The Playwrights Database
JOHN PATRICK
(1905 - 1995)
Nationality:
USA
email:
n/a
Website:
n/a
Literary Agent:
ICM Partners
Born John Patrick Goggan in Louisville, Kentucky. As a child he was abandoned by his parents and was brought up by various foster parents and as he was wild and unruly he was sent to various boarding institutions. When he was 19 he obtained an announcers job on KPO Radio in San Francisco. In 1925 he married Mildred Legaye. Between 1929 and 1933 he wrote for the radio series "Cecil and Sally Show". His first play "Hell Freezes Over" ran for a brief time on Broadway but he was spotted by Hollywood and invited to become a movie scriptwriter. His second play "the Willow and I" opened in 1942 starring Gregory Peck. John volunteered to join the American Field Service and was sent to Egypt and later India and BurmA. He based his next play "the Hasty Heart" on his wartime experiences. the play was a hit (a film was made of it starring Ronald Reagan). the next big success he had was "Teahouse of the August Moon" in 1956 for which he won both the Tony Award for Drama and the Pulitzer Prize. there after none of his plays were successful so he devoted his talents to writing screenplays. "High Society" and "the World of Suzie Wong" were among his successes. He retired to St. Thomas in the U.S. Virgin Islands where he committed suicide in 1995.
Raymond Port
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below is a list of John Patrick's plays - click on a Play Title for more information
Anybody Out there?
Bad Year For Tomatoes, A
Barrel Full Of Pennies, A
Cheating Cheaters
Chiropodist, The
Compulsion
Confession
Curious Savage, The
Dancing Mice, The
Divorce, Anyone?
Doctor Will See You Now, The
Empathy
Enigma, The
Everybody Loves Opal
Everybody's Girl
Gay Deceiver, The
Girls Of the Garden Club, The
Good As Gold
Gynecologist, The
Habit
Hasty Heart, The
Hell Freezes Over
Integrity
It's A Dog's Life
It's Been Wonderful
Juniper And the Pagans
Lo And Behold!
Love Is A Time Of Day
Love Nest For Three
Lovely Ladies, Kind Gentlemen
Loyalty
Macbeth Did It
Magenta Moth, The
Masquerade
Noah's Animals
Opal Is A Diamond
Opal's Baby: A New Sequel
Opal's Husband
Opal's Million Dollar Duck
People!
Physician, The
Psychiatrist, The
Raconteur
Reluctant Rogue, The, or Mother's Day
Roman Conquest
Savage DilEmma, The
Scandal Point
Sense and Nonsense
Sex On the Sixth Floor
Story Of Mary Surratt, The
Suicide, Anyone?
Teahouse Of the August Moon, The
That's Not My Father!
That's Not My Mother!
Willow And I, The
Anybody Out there?
Synopsis:
Poor Oliver Pankey is a born loser. His landlady charges him when someone else breaks his window. His fiancee leaves him for a married man. His boss at the bank cuts his pay when he asks for a raise. And a thief takes everything he has - including his only suit. As the last straw, when he visits a doctor to check on the results of a blood test the files get switched and he is told that he'll be dead within six months. Fed up, and reconciled to his fate, Oliver turns into a raging lion, performing feats of dazzling bravery and ending up as the new branch manager of the bank. He even agrees to help the FBI by becoming a sitting duck for a gangland shoot-out - only to learn, at the eleventh hour, of the doctor's horrendous error. Needless to say our stalwart hero's knees turn suddenly to jelly, but the action spins zanily on, deftly finding its way to a happy - and hilarious - conclusion.
Notes:
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1st Produced:
- -
Organisations:
-
1st Published:
Dramatists Play Service, NY, 1972 -
Music:
-
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Genre:
Farcical Comedy
Parts:
Male: 7  Female: 3  Other: -
Further Reference:
-
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Bad Year For Tomatoes, A
Synopsis:
Fed up with the pressures and demands of her acting career, the famous Myra Marlowe leases a house in the tiny New England hamlet of Beaver Haven, and settles down to write her autobiography. She is successful in turning aside the offers pressed on her by her long-time agent, but dealing with her nosy, omnipresent neighbours is a different matter. In an attempt to shoo them away, and gain some privacy, Myra invents a mad, homicidal sister - who is kept locked in an upstairs room, but who occasionally escapes long enough to scare off uninvited visitors. the ruse works well, at first, but complications result when the local handyman conceives an affection for "Sister Sadie' (really Myra in a fright wig) and some of the more officious ladies decide it is their Christian duty to save the poor demented Sadie's soul. In desperation Myra announces that her imaginary sibling has suddenly gone off to Boston - which brings on the sheriff, and the suspicion of murder! Needless to say, all is straightened out in the end,
Notes:
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1st Produced:
N Royalston, Ohio 1974
Organisations:
-
1st Published:
Dramatists Play Service, NY, 1975 -
Music:
-
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Genre:
Comedy
Parts:
Male: 3  Female: 4  Other: -
Further Reference:
-
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Barrel Full Of Pennies, A
Synopsis:
In the household of Adonis Samaritan, cab driver and lover of mankind, ail homeless creatures, dogs, lame ducks and people - are welcome, much to the distress of daughter Alicia, who wishes she didn't have to be embarrassed at the thought of inviting her elegant boyfriend, Milton, to dinner. But plans are made, only to be jeopardized by the arrival of still another "stray," a self-proclaimed folk singer named Alvin, whom Adonis brings home to join "Cousin" Lu, "Uncle" Nemo, and the assorted animals quartered in the cellar. Despite the best intentions of Adonis and his wife, Mina, to have things go smoothly, they go, as luck would have it, quite the opposite, and the complications multiply hilariously. In the end Milton (who never does show up) is forgotten about in the turmoil, while Alvin (who shows up better than expected) proves that love will find a way - and, what is more important, that the wild and wonderful life style of the Samaritans has found a new champion to keep it spinning along merrily for man
Notes:
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1st Produced:
Paramus, NJ 1970
Organisations:
-
1st Published:
Dramatists Play Service, NY, 1971 -
Music:
-
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Genre:
Comedy
Parts:
Male: 3  Female: 3  Other: -
Further Reference:
-
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Cheating Cheaters
Synopsis:
Faced with the responsibility of looking after their orphaned niece, theresa and Angelica, two middle-aged sisters, have settled on the idea of impersonating begging nuns in order to send Tania to art school in Europe, but as the play begins they have run into double trouble: An agile young cat burglar is about to make off with their ill-gotten gains; and a suspicious policeman has followed theresa (and her collection bucket) home. However all is not as desperate as it seems, as the personable young thief happens to be a medical student who steals to pay his tuition (and is willing to consider alternative means of fund raising) while the cop, as it turns out, is also not above taking what he can on the side. So the four join forces for some inspired larceny and things go swimmingly-or do until the supposedly saintly Tania turns up unannounced. Trying to hide the truth from their niece, theresa and Angelica decide to "go straight," which also, unfortunately, means going broke, and results in a series of hilarious misunderstandings. In the end, however, it develops that Tania is not quite the paragon her aunts believed her to be-but the confession of her own misdeeds (she is an accomplished art forger) is steadily forgiven when she also reveals that the rather considerable earnings from her illegal activities are merrily piling up interest in a Swiss bank!
Notes:
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1st Produced:
- -
Organisations:
-
1st Published:
Dramatists Play Service, NY, 1985 -
Music:
-
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Genre:
Comedy
Parts:
Male: 2  Female: 3  Other: -
Further Reference:
-
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Chiropodist, The
Synopsis:
In the Chiropodist, the doctor and nurse are embroiled in yet another chase scene around the office. As the nurse says, this chiropodist is "over-drawn, over-wrought and over sexed." Tired of this perennial scene, the nurse takes the situation into her own hands and uses her sister, who is a lawyer, to help teach the doctor a lesson. Not only does the chiropodist learn his lesson, he has the tables turned on him in a surprise ending!
Notes:
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1st Produced:
- -
Organisations:
-
1st Published:
Dramatists Play Service, NY, 1991 -
Music:
-
To Buy This Play:
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Genre:
One Act
Parts:
Male: 2  Female: 2  Other: -
Further Reference:
-
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Compulsion
Synopsis:
deals with a distraught young husband whose wife is planning to divorce him because of his over-energetic sexual demands. He persuades a long absent visiting friend to pose as a priest and talk sense to her-which works beautifully until she catches on. Where upon she turns the tables on hubby in hilarious fashion.
Notes:
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1st Produced:
N Royalston, Ohio 1975
Organisations:
-
1st Published:
Dramatists Play Service, NY, 1976 -
Music:
-
To Buy This Play:
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Genre:
Short Comedy One Act
Parts:
Male: 2  Female: 1  Other: -
Further Reference:
-
Top of Page
Confession
Synopsis:
two male lovers face a crisis when one of them peevishly announces that he is moving out. With the connivance of a wacky female neighbor the other man fakes suicide (with sugar pills) but the scheme backfires-with uproarious results. Once more, however, things do work out in the end, and happily, for the best.
Notes:
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1st Produced:
St. Thomas, VI 1976
Organisations:
-
1st Published:
Dramatists Play Service, NY, 1976 -
Music:
-
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Genre:
Short Comedy One Act. - - Gay, one act
Parts:
Male: 2  Female: 1  Other: -
Further Reference:
-
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Curious Savage, The
Synopsis:
Mrs. Savage has been left ten million dollars by her husband, and wants to make the best use of it, in spite of the efforts of her grown-up stepchildren to get their hands on it. these latter, knowing that the widow's wealth is now in negotiable securities, and seeing they cannot get hold of it, commit her to a "sanatorium" hoping to "bring her to her senses." But Mrs. Savage is determined to establish a fund to help others realize their hopes and dreams. In the sanatorium she meets various social misfits, men and women who just cannot adjust themselves to life, people who need the help Mrs. Savage can provide. In getting to know them, she realizes that she will find happiness with them, and plans to spend the rest of her life as one of them. But when the doctor tells her there is no reason why she should remain, she hesitates to go out into a hard world where people seem ready to do anything for money. the self-seeking stepchildren are driven to distraction by their vain efforts to browbeat Mrs. Savage, but she preserves her equanimity and leads them on a merry chase. At last her friends conspire to get rid of her stepchildren, and through their simple belief in the justice of her cause, they enable Mrs. Savage to carry out her plans. the last scene, a farewell party, is a delightful fantasy where each "guest" in the sanatorium realizes at last some hopeless dream for something he was never able to realize. the dominant mood is high comedy, and the audience is left with a feeling that the neglected virtues of kindness and affection have not been entirely lost in a world that seems motivated at times only by greed and dishonesty.
Notes:
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1st Produced:
Martin Beck Theatre, New York 24 Oct 1950
Organisations:
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1st Published:
Dramatists Play Service, NY, 1951 -
Music:
-
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Genre:
Comedy
Parts:
Male: 5  Female: 6  Other: -
Further Reference:
-
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Dancing Mice, The
Synopsis:
the setting is a laundromat in a poorer section of a large city, a gathering place for the diverse characters who live in the neighborhood. As these very different people come in contact, a wide range of human experience is revealed, as are the fears and tensions which so often drive us apart even when compassion and understanding are so sorely needed. In the course of the action there are poignant "memory sequences" which probe into the secret thoughts of the individual characters and which are contrasted against the moments of violence, intrigue, romance, comedy and pathos which are the stuff of their real lives. In the end there is also death, but, with this, an awareness of the resilient humanity and sense of hope which reside in all men and which, ultimately, must provide the ways to redemption and a better life.
Notes:
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1st Produced:
Berea, Ohio 1972
Organisations:
-
1st Published:
Dramatists Play Service, NY, 1972 -
Music:
-
To Buy This Play:
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Genre:
Play/Drama
Parts:
Male: 7  Female: 5  Other: -
Further Reference:
-
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Divorce, Anyone?
Synopsis:
the first play, COMPULSION, deals with a distraught young husband whose wife is planning to divorce him because of his over-energetic sexual demands. He persuades a long absent visiting friend to pose as a priest and talk sense to her-which works beautifully until she catches on. Where upon she turns the tables on hubby in hilarious fashion. In the second play, INTEGRITY, a disgruntled husband (a penniless actor) argues with his cynical wife (a very successful novelist) while her deaf Father studies his chessboard in unruffled calm amid the din. This time it is the husband who threatens divorce, and in the resulting free-for-all both hurl the other's most prized possessions out the window. In the heat of their dispute their passion is rekindled, however, and love finds a way-while the old gentleman remains blissfully unaware of what has been going on. In the third play, HABIT, a neglected wife asks for a divorce, as her husband doesn't even pay attention to her outrageous comments, much less her amorous needs. When an attractive young bachelor neighbor appears and suggests that he is willing to assume the latter portion of the marital obligation, however, the husband finally comes to life-at least until he discovers that the young man is an actor engaged by his wife. Whereupon all settle back to dull normalcy, to the obvious relief of both parties.
Notes:
Compusion, Integrity, Habit
1st Produced:
N Royalston, Ohio 1975
Organisations:
-
1st Published:
Dramatists Play Service, NY, 1976 -
Music:
-
To Buy This Play:
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Genre:
Three 1 Acts One Act
Parts:
Male: 2  Female: 1  Other: -
Further Reference:
-
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Doctor Will See You Now, The
Synopsis:
In the CHIROPODIST, the doctor and nurse are embroiled in yet another chase scene around the office. As the nurse says, this chiropodist is "over-drawn, over-wrought and over sexed." Tired of this perennial scene, the nurse takes the situation into her own hands and uses her sister, who is a lawyer, to help teach the doctor a lesson. Not only does the chiropodist learn his lesson, he has the tables turned on him in a surprise ending! (2 man, 2 women) the GYNECOLOGIST has an office full of pregnant women, including Dolly Dilly, who thinks she became pregnant while trapped in an elevator with a salesman. the salesman turns out to be the fiancee of the gynecologist's nurse! Everything gets worked out when it is discovered that the incident with the salesman happened well over nine months ago and that Dolly is simply "growing into her heredity" as the daughter of a circus fat lady. (2 men, 2 women) T29929. (2 men, 1 woman) T29929 (2 men, 1 woman)
Notes:
Chiropodist, Gynaecologist, Physician, Psychiatrist
1st Produced:
- -
Organisations:
-
1st Published:
Dramatists Play Service, NY, 1991 -
Music:
-
To Buy This Play:
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Genre:
Four 1 Acts
Parts:
Male: 2  Female: 2  Other: -
Further Reference:
-
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Empathy
Synopsis:
a frustrated young would-be actress tries unsuccessfully to hang herself, only to be interrupted first by a house painter (who manages to be eternally sunny despite some monumental problems of his own), and then by a TV repairman (who is also a pre-med student-and much taken with his young customer). Again everything gets turned around delightfully, and in the most amusing ways imaginable
Notes:
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1st Produced:
St. Thomas, VI 1976
Organisations:
-
1st Published:
Dramatists Play Service, NY, 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:
Comedy One Act
Parts:
Male: 2  Female: 1  Other: -
Further Reference:
-
Top of Page
Enigma, The
Synopsis:
Stuart Pearson, a young computer operator, lives in terror of the "tiger" who has moved in with him, but he gets little sympathy from his airline pilot friend, Phil Rittenhouse, the main reason being that the tiger, Elsa, is visible to Stu only. However he fares better with his lovely neighbor, Nora Dall, as she has a similar problem herself-her nemesis being Tarzan, a "gorilla" -again very real to her, but unseen by others. the complications multiply uproariously as the two scheme to get rid of their unwanted companions while, at the same time, "finding" each other. Meanwhile, however, their doubting friend, Phil, ends up with the strangest apparition of all, a small shaggy "enigma" who follows him everywhere-until a desperate, but well-placed, bullet sets him free as well.
Notes:
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1st Produced:
Berea, Ohio 1973
Organisations:
-
1st Published:
Dramatists Play Service, NY, 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:
Comedy/Fantasy Comedy
Parts:
Male: 3  Female: 2  Other: (3-5 men, 2-4 women): 5 total
Further Reference:
-
Top of Page
Everybody Loves Opal
Synopsis:
Opal Kronkie, a middle-aged recluse, lives in a tumbledown mansion at the edge of the municipal dump. the general disarray of her establishment is aggravated by the fact that Opal collects things-anything that can be toted home in her little red wagon. Opal is also an optimist, for no matter how mean her lot-or her "friends" -Opal responds with unfailing kindness and an abiding faith in the goodness of human nature. Into her rather strange world comes Gloria, Bradford and Solomon, three purveyors of bogus perfume on the lam from the authorities. Opal's menage is the perfect hideout-and Opal, herself, might be the remedy for their shattered finances. they decide that what she needs is plenty of insurance, a rapid demise, and three beneficiaries named Gloria, Bradford and Solomon. Attempted murder wouldn't seem to be funny, but in Mr. Patrick's magic hands it is uproarious. the unsavory trio concoct an elaborate scheme to drop the ceiling on Opal's unsuspecting head-but she is in the cellar at the time; they try to drug her and set the house on fire-but Opal's state trooper friend arrives at the wrong (or right) moment; a plan for a "hit and run" accident backfires. Through it all, Opal radiates kindness, affection and, strangely enough, gratitude. But the real clincher comes at the end. It seems that there was plenty of money around all the time; bags, barrels, and mooseheads full of it, in fact, and any friend of Opal's is welcome to as much as he wants. All they had to do was ask.
Notes:
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1st Produced:
New York 1961
Organisations:
-
1st Published:
Dramatists Play Service, NY, 1962 -
Music:
-
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Genre:
Comedy
Parts:
Male: 4  Female: 2  Other: -
Further Reference:
-
Top of Page
Everybody's Girl
Synopsis:
As the critic of the Miami Times describes EVERYBODY's GIRL and its central character: "Vivian Vance is the key to the plot. She plays a kookie 'widow' living in a town called Harmony, and her activities range from being mayor to running the local home for wayward girls. Due to the unlikely incident of a Japanese duck landing in her back yard, she comes into small recognition, and enough for a newspaper man to come out to do a story. When he finds out she has five sons in a prison camp in North Vietnam, he decides here is a chance for fame and a fast buck, and launches a campaign to have her named Mother of the Year. But this fine distinction is hilariously corrupted when it is revealed she was never, ever married." This bit of information comes as a shock to all, including her five strapping sons (who have been released from the prison camp for diplomatic reasons) and the White House (where she has been invited to receive Presidential recognition). But fortunately there is an explanation for it all, which removes any suggested blot on American motherhood and sets the stage for the rollicking climax of the play.
Notes:
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1st Produced:
Miami 1967
Organisations:
-
1st Published:
Dramatists Play Service, NY, 1968 -
Music:
-
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Genre:
Comedy
Parts:
Male: 8  Female: 2  Other: of the men, many are bit parts
Further Reference:
-
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Gay Deceiver, The
Synopsis:
Conservative Father standing for mayor has problems when his son returns home accompanied by his gay lover.
Notes:
-
1st Produced:
- -
Organisations:
-
1st Published:
Dramatists Play Service, NY, 1988 -
Music:
-
To Buy This Play:
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Genre:
Comedy. - - Gay, theme/character full length
Parts:
Male: 5  Female: 2  Other: -
Further Reference:
-
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Girls Of the Garden Club, The
Synopsis:
For Rhoda Greenleaf gardening is all and the presidency of the local garden club her highest goal. But standing in her way is the incumbent, Lillybelle, who peppers her speech with French phrases and is a general pain in the neck. How to oust Lillybelle and install herself as president becomes Rhoda's obsession-with husband, children and home all pushed aside as she pursues her own quest. Despite help from other club members Rhoda is stalled, until her daughter's boyfriend comes up with a novel idea-he slips a voice box into Rhoda's prize plant, turning it into the world's only talking flower. As it has been agreed to have the presidency of the garden club go to whomever wins a first prize in the Flower Show, Rhoda appears to be a shoo-in. But then, as fate would have it, complications arise. Rhoda's plant apparently dies; it comes miraculously back to life; Rhoda wins first prize; Lillybelle cries foul; the "plant" gives Lillybelle a few choice words; and the shaken Lillybelle retires in defeat. To make matters perfect Rhoda's long-suffering husband agrees, at last, to give her the money for a greenhouse-and, as the play ends, the "girls" of the garden club are happily joined in a triumphant, stirring rendition of the Garden Club song.
Notes:
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1st Produced:
Berea, Ohio 1979
Organisations:
-
1st Published:
Dramatists Play Service, NY, 1980 -
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: 17  Other: -
Further Reference:
-
Top of Page
Good As Gold
Synopsis:
A scientist discovers how to turn gold into earth. But the earth has special properties that make plants grow to huge sizes. No one need go hungry again. the board at Fort Knox are not interested. However, one politician wants to get hold of some of this earth - he wants to grow an impenetrable seaweed barrier along the coasts of the U.S.
Notes:
from novel by Alfred Toombs
1st Produced:
Belasco Theatre, New York 1957
Organisations:
-
1st Published:
- -
Music:
-
To Buy This Play:
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Genre:
Adaptation
Parts:
Male: 16  Female: 2  Other: -
Further Reference:
-
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Gynecologist, The
Synopsis:
the Gynecologist has an office full of pregnant women, including Dolly Dilly, who thinks she became pregnant while trapped in an elevator with a salesman. the salesman turns out to be the fiancee of the gynecologist's nurse! Everything gets worked out when it is discovered that the incident with the salesman happened well over nine months ago and that Dolly is simply "growing into her heredity" as the daughter of a circus fat lady
Notes:
-
1st Produced:
- -
Organisations:
-
1st Published:
Dramatists Play Service, NY, 1991 -
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:
One Act
Parts:
Male: 2  Female: 2  Other: -
Further Reference:
-
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Habit
Synopsis:
a neglected wife asks for a divorce, as her husband doesn't even pay attention to her outrageous comments, much less her amorous needs. When an attractive young bachelor neighbor appears and suggests that he is willing to assume the latter portion of the marital obligation, however, the husband finally comes to life-at least until he discovers that the young man is an actor engaged by his wife. Whereupon all settle back to dull normalcy, to the obvious relief of both parties.
Notes:
-
1st Produced:
N Royalston, Ohio 1975
Organisations:
-
1st Published:
Dramatists Play Service, NY, 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
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Genre:
One Act
Parts:
Male: 2  Female: 1  Other: -
Further Reference:
-
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Hasty Heart, The
tells of a wounded Scottish soldier whose last few weeks of life, spent in a convalescent ward of a hospital in the Orient, are changed by the sympathetic treatment his fellow patients try to give him-and his stubborn rejection of this. the man's extreme independence of spirit nearly wrecks the good intentions of those who want to make him happy, but at last-particularly after he falls in love with the nurse-he learns the great lesson of love for his neighbor.
Notes:
-
1st Produced:
New York 1945
Organisations:
-
1st Published:
Random House, New York, 1945 -
Music:
-
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Genre:
Comedy/Drama Comedy
Parts:
Male: 8  Female: 1  Other: -
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Hell Freezes Over
Synopsis:
A dirigible carrying a party of explorers crashes in the Antarctic. Seven survive. But one by one they die one by suicide, one by poison and one in a duel
Notes:
-
1st Produced:
Ritz Theatre, New York 28 Dec 1935
Organisations:
-
1st Published:
- -
Music:
-
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Genre:
Drama
Parts:
Male: -  Female: -  Other: -
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Integrity
Synopsis:
a disgruntled husband (a penniless actor) argues with his cynical wife (a very successful novelist) while her deaf Father studies his chessboard in unruffled calm amid the din. This time it is the husband who threatens divorce, and in the resulting free-for-all both hurl the other's most prized possessions out the window. In the heat of their dispute their passion is rekindled, however, and love finds a way-while the old gentleman remains blissfully unaware of what has been going on.
Notes:
-
1st Produced:
N Royalston, Ohio 1975
Organisations:
-
1st Published:
Dramatists Play Service, NY, 1976 -
Music:
-
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Genre:
One Act
Parts:
Male: 2  Female: 1  Other: -
Further Reference:
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It's A Dog's Life
Synopsis:
A young wife receives from the estate of her wealthy aunt nothing but the dead woman's pet lapdog, and its elaborate doghouse. Her husband takes the dog for a walk, gives its dog collar away to a young girl who asks for it, and returns home to find his wife nearly hystErical following her discovery that the collar is inset with diamonds. All ends happily, though, when the collar is returned to them by the young girl, who has found it to be too small for her own pet.
Notes:
the Gift; Co-incidence; the Divorce
1st Produced:
New York 1980
Organisations:
-
1st Published:
Samuel French, NY, 1984 -
Music:
-
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Genre:
Comedy 3* 1 Act plays One Act
Parts:
Male: 2  Female: 1  Other: -
Further Reference:
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It's Been Wonderful
Synopsis:
Married to a successful stockbroker and comfortably ensconced in a lavish Long Island mansion, Paula Reid is nevertheless bored-until the success of her novel suddenly catapults her to celebrity status. Her very sexy book also attracts Hollywood's interest and leads to a weekend party at her estate attended by, among others, a successful producer (whom, it turns out, Paula had known years ago before he changed his name); his sharp-tongued wife; a faltering English film director of uncertain sexual leanings; and a famous movie queen whose notorious behavior has earned international notice. the action centers on the producer's desire to do the film version of the novel (while changing it totally) and the film star's determination to play the lead part (although it calls for an actress of half her years). Also on hand, to join in the increasingly tangled developments, are Paula's long-suffering husband, her wise-cracking younger brother, and the film star's pretty young secretary who, ironically, is just the right age to play the novel's leading character. Amid the bitchy, glittering dialogue things begin to fall apart with hilarious ease only, and happily, to fall back in place again when the inevitable "moment of truth" arrives-an event which, in its sobering honesty, provides some very real and valuable lessons for them all.
Notes:
-
1st Produced:
Albuquerque, New Mexico 1966
Organisations:
-
1st Published:
Dramatists Play Service, NY, 1976 -
Music:
-
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Genre:
Comedy
Parts:
Male: 6  Female: 4  Other: -
Further Reference:
-
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Juniper And the Pagans
Synopsis:
Brother Juniper is sent Santiago de Gante a Mexican village which is devoid of faith. His niece Rosita comes with him. Juniper brings the towns people back to the faith by getting the statue of a local cowboy saint from General Braga who had purloined it. Braga has turned the monastery in to a holiday resort. Rosita falls in love with Pepe an atheist
Notes:
written by John Patrick and James Morman
1st Produced:
The Colonial, Boston Dec 1959
Organisations:
-
1st Published:
- -
Music:
-
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Genre:
Drama
Parts:
Male: -  Female: -  Other: -
Further Reference:
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Lo And Behold!
Synopsis:
weird will from Nobel Prize winner finally establishes a romance and finds peace
Notes:
-
1st Produced:
New York 1951
Organisations:
-
1st Published:
Samuel French, NY, 1952 -
Music:
-
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Genre:
Comedy
Parts:
Male: 5  Female: 3  Other: -
Further Reference:
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Love Is A Time Of Day
Synopsis:
As is necessary for a pretty girl with her own student apartment, April McGregor has learned to fend off wolves-although she is hard pressed to cope with Skipper Allen, a particularly persuasive graduate student who is convinced that her secret wish is to have him move in with her. Thanks to a bad back, which suddenly acts up and leaves him temporarily immobile, Skipper unexpectedly achieves his goals, although not with the pliant acceptance he has hoped for. But then his challenge is to win April over to his amorous point of view-which results in a series of uproarious happenings, plus near expulsion for both of them. What finally almost thaws our steadfastly proper heroine is jealously-managed through the unlikely, and silent, assistance of a department-store dummy. But the ruse is discovered in time to preserve honor, and even the indomitable Skipper ultimately concedes defeat. However, true love (which was always there for the finding) comes to the fore when the two, at last, share a real and genuine moment of loss, which tells them how mature and meaningful their relationship could and should (and most certainly will) be.
Notes:
-
1st Produced:
New York 1969
Organisations:
-
1st Published:
Dramatists Play Service, NY, 1970 -
Music:
-
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Genre:
Comedy
Parts:
Male: 1  Female: 1  Other: -
Further Reference:
-
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Love Nest For Three
Synopsis:
amorous events in different apartments on the sixth floor of a New York building
Notes:
Decisions, Strategy, Progression
1st Produced:
- -
Organisations:
-
1st Published:
Samuel French, NY, 1974 -
Music:
-
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Genre:
3 1 Act Plays One Act
Parts:
Male: 2  Female: 1  Other: -
Further Reference:
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Lovely Ladies, Kind Gentlemen
Synopsis:
Captain Fisby is ordered to Americanize a Japanese village in the aftermath of World War Two. He encourages the villagers to build a school. they want to build a teahouse and when the captain discovers the local alcoholic brew they intend serving there he sees the commercial advantages . So the Teahouse Of the August Moon is built
Notes:
by John Patrick, music And lyrics by Stan Freeman And Franklin Underwood. Based on the novel the Teahouse of the August Moon
1st Produced:
New York 1970
Organisations:
-
1st Published:
Samuel French, NY, 1970 -
Music:
-
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Genre:
-
Parts:
Male: -  Female: -  Other: -
Further Reference:
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Loyalty
Synopsis:
a confirmed bachelor is visited in the wee hours by a friend and neighbor who has just had a battle royal with his wife-and has decided that divorce is the only answer. the wife thereupon threatens suicide and in the ensuing confusion, as the friend tries to mediate between husband and wife while keeping them from running into each other, the husband comes to the erroneous conclusion that his friend is also his wife's secret lover. But happily, and hilariously, things do get straightened out in the end almost
Notes:
-
1st Produced:
St. Thomas, VI 1976
Organisations:
-
1st Published:
Dramatists Play Service, NY, 1976 -
Music:
-
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Genre:
One Act
Parts:
Male: 2  Female: 1  Other: -
Further Reference:
-
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Macbeth Did It
Synopsis:
Gathering experience before tackling the "big time" in New York, director Larry Rencher has decided to undertake MACBETH, drawing on his faithful (and generally hammy) cadre of local theatre buffs. the role of Lady Macbeth is assigned to Dolly Dibble (whose husband owns the theatre) with the other parts being parceled out with similar logic. As rehearsals begin, so do the hilarious complications and misunderstandings until, harried and out of patience, the director storms off in a huff-leaving matters in the hands of the meddlesome newcomer whose "suggestions" have been a thorn in his side. As they will, things then go from bad to worse, until the director is wooed into returning and (despite the fact that Dolly's tipsy husband gets his head stuck in the witches' cauldron) somehow everything gets pulled together in time for the fateful moment of opening night.
Notes:
-
1st Produced:
Flat Rock, N Carolina 1972
Organisations:
-
1st Published:
Dramatists Play Service, NY, 1972 -
Music:
-
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Genre:
Comedy
Parts:
Male: 12  Female: 9  Other: plus many bits for both men and women
Further Reference:
-
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Magenta Moth, The
Synopsis:
the setting is a remote mountain lodge where Dr. Polyantha Vashti Cassandra (Cassie), a world-famous anthropologist, has come to recover from a back injury. Confined to a wheelchair, Cassie is to be looked after by Grace Hollis, a fellow teacher and lifelong friend, with Grace's nephew, David, stopping by each week or so to deliver supplies and bring them news of the outside world. After David has departed the two ladies are surprised by the sudden appearance of three teenage girls, who claim to be students from a nearby college who have lost their way on a hiking trip. Hospitable at first, Grace and Cassie soon sense their visitors are not what they purport to be, and when they come across a newspaper clipping which reports a Charles Manson-like ritual slaying in a neighboring town they are shocked into awareness that their guests are the killers, for whom a statewide search is now in progress. When the girls realize that their identities are known they take their hostesses prisoner and the long night of terror begins, with Cassie and Grace using all their wits to stay alive and bring their tormentors to justice-a hope which seems to be perilously in vain until an unexpected turn of events sets things right in the final, surprising moments of the play.
Notes:
-
1st Produced:
- -
Organisations:
-
1st Published:
Dramatists Play Service, NY, 1983 -
Music:
-
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Genre:
Thriller
Parts:
Male: 3  Female: 5  Other: -
Further Reference:
-
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Masquerade
Synopsis:
A mother and her son become reconciled to the fact that the father wears his wife's clothes
Notes:
-
1st Produced:
- -
Organisations:
-
1st Published:
- -
Music:
-
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Genre:
One act
Parts:
Male: -  Female: -  Other: -
Further Reference:
-
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Noah's Animals
Synopsis:
Captain Noah and his wife have problems housing all the animals in the Ark. An Angel helps out and God sends messages of advice. The griffins and unicorns refuse to board the Ark as they do not want to associate with skunks and rats
Notes:
Music, lyrics and book by John Patrick
1st Produced:
Berea, Ohio 1976
Organisations:
-
1st Published:
Samuel French, NY, 1976 -
Music:
-
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Genre:
Musical Allegory
Parts:
Male: 10  Female: 9  Other: extras
Further Reference:
-
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Opal Is A Diamond
Synopsis:
Again, Opal's abundant good nature has made her the victim of another's baser instincts, this time the culprit being an oily, unscrupulous politician who is running for re-election as mayor. But Opal, abetted by new friends and old, decides to fight back-by becoming a candidate herself! To the consternation of her rival, Opal's appeal to the voters is embarrassingly great, and foul play appears to be the only way to stave off an upset. What ensues will keep the audience in suspense-and roaring with laughter, until an unexpected turn of events brings all to its happy, lighthearted and delightfully satisfying conclusion.
Notes:
-
1st Produced:
Flat Rock, N Carolina 1971
Organisations:
-
1st Published:
Dramatists Play Service, NY, 1972 -
Music:
-
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Genre:
Comedy
Parts:
Male: 8  Female: 3  Other: of the men, many are bit parts
Further Reference:
-
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Opal's Baby: A New Sequel
Synopsis:
the setting is again Opal's tumbledown home on the edge of the city dump, where Opal has a visitor looking for a tire to fit his 1927 Reo truck. Misguided into thinking that Opal is a rich eccentric, the shifty visitor, Norman, announces (fallaciously) that he too is a Kronkie-and Opal's long-lost kin. the upshot is that the warmhearted Opal takes him, and his whole family, in-whereupon they scheme to do her out of her supposed fortune. When Norman confides that his daughter-in-law, Verna, is pregnant (abetted by a well-placed pillow) Opal decides to leave all her worldly goods to the "baby," and the others have to settle for petty thievery while they figure out how to get around their lie. Needless to say the "plot thickens" hilariously as they do so, but happily all ends well, at least for Opal, who emerges safe, sound and ready for whatever may come next.
Notes:
-
1st Produced:
Flat Rock, N Carolina 1973
Organisations:
-
1st Published:
Dramatists Play Service, NY, 1974 -
Music:
-
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Genre:
Comedy
Parts:
Male: 2  Female: 4  Other: -
Further Reference:
-
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Opal's Husband
Synopsis:
Bent as usual on a good deed, Opal tries to round up a husband for her friend Rosie and answers a lonely hearts ad placed by "Mister Handsome"-who, when he shows up, proves to be a ninety-five-year-old escapee from a nursing home. As expected, complications ensue, and when Rosie rejects her would-be suitor, Opal reluctantly agrees to marry him in order to keep the old man from the clutches of his scheming daughter. It seems that he really is quite rich, and his desire is to spend his last days (and his fortune) with a nubile maiden on a South Pacific island while his daughter wants him to expire quickly, and quietly, in the old folk's home. thereafter the plots and counter-plots multiply hilariously as the daughter and her husband try to discredit the marriage (and convince Opal that she is cuckoo), while the old man devises his own plan to catch them in their dirty work. Happily he succeeds, and off he goes to his fond reward, leaving Opal with both an annulment and another delightful lesson in life to pass on to her myriad admirers.
Notes:
-
1st Produced:
Flat Rock, N Carolina 1975
Organisations:
-
1st Published:
Dramatists Play Service, NY, 1975 -
Music:
-
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Genre:
Comedy
Parts:
Male: 2  Female: 3  Other: -
Further Reference:
-
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Opal's Million Dollar Duck
Synopsis:
Searching for costumes for their next production, Desmond and Queenie, the "stars" of the local summer stock company, drop by "Opal's Antique Junque Shop." While rooting through Opal's treasures they spot a nondescript oil painting-a still life of a dead mallard duck and an apple-and recalling an item in the morning newspaper about an old master which has disappeared from the local art museum, suddenly realize that this may be the missing canvas, for which the insurance company is offering a sizable reward. Summoning up all their acting skills, they try to charm Opal into selling the painting for a pittance, but she explains that she plans to give it to her friend, Rosie, as a birthday present, whereupon the plot thickens hilariously. Desmond and Queenie resort to everything from outrageous flattery to knock-out drops trying to get their hands on the picture; Rosie, however, rejects it on the grounds that it reminds her of her pet duck (which was run over by a truck); and the plotters, much to their glee, march off triumphantly with their prize-unaware that a later edition of the paper carries a new item: the old master has been found, and the canvas that disappeared was a worthless copy which the museum had thrown out with the garbage!
Notes:
-
1st Produced:
St. Thomas, VI 1979
Organisations:
-
1st Published:
Dramatists Play Service, NY, 1980 -
Music:
-
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Genre:
Comedy
Parts:
Male: 1  Female: 3  Other: -
Further Reference:
-
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People!
Synopsis:
-
Notes:
Boredom; Christmas Spirit; Aptitude
1st Produced:
N Royalston, Ohio 1976
Organisations:
-
1st Published:
Samuel French, NY, 1980 -
Music:
-
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Genre:
3 1 Act Plays One Act
Parts:
Male: 2  Female: 1  Other: -
Further Reference:
-
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Physician, The
Synopsis:
the Physician is a day in the life of a doctor who, being a hypochondriac, lets himself be examined by a patient who is also a veterinarian
Notes:
-
1st Produced:
- -
Organisations:
-
1st Published:
Dramatists Play Service, NY, 1991 -
Music:
-
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Genre:
One Act
Parts:
Male: 2  Female: 1  Other: -
Further Reference:
-
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Psychiatrist, The
Synopsis:
the Psychiatrist thinks he can cure anything including "auditory hallucinations." But can he really? It seems as if he still has hallucinations and so does his nurse and latest patient. the patient's office visit ends in a cacophony of sounds blending all three person's hallucinations-squawking chickens, whistling boats and barking dogs.
Notes:
-
1st Produced:
- -
Organisations:
-
1st Published:
Dramatists Play Service, NY, 1991 -
Music:
-
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Genre:
One Act
Parts:
Male: 2  Female: 1  Other: -
Further Reference:
-
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Raconteur
Synopsis:
A mother and her son convince the father that he is not the great wit he thinks he is
Notes:
-
1st Produced:
- -
Organisations:
-
1st Published:
- -
Music:
-
To Buy This Play:
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Genre:
One act
Parts:
Male: -  Female: -  Other: -
Further Reference:
-
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Reluctant Rogue, The, or Mother's Day
Synopsis:
Reed Dolan would seem to be living in the best of all possible worlds: he is young, attractive and a professor of Drama at a small college teeming with toothsome coeds anxious for good grades. Reed's specialty is inviting his better-looking students to his apartment to discuss their term papers, after which, it all goes well, the next step is a weekend at his hideaway on nearby Lake Hocapocapoo. the problem is that his amorous exploits are too successful as, much to his consternation, not one but three lovesick coeds descend on him in succession one afternoon-with Reed then struggling hilariously to keep each from discovering the presence of the others. And in (a) the unexpected arrival of an irate Father who intends to shoot his daughter's seducer, and (b) the sudden reappearance of a former student who brings along her young son, claiming that Reed is the father, and the stage is set for the wildly funny finale-with Reed's desperately devious (and hilarious) alibis growing ever more outrageous as he attempts to side-step what, for a less resourceful liar, would be pure and inescapable disaster.
Notes:
-
1st Produced:
- -
Organisations:
-
1st Published:
Dramatists Play Service, NY, 1984 -
Music:
-
To Buy This Play:
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Genre:
Comedy
Parts:
Male: 2  Female: 5  Other: 1b
Further Reference:
-
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Roman Conquest
Synopsis:
love story of two American girls living in the romantic city of Rome in a garret at the foot of the Spanish steps
Notes:
-
1st Produced:
Berea, Ohio 1973
Organisations:
-
1st Published:
Samuel French, NY, 1973 -
Music:
-
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Genre:
Comedy
Parts:
Male: 6  Female: 3  Other: -
Further Reference:
-
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Savage DilEmma, The
Synopsis:
Depressed and world-weary, after extensive travels, the reputedly wealthy Mrs. Ethel Savage returns to the sheltered precincts of the Cloisters, seeking refuge among her former fellow patients. But the Cloisters is on the verge of closing due to lack of funds, and as Mrs. Savage's fortune is now in the control of her greedy stepchildren she is powerless to help. Until, that is, a "hippy" couple storm in bent on robbery-and Mrs. Savage persuades them to "kidnap" her, with her share of the ransom going to the sanitorium. From then on the plot twists and turns delightfully, as one hilarious event follows another, leading in the end to a heart-warming lesson in the essential goodness which lurks somewhere even in the worst (and sanest) of us.
Notes:
-
1st Produced:
Long Beach, Cal 1972
Organisations:
-
1st Published:
Dramatists Play Service, NY, 1972 -
Music:
-
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Genre:
Comedy
Parts:
Male: 4  Female: 6  Other: plus one very brief part for a boy
Further Reference:
-
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Scandal Point
Synopsis:
As she awaits her husband's release from prison, it is evident that Joy Desmond has not lacked for male companionship in his absence. their lawyer, Bruno CApra, has in fact moved in with her, and it is Joy's desire to make the arrangement permanent. However, Bruno is interested in money as well as love, and the problem is how to gain both his client's wife and fortune, at the same time. It is the calculating Joy who comes up with the macabre means to do this, although their conspiracy is almost revealed when her unexpectedly paroled husband suddenly arrives before Bruno can pack his bag and exit. Dr. Desmond, who is quite a bit older than his wife, is also an eminent herpetologist and he brings with him a rare-and particularly venomous-snake to add to his collection. Joy's scheme, in simplest terms, is to plant the deadly reptile where her husband will come upon it by "accident" and receive a fatal bite, and she and Bruno devise a carefully worked out plan of action to abet this. Believing that his young wife still loves him, Dr. Desmond falls easily into the trap-but in an ironic twist it is Bruno who becomes the snake's victim. Having once gone to prison for a crime committed by his wife, it now appears that he will do so again, as Dr. Desmond is charged with Bruno's murder. Believing herself free at last, and sure to gain control of her husband's fortune, Joy gloats in her good luck. But she has failed to take two variables into account: a persistent and suspicious police detective; and a husband who surmises-and overhears-more than she had counted on. the thrilling climax of the play reveals the truth at last, but in a way which will keep audiences on the edges of their seats right up to the final uncertain moments.
Notes:
-
1st Produced:
Albuquerque, New Mexico 1967
Organisations:
-
1st Published:
Dramatists Play Service, NY, 1969 -
Music:
-
To Buy This Play:
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Genre:
Mystery Drama Mystery
Parts:
Male: 3  Female: 1  Other: -
Further Reference:
-
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Sense and Nonsense
Synopsis:
-
Notes:
-
1st Produced:
- -
Organisations:
-
1st Published:
Samuel French, London, 1989 -
Music:
-
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Genre:
-
Parts:
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Sex On the Sixth Floor
Synopsis:
-
Notes:
Tenacity; Ambiguity; Frustration
1st Produced:
- 1974
Organisations:
-
1st Published:
Samuel French, London, 1974 -
Music:
-
To Buy This Play:
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Genre:
3 1 Act Plays One Act
Parts:
Male: 2  Female: 1  Other: -
Further Reference:
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Story Of Mary Surratt, The
Synopsis:
the play shows-in highly Dramatic fashion-how a woman was innocently drawn into the plot to assassinate Lincoln. . .[Mary Surratt was] the unfortunate victim of the hysteria and prejudice of the period. . .a compassionate plea for justice with meaning for all men. -NY Times
Notes:
-
1st Produced:
New York 1947
Organisations:
-
1st Published:
Dramatists Play Service, NY, 1947 -
Music:
-
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Genre:
Play/Drama
Parts:
Male: 50  Female: 2  Other: many of the male roles are bit parts
Further Reference:
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Suicide, Anyone?
Synopsis:
In the first play, LOYALTY, a confirmed bachelor is visited in the wee hours by a friend and neighbor who has just had a battle royal with his wife-and has decided that divorce is the only answer. the wife thereupon threatens suicide and in the ensuing confusion, as the friend tries to mediate between husband and wife while keeping them from running into each other, the husband comes to the erroneous conclusion that his friend is also his wife's secret lover. But happily, and hilariously, things do get straightened out in the end almost. In the second play, EMPATHY, T29894. Finally, in CONFESSION, two male lovers face a crisis when one of them peevishly announces that he is moving out. With the connivance of a wacky female neighbor the other man fakes suicide (with sugar pills) but the scheme backfires-with uproarious results. Once more, however, things do work out in the end, and happily, for the best.
Notes:
-
1st Produced:
St. Thomas, VI 1976
Organisations:
-
1st Published:
Dramatists Play Service, NY, 1976 -
Music:
-
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Genre:
Three 1 Acts One Act
Parts:
Male: 2  Female: 1  Other: -
Further Reference:
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Teahouse Of the August Moon, The
Synopsis:
Wise and wily Sakini is interpreter to Col Purdy of the US Army of Occupation in Okinawa after World War Two. Purdy sends the goofily good-natured Capt. Fisby of the Psychological Warfare Unit off to Tobiki village to indoctrinate the natives with democracy, to build a schoolhouse and organise various committees, and along goes Sakini to interpret. Okinawa is an island in the China Seas between Japan and Taiwan and over the centuries has been constantly invaded; thus, the locals are experts at handling meddlesome foreigners. With the help of luscious geisha Lotus Blossom, they soon get Fishy to 'go native', build a lovely teahouse, and start producing the local brandy on a big scale. When Purdy's suspicions are aroused he sends along Capt. McLean, but he too is ensnared, finding Tobiki ideal for his chemical-free crop experiments. Eventually Purdy himself arrives and orders everything destroyed - but then hears that Tobiki has been heralded in Washington as a supreme example of American get-up-and-go. Luckily
Notes:
novel by Vern Sneider. Revised As Lovely Ladies, Kind Gentlemen
1st Produced:
New York 1953
Organisations:
-
1st Published:
Putnam, NY, 1954 -
Music:
-
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Genre:
Comedy
Parts:
Male: 18  Female: 8  Other: -
Further Reference:
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That's Not My Father!
Synopsis:
-
Notes:
Raconteur, Fettucine, Masquerade
1st Produced:
St. Thomas, VI 1979
Organisations:
-
1st Published:
Samuel French, NY, 1980 -
Music:
-
To Buy This Play:
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Genre:
3 1 Act Plays One Act
Parts:
Male: -  Female: -  Other: -
Further Reference:
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That's Not My Mother!
Synopsis:
-
Notes:
Seniority; Redemption; Optimism
1st Produced:
St. Thomas, VI 1979
Organisations:
-
1st Published:
Samuel French, NY, 1980 -
Music:
-
To Buy This Play:
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Genre:
3 1 Act Plays One Act
Parts:
Male: -  Female: -  Other: -
Further Reference:
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Willow And I, The
Synopsis:
Mr. Patrick, says the Sun, "writes of 2 sisters, young in 1900 and in love then with the same tall young man. One of the sisters is frail and gentle; the other robust and assertive and used to getting what she wants. But it is the gentle girl the young man loves and is about to marry-and never marries because the more violent sister tries to kill herself, and the other, finding her with a revolver and wrestling with her for it, is shocked out of reality when the gun is fired. Her mind cowers back from the violence, runs into hiding in terror, and for 40 years the girl lives in her clock-stopped mind on her summer wedding day. And then, in the violence of a summer storm, she awakens the events of the day; that her lover married the sister and died; that they had a son who is very like the father. You may guess whose face she first sees when she returns to time and what it does to her."
Notes:
-
1st Produced:
New York 1942
Organisations:
-
1st Published:
Dramatists Play Service, NY, 1946 -
Music:
-
To Buy This Play:
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Genre:
Romantic Drama
Parts:
Male: 5  Female: 6  Other: -
Further Reference:
-
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