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John Herbert

JOHN HERBERT  (1926 - 2001)

 Nationality:    Canadian
email:    n/a     Website:    Click here

Literary Agent:    n/a


Nana Brundage (sister) has the rights to all literary works of John Herbert, 557 The East Mall, Etobicoke, Ontario M9B 4A5. Telephone: 416 626 5063

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

 Beer Room         Biographers, The         Blanche And Rose's Dream Song         Born Of MedUSA's Blood         Broken Antique Dolls         Butterfly And The Nightingale, The         Castles In The Air         Close Friends         Closer To Cleveland         Dinosaurs         Family Of A Monster         Felice         Fortune And Men's Eyes         Household God, A         Lady Of Camellias, A         Magda         Marilyn At Seventy         Marlene Richdiet         Merchant Of Bay Street, The         Omphale And The Hero         One Castle Court         Pearl Divers         Power Of Paper Dolls, The         Prima Dona, The         Private Club         Ruby Fell, A         Some Angry Summer Songs         They Died With Their Boots On: A Marsh-Melodrama         Time To Waltz         Token Star, The         World Of Woyzeck

Beer Room

John Herbert
various unpleasant gay men in a bar

Notes:
-

1st Produced:
Factory Theatre lab, Toronto    1970

Organisations:
-

1st Published:
in "Some angry Summer Songs", Talonbooks, Vancouver, 1976   -

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. - - Gay, one act

Parts:
Male:  -            Female:  -            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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Biographers, The

Synopsis:
ageing ex-actress Bella Spark runs an acting studio. She drinks too much and is loosing students. Her loyal assistant April May does her best to help. a new student arrives Lilly Plume - but then it is discovered that she is really a journalist undercover to write a story about Bella's decline

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:
Comedy

Parts:
Male:  -            Female:  -            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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Blanche And Rose's Dream Song

Synopsis:
Sitting in the lounge of an hotel Blanche and Rose remember their glory days

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

Parts:
Male:  -            Female:  2            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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Born Of MedUSA's Blood

Synopsis:
an afro-American woman and her friend an afro-Canadian woman are regulars at a downtown bar. The American had been a famous singer but now down on her luck teaches music. The Canadian is one of her pupils. Nick the Greek born waiter has a crush on the Canadian. Other people who are regularly in the bar are work shy Bobby Boy and a German born chef

Notes:
-

1st Produced:
Theatre-in-Camera, Toronto    1973

Organisations:
MedUSA Inc

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:
Three act Play/Drama

Parts:
Male:  3            Female:  3            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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Broken Antique Dolls

Synopsis:
Five people in a nursing home cajole each other into talking about their pasts

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:
Drama

Parts:
Male:  -            Female:  -            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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Butterfly And The Nightingale, The

Synopsis:
The King and Queen are preparing joint weddings for their two children to royalty from overseas. The Princess wants yellow flowers in her room and sends the gardener's daughter of whom she is jealous because she is so beautiful into the woods to find more. The Prince is hunting for the White Bird and mistakes the gardener's daughter for it and shoots her. a very ugly woodsman takes care of her and falls in love

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:
Childrens one act

Parts:
Male:  -            Female:  -            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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Castles In The Air

Synopsis:
-

Notes:
Written by Stephen Badman And John Herbert

1st Produced:
Borough Theatre, abergavenny    29 Jan 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:
-

Parts:
Male:  -            Female:  -            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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Close Friends

John Herbert
Jon sits playing his guitar. Laird his ex-lover arrives and confronts him about things that happened when they were together and their break up

Notes:
-

1st Produced:
Toronto    1970

Organisations:
-

1st Published:
in "Some angry Summer Songs", Talonbooks, Vancouver, 1976   -

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. - - Gay, one act

Parts:
Male:  2            Female:  -            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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Closer To Cleveland

Synopsis:
-

Notes:
-

1st Produced:
Toronto    1967

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:
-

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Dinosaurs

John Herbert
actress and the critic.

Notes:
-

1st Produced:
Forest Hill Chamber Theatre, Toronto    1974

Organisations:
-

1st Published:
in "Some angry Summer Songs", Talonbooks, Vancouver,    -

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. - - Gay, one act

Parts:
Male:  -            Female:  -            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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Family Of A Monster

Synopsis:
adolf Hitler's family and his treatment of them over the years

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:
Drama

Parts:
Male:  -            Female:  -            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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Felice

Synopsis:
a famous actress looses both hands in a tragic accident. She leaves her husband and becomes a recluse. an artist friend comes to visit her and persuades her that with his sculpting skill and that of an army surgeon they can make her a pair of beautiful hands

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

Parts:
Male:  -            Female:  -            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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Fortune And Men's Eyes

John Herbert
the play is set in a Canadian juvenile penitentiary, where a young prisoner, Smith, learns the ropes of life on the inside. Caught within a complex of power and politics, Smith assimilates quickly with the help of his cellmates, Rocky, Queenie, and Mona. The press release says, "Shocking, even by today's standards, Fortune offers a candid depiction of prison life, sexual violence and the inhumanity that the system encourages."
nytheatre.com

Notes:
-

1st Produced:
workshop at Stratford festival    1965

Organisations:
-

1st Published:
Grove Press, New York, 1967   -

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. - - Gay, full length

Parts:
Male:  5            Female:  -            Other:  extras

Further Reference:
-

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Household God, A

Synopsis:
a family run restaurant ruled with a fist of iron by the father. The mother cooks and cleans, the two teenage children either serve or take money at the cash register. The cash register - elaborate and gold with carved figures - the Household God

Notes:
-

1st Produced:
Bohemian Embassy Coffee House, Toronto    1962

Organisations:
Venture Players

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

Parts:
Male:  -            Female:  -            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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Lady Of Camellias, A

Synopsis:
-

Notes:
Original Playwright - Alexandre Dumas fils (La Dame Aux Camelias)

1st Produced:
Victoria auditorium, Toronto    1964

Organisations:
New Venture Players

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:
adaptation

Parts:
Male:  -            Female:  -            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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Magda

Synopsis:
Magda a German born woman who has lived in the States for forty years is on trial in Berlin for murdering the children and grandchildren of a Nazi couple

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:
Drama

Parts:
Male:  -            Female:  -            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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Marilyn At Seventy

Synopsis:
Marilyn Monroe did not die at 36 of a drug overdose - it was all a fix. Now in her seventies she looks back on her life - Jack and Bobby Kennedy, her other loves and the movies. She is none too pleased with Madonna copying her

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:
Monologue play

Parts:
Male:  -            Female:  1            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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Marlene Richdiet

Synopsis:
For thirty years a gay man has made a living impersonating Marlene Dietrich. Now he has put on a lot of weight so he has changed the name of his act to Marlene Richdiet and talks about food

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:
Monologue play. - - Gay, one act

Parts:
Male:  1            Female:  -            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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Merchant Of Bay Street, The

Synopsis:
Two members of the Bay Street Private Club Basil and anthony have borrowed money from Shylock. They despise Shylock and hope that they can cheat him out of the money. Lawrence, a friend of Basil and anthony, persuades Shylock's daughter Jessica to steal her father's money and run away with him. Basil needing money woos Portia a rich heiress. When Shylock takes anthony to court Portia disguises herself as a lawyer

Notes:
Based on "The Merchant of Venice" by William Shakespeare

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:
Drama

Parts:
Male:  -            Female:  -            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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Omphale And The Hero

Synopsis:
In a small Canadian town - the librarian antoinette has an affair with a native Canadian and is fired. She turns to prostitution to pay her way. One day she takes a drifter Mac back to her apartment he persuades her to let him stay. The police chief and the mayor want rid of Mac and to punish antoinette for allowing him stay

Notes:
-

1st Produced:
Forest Hill Chamber Theatre, Toronto    1974

Organisations:
-

1st Published:
in "Canadian Theatre Review 3", Toronto, Summer, 1974   -

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:
Three act Play/Drama

Parts:
Male:  3            Female:  1            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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One Castle Court

Synopsis:
an American couple living in an exclusive part of London have become patrons to numerous ex-pat artists from the States, Canada and Australia

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:
Drama

Parts:
Male:  -            Female:  -            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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Pearl Divers

John Herbert
gay waiter has problems getting a job

Notes:
-

1st Produced:
Forest Hill Chamber Theatre, Toronto    1974

Organisations:
-

1st Published:
in "Some angry Summer Songs", Talonbooks, Vancouver,    -

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. - - Gay, one act

Parts:
Male:  -            Female:  -            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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Power Of Paper Dolls, The

Synopsis:
64 year old Flora has been the hostess of the dining room of an exclusive mens club for many years. New management wants to get rid of all the old timers and Flora is sacked for removing her shoes whilst adding up the takings after the dinning room has closed. a year away from her pension and now with no money coming in she has to move from her apartment to a small rented room. Her next door neighbour comes to help her pack. He realises that her collection of film memorabilia is worth a fortune. On the proceeds Flora sets off for a year long trip to Europe

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:
Comedy

Parts:
Male:  6            Female:  5            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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Prima Dona, The

Synopsis:
an aged performance artist reminisces

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

Parts:
Male:  -            Female:  1            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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Private Club

Synopsis:
Donald an aspiring artist meets Poldi at his parents exclusive golf club. Poldi has come from austria to train as an opera singer and to pay her way has taken a job as a waitress. They fall in love. Donald paints her portrait and when she returns home she takes it with her. Donald's father is enraged with his son's choice of career - he locks him in a third story of their home and takes all Donald's paintings into the garden and burns them. Donald falls from the window and is killed. Years later in Vienna Donald's parents try to buy the painting from Poldi

Notes:
-

1st Produced:
Toronto    1962

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

Parts:
Male:  -            Female:  -            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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Ruby Fell, A

Synopsis:
In a concentration camp the commandant and his wife have taken two gypsies as servants. Gerda the commandant's wife discovers that the gypsy woman Maria has kept concealed a beautiful ruby. To punish her she has Maria's baby crucified. a high ranking Gestapo officer arrives. Maria's husband Romano is the commandant's chef. He plans revenge

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

Parts:
Male:  -            Female:  -            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

Top of Page Top of Page

Some Angry Summer Songs

John Herbert
Pearl Divers -gay waiter has problems getting a job.
Beer Room - various unpleasant gay men in a bar.
Close Friends - the (ex) boyfriend from Hell.
Dinosaurs - actress and the critic.

Notes:
includes Pearl Divers, Beer Room, Close Friends, The Dinosaurs

1st Produced:
Forest Hill Chamber Theatre, Toronto    1974

Organisations:
-

1st Published:
in "Some angry Summer Songs", Talonbooks, Vancouver,    -

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:
Plays One act. - - Gay, full length

Parts:
Male:  4            Female:  3            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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They Died With Their Boots On: A Marsh-Melodrama

Synopsis:
-

Notes:
-

1st Produced:
Taylor Stratton camp, Canoe Lake, Ontario    1942

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:
marsh-melodram' One act

Parts:
Male:  -            Female:  -            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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Time To Waltz

Synopsis:
a young Canadian secretary has her fortune told. She will make a long journey far away and find the love of her life. She laughs - but when she gets back to the office her boss tells her that they are going on a business trip to Vienna. They go to the Opera Ball. The young woman sees a painting of a woman in 18th Century dress who looks exactly like her. Then an old man asks her to dance

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

Parts:
Male:  -            Female:  -            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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Token Star, The

Synopsis:
a gay costume designer and his partner an afro-Canadian actor are spending the summer in Falstaff a town in Canada that puts on an annual Shakespeare Festival. The committee running it insist that a brash young actor has a leading role

Notes:
-

1st Produced:
Poor alex Theatre, toronto    1980

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:  -            Female:  -            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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World Of Woyzeck

Synopsis:
-

Notes:
Original Playwright - Georg Buchner

1st Produced:
Garret Theatre, Toronto    1969

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:
adaptation

Parts:
Male:  -            Female:  -            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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