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Edward L Betz Jr

EDWARD L BETZ JR

  (1957 - )
Nationality:    USA
email:    Click here to contact     Website:    n/a

Literary Agent:    n/a

Curses won 2nd in New Orleans at the Contemporary Arts Center playwright competition around 90' but 1st place in the Deep South Writers Conference. a play version of ONLY HIS KNEES ran here in New Orleans at a church on St Charles Ave. and then once at Southern Rep, at Man In the Moon Theater in London, the Celtic Lodge in Edinburgh and at La Muse Venale in NY, where LOSIN' MANNIE also ran. MANNIE won first place at the CAC playwright comp.. We put it on in their Garage around 91'. CAC put on CHARLIE's OYSTER, but the version that was published in NY by La Muse Venale was completely different and immensely better. My screenplay RENOVATORS, ONLY HIS KNEES and several other shorts, were shot by us here in New Orleans. KNEES, was also shot by the Vancouver Film School. UNDER THE TRAIN is the second play in a trilogy of full length plays that start with CURSES, and ends with WHITEY. They are also in screenplay format, as well as CHARLIE's OYSTER and MANNIE. The plays can be read at the New Play Exchange

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below is a list of Edward L Betz Jr's plays - click on a Play Title for more information

         Charlie's Oyster         Curses         Gang, A         Losin' Mannie         Only His Knees         Try To Die         Under the Train         Whitey

Charlie's Oyster

Synopsis:
In Ol' New Orleans lives Charlie, a restaurateur, who feels his now famous actor friend John stole his acting career from him. Still seeking recognition he supplements his life by hanging fake photos of himself with celebrities on the walls of his restaurant. Hearing this, a cruise line using old TV actors in a "Love Boat" scenario, decide to launch their cruises from his place. their motto is, "you never know who you're going to sail with." Simultaneously in La, John's conscience keeps appearing to him as Humphrey Bogart urging John to apologize to Charlie. Haunted by Bogart's advice, John decides to return to New Orleans to reconcile with Charlie. Meanwhile in New Orleans Charlie becomes involved with the group of old TV actors and comes to their rescue when they are ridiculed during an interview. Feeling a sense of loyalty, one of the actors tries to bring in a relative who is a famous movie star, to establish the credibility of Charlie's restaurant. In a moment of agitation the star is accidentally killed, or so they think. But to Charlie this is a golden opportunity.

Notes:
the synopsis Is the version that was published At La Muse. Charlie's Oyster is Available on line, go to page 68 At the site below or use the ISBN# http://www.worldaudience.org/pdfs_samplers/aUD3.pdf Anyone interested in the play contact the Author At 985-871-9972 985-237-2878 e_betz3@hotmail.com

1st Produced:
Cac, New Orleans, La    1991

Organisations:
Contemporary Arts Center

1st Published:
La Muse Venale, Dec 2006   978-1934209097

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:
Full Length Comedy

Parts:
Male:  -            Female:  -            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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Curses

Synopsis:
Boo Boo is a self-made, almost patron-less bar owner. His curse is to be at the end of life itself. Big Houston is a caterer and faithful patron of Boo Boo's. His curse is to supply whatever is needed from getting his boys out of jail, to stolen goods for whipping up a party. His selfish protege', eliot, is cursed with wanting to save the business, which means killing the owner himself. Buster, his middle aged helper, is a modern day knight. He's cursed with being a junkie with a heart, who's plagued by eliot to help him kill Houston. Whitey, their homeless dishwasher, is bound for life by the curse of a Voodoo Lady and her 9th ward rooster. When the New Orleans rooster is murdered, the curses are set into motion.

Notes:
Curses won 2nd in the CaC play competition in New Orleans, 1st place in the Deep South Playwrights Competition. It is first of the trilogy And in screenplay format Also. Anyone interested in the play contact the Author At 985-871-9972 985-237-2878 e_betz3@hotmail.com

1st Produced:
Staged Reading Cac, New Orleans, La    1989

Organisations:
Contemporary Arts Center

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:
Full Length Comedy

Parts:
Male:  7            Female:  3            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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Gang, A

Synopsis:
a Cook helps the Bodyguard of the restaurant Owner bury a body as they tease one another about who is next on the hit list.

Notes:
Simple set. Play is taken from screenplay Who Shot the Lala by Author. Anyone interested in the play contact the Author At 985-871-9972 985-237-2878 e_betz3@hotmail.com

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:
10 min. Comedy

Parts:
Male:  3            Female:  -            Other:  2 dead bodies

Further Reference:
-

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Losin' Mannie

Synopsis:
Three friends take Mannie, who just had a lobotomy to spring break for old time's sake. and lose him. they thought they were going to have to put him to sleep. He has that thousand yard stare. When Mannie gets drunk he actually turns into a gorilla, (knuckles dragging the ground) but that was before the operation. Sitting in the parking lot waiting for him to come back, the legend grows he becomes an idol to the college crowd. they take the stare for deep thoughts

Notes:
In screenplay format Also. Anyone interested in the play contact the Author At 985-871-9972 985-237-2878 e_betz3@hotmail.com

1st Produced:
Cac, New Orleans, La    1991

Organisations:
Cutting edge Productions

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:
Full Length or One act Comedy

Parts:
Male:  3            Female:  3            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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Only His Knees

Synopsis:
Joey is living with a rich girl. He let his childhood friends, Murphy and Walter use his telephone number to get painting jobs. Customers were only supposed to call in the day. When an old man tells Joey's girlfriend that Walter took his money and never did the job, she wants Joey to find someone that she would pay to break Walters legs. Joey and Murphy know Walter took the money and went and got loaded. Murphy is desperate for money because he's about to be kicked out his apartment, which Walter knew. Joey needs money to keep an old girlfriend from causing his current girlfriend to throw him out. Can they justify breaking Walter's leg?

Notes:
anyone interested in the play contact the Author At 985-871-9972 985-237-2878 e_betz3@hotmail.com

1st Produced:
Celtic Lodge, Edinburgh, Scotland    14 Aug 1988

Organisations:
Cree, Ray and David

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:
One act Comedy

Parts:
Male:  2            Female:  -            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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Try To Die

Synopsis:
MaN finds out he's going to die so he plans to kill himself because he can't stand waiting and he can also set up his wife financially. Death comes in and saves him to examine why. His wife and best friend are having an affair and death gives him the ears to hear what they are thinking. eventually Death as well his wife and old friend try to kill him but can't. When the Man finally decides he wants to live then drunkenly goes dancing in the street, he gets hit and dies.

Notes:
Play runs 60 Min. And is A simple set. Anyone interested in the play contact the Author At 985-871-9972 985-237-2878 e_betz3@hotmail.com

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:
Comedy

Parts:
Male:  5            Female:  1            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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Under the Train

Synopsis:
eliot still works for a caterer. Buster and Whitey, his derelict friends, are living with him. One of eliot's plays he is writing about them is being preformed abroad. another of his plays is being directed locally by a new girlfriend, and eliot thinks she's ruining it. When she disappears and blood is found in the theater and all over him, eliot suspects the worst. He was drunk at the time and doesn't remember anything. a local policeman wanting to make detective, has the stage manager follow eliot and report back to him. But eliot is not alone. His mentor, an elderly co-worker who passed on, is still giving eliot advice. He encourages eliot until the truth is exposed in a surprise ending.

Notes:
This play is 2nd in the trilogy that started with CURSeS And ends with WHITeY. This play is in screenplay format Also. Anyone interested in the play contact the Author At 985-871-9972 985-237-2878 e_betz3@hotmail.com

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:
Full Length Comedy

Parts:
Male:  9            Female:  4            Other:  3

Further Reference:
-

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Whitey

Synopsis:
eliot outgrew his roots, or so he liked to think. even though he wrote about his friends and became successful, he didn't want to be around them. But life has a way of coming back around and when Whitey dies in real life, eliot knows that the only way to be free from guilt is to give Whitey the Viking burial at sea that he promised. First he must steal the body, then a boat, and maybe along the way Whitey could explain to him, why he stopped writing.

Notes:
Final part of the trilogy And is in screenplay format Also. Anyone interested in the play contact the Author At 985-871-9972 985-237-2878 e_betz3@hotmail.com

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:
Full Length Comedy

Parts:
Male:  11            Female:  6            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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