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James Sherman

JAMES SHERMAN

  
Nationality:    USA
email:    Click here to contact     Website:    Click here

Literary Agent:    Harden-Curtis Associates  

James Sherman is observing twenty-five years of collaboration with Victory Gardens. Premieres there include Magic Time, the God of Isaac, Mr. 80%, the Escape Artist, Beau Jest, This Old Man Came Rolling Home, Jest A Second!, Romance in D, From Door to Door, the Old Man's Friend (winner of the Streisand Festival of New Jewish Plays), Affluenza!, Half and Half, andRelatively Close. His plays have been produced all across the United States and in countries around the world. Sherman currently teaches at Columbia College and DePaul University. He has been the recipient of fellowships from the MacDowell Colony, the Ragdale Foundation, the Virginia Center for the Creative Arts and Yaddo. Recently, his newest play, Relatively Close, was recently seen at Victory Gardens under the direction of Dennis Zacek. Recent productions of other plays by James Sherman include Beau Jest in California and Colorado, Jest a Second! in California, Romance in D in Michigan, andFrom Door to Door in California. His play, Half and Half, is being published by Samuel French, Inc. marking the tenth play that Sherman has had published in a professional acting edition. the movie of his play, Beau Jest, will be seen at the Palm Beach Jewish Film Festival in December and the Miami Jewish Film Festival in January.

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

         Affluenza!         After the Orchard         Beau Jest         Escape Artist, The         From Door To Door         God of Isaac, The         Half And Half         Jacob and Jack         Jest A Second         Magic Time         Mr 80%         Old Business, The         Old Man's Friend, The         Relatively Close         Remnant, The         Romance In D         This Old Man Came Rolling Home

Affluenza!

Synopsis:
AFFLUENZA! borrows classic characters from Restoration Comedy like the cuckolded husband, the coquette, the wiley servant, and the fop to create a contemporary comedy of manners. When multi-millionaire, William Moore brings home his new girlfriend, his son and ex-wife are threatened by the potential new heir to the family fortune. Who gets what and who ends up with whom is revealed in this dazzling display of wit and word play.

Notes:
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1st Produced:

Organisations:
Heiress Productions

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:  4            Female:  2            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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After the Orchard

Synopsis:
-

Notes:
-

1st Produced:
-    

Organisations:
-

1st Published:
-   -

Music:
-

To Buy This Play:
If Publisher (above) is underlined then the play may be purchased by direct click from the Publisher, otherwise (below) are AbeBooks for secondhand, signed & 1st eds and other Booksellers for new copies

Booksellers:

Genre:
-

Parts:
Male:  -            Female:  -            Other:  -

Further Reference:
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Beau Jest

Synopsis:
Problems for nuclear families of any ethnic persuasion.

Notes:
-

1st Produced:

Organisations:
Birmingham Stage Co

1st Published:
Bakers Plays, New York,    -

Music:
-

To Buy This Play:
If Publisher (above) is underlined then the play may be purchased by direct click from the Publisher, otherwise (below) are AbeBooks for secondhand, signed & 1st eds and other Booksellers for new copies

Booksellers:

Genre:
Play/Drama

Parts:
Male:  4            Female:  2            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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Escape Artist, The

Synopsis:
-

Notes:
-

1st Produced:

Organisations:
-

1st Published:
-   -

Music:
-

To Buy This Play:
If Publisher (above) is underlined then the play may be purchased by direct click from the Publisher, otherwise (below) are AbeBooks for secondhand, signed & 1st eds and other Booksellers for new copies

Booksellers:

Genre:
-

Parts:
Male:  -            Female:  -            Other:  -

Further Reference:
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From Door To Door

Synopsis:
A heartwarming, bittersweet comedy about three generations of American women. Mary Goodman, a woman of the "greatest generation" is mourning the loss of her husband. Her daughter, Deborah, is encouraging her to end her period of mourning and move on with a new independence. In a series of scenes between Mary, Deborah, and Mary's mother, Bessie, Mary reflects back on her life as a daughter, wife and mother. A trio of actresses plays the three women over the course of sixty-five years. As Mary's life progresses from childhood to matrimony to motherhood, we see how each successive generation of women lives up to the expectations of the past and makes brave new choices about the future. At the end of the play, the three women stand as links in a chain made of faith, love, and understanding.

Notes:
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1st Produced:

Organisations:
-

1st Published:
Samuel French Inc, 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:
Comedy

Parts:
Male:  -            Female:  3            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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God of Isaac, The

Synopsis:
a man in search of spiritual identity argues with his mother who is situated in the audience

Notes:
-

1st Produced:

Organisations:
-

1st Published:
Samuel French, London, 1995   -

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:  3            Female:  3            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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Half And Half

Synopsis:
In Half and Half, James Sherman explores marriages past and present in two related one-act plays. In the first act, set at a breakfast in 1970, the breadwinner husband reads the newspaper and the homemaker wife fries the eggs. In act two, at a breakfast taking place this morning, the career-minded wife reads the paper and the stay-at-home husband cooks the frittata. With his unique comic insight, Sherman looks at how husbands and wives accept and reject their roles, how their roles have changed and, how their roles just might be changing back. the same three actors portray the age appropriate roles in each act, creating an interesting parallel between the two generations, making for a very poignant comedy about marriage.

Notes:
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1st Produced:

Organisations:
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1st Published:
Samuel French, Inc - New York >>>, 2007   978-0573662430

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:  1            Female:  2            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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Jacob and Jack

Synopsis:
Jack Shore, a well-known television personality, is appearing for one night only in a tribute to his grandfather, Jacob Shemerinsky, great star of the Yiddish theatre. Backstage, in his dressing room, Jack confronts his challenges as an actor and as a husband to his co-starring wife. Simultaneously, 75 years in the past, Jacob has problems of his own. Actors play their past and present roles in a dizzying display of life in the theatre in this time-traveling comedic farce, echoing past James Sherman smash comedies like Beau Jest, Jest a Second and Affluenza!

Notes:
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1st Produced:

Organisations:
-

1st Published:
Dramatists Play Service, Inc, 2011   978-0822224976

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:  3            Female:  3            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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Jest A Second

Synopsis:
Sarah and Bob, expecting their first child, are hosting a birthday party for Sarah's mother. Sarah's brother, Joel, arrives early to tell Sarah some news he's put off telling anybody: He's gay. Joel's date, Randy, is not the nice Jewish girl pediatrician Joel led his family to believe, but a nice Jewish boy pediatrician. Joel, divorced and about to enter a custody battle over his two sons, has picked this evening to come out of the closet to his parents, especially since he knows his homosexuality will be brought up in court. Joel and Sarah's parents, Abe and Miriam, arrive, looking forward to meeting Joel's new girlfriend. When the doorbell rings, however, Joel chickens out and won't let Randy in. Bob volunteers to talk to "her" and goes outside. Moments later, Joel opens the door to Bob-dressed in drag, pretending to be Randy, and the hilarity begins. Abe and Miriam instantly like Randy and the party, including the ruse, is a great success, with the evening ending with Sarah going into labor. Eight days later with Sarah and Bob are hosting their new son's bris. the mohel, Dr. Rosen, arrives and completely surprises Joel. Dr. Rosen, it turns out, is Joel's boyfriend, Randy! the tension builds and for Abe and Miriam's benefit, Bob again dresses as Randy (the girlfriend), only this time he must do double duty as himself as well. the humorous antics keep them all busy but when a bagel is dropped under a table, and Randy goes to retrieve it, it is Bob who comes back out. the truth exposed, Joel admits his secret to Abe and Miriam, who are relieved. they knew all the time, and they're just glad one of their children ended up with a doctor! Now at ease, everyone vows to help Joel win his custody fight, and when Randy identifies the judge as an old paramour, they all know they have little to worry about and can enjoy life as an open, loving family.

Notes:
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1st Produced:

Organisations:
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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:
Comedy. - - Gay, theme/character full length

Parts:
Male:  4            Female:  2            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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Magic Time

Synopsis:
backstage with a group of actors preparing to give their last summer performance of Hamlet

Notes:
-

1st Produced:

Organisations:
-

1st Published:
Samuel French, London, 1982   -

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:  5            Female:  3            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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Mr 80%

Synopsis:
Sharon, a no-nonsense young attorney, and Patricia, who is doing her medical residency, advertise for a roommate to help pay the rent of their New York apartment. After a sour experience with Sharon's former live-in boyfriend, the two decide to specify either another woman or a gay male only, which elicits a response from Sam, a struggling young comic, who, with his partner, Jan, is desperate to find an affordable place to live-desperate enough to pose as a homosexual, with Jan as his lover. the fact that Sharon and Patricia are taken in by the ruse leads to a series of hilarious misunderstandings, made even funnier by the swishy high jinks of the two attractive (and decidedly heterosexual) young men; and the fact that, inevitably, they find themselves falling in love with their toothsome roommates. How to work out a happy ending for relationships involving two young women who have become embittered and suspicious by the perfidy of men in general; and two young men who, having been so successful in convincing their roommates that they are gay that they are now hard pressed to reverse the notion, is a test of the author's ingenuity-but one which Mr. Sherman meets with lively inventiveness, nonstop hilarity and, in the end, a redeeming touch of genuine warmth and humanity.

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:
Comedy. - - Gay, theme/character full length

Parts:
Male:  3            Female:  3            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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Old Business, The

Synopsis:
-

Notes:
-

1st Produced:
-    

Organisations:
-

1st Published:
-   -

Music:
-

To Buy This Play:
If Publisher (above) is underlined then the play may be purchased by direct click from the Publisher, otherwise (below) are AbeBooks for secondhand, signed & 1st eds and other Booksellers for new copies

Booksellers:

Genre:
-

Parts:
Male:  -            Female:  -            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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Old Man's Friend, The

Synopsis:
-

Notes:
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1st Produced:

Organisations:
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1st Published:
When career woman Suzanne learns that her father has not much longer to live she brings him to live with her, her husband and twelve year old son. But the father refuses to die and months later he is still alive   -

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:
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Parts:
Male:  -            Female:  -            Other:  -

Further Reference:
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Relatively Close

Relatively Close
In Relatively Close, James Sheridan scrutinizes human relationships by inviting us to the summer home of one quirky and quarrelsome extended family. But then, what family isn't?. Three sisters return to the house on the shores of Lake Michigan where they spent the summers of their youth. Now, the sisters are grown, their parents are gone, and the house is just sitting there. One sister wants to keep it, one sister wants to sell it, and one sister just wants everyone to get along. they each have brought a husband combining three men with very little hope of finding any common ground. And one sister has one very disgruntled teenage son in tow who may be the hope for the future or the downfall of the present.

Notes:
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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:  4            Female:  3            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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Remnant, The

Synopsis:
-

Notes:
-

1st Produced:
-    

Organisations:
-

1st Published:
-   -

Music:
-

To Buy This Play:
If Publisher (above) is underlined then the play may be purchased by direct click from the Publisher, otherwise (below) are AbeBooks for secondhand, signed & 1st eds and other Booksellers for new copies

Booksellers:

Genre:
-

Parts:
Male:  -            Female:  -            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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Romance In D

Synopsis:
takes place in two side-by-side apartments in present-day Chicago. Charles Norton, a musicologist, lives in one apartment alone with his books and music. Isabel Fox, a poet on the verge of a divorce, moves into the other apartment and puts her head in the oven in a half-baked suicide attempt. Charles, next door, smells the gas and inadvertently becomes Isabel's savior. George Fox, Isabel's Father comes to town and tries to cheer Isabel up. Helen Norton, Charles' mother, encourages Charles to get to know Isabel, but Charles refuses to become involved. Isabel makes the effort to befriend Charles, and Charles, try as he may to resist, falls in love. One day, when Charles and Isabel are away, Helen and George meet, and they discover that they have their own similar interests. Will Helen and George fall in love and leave the children to fend for themselves? Will Charles profess his love for Isabel and risk another heartbreak? Will Isabel go back to her husband or put her head back in the oven? All four characters use their knack for music and words as they nervously navigate the path of true love.

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:
Comedy

Parts:
Male:  2            Female:  2            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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This Old Man Came Rolling Home

Synopsis:
Benjamin has just found out his girlfriend is pregnant. He is not sure that he is ready for fatherhood or marriage. Benjamin's father is coming for a visit - they have not seen each other in over a year - Benjamin knows he is not ready for that

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:  2            Female:  2            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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