A two-act science-fiction mystery thriller set on a space station orbiting Earth; four performers (2F, 2M)
Perusal script available at New Play Exchange
Production rights available through the author
In 2167, high above the Earth on a vast space station, robotics-specialist Dr. Margaret Mailer conducts a series of sessions with the synthetic Seventy-One, the only surviving member of a crew once assigned to the Galatea, a legendary deep-space transport vessel that disappeared over 100 years ago. Found floating in a crumbling escape shuttle after decades in cryogenic sleep, Seventy-One now dutifully engages with Dr. Mailer in a series of exercises designed to improve her social skills and human-like characteristics. In series of cliffhanger-ending scenes, Mailer slowly peels away layer after layer of Seventy-One’s protective programming, and begins to suspect something that could change the future of humankind, all while seeking the answer to a century-old question: what, exactly, happened on the Galatea?
“Entertains and provokes and offers
surprises along the way.” — Victor Cordell
(In photograph, by Jeff Thomas: Sindu Singh as Dr. Mailer, Abbey Lee as Seventy-One, directed by Marty Pistone, produced in 2021 by Spreckels Theatre Company)
A two-act gothic-horror-romance set in a graveyard; one performer.
Perusal script available at New Play Exchange
Production rights available through the author
Mary Shelley is dead. So why is she stuck in this graveyard, at her own tomb? Why is it storming overhead, with thunder and lightning, but no rain? And why can’t she stop talking? In this tour-de-force play for one female actor, the writer of ‘Frankenstein’ delivers a ghostly monologue that encompasses her loves and losses, the inspiration behind her greatest work of literature, and the secrets she hoped to take to the grave. Now that she’s there, much to her irritation and witty rage, she finds those secrets have followed her. ‘Mary Shelley’s Body’ (perfect for Halloween or near June 16, the night Mary Shelley had the dream that inspired ‘Frankenstein) presents a stormy collision of romance, horror, history and unforgettable storytelling.
“Left the audience gasping in horror.” — Alexa Chipman
(In photograph, by Eric Chazankin: Sheri Lee Miller as Mary Shelley. Directed by Elizabeth Craven, produced in 2017 by Main Stage West in Sebastopol, California)
A one-act solo monologue with props and flexible setting, from a bare stage to a cluttered attic to a living room at Christmas; one performer.
Perusal script available at New Play Exchange
Production rights available through the author
A one-actor show in which a father, feeling nostalgic at Christmas time, spontaneously recalls one whopper of a true story (based on the playwright’s life), involving his lifetime obsession with Santa Claus, his desperate attempts to keep his kids believing after a tragedy strikes his family, and his realization that sometimes lies, even those told in love, can backfire in unpredictable ways.
“A courageous, beautifully crafted show that will bring laughter and tears, usually at the same time.” — For All Events
(In photograph by Katie Kelley: Mark Bradbury as David. Directed by David Templeton, produced by Left Edge Theatre in Santa Rosa)
A two-act comedy-fantasy set at a desert campground; six performers (5M, 1F)
Perusal script available at New Play Exchange
Production rights available through the author
A supernatural comedy about a group of mythology-loving, heavy metal fans on a drum circle retreat in the desert, where they’ve gathered for one final weekend of chanting, drumming, drinking and metal-inspired “rituals,” following the recent death of their founder, legendary DethDog drummer Joshua Tree. Eventually, their newest member proves to be more than he seems, and a whole series of life-altering surprises – and at least one other unexpected guest – take place as the group faces a long night of the soul (hotdogs optional) that could turn out to be the friends’ best male-bonding trip ever — or its last.
“Poignant … hilarious.” — Barry Willis
(In photograph, by Katie Kelley: Rick Pallaziol as Stingray, Nick Sholley as Professor, Chris Schloemp as Chick, Anthony Martinez as Bull. Directed by David Yen and produced in 2018 by Left Edge Theatre)
A two-act romantic-comedy set in a place of shared memory; two performers (1F, 1M)
Perusal script available at New Play Exchange
Production rights available through the author
Young love can be brutal. When a sweetly romantic teenager named Pinky appears at the local bowling alley, nerdy high-schooler David is instantly smitten. After joining David’s eccentric circle of brainy, oddball friends, Pinky reveals her life-long quest to find P.C., her nickname for Prince Charming. Determined to be the one who sweeps Pinky off her feet, David launches an outrageous scheme to prove he’s the real P.C., a plan involving treasure hunts, kidnapping, and a battle against the forces of evil. Of course, every love story has two sides. Performed as a pair of simultaneous but overlapping monologues, the grown-up David and Pinky take turns telling their version of what happened, all those years ago.
“‘Pinky’ takes actual events on a flight of fancy, a pleasure trip that packs a rock-solid punch. It catches you completely off-guard and smacks you right between the eyes even as you’re doubled over laughing.” — Suzanne Angeo
(In photograph by Eric Chazankin: Liz Jahren as Pinky, David Templeton as David, directed by Sheri Lee Miller, at Main Stage West in Sebastopol, California)
A one-act solo monologue set on a bare stage; one performer.
Award-winning single-actor-show about a one-time born-again teenage puppeteer and how he was saved from being ‘saved.’ Weaving together true remembrances from the author’s childhood and teenage days, and encapsulates the experience of a lonely child finding an alternative family amongst a group of blissed-out Christians in the 1970s, and how his path took him into an epic, and frequently hilarious crash course with his own soul. Filled with vivid characters (over a dozen) and stunningly emotional twists and turns, this show has been performed by the author at Fringe Festivals and theaters over 100 times, and now is being made available for other actors to tackle in new ways.
“Richly detailed and thoroughly entertaining.” — Albert Goodwin
(In photograph, by Adam Palafox: David Templeton, directed by Sheri Lee Miller at Sonoma Arts Live in Sonoma, California)
A two-act, two-actor play set in the desert in front of a broken airplane.
Perusal script available at New Play Exchange
Production rights available through the author
In this charming, clever and deeply moving adaptation of the beloved novel by Antoine de Saint-Exupery, a stranded aviator encounters a mysterious boy in the Sahara desert. Over the course of several days, they get to know one another, and the Little Prince, as he comes to be known, gradually draws the cynical older man into the magic of his dazzling planet-hopping story, convincing him to transform, step by step, from mere spectator to active participant.
(‘The Little Prince’ is in the public domain in Canada and the United Kingdom, where this original work can be produced, but not in the United States or France, where the source material remains under copyright.)
David Templeton 