Ariel On The Train
2W, 2M · 100 mins
Many years ago, Bob, a lonely late-night DJ, met his wife, Ariel, on a train. Over time, their marriage fell apart, but the magic of the first meeting, the sense that they were somehow destined to be together, has never left Bob. Should Bob accept Ariel’s overtures and try marriage with her again? Ariel on the Train is a play about fidelity, friendship, and two couples attempting to navigate through marriages on the verge of collapse.
2012 Finalist, National New Play Network’s Showcase of New Plays
2012 Finalist, Seven Devils Playwrights Conference
Workshopped and read with id Theater Company and at the Lark Play Development Center in NYC.
Script and rights available by contacting Dano here.
Character Descriptions:
BOB, an average man, 37
ARIEL, a mysterious and wonderful woman, 34
MARK, Bob’s best friend, Hannah’s husband, 38
HANNAH, Mark’s wife, 34
Bad Husband
2M, 2F · 90 mins
During her graveyard shift at the hospital, Annie finds herself falling fast for a mysterious stranger named Cowboy. Where did this man come from? Why is he wandering the halls of the hospital? The story of Bad Husband begins after one of the characters jumps off of a building and everyone finds him or herself in free fall. By the end of the night, Cowboy, Annie, and all of the characters will have to face the truth about their pasts.
Finalist, National New Play Network’s 2014 Showcase of New Plays
Finalist, Portland Center Stage, JAW Festival, 2014
Workshopped and publicly read at id Theater Company in NYC, The Artful Conspirators in Brooklyn, NY, and at Boise Contemporary Theater in Idaho.
Script and rights available by contacting Dano here.
Character Descriptions
JULIET, a state champion, 32
COWBOY, from the suburbs, 35
DEVIN, friends with Cowboy, a literature teacher, 35
ANNIE, 28, a nurse
Beautiful American Soldier
3M, 2F · 90 mins
Winner of the Kennedy Center’s Quest for Peace Playwriting Award
Finalist for the National New Play Network’s 2010 Smith Prize
Beautiful American Soldier is a two-part story exploring the never-ending ripple effects of war. In part one, two sisters, unexpectedly lost along a quiet roadside in war-torn Iraq, find a friend in a man peddling junk. In part two, a veteran of the war in Iraq discovers that he has much more in common with a homeless man than he wants to believe. Together, all of these shattered hearts must find a way to deal with the consequences of war.
Part I is available in Best American Short Plays 2005-2006 (Applause) here.
Two monologues from Part I are published in Best Monologues from Best American Short Plays: Volume One (Applause), available here.
Productions
Backstage, Dubai, UAE
Source Festival, Washington D.C.
McGill University, Montreal, Canada
University of Tulsa, Tulsa, OK
Rutgers Theatre Company, New Brunswick, NJ
Workshops and Public Readings
The Lark Play Development Center in NYC, InterAct Theatre Company, Philadelphia, PA, Boston Theatre Works, Boston, Massachusetts Woolly Mammoth, Washington DC,
Character Descriptions
Part I: Iraq
LAMIYA, awkward, clumsy, and in love, Iraqi, 20
ULA, her sister, Iraqi, 29
BAHLOOL, in search of treasure, Iraqi, 26
Part II: America
CORPORAL DANIEL PEREZ, from the desert, Latino, 24
STAFF SERGEANT ISAIAH BROWN, from the jungle, African American, 59
Billy’s Suitcase
1W, 1M · 10 mins
Billy and Lucy are both leaving forever. Can they help each other truly escape?
Workshop Production - Actors Theatre of Louisville
Production -Rutgers Theatre Company
Script and rights available by contacting Dano here.
Character Descriptions:
BILLY
LUCY
Christmas Every Day
written with Jenny Sternling · Adapted from the story by William Dean Howells
3-13 Actors · 20mins
There once was a little girl who loved Christmas very, very much. She loved it so much that the little girl wished for Christmas to come every day! And so, with the help of the Christmas Fairy, she soon finds that her wish has been granted - from now until forever, it will be Christmas every day! At first, nonstop Christmas is exciting and fun! But trouble soon begins and the girl realizes that no wish comes without great cost. With the help of The Christmas Fairy, the little girl finds the courage to set things right and discovers, at last, what the magic of Christmas truly means.
Script and rights available by contacting Dano here.
Character Descriptions
JENNY, aka, Narrator 1 (use name of actor playing the role)
JOHN, aka, Narrator 2 (use name of actor playing the role)
DANO, aka, Narrator 3 (use name of actor playing the role)
LITTLE GIRL
FATHER
SANTA CLAUS
OLD CHRISTMAS FAIRY
EXPRESSMAN
TURKEY DEALER
TOOTH FAIRY
BILLY
BOBBY
AUNT LUCY
POLICE OFFICER
MOB
Drop
2M, 1F · 45 mins
Winner of The Kennedy Center's National Short Play Award
Winner The Anchorage Press Theatre for Youth Playwriting Award
Orflong and Zip are the lone dwellers on the planet Gavanuuy. They hunt Kalakazula worms with their sucknas (plungers) and play Gerfle, an infinite game. When Drop appears, they are fascinated by this English-speaking creature and the games she brings. The closer Orflong and Zip get to Drop, the more estranged they become from each other until they can no longer communicate. Drop presents a unique challenge as it is scripted in the Gavanuuyian language spoken by Orflong and Zip.
Published by Samuel French Inc. Purchase script or production rights here.
Productions:
Davidson College, Davidson, North Carolina
The College of Idaho, Caldwell, Idaho
Fullerton College, Fullerton, California, 2002
Missouri Southern State College, Joplin, Missouri
Boise State University, Boise, Idaho
Planet Dwellars
ORFLONG
ZIP
DROP
Dude Derrick
2W, 1M · 10 mins
Derrick has just been given the opportunity of a lifetime—his own reality show! But can his mother-in-law and wife convince him to accept the offer?
Actors Theatre of Louisville Heideman Award Finalist, 2011
Produced at NYU Playwright’s Horizons Theatre School
Script and rights available by contacting Dano here.
Character Descriptions:
DERRICK, a construction worker, 30
VALERIE, his wife, an office worker, 26
SUSAN, Valerie’s Mother, 58
Ella
3M, 2F · 45 mins
Ella is on the run after a life-changing tragedy, desperate to leave her past behind. She is an artist who no longer knows how to sculpt. Can a nineteen-year-old, white, gator- hunting farm boy named Cutter help her get her life back on track?
Published in Best American Short Plays 2009-2010 (Applause), available here.
A monologue from the play is published in In Performance: Contemporary Monologues for Men and Women Late Teens-20s (Applause), available here.
A monologue from the play is also published in Best Monologues from Best American Short Plays: Volume Two (Applause), available here.
Rights and individual copies available by contacting Dano here.
Productions:
Kinsella Magnet School of the Performing Arts, Hartford, CT
Fordham University Theatre Program, NYC
Rutgers Theatre Company, New Brunswick, NJ
Character Descriptions
ELLA, African American, 29
MATTY, African American, Ella’s ex-husband, 30
VANESSA, Ella’s sister and a student at the University of Washington, 22
CUTTER, a white Florida farm boy, 19
CHARLES, a student at the University of Washington, 22
Foothills Park
3W, 3M, 1M child · 100 mins
Lisa and her husband Brady have recently moved back to his hometown in Idaho. Vandalism at the local playground quickly pulls Lisa into an uncomfortable battle over who is to blame. Her neighbor and new friend, Tabby, believes it is the refugee children from Iraq. The fight that ensues will force Lisa to reevaluate her friendship with Tabby, her marriage, her place in Idaho, and her own bias against Muslims. Foothills Park is a story about a community coming face to face with the target of its fear and prejudice, and the struggle of one New Yorker trying to find her place in a far-away land called Boise.
Workshopped and publicly read as part of The Artful Conspirators Open Rehearsal Series
Workshopped and read at the Lark Play Development Center in NYC.
Workshopped and publicly read with Elephant Room Productions in Philadelphia and New York.
Script and rights available by contacting Dano here.
Character Descriptions:
LISA, from New York, 30
BRADY, her husband, a professor, 36
TABBY, from Kuna, Idaho, 34
LEVI, from an Idaho town so small it doesn’t have a name, 34
NOOR, a boy, small for his age, 11
SHALAA, from Iraq, Noor’s mother, 32
RYAN, a photographer from America, 23
Fourth Planet
4W, 4M, 1F child, 2M ensemble, 2F ensemble
Cast size is flexible, ranging from 13 to 31 actors.
As Dr. Violet Garcia attempts to be chosen for the first human mission to Mars, she is forced to confront the possibility of losing her most important relationships on Earth. Fourth Planet is a play about the future of humanity and what scientific advancement and sacrifice look like through a very personal lens.
Workshops and Public Readings
Boise Contemporary Theater, Boise, Idaho
Jersey City Theater Center, Jersey City, NJ
id Theater, NYC
Script and rights available by contacting Dano here.
Character Descriptions
DR. VIOLET GARCIA, 48-58, a pediatrician, first generation American, whose parents were Mexican immigrants
JOE WOODS, 52-62, Violet’s husband
ANNIE GARCIA-WOODS, 16-26, Joe and Violet’s daughter
LANE GARCIA-WOODS, 13-23, Joe and Violet’s son
ANA-SOFIA GARCIA, 38-48, Violet’s youngest sister, searching for her path
EROL NASSER, 43-53, Ana Sofia’s fiancé/husband, a high school teacher, from Pakistan
KONSTANTIN ORLOV, 39, a finalist candidate for Fourth Planet Pioneers, from the Russian Federation
JULIETA, 9, Ana Sofia and Erol’s daughter
AVA MADDEN, 23, Lane’s collaborator
ENSEMBLE ACTORS PLAY MULTIPLE ROLES (should be cast diversely)
MALE ACTOR #1
NELSON, 25
SERVER FOUR (no lines)
REG
AMIR
MAC
HAROLD
MALE ACTOR #2
SERVER ONE
YOSH
VOICE OVER RADIO 1
MARSHALL, 23, Annie’s boyfriend
FEMALE ACTOR #1
ANNABELLE, 23
SERVER TWO
WAITRESS AT BAR HUERTO
ZOE
ELLIE
NELLIE
VOICE ON THE LOUDSPEAKER
CINDY, Joe’s new partner, girlfriend.
FEMALE ACTOR #2
SERVER THREE
AZITA, 25, a finalist candidate for Fourth Planet Pioneers, from Iran
COLETTE
VOICE OVER RADIO 2
SARAH
ZENZELE
Frankenstein Paper
2 W, 1M
Gabrielle is the best tutor at Tomorrow’s Child of The Future Tutoring Services. A last- minute, emergency client, forces a confrontation about what exactly it means to tutor an uber-rich teenager in 2019.
Staged reading, id Theater, NYC
Script and rights available by contacting Dano here.
Character Descriptions:
DANE, 16, dreams of lacrosse glory
TINSLEY, 52, Dane’s mother, always nearby
GABRIELLE, 33, African American, a tutor with dreams
In the Sawtooths
3M · 90 mins
Winner of the Kennedy Center’s National Student Playwriting Award
Oby, Nellie, and Darin have been friends since high school. Now in their thirties, they have become busier in their lives, but one thing remains constant: their annual backpacking adventure in the mountains of Idaho. As their trip nears and they have made all of the necessary preparations to survive in the outdoors, their lives are suddenly shattered by tragedy. What ensues is a true test of an old friendship. Can Oby, Nellie and Darin remain friends as they desperately try to navigate through an immense and unexpected wilderness?
Developed at the Seven Devils Playwrights Conference in Idaho and at The Lark Play Development Center in New York City.
Published by Samuel French Inc. Read the script and purchase performance rights here.
Monologues from the play are published in:
The Best Men’s Stage Monologues and Scenes, 2010
Exceptional Monologues 2 for Men and Women (Samuel French)
Character Descriptions
OBY - A teacher, 30
NELLIE - A dishwashing musician, 29
DARIN - Mr. Adventure, 30
Jason Dotson
1M · 10 mins
A young man kills himself at 15, leaving his high school friend to wonder about all the moments missed.
Commissioned and produced by Elephant Room Productions, Philadelphia, PA
Script and rights available by contacting Dano here.
Character Descriptions
JASON, 15
Leaving Ikea
Written with Monica Flory from an idea by Lauren Singeman
Small cast 4M, 2W / Large cast 6M, 4W (chorus size is flexible) · 120 mins
A coming out gone wrong, an angry gnome, and two hundred pounds of Swedish meatballs: welcome to IKEA, friends. As two couples venture through their local Swedish superstore, they become trapped in a blue and yellow purgatory; unable to escape until they solve the problems in their ailing relationships. Will they be able to put all of the parts together without any instructions? Will they ever get home? Join two ordinary couples as they take an extraordinary journey to find the arrows that will lead them out of the relationship inferno that is IKEA.
Commissioned, developed, and produced by the Artful Conspirators, Brooklyn, NY.
Script and rights available by contacting Dano here.
Character Descriptions
Canto I by Dano Madden
MARCUS, from the Midwest. Or the West. 35
ROY, Marcus’ boyfriend, 38
HATTIE, traditional, 68
BILL, quiet, 72
LUCY, a veteran IKEA employee, 26
HANK, a rookie IKEA employee, 34
Canto II by Monica Flory
BETHANY and DAN, a 30-something couple
CHORUS (including EDITH, MOSCA, ZITA, CECINA, and others), trapped in IKEA purgatory
GNOME with a gray beard
Loving Again
1M, 1F · 10 mins
Ryan has finally fallen in love again after a terrible heartbreak. How will Emily react when Ryan decides to tell her his deepest, darkest secret?
Script and rights available by contacting Dano here.
Character Descriptions
RYAN, 36
EMILY, 31
Painting A Room
1W · 10 mins
Why is Annie painting her entire house green in the middle of the night?
Actors Theatre of Louisville Heideman Award Finalist
Premiered at the Source Festival in Washington D.C.
Script and rights available by contacting Dano here.
Character Descriptions
ANNIE, 32
Oakwoods
3M, 3W · 90 mins
High school seniors George Marvin and Holly Gunnerson have attracted national attention to tiny Oakwoods with their award-winning science project. George and Holly's sudden notoriety, along with the construction of a new housing development and resort, has the fading mountain town standing on the verge of being reborn. Will a dark discovery derail this new found hope? Oakwoods is a story about accomplishments beyond our wildest dreams and the unexpected places they can lead us.
Developed with Fresh Ground Pepper in New York
Finalist, Seven Devils Playwrights Conference, 2013
Finalist, National New Play Network Showcase of New Plays, 2013
Script and rights available by contacting Dano here.
Character Descriptions:
HOLLY GUNNERSON, 18, not to be messed with
GEORGE MARVIN, 17, a national science champ
ALLISON RAWLEY, 26, an aspiring journalist
ED GUNNERSON, 56, an entrepreneur, Holly’s dad
DOT HOPFER, 49, George’s Aunt and legal guardian
DR. ERIK SHAVER, 42, EPA man
Precious Cargo
Co-Creator, Writer, and Co-Producer
Precious Cargo is a seven-episode comedic web series about two tutors - sisters Lisa and Sandy - trying to help tiny one-percenters stay on top.
Press:
Paste Magazine: The 10 Best Web Series of 2016
The Huffington Post: 21 Addictive Web Series
Tubefilter: Indie Spotlight: Frenetic Parents And Frazzled Tutors Protect Their ‘Precious Cargo’
Risen
1 M · 10 mins (monologue)
A Civil War soldier rises from the dead in rural Pennsylvania to discover the startling world of the 21st century, which includes Confederate flags still flying.
Commissioned and produced by the Bloomsburg Theatre Ensemble, Bloomsburg, PA
Script and rights available by contacting Dano here.
Character Descriptions
CHESTER, A Civil War soldier, 50’s