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Lisa Dillman

LISA DILLMAN

  
Nationality:    USA
facebook     email:    Click here to contact     Website:    n/a

Literary Agent:    Robert A Freedman Dramatic Agency  

Chicago playwright Lisa Dillman's plays have been produced by such institutions as Steppenwolf Theatre Company, Actors Theatre of Louisville, American Theatre Company, Summer Play Festival (SPF-NYC), Rogue Machine Theatre, Hypothetical Theatre Company, and Rivendell Theatre ensemble. Her work has been developed by Goodman Theatre, Steppenwolf, Victory Gardens, the O'Neill Playwrights Conference, PlayPenn, Northlight Theatre, Huntington Theatre Company, the Women's Project, Philadelphia Theatre Company, and the National New Play Network. She has received new-play commissions from the Goodman Theatre, where she was a member of the inaugural Goodman Playwrights Unit; Steppenwolf Theatre; Northlight Theatre; Rivendell Theatre ensemble; the Chicago Humanities Festival; and the educational touring company Imagination Theatre. She has received two playwriting fellowships from the Illinois Arts Council, as well as a Sprenger-Lang New History Play Prize, the Sarett National Playwright award, and a Julie Harris-Beverly Hills Theatre Guild award. Dillman is an ensemble member at Rivendell Theatre ensemble and an artistic associate with Route 66 Theatre Company. She has been a fellow at Blue Mountain Center, Ragdale, and the Millay Colony, and has served as a playwright in residence at the William Inge Center for the Arts, Chicago Dramatists, and Western Michigan University. Her work is published by Samuel French and Dramatic Publishing Company, as well as anthologized in numerous collections from Heinemann, Playscripts Inc., Smith & Kraus, and New Issues Press.

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

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

         American Wee-Pie         Curse Of the Horned Babby, The         Detail Of A Larger Work         Flung         Ground         Half Of Plenty         Lord Butterscotch And the Curse Of the Darkwater Phantom         Rock Shore         Shady Meadows         Six Postcards         Walls, The

American Wee-Pie

Synopsis:
While visiting his hometown after his mother's death, disillusioned textbook editor Zed meets a former high school acquaintance who is now the proprietor of a local cupcake Emporium. Caught up in grief and regrets, Zed's return to the town he once hated becomes a journey of self-discovery and reinvention. He quits his job in Chicago, moves back to his childhood home, and signs on as an apprentice cupcake chef. Increasingly enamored with the philosophy behind the cupcake-"not a piece, not a slice, but a whole cake of your very own"-he begins to brim with ideas about how to further refine and improve the product and service. But when a competing cupcake Emporium moves into town and begins to pull business away from Le Petit Gateau, Zed sets out to create a new bubble in the single-serving gourmet-treat industry. American Wee-Pie is a comedy about grief, success, second chances, and our national pastime, overconsumption.

Notes:
American Wee-Pie was commissioned by the Goodman Theatre And developed in the theatre's inaugural Playwright's Unit. the play received further development At the 2011 PlayPenn Conference in Philadelphia. Nominated for a Joseph Jefferson Award for best new work. Slated for production at the Seattle Public Theatre in early 2014

1st Produced:
Rivendell Theatre Ensemble, Chicago     2013

Organisations:
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1st Published:
-   -

Music:
-

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Genre:
Comedy

Parts:
Male:  3            Female:  2            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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Curse Of the Horned Babby, The

Synopsis:
What happened to all the men of the wee peaceful hamlet of Grunterville? the women of the village have a story to tell. . . and it ain't pretty.

Notes:
-

1st Produced:
Estrogen Fest, Chicago     2007

Organisations:
estrogen Fest, estrogenius Festival, Sydney Short & Sweet Festival

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:
comedy One act

Parts:
Male:  1            Female:  3            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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Detail Of A Larger Work

Synopsis:
In a small Mexican village, an elderly American painter and his wife befriend a young couple visiting from the U.S. When the young man, a photographer, asks to make the older artist the subject of a photo essay, the visit takes a complex turn. Detail of a Larger Work explores the intricate relationships of four people bound together by art, friendships, and the secrets they keep.

Notes:
Detail of A Larger Work received developmental support from Steppenwolf theatre, Victory Gardens, And Chicago Dramatists. It was the winner of the Third Annual Midwestern Playwrights Festival. In Addition to its Chicago premiere At Steppenwolf, the play was produced by New York's Hypothetical theatre Company.

1st Produced:

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

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Genre:
Play/Drama

Parts:
Male:  3            Female:  2            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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Flung

Synopsis:
Four adult children gather at the family summer cottage two years after their father's death to scatter his ashes from atop his favorite sand dune. During a long Fourth of July weekend, this disparate group of estranged siblings attempt to cobble together the elusive and contradictory memories of growing up with (and without) their difficult patriarch. as they struggle to come to terms with their past and present lives, they each learn something about themselves, their father, and each other. Flung is a laugh-filled Drama about family, fireworks, and finally growing up.

Notes:
Flung was commissioned by Steppenwolf theatre Company, Chicago, IL.

1st Produced:

Organisations:
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1st Published:
Dramatic Publishing, 2006   -

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:  4            Female:  4            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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Ground

Ground
When Zell Preston inherits her father's struggling pecan farm and moves back to her childhood home in Fronteras, New Mexico, she finds that the once tight-knit border community has changed drastically. the government has cracked down on the undocumented immigrant population, dividing families and pitting neighbor against neighbor. Chuy Gallegos, foreman at the farm for thirty years, wants the piece of land he claims Zell's Father promised him long ago. Ines Sandoval and her sister angie lobby for the return of their recently deported aunt. angie's husband, Carl, defends to his family and community his decision to work for the Border Patrol. and Cooper Daniels, an industrial pecan grower and head of a civilian border surveillance group, forges ahead with a volunteer-built border fence. these forces collide in GROUND, which examines the human costs of immigration policies, and the strength of personal beliefs about family, home, and civil rights in the face of a shifting political and social landscape.

Notes:
GROUND was commissioned by Northlight theatre, Skokie, Illinois.

1st Produced:
Actors Theatre Of Louisville     2010

Organisations:
Humana Festival of New American Plays

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:  3            Female:  3            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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Half Of Plenty

Synopsis:
When Holly and Marty Tindall become caregivers to Marty's ailing father, Jack, they hope to forge a utopia in the midst of urban chaos. Instead a strange triangle evolves, and their home comes to serve as both a prison and a fortress against multiple threats from the outside world. In their search for safety and control, each achieves an increasingly chaotic level of isolation. Meanwhile, recurring visits from Mitzi and Hector Zook of the ardour Park Neighborhood ethics association (aPNea) convince them that they have every reason to be terrified of what's happening beyond their own walls. When the new neighbors across the street begin exhibiting suspicious behavior, Marty is drawn into aPNea's shadowy world of surveillance and retribution. Half of Plenty is a pitch black comedy about isolation, the impact of fear on daily choices, and the high stakes of time passing by.

Notes:
Half of Plenty was presented As part of Arielle Tepper's Fourth Annual Summer Play Festival, New York. the play received developmental support from the William Inge Center for the Arts, Independence, KS.

1st Produced:

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:  3            Female:  2            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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Lord Butterscotch And the Curse Of the Darkwater Phantom

Synopsis:
at Wembley Manor a gravely voiced phantom hints at who is the true heir to the estate. But will any of the occupants be able to decipher his clues? the vicar prefers clues, the gamekeeper is randy and the widow lady is a gold digger

Notes:
Written by Rebecca Gilman, Lisa Dillman And Brett Neveau

1st Produced:
Storefront Theatre, Chicago     30 Nov 2007

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:
Comedy

Parts:
Male:  -            Female:  -            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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Rock Shore

Synopsis:
Saranac Lake, 1913. To the "lungers" at Rock Shore Cottage Sanatorium for the Tubercular, each day is filled with pulmonary calisthenics, gossip, and feverish inertia. Walled in by illness, their future depends on shaky promises and strict adherence to doctor's orders. Into this hothouse environment arrives a glamorous newcomer. the other patients' perception of her sexual freedom ignites passions that have long been held in check by rules and regulations, and ultimately illuminates each patient's innermost yearnings and hopes for the future.

Notes:
Rock Shore was A winner of the Sprenger-Lang New History Play Prize. the play was originally commissioned by Steppenwolf theatre Company, Chicago, IL.

1st Produced:

Organisations:
-

1st Published:
Dramatic Publishing Company, 2006   -

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:  3            Female:  6            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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Shady Meadows

Synopsis:
a young couple buys a house in Shady Meadows, a housing development built over a wetland. as nature tries to find its way back, the newest residents of Shady Meadows prepare for war.

Notes:
-

1st Produced:
Chicago Humanities Festival, Acts Of Concern     2007

Organisations:
-

1st Published:
Dramatic Publishing Company, 2007   -

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:  2            Female:  2            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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Six Postcards

Synopsis:
ethan has a house, a fiancee, and a steady job driving a forklift. He's also been sober for six months. But the church choir can't compare with Ethan's glory days fronting a band with his sister Mona. When she arrives in their small hometown to commemorate the anniversary of their mother's suicide, Ethan's tenuous grasp on stability is shaken by her promises of a demo deal and one more magic night in austin. Six Postcards is an exploration of familial bonds, the lure of fame, and the haunting power of memory.

Notes:
Six Postcards received developmental support from Steppenwolf theatre, Seanachi theatre Company (Chicago), Famous Door theatre's Women At the Door Festival, And the Dayton Playhouse Futurefest 2005.

1st Produced:
Goodman Theatre New Stages Festival, Chicago, Il     2005

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:  3            Female:  2            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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Walls, The

Synopsis:
the Walls takes a look at the effects of mental illness--and the various forms of separation it so often brings with it--on a group of women and their families in three different time periods. the play is an exploration of separation as a physical reality--the high walls of the dreaded asylums of the past--and as a multilayered metaphor--the often impenetrable walls of our own perception, the subjective walls that necessarily divide every human relationship, the walls between the sick and the well, and the lifesaving but potentially soul-deadening walls erected by psychotropic medications. (2 acts)

Notes:
the Walls was commissioned by Rivendell theatre ensemble in 2005 And developed in collaboration with the company over the following three years. the world premiere is scheduled for 2009.

1st Produced:
-    

Organisations:
Rivendell Theatre ensemble, Chicago

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:  2            Female:  6            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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