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Full-Length Plays

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Full-Length Plays by Cynthia L. Cooper [Cindy Cooper]

For information on rights, see CONTACT.

I WAS A STRANGER TOO

A woman, propelled by the memory of her mother's rescue from the Holocaust, is drawn to help asylum seekers in the U.S. As she attempts to understand and navigate the asylum system of the 21st century, she encounters a rich mosaic of people, especially women, who are fleeing persecution and others determined to welcome them. The stories unfold in monologues by a range of characters -- an accompaniment trainer, a lawyer working on the border, a lesbian who is assaulted in Russia, the director of a safe house for asylum seekers, a South American woman who reported corruption seeking refuge with her daughter, a Middle Eastern man forced to find a new home, a woman from Cameroon caught in civil strife, a former Hmong child refugee who heads an organization for Asian Americans."This play is gorgeous, with a depth of character and a beautiful economy of words." David Winitsky, Artistic Director, Jewish Plays Project. "What a rich and important play.... an incredibly powerful piece of work." ~Adam Immerwahr, Artistic Director, Theatre J  8w, 1m. 

 

Wellstone Center/Neighborhood House, St Paul, MN, January 2023; Semi-Finalist, O'Neill Theatre Center Playwriting Conference; Finalist, Theater J Trish Vrandenburg Jewish Play Prize 2021; Finalist Selection, Jewish Plays Project 2022; Remember the Women Institute, excerpts; Jewish Plays Project, audiocast excerpts; Theatre Unbound, Mpls. (postponed, Covid19); Play Readings With Friends; Julia's Reading Room, League of Professional Theatre Women(excerpt); Flanbwayan Haitian Literacy Center, NYC, class (excerpt);

 

Grants: Rimon Foundation (research, production); Alliance of Jewish Theatre (AJT). Developed in collaboration with director Carolyn Levy in Minneapolis, and with support of the Rimon Foundation.

 

Read on NPX Playwrights Exchange, here.

 

Read more: I Was A Stranger Too website

SILENCE NOT, A Love Story

In the uncertain economic times of Germany in the early 1930s, an idealistic young Jewish woman joins with a rebellious Catholic craftsman to resist the rise of Nazism while at the same time deepening their love for humanity and each other. Drawn from the true stories of Gisa Peiper and Paul Konopka, this is a story of courage and love that thrive despite the dangers, telling of the hope and art of speaking out for the highest human values in the most pressing of times. 4 w, 3 m (multiple roles)(may use more actors). 


"The play is innovative in a number of ways.... there are two versions of Gisa on stage at almost all times – the younger activist Gisa and her more grown-up counterpart viewing and commenting from the raised railway station. This adds perspective by enabling us to undergo experiences as they happen to the younger Gisa, and yet still look back at the action from the hard-earned vantage point gained by the older Gisa.... The play is billed as a love story, and it is that. The charming deepening relationship between Gisa and Paul satisfies our romantic thirst. Yet the play is a love story on a larger level, too — a love for humanity, a love for the courage of people who care for others and fight for the betterment of all despite the personal costs, in ordinary times as well as in extraordinary times. ...(A) great many of us appreciate and admire purity of spirit like Gisa’s, and that is one of the reasons that the play is so satisfying.... you (leave) feeling not only entertained but also ennobled and elevated." Midnight East, Jerusalem, Israel.

"Silence Not, A Love Story (has) a meditative, pure tone that reiterates the need to face oppression with unflinching love...Cooper is a playwright at the height of her powers. She easily balances themes of empowerment, struggle, and equality, and raises the stakes ....The result is striking and breaks new ground in much-trodden soil...The action rises steadily to the last act, and only in the final pages is the tension lightened....Gisa is a strong, independent character....Thought-provoking without being abstract, historical without being condescending, Silence Not is a heady, beautifully written play. Worth reading several times, it strikes a lovely balance between poetry and reality, bringing to life a diverse cast of characters in a challenging time period. Cooper reminds us that true resistance to oppression comes from the act of love..." Claire Rudy Foster, ForeWord Magazine

"Everyone loves a love story, especially one with a happy ending, and award-winning playwright and journalist Cynthia L. Cooper’s latest play, a forty-four scene two-act, is a whopper. Silence Not, A Love Story tells the improbable tale — based on a true story...." Eleanor Bader, Feminist Review. "Cooper’s story is a story of courage, for all ages, all sexes, all cultures – reminding us, that courage sees no boundaries.” Janis F. Kearney, former Personal Diarist to President William J. Clinton, author, Cotton Field of Dreams: A Memoir. "This powerful play recreates in moving drama the (anti-Nazi) struggles and the desperate attempt of good people to remain moral in the most immoral of societies. Powerful, poignant and penetrating, it will move those who read it and cause them to ponder the sources of courage and resistance." Michael Berenbaum, Professor of Jewish Studies and Director of the Sigi Zieirng Institute, American Jewish University.

Excerpts, Remember the Women, Center for Jewish History; Reading, Primary Stages, NYC, directed by Ludovica Villar-Hauser, More Info; May 2013: Excerpts, More Jewish Women You Should Know, Anne Frank Center USA; Oct 2012: Anne Frank Center USA; Sept 2012: Norwalk Public Library, discussion; July 2012: Book Expo, Monroe Public Library, PA; Mar 2012: Holocaust Museum, DC, Book Signing; June 2011: Book Fair, PA; Mar 2011: Worthington Players at Shawnee Playhouse, PA; Nov 2010: Staged Reading, Pocono Playhouse, East Stroudburg University, Margaret Ball, dir.; July 2010: Book Event, E.Stroudsburg Library, PA;.June 6-7, 2010: Book Signing U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum, Washington DC; May 2010: Reading, Julia's Room, League of Professional Theatre Women, NYC; April 2010:Production, Center Stage Theater, The Merkaz, Jerusalem, Israel. Directed by Gabriella Willenz. World Premiere. See Review;March 2010: Production, Beit Avi Chai, Jerusalem, Israel. Directed by Gabriella Willenz; Feb. 2010, Staged Reading, Wellstone Center, St. Paul, Directed by Carolyn Levy. Sponsored by The Konopka Institute of the University of Minnesota, in celebration of the Life and Legacy of Gisa Konopka; Press Release; 2009 -- The Anne Frank Center USA, New York, Reading, directed by Joanne Edelmann; Justice Talks Radio; Library, East Stroudsburg, Publisher, Gihon River Press; Hamline University,at the Anne Simley Theatre, St. Paul, MN directed by Carolyn Levy. 2008: Geraldine Page Center for the Arts, New York. Finalist, Original Play Contest, Shawnee Playhouse, PA, 2011.

Published: Gihon River Press
See Play Publications. Selected as
Best Historical Fiction, Books and Authors; Finalist, Best Book in Drama/Performing Arts, ForeWord Magazine.

Also see: In The Act Alone by Cynthia L. Cooper on Women Who Resisted In Germany in On The Issues Magazine

And "The Woman Who Said 'No': Writiing A Play About Anti-Nazi Resisters" by Cynthia L. Cooper, in Women, Theatre and the Holocaust, pp 151-154

ALSO SEE "At the Train Staion in Munich" in One-Act Plays on this site for a 10-minute adaptation for 2 women

 

Read on NPX

RUNNING ON GLASS

A sports scholar entices a designer and running buddy to help her envision a pop-up museum about women in sports. Six characters from sports history come alive, along with the challenges and successes of diverse people in any field of endeavor. Told in a series of monologues by the two performers, the stories include: Althea Gibson, the first person to break the color barrier in tennis; Gertrude Ederle, the first woman to swim the English Channel; Wilma Rudolph, an African American Olympic runner who overcame childhood polio; Gretel Bergmann, a German-Jewish athlete used for propaganda purposes by the Nazis; Babe Didrikson, one of the best all-round athletes of any gender; Mamie 'Peanut' Johnson, a professional pitcher in the Negro Leagues. (A new and reenvisioned version of How She Played the Game written for two performers.) (2w: 1 African American, 1 Caucasian; alt 8w: 4 African American, 4 Caucasian) 

 

Read this play on the New Play Exchange, NPX, or request a copy plays@cyncooperwriter.net

 

"Cynthia Cooper's work is quite extraordinary." "Cooper delves into the lives of these women, finding passionate moments of intensity ... to maximize their impact upon the audience." "Cooper has a remarkably felicitous way of capturing each of these female athletes." "It gets the gears turning in the mind while simultaneously stoking the fires of passion. Women have come so far and yet have so far to come... (The) title could not be more apt." The Theatre Bloom

 

"Actually a joy." "The engaging script ... pulls out the human story." "Only when we remember ... those who have burst through supposedly insurmountable obstacles will we ... keep moving forward -- through shards of glass, indeed." DC Theater Scene 

 

"The stories are compelling and well-told." "A celebration well worth attending." "A deeply personal look at what drove (these women) to succeed." DC Metro Theatre Arts

 

"A slam dunk." "Hits the mark." "The spirit of each athlete shines out to the audience." "RUNNING ON GLASS is a grand slam for fans and athletes of all ages." Maryland Theatre Guide

 

June 2019, directed by Joan Kane, presented by Ego Actus Theatre, NYC with a cast of 8 in the Off the Page Series, Torn Page; Venus Theatre, Laurel MD, 2018, featuring Tina Canady, Deborah Randall, directed by Deb Randall; SUNY Delhi, NYSSSA, July  2018, featuring Stacey Linnartz, Abigail Ramsay, directed by Tasha Gordon-Solmon; Dramatists Guild Foundation Music Hall, NYC, June 2018; New Circle Theatre Co, Michael Warren Powell Creative Center, NYC, June 2018; Ivy Theatre Company: 24 Hours of Women, International Women's Voices Day at Unarthodox, NYC; SUNY Delhi, NYSSSA, July 2017, directed by Michelle Bossy, featuring Stacey Linnartz, Krystel Lucas.

 

Read on NPX.

STONES OF TIANANMEN

Nobel Peace Prize winner Liu Xiaobo, released from re-education camp in 1999, struggles with his conscience and tries to find his footing in a quest for freedom of speech and democracy in China. Spurred by his encounters with Ding Zilin, founder of the Mothers of Tiananmen, and the Lost Souls of 1989, Liu Xiaobo charts a path of peaceful resistance. But, as his wife, poet and artist Liu Xia, discovers, the consequences can be harsh. 3m, 3w (Chinese/Asian; some doubling.)

 

Performances and Readings:

 

Rehearsal for the Truth, Vaclav Havel Literary Foundation, Ralph Pena, directing. At the Bohemian Hall, New York, NY; HBO Play Reading Series of the TV Academy, NYC. Workshop: Urban Stages, NYC, directed by Keira Loughran; Reading, Urban Stages, NYC, in collaboration with the Visual Artists Guild

Finalist, New Works Festival, Kitchen Dog Theatre, Dallas, TX; SemiFinalist, PlayPenn, Philadelphia; SemiFinalist, Bay Area Playwrights' Festival, San Francisco.

"'Stones of Tiananmen' was so engaging... People in the audience were laughing and crying.” "The audience applauded with excitement." Jing Zhang, Women's Rights in China.

 

Read the script at the New Play Exchange.

STRANGE LIGHT

A woman lawyer, Bayley, and her girlfriend, a struggling musician, see their relationship teeter as Bayley's mother falls to Alzheimer's and the looming memories of a long-deceased father linger. In stylized storytelling with the World's Fair in the background and the WNBA in the foreground, Bayley seeks to recharge her life and chart a new path.

 

Various settings; 3 w.; 1 hr. 35 min. [Philadelphia, Shubin Th., Phil GL Theatre Festival., Swerve Prods.(Robin Eisenberg, dir.); Women at Wings, Wings Theatre, NY; Bailiwick Repertory Co., Chicago (Robin Hughes, dir.]; HAG Theatre at Smith Theatre, Buffalo, 2002 (Margaret Smith, dir.)]

 

"Cooper is a graceful and skilled writer... exceptional writing ... You won't regret seeing it." Stewart Benedict, NY critic. "Speaks to the complexities of life ... and dealing with a parent's mental and physical decline." Theatremania.com.

 

"Takes on the dynamics of relationships and the reconciliation and changing nature of the family." NY Blade

 

"A poem of a play ...elegant construction ... sure to evoke emotion and provoke thought long after the theater grows dark.""A winner." Rick Reed, Lambda Publications.

 

PUBLICATION AND LICENSING: Next Stage Press

 

Dedicated to everyone who seeks the light in their life, and to bring that light to others.


Read Strange Light at New Play Exchange.

SYNCHRONICITY

A gay man and a gay woman who have known each other since their childhood together as 'red diaper babies' meet to exchange materials from thirty years earlier when they had worked to save each other's lives. The woman, then in prison and an anti-imperialist political radical, had been languishing in solitary with only her attorney as a contact. The man, her childhood friend, is dealing with the confusion surrounding the onset of the AIDS crisis, while navigating a life of freeliving and a thirst for deeper meaning. As the two reconnect, the shared memories help them emerge from their isolation and distress. 'Synchronicity' is ultimately a play about the hope of the human spirit. 2m, 2w. Semi-Finalist, O'Neill Theater Center Conference.A woman with radical political beliefs is languishing in prison in the mid-1980s when she hears from a gay man she knows from childhood. As the two reconnect, their interactions help them emerge from real and cultural constraints that are stifling them. 2m, 2w.

 

SEMI-FINALIST, O'Neill Theater Center Conference; Finalist, Kitchen Dog Theatre Festival

Julia's Reading Room of the League of Professional Theatre Women, dir. by Melanie Sutherland with Susan Maris, Lee Seymour, Varin Ayala and Joyce Sylvester; New York -- Chelsea Studios; New York, Workshop, Tom Wolfe, director.

 

Read at New Play Exchange.

 

 

THROUGH THE SANDS OF TIME (formerly THE OUTERMOST HOUSE)

A meditation on love, nature, war and the human spirit ... A writer, traumatized by service in World War I, seeks respite in nature, and in the process rediscovers his humanity, a sense of connection to "elemental forces" and a renewed capacity for love. Henry Beston, described as the inspiration for Rachel Carson's 'The Silent Spring,' finds what is important by living simply in all "all the seasons" on the isolated dunes of the outer shores of Cape Cod. Originally commissioned by the late Marvin and Annie Einhorn and performed as a solo show by Marvin Einhorn.

 

"(A)n eloquent script" -- Don Wilding, Executive Director, The Henry Beston Society

 

Performers: 1 m; may be performed by 2m, or 2m and 1 w.

 

Readings and performances: Montauk Public Library, 2023, 6:30 pm, John Hickok, directed by Sal Trapani; New Circle Theater Company; St. James-in-the City Episcopal Church, Los Angeles, CA (Catherine Roskam, director), a two-person version.


 

Performances and readings by Marvin Einhorn: Cape Cod National Seashore Outdoor Amphitheatre; Backgate, Portland; Primary Stages, NY (Casey Childs, dir.); Chapel in the Pines, Eastham,(Kathryn Morooney, dir.), a benefit for The Henry Beston Society and WOMR-FM; The Culture Center, NYC (Michelle Bossy, director) a Benefit for the New York New Jersey Trail Conference.Truro Public Library, part of One Book Festival; The Outermost House with Marvin Einhorn, filmed by The "Dune Tramp."

 

Read on New Play Exchange

A KNOCK ON THE DOOR: Five Short Plays by Cindy Cooper

A fifty-minute program consisting of five plays with a thematic link of a person at the threshold:

~Knock on the Door: a monologue of a woman lawyer seeking someone to host an asylum seeker, 1m

~Works of Art: a mature woman artist stops answering the buzzer to talk to a potential surrogate, 2w

~Speaker View: a two-hander a woman on Zoom who thinks she sees an intruder behind her call-friend, 2w

~Sentences and Words: the mother of a victim spars on the porch with a defense lawyer about the death penalty, 2w

~Invertention: Sheila's at work when friends barge in to confront her about her chocoholic tendencies, 5 performers

 

Julia's Reading Room 2021, League of Professional Theatre Women at New Perspectives Theatre Company, directed by Ludovica Villar-Hauser

SLOW BURN

Two neighbors finally connect after a tragic escalation of incidents between teenagers with snowballs and an elderly man. Drama. Single set of 2 locations; 3 w., 3 m. [including two teen m., one senior m; one senior w.] 110 min.

 

Read the script at New Play Exchange.

Finalist, Source Theatre; Finalist, Original Playwriting Award, Aspen Theater Conference; Finalist, Western Illinois University Playwriting Award; Finalist, Robert J. Pickering Award for Playwriting Excellence; Semi-Finalist, Promising Playwright Award, Colonial Players; Semi-Finalist, East-West Players FDG/CBS New Plays Program.

 

Wings Theatre, NY, Michael Warren Powell, dir.; film option (expired) Greenspan Productions.

 

"Rather than present the audience with a courtroom drama ... Cooper shows us the people and the events." N.R. Adler, critic.

 

"Gripping play." Alberto Isaac, East-West Players.

HOW SHE PLAYED THE GAME

Six spirited women from sports history overcome obstacles and stereotypes:Babe Didrikson, Gertrude Ederle, Althea Gibson, Sonia Henie, Eleanor Randolph Sears, Gretel Bergmann. Simple set, One-woman show (may be performed by six actors),65 min. [Also 45 min. version.] My Elegy for Gertrude Ederle.

Women's Project & Productions, Off-Broadway, Samuel Beckett Th., New York; Primary Stages, New York, Enrichment Works, LA, Venus Theater, Maryland, September 2006 Capitol Fringe Festival, DC, Summer Camp 2011; D.C./MD, Venus Theater, Deb Randall; 2005: Randolph Macon Woman's College[see poster to left]Virginia; The Junction Theatre, Los Angeles; touring performances Washington D.C. by Venus Theatre; Marblehead Festival of Arts; Helsinki, International Women's Sports Conference; Budapest; Los Angeles; Montreal; Vancouver Fringe Festival; Women's Theatre, New Jersey; Theatre Inconnu, Canada; Nashville Public Theatre; Wells College; Women's Arts & Culture Conference; Threshold Theatre, Boston; Barnard College; A Daring Adventure Theatre, Reno; First Stage; Brooklyn BACA Showcase; Grand Valley State College; Touring Performances); Pennsylvania Women's Conference; Stacey Linnartz ("Gretel Bergmann"), Anne Frank Center USA, 2012, The Shed, Brooklyn, 2014, Center for Jewish History & Remember the Women, April 2015; Sports Literature Conference, June 2015; Theater Dept, Milwaukee; Eastern Tennessee State University, Sept 2015, dir. by Bobby Funk.

PUBLICATIONS: WOMEN HEROES (45 min version only); BROOKLYN PUBLISHERS(full version -- 65 min -- NOW available with rights); MORE GOLDEN APPLES; GREAT MONOLOGUES; CROSSING BOUNDARIES; BASEBALL MONOLOGUES; LITERATURE and LANGUAGE ARTS. See PUBLICATIONS. Included in School Assessment Testing programs. Selected, Lifetime Television Spot.

"Makes you feel like praising." The Village Voice. "Important and inspirational." Billie Jean King. "The perfect theatrical hook." Marilyn Stasio, critic. "(G)raceful pastiche" ... "Cooper shows the relentless, indomitable human heart as it defeats the limitations both of society and of the body." Tim Trainer, critic, DC. "We left the theater with a mixture of admiration and elation." Bill T. "Fascinating insight into society and the culture." The Budapest Sun. "Audiences around the country are inspired." Women's Sports and Fitness magazine. "Funny, intelligent and arousing." Ronnie Gilbert, folksinger. "Emphasizes the courage and virtue of the human spirit." Estelle Ritchie, producer.

Check out this cool Pinterest board.

Read script on New Play Exchange.

SECOND SIGHT

Gerard Croiset, known as the 'Mozart of psychics,' spins open the lives of an FBI agent and woman journalist investigating a child's disappearance in the 1960s.

 

Croiset, a Dutchman with limited education, comes to the U.S. for a conference with a European professor who has taken him under his wing. Known for his contribution to overseas crime investigations, Croiset, a fragile man, is besieged with questions about the child's disappearance, but is personally overcome with the image of a tragedy befalling a friend. At the same time, the FBI agent finds buried pieces of his life cast into the open. In a multilayered story, these three mysteries unwind. The play asks: How do we know what is true and what is not? What are the roots of knowledge? Are 'psychic' abilities real? And, what, after all, is the essence of the human condition?

 

Various settings at a conference retreat; 3 m., 2 w.; Under 2 hrs.

Runner-Up, Pulse Theatre Festival, New York Readings: 2010-29th Street Rep's The Hive, Founded by Paula Ewin, at Soho20Gallery Chelsea, NYC (Michael Hillyer, dir.); 2015, The Drawing Board, NYC (Dan Salyer, producer); Theatre Beyond Barriers (Michael Johnson, dir.); 29th St. Repertory, New York (Michael Hillyer, dir.) Blue Heron Theater Center, New York (Michael Hillyer, dir); Playwrights' Advocate, Illinois (Richard Pahl, dir.)

Read the script at New Play Exchange.

24 HOURS IN THE LIFE OF THE BELTED SANDFISH

Religious zealots and liberals unite to object to a couple's scientific supertricks with DNA and stem cells to make themselves intersexual. Comic drama. Single set, 1 m., 2 w. (1 off-stage voice, male), 1 hr. 40 min.

Semi-Finalist, Trustus Theatre Playwriting Festival (Readings: New Amsterdam Repertory (featuring Connie Britton, Seth Gordon, dir.); Women's Project (Melanie Joseph, dir.); Primary Stages (Liz Margid, dir.); Break-a-Leg Productions, NYC); Option, Playwrights' Theatre of Baltimore. "The subject of genetic engineering and human cloning is hotly debated today. Where do we draw the line? Perhaps scientists Alicia and Duncan have crossed the line. Duncan's not sure he's happy about being pregnant, Alicia is infatuated with her rising testosterone level, and the world is at their doorstep ..." Baltimore Playwrights' Theatre.

See CONTACT for availability.

WORDS OF CHOICE

Funny and serious: essays, stories, theatre collected from a dozen writers and compiled into a powerful ensemble of voices supporting women's reproductive rights. Now, WORDS OF CHOICE II presents a second excellent collection of works. 3 w. (diverse), 1 m. See CHOICE;

Performances (selected)
: The Left Forum, NYC; First WiredArtsFest, Live in NY, Live Streaming Everywhere; Soho20Gallery, excerpts; New Jersey; Maryland, Summer of Trust; Buffalo; Amnesty International Human Rights Arts Festival; Benefit for Planned Parenthood NYC at Judson Memorial Church NYC; Colorado, Kansas, New York, directed by Francesca Mantani Arkus. Fall 2006: Rhode Island, South Dakota (Sioux Falls, Brookings, Vermillion, Rapid City); Ramapo College NJ (directed by Francesca Mantani Arkus); Panel: Social Justice and Women Playwrights, Marymount College; Workshop, Feminists Fighting Forward, NYU; Summer 2006: Iowa (directed by Francesca Mantani Arkus); Winter 2006: New Haven, CN, North Carolina, Long Island, Wings Theater NY (directed by Cindy Cooper); Fall 2005: Missouri, Kansas directed by Joan Lipkin; Stand Up for Choice! featuring Kathleen Turner, an event by Planned Parenthood at the Beacon Theater, NY; The Culture Project, Benefit for Planned Parenthood of NYC, directed by Peg Denithorne, March 2005; Union Theological Seminary, NYC; Princeton Club, NYC; Wash-VA, sponsored by Virginia NOW at -- Offices of the March for Women's Lives, George Washington University, University of Richmond, University of Virginia, Randolph Macon Woman's College, Hampton University-Tidewater NOW, Arlington Unitarian Universalist Church, directed by Suzanne Bennett; New York: "Octoberfest," Fall 2003, Ensemble Studio Theatre, initiated by Susann Brinkley; June 2003: Boston, Benefit for Planned Parenthood League of Massachusetts; HERE, 30th Anniversary Roe, Planned Parenthood of NYC; Ceres Gallery, "Celebrating Choice", NY; NAF Convention, Plenary, Chicago, Sheraton Ballroom] Suzanne Bennett, dir.; Ohio: Feb-Apr. 2004 Queen Bee Productions: Akron, Cleveland, Kent State, University of Cincinnati.Honors: Anne E. Fisher Champion of Choice Award, NARAL Pro-Choice America; Citation for Outstanding Work, City of Providence, RI; Vision Award, Abortion Conversation Project.

June 2009:, publication, Front Lines: Political Plays by American Women ed.Alexis Greene and Shirley Lauro, The New Press. See Play Publications

Article: Pro-Choice Advocates Act Out Women's E-news

Other touring shows: Minneapolis, Madison, Milwaukee, Chicago, Missouri Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice, Univeristy of Missouri, Rutgers, Puffin Cultural Foundation NJ,Maryland, Coral Gables, Gainesville, Tallahassee, Orlando, elsewhere


READ MORE ABOUT
"WORDS OF CHOICE"

Now on DVD produced by Linda Haskins, TakeTen Productions, distributed by International Film Network. For DVD Info.

CONTACT for Performance information.

DEAR ANNE FRANK: DIARIES FROM BEHIND BARS

by Cynthia L. Cooper and Maureen McNeil

Diaries of prisoners from across the U.S., as they write in response to reading the Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank, working with PEN America and the Anne Frank Center USA.
Reading: Museum of Tolerance, NYC.

 

Contact for Performance Availability

STRANGE BEDFELLOWS

High stakes are at risk for a woman politician who is drawn into a debate about pornography in which all of the usual players are not in all of the usual places. Drama with comedy. Varied settings, includes slides; 2 m., 4 w. (doubling); 2 hrs.

Commissioned, Women's Theatre Project, Minn.; Finalist, O'Neill Theatre Conference. [Hennepin Center, Women's Theatre Project (Carolyn Levy, dir.); West Coast Playwrights, Playwrights Festival (Michele Linfante, dir); Reading, Primary Stages (Nicola Sheara, dir.] There are almost as many viewpoints about pornography as there are people." Pioneer Press. "Arguments on either side shoot across the stage with the rapidity of virtuoso Ping-Pong.... Cooper has a strong theme here. Star Tribune"

See CONTACT to inquire about availability.

DIRTY LAUNDRY

More than washers are churning in a laundromat even before the lights go out and a slasher races through. Drama with comedy. Single setting; 4 m., 4 w. (including 1 w. youth)(5 m. without doubling); 1 hr. 30 min.

Elitch Theater, Denver (Peg Guilfoyle, dir.); Women's Playwriting Conference, MN. (Carolyn Levy, dir.); Playwrights' Center, MN; 13th Street Repertory, NY (Jeff Corrick, dir.) "A comedy of light menace." Denver Post.

See CONTACT for production information.

THE HOLIDAY STORY

A family's giant holiday light display is in jeopardy when neighbors protest, kids rebel and tradition, however warped, must carry on.. Comic family drama. 3 Settings; 4 m.. 3 w. (including 2 y. men; 2 y. women); 2 hrs.; One song. FAMILY audiences.

Lakeshore Players, MN (Sally Childs, dir); Centre Stage, NYC, Perry St. Th.(Jack Adolphi, artis.dir; Alma Becker, dir.)[In development for film script.]"Charming ... tender treatment of contemporary family life -- compassion without too much sugar." Pioneer Press. "About giving, forgiving, and the strength and joy to be found in caring relationships ... a funny, warm, touching play." Mary Alden.

See CONTACT for availability.

SISTERS OF SISTERS

Three pairs of sisters -- two mothers and their sets of daughters, 14 to 36 -- toss and turn when each ends up living with her sister. Drama with comedy. Multiple locations, 6 w., 2 hrs.

Winner, Hutchinson Festival of New Plays; Finalist, POW Festival, NY (Hutchinson Festival (Robert Patrick, dir); Wings Theatre, NY (Jonathan Silver, dir); Up and Over Theatre, MN. (Beth Cherne, dir.); Readings: Women's Theatre Project, St. Paul; POW Festival, Public Theatre, NY; New Theatre, NY; Tory's, NY; London; New Jersey Women's Theater Cooperative (Barbara Krajkowski, dir.); Howard Kaiser Productions (option, expired), at Second Stage.) [Publication, excerpt, "The Note" in Monologues for Student Actors II, see PUBLICATIONS.] "'Sisters of Sisters is an intelligent, moving, thoroughly satisfying comedy-drama ... The author, Cynthia L. Cooper, has infused a potentially deadly subject with freshness and originality, and most importantly, honesty ... The play is at times gently evocative, at times wrenching about families and the ties that bond ... inspired writing ... a stimulating and moving production." Spectator. "Pleasant and amusing... all of the sisters minuet through 'Sisters of sisters' with grace and poignant humor." Twin Cities Reader.

ALL THAT IS GREEN

A woman tries to decipher whether a man is interested in her for love or for a green card. Various settings, 2 m., 1 w.; 1 hr., 50 min.

Northwest Area Foundation Grant, Co-Labs; Semi-finalist, The Original Theatre Works, Lee Korf Playwriting Prize; Cerritos College, Best of the Rest; University of Alabama, New Playwrights' Program, Dr. Thomas Taylor, dramaturg, Sarah Gabel, dir.; Playwrights Center; Hennepin Center, Excerpts, (Marion McClinton, dir.)(Music, Cliffard Sloane) ; Reading: Wings Theatre, NY.

Currently unavailable.

In Development

"State Secrets" -- Original works by four diverse writers responding to information leaks, the Internet, government secrecy and transparency, world politics, and what it means to our lives. A collaboration by writers Joi Barrios, Kia Corthron, Ismail Khalidi and Cynthia L. Cooper. Part of the Jonathan Larson Lab, New York Theater Workshop, Readings at 3. (Dir: Joanna Settle).
Currently seeking workshop opportunities.

"Equal Wrongs" -- An all-male jury of the late 1800s convicts a woman of murdering an abusive husband and sentences her to death.

CONTACT

For information about plays or rights, contact:
Plays@CynCooperWriter.net

 

Read Plays on NPX.

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