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William Mesnik

WILLIAM MESNIK  (1953 - )

 Nationality:    USA
email:    Click here to contact     Website:    Click here

Literary Agent:    Agent BBR, (323) 852-9559


William Mesnik started his career as a singer-songwriter in clubs like Paul Colby's legendary THE OTHER END in NYC's Greenwich Village in the late 70s. Turning his creative focus to playwriting and acting for the stage, Mesnik created several provocative, genre bending music-theatre pieces. His acting resume encompasses Broadway: LA BETE, OH! CALCUTTA!, Off-Broadway: MODIGLIANI, A WEEKEND NEAR MADISON, THE GOOD TIMES ARE KILLING ME, THE RIMERS OF ELDRITCH, HOT GROG, MACBETH, SMOKE ON THE MOUNTAIN, A MURDER OF CROWS, THE VIRGIN MOLLY, CHOPIN IN SPACE, such major regional venues as Yale Rep, The Old Globe, McCarter Theatre, The Kennedy Center, and Actors Theater of Louisville, and European-American collaborative productions of Shakespeare's KING LEAR and Chekhov's IVANOV. A familiar face on television from his numerous commercial, episodic and sitcom appearances in such shows as "Curb Your Enthusiasm," Mesnik's feature credits include "Minority Report", "Titanic", "Eye For An Eye", Byron Thompson's "Stonebrook" with Seth Green, and John Schlessinger's "The Next Best Thing" with Madonna and Rupert Everett. Other L.A. stage appearances: several at A Noise Within theatre, most notably as Holofernes in Shakespeare's LOVE LABOUR'S LOST for which he received an Ovation nomination, and THE SCHOOL FOR SCANDAL (DramaLogue Award). A graduate of the Yale School of Drama, Mesnik is on the faculties of AMDA / Hollywood, and THE ACTING CORPS.

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below is a list of William Mesnik's plays - click on a Play Title for more information

 Bellevue Balladeers, The         Deadline - An Evening with Hunter S Thompson         Down in the Basement         Eroica         Jackson Pollock - Painting on the Edge         Lundquist in the Sky with Diamonds         Muckrakers         Passion of Hubert, The         Songs of Insolence, Songs of Expedience         Three Songs         Verbatim         Warning: Explicit Lyrics!

Bellevue Balladeers, The

Synopsis:
Psychotic folksingers perform parodies as part of their out-patient therapy.

Notes:
written by William Mesnik And Michael Fesenmeier

1st Produced:
Steve McGraw's, NYC    1990

Organisations:
-

1st Published:
-   -

Music:
-

To Buy This Play:
If Publisher (above) is underlined then the play may be purchased by direct click from the Publisher, otherwise (below) are AbeBooks for secondhand, signed & 1st eds and other Booksellers for new copies

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Genre:
Satirical revue Satire

Parts:
Male:  2            Female:  1            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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Deadline - An Evening with Hunter S Thompson

Synopsis:
Reporter has one night to revise article on the eve of Nixon's pardon.

Notes:
-

1st Produced:
Yale Cabaret    1980

Organisations:
-

1st Published:
-   -

Music:
-

To Buy This Play:
If Publisher (above) is underlined then the play may be purchased by direct click from the Publisher, otherwise (below) are AbeBooks for secondhand, signed & 1st eds and other Booksellers for new copies

Booksellers:

Genre:
Solo Play/Drama

Parts:
Male:  1            Female:  -            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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Down in the Basement

Synopsis:
Sequestered Folk-Rock Icon Moses Lowell leads his ex-pat backup band down the disorienting hall of 19th century mirrors known as THE ANTHOLOGY OF AMERICAN FOLK MUSIC, and reinvents rock 'n' roll.

Notes:
Inspired by Dylan And The Band's Basement Tapes

1st Produced:
Tangier, Hollywood, CA    2007

Organisations:
Los Angeles Clown

1st Published:
-   -

Music:
-

To Buy This Play:
If Publisher (above) is underlined then the play may be purchased by direct click from the Publisher, otherwise (below) are AbeBooks for secondhand, signed & 1st eds and other Booksellers for new copies

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Genre:
Play with Music

Parts:
Male:  5            Female:  -            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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Eroica

Synopsis:
Woman hires a "Creativity Counselor" to cure her writer's block.

Notes:
-

1st Produced:

Organisations:
-

1st Published:
-   -

Music:
-

To Buy This Play:
If Publisher (above) is underlined then the play may be purchased by direct click from the Publisher, otherwise (below) are AbeBooks for secondhand, signed & 1st eds and other Booksellers for new copies

Booksellers:

Genre:
Play One Act

Parts:
Male:  1            Female:  1            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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Jackson Pollock - Painting on the Edge

Synopsis:
Delusional painter attempts interview with an impressionable young reporter.

Notes:
written by William Mesnik And Stuart Browne

1st Produced:
The Director's Company, NYC    1985

Organisations:
-

1st Published:
-   -

Music:
-

To Buy This Play:
If Publisher (above) is underlined then the play may be purchased by direct click from the Publisher, otherwise (below) are AbeBooks for secondhand, signed & 1st eds and other Booksellers for new copies

Booksellers:

Genre:
Play One Act

Parts:
Male:  1            Female:  1            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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Lundquist in the Sky with Diamonds

Synopsis:
Young man navigates his way through love and LSD in the 1970s.

Notes:
-

1st Produced:
El Cid, Los Angeles    2004

Organisations:
Los Angeles Clown

1st Published:
-   -

Music:
-

To Buy This Play:
If Publisher (above) is underlined then the play may be purchased by direct click from the Publisher, otherwise (below) are AbeBooks for secondhand, signed & 1st eds and other Booksellers for new copies

Booksellers:

Genre:
Comedy

Parts:
Male:  3            Female:  3            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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Muckrakers

Synopsis:
Politically polarized, ex-married musicologists battle on the eve of the 2000 election.

Notes:
-

1st Produced:
Fremont Centre Theatre, Los Angeles    2000

Organisations:
-

1st Published:
-   -

Music:
-

To Buy This Play:
If Publisher (above) is underlined then the play may be purchased by direct click from the Publisher, otherwise (below) are AbeBooks for secondhand, signed & 1st eds and other Booksellers for new copies

Booksellers:

Genre:
Play with Music

Parts:
Male:  1            Female:  1            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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Passion of Hubert, The

Synopsis:
God resurrects dead rock star to save the world.

Notes:
written by William Mesnik And John DiPinto

1st Produced:
WestBeth Theater Center, NYC    1988

Organisations:
-

1st Published:
-   -

Music:
-

To Buy This Play:
If Publisher (above) is underlined then the play may be purchased by direct click from the Publisher, otherwise (below) are AbeBooks for secondhand, signed & 1st eds and other Booksellers for new copies

Booksellers:

Genre:
Musical

Parts:
Male:  4            Female:  4            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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Songs of Insolence, Songs of Expedience

Synopsis:
Terrorists make hostages perform unspeakable musical acts.

Notes:
-

1st Produced:
West Bank Cafe, NYC    1984

Organisations:
-

1st Published:
-   -

Music:
-

To Buy This Play:
If Publisher (above) is underlined then the play may be purchased by direct click from the Publisher, otherwise (below) are AbeBooks for secondhand, signed & 1st eds and other Booksellers for new copies

Booksellers:

Genre:
Satirical revue Satire

Parts:
Male:  3            Female:  3            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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Three Songs

Synopsis:
Black-listed folksinging group attempts a reunion during the Cuban Missile Crisis.

Notes:
Critic's Choice, Los Angeles Times, Nominee: Best Ensemble, LA Weekly Awards, 1997. Part of ASK Play Collection in Los Angeles Library.

1st Produced:
Fremont Centre Theatre, Los Angeles    1997

Organisations:
Mill Street Players

1st Published:
-   -

Music:
-

To Buy This Play:
If Publisher (above) is underlined then the play may be purchased by direct click from the Publisher, otherwise (below) are AbeBooks for secondhand, signed & 1st eds and other Booksellers for new copies

Booksellers:

Genre:
Play with Music

Parts:
Male:  2            Female:  1            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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Verbatim

Synopsis:
Man, locked in a recording booth, must finish reading "The Enormous Room" word perfectly.

Notes:
-

1st Produced:
West Bank Cafe, NYC    1984

Organisations:
-

1st Published:
-   -

Music:
-

To Buy This Play:
If Publisher (above) is underlined then the play may be purchased by direct click from the Publisher, otherwise (below) are AbeBooks for secondhand, signed & 1st eds and other Booksellers for new copies

Booksellers:

Genre:
Play One Act

Parts:
Male:  1            Female:  1            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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Warning: Explicit Lyrics!

Synopsis:
Anais Nin and Henry Miller write musical porn for an anonymous collector, a dollar a page.

Notes:
written by William Mesnik And Charles Krezell

1st Produced:
Nadine's, NYC    1992

Organisations:
-

1st Published:
-   -

Music:
-

To Buy This Play:
If Publisher (above) is underlined then the play may be purchased by direct click from the Publisher, otherwise (below) are AbeBooks for secondhand, signed & 1st eds and other Booksellers for new copies

Booksellers:

Genre:
Musical One Act

Parts:
Male:  4            Female:  4            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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