See below for information about each play.
Friar Lazaro, or the King of Terrors
Synopsis: Set in a Spanish mission in 19th-century California, "Friar Lazaro" tells the story of a young padre whose religious doubts lead him to madness and murder. Lazaro, obsessed with the idea that nothing lies beyond death, begins to kill sick Indians at the mission in order to witness their dying visions. Unsatisfied, he turns on the other inhabitants of the mission, including the Indian woman he used to love. Can anyone stop the "King of Terrors" before it is too late?
Genre: Drama/tragedy
Cast: 6 men, 3 women
Running time: Approx. 2 hours
Notes: My newest play, and -- in my humble opinion -- probably my best. This one went through a lot of transformations over the course of its development. At one point it was going to be set in France, but I'm extremely glad I decided to set it in Spanish California, because it gave me the chance to research life in the mission system. The photo above is from a visit to Mission San Juan Capistrano, where I went for inspiration. I love the character of Lazaro in all his twisted, obsessed madness. Hope to see him on stage. This play had a developmental reading through PCSF in May 2011.
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Genre: Drama/tragedy
Cast: 6 men, 3 women
Running time: Approx. 2 hours
Notes: My first full-length play. Originally the whole thing was written in verse, but I changed it to make the language a little more accessible. It received a staged reading through the Playwrights' Center of San Francisco in May 2010. At the end of Act One, the actor playing Sisyphus, who had been "dead" (standing still with his eyes closed) for a long time, fainted. Thankfully he recovered quickly! This play was a semifinalist for the 2011 O'Neill Playwrights' Conference.
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Genre: Drama/tragedy
Cast: 6 men, 3 women
Running time: Approx. 2 hours
Notes: My newest play, and -- in my humble opinion -- probably my best. This one went through a lot of transformations over the course of its development. At one point it was going to be set in France, but I'm extremely glad I decided to set it in Spanish California, because it gave me the chance to research life in the mission system. The photo above is from a visit to Mission San Juan Capistrano, where I went for inspiration. I love the character of Lazaro in all his twisted, obsessed madness. Hope to see him on stage. This play had a developmental reading through PCSF in May 2011.
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The Widow of Sisyphus
Synopsis: An original take on a Greek myth. When Queen Merope refuses to bury her husband, Sisyphus -- in accordance with his secret plot to cheat death -- she must struggle with the repercussions: her son's fury, her servant's suspicions, her sister's contempt, and her own unconscious fears. Inspired by classical mythology, this play explores the human relationship with death -- a universal and timeless problem.
Genre: Drama/tragedy
Cast: 6 men, 3 women
Running time: Approx. 2 hours
Notes: My first full-length play. Originally the whole thing was written in verse, but I changed it to make the language a little more accessible. It received a staged reading through the Playwrights' Center of San Francisco in May 2010. At the end of Act One, the actor playing Sisyphus, who had been "dead" (standing still with his eyes closed) for a long time, fainted. Thankfully he recovered quickly! This play was a semifinalist for the 2011 O'Neill Playwrights' Conference.
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La Fée Verte
Synopsis: When France bans absinthe in 1914, struggling poet Marmion fears he will lose his only source of inspiration. He authors a petition against the ban, aided by Dennis, a suicidally depressed bartender who drinks in order to hallucinate his deceased fiancée. But Marmion's brother Mallory, a Catholic priest with his own secret addiction, is determined to keep the ban in place. As the three men's agendas clash, each must discover the source of his dependence on the "Green Fairy."
Genre: Comedy
Cast: 3 men, 1 woman
Running time: Approx. 2 hours
Notes: A lighter piece, written after I was introduced to absinthe. (I don't care for the taste, actually.) I wanted to tell a story about the things people use to invest their lives with meaning -- whether religion, love, or even art -- and the dangers of becoming too dependent on any of them. It received a table reading through the Playwrights' Center of San Francisco in December 2010.
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Notes: A lighter piece, written after I was introduced to absinthe. (I don't care for the taste, actually.) I wanted to tell a story about the things people use to invest their lives with meaning -- whether religion, love, or even art -- and the dangers of becoming too dependent on any of them. It received a table reading through the Playwrights' Center of San Francisco in December 2010.
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Croesus, or the Autonomous Man
Genre: Drama/tragedy
Cast: 5 men, 2 women
Running time: Approx. 1.5 hours
Notes: I'm fond of this play. It has a rather unusual theme, and some elements that I think could be very dramatic -- like Croesus' funeral pyre. The play was given a table reading through the Playwrights' Center of San Francisco in October 2011.
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