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Monk Ferris

MONK FERRIS

  (1931 - 1992)
Nationality:    USA
email:    n/a     Website:    n/a

Literary Agent:    n/a

Jack Sharkey was born on May 6, 1931 in Chicago, Illinois. He began writing when he was 10 years old. He graduated from college with a Ba in the Creative Writing Field of the English Major. after that, he taught school for two years from 1953 to 1955. In mid 1955, Jack enlisted in the army. He served at Sandia Base, New Mexico as a Special Services worker. He wrote, produced, and directed one show per month for the enlisted Men's Club. after the army, he worked as a copywriter for Sears, Roebuck and Company from 1957 to 1958. In 1958, Jack went to New York to begin a full-time freelance writing career. He wrote Science Fiction stories and novels, humor articles, and mystery novels. Jack wrote his first stage comedy in 1965. Soon afterwards, he went exclusively into playwriting which he continued until a few months before his death. He has 82 published plays written under his own name and four others --- Rick abbot, Monk Ferris, Mark Chandler, and Mike Johnson. Mike Johnson wrote only stage thrillers. all the other plays are comedies and/or musicals. the plays are performed all around the world. Jack passed away on September 28, 1992 after a bout with cancer.

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

         Bone Chiller         Don't Tell Mother!         Fine Monster You Are, A         Hamlet, Cha-Cha-Cha!         Let's Murder Marsha         Oh, Fudge!         This Must Be the Place

Bone Chiller

Synopsis:
On Friday the 13th, thirteen people gather for the reading of the late Josiah Travers's will. the will consists of a rebus which offers the lucrative estate to anyone who can solve the puzzle. To make things tougher, the lights keep going out and people keep being murdered. This is not only a very funny farce, it is also a superbly crafted mystery.

Notes:
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1st Produced:
-    -

Organisations:
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1st Published:
Samuel French, London, 1985   -

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:
Comic Mystery Thriller Comedy

Parts:
Male:  5            Female:  8            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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Don't Tell Mother!

Synopsis:
timid librarian witnesses a bank robbery confusion as federal agent is confused for bank robber coming to kill her

Notes:
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1st Produced:
-    -

Organisations:
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1st Published:
Samuel French, London, 1984   -

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:
Farce

Parts:
Male:  3            Female:  5            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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Fine Monster You Are, A

Synopsis:
a job as secretary companion involves a seance, creepy doctors, boyfriends and old college roommates

Notes:
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1st Produced:
-    -

Organisations:
-

1st Published:
Samuel French, London, 1985   -

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:  5            Other:  extra

Further Reference:
-

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Hamlet, Cha-Cha-Cha!

Synopsis:
Totally insane and hilarious. Can you envision Horatio as "an amiable sponge" always seeking the nearest buffet table? Can you see Gertrude and Claudius, married on their way home from King Hamlet's funeral, leading the opening number of the show, "Boo-Hoo! I Do!"? Or picture the sililoquy done by Prince Hamlet with a backup male chorus chanting "Doo-waaah!" at inappropiate intervals? and how about Queen Gertrude, backed up by a female chorus telling Laertes about Ophelia's dreadful death in a hand-clapper called "Down, Down, Down the River!"? and will you recognize Hamlet's two college chums, herein known as "Rosie Krantz" and "Gilda Stern"? and if you think you know how the story turns out, you don't. Not in this version, anyhow

Notes:
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1st Produced:
-    -

Organisations:
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1st Published:
Samuel French, London, 1987   -

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 comedy Musical

Parts:
Male:  -            Female:  -            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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Let's Murder Marsha

Synopsis:
When a housewife overhears her husband planning a surprise birthday party for her, she, instead, suspects murder.

Notes:
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1st Produced:
-    -

Organisations:
-

1st Published:
Samuel French, London, 1984   -

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:  4            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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Oh, Fudge!

Synopsis:
woman discovers she must eat chocolate fudge to keep her weight down, overweight actress tries to catch the same disease

Notes:
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1st Produced:
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Organisations:
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1st Published:
Samuel French, London, 1989   -

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:  4            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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This Must Be the Place

Synopsis:
monstrous rejected suitor, weirdest private detective purvey numerous erroneous motions

Notes:
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1st Produced:
-    -

Organisations:
-

1st Published:
Samuel French, NY,    -

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:
Farce

Parts:
Male:  4            Female:  5            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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