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Ensemble drama
Short, 40-50 minutes
4 females, 4 males, 13 either
(16-30 actors possible: 4-26 females, 4-26 males)
$40.00 per performance; $7.99 per book
A group of students in a New York State high school 100 miles north of Ground Zero responds to the events of September 11th, 2001. The text of this ensemble piece was created from journal writings of over 40 students, teachers, and community members in the weeks immediately following 9-11. (All royalties from War at Home will be donated to charity.)
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| "Quinn and Shengold provide an intriguing, youth-oriented look at the events of 9/11 in War at Home, a short play that deserves some legs." |
| --Larry Schwartz, Library Journal |
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Drama/Comedy
Short, 40-50 minutes
6 females, 2 males (3-8 actors possible: 2-6 females, 1-2 males)
$35.00 per performance; $7.99 per book
In 1964, three high school valedictorians reflect on the one recent event none of them will ever forget -- the assassination of President Kennedy. In early 2002, a middle school student becomes convinced that Al-Qaida terrorists lurk in the midst of his sleepy small town. And on November 5th, 2008, two young mothers from very different backgrounds consider what Obama's victory means for the future of their children. By turns poignant and funny, this look back on watershed moments in American history is an honest examination of change's immense power.
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| "A wonderful play... it kept our students and faculty captivated." |
| --Anthony Fisher, Drama Club advisor, Lifeskills School (Springfield, OH) |
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Drama
Full-length, 65-75 minutes
7 females, 3 males
$75.00 per performance; $8.99 per book
Young people want to connect with one another in every era, but in the wake of tragedies like 9/11, that impulse is especially strong. Taking place in 1963 and 2001, this powerful drama shows how youth deal with the aftermath of terror: from making chocolate truffles, to painting murals, to exploring other religions. Their solutions may seem naive, but their hope makes everything possible.
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Comedy/Drama
Short, 12-15 minutes
1 female, 1 male
$30.00 per performance; $9.99 per book
NOTE: This play is part of an anthology called Great Short Plays: Volume 1.
Days after 9/11, a Sikh man and an American woman find themselves alone on a stalled New York City subway train. Through their inner thoughts, we witness her fear of being trapped underground with "a madman," and his newly discovered fear of living in a city where the people "need to know the name of every bird in Central Park but can't tell a Muslim from a Sikh."
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Drama
Short, 5-10 minutes
2 either (2 actors possible: 0-2 females, 0-2 males)
$30.00 per performance; $9.99 per book
NOTE: This play is part of an anthology called Snapshot.
Two emergency telephone operators handle a terrifying series of calls on Tuesday morning, September 11, 2001.
This piece is part of Snapshot, an anthology of short plays. To perform this piece independently, click "Order this play" above. To perform this piece as part of the full-length collection, go to Snapshot.
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Falling Up
A Short Play for One Small Woman and One Large Man
by Trista Baldwin |
 
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Comedy
Short, 13-18 minutes
1 female, 1 male
$30.00 per performance; $9.99 per book
NOTE: This play is part of an anthology called Great Short Plays: Volume 7.
During a mysterious citywide blackout, two office workers collide over drinks. As they get to know each other, the two discover that, despite their differences, they have one thing in common: a deep need for more than what their cubicles have to offer. A post-9/11 romantic comedy -- with a lemon twist.
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| "It's a stunningly successful collaboration of first-rate writing, acting, and directing that could serve as the gold standard for what the genre can accomplish." |
| --Bill Rodriguez, The Boston Phoenix |
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Drama
Short, 15-17 minutes
1 female, 1 male
$30.00 per performance; $9.99 per book
NOTE: This play is part of an anthology called Special Days.
A "mutual" is a day where two firefighters agree to swap a day off. On September 11th, 2001, Jess Sullivan stayed home while his brother went in to work their mutual, and then disappeared in the ruins of the World Trade Center. Three days after the worst tragedy in New York's history, a thunderstorm forces Jess and other rescuers to go home for the first time since the twin towers fell. Jess and his wife Dee, who is seven months pregnant, wonder what kind of world they are bringing their child into, and whether it is too late to hope that Jess' brother may have survived. (This play can also be performed as part of the full-length collection Special Days.)
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Comedy/Drama
Full-length, 90-120 minutes
1 female, 5 males
$75.00 per performance; $8.99 per book
Backstage, the energy among a troupe of actors is palpable as egos run wild and everyone waits to take their places. But when an unexpected, inexplicable tragedy strikes the stage, ruining it beyond recognition, what do any of them have left? As they grapple with their newfound existential dread, it quickly becomes apparent that only the wonders of the theater have the ability to get them through their mess. A vaudevillian comedy about our need to find hope in the aftermath of catastrophe.
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Drama
Short, 10-13 minutes
1 female, 3 males
$30.00 per performance; $9.99 per book
NOTE: This play is part of an anthology called Ten-Minute Plays from the Guthrie Theater: Volume 3.
Two friends try to help a third friend out by re-uniting him with a lost sister. Have they stepped past the boundaries of friendship? Have they made the right decision? The play deals with themes of betrayal and forgiveness, post-9/11 New York City, and the power of family and friendship in contemporary urban life.
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Drama
Full-length, 75-90 minutes
4 females, 2 males
$75.00 per performance; $8.99 per book
Three points of time converge in a New York brownstone, spanning eighty years and encompassing the lives of three pairs of people. There are newlyweds Stephen and Davia who long to move to Paris, aspiring actresses Maureen and Deena who struggle to get their big break, and engaged Jessica and Jason who find their relationship complicated by an unexpected pregnancy. With nothing but the roof above their head in common, all these characters share in New York experiences of compromising ambition, falling in love, and making memories.
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| "The playwright has an engaging, easy tone, and she's refreshingly frank about the ways women let their desire tie them into knots." |
| --LA Times |
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Comedy
Short, 9-11 minutes
1 female, 1 male
$30.00 per performance; $9.99 per book
NOTE: This play is part of an anthology called The Baseball Plays: 7th Inning Stretch.
Two parents clash over differing viewpoints at their children's Little
League game. Jersey-guy Rusty lives for the games, while widowed Jordanian mother Aliyah seems only concerned about working hard to support her family. But as they start talking to one another between cheers and coaching from the sidelines, they both take comfort in the realization that their off-field life is
surprisingly similar.
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| "Unexpectedly touching..." |
| --Christine Dolen, Miami Herald |
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Dramatic comedy
Full-length, 60-80 minutes
5 females, 3 males
$75.00 per performance; $8.99 per book
Seven college friends have left New York to attend the wedding of two of their number, only weeks after September 11, 2001. The problem is, the best man can't be there, and his replacement, a snarky smart-ass named Rick, just might ruin everything in the most delicate wedding ceremony imaginable. For all his hatred of cliches, Rick has thirty-six hours to find the right thing to say. Can he? Will he?
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Comedy/Drama
Short, 10-15 minutes
2 females
$35.00 per performance; $9.99 per book
NOTE: This play is part of an anthology called theAtrainplays, Vol. 2.
Vickie tries to do nothing more than enjoy a scenic sunset ride on the Staten Island Ferry. But when she's joined by fellow passenger Marissa, in a combative mood and carrying two half-drunk bottles of hard lemonade, Vickie's happy facade begins to crack. Vickie insists she's the happiest that she's ever been, but Marissa isn't convinced. Perhaps Vickie isn't riding the ferry for its terrific view of Manhattan.
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Drama
Short, 8-10 minutes
1 female, 3 males
$30.00 per performance; $17.95 per book
NOTE: This play is part of an anthology called 24 by 24: The 24 Hour Plays Anthology.
At 3 A.M., Lois and Otto go on a sort-of date to see Ground Zero. Meanwhile, a professor from Columbia helps Ben get back to the dorms after having a nightmare about the Trade Center. Though across town from each other, all four try to cope with the feelings of loss that still haunt them in the darkness. A powerful look at life in post-9/11 New York.
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Drama
Short, 8-10 minutes
1 female, 2 males
$30.00 per performance; $18.95 per book
NOTE: This play is part of an anthology called Naked Angels Issues Projects: Collected Plays.
While the Iraq War rages on in the Middle East, Denise introduces her friend Tom to her new boyfriend, Jerry, at a bar. Over drinks, sparks fly as Tom and Jerry quickly find themselves at opposite sides of the political spectrum. A penetrating examination at the nexus of public and private spheres in the aftermath of 9/11.
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Drama
Short, 8-10 minutes
1 female, 1 male
$30.00 per performance; $18.95 per book
NOTE: This play is part of an anthology called Naked Angels Issues Projects: Collected Plays.
In the dark after-hours of 9/11, Daniel and Kathleen reflect not only on what America means to them, but what they mean to each other. Far away from the dangers of Manhattan in their Hamptons cottage, their conversation reveals startling incidents from the past that bring the threat of harm closer to home than either of them could imagine.
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