Playwriting Commons^™

Insomniacs, Kira Mason

Senior Theses and Projects

When a high-achieving college student commits suicide, four other high-achieving students must confront their own repressive tendencies and mental health issues. But as they do, their "inner demons" quite literally come to the surface for one haunting and transformative night.

A Cycle Of Farewells, Kailey E. Carpenter

Senior Theses and Projects

A two-act play that explores the influence of society on the individual. In a town where suicide is not frowned upon, by highly encouraged and honored, characters must find their place amongst the crowd, grappling with the ideas of agency, choice, and individualization.

Inspired by works such as Shirley Jackson’s “The Lottery,” and Peter Weir’s 1998 satirical dramedy The Truman Show, the play idealizes a society that not only encourages their citizens to monitor one another, but also internalizes the idea that someone is always watching. There is a particular sense of loneliness that comes from being in amongst a …

Autobiographical Poetry To Plays: Taking Memoir To A Theatrical Level, Ryan P. Tofil

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Pulitzer prize winning playwright John Patrick Shanley wrote, “Theatre is a safe place to do the unsafe things that need to be done.” For my Capstone Project, I have compiled my autobiographical poetry, prose, and performance monologues into a theatrical manuscript to be used as the basis for a play. The final Capstone Project is a manuscript of an anticipated theatrical production based on the grieving process surrounding my brother's suicide, as well as an exploration of my sexuality and the relationships I developed during the years surrounding his death.

The Capstone Project’s theatrical manuscript is also accompanied by a …