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William Kernen

WILLIAM KERNEN  (1948 - )

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

Literary Agent:    Robert A Freedman Dramatic Agency  

Leaving a successful career as a Division 1 NCAA baseball coach, William Kernen gave up the praise and prosperity of the sports world to pursue his dream of writing plays. He promptly moved to New York , enrolled in Columbia University's Dramatic Writing program and studied for two years under Eduardo Machado. His first play, and Other Fairy Tales, won over audiences and earned Kernen representation from the venerable Robert A. Freedman Dramatic agency in New York. Kernen's second outing, a Graveyard Symphony, was produced at the Trilogy Theatre in New York in 1997. Galleria degli angeli came next, receiving strong reviews during its run at The Independent in the West Village, being compared in ferocity to "Last Tango in Paris" by one reviewer. Four more stage productions of Kernen's work followed, as well as a short film production of "Snapshot of Molly and Her Man" in 2002. Most recently, a second short film, "In the House of athazagora" was produced and directed by Kernen in October 2005. Kernen has now adapted and Other Fairy Tales and Galleria degli Angeli into full-length feature films. His agency and a small cadre of committed people are working hard to realize the projects on film. Kernen now resides in New York City. In April 2000, Kernen founded a non-profit 501(c)3 Theatre Company--Gallery of Angels, Inc. The company is dedicated to producing important new work and to directing the development of its actor ensemble. Film productions: Snapshot of Molly and Her Man-2002 (Writer/Casting Director); In the House of athazagora-2005 (Writer/director/producer)

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

         And Other Fairy Tales         Candlelight Sonata         Galleria Degli Angeli         Graveyard Symphony, A         I Said No Mourning         In the House Of Athazagora         Laughing With Daddy         Musica De Mariposa         Snapshot Of Molly And Her Man

And Other Fairy Tales

Synopsis:
Ann, at age 70, attends the funeral of a former love she hasn't seen in 40 years, since the day she vanished from his life. This event propels us to seeing her at four ages (often simultaneously) as she struggles toward an unexpected self-realization. She travels by train from the funeral and is soon joined in her train car by a young man, Brian, who has just said goodbye to his girl friend at the train station. Having witnessed the goodbye, Ann-70 makes conversation and inquiry into their relationship, which ultimately leads to many unexpected revelations. At one point, she describes herself to Brian as "a loveless old bird, with pencil-lead friends on a trip to nowhere." One such revelation displays a drastic act of desperation which results in Ann spending her life alone. However, on this night, on this train, Ann purges her spirit through interaction with visions of people from her past, three of which are herself at earlier ages--30, 18 and 6. As a result of these, which were triggered by the emotion of the funeral experience, she is finally able to reconcile with herself at the end of her life, thus gaining victory over the devastating effects of her childhood experiences.

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1st Produced:
New York    1997

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Genre:
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Male:  1            Female:  4            Other:  -

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Candlelight Sonata

Synopsis:
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1st Produced:
New York City    1999

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Music:
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Galleria Degli Angeli

Synopsis:
Valentina, an obsessively driven female Italian painter, imprisons Daniel in her private art gallery in Rome to paint a masterpiece for God to gain status as an angel in heaven. Daniel is traveling alone in Italy to heal and forget. He has had his heart broken by the woman he considered the love of his life. He first visits Florence where he attends a philharmonic performance one night, followed by a day trip to Siena to view The Palio-the ancient horse race for which the city is famous. Mysterious strangers cross his path at both events, each imploring him to go to Rome to find his destiny. He decides to make Rome his next destination. Simultaneously, Valentina tends to her art gallery and studio in Rome, each day sketching and painting and waiting. She has waited since her youth for the divine subject of a painting to offer to God. Valentina considers herself to be the greatest painter in human history (the female counterpart to Michelangelo), uses nothing artificial (including electricity) and paints to live cello-played by her equally obsessed assistant, Antonia. On his first day in Rome, Daniel happens upon the private art gallery of Valentina and within moments of meeting, she becomes mesmerized by him--his hands in particular. She immediately realizes that her long-awaited masterpiece subject has arrived. Valentina will stop at nothing to attain her objectives and demonstrates this zeal by locking Daniel inside her gallery as he observes it and is being charmed by the young painter during their initial tour of the gallery. Soon realizing he is trapped, Daniel furiously objects, fights and demands release repeatedly, but is continually persuaded to sit for her in an uncomfortable pose by the use of every female tactic she possesses-first flirting, then seductive innuendo and finally overt sexual advances. Daniel falls for them all. In fact, he finds himself falling for her as well. Then, suddenly, but not intentionally, Valentina states something that makes Daniel realize he is simply being used and that nothing significant is really developing between them. He attacks by lunging for the painting. She removes it from her easel just in time and like a tigress defending her young, ramps up the stakes to life and death proportions. The flirting is over. The charm is gone. A death struggle follows resulting in Daniel deciding he does not want to leave after all. He instead remains to execute an equally vicious plot of his own upon his captor, starting with demanding to finish the painting. This reversal of attitude leads to chaos, insanity and a merging of souls. Valentina, at first devastated in the process, is ultimately redeemed and Daniel learns the meaning of immortality.

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1st Produced:
New York    2001

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Genre:
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Male:  1            Female:  1            Other:  -

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Graveyard Symphony, A

Synopsis:
Jack hides out in an obscure bar to decide what next to do with his life. He wants to be alone. Instead he encounters Butch (a younger version of himself), Jill (a murderous bar maid), the bartender (Jill's father), a woman in white (the ghost of Jill's dead mother), and a mysterious woman. Butch provokes him. Jill falls in love with him. The bartender disgusts him. The mysterious woman has tracked him down to reveal a secret from his past. The woman in white has motivations of her own from the other side.

Notes:
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1st Produced:
New York    1997

Organisations:
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1st Published:
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Music:
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Genre:
Play/Drama

Parts:
Male:  3            Female:  3            Other:  -

Further Reference:
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I Said No Mourning

Synopsis:
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1st Produced:
New York City    1999

Organisations:
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1st Published:
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Music:
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In the House Of Athazagora

Synopsis:
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Notes:
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1st Produced:
New York City    1999

Organisations:
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1st Published:
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Music:
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Laughing With Daddy

Synopsis:
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1st Produced:
New York City    1999

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1st Published:
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Music:
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Musica De Mariposa

Synopsis:
Catalina is the daughter of the most renowned flamenco dancer in all of Spain--Mariposa. Tragically, Mariposa died giving birth to Ana, who is said to have "danced in the womb". In their youth, Mariposa had captured the love of Valasco Ortega--Ana's father--and lured her away from his lover, Calixta. Now, twenty years later, Catalina is falling in love with Calixta's son, Cordero. Calixta has spent her adult life protecting Cordero from falling in love with others and of all the women in Spain, the last one she wants him to love is the daughter of the woman who ruined her happiness. The conflict of two mothers--one dead and one alive--fighting for their children, reveals the secrets of Calixta's "protection" of Cordero, the power of a father's influence on his daughter and the magic of Mariposa's music from the grave.

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To Buy This Play:
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Genre:
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Parts:
Male:  2            Female:  3            Other:  -

Further Reference:
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Snapshot Of Molly And Her Man

Synopsis:
-

Notes:
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1st Produced:
New York City    1999

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

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Genre:
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