Play scripts of Vancouver Island and Gulf Island writers.
To contact any of these playwrights, see Playwrights Directory

Be Still - by Janet Munsil. DRAMA.
Inspired by Victoria photographer Hannah Maynard and the macabre multiple exposure self-portraits she created in her Pandora Street studio. The portrait of an artist grieving for her drowned daughter, haunted by the memory of her child and the recurring appearance of her own double.
Length: 1 act / 75 minutes
Characters: 6 (4f, 2m)
First performed/professional production: 2001 - Belfry Theatre, Victoria, BC.

Cassie - by Heldor Schäfer. DRAMA.
A high school student becomes infatuated with her history teacher. Her diary is taken as proof of their affair, but how much is real and how much fantasy?
Length: 1 act / 50 minutes
Characters: 4 (2f, 2m or 3f, 1m)
First Performed: 1985 - Quesnel Little Theatre, Theatre BC festival, Quesnel, BC.
(Award of Merit for Playwriting).

Cuckoo Song - by Heldor Schäfer. DRAMA.
A refugee from easter Europe now living in Germany tries to overcome the memories of war-time horrors and her loneliness in a foreign land.
Length: 1 act / 60 minutes
Characters: 4 (2f, 2m)
First Performed: 1985 - Quesnel Little Theatre, Quesnel, BC.

Emphysema - by Janet Munsil. DRAMA.
British theatre critic Kenneth Tynan is obsessed with the character of Lulu, as played by silent film actress Louise Brooks, in G.W. Pabst's silent film masterpiece "Pandora's Box." In 1977 he meets with Brooks for a New Yorker Magazine profile, haunted by the spectre of the young hedonist Lulu.
Length: 1 act / 90 minutes
Characters: 3 (2f, 1m)
First Performed: 1995; first professional production 1998.

The Friends of Private-Eye Zayshun - by Desmond Lindo.COMEDY DRAMA.
Spoof of 1983 provincial election in B.C. with relevance to current political events; a cautionary tale about the abuse of power, with overtones of Greek tragedy. SATIRE /
Length: 2 act / 90 minutes
Characters: 14 (4f, 10m) plus ensemble of 10

I Wandered Lonely - by Heldor Schäfer. COMEDY-DRAMA.
Bert, a hospital patient recovering from a motorcycle accident, meets Nel, a young nurse who loves modern poetry. In spite of his earthy humour, it becomes apparent that Bert feels sorry for himself. To help him overcome his bitterness, Nel introduces him to the free verse of e e cummins... with mixed results.
Length: 1 act / 15 minutes
Characters: 2 (1f, 1m)
Published: Instant Applause II i (Winnipeg: Blizzard) 1996.

If You Find My Balloon - by Heldor Schäfer. COMEDY-DRAMA.
Three people from different generations are looking for diversion at a shopping mall. All have been left by someone close to them, and despite their differences they help each other trying to come to terms with that abandonment.
Length: 1 act / 60 minutes
Characters: 3 (2f, 1m)
First Performed: 1989 - Quesnel Little Theatre, Quesnel, BC.

Immortal Boy - by Geoff Hargreaves. FARCE.
Jason is determined never to grow up but he is caught in a dilemma when he meets the gorgeous Angelica who loves only older men.
Length: 4 acts / 2 hours
Characters: 6 (3f, 3m)
First Performed: 1997 - Shawnigan Players, Shawnigan, BC.
The play received an award for "oustanding original script" at the 1997 Theatre BC south island zone festival.

Jocks - by Heldor Schäfer. COMEDY-DRAMA.
Wyn and Laura, comfortably ensconsed in their respective domestic (in)activities -- watching TV and reading the newspaper -- find they are on different wavelengths when they actually try to communicate with each other.
Length: 10 minutes
Characters: 2 (1f, 1m)

Killing Time - by Len Cuthbert
A man is confronted in an unusual way with his use of time and his definition of time-management. The new employees of a restaurant play havoc with his mind. The play ends with a revengeful twist.
Length: 1 act / 25 minutes
Characters: 6 (5f/m, 1m)
First Performed: 1997 - Ontario

Lou - by Geoff Hargreaves. HISTORICAL DRAMA.
Lou Andreas-Salome, one of the first feminists, had profound encounters with three great men: the philosopher Nietzsche, the poet Rilke, and the founder of psychoanalysis, Freud. She felt the attractions of each but resolved to maintain her independence from them and used the relationships to help her decide what it meant to be a woman.
Length: 2 acts / 2 hours
Characters: 3 (2f, 1m)
First Performed: 2000 - Ngaio Marsh Theatre, Christchurch, New Zealand.

Not Working! - by Wyatt Lamoureux. MUSICAL COMEDY.
Bob and his family face the spectre of continued unemployment. Pursued by the RepoMen, confused by UI industry changes and stalked by Dr. Michael Wanker, he finally discovers what is most important in life: his self-respect.
Length: 2 acts / 2 hours
Characters: 14 (5 actors - 3f, 2m)
First Performed: 1997 - Nanaimo Fringe Festival
Comments: Minimum set requirements. Author willing to update to the changing times and also direct the play.

Pipsqueak and the Pumpkin-eating Monster - by Heldor Schäfer. CHILDREN'S PLAY / PUPPET PLAY.
Crabbo, the mean magician, has devised a clever plan to get rid of all the children. He'll turn them into pumpkins, because his pet monster, Gobble, loves eating pumpkins. The first child to fall victim to his wicked scheme is Pipsqueak. But Crabbo hasn't counted on the wit of her best friend, Moppy. With the help of the children in the audience, Moppy devises a plan to thwart the magician, save Pipsqueak and keep Gobble's ravenous appetite satisfied at the same time.
Length: 1 act / 20 minutes
Characters: 4
First Performed: 1986 - Quesnel Little Theatre, Quesnel, BC.

Prime Numbers - by Joy Waller. DRAMA.
Six characters mature from ages five to 23, experiencing hatred, love, revenge, and growth. Explores the concept of relationships being divisble only from within.
Length: 1 act / 25 minutes
Characters: 6 (3f, 3m)

Shadows on the Beach - by Heldor Schäfer. DRAMA.
A man tells his companion why he suspects his wife of infidelity with someone she regularly meets on the beach below their cottage at dusk. But who is his companion?
Length: 10 minutes
Characters: 2 (1f, 1m)

Shakespeare vs. the Merchants of Venom - by Wyatt Lamoureux. COMEDY.
Stuck in Purgatory for the last 383 years, Will is provoked by the Devil to lose his iconic mask and reveal his true nature. A fun look at celebrity and its consequences. With audience participation.
Length: 1 act / 75 minutes
Characters: 2 (1m, 1m/f)
Comments: Looking to workshop. The author is also working on a version for schools.

The Ugly Duchess - by Janet Munsil. DRAMATIC MONOLOGUE.
Margaret Maultasch, 14th century ruler of Tyrol, was reputed to be the ugliest woman in history. The perfect scapegoat for her terrified subjects during the Black Death, Margaret was also an exceedingly desirable political bride. The role of Margaret was written to be performed by a male actor.
Length: 1 act / 60 minutes
Characters: 1m
First Performed: 1999 - Exit Theatre, San Francisco, CA.

Vigour Mortis - by Erin Butler. DARK COMEDY.
Sam is a young woman who has recently died, much to her dismay. What dismays her even more is her hanging around the hospital where she died, along with three other characters: her father; an intern who is more than she appears; and a tall, hooded fellow with a penchant for mediaeval harvesting implements.
Length: 2 acts / 90 minutes
Characters: 4 (1f, 1m, 2f/m)
First Performed: 2000 - Biting Hands Theatre, Victoria Fringe Theatre Festival, Victoria, BC.

The Waiting Room - by Stephen Foote and Ryan Love. SURREAL DRAMA.
Bad boys Duke and Ben find themselves awaiting their final file review in a surreal prison-like waiting room. Monitored by an unlikely clerk and bizzare attendant they must confront the consequences and roots of their actions through interaction with themselves, an innocent "straight Jane" lady, and ultimately their victim.
Length: 1 act / 70 minutes
Characters: 6 (2f, 4m)
First Performed: 1999 - William Head on Stage Theatre Society, Victoria, BC.

Whiskey and Radishes - by Lesley Preston. BLACK COMEDY.
Jayne, estranged from her family and drunken Irish mother for many years, returns to dance on her mother's deathbed. What she uncovers is whiskey and radishes, new meaning to the word Mum and regrowth on the family tree. Interior setting in northern England.
Length: 2 acts / 110 minutes
Characters: 5 (3f, 2m)
First Performed: 1999 - Victoria, BC.

The Writers' Bloc - by G. Lester Crosswell. COMEDY-DRAMA.
It's Hollywood circa 1937, and Edwin, a down-on-his-luck writer, has just been hired to join the writing team at a third rate movie studio. He soon learns that writing for the big screen is not as glamorous as he imagined it to be.
Length: 3 acts / 120 minutes
Characters: 6 (1f, 5m)
First Performed: 1999 - Nanaimo Theatre Guild, Nanaimo, BC.

You Can't See Africa from Sicily - by Heldor Schäfer. DRAMA.
Phil has become a recluse since his wife left him. When she suddenly appears at his apartment, his emotions are thrown into turmoil. Old ghosts from their Mediterranean honeymoon are conjured up as he hovers between dream and reality, struggling to solve the puzzle of a failed relationship.
Length: 1 act / 45 minutes
Characters: 4 (2f, 2m)
First Performed: 1986 - Quesnel Little Theatre, Theatre BC festival, Williams Lake, BC.

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