Oprah Made Me Do It

Oprah Made Me Do It is one of my most popular plays, yet I rarely have the chance to see it produced. So for my own amusement I had a little fun with an online animation studio. Enjoy...

Split: Page to Stage

Just yesterday I received my copies of Split from Theatrefolk. It's always exciting to see what I've worked so hard on finally appear in print! It's amazing that what started as just a few scribbles on a page is now a play that will hopefully produced for years to come. It went from this...

To this...

There was a time when all I dreamed about was having a play published. Now I have over 40 plays in print, but it never stops being a thrill. It's totally awesome for me to look at my notes and the final script side by side. They are visual proof that anything is possible if you dream long enough, hard enough and big enough.

When I finished writing this play, I found myself missing the characters in way I never had before. They had become such an important part of my life while I was working on it that I had a hard time letting go of them. It's cliche, but writing a play is like giving birth to a baby. But now that the play is available, I know that teenagers the world over will breathe new life into the characters I created. They will continue to live, continue to grow and continue to learn. I couldn't ask for anything more!

Epic Fail

I have added a brand new play to my website! This comedy features a completely flexible cast, easy to rehearse vignettes and terrific opportunities for young actors to work as an ensemble.

EPIC FAIL

Genre: Comedy
Cast: Entirely flexible cast of 5-30+
Running Time: 30-35 minutes
Setting: A bare stage with a few blocks

Synopsis: Teenagers are faced with failure every day. Some mornings it feels like they have the letter F stamped on their foreheads in bright red ink. In a series of hilarious vignettes, five students take on a multitude of challenges, each from a different perspective. From driving a car that has a mind of its own to having an argument with a bag of chips in a vending machine, these teenagers discover that the only way to succeed is to stare failure in the face. And if they're going to take that risk, they might as well make it epic!

Please visit www.bradleyhayward.com and follow the links to read a preview!

Bottled Up

I have added a new play to my website!

Bottled Up

Genre: Comedy
Cast: 2 either gender
Running Time: 10 minutes
Setting: A bare stage

Synopsis: When a depressed man opens a bottle of Coca-Cola, he uncorks an exuberant genie who is hopped up on sugar and caffeine. This genie would love to grant him three wishes, but that becomes difficult when he realizes that he has no clue what he wants.

Please visit www.bradleyhayward.com and follow the links to read a preview!

Reading Room: Tracks

I've been reading a lot of plays recently and I've decided to write about the ones that have really stuck in my mind as something special.

One of them is a play that I briefly mentioned on here a few months ago, but I feel it deserves further discussion. It's a fabulous one act play called Tracks by Peter Tarsi.

Here is the synopsis from Dramatic Publishing's website: A group of strangers meet in a dirty subway station. They have arrived with limited personal belongings, their watches have stopped, and they all claim to be in different cities. Soon they learn there is no way out of the station, and the unfortunate truth is told to them: they are all dead. Since subway stations have two sides, they reason the train leaving from one platform must be bound for Heaven, while the train leaving from the other platform must be bound for Hell. But which platform are they on? They reflect upon their lives, recalling and confessing past deeds of which they are not proud, hoping to figure out which platform is which. The arrival of someone from the other platform only complicates matters, and the answer remains unclear. As the subway train finally approaches, they must decide whether to stay and ponder their actions further, or to have faith and climb aboard to their final destination.

I had the great pleasure of seeing a terrific production of the play earlier this year, but I have to say that reading the play is nearly as powerful as seeing it live on stage. Plays are meant to be performed and not read, but once in while the words in a script come to life in the same way a good piece of literature does. This is one of those scripts.

The play is an allegory on death and dying, good and evil, Heaven and Hell. What's most amazing about it is that despite the weighty observations, there is a lot of humor and heart in the storytelling. Each of the ten characters are finely drawn and a great challenge for actors of all ages. I've read a great many "characters trapped together" plays where the characters involved are stereotypical "types" that behave exactly as expected. Many of these types are included in Tracks, yet Tarsi manages to avoid the pitfalls of such a stage convention by imbuing his characters with far more depth than is typical. They repeatedly contradict themselves throughout, which is exactly how I feel people in a situation like this (however outlandish it may be) would behave.

For instance, my favorite character in the play is "The Old Man." One would expect from his name alone that he would be a crusty old coot that is set in his ways. And so he is, yet in this play we are shown that his behavior is a result of all the fears and setbacks he has experienced in his life. What could have been a two dimensional cardboard cutout is given an extra dimension, which is true of all the characters. I think that is why this play speaks to me so strongly.

For any high schools looking for a rewarding challenge, I highly suggest you order a copy and consider this play.

Outside the Box

"I'm going out of my mind!"
Scatter, Outside the Box

I'm so thrilled to share this brand new play with the world. Its message is near and dear to me and I hope it encourages people to open their hearts (and minds) to all the teenagers out there whose ideas are slightly left of center. Enjoy...

OUTSIDE THE BOX

Genre: Comedy/Drama
Cast: Entirely gender flexible cast of 12
Running Time: 30-35 minutes
Setting: A bare stage (and a box)

Synopsis: Thinking outside the box is not always easy, especially when the world requires you to live on the inside. Exhausted from cramming into corners where they do not fit, six teenagers turn things inside out by inviting others to see things from a whole new perspective. On the outside, balloons change color, brooms become dance partners and kites fly without a string. Step outside and see for yourself!

This uniquely theatrical play features a gender flexible ensemble, easy to rehearse vignettes and creative staging opportunities for both new and experienced directors.

Please visit www.bradleyhayward.com and follow the links to read a preview!

Spoiler Alert

I have added a brand new play to my website!

SPOILER ALERT

Genre: Comedy
Cast: 2m, 3w
Running Time: 30-35 minutes
Setting: A blank stage

Synopsis: Jack and Jill went up the hill to fetch a pail of water. When a loud mouth in the front row gives away the shocking conclusion to this story, the rest of the audience begins to question their motives. Is it better to know how a story ends or experience each surprise as it comes? As this debate wages on, Jack and Jill suddenly realize they have wasted their entire lives fetching water. While Jack considers climbing a beanstalk, Jill ponders what her life would be like on the other side of the footlights. How this story turns out is anybody's guess. Spoiler alert: it's not how you'd expect!

Please visit www.bradleyhayward.com and follow the links to read a preview!

Status Update: A Symphony

I have added a new play to my website!

Status Update: A Symphony

Genre: Comedy/Drama
Cast: 3m, 4w
Running Time: 10 minutes
Setting: Cyberspace

Synopsis: Seven teenagers express their hopes and fears online in a rousing symphony of status updates.

Part of Sixteen (in 10 Minutes or Less)

Please visit www.bradleyhayward.com and follow the links to read a preview!

Tumblefur

I have added a new play to my website!

Tumblefur

Genre: Comedy/Drama
Cast: 1w
Running Time: 10 minutes
Setting: A park

Synopsis: A sweet teenage girl takes her dog for a walk in the park and discovers that there is something exciting around every corner.

Part of Sixteen (in 10 Minutes or Less)

Please visit www.bradleyhayward.com and follow the links to read a preview!