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Robin Byrd

ROBIN BYRD

  (1959 - )
Nationality:    African American
email:    Click here to contact     Website:    Click here

Literary Agent:    n/a

Robin Byrd is an Indiana born playwright and poet residing in Los Angeles. Growing up in Indianapolis (sometimes referred to as the northernmost southern city), attributes to the playwright's affinity toward southern themes and language in some of her pieces. Her work also deals with things of the spirit. She has studied acting under Kim Fields and Ben Harney (Tony Award winner for "Dreamgirls") to enhance her voice as a writer. Her play Tennessee Songbird (the place where the river bends) was a finalist for the 2012 Black and Latino Playwrights Conference and won Best Concurrent Play Lab Script at the 2008 Great Plans Theatre Conference; her play Dream Catcher was a semi-finalist for the 2008 O'Neill National Playwrights Conference;. Her first written and first produced play In Times Like These (Is He the One?) was produced in Los Angeles, CA in 1993. The playwright is blog editor for the Los Angeles Female Playwrights Initiative (www.lafpi.com) and a member of Native Women Writers (at the Autry) and is also a member of The Dramatists Guild of America, Inc., the Academy of American Poetry, the Alliance of Los Angeles Playwrights, and the American Film Institute.

Research:    Member of the Dramatists Guild of America (as at 2015)

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

         Book of Years, The         Box         Day of Small Things, The         Dream Catcher         Fiddler's Bridge         For This Reason - A Love Story         Grass Widow's Son, The         In Times Like these (Is He the One?)         Jezebel: Daughter of the Night         Me, My Fiddle an' Momma         Milk Dust         Old Women Gather, The         Pharoah         Preacher, The / Ebedmelech         Rahab         Solomon and the Shulamite         Speak to Me         Sweet Lorraine's Bag of Waters         Tennessee Songbird (the place where the river bends)         Time To Die, A         Wolves

Book of Years, The

Synopsis:
Two U.S. Army Chaplains, Ruddick Brown and John Thomas, do tours in Vietnam. In 1965, as one chaplain leaves Vietnam, the other arrives. Separately, but joined as members of the clergy, they endure the horrors of war. Their journeys and the age-old question of whether or not the clergy should bear arms take us from 1965 through 1989, from Vietnam to Kansas to West Germany and finally to Texas, where the choices they made while under enemy fire are weighed some 24 years later. This question divides the clergy and means the difference between life and death in many cases.

Notes:
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Organisations:
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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:
One-Act Full-length/Drama

Parts:
Male:  6            Female:  -            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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Box

Synopsis:
Elpis and Pandora are sisters. There has been a death in the family. What if they could have one last chance before they have to seal the box?

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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:
18 - 20 Minutes/Drama

Parts:
Male:  -            Female:  3            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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Day of Small Things, The

Synopsis:
Based on the true story of how Robert Raikes, Jr. teaches England's socially forgotten children to read and write. Robert Raikes, known as "Bobby Wild Goose", to his enemies must battle the Church of England to legally run a school; his battle is won in 1779 with the passage of a new law, "the Enabling Act." This is a story about the journey from the dream to destiny, the battles and victories in between, and the beginning of new things. . .. The play takes us on a fantastic journey through 18th century England and the beginning of the Sunday School Movement to present day Los Angeles.

Notes:
Directed by Sy Richardson.

1st Produced:
West Angeles Church Theater, Los Angeles, Ca    2000

Organisations:
West Angeles Sunday School Department

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

Parts:
Male:  7            Female:  4            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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Dream Catcher

Synopsis:
It is the turn of the 21st century, in a Midwestern town. Huron, the Morris family patriarch, has lived through wars, the deaths of two sisters and a wife. He has functioned beneath the heavy scrutiny of a mother, Mama Lee, until the death of his best friend, Willie Big Spirit. A self professed shaman, Willie, holds Huron under his spell even after death. Unable to live without him, Huron sets on a journey to bring Willie back to life; thus, he begins a five-night ritual of the Ghost Dance. Trying to stop the dance, the family begins to reveal secrets about Willie Big Spirit and his part in the death of Huron's sister, Bit. During the five nights of the Ghost Dance, the past and the present collide to make room for the future. With the truth about Willie revealed, Huron must decide if this aberration deserves to live again or how to kill it if it does not.

Notes:
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1st Produced:
Great Plains Theatre Conference    2006

Organisations:
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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

Parts:
Male:  5            Female:  6            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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Fiddler's Bridge

Synopsis:
the bridge has collapsed and they are snowbound - Aquila her twin daughters and grand daughter. A strange man arrives and says he will repair her violin in exchange for shelter from the snow

Notes:
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1st Produced:
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Organisations:
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1st Published:
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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

Parts:
Male:  1            Female:  4            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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For This Reason - A Love Story

Synopsis:
In the middle of rehearsals for an Easter play about the Resurrection, the cast members are visited by God one by one. As they come to know the true reason for the season, they are now able to do the play with conviction.

Notes:
Book by Robin Byrd, music and lyrics within book by Robin Byrd. Original Score by Stephen A. Taylor, Additional Lyrics by Patricia Bailey.

1st Produced:
West Angeles Church Theater, Los Angeles, Ca    1994

Organisations:
West Angeles Christian Fine Arts Department (WACFAD)

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:  9            Female:  4            Other:  6-12 Chorus, 3-6 Dancers

Further Reference:
-

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Grass Widow's Son, The

Synopsis:
In the midst of war, the greatest battle is. . .not letting go. . . So it is with Achilles, son to his father's mistress, warrior in a battle he did not choose. From the battlefield, he can see the mountain where he has been told his mother's grave lies -- the grave his heart tells him does not exist. His, is a, journey from the valley to the mountaintop with only hope as a lamp through the darkness. His hope. . .to find her alive at the top of that mountain. . .

Notes:
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1st Produced:
Dc Black Theatre Festival    2012

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/Drama

Parts:
Male:  6            Female:  3            Other:  3 male Soldiers, Indians, Slaves

Further Reference:
-

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In Times Like these (Is He the One?)

Synopsis:
This is the story of a young woman, Yashi, with a beautiful relationship with God. Momentarily, she loses focus after falling in love with a man. A struggle ensues between her spirit and flesh. Through it all, Yashi's tie with her reality of living a Christian life is seen in her memories of Grandma Nora. Yashi must make a stand. By faith, she must rest in the comfort of God's love for her "in times like these."

Notes:
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1st Produced:
West Angeles Church Theater, Los Angeles, Ca    1993

Organisations:
West Angeles Christian Fine Arts Department (WACFAD)

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

Parts:
Male:  1            Female:  4            Other:  1 girl

Further Reference:
-

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Jezebel: Daughter of the Night

Synopsis:
The wicked queen who got what she deserved.

Notes:
In 1994, a group of writers and directors from the West Angeles Church Fine Arts Department (WACFAD) in Los Angeles' Crenshaw district came together to create a theatrical event: write, direct, produce and perform vignettes written within the confines of a "Family Reunion" where several Bible stories are re-enacted. Writers of other vignettes included in "Family Reunion": Dale Williams Hill, Patricia Campbell, Stuart Brown, Kosmond Russell.

1st Produced:
West Angeles Church Theater, Los Angeles, Ca    1994

Organisations:
West Angeles Christian Fine Arts Department (WACFAD)

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-minute play

Parts:
Male:  2            Female:  1            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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Me, My Fiddle an' Momma

Synopsis:
Lulla Bell Jury has lost her momma; all she has left is the fiddle her mother gave her and the beauty and pain of life in the Appalachian mountains.

Notes:
Music and lyrics by Robin Byrd. End-of - Semester Show, Harvest School of the Performing Arts, Harmon Avenue Theater, Los Angeles, CA. Directed by Ben Harney.

1st Produced:
Harman Avenue Theater, Los Angeles, Ca    1995

Organisations:
Harvest 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:
MonoDrama

Parts:
Male:  -            Female:  1            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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Milk Dust

Synopsis:
What happens to families caught in the middle of war? Is there sustenance or destitution in their future? Will they have a future?

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:
10-Minutes/Drama

Parts:
Male:  2            Female:  2 (1 teen-aged)            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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Old Women Gather, The

Synopsis:
Five elderly women are in the waiting room to Heaven. they each tell of a significant event in their lives. God arrives and calls the roll - but one of the women are not on the list

Notes:
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1st Produced:
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Organisations:
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1st Published:
-   -

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:  1            Female:  5            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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Pharoah

Synopsis:
If Pharoah could speak from the grave, what would he say?

Notes:
In 1994, a group of writers and directors from the West Angeles Church Fine Arts Department (WACFAD) in Los Angeles' Crenshaw district came together to create a theatrical event: write, direct, produce and perform vignettes written within the confines of a "Family Reunion" where several Bible stories are re-enacted. Writers of other vignettes included in "Family Reunion": Dale Williams Hill, Patricia Campbell, Stuart Brown, Kosmond Russell.

1st Produced:
West Angeles Church Theater, Los Angeles, Ca    1994

Organisations:
West Angeles Christian Fine Arts Department (WACFAD)

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:
Monologue

Parts:
Male:  1            Female:  -            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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Preacher, The / Ebedmelech

Synopsis:
The preacher discusses Ebedmelech.

Notes:
In 1994, a group of writers and directors from the West Angeles Church Fine Arts Department (WACFAD) in Los Angeles' Crenshaw district came together to create a theatrical event: write, direct, produce and perform vignettes written within the confines of a "Family Reunion" where several Bible stories are re-enacted. Writers of other vignettes included in "Family Reunion": Dale Williams Hill, Patricia Campbell, Stuart Brown, Kosmond Russell.

1st Produced:
West Angeles Church Theater, Los Angeles, Ca    1994

Organisations:
West Angeles Christian Fine Arts Department (WACFAD)

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:
MonoDrama

Parts:
Male:  1            Female:  -            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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Rahab

Synopsis:
The woman who survived the battle of Jericho and why.

Notes:
In 1994, a group of writers and directors from the West Angeles Church Fine Arts Department (WACFAD) in Los Angeles' Crenshaw district came together to create a theatrical event: write, direct, produce and perform vignettes written within the confines of a "Family Reunion" where several Bible stories are re-enacted. Writers of other vignettes included in "Family Reunion": Dale Williams Hill, Patricia Campbell, Stuart Brown, Kosmond Russell.

1st Produced:
West Angeles Church Theater, Los Angeles, Ca    1994

Organisations:
West Angeles Christian Fine Arts Department (WACFAD)

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:
Monologue

Parts:
Male:  -            Female:  1            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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Solomon and the Shulamite

Synopsis:
King Solomon and the Shulamite girl - the subject of his Song of Songs.

Notes:
In 1994, a group of writers and directors from the West Angeles Church Fine Arts Department (WACFAD) in Los Angeles' Crenshaw district came together to create a theatrical event: write, direct, produce and perform vignettes written within the confines of a "Family Reunion" where several Bible stories are re-enacted. Writers of other vignettes included in "Family Reunion": Dale Williams Hill, Patricia Campbell, Stuart Brown, Kosmond Russell.

1st Produced:
West Angeles Church Theater, Los Angeles, Ca    1994

Organisations:
West Angeles Christian Fine Arts Department (WACFAD)

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:
ChoreoPoem and 5-minute play

Parts:
Male:  1            Female:  4            Other:  1 Female Dancer

Further Reference:
-

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Speak to Me

Synopsis:
Inside Juanita Ann's head with all her selves.

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:
One-Act/Drama

Parts:
Male:  -            Female:  2 (or 11)            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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Sweet Lorraine's Bag of Waters

Synopsis:
Lorraine is not crazy but she's plunging into the deep. How does she evolve without scraping the best parts of herself away with the debris?

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:
One-Act/Drama

Parts:
Male:  2            Female:  6            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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Tennessee Songbird (the place where the river bends)

Synopsis:
Big Black is a carpenter with a heart as big as he is; he stands more than head and shoulders above the rest of the townspeople. He has built or rebuilt most of that town with his bare hands and expert skill. His life up until the appearance of a battered woman has been on a steady course toward his goal of finishing the rooms on the back of his house, having his family and friends near and carving songbirds. But with the devastating disruption that comes with her arrival, he may never get back on course, unless he can find the place where the river bends.

Notes:
-

1st Produced:
Great Plains Theatre Conference    2008

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/Drama

Parts:
Male:  7            Female:  2            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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Time To Die, A

Synopsis:
Mammaw has tried to teach her granddaughter how to die; it appears that she has failed. She needs help from God.

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:
10-Minute/Drama

Parts:
Male:  1            Female:  2            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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Wolves

Synopsis:
Mara has been studying wolves; Zed has been studying Mara. Lynn, Mara's friend and neighbor is trying not to study either of them. A comical journey into the world of Mara, Zed and Lynn.

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:
10-Minute/Comedy

Parts:
Male:  2            Female:  2            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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