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Gary Ray Stapp

GARY RAY STAPP  

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email:    Click here to contact     Website:    n/a

Literary Agent:    n/a


In 1991, either by divine intervention or because of something he ate, Gary became a founding member of The Chamber Players Community Theatre in Garnett, Kansas. As a result, he developed a deep affection for theatre by participating in every production the group has produced as either an actor, director, or set builder. In 2003 he added the role of playwright to his resume when his first playwriting endeavor was performed by his "Chamber Players family" for an audience which broke the group's previous attendence record by fifty-percent and required an unprecedented two-performance encore. Stunned by the play's success, he recovered and discovered a true passion for playwriting. "I'm very fortunate to be a part of an amatuer theatre troupe gifted with both the talent and the courage to "birth" my words and ideas on stage as living, breathing characters. My actor friends awe me, inspire me, and humble me, but above all they have motivated me to write the next one." As a big fan of the comedy genre, Gary strives to mesh the art of one-liners with a good balance of physical buffoonery to create story lines that are quirky, yet with a sense of normal, and populated with characters that are colorful and vivid, whether they have two minutes or an hour and two minutes of stage time. "I try to be very diligent in weaving a story that an audience from all walks of life can enjoy, and hopefully even laugh at in reflection a few days later. Those are the type of plays I like to watch, so those are the type of plays I want to write." Gary and his wife Kim live in Garnett, Kansas. They have two children, Lacey and Taylor. By profession, he is a county tax-appraiser.

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below is a list of Gary Ray Stapp's plays - click on a Play Title for more information

 Birds of a Feather         Daddy's Girl         Family Ties and Little White Lies         Fashionably Late         Love Thy Neighbor

Birds of a Feather

Synopsis:
Armed with a sharply judgmental attitude and a pair of binoculars, homeowner Leona Crump is overwhelmed with curiosity and consumed with anxiety concerning the type of people who are to become her new neighbors on her respected little cul-de-sac. Will they be California beatniks? Or paroled drug pushers? Or more frightening yet, perhaps someone with children?! Her worst fears are realized when an odd-ball "hill-folk" family moves in across the street. And nothing has prepared her for the series of showdowns that take place in her living room. Gafina Hambefferschmidt is an obnoxious, overbearing, picture-snapping, gum-chewing woman. She, along with her "Maw," an old hillbetty crone: her simple-minded, love-struck boyfriend, Turner; and her "trampy" sister Bambi, turn Leona's neighborhood upside down. Threatened by the over-zealous friendliness of the women and romanced by the disgusting Turner, Leona vows to purge her cul-de-sac of these undesirable neighbors and quickly tries to recruit others to help. However, she gains no support from her husband, who is the epitome of the couch potato, nor her neighbor Judy, who is as sweet as pie and about as bright. Adding to Leon's exasperation is her daily dealings with her refrigerator-raiding neighbor Paul, the local real estate saleswoman, the mailman, the Avon lady, a police officer, and a paper boy, all who, Leona is sure, were only put on this earth to annoy her. Outnumbered, but refusing to be outmatched, Leona suits up in Army fatigues and irrationally resolves to "mop up" the new neighbors all on her own. Ultimately, it's a flock of pink flamingos that drives her over the edge and lands her in the local jail. But in the end, will she be victorious and drive her new neighbors away? Maybe, maybe not - it all depends on her weedeater!

Notes:
a milder version of Love Thy Neighbor

1st Produced:
-    -

Organisations:
-

1st Published:
Eldridge Publishing Co., Inc. of Tallahassee,,    -

Music:
-

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

Booksellers:

Genre:
Comedy

Parts:
Male:  4            Female:  5            Other:  1 flexible, optional 1 boy

Further Reference:
-

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Daddy's Girl

Synopsis:
A widower for twenty-five years, Benard Muloovy, proprietor of Maudie's Diner, is served a full plate of comic chaos when his deceased wife, a talking portrait on the diner wall, enlists the services of an angel to help her reunite Benard with their long, lost daughter, Elizabeth. But true to his mischievous nature, Michael, the angel, brings into Benard's life, not one, but two Elizabeths, each with the same birthday and adopted from the same orphanage. Benard's task is to decide which young woman is his real daughter, but there's one problem: He doesn't like either of them. E.L. is a snobbish restaurant critic with her eye on Benard's secret wealth, while Lizzy suffers from a split personality disorder. However, there is no shortage of people eager to contribute to his dilemma: a forgetful waitress, a PHD student with a communication disability, a yin-yang geriatric duo, and a motorcycle mama anxious to become the next Mrs. Muloovy. But Darlynn, a woman who has been trying to get Benard to the altar for a quarter of a century, has her own bizarre strategy to win his heart. In a contest of laughter and tears, lines are drawn, sides are taken, and rules are broken, as one young lady reveals a secret and ultimately claims her paternity. . .but not without a twist. . .or two.

Notes:
-

1st Produced:
Chamber Player's Community Theatre, Garnett, Kansas    2004

Organisations:
-

1st Published:
Heuer Publishing

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:
2 act Comedy

Parts:
Male:  5            Female:  8            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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Family Ties and Little White Lies

Synopsis:
What do you call a dad in charge of taking care of the house and the kids and the mother-in-law while his wife works the daytime shift at a fast food restaurant? You call him Eddy. And boy does Eddy have his hands full! First, the house is a disaster, and as far as taking care of the children-what can he really do? Ten-year-old triplets and a teenage daughter are not meant for the inexperienced! Then there is his mother-in-law with dementia and his neighbor lady with opinions, but without manners. Toss in a couple of FBI agents and an unlikely mobster duo who are members of the notorious crime ring called Animal Kingdom, and believe it or not, a romance begins to bud. Oh, and don't forget the nanny-the triplets have her tied up in a chair! There's no shortage of rope or chaos as Eddy and family turn the tables on the bad guys and find themselves just laughs away from exposing a family secret.

Notes:
aka Burgers & Fries & Little White Lies

1st Produced:
-    2006

Organisations:
-

1st Published:
Eldridge Publishing Co., Inc. of Tallahassee,, 2005   -

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:
Farce

Parts:
Male:  5            Female:  6            Other:  2 boys, 1 girl, 2 extras

Further Reference:
-

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Fashionably Late

Synopsis:
It's a get-it-while-you-can attitude in the world of fashion and no one knows that better than the staff of New York City fashion designer, Wade Haywood. So what do Charmaine, Meredith, and Harry do when the boss fails to show up for work? Not what you think! There's no time for loafing when opportunity is knocking at the agency door, especially when one stranger shows up with the disturbing announcement that she's been hired as a replacement, followed by the appearance of another stranger with a big wallet and a penchant for over-sized models. Suddenly, what started out as an ordinary day, becomes an afternoon of high jinx as brains, beauty, and brawn mix it up in a cross-dressing masquerade designed to fool a fashion industry guru, an IRS agent, and a Texas oil millionaire. But when the fooled wise-up to the foolish, good intentions are tossed aside and catastrophe of hilarious proportion looms on the edge of the fashion runway. And when secrets collide with good intentions, everyone learns that being fashionably late, is better than never being fashionable at all.

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:
Comedy

Parts:
Male:  5            Female:  10            Other:  2 women can be doubled

Further Reference:
-

Top of Page Top of Page

Love Thy Neighbor

Synopsis:
Armed with a sharply judgmental attitude and a pair of binoculars, homeowner Leona Crump is overwhelmed with curiosity and consumed with anxiety concerning the type of people who are to become her new neighbors on her respected little cul-de-sac. Will they be California beatniks? Or paroled drug pushers? Or more frightening yet, perhaps someone with children?! Her worst fears are realized when an odd-ball "hill-folk" family moves in across the street. And nothing has prepared her for the series of showdowns that take place in her living room. Gafina Hambefferschmidt is an obnoxious, overbearing, picture-snapping, gum-chewing woman. She, along with her "Maw," an old hillbetty crone: her simple-minded, love-struck boyfriend, Turner; and her "trampy" sister Bambi, turn Leona's neighborhood upside down. Threatened by the over-zealous friendliness of the women and romanced by the disgusting Turner, Leona vows to purge her cul-de-sac of these undesirable neighbors and quickly tries to recruit others to help. However, she gains no support from her husband, who is the epitome of the couch potato, nor her neighbor Judy, who is as sweet as pie and about as bright. Adding to Leon's exasperation is her daily dealings with her refrigerator-raiding neighbor Paul, the local real estate saleswoman, the mailman, the Avon lady, a police officer, and a paper boy, all who, Leona is sure, were only put on this earth to annoy her. Outnumbered, but refusing to be outmatched, Leona suits up in Army fatigues and irrationally resolves to "mop up" the new neighbors all on her own. Ultimately, it's a flock of pink flamingos that drives her over the edge and lands her in the local jail. But in the end, will she be victorious and drive her new neighbors away? Maybe, maybe not - it all depends on her weedeater!

Notes:
-

1st Produced:
-    -

Organisations:
-

1st Published:
Eldridge Publishing Co., Inc. of Tallahassee,,    -

Music:
-

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

Booksellers:

Genre:
Comedy

Parts:
Male:  4            Female:  5            Other:  1 flexible, optional 1 boy

Further Reference:
-

Top of Page Top of Page









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