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Ed Shockley

ED SHOCKLEY  

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

Literary Agent:    Kaufmann, Feiner, Yamin, Gildin & Robbins LLP   


Ed Shockley attended high school at the prestigious St. Paul's School, followed by Columbia University and MFA studies as a Future Faculty Fellow at Temple University. He is the author of more than fifty plays, which have enjoyed both commercial and critical success. He is best known for the record-setting musicals Bessie Smith: Empress of the Blues and Bobos (co-authored with James McBride). Other notable works include The Liars' Contest(winner of the HBO New Writers Competition) and the stage adaptation of Mildred D. Taylor's Newbery Award-winning novel Roll of Thunder Hear My Cry. He is the recipient of the Stephen Sondheim Award for Outstanding Contributions to American Musical Theatre, the $25,000 Richard Rodgers Award (presented by the American Academy of Arts and Letters), the New Professional Theatre Writers Festival prize, the American Minority Playwrights contest prize, two Pennsylvania State Arts Council fellowships, the Lila Wallace/Reader's Digest Production Fellowship, and numerous other awards. Mr. Shockley has taught at many universities and schools, including New York University, Nassau Community College, St. Paul's School, and Temple University (Future Faculty Fellow), and he has coached thousands of authors through the Philadelphia Young Playwrights Festival and Young Writers Day lecture tours. Currently he is a senior lecturer at both University of the Arts and Rutgers University (Camden Campus), and is artistic director of the Philadelphia Dramatists Center.

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

 All Roads Lead Home         Bedlam Moon         Bessie Smith:Empress Of The Blues         Bobos         Box, The         Kadija and Swann         Liar's Contest         Merlin & Vivien         Nobody's Listening         Playground         Roll Of Thunder Hear My Cry         Stalking Horse, The         Strange Career of John Hopewell         Sunset Johnson

All Roads Lead Home

Synopsis:
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Notes:
Written by Ed Shockley And James McBride

1st Produced:
Theatre Center, Philadelphia    -

Organisations:
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1st Published:
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Music:
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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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Bedlam Moon

Synopsis:
New Year's Eve, 1980, the Bronx. Larry, a struggling young writer, awaits the arrival of his hot date, with Marvin Gaye playing suggestively on the stereo: Cheap wine wrapped in a towel (it has bubbles, she'll never know it's not champagne). Doorbell. Showtime! Surprise -- at the door is Larry's ex-girlfriend Kuumba, who has come in classic ex fashion to muscle her way back into his life, through a complex series of innocent-looking machinations.

Notes:
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1st Produced:
Central High School Drama Society (Philadelphia, PA, United States)    2003

Organisations:
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1st Published:
Playscripts, Inc - New York   -

Music:
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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:
20-30 min Comedy

Parts:
Male:  1            Female:  2            Other:  1 male, 2 females

Further Reference:
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Bessie Smith:Empress Of The Blues

Synopsis:
A musical biography of the blues legend. The comic dream play focuses on the early years leading to her first northern performance in 1922. Act two is a recreation of her concert with a surprise visit from Blues great Ma Rainey

Notes:
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1st Produced:
-    1981

Organisations:
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1st Published:
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Music:
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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:
musical biography

Parts:
Male:  -            Female:  -            Other:  8 actors plus pianist

Further Reference:
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Bobos

Synopsis:
This urban opera, co-authored with Grammy award winning composer and best selling novelist James McBride, has been called "the future of American musical theatre" by Quincy Jones. The sung thru libretto tells the story of a young man's unwitting descent into the world of street crime and his courageous escape. The work premiered at the American Musical Theatre Festival and broke a ten year old box office record. Winner of the Richard Rodgers award and the Stephen Sondheim Award for Outstanding Contributions to American Musical Theatre, it went on to further development at the New York and Disney/Ascap music theatre workshops before opening at the John Houseman Theatre in New York

Notes:
written by Ed Shockley AndJames McBride

1st Produced:
John Houseman Theatre, New York    -

Organisations:
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1st Published:
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Music:
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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:
urban opera

Parts:
Male:  -            Female:  -            Other:  17 actors/singer/dancers

Further Reference:
-

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Box, The

Synopsis:
The Box is an allegorical comedy inspired by the myths of Prometheus and Pandora. A childlike character, Epth, lands on a desolate beach holding a box said to contain the answers to every question. Embarking on a quest for survival and something like enlightenment, Epth must contend with a mischievous imp, an addle-brained zealot, a fearsome ferry driver, and a wise-cracking, shape-shifting beast. Encounters with these four magical and zany figures constantly redefine Epth's adventure, which parallels the significant developmental stages in life.

Notes:
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1st Produced:
Academy Of The Pacific (Honolulu, HI, United States)    2003

Organisations:
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1st Published:
Playscripts, Inc - New York   -

Music:
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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:
70-120 min Allegorical farce

Parts:
Male:  -            Female:  -            Other:  5 either (5-20 actors possible: 0-5 males, 0-5 females)

Further Reference:
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Kadija and Swann

Synopsis:
Two girls and a dead rabbit. One girl thinks she is pregnant because she used the boys toilet at school

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

Booksellers:

Genre:
One act

Parts:
Male:  -            Female:  2            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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Liar's Contest

Synopsis:
The hilarious story of two backwoods characters in a classic encounter with Beelzebub. The work contrasts Afro-American and European story telling styles in a complex theological comedy. Selected from over 3000 submissions for inclusion in the HBO New Writers Project at the Stella Adler Theatre in L.A. The play debuted to rave reviews at the Walnut Street Theatre then continued on to productions in New York, Stockton, Seattle, Baltimore, Houston and more

Notes:
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1st Produced:
Walnut Street Theatre    -

Organisations:
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1st Published:
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Music:
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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:  -            Female:  -            Other:  3 characters

Further Reference:
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Merlin & Vivien

Synopsis:
A sensual short play in poetic prose exploring the fall of the great magician

Notes:
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1st Produced:
Theatre Center Philadelphia    -

Organisations:
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1st Published:
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Music:
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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:
sensual short play

Parts:
Male:  -            Female:  -            Other:  2 characters

Further Reference:
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Nobody's Listening

Synopsis:
this anti-violence play toured the Charlotte/Mechlenberg schools for five successive years

Notes:
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1st Produced:

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

Booksellers:

Genre:
Childrens Youth Audience

Parts:
Male:  -            Female:  -            Other:  6 actors

Further Reference:
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Playground

Synopsis:
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Notes:
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1st Produced:
Adrienne Theatre, Philadelphia    2002

Organisations:
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1st Published:
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Music:
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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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Roll Of Thunder Hear My Cry

Synopsis:
this authorized adaptation ran for nearly 100 performances in it's initial presentation and received unanimous critical praise

Notes:
from A Newberry Award winning novel by Mildred D. Taylor

1st Produced:
Seattle Children's Theatre    -

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

Booksellers:

Genre:
Adaptation

Parts:
Male:  -            Female:  -            Other:  12 actors minimum. (Six adults/six youth)

Further Reference:
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Stalking Horse, The

Synopsis:
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1st Produced:
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1st Published:
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Music:
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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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Strange Career of John Hopewell

Synopsis:
History of Afro Americans in Long Island

Notes:
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1st Produced:
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Organisations:
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1st Published:
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Music:
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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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Sunset Johnson

Synopsis:
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Notes:
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1st Produced:
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Organisations:
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1st Published:
Contained in: "On The Edge Challenging Short Plays For Teen Actors" published by YouthPlays   -

Music:
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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 play

Parts:
Male:  -            Female:  -            Other:  -

Further Reference:
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