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Howard Korder

HOWARD KORDER  (1957 - )

 Nationality:    USA
email:    n/a     Website:    n/a

Literary Agent:    The Gersh Agency, NY  UK representative the agency (London) Ltd

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

         Boy's Life         Episode 26         Facts, The         Fun         Girl's Talk         Hollow Lands, The         Imagining "America"         In A Garden         Laws, The         Life On Earth         Lights, The         Lip Service         Man In A Restaurant         Night Maneuver         Nobody         Pope's Nose, The         Sea Of Tranquility         Search And Destroy         Ted Williams         Under Observation         Wonderful Party

Boy's Life

Boy's Life
Told in a series of fast-paced, sharply etched scenes, the play traces the misadventures of three former college friends now seeking to make their way in the big city - and with various women of their acquaintance. there is the cynical Jack, who is already married and a father, but is not above pursuing daytime adulteries while baby-sitting in the park; the innocent, vulnerable Phil, who grows weary of not being taken seriously and concludes that being unhappy is the way things are supposed to be; and the handsome, amoral Don, who risks a solid relationship with his girlfriend by sleeping with another, simply to see if he "could get away with it." Moving along briskly, with its mood of satirical humour brilliantly sustained, the play dissects and anatomises the male narcissism - and protracted adolescence - which characterises its protagonists and, in the end, makes it hilariously clear that it is actually the women who possess the qualities of "manhood" and maturity which their deluded lovers so desperately

Notes:
-

1st Produced:
New York    1988

Organisations:
-

1st Published:
Dramatists Play Service, NY, 1988   978-0822201403

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:  4            Female:  5            Other:  -

Further Reference:

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Episode 26

Synopsis:
ingenious send up of the genre of Saturday morning sci-fi serials at the local cinema

Notes:
-

1st Produced:
New York    1985

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:  7            Female:  2            Other:  21 roles

Further Reference:
-

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Facts, The

Synopsis:
takes place at the scene of a mysterious briefing in the style of a hearing-where one character warns, "the facts speak for themselves they speak eloquently indeed."

Notes:
-

1st Produced:
-    -

Organisations:
-

1st Published:
in the Pope's Nose, 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:
One act

Parts:
Male:  5            Female:  -            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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Fun

Synopsis:
deals with the determination of two bored teenagers, Casper and Denny, to seek out a good time in their small city environment of tacky shopping malls and fast-food outlets. Told in a series of short, fast-moving scenes, with biting, staccato dialogue that subtly captures both the laid-back, pseudo-sophistication of the boys and the ennui which underlies this, the action of the play follows them, boom-box in hand, as they move from one suggested locale to another in search of excitement, sex, booze, drugs, or whatever might move their lives off dead, boring center. Picaresque in style, the play is both very funny and deeply revealing of the angst besetting much of modern American society.

Notes:
-

1st Produced:

Organisations:
-

1st Published:
Dramatists Play Service, Inc. and by Smith & Kraus in 20/20: Twenty One-act Plays from the Twenty Year History of the Humana Festival of New American Plays,    -

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:  6            Female:  1            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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Girl's Talk

Synopsis:
a very nosy woman tries to get to know her new neighbor whose son keeps hiding under the sink, against a backdrop of wife abuse

Notes:
-

1st Produced:
-    -

Organisations:
-

1st Published:
in the Pope's Nose, 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:
One act

Parts:
Male:  1            Female:  2            Other:  1b

Further Reference:
-

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Hollow Lands, The

Synopsis:
In 1815, America seemed ripe for the taking: boundless freedom, unseen kingdoms, and unimaginable profits. Pioneers, profiteers, and out-and-out criminals scoured the country for their share. Jim Newman's share was not what he had dreamed.

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:  11            Female:  3            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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Imagining "America"

Synopsis:
a director interviews for a job on a project extolling the American dream, only to find out that what he is really wanted for is his connections to certain actors-actors he cannot deliver.

Notes:
-

1st Produced:
-    -

Organisations:
-

1st Published:
in the Pope's Nose, 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:
One act

Parts:
Male:  2            Female:  -            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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In A Garden

Synopsis:
the Minister of Culture in aqaat wants a summer house built in his garden. an American architect is designing it. However, the minister keeps quibbling about details

Notes:
-

1st Produced:
South Coast Repertory Theatre, Costa Mesa, California    12 Mar 2010

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:  4            Female:  -            Other:  -

Further Reference:

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Laws, The

Synopsis:
a monologue in which a man reads a series of laws, contrasting the ancient and the modern worlds

Notes:
-

1st Produced:
-    -

Organisations:
-

1st Published:
in the Pope's Nose, 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:
One act

Parts:
Male:  1            Female:  -            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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Life On Earth

Synopsis:
-

Notes:
-

1st Produced:
-    1985

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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Lights, The

Lights, The
Lillian, a young clerk in a department store impulsively steals a watch from the store to replace the one, FredEric, her boyfriend, lost. Over the next 24 hours, both their lives twist and turn in ways they never expected. Lillian's guilt over her theft nearly gets the best of her and she vows to turn herself in until her friend and coworker, Rose, convinces her to lie. Rose tries to cheer Lillian up by taking her out for drinks where they meet a wealthy businessman and a city official. the men take the women out for a whirlwind evening ending in the businessman's apartment where Lillian is raped by the official, but reveals this to no one. FredEric, depressed for some time, is determined to get back on his feet. He tries but fails to collect money he's owed in order to pay off his debt to a loan shark, who, having no pity, beats him, forces him to beg for an extension, and takes the watch as collateral, leaving him on the street. He embarks on a desperate search for work which leads to a group of criminals who'll pay him to steal fixtures from abandoned buildings, which he does. the next day, Lillian returns to work prepared to confess to the theft. FredEric enters the store, convinced he's done the right thing, wanting to tell Lillian that he's back on the right path. When Lillian sees him, she sees her own way out: she wants the watch back. FredEric doesn't have it, and Lillian believes he sold it for drug money. Rejected, utterly humiliated, FredEric is again cast out onto the streets. When her superior approaches, Lillian lies about the watch, saying a customer must have taken it, thus starting new troubles of her own.

Notes:
-

1st Produced:
Lincoln Centre Theatre, New York    1993

Organisations:
-

1st Published:
Methuen Drama    978-0413711908

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:  13            Female:  4            Other:  flexible

Further Reference:

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Lip Service

Synopsis:
-

Notes:
TV 1989

1st Produced:
New York    1986

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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Man In A Restaurant

Synopsis:
depicts a day in the life of a man who drinks espresso at a cafe table from early in the morning to very late at night. an odd assortment of people share his table over the course of the day-including his ex-wife, a tourist couple, a laborer, a priest and a student. With each guest at his table the man displays a chameleon-like ability to change his identity with each of their stories.

Notes:
-

1st Produced:
-    -

Organisations:
-

1st Published:
in the Pope's Nose, 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:
One act

Parts:
Male:  8            Female:  2            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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Night Maneuver

Synopsis:
Lou, a twenty-six-year-old auto parts clerk, rents a shabby urban bachelor pad. His eighteen-year-old brother, Tim, is crashing there. Getting to know each other's ways, the brothers trade slurred, desultory banter that touches on sex, booze and the almost mythical exploits of their older brother, Monty. at one point, in a great monologue, Lou recounts how he lost his virginity at twelve years old to Monty's girlfriend while on an inflatable horse life preserver in a pool. the conversation turns to Tim's late night whereabouts: Does he have a girl? What's he doing hanging around the park until late at night? Is he really innocent? It is finally revealed that Tim is doing drugs and Lou is a small-time drug dealer. Though starting off as Lou leading his younger brother through a crash course in survival, by the end of the play, Tim has taken control of the situation. the brothers pair off for a showdown of sibling rivalry halfway between life and death and abbot and Costello, but no longer just a little brother, Tim takes advantage of Lou's drug contacts and set up a deal for himself.

Notes:
-

1st Produced:
Floating Rep, NYC    1982

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:  2            Female:  -            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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Nobody

Synopsis:
examines another aspect of our troubled times when Denny's father, Carl, loses his well-paying factory job. again the playwright uses the technique of short, interrelated scenes to follow Carl's downward spin as his self-respect is steadily eroded-his family life plunged into turmoil, he finds himself falling in with a group of bitter malcontents, and his growing despair leads to drinking, violence, and the eventual destruction of his marriage. In the end he does find another job but, by this time, his dreams are shattered-and, sadly, all it can mean to him now is the money it will bring in.

Notes:
-

1st Produced:
Louisville    1987

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:
One act

Parts:
Male:  11            Female:  2            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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Pope's Nose, The

Synopsis:
a collection of short comic plays and sketches that depict the absurdity of a life without human connection. Howard Korder's work is perfect to display a wide range of acting talents and styles. "the short piece is Korder at his savvy satirical sharpest." -Drama-Logue

Notes:
-

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:
Short Comedy Collection One act

Parts:
Male:  -            Female:  -            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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Sea Of Tranquility

Synopsis:
Ben and Nessa Green sell the house in Connecticut to start over in the new American West. But along with clears skies and open spaces come cultural warfare, runaway kids, guests who won't leave, and a past that never really disappears, either in the ground beneath their feet or inside their own hearts.

Notes:
-

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:
Dark Comedy Comedy

Parts:
Male:  6            Female:  5            Other:  doubling

Further Reference:
-

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Search And Destroy

Search And Destroy
Martin Mirkheim owes the state of Florida $47,000 in back taxes, but this is not where his mind is focused. Instead he is intent on acquiring the film rights to a novel called "Daniel Strong," written by Dr. Waxling, a pseudo-religious type guru. the first part of Martin's journey is spent trying to meet Dr. Waxling, but he is kept away by secretaries and personal assistants. When finally face to face with Waxling, Martin discovers that the good doctor is less interested in any "higher truth" than in getting $500,000 for the film rights. Still consumed by his desire to make the book into a movie, Martin resorts to deceit, blackmail, fraud, extortion and murder to claw his way to success in a riveting indictment of American values today.

Notes:
-

1st Produced:
Costa Mesa, Ca    1990

Organisations:
-

1st Published:
American Theatre Magazine, NY - June, 1990
avalon Travel Publishing 2000   978-0802132741

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:  12            Female:  2            Other:  doubling

Further Reference:

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Ted Williams

Synopsis:
-

Notes:
-

1st Produced:
San Francisco    1995

Organisations:
-

1st Published:
in Baseball Monologues, Heineman educational (ed Lavonne Mueller), 1997   -

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 One act

Parts:
Male:  -            Female:  -            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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Under Observation

Synopsis:
a touching monologue in which a woman responds to the hospitalization of her husband in very technological language

Notes:
-

1st Produced:
-    -

Organisations:
-

1st Published:
in the Pope's Nose, 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:
One act

Parts:
Male:  -            Female:  1            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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Wonderful Party

Synopsis:
a hostess hardly knows anyone at her own party

Notes:
-

1st Produced:
-    -

Organisations:
-

1st Published:
in the Pope's Nose, 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:
One act

Parts:
Male:  5            Female:  3            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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