A well-meaning executive and a homeless man have an intriguing encounter. Comedy. Two men (or two women), about 8-10 minutes.

My very first play – written, and produced – and I’m very proud of it. It still gets produced here and there. Seeing that first production (starring the wonderful George Tietze and Jon Cooper) was one of the most thrilling experiences of my life.

Two David Mamet-obsessed writers pitch their play to an uptight theatre director. Comedy. Three men (one African-American), one woman. 15 minutes. Contains adult language.

A deeply silly & foul-mouthed skit that pokes some fun at the mechanisms of Mamet. Don’t get me wrong – I love the guy. But sometimes you just have to swing at the easy targets.

A nice suburban family of psychics discovers that there’s a difference between knowing your fate and preventing your fate. Comedy. Two women, one man. 15 minutes.

I haven’t been good to this play at all. It’s a strangely subversive little family play, and I think it has merit, but after I saw a bad production of it, I unfairly shelved it. I think I’ll dust it off and try again.

Harry goes out for takeout food, and returns with a dead clown. Melissa would like to know what happened, but he’d rather not talk about it. Dark Comedy. One man, one woman, one dead clown. 12-15 minutes. Contains adult language.

It’s a bitter little pill, and one of my most popular. Incredibly, it was produced at an all-girl Catholic High School (bless you, Georgie).  It’s commonly referred to as “The Dead Clown Play” -- but then again, aren’t they all?

Phil, his girlfriend Maggie, and Maggie’s friend Donnie prepare to dive into the icy waters of the Atlantic on New Years Day. When Donnie reveals she plans to skinny-dip, the stakes are raised for Phil and Maggie. Comedy. 10-12 minutes. Contains adult language,  brief male & female nudity.

This remains the only one of my plays I’ve ever performed in. To all those who saw it: nerves are like ice water on the loins, okay?

Two young men have been up all night playing an online computer game. They’ve got one puzzle to go…but what will the answer cost them? Comedy. Three men, one woman. 10 minutes.

I wrote this for the Lebanon Community Theater, which rejected it – it then went on to be my most popular (and lucrative) short play. Adam Gelin directed this play for the Short & Sweet Festival in Australia, and he reinterpreted the beginning portion so beautifully that I rewrote the stage directions in the script and gave him credit for them. A movie version (which Gelin wrote) has been filmed in Australia – I think it’s still in post-production. I can’t wait to see it.

Larry finds himself talking to God. God isn’t quite what, or who, he expected. Comedy. Two women (one physically disabled), one man. 15 minutes.

I wrote this for Tina Sheing, an incredibly beautiful person. Someday I will see her play the part. Larry won the Alan Minieri Award at the New York 15-Minute Play Festival in 2006, an award I share with the incredible actors Christine Bruno, Ron Bopst, and Rebecca Nyahay, and with the awesome director Melissa Attebery.

In a reverse-order drama, Molly, a young woman, and John, her paralyzed brother, learn to save each other by reading Peter Pan. Drama. One man, one woman. 8 minutes.

I wrote this at the Kennedy Center as an exercise. I added a scene and opened up the dialogue, but it’s essentially the same play. I’ve always loved Peter Pan – it’s such a sad story – and I wanted to use it in my own sad story about redemption.

A dark character drama featuring two couples – a psychologist and his younger girlfriend, and his wife and her mysterious new friend – as they chat over drinks on opposite coasts. Drama. Two men, two women. 25 minutes.

This was my first drama – it was going to be a ten-minute play (10 one-minute scenes), but I had a little more to say. After seeing this, my father turned to me and said “Who raised you?”

The actors have finished their show and would like to take their bow, but a crazed chorus member with a gun is making things difficult. Is the glory of the curtain call worth the ultimate price? Dark comedy. Six men, six women, and a few extras. 25 minutes.

One of my most produced plays – high schools, mostly. After seeing THIS one, my father said “Seriously, what the hell is wrong with you?” That’s a thumbs-up, right?

A troupe of actors attempt to portray a romantic epic spanning 150 years in only 15 minutes. Comedy. Three men, three women. 20 minutes.

Both this and Curtain Call were in Playscripts’ top 50 short plays produced in high schools in 2006. Coooooooool.

A bitter and disappointed (but still nice) Job takes God to court, but God gets some help from an unexpected source in this irreverent but moving comedy. Comedy. Five people, flexible casting. 18 minutes.

One of my personal favorites. Like a lot of playwrights, I have God issues, and this play addresses some of them.

Two young girls try to write a fairytale, but they find they cannot prevent the ending from turning dark and violent. Three women, one man (with two women playing children). Drama. 20 minutes.

Seeing this play come alive for the very first time was one of the best moments of my life. I can thank Kathy B., Chris T., Georgie, Karen, and Robleto for that. And I do, often.

A young man realizes he's trapped in “Mediocreville,” where every good sensation is immediately countered with a bad one. He thinks suicide is the only way out, but his friends have some peachy ideas for him in this comedy, which was inspired by T.S. Eliot's “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock.” Comedy. Two men, one woman. 30 minutes.

I love “Prufrock.” It’s an incredible poem with lines that feel like punches to the heart. I’ve tried to write my own version for years – in stories, in songs, in plays…but nothing worked until I gave it a tone completely different from the poem (light comedy).

Alex, a small, shy teenage boy gives a startling confession to Emma, a tough 15-year-old, while sitting on Smokers’ Hill. When Rob, the school bully, enters the scene, both Alex and Emma are forced to confront their fears and put Alex’ beliefs to the test. Drama. Two teenage boys, one teenage girl. 25 minutes.

Smokers’ Hill is about two subjects – bullying and Jesus – but I think it’s also about kindness. I wanted to write something for high school students…I somehow forgot that not a lot of high schools will produce a play where one character claims to be Jesus. Plus, there’s profanity.

Charlotte, a young, troubled woman encounters a strange man who tells her “the world is better with you here” and leaves. Charlotte struggles to come to terms with this event, ultimately questioning her own sanity and place in the world. Drama. One woman, one man. 25 minutes.

At the Kennedy Center Intensive in 2006, actors Rick Foucheux and Jennifer Mendenhall read the script, and Rebecca Taichman offered direction, which opened up the play immensely. Still one of the most overwhelming moments of my life…my heart pounds thinking about it.

Smith, a high-profile politico, has just accidentally revealed a damaging fact about his boss to Marni, an ambitious reporter. His struggles to retract his statement reveal the depths of his desperation – and the depth of her conviction. Drama. One man, one woman. 20 minutes.

A brand-new drama prompted by a very simple “what-if” scenario. The Record was a semi-finalist at Emerging Artists Theatre (OOB & OB), but as of this writing it’s still unproduced.

A man mourns the death of his dog…or is the dog merely preparing for a reconnaissance mission? Comedy/Drama. One man, one woman. 12-15 minutes.

No one’s touched it yet, but it’s been a finalist twice. I stand by it, though – it’s another one of my faves.

^* The name will change, because I’ve stolen it for a full-length play. I’m still thinking of substitute names (the play is named after the dog) – so far I like Ginger, Axle, and Poco.

Every Saturday, Leonard used to sit on the hill and watch the local Little League games. Now his widow, Elaine, and her friend Tilly sit in the same spot, hilariously discussing baseball, sex, love, marriage, teenagers, sex…and especially Tilly’s ex-husband, Eddie, who ran off with a foul-mouthed, eyeliner-abusing cashier. But when Tilly spies the cashier among the spectators, the stage is set for a surprising confrontation that changes the lives and outlooks of all three women…and threatens to destroy a friendship. Comedy/Drama. Three women (60, 60, 40). 100 minutes.

There’s a horrible new development in the world of adult entertainment – pornography featuring the living dead. But Detective Karla is on the case, and she will not rest, sleep, or bathe until she’s brought this insidious threat to light. Will Karla save the morals of the country before Dr. Hadfield wins them over with his liberal charm? What if the country doesn’t want its morals saved? And can anything stop…The PornoZombies? Comedy. 6 men, 5 women, some doubling. 100 minutes.

I’ll probably be playing with this one for years. It’s one of my earliest plays, and I like the premise and a lot of the dialogue, but there’s no story. It’s extremely loosely based on the Paul Westerberg ballad of the same name…and there’s a bit of Wizard of Oz thrown in there as well. The characters might actually live on in a full-length play.

Chris is the hottest videogame designer in the country. So…what’s with his new game? Comedy/Drama. Three men, one woman. 20 minutes.

After letting this one stew for a while, I think I figured out how to guide it where I want it to go. It says something I really want to say, but the structure is all wrong. I’ll get there.

Lou does have cancer, as he and his buddy Max discuss over lunchtime drinks. But something else is eating at Max. Comedy/Drama. Three men. 10 minutes.

Lou Has Cancer starts well, but loses track of itself. I wrote the first draft in one shot at 3 in the morning – I woke up and ran to the computer – but I haven’t yet figured out how to set Lou and Max on the journey I want them to take.

A man is accused of murdering a teenage girl; after a mistrial, his bail is lowered and he goes home to stay with his parents as they await news of his acquittal. 4 men, 2 women. 120 minutes.

Man, I hope I can save this play. Some of the scenes are among my very favorites, I like the premise a lot, and I think it carries just the right tone, but there’s no dramatic question…nothing drives the play forward but time. I’m a little stuck on it.

A young woman is found naked near the woods after being missing for several days. Her refusal to speak leads to deep speculation in the small town – and ultimately reveals the true characters of everyone in her life. Mystery/Drama.

Sara’s Silence is in need of a major overhaul. It’s a mystery that doesn’t really add up (which was sort of the point, but it FEELS like it’s going somewhere…too many red herrings), featuring a lead character who’s a sheriff but should really be something else. I’d like to fix it.

While driving home from work, Terrence accidentally kills Pixie, an extraordinarily small dog. This starts a series of events that reveals, one by one, Terrence’s deepest secrets and fears, unraveling his life before his own eyes. And when Pixie actually begins speaking to him, Terrence feels his sanity unraveling as well…but is that what he wanted all along? 4 men, 4 women, 120 minutes.

I’d call Pixie about 70% of the way there. Two drafts have been completed. Act One is (I think) slow, and some moments strain credibility just a bit too far, but I’m mostly happy with Act Two and the resolution. Hopefully I’ll be moving Pixie to the “finished” category in the very near future!