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, 32nd 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 32nd OOB Festival. Winning authors include: Matthew Kelty, Arthur W. French III, Steve Yockey, Michael Lew, Michael Niederman, and Tiffany Antone.

Opening by Matthew Kelty
An imagined conversation, inspired by real events. The producer of Gone with the Wind, David O. Selznick, asks Hattie McDaniel to politely decline to attend the premiere of the movie in Atlanta, making sure she's aware that if she doesn't comply, she'll never work again, and hanging an Academy Award nomination over her head for good behaviour. Ultimately, and painfully, she decides to go along with his request. (Cast: 1 woman, 1 man).

Circuit Breakers by Arthur W. French III
Danny's girlfriend Theresa is pretty great, but she's still an android, and he's looking for something, well, a little more human. So he invited his co-worker Jordan out to a movie. Theresa recognizes another android when she sees one, and she manages to short out Jordan's system. Danny's had enough, so he turns Theresa off, but that just alerts another model from the warehouse, Carmen, to arrive and check on things. She offers a contract for her services to Danny for a fee, but ultimately he decides that all he really wants is a robot that can make a grilled cheese sandwich. (Cast: 3 women, 1 man).

Bright. Apple. Crush by Steve Yockey
Three monologues intermingle, each character explains what drove them to murder. One man set fire to his house after finding his wife cheating on him in their bed. A woman (a teacher) gives poison apples to all of her students because she just can't stand them anymore. Another man, physically abused by his lover, ultimately crushes his head with his boot. (Cast: 1 woman, 2 men).

The Roosevelt Cousins, Thoroughly Sauced by Michael Lew
It's during prohibition, FDR and Eleanor are still fairly young, stuck in Georgia at a Polio clinic and getting drunk on illegal moonshine. As they imbibe, Eleanor tries to convince FDR to run for office. The more drunk they get, the more their comments become absurd and anachronistic, the author's voice entering the text making for a very silly romp. (Cast: 1 woman, 1 man).

Every Man by Michael Niederman
A kind of coming-of-age dream play, Every Man explores the circular patterns of young love and abandonment. 15-year-old Savannah is so fascinated by the stars, she speaks to them. Her mother, Wendy, is concerned about Wendy's pipe-dreamer behaviour and her daughter's growing curiosity regarding boys. When a young man, Peter, finally shows up for Savannah, Wendy confronts the young couple, only to find an odd familiarity with Peter. He alludes to a past they may or may not have had, almost romancing Wendy again, but the painful memory of young heartache causes Wendy to push him away. She is left crying to the stars. (Cast: 2 women, 1 man).

The Good Book by Tiffany Antone
In desperation, Robert turns to the ghost of his dead wife in a moment of great anxiety – his daughter's first period. He finds a gift his wife hid in the house for their daughter on just this occasion – a book his wife created for Robert and their daughter before she died, a sort of bible to womanhood. Robert talks to his wife in between the awkwardness of trying to do the "right thing," all while trying not to make his daughter even more embarrassed than she already is. A touching family drama about growing up, featuring three strong Hispanic characters. (Cast: 1 woman, 1 man, 1 girl).