Rabbit Ring
Mary............Allyson Currin
Frobisher.....Christopher Lane
Stage Manager: Rose M. Kobylinski
An evening in the life of a married couple, Will and Maggie. Tonight, June 2nd, as the sun sets, Will listens to a Bach sonata for solo violin and waits for Maggie’s return from work. There is an urgency to his listening and movements—the vigor of the music inspires him. When Maggie arrives, she immediately feels that something is different. As the play unfolds with unpredictable energy, sometimes raucous humor, and poetic vibrancy, Will and Maggie’s lives fall into chaos. Together, they must find the love and strength to face the future.
Will’s Bach was first presented by First Draft at The Rose Theatre Company (Leslie Kobylinski, Artistic Director) performed at the Arts Club of Washington in Washington, D.C. in April 2016. It was directed by Leslie Kobylinski, sound design by Richard Washer, with the following cast:
Will.............Kevin Hasser
Maggie........Allison Leigh Corke
Stage Manager: Rose M. Kobylinski
A woman stands next to a street lamp at 1 AM. A man, a veteran of the Afghanistan war, walks out of a bar. Their encounter sets off a dark, sometimes comic, journey from the damage of war to redemption.
What? was first presented by First Draft at the Rose, Washington, DC on November 14, 2018, directed by Leslie Kobylinski, with the following cast:
Terry.........Chris Stezin
April.........Allyson Currin
Stage Manager: Rose M. Kobylinski
On the early spring evening of April 22, 1907, in Nelson County, Virginia, former Judge William Ruffin learns that his daughter may have been drugged and sexually abused while on an evening buggy ride. His sense of duty as a father, instilled in him growing up in the post-Civil War South, tells him that he must take action. A century later, Kathy and Tyler McNeill, who have unknowingly moved into the house inhabited by the Ruffin family, come face-to-face with the violent impact of Tyler’s Vietnam veteran father. Merging the story of William Ruffin and his family with the story of Kathy and Tyler McNeill, this is a play about history and family, love, and the legacy of violence and war, where past and present collide.
"…riveting stories… the author beautifully combines simultaneously on the stage… a connection between the Civil War and Vietnam through two families…A must-see…" The Arlington Weekly
A Shadow of Honor was developed at the Earl Hamner Playwrights Conference in Afton, Virginia. It was commissioned and first presented by the Wintergreen Performing Arts Festival (Larry Alan Smith, Artistic Director) in Wintergreen, Virginia in July 2007, directed by Boomie Pedersen, set and lighting design by J. Taylor, with the following cast:
William Ruffin......Doug Schneider
Caroline Ruffin.....Rose Harper
Grace Ruffin..........Scottie Caldwell
Aubrey Strode.......Jonas Collins
Stage Manager: J. Taylor
An expanded version was first presented by Keegan Theatre (Mark and Susan Rhea, Artistic Directors), Washington, DC in January 2011. It was directed by Matthew Keenan, set design by George Lucas, lighting design by Megan Thrift, with the following cast:
William Ruffin......Mark A. Rhea
Caroline Ruffin.....Sheri S. Herren
Grace Ruffin.........Emily Levey
Aubrey Strode......Jon Townson
Tyler McNeill.......Michael Innocenti
Kathy McNeill......Shannon Listol
Stage Manager: Lauren Miller
A true story of love and World War II espionage. When, in 1984 after 40 years apart, Carrie Rose is reunited with the love of her life, Roger Wilhelm, she discovers secrets from World War II that had separated them for all those years.
Carrie Rose was first presented by the Hamner Theater, Afton, VA on November 3, 2006, directed by Boomie Pedersen, set design by J. Taylor, lighting design by Larry Hugo, with the following cast:
Carrie Louise...................Boomie Pedersen
Lisa Shay..........................Leanna McAvoy
Young Carrie Louise….…..Patricia Paisley
Roger Wilhelm………………Doug Schneider
Vera May..........................Jeannine Regan
Young Roger Wilhelm.....L. Paul Koch
Army Colonel/Peter........Rick Steeves
Clara................................Rebecca Hudnall
Heinrich..........................Derby Thomas
Stage Manager: J. Taylor
Hugh and Deirdre, divorced after 20 years of marriage, go through the turmoil of managing the violent schizophrenia of their teenaged son and find their lives forever changed.
Building a Boat was first presented by Charter Theatre, Washington, D.C. on October 12, 2005, directed by Chris Stezin, set design by Victor Stezin, lighting design by Thom Seymour, with the following cast:
Hugh O’Donnell……….Kevin Adams
Dierdre O’Donnell……Hope Lambert
Michael O’Donnell.....Denman C. Anderson
Conn………………..…......Michael Skinner
Stage Manager: Meredith Spisak
Three sets of actors (teens, twenty-somethings, late 30s) play the same couple in a time-scrambling adventure through interlocking years of trauma, romance, marriage, and finally the recognition of the durability of love.
A Necessary Madness was first presented by the Earl Hamner Playwrights Conference, Afton, VA on July 26, 2006, directed by Boomie Pedersen, set and lighting designed by J. Taylor, with the following cast:
Patrick (mid 40s)...................Chris Stezin
Melody (early 40s).................Cynthia Burke
Patrick (late 20s-early 30s)....L. Paul Koch
Melody (mid 20s-late 20s).....Jacquie Patteson
Patrick (early 20s)..................Bram Crowe-Getty
Melody (late teens)................Leanna McAvoy
Stage Manager: J. Taylor
Each of the three couples play the same two characters at different ages and, obviously, at different stages in their relationship.
The line between reality and theater blurs as rehearsals for "Cyrano," the last great swashbuckling romantic play, flare into real-life love and violence.
Cyrano in Rehearsal was first presented by the Hamner Theater at the Ix Theater in Charlottesville, VA on March 15, 2013, directed by Peter Coy, set design by J. Taylor, lighting design by Larry Hugo, with the following cast:
Roxanne/Lena……….Kate Adamson
Etienne/Marie….……Christian Anderson
Melanie/Duenna.....Allison Bowers
Claudette………..…….Pam Burke
Cyrano/Erik………….Koli Cutler
Jean Marc/Paul….….Corey Johnson
Michel…………………..Kevin O’Donnell
Christian/Edgar........Ken Valentine
Stage Manager: Kim Schwaner
An intensely theatrical adaptation of Shakespeare’s play about murder, ambition, and the overthrow of a monarch, performed by three actors.
Richard II (an adaptation for three actors) was first produced by the Central Virginia Theater Project at St. Clement’s Church, New York, NY on March 22, 1993, directed by Peter Coy, set and lights designed by Tim Averill, with the following cast:
King Richard............................John Hadden
Bollingbroke/multiple roles.....Ron Botting
Queen Isabel/multiple roles.....Mary Mayo
Stage Manager: Tim Averill
Magic and folklore become real as two sisters living on an isolated farm in the Blue Ridge Mountains are awakened to the mystery of their sexuality.
The Wildman was first presented by Theater at Lime Kiln, Lexington, VA on July 2, 2004, directed by John Healey, set design by Tom Anderson, lighting design by Jennifer D. Anderson with the following cast:
John…………..Larry Tobias
Grace………...Karie Kalahurka
Oona………...Amy Baldwin
Henry………..Chris Van Cleve
Wildman.....Justin Dionne
Crone………..Cherie Sheppard
Edmund……Ryan Kipp
Sarah………...Courtney Bell
Stage Manager: Jackie Banks
During a chance meeting in the countryside, Joan, a novice in a protestant convent, and de Bourke O’Malley find the love that is missing in their lives. de Bourke spirits Joan away where they soon face supernatural challenges. Adapted from the works of Donn Byrne.
An Island of No Land at All was first produced by Keegan Theatre, Washington, DC on March 1, 2004, directed by Mark Rhea, with the following cast:
Mr. Moore...................Brian Hemmingsen
deBourke O’Malley…...Eric Lucas
Joan Bruce-Bennett.....Ghillian Porter
Simon Fraser……….......Daniel Lyons
Barman/Barbazon……..Jon Townson
Landlady/Bridget……...Maggie Bush
Grogan/Old Man……...Les Garrison
O’Malley’s Mother…....Carol Baker
Store Clerk………....…….Jennifer Richter
Stage Manager: Eamon Coy
An Appalachian adaptation of the Stravinsky/Ramuz dance drama. An exhausted Confederate soldier sells his soul to the Devil to get the secrets to financial domination, but trouble looms when he tries to return to his native land.
L’histoire du Soldat was commissioned and first presented by the Wintergreen Performing Arts Festival (Larry Alan Smith, Artistic Director), Wintergreen, VA on July 17, 2009, directed and choreographed by Boomie Pedersen, set design by J. Taylor, lighting design by Larry Hugo, with the following cast:
The Narrator.....William Rough
The Soldier……..Chris Patrick
The Devil………..Boomie Pedersen
Stage Manager: J. Taylor
An adaptation of Earl Hamner Jr.’s TV pilot for "The Waltons." Deep in the Great Depression in rural Virginia, the family’s eldest son sets out in a blizzard to find his wayward father and discovers more about the unpredictable man than he could imagine.
The Homecoming was first presented by the Hamner Theater, Afton, VA on November 28, 2005, directed by Boomie Pedersen, set designed by J. Taylor, lighting designed by Larry Hugo with the following cast:
Narrator (Earl Hamner).....Jim Johnston
Olivia Spencer....................Diana Driver
Clay-Boy Spencer...............Sean Zimmer
Becky Spencer....................Leanna McAvoy
Matt Spencer......................Joe Lilley
Shirley Spencer..................Julie Tolton
Mark Spencer....................Puja Tolton
Luke Spencer.....................Sami Cunningham
Patti-Cake Spencer...........Alice Clair
Grandpa Italiano...............Rick Steeves
Grandma Italiano...............Jeannine Regan
Charlie Snead....................David Ferreira
Birdshot Sprouse...............Max Dreyer
City Lady...........................Linda Crowe
Ep Bridges.........................Lloyd Billeter
Rev. Hawthorne Dooly......Clinton Johnston
Emma Staples...................Rose Harper
Etta Staples.......................Chris Courtenay
Clay Spencer.....................Gregg Kendrick
Stage Manager: J. Taylor
This one-act play, devised with the Nelson County High School advanced drama students, is about a high school boy who murders his girlfriend, seen through the eyes of their friends and classmates who struggle in the aftermath.
What We Knew was devised and first presented by the Nelson County High School Advanced Drama class at the Hamner Theater, Afton, VA on April 29, 2009, directed by Boomie Pedersen, set and lighting by J. Taylor, with the following cast:
Robert........Daniel Dennis
Anthony.....Yusef Kerl
Callie..........Rebecca Duncan
Jim.............Dupree Vest
Tina...........Nikki Shumate
Laura.........Megan Schultz
Nicole.........Taylor Goff
Morgan......Puja Tolton
Stage Manager: J. Taylor
Weird theatrical versions of four stories adapted from Earl Hamner’s "Twilight Zone" television show.
World Premiere
This one-act play is the ridiculous story of international intrigue and murder that occurs during a radio broadcast of a commemorative reading of Dashiell Hammett’s The Maltese Falcon, which includes the Russian mafia, papal emissaries, small-time crooks, office loves, and much more.
The Maltese Falcon Radio Mystery Show was first presented by Nelson County High School Advanced Drama class at the VHSL One-Act Play Festival on November 1, 2014, directed by Peter Coy and Diana Driver, with the following cast:
Doug Flynn...............................Nick Sjostrom
Dorothy O’Grady.......................Taylor Watson
James Sanders/Sam Slade..........Drew McCarter
Liza Sanders/Effie Duchamp.....Maeve Buni
Minerva Talitha Jones................Paulina Paulino
Cardinal Vincenti.......................Tristan Fitzgerald
Detective Derek Martin.............Dylan Schweickert
Yuri Emusovich.........................Max Gorman
Olga...........................................Kaleigh Smith
The Other Olga.........................Alayna Wade
Charles Kite...............................Dakota Crocker
Lt. Tom Dundy..........................Markel Townes
Officer Riley..............................Alison Wulin
Stage Manager: Sarah Phillips
District Champion: Virginia High School League State One-Act Play Festival