About the Plays:

Some great pieces for scene work or performance.

The acclaimed Samuel French Off Off Broadway Original Short Play Festival in Manhattan (commonly referred to as OOB) is America's leading short play festival. The annual OOB Festival originated in 1975 and has since attracted US and international short plays that may be up to 15 pages in length from countries like Canada, Singapore, and the United Kingdom.

Off Off Broadway Festival Plays, 14th Series is a collection of short plays selected by a panel of judges that included New York playwrights, artistic directors, and industry leaders as the most important plays of the 14th OOB Festival. Winning authors include: Sura, Robert Shaffron, Stanley Taikeff, Frederick Stroppel, and Howard Rice.

A Blind Date with Mary is a short comedy by Sura: The nervous Bob comes over to Mary's apartment for a blind date, but is met by another woman he's never seen before – Mary's inquisitive roommate Susan. Mary's late, and as she continues to keep Bob waiting, Susan reveals some information about Mary that troubles Bob. He decides to take Susan out, leaving Mary to come home and find that her roommate has stolen her blind date. (Cast: 2 female, 1 male)

Bums is a one-act dramatic comedy by Robert Shaffron: Explores the down-but-not-out world of "bums". Broadway Vis is a panhandler who shuffles all around. He says people ask him how come he don't get himself a job; and he replies, Now, I ask you, if I come into your office and ask you for a job, you gonna give me one? Mary, on the other hand, is a "bag lady", jealous of the secrets she hides in her bags, secrets she is certain everyone is trying to steal from her. There is also a male hustler, and others, all pungent characterizations, on the mark and deeply moving. (Cast: 1 female, 4 male)

Civilization and Its Malcontents is a short comedy by Stanley Taikeff: A woman studying nutrition desperately needs help in a music course she is also taking. She visits the class whiz guy, her arms laden with books, hoping to cram with him. She finds that she knows too little; she can remember Mozart's dates of birth and death, but is totally dumb about his feelings toward the oboe and clarinet. He, on the other hand, has prepared a small supper for them and gotten it all wrong, knowing nothing about nutrition. Their confrontations are dramatically spell binding and cannily illuminating about art and comestibles. (Cast: 1 female, 1 male)

Do Over is a one-act comedy by Frederick Stroppel: As a young lady is preparing for a date, she discovers a young man is on her living room floor – frightening her half to death! The man turns out to be her date, but he's twenty minutes early, and how did he get in, anyway? The truth comes out: he's not really in the apartment at all; he's miles and years away. He has appeared from the future to ask her not to keep their date, knowing that their love affair will not work out. The woman disbelieves him but he tells her things that would otherwise be impossible for him to know. A contemporary love story with a marvellous twist. (Cast: 1 female, 1 male)

Tradition 1A is a short drama by Howard Rice: Tells the story of a skin cancer victim. A man recollects how good life has been to him. Oh, he's had some malignant spots from too much sun, but he just goes to the dermatologist again and again to get them cauterized. As little pieces of him are taken away, he looks into a shoe box of mementos and notes from his wife and children. His mementos replace on the inside what has been taken from him on the outside. One day the doctor asks how long he's had the growth on the back of his neck. Be prepared for a heart wrenching experience. (Cast: 1 male)