The Wedding Downpour

One of my earliest plays continues to do well with high school and community theater groups. Here is a short clip I was sent from a terrific production of The Wedding Downpour that was produced in Reynolds, North Dakota!

Split: In the Classroom

I was recently invited to East York Collegiate Institute in Toronto to attend a classroom performance of my play Split.

I was very excited to see their presentation because the play is very dear to my heart and I was curious to know how they had interpreted the material. As it turns out, the play is perfect for classroom study! After speaking with the students afterward, I learned how the play allowed them to use what they had learned about tableau, mime, blocking, projection, design, and improvisation in a practical way. It was awesome!

Split tells the story of 9 teenagers who are coping with the who, what, where, when, why, and how of divorce. Their stories tackle the topic from various points of view and, appropriately, this class was split into groups and asked to interpret these points of view. By splitting up into a smaller groups, they were really able to examine each scene, each character, and each story. In turn, they used this knowledge to inform the blocking.

And what blocking it was! They found key words in each line to help come up with one inventive stage picture after another. When Priss talks about how her Mom makes a banana split, the ensemble acted it out behind her. When Brood says that a dark cloud rolled in the day her parents split up, the ensemble morphed into a dark cloud that rolled over her. And when Hype sees the doctor because of his rapid heartbeat, the ensemble became the heartbeat. These are just a few examples of the endless number of creative ideas they came up with.


I was impressed than in just a couple of weeks they managed to learn all of the dialogue and perform the play completely off book. At first they thought it would be impossible to learn the lines because there is no linear storyline to guide them. However, by having an ensemble physicalize the monologues and create visual representations of each scene, they told me that the lines just came naturally. Not only did the stage pictures remind them what scene came next, but because there was so much movement, it was simply easier to learn that movement without a book in hand.


Their drama teacher told me the reason they invested in the material as quick as they did was because they related to the play so strongly. The modern language, the unique perspective, and the universal themes spoke to them very deeply, she said. And that definitely came across in their presentation.


Despite the fact that the play is all about things "splitting" apart, it was very moving to watch the actors repeatedly come together to bring it to life.


After seeing how it brought the students at East York Collegiate Institute closer together, I would definitely encourage any drama teacher or theater instructor to use Split in their classroom.


To read a preview or order a complete script, please visit Theatrefolk.

Mary Poppins: The Musical

The North American tour of the Mary Poppins musical is in Toronto right now. Here's a re-post of my thoughts on the original Broadway production, which I saw several years ago...

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The best film ever made by the Walt Disney Studio is Mary Poppins. It might even be the best movie period. It only makes sense, then, to assume it would also make the best stage musical. Unfortunately, the production happening at the New Amsterdam Theater in New York City is so rotten that it stinks up the entire length of 42nd Street and beyond.

The book by Oscar winning screenwriter Julian Fellows is all over the map. While it stays true to P.L. Travers' original story, there is no continuity whatsoever. Mary Poppins has absolutely nothing to do with the plot. She merely comes and goes (more often the latter) while the plot makes strange detours into bizarre territory. For instance, the number "Temper, Temper" features a horrifying cast of toys gone berserk in the nursery. Why, you ask? Who the hell knows. And there's an even more nightmarish scene that still gives me the shudders when I think of it; "Jolly Holiday" is mutilated by an obscene dance break, featuring live statues with silver tights so far up their ass cracks, it's a wonder they could move. The Disney stage is not where I expect to see testicles, but the Lycra on these guys left little to the imagination. If I had children with me, I would have covered their eyes.

Many actors can overcome a lousy script, but such is not the case with this cast. As written, Mary Poppins has no charm, no wit, and certainly no charisma. Neither does Ashley Brown in the title role. She merely flashes a sly grin and sways her hips at random. The spare moments she actually is on stage, she manages to completely over sexualize the role of Poppins. She plays each scene as if she was sporting a string of anal beads. This being a Broadway production, they could have cast anyone - anyone! - in this potentially star-making role, so how did they end up with the blandest actress to ever hit the boards? If Julie Andrews was dead, she'd be rolling in her grave; but since she's alive, I suggest she stand outside the theater and shoot anyone who tries to buy a ticket. I wish I had been taken out before the curtain went up.

That leads me to poor, poor Rebecca Luker. She's such a fantastic singer and spirited actress that it's a shame to see her saddled with the matronly role of Winifred Banks. What should be a kooky character, Mrs. Banks has been reduced to nothing more than a frumpy party poop. She hurls a wet blanket over every scene she's in, and god help the audience when she bursts into her anything-but-rousing anti-ballad "Being Mrs. Banks." It's at this point that the audience begins to fall asleep, starting with the back row and moving forward.

The supporting performances range from dreadfully dull to woefully hammy. Jane Carr as the cook is particularly grating, as she punctuates every word with an exclamation point. Going through her script, one would likely find she had underlined every word.

Don't even get me started on the “special” effects. "Feed the Birds," perhaps the loveliest song in the entire Disney canon, is reduced to a joke when accompanied by a flock of Power Point birds. They look like something designed in a fifth grade computer class. Of course this is Mary Poppins and she must fly; however, her flights are far too brief and made even more cumbersome by the fact that she appears to be hoisted up on an awkward (and very visible) system of pulleys. You can practically hear the stage hands grunting backstage as they yank her up.

And, oh boy, that set. It's huge. It's sturdy. It's there. And that's about all I can say about it.

The only saving grace is Gavin Lee as Bert. He's tremendous. Perhaps it's because his role is actually larger than Mary Poppins (or so it seems), but he has absolutely no trouble stealing the entire show. His whimsy and talent drives the messy production forward, like a sport utility vehicle maneuvering through a mudslide. It helps that his role is more-or-less the lead, as it's he who always sets everything into motion. While it's a treat to see Mr. Lee onstage, the fact that he's what you remember most fondly after the finale does not bode well for the show. But that's what you get when you have him tap dancing on the ceiling and Mary Poppins turning to petrified wood stage right.

The clunky and misguided book is to blame for most of this musical's misfortune. But with so many (supposedly) talented people involved, so much money at stake, and such precious source material, it's heartbreaking that this Mary Poppins is nothing more than a third wheel the entire audience cannot wait to shake off. Then again, in a city as loud and exhausting as New York City, some people might not mind paying $100 for a nap. That’s what the man on my right did.

---

I hear the tour has remedied some of these problems. "Temper, Temper" was eliminated. The set was vastly downsized, which is a very good thing. And there's no Ashley Brown this time around. I hope this version is better than the one I saw, but I won't be finding out. I'll pop in the movie instead. It's practically perfect in every way.

Carrot River

Carrot River is a small town in Northern Saskatchewan, notable for the discovery of the skeletal remains of a 92 million year old crocodile named Big Bert. What it should be known for, however, is its abundance of community spirit. This past weekend I made a trip up to Carrot River to catch productions of two of my plays, Smarty Pants and Drama Geeks. I'm always excited to see my plays because I rarely get the opportunity, but I was not expecting to have the greatest personal and professional experience of my life.

The drama program at the Carrot River Junior/Senior High School is nothing short of amazing. I was dumbstruck when I found out that the program has only been in existence for 5 years. The students are exceptionally talented and dedicated, the director is beyond gifted and encouraging, and the entire community is so supportive of the arts that it made my jaw drop.

Dean Armstrong, director and also the principal of CRJSHS, started the drama program 5 years ago in order to fill an artistic void that existed in the school at that time. In that short amount of time, his program has grown to include dozens of students, garnered the support of the entire community, and mounted productions that have gone on to compete in the top drama festival in the province. In 2010, their production of Booby Trap by Ed Monk won Best Overall Production at the Provincial Drama Festival in Regina, SK. Then earlier this year they entered the play Tracks by Peter Tarsi, which I still contend is the best high school production of a play I've ever seen.

It was this production that inspired me to contact Mr. Armstrong and see if he might be interested in producing the premiere of my latest play, Drama Geeks. When he agreed, I was over the moon. And when he said that he'd like to produce it on a bill with Smarty Pants, and then invited me to the productions, I could not believe my good fortune. Needless to say, I cleared my schedule and jumped at the chance.

What I appreciate most about their program is that the juniors share the stage with the seniors. This ensures that there will always be a constant rotation of talent, with the older students teaching the younger students what they have learned. I'm always hearing from drama teachers that they will have a few good years, but then lose all of their best students when they graduate and have to start from scratch again. I have no idea why more schools do not use the Carrot River model, and incorporate students of all ages in their productions, but many seem resistant to that idea. I have no clue why because it obviously works so well. Their loss.

On to the productions. They were phenomenal! Both plays were presented better than I could have ever imagined in my wildest dreams. They were dripping with energy and creative invention.

Smarty Pants was made up of strictly junior students, in order to give them a shot at more featured roles. Well, you'd think they were all old pros. When people read Smarty Pants, they often see it as just a simple comedy. However, when they put it on its feet, they quickly discover its many, many challenges. I can't even begin to tell you how great these kids were. They managed to overcome every obstacle and had the audience (and me!) in stitches. They worked beautifully as an ensemble and remained in character for its entire running time. It was beautifully staged, gorgeous to look at, and a hoot and a half from start to finish.

Drama Geeks had a mix of students, from grade 7 to grade 12. When I wrote the play, I thought of it merely as a silly farce. Well, now I'll never be able to think of it the same way again. It was definitely silly, but the direction and performances added a dramatic edge to the piece that I never saw coming and I was totally moved by it. They found an emotional gravity that I wish I could take credit for. Now whatever original vision I had has been entirely wiped from my brain. It was really, really, really good.

Sitting in the darkened theatre, waiting for the plays to begin, it hit me that all of my dreams have come true. I feel like I should want more, but what more could I possibly want? I believe that the arts bring people closer together and the fact that all of these people had gathered together because of something I had written overwhelmed me to the point of tears. It was the very first time I truly believed that I've "made it." Just like Big Bert, moments like that only come around every 92 million years or so.

I certainly don't make a lot of money doing what I do, but I'd rather live a life in the theatre and eat spaghetti than have all the steak and lobster I want and not have time to write about how good it is. Besides, if you're doing something you love, that spaghetti tastes an awful lot like steak and lobster.

A huge thank you to Dean, his students, and everyone in Carrot River for a weekend that I'll never forget.

Lip Service

I have added a brand new play to my website! This crowd pleasing comedy is perfect for all age groups!

LIP SERVICE

Genre: Comedy
Cast: 1m, 1w, 10 flexible
Running Time: 30 minutes
Setting: One interior

Synopsis: They say love conquers all, but that was before The Monkey Bar opened its doors. When Charlie made his reservation at the trendy restaurant to ask for Laura's hand in marriage, he had no idea that his proposal would be repeatedly thwarted by a revolving staff of cuckoos. Among them are a waitress obsessed with conspiracy theories, a bus boy with a cabaret act, a chef with an accent thicker than his gravy, and a violinist that doesn't even know how to play. As Laura flits from disaster to disaster, Charlie tries desperately to make heads or tails of the nonsense spewing from everyone's lips.

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

Sixteen Shambles

Sixteen Shambles (aka The Birthday Spaz, aka Spaz!) is my latest release from Eldridge Plays and Musicals.

Okay, that's only part of the story. Six years ago I was so excited when my very first play was accepted for publication. It's a very funny play that still ranks among my personal favorites. The story revolves around a teenage girl named Janet who is having the worst day of her life. This awful day also happens to coincide with her sweet sixteen birthday.

Its premiere production in Peachtree City, Georgia was a big success. McIntosh High School did a tremendous job bringing it to life and it was subsequently produced to acclaim by Gordon F. Kells high school in Carlyle, Saskatchewan. Back then the play was known as Spaz! and I always really liked that title. Whenever I can work punctuation into a title, I do.

However, while Eldridge loved the play, they were less enthusiastic about the title. They wanted to play up the birthday aspect, so we compromised and came up with The Birthday Spaz. It has since been produced a number of times, but not as often as I had hoped.

Now that I have more experience writing plays, I know how important gender flexible roles are in making a play a success. So the folks at Eldridge were gracious enough to let me revisit the script make it more accessible. With very few changes to the text, I have now made 7 of the roles gender neutral. I'm confident these changes did not hurt the play at all; in fact, I think they only made it stronger! I love how differently my plays are interpreted when the genders of certain characters are swapped, so I can't wait to see productions with these new changes.

I also thought it was time to revisit the title. I have to concede that Eldridge was right all along, which explains its new moniker, Sixteen Shambles. I actually like this title better than all of the others...it just took me 6 years to come up with it.

I'm very excited to see this play get a shiny new coat of paint and I hope that will result in even more productions. Check it out!

Epic Fail

My latest comedy Epic Fail is now available from Eldridge Plays and Musicals!

My relationship with Eldridge has been a wonderful one! They published my very first play, which certainly had a major influence on my decision to pursue a career in playwrighting.

I now have four plays published with them and hope there will be many more to come. My first break out hit was The Da Vinci Cold and last year Attention Detention was one of my most popular plays. They provide excellent customer service, are infinitely enthusiastic about their plays and playwrights, and have a terrific selection of material for groups of all ages.

Please check out Epic Fail by clicking HERE and do not hesitate to email me with any questions, comments or concerns. I'd love to hear from you!

Sixteen in 10 Minutes or Less

I had a dream.

Seven characters came into my brain and inhabited it for a while.

I told their stories and they left.

Now I'm sitting in my living room with the absolutely stunning books for Sixteen in 10 Minutes or Less in my lap.

The dream came true.

Now it's time for the characters to take on lives of their own.

So take a risk.

And make it happen.

You won't regret it.

YouthPLAYS

There is a wonderful new online publisher of plays for the youth market, appropriately named YouthPLAYS. They have a wealth of excellent material by excellent writers that keeps growing on a daily basis. If you have not checked out their website, please do so by clicking on their logo below.

Not only do they have terrific plays to offer, but you can read lengthy excerpts of each and every one online. And if you like what you see in the preview, you can order a PDF copy of the complete script for free. That's right. Free! You're not able to print these perusal scripts (although for a nominal fee, you may), but just getting the chance to read plays in their entirety before committing to a production means that school groups with limited budgets now have a much larger pool of material to choose from. And what wonderful material it is!

YouthPLAYS was co-founded by two wonderful playwrights, Jonathan Dorf and Ed Shockley. Jonathan is the author of the popular one acts 4AM and After Math, among many others. I've seen several of his plays at various festivals and they are always warmly received by actors and audiences alike. He writes extremely vivid characters that pop right off the page. My personal favorite is Dear Chuck, a touching and funny play told in short scenes and monologues. As well, Ed wrote a nifty play that I have never seen, but am dying to, called Bedlam Moon. It's a hilarious Bronx tale, written in a style akin to Neil Simon.

What I also appreciate is their growing selection of plays that deal with LGBT issues. About a year ago, writer Dan Savage started the It Gets Better Project, which encourages gay youth to stay strong in spite of the bullying and prejudice they may be facing in high school. There are already a couple of plays in the YouthPLAYS catalog that deal specifically with this topic, which is so awesome. It's an important topic that should be addressed in schools, and I'm happy to report that now there is material out there for brave teachers and administrations to tackle.

So you can imagine how delighted I was to hear this morning that YouthPLAYS has offered to publish my play Twinkle Toes. It's a dramedy about a gay teen as he prepares for his dance audition at Julliard, and it is very near and dear to my heart. I'm honored that it will be now be made available to students and teachers who are willing to take a risk.

It really does get better and I'm honored to have a play out there that proves it.

Lip Service

I have a new comedy called Lip Service that I'm very excited about! It's a screwball comedy, which is far and away my favorite film genre. I'd be hard pressed to come up with movies I enjoy more than Bringing Up Baby, The Palm Beach Story, What's Up Doc? and Easy Living. I always wondered if the wacky situations and zippy dialogue (trademarks of a screwball comedy) would translate onstage, so I decided it was time to take a crack at it. While it's nowhere near as great as the dazzling Preston Sturges and Howard Hawks comedies, I am very happy with how it turned out. As I watched the pages spool out of the printer, I couldn't wait to put them into the hands of an actor. It has yet to be produced, but it's being considered by a number of schools as we speak. In the meantime, I fiddled around with an online animation program and put together a sneak peek.

Reading Room: Sex Lives of Superheroes

Anyone involved in high school drama for at least a day has heard of the play This is a Test by Stephen Gregg. It's a really great piece of theater that students have had a blast with since it was published in 1988. Gregg offers in the stage directions that it's "a play that begs to be messed with" and "any changes are acceptable per the author." Sounds like fun, right?! No wonder that it's one of the most produced one-act plays of all time. When I was in high school, I petitioned hard for us to "mess with it," but never got the chance. Instead, I performed in such forgotten classics as Her Majesty the King and Mama's Little Helper. Eek. Well, since graduating I've seen it more than any other play and I still wish we had done it. I suppose I could stage a production and star in it, but at 30 years old, I think that would be a tad creepy.

What I can do is recommend another Gregg play that I think is even better. That play is Sex Lives of Superheroes. I didn't discover this script until after high school, but if I had, I probably would have been just as adamant that we produce it. It's a terrific three-hander, with a few members of the audience joining in. With an enrollment of 10 and a budget even smaller, it's just the sort of play my little drama club could have knocked out of the park. The characters are fun; a comic book nerd, a jaded girlfriend and an opinionated love interest. So anyone looking for the road less traveled (I’m not sure how often it’s produced, but certainly not as much as TIAT), check out this fun script that’s appropriate for all age groups.

The Birthday Spaz

Here's a super fun clip from an awesome production of The Birthday Spaz that I thought I'd share. Enjoy!

Courtesy of Gordon F. Kells High School - Carlyle, SK

Gender Neutral

As I've become more experienced at writing plays for high school students, I've also become better at writing roles that may be played by either male or female actors. Writing gender neutral roles is a particular skill that is often challenging, frustrating and limiting. Ultimately, however, it can also be quite rewarding.

Back when I started writing plays, I was pretty set in my ways. The characters I wrote were often based on people I knew and I wanted them represented exactly as I had imagined. But when I went to a production of one of my first plays and saw that they had changed the genders of several of the characters (all male to female, I might add), I was blown away at how much it impacted the message of the play. The structure was still the same, but with each scene being told from a different perspective, it was almost a completely new play. At first I was put off by the changes, but as the play progressed, I was pleased that the material still worked, and actually took on a whole new flavor. It was different than what I had come up with, but different in a good way. I appreciated that the actors and directors were able to turn the material on its head and come up with something equally as good as what I had written.

From that point on, I have always tried to make the roles in my plays as neutral as possible. Not only does it mean the plays will cast a wider net by being accessible to more schools, but it also means that I cannot rely too heavily on stereotypes that come from being a boy or a girl. Even when I write scenes about boys and girls in love, I think about the possibility of them being two boys or two girls in love. I know productions that feature gay relationships will be few and far between, but I like knowing that the option is there for brave students, teachers and administrations that are not phased by the facts of life.

I have written many plays that feature completely gender neutral casts. Split, Attention Detention, Epic Fail, Apostrophe's, Note to Self, Smarty Pants, Outside the Box and Drama Geeks all have widely flexible casts. Occasionally I still write plays that have fixed characters because there are times that the battle of the sexes is important to the plot. But even in those instances, I may be pleasantly surprised someday by a director who asks to switch one of these roles to the opposite gender. My only hope is that it will be from a female to a male. Drama is for boys, too!

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!

Wheels

I have added a new play to my website!

Wheels

Genre: Drama
Cast: 2m
Running Time: 10 minutes
Setting: A driveway

Synopsis: A teenage boy tries to repair a beat-up old truck so that he can get away from his parents and their broken down marriage.

Part of Sixteen (in 10 Minutes or Less)

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

Bench Warrant

I have added a new play to my website!

Bench Warrant

Genre: Comedy/Drama
Cast: 4w
Running Time: 10 minutes

Synopsis: Three teenage girls have claimed a bench as their very own and routinely chase away all the "losers" who come near it. However, when Laura arrives on the scene, these bullies decide to have a little fun with her first.

Part of Sixteen (in 10 Minutes or Less)

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

Pay Phone

I have added a new play to my website!

Pay Phone

Genre: Comedy
Cast: 1m, 3 voices
Running Time: 10 minutes
Setting: A shopping mall hallway

Synopsis: When a teenager loses his cell phone, he has no choice but to use a pay phone. Things quickly take a turn for the worse when a mysterious operator starts telling him what to do.

Part of Sixteen (in 10 Minutes or Less)

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

Fireworks

I have added a new play to my website!

Fireworks

Genre: Drama
Cast: 1m, 1f
Running Time: 10 minutes
Setting: Somewhere under the stars

Synopsis: A couple of teenagers in love look up at the night sky and wait for colorful explosions to dance among the stars.

Part of Sixteen (in 10 Minutes or Less)

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

Vamp Ire

I am thrilled to report that Brooklyn Publishers has accepted Vamp Ire for publication. Stay tuned this fall for its release. It will also be carried in the Heuer Publishing catalog.

VAMP IRE

Genre: Comedy

Running Time: 30 minutes

Cast: 2m, 3w

Synopsis: It's finally time for Kaitlyn's parents to meet her "super hot" new boyfriend. There's just one tiny detail that might put a snag in their introduction: he's a vampire! Kaitlyn does everything in her power to conceal the fact that he's a descendant of Dracula, but that becomes an uphill battle when her stern parents and dippy best friend keep talking about things like garlic and blood drives. Will Kaitlyn be able to keep his true identity under wraps, or will she spill the beans and face the ire of her parents? Falling in love with a vampire is definitely a pain in the neck!

Lazy Eye

I have added a new play to my website!

Lazy Eye

Genre: Comedy
Cast: 2 actors, either gender
Running Time: 10 minutes
Setting: Two eye sockets

Synopsis: Two eyeballs get bent out of shape while defending their half of a teenager's brain.

Part of Sixteen (in 10 Minutes or Less)

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

Brace Yourself

I have added a new play to my website!

Brace Yourself

Genre: Comedy
Cast: 1m, 1w
Running Time: 10 minutes
Setting: A bathroom

Synopsis: A teenage brother and sister squabble as they try to extract a stray gummy bear that has lodged itself in a set of braces.

Part of Sixteen (in 10 Minutes or Less)

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

Note to Self

I am happy to report that Playscripts, Inc has accepted Note to Self for publication. Stay tuned this fall for its release!

NOTE TO SELF

Genre: Comedy

Running Time: 35 minutes

Cast: Entirely flexible cast of 8-100

Synopsis: Note to self: it's not easy being a teenager. With the help of a rhyming chorus, ten teenagers have their inner monologues brought to life in a series of hilarious vignettes. From a cyberstalking mom and a fender bender while texting, to a caffeine buzz in band class and a run-in with Elvis, it turns out that high school might not be such a breeze after all. These students quickly figure out that the notes they pass in class have nothing on the ones they write for themselves!

Double Click

I have added a new play to my website!

Double Click

Genre: Comedy
Cast: 1m, 1w
Running Time: 10 minutes
Setting: Two bedrooms

Synopsis: Young love blossoms when two teenagers flip open their laptops and start chatting.

Part of Sixteen (in 10 Minutes or Less)

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