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Joseph Zettelmaier

JOSEPH ZETTELMAIER

  
Nationality:    USA
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Joseph Zettelmaier is thrilled to see It Came From Mars debut at the Performance Network and Williamston Theatre. It Came From Mars was a recipient of this year's Edgerton Foundation Grant. He is a two-time nominee for the American Theatre Critics Award for best new play, first in 2006 for All Childish Things (Planet ant Theatre and BoarsHead Theatre) and then in 2007 for Language Lessons (Performance Network). Other plays include Dr. Seward's Dracula and One Man's Trash (Planet ant Theatre), Snow Angels and Blackwater Ballad (Eastern Michigan University), Night Blooming (Blackbird Theatre), Point of Origin and the Stillness Between Breaths (Performance Network). Point of Origin won Best Locally Created Script 2002 from the Ann Arbor News, and the Stillness Between Breaths also won Best New Play 2005 from the Oakland Press. the Stillness Between Breaths was also selected to appear in the 2005 National New Play Network's Festival of New Plays. Language Lessons was named Best New Play 2007 by the Ann Arbor News, who also called Zettelmaier "the Playwright to Watch." Most recently, he co-authored Flyover U.S.A. at the Williamston Theatre (Winner of the 2009 thespie Award for Best New Script.) He also adapted Christmas Carol'd this winter for the Performance Network. This fall, the Planet ant Theatre will produce his three-part play cycle the All Childish Things Trilogy. Zettelmaier is an Associate Artist at Performance Network, an adjunct lecturer at Eastern Michigan University and the Playwriting Mentor for Pioneer High School.

Research:    Member of the Dramatists Guild of America (as at 2015)

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

         All Childish Things         Blackwater Ballad         Campfire         Christmas Carol'd         Dead Man's Shoes         Decade Dance, The         Dr Seward's Dracula         Ebenezer         Gravedigger: A Frankenstein Play         Ichabod         Invasive Species         It Came From Mars         Language Lessons         New Releases         Night Blooming         Northern Aggression         Our Lady of Poison         Pulp Fiction         Renaissance Man         Salvage         Scullery Maid, The         Stillness Between Breaths, The         Swordplay         Winter Wolf, The
All Childish Things

All Childish Things
Life long friends and "Star Wars" enthusiasts plan to steal a fortune of merchandise

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1st Published:
Sordelet Ink 2016   

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

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Genre:
Comedy

Parts:
Male:  4            Female:  1            Other:  -

Further Reference:
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Blackwater Ballad

Synopsis:
Orlando Duval returns to his home town of Blackwater Creek. He plans to steal away his long lost love. His past misdeeds come to haunt him

Notes:
Written by Joseph Zettelmaier and Brian Lillie

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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:
Musical

Parts:
Male:  5            Female:  3            Other:  chorus

Further Reference:
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Campfire

Synopsis:
A year after their father's death Marcus Carver brings his niece and nephew home. They build a fire on land behind the house. They sit around and tell stories. Something is lurking in the shadows

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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:
Horror

Parts:
Male:  2            Female:  2            Other:  -

Further Reference:
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Christmas Carol'd

Synopsis:
Sometimes the true spirit of Christmas is found in the simplest of places: the fellowship of friends, a meal prepared with love, or the song of the littlest caroler. This holiday season, let five masterful actors take you on a journey of imagination to the heart of this beloved classic. Inventive and funny, heartwarming and richly poetic, Zettelmaier's adaptation fleshes out Dickens' well-known characters, exploring their humor, their humanity and their hope.

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1st Produced:
Theatre And Place Where 1St Produced Only:     19 Nov 2009

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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:  3            Female:  2            Other:  -

Further Reference:
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Dead Man's Shoes

Synopsis:
Injun Bill Picote and his new partner Froggy travel through the Wild West longing for revenge. They are after the man who killed Injun Bill's former partner - then had him skinned and the skin turned into a pair of shoes

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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:
Black comedy with music

Parts:
Male:  3            Female:  1            Other:  -

Further Reference:
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Decade Dance, The

Synopsis:
White soldier Roger Weems returns from Vietnam. He meets black activist Nina Reynolds. They have what they think will be a one night stand but ten years later they are still together. Ten years that have seen a lot of turmoil in the US

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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:
Drama

Parts:
Male:  1            Female:  1            Other:  -

Further Reference:
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Dr Seward's Dracula

Synopsis:
Dr Seward has cut himself off from the world after loosing his lover and friends to Dracula. He is contacted by Bram Stoker who is interested in writing his story. Then murders very much like the Dracula ones start

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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:
Horror

Parts:
Male:  4            Female:  1            Other:  -

Further Reference:
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Ebenezer

Ebenezer
Ebenezer Scrooge is dying in hospital. He is looked after by nurse Miss Poole. Tim Cratchit comes to visit him - he has just returned from fighting in the war against America. Ebenezer wants to bring joy to all the world. He summons up the spirit of Christmas. Tim and Miss Poole do not comprehend what is going on

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1st Produced:
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1st Published:
Sordelet Ink 2014   

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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:
Drama

Parts:
Male:  2            Female:  1            Other:  -

Further Reference:
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Gravedigger: A Frankenstein Play

Gravedigger: A Frankenstein Play
A gravedigger finds a scarred man hiding in a freshly dug grave - it is the monster Frankenstein created

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1st Produced:
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Organisations:
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1st Published:
Sordelet Ink 2014   

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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:
Horror

Parts:
Male:  3            Female:  1            Other:  -

Further Reference:
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Ichabod

Synopsis:
Ichabod Crane returns to Sleepy Hollow ten years after the events with the Headless Horseman. He wants revenge

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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:
Horror

Parts:
Male:  2            Female:  2            Other:  -

Further Reference:
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Invasive Species

Synopsis:
A fisherman catches a Channa Marulius and decides to keep it in his fish tank at home. The authorities hear about it - they want to get this invasive fish

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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:
Comedy

Parts:
Male:  1            Female:  1            Other:  -

Further Reference:
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It Came From Mars

It Came From Mars
An off-the-wall story about a group of radio actors terrified by Orson Welles' War of the Worlds broadcast. Passions ignite and secret identities are revealed when a washed-up director, his diva ex-wife, a wanna-be war hero and a German sound effects wiz think they are about to be annihilated by men from Mars.

Notes:
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1st Produced:
Performance Network, Ann Arbor, Mi, Usa And Williamston Theatre     18 Feb 2010

Organisations:
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1st Published:
Sordelet Ink 2014   

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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Language Lessons

Synopsis:
Life is made up of moments. Some are the biggest moments of our lives, weddings, anniversaries, births and deaths. Some are barely noticed, the quiet smile of a stranger, a cool breeze rustling fall leaves, stepping on a crack But each moment changes the direction of our life. Every interaction, large or small shapes who we are destined to be. In LANGUAGE LESSONS, a 28-year old Russian ballerina on her final tour becomes a guest of a retired American diplomat. Over the course of a summer they unearth each other's long-buried secrets and learn how similar their worlds are. What begins as a humorous clash of cultures and ideals becomes a deeper understanding of the things that make us human.

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1st Produced:
Theatre And Place Where 1St Produced Only:     18 Jan 2007

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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:  1            Female:  2            Other:  -

Further Reference:
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New Releases

Synopsis:
The "Avid Video" rental store has hit bad times. Jen runs it. One night a strange woman comes in wanting to rent a video that Jen did not even realise she stocked

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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:
Comedy

Parts:
Male:  1            Female:  2            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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Night Blooming

Synopsis:
At 16 Natane gives birth to a daughter who she abandons. At 16 the daughter Lily gives birth to a daughter Selene and decides to raise her baby. Selene has a life threatening disease. Lily has to trace her birth mother to help save Selene

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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:
Drama

Parts:
Male:  -            Female:  3            Other:  -

Further Reference:
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Northern Aggression

Northern Aggression
Rob and Maddie leave Michigan to live in Georgia. Their next door neighbour a Southern gentleman and retired doctor Benjamin Boggs. They get on fine until a misunderstanding leads to a feud breaking out between Rob and Benjamin

Notes:
Also known as "And The Creek Don't Rise"

1st Produced:
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Organisations:
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1st Published:
Sordelet Ink 2016   

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:
Comedy

Parts:
Male:  2            Female:  1            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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Our Lady of Poison

Synopsis:
Girolana and her mother Giulia are apothecaries in Rome in the 1600s. They are well liked and help the downtrodden. They are also poisoners. Any woman who has made a bad marriage they sort out the husband. One day a young bride seeks their help with unexpected consequences

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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:
Drama

Parts:
Male:  -            Female:  3            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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Pulp Fiction

Synopsis:
1933 Los Angeles. Down on his luck private detective Frank Ellery gets his strangest case. A literary agent has been murdered - the suspects are his four remaining clients who are all pulp fiction writers

Notes:
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1st Produced:
Know Theatre, Cincinnati     07 Oct 2016

Organisations:
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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:
Drama

Parts:
Male:  4            Female:  1            Other:  -

Further Reference:
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Renaissance Man

Synopsis:
Martin has been king's knight in the Gloriana Renaissance Festival. His girlfriend wants something better for them both. They depose the king and take over Gloriana. Taking over is easy - running everything much harder

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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:
Comedy

Parts:
Male:  3            Female:  3            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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Salvage

Synopsis:
Jason runs a memorabilia shop which is not doing very well. One day Anna comes in to have an old postcard valued. They form a friendship. The truth about her past begins to emerge and Jason must make a choice

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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:
Drama

Parts:
Male:  1            Female:  1            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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Scullery Maid, The

Scullery Maid, The
King Edward is celebrating a truce with France. Meanwhile in the kitchen the scullery maid plots to assassinate him because she blames the King for her father's death

Notes:
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1st Produced:
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Organisations:
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1st Published:
Sordelet Ink 2015   

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:
Drama

Parts:
Male:  2            Female:  3            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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Stillness Between Breaths, The

Synopsis:
the script features Zettelmaier's lyrical prose and it's shaped by his knack for characters. Bit by bit, he reveals the story from each sister's viewpoint, holding back just enough to deliver some surprises along the way. Judith Cookis Rubens, the Oakland Press. When you take a leap of faith, who holds the safety net? For the O'shea sisters it was always Dad. But when his death leaves them struggling with a sense of profound isolation, they must learn how to build the bonds of family anew. the Stillness Between Breaths explores the notion that there's more to family than blood and more to faith than believing.

Notes:
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1st Produced:
Performance Network, Ann Arbor, Mi, Usa     03 Mar 2005

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:  2            Female:  4            Other:  -

Further Reference:
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Swordplay

Synopsis:
Martine was an Olympic fencer. A brutal assault put her in a coma. She is recovering and wants to take up fencing again. She is being coached by Declan who has some unusual teaching methods

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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:
Drama

Parts:
Male:  2            Female:  1            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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Winter Wolf, The

Synopsis:
Christmas Eve at Cora's house. Her Grandfather comes to call. They sit by the fire and he tells her the tale of the Winter Wolf. The Wolf collects people in the winter of their lives. That night he comes for Grandfather. However Cora has laid a trap for it and captures it. What follows next is a journey through time

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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:
Youth play

Parts:
Male:  2            Female:  2            Other:  1 either sex

Further Reference:
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