The Playwrights Database
RINNE GROFF
Nationality:
USA
email:
n/a
Website:
n/a
Literary Agent:
Creative Artists Agency NY represented by
Chris Till
Rinne Groff is a playwright and performer. Her plays, including Jimmy Carter was a Democrat, Orange Lemon egg Canary, Inky, the Five Hysterical Girls theorem,and the Ruby Sunrise, have been produced by the Public Theater, Trinity Rep, Actors Theatre of Louisville, PS122, Target Margin, Clubbed Thumb, and Andy's Summer Playhouse, among others. Ms. Groff is a founding member of elevator Repair Service Theater Company and has been a part of the writing, staging, and performing of their shows, both in the U.S. and on European tour, since the company's inception in 1991. a recipient of the Whiting Writers award and a Guggenheim Fellowship, Ms. Groff was trained at Yale University and New York University's Tisch School of the Arts.
Research: Member of the Dramatists Guild of America (as at 2015)
Buy Plays with Doollee
Each page of doollee.com has links to play/book outlets, either directly to the Publisher, through Stageplays.com and Amazon to the second hand and 1st editions of AbeBooks. These links will automatically take you to the relevant area obviating the need for further search.
AbeBooks.co.uk
AbeBooks.com
Stageplays.com
amazon.com
amazon.co.uk
amazon.ca
whether you are a Playwright who wishes to make their entry definitive, an unlisted Playwright or a User with a tale to tell - we want to hear from you.
download WORD submission template
40 Thieves
Synopsis:
Shahrazad, storyteller to the auspicious King (and reigning diva of a nightclub which can be found somewhere between ancient Persia and the 1970s disco of your dreams), tells her tale of the adventures of ali Baba and his narrow escape (thanks to the cleverness of his trusted servant Marjanah) from the evil Thieves, who wish to punish him for discovering the secret hideaway of their treasures. Open Sesame!
Notes:
-
1st Produced:
Organisations:
-
1st Published:
Playscripts, Inc - New York
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:
85-95 min Comedy
Parts:
Male: - Female: - Other: 31 either (31-38 actors possible: 0-31 males, 0-31 females)
Further Reference:
-
Top of Page
77%
Synopsis:
A powerful business woman and her stay at home husband decide to have another baby. Her socialite mother and sailor father offer their advice
Notes:
-
1st Produced:
San Francisco Playhouse
2014
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:
-
Parts:
Male: - Female: - Other: -
Further Reference:
-
Top of Page
Compulsion Or the House Behind
Synopsis:
It is 1951, and Sid Silver is on a mission to be the guardian of one of the most moving and provocative accounts of the 20th century. Deeply moved by anne Frank's diary, he is driven to bring her story to the American masses by promoting the book's publication and adapting the diary into a work of theater. Inspired by the story of Meyer Levin, Compulsion brings playwright Rinne Groff and artistic director Oskar eustis (the Ruby Sunrise) together again with a complex and inventive telling that is part historical fiction, part investigation into what makes a man obsess, and part exploration of an untold dimension of anne Frank's powerful and enduring legacy.
- nytheatre.com
Notes:
-
1st Produced:
Organisations:
-
1st Published:
Dramatists Play Service, NY, 2012
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: doubling, flexible casing
Further Reference:
-
Top of Page
Dome, The
Synopsis:
Life, the Universe and everything
Notes:
Music, lyrics and book by Deborah Abramson; Michael L Cooper; Jason Frote; Rine Groff; Hyehoung Kim; Norman Lasca; Laura Marks; Marisa Michelson; David A Miller; Jonathan Portera
1st Produced:
West End Theatre, New York
31 Jan 2009
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:
Musical
Parts:
Male: - Female: - Other: -
Further Reference:
-
Top of Page
Elevator, The
Synopsis:
-
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:
-
Parts:
Male: - Female: - Other: -
Further Reference:
-
Top of Page
Five Hysterical Girls theorem, The
Synopsis:
a twenty-character extravaganza of thought and emotion which tells the story of Moses Vazsonyi, a renowned number theorist who at 47 already fears that he has lost his edge in the intellectually grueling world of prime number theory. In the winter of 1911 he brings his wife and three daughters to a seaside resort in england, where a gaggle of illustrious colleagues have gathered for a conference. as Moses struggles to complete his latest work -- investigating a special class of prime numbers which he has knighted "the HystErical Girls" -- he brushes up against his legacy and his failings, his genius and his blindness, his desires and his will. With highly fanciful, stylized language, and dizzyingly intertwining storylines of deception, love, theater-making, sex, family affairs, professional competition, and, above all, Math, the Five HystErical Girls theorem paints a bright canvas on which the heart and the intellect collide.
Notes:
-
1st Produced:
Target Margin Theater (New York, NY, United States)
2000
Organisations:
-
1st Published:
Playscripts, Inc - New York
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:
105-135 min Play/Drama
Parts:
Male: 11 Female: 7 Other: 11 males, 7 females (17-20 actors possible: 10-13 males, exactly 7 females)
Further Reference:
-
Top of Page
Funny, Strange, Provocative: Seven Plays From Clubbed Thumb
Synopsis:
This anthology includes seven plays produced by Clubbed Thumb, the Obie award-winning downtown New York City theater company that burst onto the new play scene in 1996. edgy and thought-provoking, each play is funny, strange, and provocative in surprising, widely varying ways -- including an apartment that both adores and despises its inhabitants in Crumble (Lay Me Down, Justin Timberlake), a metropolitan housewife who senses that something is watching her in 16 Spells to Charm the Beast, and a group of traveling freak show performers who reveal a deep humanity underneath their crowd-drawing deformities in Freakshow,among other uniquely inventive stories. For over a decade, Clubbed Thumb has had its finger firmly planted on the Pulse of new work, and these plays prove it. To purchase this book of 7 plays, click "add to Shopping Cart" above. To perform an individual play, click on its title below:
Notes:
-
1st Produced:
-
Organisations:
-
1st Published:
Playscripts, Inc - New York
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:
Various Drama/Comedy
Parts:
Male: - Female: - Other: Various
Further Reference:
-
Top of Page
House Of Wonder
Synopsis:
a crippled scientist returns to the small town where he grew up in order to investigate a strange situation which is gaining some notoriety. a young man there was shot in the head seven years ago. By all accounts he should have died, but instead he seems to have developed the miraculous ability to heal other people. amidst the scientist's search for answers, the boy's whole family, including the boy himself, question their feelings about faith and challenge their beliefs in the existence of miracles.
Notes:
-
1st Produced:
Geva Theater (Staged Reading) (Rochester, NY, United States)
2001
Organisations:
-
1st Published:
Playscripts, Inc - New York
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:
75-80 min Play/Drama
Parts:
Male: 3 Female: 3 Other: 3 males, 3 females
Further Reference:
-
Top of Page
Inky
Synopsis:
a love-starved Manhattanite husband and wife struggle to satisfy their child-like desire to "have it all" during the high-rolling, morally skewed 1980s. When they take in Inky, a young Slavic nanny who's obsessed with Muhammad ali, to care for their nine-year-old daughter and infant son, they are forced to face both their limitations and their potential for change. Inkyis a darkly comic story about the importance of fighting back.
Notes:
-
1st Produced:
Clubbed Thumb And Salt Theater (Equity Showcase) (New York, NY, United States)
2000
Organisations:
-
1st Published:
Playscripts, Inc - New York
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:
80-85 min Play/Drama
Parts:
Male: 1 Female: 3 Other: 1 male, 3 females
Further Reference:
-
Top of Page
Jimmy Carter Was A Democrat
Synopsis:
air. Traffic. Control. Welcome to the world of Samuel B. Shostakovitz. Stuck in his apartment in Flushing, Queens, Sammy can't help but ponder the summer of 1980: Jimmy Carter flounders in the White House, hostages rot in Tehran, America's air traffic controllers prepare to make the mistake of their lives, and emily, a hot young labor organizer, can't decide who not to sleep with. a comedy with one song.
Notes:
-
1st Produced:
Organisations:
-
1st Published:
Playscripts, Inc - New York
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:
65-75 min Comedy
Parts:
Male: 3 Female: 2 Other: 3 males, 2 females
Further Reference:
-
Top of Page
Moliere Impromptu
Synopsis:
In 1665 Versailles, the members of Moliere's Illustre theatre have gathered to rehearse a new play commissioned by the King for a performance this very night. everything is fine, except that the script is in horrible shape, the straight man wants to leave the troupe, marital spats are ripping the company apart, the intern is lobbying for a bigger part, and Mademoiselle Du Croisy can never remember her lines. a wickedly funny look at the magic of theater, translated and adapted from three short plays by Moliere.
Notes:
-
1st Produced:
Trinity Repertory Company (Providence, Ri, United States)
2005
Organisations:
-
1st Published:
Playscripts, Inc - New York
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:
95-120 min Comedy
Parts:
Male: 7 Female: 5 Other: 7 males, 5 females (12-13 actors possible: 7-8 males, exactly 5 females)
Further Reference:
-
Top of Page
Orange Lemon Egg Canary
Synopsis:
a mysterious love story of lies, tricks, and illusions, filled with disappearing coins, floating objects, and seemingly impossible feats. Trilby, a young waitress with a hidden agenda, seduces a skilled magician known as Great, and convinces him to share his magic secrets with her. She is especially insistent on learning his renowned Hypnotic Balance, an illusion he made famous with his previous assistant/girlfriend. But when the trick goes horribly awry, and love is the true illusion, magic becomes a matter of life and death.
Notes:
-
1st Produced:
Organisations:
-
1st Published:
Playscripts, Inc - New York
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:
95-120 min Dark comedy with magic
Parts:
Male: 1 Female: 3 Other: 1 male, 3 females
Further Reference:
-
Top of Page
Ruby Sunrise, The
Synopsis:
the birth of television and the story behind an Indiana farm girl who invented it before anyone in the 1920's
Notes:
Humana Fest, Trinity Repertory, Public theatre
1st Produced:
Organisations:
-
1st Published:
Dramatists Play Service, 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:
Play/Drama
Parts:
Male: - Female: - Other: -
Further Reference:
-
Top of Page
Saved
Synopsis:
In Saved, good girl Mary and her domineering best friend Hilary Faye are starting their senior year at the top of the social food chain at American eagle Christian High School-that is, until Mary's boyfriend tells her he thinks he's gay. When Jesus appears in a vision, and Mary heeds his message "to do everything she can to help him," her good deeds are met with dire consequences, and Mary is forced to question everything she's ever believed. Through it all, she finds faith in unexpected places and learns what it truly means to be saved. This new musical is based on the recent film of the same name.
- nytheatre.com
Notes:
music And lyrics by Michael Friedman; book And lyrics by John Dempsey And Rinne Groff
1st Produced:
Playwrights Horizons Mainstage, NY
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:
Musical
Parts:
Male: 7 Female: 6 Other: -
Further Reference:
-
Top of Page
Seven Supermans
Synopsis:
In a mythical land called New Hampshire, the Farmers are in trouble. evil Bandits loot their land, take their food, and generally wreck their lives. Fed up with bowing meekly in the face of this oppression, the Farmers go to the Big City in search of Supermans, a dying breed of men and women in blue tights and red capes who really know how to save the day. the Farmers find the Seven Supermans they need to ward off the Bandits, but they get a lot more than mere bodyguards. a 23rd-century story of courage, and service, and finding the Superman within.
Notes:
-
1st Produced:
Andy's Summer Playhouse (Wilton, Nh, United States)
2002
Organisations:
-
1st Published:
Playscripts, Inc - New York
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:
85-95 min Comedy
Parts:
Male: - Female: - Other: 30 either (27-46 actors possible: 0-46 males, 0-46 females)
Further Reference:
-
Top of Page
Sleep Rock Thy Brain
Synopsis:
-
Notes:
Written with Lucas Hinath; Anne Washburn and Rinne Groff
1st Produced:
-
Organisations:
-
1st Published:
Contained in: "Humana Festival 2013 The Complete Plays" published by Playscripts Inc
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:
-
Parts:
Male: - Female: - Other: -
Further Reference:
-
Top of Page
What then
Synopsis:
the lake outside is becoming a dust bowl and the family inside is becoming a powderkeg. Diane tells her husband Tom that she has switched careers from accountant to architect, but only when she's asleep. She is building an amazing housing complex that wil removethe toxicity from the soil and provide housing to 'low-to-no-income' occupants. Tom is a corporate powerbroker who may be responsible for the lake--and a lot more. His juvenile delinquent daughter Sallie and her border-hopping boyfriend with a name no one bothers to get right will resort to anything--even stealing blood--to live on the right side of the tracks. are they really moving into Diane's dream housing project?
Notes:
-
1st Produced:
Ohio Theatre, NY
2006
Organisations:
Clubbed Foot
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: - Female: - Other: -
Further Reference:
-
Top of Page
Wicked Queen
Synopsis:
alternate worlds collide in this fanciful tale about an eleven-year-old girl at a new school who discovers the power to be ruthless, and thus popular, when she is sucked into the evil kingdom of Grossland which resides just under the covers of her bed. How far will she go to gain the Wicked Queen's favor?
Notes:
-
1st Produced:
Chinook Middle School (Seatac, Wa, United States)
2006
Organisations:
-
1st Published:
Playscripts, Inc - New York
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:
50-65 min Play for young audiences
Parts:
Male: 1 Female: 5 Other: 1 male, 5 females (6-9 actors possible: 1-2 males, 5-7 females)
Further Reference:
-
Top of Page
You Never Know
Synopsis:
Ben decides that he does not want to follow his dad into the law. He wants to write music. His late grandfather was in the music industry. Ben finds an unfinished musical he wrote and hires a rehearsal hall to put it on . Nobody but one person shows up to watch - but she drags some others in to make an audience. The musical is about a composer who can't get a break
Notes:
Music and lyrics by Charles Strouse; book by Rinne Groff; Charles Strouse
1st Produced:
Trinity Rep
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:
-
Parts:
Male: - Female: - Other: -
Further Reference:
-
Top of Page