Theatrical Shenanigans

Hello there and welcome to Episode 6 of Season 6 of Mini Shenanigans. For this episode like all the others we’ve brought you another short play to enjoy! Our play this week comes from Jan Probst (https://newplayexchange.org/users/27880/jan-probst & https://barewitness.com/), a storyteller, who found her creative home in theatre and film. Jan’s work has often explored aging and femininity in her work, giving older women characters center stage. Her work has been seen on stages around the San Francisco Bay Area, across the continental U.S. and in the great state of Alaska, and heard on the popular radio show Wild Rose Moon Radio Hour. Her plays are published by Next Stage Press, and have been included in the annual Smith & Kraus anthology of ten-minute plays. And if that wasn’t enough she’s also a longtime member of the award-winning improv film company Barewitness Films and has helped create many short narrative films, working both sides of the camera. Jan’s work we’ll hear shortly is entitled “Jill and Jack” (https://newplayexchange.org/script/3179388/jill-and-jack-a-radio-play) Synopsis: While turning a familiar nursery rhyme on its head, a long held secret is revealed. Cast: Jill – Tanya Rich (www.tanyarich.co.uk) Jack – David Jervis-Green (https://app.spotlight.com/7810-9058-0219?fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAaf0ClbmgY-KGTDkJfPBo4tjv0-C0fDuWC6nJIbxK0c-V5uRMlwsTuITPoR92A_aem_rU29WRkmLtrLccAQrEugrA) If you can, please Like/Follow/Support us! :-) https://www.buymeacoffee.com/TheatricalShenanigans https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100087550385392 https://www.instagram.com/theatricalshenanigans/  https://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/RFWScripts

Hello there and welcome, once again, to the Theatrical Shenanigans Father's Day Special! For this episode I have with me three other wonderful playwrights with works that celebrate fathers and fatherhood.   Our four plays and playwrights are:   1) "Father's Daughter" (https://newplayexchange.org/script/2047383/the-songs-we-sing-at-funerals) by John David Brown (https://newplayexchange.org/users/74716/john-david-brown)    Synopsis: Jeanie, who is already mourning the loss of her father, is shocked when she discovers he's made a return visit!   Cast: Sammy - Greg Bauhof (https://www.linkedin.com/in/gregory-bauhof-2181767b/) Jeanie - Ash Albiniak (https://unabashedvo.com/)   2) "What's Left Unsaid" (https://newplayexchange.org/script/3299407/whats-left-unsaid) by Robert J. LeBlanc (https://newplayexchange.org/users/37762/robert-j-leblanc & https://www.dramatistsguild.com/members/robertleblanc)    Synopsis: Brook's mother is dying. She returns home for the first time in almost 20 years to set her affairs in order. Ella, her much younger sister, stayed to care for her dying mother. Now, with almost two decades of questions, the sisters try to come to terms with their past.   Cast: Elle - Jaquelyn Priskorn (www.jacquiefloyd.com) Brook - Dana Hall  (https://www.danahallcreates.com/)    3) "Fighting Hands" (https://newplayexchange.org/script/3284393/fighting-hands) by Rachel Feeny-Williams (https://newplayexchange.org/users/60206/rachel-feeny-williams & https://www.rfwscripts.co.uk/)   Synopsis: Maggie has an unexpected visit from her father (boxer and heavy) Les 'Steel Hands' Jackson who, despite being absent most her young life, now needs to talk   Cast: Les - Karim Kronfli (https://www.dramaticvoice.co.uk/) Maggie - Tanya Rich (www.tanyarich.co.uk)   4) "24 Lasagnas" (https://newplayexchange.org/script/3296197/24-lasagnas) by Christopher Plumridge (https://newplayexchange.org/users/64773/christopher-plumridge   Synopsis: Recently widowed, Robert is filling the time, and the kitchen, by making 24 Lasagnas for his daughter to take back to university. A heart-warming yet emotional 10 minute play, exploring grief and a good lasagna recipe.   Cast: Robert - Jeff Tullin (https://twitter.com/Jeff_Tullin) Katy - Cathy Flockton   If you can, please Like/Follow/Support us! :-) https://www.buymeacoffee.com/TheatricalShenanigans https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100087550385392 https://www.instagram.com/theatricalshenanigans/ https://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/RFWScripts

Hello there and welcome to our half way point in this series of Mini Shenanigans! Our 5th play of this series is entitled "Checked Baggage" and was written by central Florida based playwright Nancy Rose Ostinato (https://www.facebook.com/nancy.ostinato/). Checked Baggage, was very loosely inspired by an experience she had in an airport baggage claim after a long international flight when an overzealous passenger crazily and repeatedly tried to pull Nancy’s luggage away from her, insisting it belonged to her even after Nancy showed her the name tag on the bag. Somehow Nancy’s brain took that incident and combined it with another difficult flight, when she was flying home after herfather’s passing, and came up with Checked Baggage.   Cast: Mr Holden - Jeff Tullin (https://twitter.com/Jeff_Tullin) Agent Cris - Nicky Whichelow (www.nickywvoices.com) PA System - Perdita Lawton (www.perditalawton.com)   Synopsis: Mr Holden is desperately trying to catch his flight but it seems he's not going anywhere until everything has been declared, including things he wasn't expecting!   If you can, please Like/Follow/Support us! :-) https://www.buymeacoffee.com/TheatricalShenanigans https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100087550385392 https://www.instagram.com/theatricalshenanigans/ https://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/RFWScripts

Hello there and welcome to our fourth instalment in this series of Mini Shenanigans! Our 4th play of this series is entitled "The Donor Class" (https://newplayexchange.org/script/2035927/the-donor-class) by Scott Carter Cooper (https://newplayexchange.org/users/10133/scott-carter-cooper & https://scottcartercooper.com/) When talking about the play Scott says: "The play came from two inspirations.  The first being an episode of Oprah, many years ago about women having to deal with mostly male gynaecologists who were too quick to resort to hysterectomies to resolve women's reproductive health.  I have a lot of female friends, and when she said that a hysterectomy was female castration, the phrase stuck with me.  At about the same time my own mother went through a series of new doctors, and before each examination, each doctor asked when she's had her own hysterectomy.  It was just an assumption that a post-menopausal woman had one.  She had not, and at 84, she has fought off every suggestion."   Cast: He - Richard Koslowsky (richardkoslowsky.com) She - Siobhan Mccoulough (https://www.instagram.com/shivvy36/?hl=en-gb) Dr - Maria Ciancaglini   Synopsis: An exhausted man and woman make the decision to donate the woman's reproductive organs for cash, only to discover they have something of more value.   If you can, please Like/Follow/Support us! :-) https://www.buymeacoffee.com/TheatricalShenanigans https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100087550385392 https://www.instagram.com/theatricalshenanigans/ https://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/RFWScripts

Hello there and welcome to our third episode in this 6th series of Mini Shenanigans. Our play today is from Cleveland based actor/writer/graphic artist John Busser (https://newplayexchange.org/users/34757/john-busser) &. John is the co-runner of Cleveland Public Theatre’s writer's workshop, The Dark Room which helps new and seasoned playwrights test drive new work. He is the author of over 115 short plays that have been produced throughout the US, Canada, the UK, Australia and most recently, South India. John’s relationship with us here at Theatrical Shenanigans goes way back to Season One where his play “A Conversation about Mom” ended our very first season (https://theatricalshenanigans.podbean.com/e/episode-10-a-coversation-about-mom-jonathan-cook/). He then joined me as a guest at the start of season 2 to discuss Lisa Quoresmio’s play “Cloudy with a chance of Contempt” (https://theatricalshenanigans.podbean.com/e/s02-e01-episode-1-cloudy-with-a-chance-of-contempt-john-busser/). He joined me again as a guest with three other panellists in November 2023 on the Panel presents (https://theatricalshenanigans.podbean.com/e/the-panel-presents-episode-5-carolyn-john-jake-and-melissa/) before being a featured playwright a further 3 times with his plays “you went there” (https://theatricalshenanigans.podbean.com/e/one-year-anniversary-special/), “They’re in There” (https://theatricalshenanigans.podbean.com/e/mini-shenanigans-episode-1-they-re-in-there-by-john-busser/) & “Taken to School” (https://theatricalshenanigans.podbean.com/e/theatrical-shenanigans-fathers-day-special/). John’s play today is entitled Early One Evening at the Miskatonic University Ladies Auxiliary Book Club (https://newplayexchange.org/script/2793664/early-one-evening-at-the-miskatonic-university-ladies-auxiliary-book-club). John was inspired to write the piece from his fascination with horror comedies and his girlfriend's fascination with wine and books. Although he suspects She may be less enthused with this inspiration as he is.   Cast: Anna – Anissa Lubbers (https://anissalubbers.com/wp/) Samantha – Julie Brandon (https://newplayexchange.org/users/12443/julie-brandon) Rochelle – Ash Albiniak (https://unabashedvo.com/) Vickie – Angela Sarabia (https://newplayexchange.org/users/83860/angela-sarabia) Lavinia – Hannah Lee DeFrates (https://newplayexchange.org/users/83860/angela-sarabia)   If you can, please Like/Follow/Support us! :-) https://www.buymeacoffee.com/TheatricalShenanigans https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100087550385392 https://www.instagram.com/theatricalshenanigans/ https://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/RFWScripts