SHORT PLAYS

A collection of one-acts, 10-minute plays, short films, and monologues.

University Radio

Created by Daniel Kunkel, University Radio is a serial podcast about the misadventures of the staff at the University at the Top of the Hill radio station. The series is written by Daniel Kunkel, Madeleine Norton, Ben Folts, and SMJ and features the writers as well as Henri Sudy, Stephanie Fongheiser, and Sally Clark as actors.

Episodes Written by SMJ include History of Sports and Kombats (January 31, 2022), Mixed Martial Arts and Therapeutic Applications (March 7, 2022), Love and Smooth Talking 101 (April 25, 2022), Double Identities and Their Impact on Sports (May 24, 2022), Mice and Monsters (July 11, 2022), I_AM_MISSING (July 18, 2022), Jacquelyn Mehoff is a Power Top (August 29, 2022), Intro to Burner Phones (October 17, 2022), Business of Ghosting (October 24, 2022), Jacquelyn Mehoff is a Power Top 2 (November 14, 2022), & A Warning (January 30, 2023).

sundays in the park with clay & cher

When a horrible adult softball league displaces pigeons Clay & Cher from their favorite baseball field in Central Park, Cher comes up with a plan for taking their field back.

sundays in the park with clay & cher was selected as a part of the CRY HAVOC PlayList Project. The first reading of the play was at Pearl Studios on September 27, 2023. Emily Garcia directed the reading. The cast featured Monica Bell, Desiree Pinol, & Melisa Breiner-Sanders.

A variation of sundays in the park with clay & cher (titled two pigeons) was featured at the Special 10th Edition of Fucked-Up Play Fest on May 3, 2024 at Caveat. Emily Bubeck directed the play. The cast featured Michael Ortiz and Abby Messina.

Backstage Politics

World Class Wrestling is in turmoil: falling ratings, financial issues, heat between the boys, and the boss, Sir, is a monster.

The first episode of Backstage Politics was chosen as one of the pilots for the inaugural round of Serials at The Tank from March 7-9, 2024. The episode was directed by Paige Esterly and featured Nick Turturro, Emily Oliveira, Vanessa Guadiana, Irina Kaplan, & Keith Weiss.

Photo by Madison Scheps

Duck & Cover (Or, A Dinner Party in the 1950s)

Based on the old US government propaganda video of the same name, the 1956 Wilton, NH Duck and Cover Club invite The President via handwritten letter to visit them to quell their fears of an impending nuclear attack.

Duck & Cover (Or, A Dinner Party in the 1950s) was presented by The 24 Hour Plays at Andy’s Summer Playhouse on July 8, 2023. It was directed by Joshua William Gelb, assistant directed by Else Guerra, and featured Liliana Juarez, Eryn Shanley, Londyn Hurtas, Keira Schaub, and Violet Deaver.

OnlyFriends

With rent due, roommates Kara & Erica look to jump-start their acting careers after their holiday jobs end.

OnlyFriends was performed as a part of Fucked Up Play Fest at Caveat on January 25, 2024. The play was directed by Andie Lerner. The cast featured Hope Johansen and Mackenzie Moyer.

Photo by Madison Scheps

late nights in the park with jordan & jim

Jordan and Jim are hired by the Mayor of NYC to keep watch of the Great Lawn during the late nights. However, the enemy they are trying to ward off might be too overwhelming.

late nights with jordan & jim was written for The Workshop Theater’s Out of the Hat Festival. It was read on December 6, 2023, at The AMT Theater in NYC. The cast featured Joseph Franchini & Aja Downing.

The Triangle (a play series for Serials)

Avery and Kennedy are two ordinary, queer high school students with a secret they must keep forever: they are Ranger Clowns, a superhero team with clown-based abilities. Following the betrayal of their former Ranger Clown teammate, Logan aka The Power Bottom, Avery & Kennedy experience some changes that threaten to alter their futures forever.

The first two episodes of The Triangle were directed by Emani Simpson and featured Corinne Britti, Jessica Kantorowitz, Nicholas Turturro, and William Vonada. They were presented as a part of Serials with The Fled Collective.

Photo by Madison Scheps

Photo by Adam Ninyo

Photo by Madison Scheps

Photo by Adam Ninyo

Not The Truth We Seek

An exploration of themes from Lord of the Flies, Not the Truth We Seek follows Abigail who is in control of only one place, Limbo. A group of women ends up there after an emergency landing of their plane. Quickly, their fears and morals are put to the test when a charismatic stranger joins their group. Slowly, Abigail’s fantasy world and her reality blur together with terrifying results, which threaten to destroy the only place she feels safe - her mind.

The thesis production of Not The Truth We Seek was held at Otterbein University on December 5, 2016. The production was co-directed by Nick Hahn and featured Dana Cullinane, Olivia Crawford, Kara Jobe, Olivia Crago, Sally Clark, Kaylee Barrett, Caroline Kane, Nicole Gaydos, Daria Redus, Grace Hoover, Lauren DiMario, Claire Sinard, Kathryn Lee, & Amanda Sibert.

Back of House

A short-form web series about a quartet of catering actors just trying to make it through another shift. The series was created in collaboration with Maggie Marie Rodgers, Olivia Helaine, Allison Villaseñor, & Sohailla Mahjour.

Back of House is an Official Selection of the 2023 Madavera Expojour JazzTimes Film Festival in Braintree, Massachusetts. All episodes were directed by Jackie Skinner.

*SKELDBURG, OHIO (**Created & Developed with Henri Sudy)*

Growing up in Ohio is weird - especially when you’re non-binary. Now grown and out, creators SMJ and Henri Sudy keep finding themselves asking “what’s up with the sentimentality?” Through in-game recordings of Among Us, voice chats, and imposter syndromes, they hope to expose the harm that stems from romanticizing small towns... and maybe even find an answer to their question.

SKELDBURG, OHIO was developed and commissioned for the Shotgun Players 30/30 Vision Projects. This piece was written as a reaction to Winesburg, Ohio. It was filmed using Among Us gameplay and Discord recordings. The original cast featured Ben Folts, Madeleine Norton, Astilia Chokanu-Wenholz, Niku Sor, Marcus Hallam, Tristan Rose Gillia, Lizz Mangan, Julianne Graffeo, Henri Sudy, & SMJ. Originally released on July 8, 2021

Ranger Things (a 10-minute play)

Imagine… Power Rangers, but part government conspiracy and part serious alien drama with all the 90s camp. Kimberly and Kat are two normal teenage gymnasts with attitude until they are kidnapped by an alien named Z who recruits these high school seniors into an intergalactic war against a space witch and monsters of the week.

Ranger Things was presented as a part of the Open Source series hosted by The Tank on November 9, 2021. Episode 1 was directed by Henri Sudy and featured Astilia Chokanu-Wenholz as Kimberly, Joan Milburn as Kat, and Anne-Marie Pietersma as Z.

*cards. (**a 10-minute zoom play)*

Kayleigh is in Nebraska. Jude is in NYC. It's Sunday night and they want to start the next week on a high note.

cards. was presented in Permafrost Theatre Collective’s 24-Hour Play Festival on April 18, 2021. It was directed by Clara Kundin and featured Linda Elizabeth as Kayleigh and Charlie Kennedy as Jude.