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Gene Franklin Smith

GENE FRANKLIN SMITH

  (1956 - )
Nationality:    USA
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Literary Agent:    n/a

Gene apprenticed playwriting with F.D. Reeve and Tony Connor at Wesleyan University, where his first play, an adaptation of F. Scott Fitzgerald's Tender Is the Night, was produced. He graduated with honors in English Literature and Theater and moved to New York City, where several of his plays received full productions and staged readings, including Life Beneath the Roses, Adults In Love and Created Equal. Life Beneath the Roses has also been produced at the Cincinnati Playhouse (FutureFest Finalist), University of Nebraska-Kearney (Grand Platte River Playwrights Festival), Theatre Americana (Winner, David James Ellis Memorial Award for Best Play 1992-93) and the Bitter Truth Theatre in North Hollywood. In 1997, Gene's play Rubicon had its world premiere at the Coast Playhouse in Los Angeles and was again produced in 1999 by the Wings Theatre in New York. Gene founded the Write Act Repertory Company in Hollywood in 1998 and served as Artistic Director for 5 years. During his tenure, three of his plays were produced: Devil's Consort, Transports of the Heart and in 2000, his critically acclaimed adaptation Charles Dickens' Bleak House. In 2003, Gene incorporated the Troubled Souls Collective in Toronto, Ontario, which produced his popular site-specific adaptations of Victorian and Edwardian ghost stories, Haunted Masters (2004) and More Haunted Masters (2005) at the historic Victorian mansion, Spadina Museum. Most recently, the premiere of Gene's play Boise, USA was produced by the Salem K Theatre Company at the Matrix Theatre in Los Angeles.

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below is a list of Gene Franklin Smith's plays - click on a Play Title for more information

         Apprentice Ghost         Bloody Mary         Boise, USA         Border Line         Bride's Chamber, The         Carmilla         Charles Dickens' Bleak House         Crazy Man's Handcuffs         Devil's Consort, The         Flim Flam         Friend of the Friends         Haunted Masters         Il Canile         Insanity of Jones, The         Life Beneath the Roses         Moonlight Road, The         More Haunted Masters         Playing With Fire         Romance of Certain Old Clothes, The         Rubicon         Second Act         This Is The Way It Went         Transports of the Heart

Apprentice Ghost

Synopsis:
Clayton a famous actors brags about how he captured a young ghost and taught it how to haunt

Notes:
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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:
Fifteen minute play

Parts:
Male:  3            Female:  -            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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Bloody Mary

Synopsis:
Fort York has fallen to the Americans. Williams and Givens have been looting. They bring back a captive, Rebecca. Rebecca warns them that she and the town are protected by the ghost of Bloody Mary. Givens tries to rape Rebecca and Williams summons up Bloody Mary

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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:
Short play

Parts:
Male:  3            Female:  1            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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Boise, USA

Synopsis:
Based on actual events, the play opens Halloween, 1955, in quiet, respectable Boise, Idaho, when the arrests of three men for "lewd and lascivious behavior" with three teenaged boys launches a notorious "witch hunt", during which anyone suspected of being a homosexual is purged from the city. Family loyalties are divided, pitting brother against brother, Father against son. What happened in Boise then could happen again, anywhere, any time, even now.

Notes:
the 2008 production was featured on A special report on NPR's "All Things Considered" (http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=91975533). the playwright can provide All background materials for the production, including the projections of the Actual newspaper headlines And stories used in the play.

1st Produced:
Matrix Theatre, West Hollywood, Ca    2008

Organisations:
Salem K Theatre Company

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:
Drama/Gay. - - Gay, full length

Parts:
Male:  8            Female:  2            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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Border Line

Synopsis:
World War One. Katherine's husband Allan is killed on the French/German border. Later she marries Allan's best friend Philip. They go to Germany to visit Katherine's sister. At a border train station they are confronted by the ghost of Alan who vows to kill Philip and win back Katherine

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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:
Short play

Parts:
Male:  2            Female:  2            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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Bride's Chamber, The

Synopsis:
Frank and Diana are investigating a supposed haunted house. The meet the house caretaker - who turns out to be the ghost of the long dead owner. The ghost forces them to re-enact the events that led to his death

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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:
Short play

Parts:
Male:  2            Female:  1            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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Carmilla

Synopsis:
Laura is overprotected by her father the General. A mysterious woman arrives at their house one night. The woman Carmilla seduces Laura. Laura contracts an unusual illness and starts wasting away. The General calls in Dr Hessilus who recognises the sign of a vampire

Notes:
Based on the book "Carmilla" by J Sheridan Le Fanu

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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:
Lesbian one act

Parts:
Male:  3            Female:  2            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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Charles Dickens' Bleak House

Synopsis:
One of Charles Dickens' most ambitious novels, the play follows the adventures of Esther Summerson, an orphan, whose mysterious benefactor provides for her at Bleak House, where she serves as companion to Richard and Ada, two wards of the corrupt and impenetrable Chancery Court. Esther learns the true identity of her parentage, is brought down by and recovers from smallpox and manages to find true love (after several false suitors) with a handsome country doctor. Meanwhile, Richard and Ada struggle through poverty to gain their rightful inheritance. the play is rich with an array of Dickens's richly drawn characters and one of his most infamous storylines involving "spontaneous combustion".

Notes:
the play has 30 roles, but, except for the lead role of "Esther Summerson," All Actors Are double/triple-cast.

1st Produced:
Write Act Theatre, Hollywood, Ca    2002

Organisations:
Write Act Repertory Company

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:
Drama/Adaptation

Parts:
Male:  6            Female:  6            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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Crazy Man's Handcuffs

Synopsis:
To help his disorientated father the son teaches him a magic trick to help focus him

Notes:
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1st Published:
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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:
Ten minute plat

Parts:
Male:  2            Female:  -            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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Devil's Consort, The

Synopsis:
Young composer Philip has yet to achieve any success. He starts an affair with Caroline who in return for the sexual favours introduces him to the widow of a recently deceased famous composer. He goes to work for her as a gardener and hopes that he will find the composer's last symphony which he hide before his death. Philip seduces Juliana, the widow and then her son Daniel. When Philip is murdered Caroline, Juliana and Daniel all confess

Notes:
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1st Produced:
The Theater At St Stephens Church, Hollywood    2000

Organisations:
Write Act Repertory Company

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/Drama. - - Gay, theme/character full length

Parts:
Male:  3            Female:  2            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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Flim Flam

Synopsis:
Arthur Conan Doyle and Harry Houdini share a love of investigating psychic phenomena. Doyle's wife upsets Houdini and their friendship goes cold. then Houdini meets a woman who really can communicate with the dead

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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:
Drama

Parts:
Male:  -            Female:  -            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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Friend of the Friends

Synopsis:
Isabelle sets up her ex-fiancé with her best friend Sarah. Sarah dies and Isabelle thinks she can win Will back. However Will and Sarah are still together as she has become a ghost

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1st Published:
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Music:
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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:
Short play

Parts:
Male:  1            Female:  2            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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Haunted Masters

Synopsis:
Haunted Masters is a collection of four one-act plays adapted from Victorian ghost stories: "the Friend of the Friends" by Henry James; "Borderline" by D.H. Lawrence; "Il Canile" by Edith Wharton; "the Bride's Chamber" by Charles Dickens.

Notes:
the play was originally performed in the historic Victorian mansion, Spadina House, As site-specific theatre, during which the Audience was moved from room-to-room for each of the one-act plays.

1st Produced:
Spadina House, Toronto, Ontario    2004

Organisations:
Troubled Souls Collective

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:
Horror

Parts:
Male:  2            Female:  2            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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Il Canile

Synopsis:
Anna di Berrigamo is being interrogated by the Inquisition about the death of her husband. She tells them how cruel he was to their pet dogs and how the dogs had their revenge

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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:
Fifteen minute play

Parts:
Male:  2            Female:  1            Other:  1 either sex

Further Reference:
-

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Insanity of Jones, The

Synopsis:
Joan Jones is bullied by her boss Ms Myles. A spirit appears to Joan and says that Ms Myles has been tormented in her previous lives. Joan can either forgive her or punish her

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Music:
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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:
Short play

Parts:
Male:  3            Female:  2            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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Life Beneath the Roses

Synopsis:
Peter and Catherine have recently moved in an historic house (built 1750's) on Cape Cod. When the town archeologist unearths a child's skeleton, the tormented spirit of a woman begins to appear to Peter and Catherine's 10-year-old son, Josh. Although Peter is deeply skeptical about this ghost's reality, Catherine comes to believe that the skeleton is the murdered child of the haunting spirit, who intends now to do harm to Josh. Peter's alcoholic brother, Nick, and his wife, Jennie (Catherine's best friend), drop in unexpectedly. Long-simmering tensions arise between Peter and Nick, while their wives try to keep the peace between them. That night, the ghost appears to Jennie, who welcomes her inside.

Notes:
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1st Produced:
Tomi, New York, Ny    1983

Organisations:
Theatre Opera and Music Institute

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:
Horror

Parts:
Male:  2            Female:  -            Other:  2 boys (1 non-speaking)

Further Reference:
-

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Moonlight Road, The

Synopsis:
When Joel returned from war he is told that his mother has been brutally murdered. He sets out to find out what happened with the help of his father and his mother's restless ghost

Notes:
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1st Published:
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Music:
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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:
Short play

Parts:
Male:  3            Female:  2            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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More Haunted Masters

Synopsis:
More Haunted Masters is a collection of five one-act plays adapted from Victorian and Edwardian ghost stories: "Playing With Fire" by Arthur Conan Doyle; "Apprentice Ghost" by H.G. Wells; "the Romance of Certain Old Clothes" by Henry James; "the Moonlit Road" by Ambrose Bierce; "Carmilla" by J. Sheridan LeFanu.

Notes:
the play was originally performed in the historic Victorian mansion, Spadina House, As site-specific theatre, during which the Audience was moved from room-to-room for each of the one-act plays.

1st Produced:
Spadina House, Toronto, Ontario    2005

Organisations:
Troubled Souls Collective

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:
Horror

Parts:
Male:  3            Female:  2            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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Playing With Fire

Synopsis:
A brother and sister and two friends are holding a séance. The sister Irene is the medium. Paul le Duc arrives he is a professor of the occult. He induces Irene to summon up the Minotaur

Notes:
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1st Produced:
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Organisations:
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1st Published:
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Music:
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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:
Short play

Parts:
Male:  3            Female:  2            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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Romance of Certain Old Clothes, The

Synopsis:
Sisters Perdita and Rosalind fall for the same man, Arthur. Perdita wins and marries Arthur. She dies in childbirth and Rosalind sees this as an opportunity to get Arthur. She had not reckoned on Perdita's revengeful ghost

Notes:
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1st Produced:
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Organisations:
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1st Published:
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Music:
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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:
Short play

Parts:
Male:  3            Female:  2            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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Rubicon

Synopsis:
Ethan Whitman is a closeted gay U.S. Vice President whose life -- and devoted wife Denyse's -- is changed overnight when the conservative President in office dies suddenly. Ethan elevates former first lady Gillian as his Vice President, and together they struggle to keep an ambitious conservative Senator (and his equally ambitious wife) from passing a controversial -- and popular -- bill through Congress. But Ethan is unprepared for just how far Gillian will go to push her own agenda. When the lives of his loved ones are threatened, Ethan "crosses the Rubicon" by taking a Dramatic stand.

Notes:
-

1st Produced:
The Coast Playhouse, Los Angeles, Ca    1997

Organisations:
Beltway LA

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:
Drama/Gay. - - Gay, full length

Parts:
Male:  6            Female:  4            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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Second Act

Synopsis:
Doug suspects that Sally is having an affair with another actor. She tries to convince him other by the use of a play within a play

Notes:
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1st Produced:
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Organisations:
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1st Published:
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Music:
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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:
Ten minute plat

Parts:
Male:  2            Female:  1            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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This Is The Way It Went

Synopsis:
Jonathan's friends ask him to set up his ex Will with the recently divorced Sa. Despite his best efforts they never actually meet until after Sam's death when Will falls in love with his ghost

Notes:
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1st Produced:
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Organisations:
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1st Published:
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Music:
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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:
Gay one act

Parts:
Male:  3            Female:  -            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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Transports of the Heart

Synopsis:
Letters written at times of sadness and times of joy by the famous and the not so famous

Notes:
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1st Produced:
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Organisations:
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1st Published:
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Music:
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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:
Drama

Parts:
Male:  3            Female:  3            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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