The Senior Theatre Resource Center

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We continually expand our collection of plays and books to include special books and plays that you’ll enjoy. Here’s the list of our new 2008 shows:

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ALL IS FAIR IN SHOW BUSINESS

By Barry M. Putt, Jr.

A fun-loving retiree is elated when she lands her first acting job, a juicy role as TV commercial spokeswoman for a popular, fast food restaurant. All goes awry though when the director decides to recast the part with the retiree’s adversary. Demoted to an extra in the commercial, the retiree must struggle to be recognized by the director as the best spokeswoman for the job. This delightful, fast-paced comedy is loads of fun and can easily be adapted to any theatre setting. Also available as a radio play.

$15 

ALL IS FAIR IN SHOW BUSINESS—RADIO PLAY

By Barry M. Putt, Jr.

This is an adaptation of the stage version of the show, adapted for use as a radio play. It’s the same plot and characters, just written as a radio play. Should be lots of fun!

$15 

AT THE BORDER

By Bob Wilkins

The Canadian-US border runs through the Pettiburg Town Hall. The ongoing feud between the two mayors deepens with the news of pending changes to the border crossing’s administration. The US mayor sees this as an opportunity to assure his re-election.  The Canadian mayor is sure that his American counterpart is plotting to take full control of the crossing. The situation is made worse by a meddling janitor, a persistent reporter, and a couple of over-the-hill hippies. International relations are rarely this hilarious.

Price: $15  

BOY TOY

By Kim Kelly

Aunt Boo can’t resist a charming telemarketer and she orders a robot to help her with housework. But when the “Boy Toy” is brought into her home, all kinds of chaos breaks out and she and her niece, Faye, soon learn that the robot was more than they bargained for. This short play is lots of fun. With minimal scenery and props, it will be easy for the actors to perform and a hit with audiences! 

About the playwright

Kim received a BA in theatre from the University of Texas at Austin from before the time microphones were invented. She began writing plays in September of 2002 as an expression of a ‘mid-life experience.’

Kim’s work was seen at the Edward Albee Last Frontier Theatre Festival in Valdez, Alaska and at the Bath House Cultural Center in Dallas, at the Lake County Repertory Theater’s “Playing by the Lake” Scriptwriting Festival, at the Ten Below Festival in Willoughby, Ohio and at the Playwright’s Circle in Palm Springs. Kim is a member of the Dramatists Guild and the International Centre for Women Playwrights.

$10 

CAROL BURNETT SHOW SKETCHES: The Old Folks

By Carol Burnett

Here are the original sketches just like you saw them on the revered CBS “Carol Burnett Show.” We compiled many of the “Old Folks” sketches into one collection. They’re the same scripts that Carol and her crew used to made us chuckle! Features 8 sketches.

These are authentic comedy sketch scripts from the CBS network series. Not a word changed! Use them in many ways:

• Produce your own comedy show
• Stage them in a live show or in a radio play
• Practice comedy techniques in your drama class

#1—Old Molly cools old Bert’s ardor with one-liner put downs.

#2—Bert tries to persuade Molly to take a glorious vacation together.

#3—A two character sketch featuring the rocking chair lovers mostly reminiscing. Not much else left. Funny stuff.

#4—Another suitor tries to capture old Molly’s fancy to Bert’s dismay

plus four more!

A donation is made to the Navajo Indian Children’s Scholarship Trust with each purchase.

$26.95  

COCONUT CRÈME PIE

By John Clifford

John Clifford is back with another new play. He has several very popular plays in our collection. Now, he’s back with another delightful, easy script.

It’s the first day of work, delivering pies for his resentful son-in-law’s business. Everything goes wrong, he has the wrong address, he drops the pie and he tries to clean up the mess with a sock. But as a result, he finds a sympathetic woman who understands him. Humorous. Good characters. Another winner!

John’s plays are very popular with ArtAge customers. Check out Gin and Tonic”and The Wild Sister.

Click here to read about John Clifford

$10

COMBOVER

By Micheal Bettencourt

Ever since Samson lost his hair, men have been concerned about the state of their pate. Dual McKenzie confesses to his barber, Clay Harrison, he is a little worried about what his wife will think about the ‘thinning thatch’ on his head, especially since she seems to be pursuing life with a gusto that unnerves him.

About the playwright

Michael Bettencourt is an award-winning playwright with productions in New York, Chicago, Boston, Los Angeles, and Buffalo, among others. He won an Ostrander award in Memphis (TN) for Best Original Script in July 2005. He is a member of Scene4, an online community of theatre professionals, for which he writes a monthly column. He graduated with an MFA in Dramatic Writing form New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts. “Combover” was seen at the American Globe Theatre, the Middleboro Arts Fest, and the Arlington Center for the Arts.

$15 

THE COMMITTEE

By Charles Alverson

At Sunset Villas retirement home, Keith finds himself facing a self-appointed Committee of four who have some pertinent, and impertinent, questions for him. Oscar, a former Sunset Villas resident, looms large as a glaring example of the sort of member that The Committee does NOT want to live there. One by one, The Committee quizzes Keith on his cooking skills, dancing ability, attitude toward romance, his golf game and poker skills, at the same time damning Oscar with not-so-faint criticism. To everyone’s surprise, Oscar rises from the audience, comes on stage, and vigorously defends himself before The Committee--proving to everyone what we all know about The Committee. The show is funny, easy to stage, and moves quickly.

 “We performed "The Committee” today and everyone loved it. It was very funny. The actors really enjoyed rehearsing it because the roles are really easy to get into. We wowd 'em at the show!”

Mt. Shasta Senior Theatre  Director, Joan Lucas

Charles Alverson has had a long and checkered career as a journalist, writer and teacher. A veteran of both the Wall Street Journal and Rolling Stone, he has written a dozen novels (four of them published but not recently), two children’s books and has co-written two films, Jabberwocky and Brazil, which did not do much at the box office but have been labeled ‘cult.’ An expatriate since 1969, he currently lives in Belgrade with his Serbian wife Živana.

$15 

GIFTS FROM THE HEART

By Patrick Gaffney

In a backyard garden, while under the  enchantment of a Midwestern sky, Gavin and Kathleen tip-toe and stumble through a magical evening in an effort to resolve whether a ‘stage kiss’ can last forever. Gifts from the Heart has been honored with four playwriting awards in national playwriting festivals.

About the playwright

Patrick Gaffney¹s plays have won over 25 national awards from national festivals and competitions, as well as a Full-Fellowship in Playwriting. His plays have been produced and have had numerous staged readings in theatres of all sizes from coast to coast. Mr. Gaffney makes his full-time living as an actor in all media in New York, Chicago and Los Angeles.

$15 

THE GOLD STANDARD

By George Freek

“Cantankerous, caring, funny…”—that’s how readers describe the relationship between Max and Leonard, a retired real estate agent and a retired teacher, who meet over a game of checkers to discuss, grouse, and enjoy life. When it comes to meaty older men’s roles in short plays, there are few that are as deep and charming as these two well-drawn, complete characters in a well-written play with plenty of life.

About the playwright

George Freek’s plays have been produced by the Milwaukee Repertory Theatre, the Changing Scene in Denver, the Revolution Theatre Company in Chicago, the Corner Theater in Baltimore, the West Coast Ensemble in LA, the Pittsburgh New Works Festival, the 13th Street Theater in New York, the Theater-Studio in New York, the Heartlande Theatre in Royal Oak, Michigan, the Questionable Theatre Players in Sacramento, and the Vortex Theater in Austin, Texas. They have also been produced in Canada, Malta, and Australia and by many high schools and colleges. He has been awarded playwriting residencies at the New American Theater in Rockford, Illinois; Southern Methodist University; and Southern Illinois University, and has received grants from the Illinois Arts Council and the National Endowment for the Arts.

$15.00

HOW TO MARRY THE MINISTER

By May Kramer

This short play shows the many ways the women connive to get the minister to marry them. It’s easy, fun and can be pulled off with a minimum of rehearsal.

It’s included in the “Women are Funny” book. Click here to check out the collection of plays

$10.00

LADIES AT LUNCH
By Carol M. Woods

Six adventuresome, active senior ladies meet for lunch each week.  Between their arranging chairs, sharing OTC medications, discussing mammograms and men, they give a waiter and his manager a really bad day. This is a hilarious play, full of opportunities for clever business.

Also check out a similar show: Ladies at Poker

 $8.50  

MERRY CHRISTMAS CAPER

By D.K. Oklahoma

Someone has broken into the Senior Center and stolen all the food for the holiday Meals on Wheels, including 23 canned hams. Two homeless runaways are discovered hiding in the Center’s attic but the Sewing Circle ladies are not convinced of their guilt and plan to shelter them over the holiday. Can they do all this and still finish their teddy bear project on time? And what if the Center’s notoriously nasty director discovers the fugitives?

This is a holiday play that’s filled with typical Senior Center characters. Some are caring and loving while others are pretentious and snippy. The situation pulls them all together so that the holiday season is happy for everyone.

About the playwright

D.K. Oklahoma is a popular playwright in our collection. Click here to read about her shows in New Plays for Mature Actors.

$15.00

MIMI AND ME

By Kitty Dubin

We read a lot of plays that are easy to forget, this one is a show that stays with you! It’s the story of a perky young volunteer who tries to cheer up an outspoken ninety-year old woman who has lost the will to live. What begins as a test of wills, ends up as a loving relationship between the two of them. The show was featured in the 2006 theatre project, “Six Women at Sixty” in Kentucky, New York California, Colorado, and Vermont.
 

"Mimi and Me’ celebrates! It’s clever, filled with mystery, revelation, and a surprise ending." Miami Herald

"The characters meet for the first time and leave better than when they began, reflecting the author's respect for and confidence in human nature. The characters have their flaws, but they also have the ability to learn from one another." Backstage

About the playwright

Kitty Dubin is an award winning playwright who was recently named Playwright in Residence at the Jewish Ensemble Theatre. Her work has been performed in theaters throughout Michigan as well as New York, Texas and California. She has written fifteen one act plays which have been produced in theaters across the country. She has received two individual artist grants from the Michigan Council of the Arts and was given a Jewish Woman in the Arts Award for lifetime achievement in the arts. Kitty created the Playwriting program at Oakland University in Rochester, Michigan where she has been teaching for the past ten years.

$10.00

MRS. PALSGRAF’S DREAM TEAM

By Henry Kimmel

Mrs. Palsgraf's Dream Team is about a lawyer whose worst nightmare becomes his greatest chance at success.

It is the Fall of 1924, and Mrs. Helen Palsgraf, an elderly cleaning lady, has just been bopped on the head by a penny scale while waiting for a train. Mrs. Palsgraf wants to sue the railroad, but no lawyer in town will talk to her, until she pushes her way into the storefront office of the lawyer.

Based on a famous 1928 law case (Palsgraf v. The Long Island Railroad Company), Mrs. Palsgraf's Dream Team is a one-act play that, in one sense, traces the development of a personal injury law - and it is also a comedy about two people, outcasts, who will become footnotes to history but essential to each other's life.

Even though every lawyer in the United States should be familiar with the name Palsgraf, little is known about the real Mrs. Palsgraf. This play presents an account of what may have transpired behind the scenes.

$15.00

SAND DANCING

By Laura Henry

Tinfoil stars, a paper sun, seashells and sand…Gail wants to recreate the Aloha Dance that Shane took her to in high school so long ago, but he is determined to stay focused on “real life” even when a lottery ticket drifts their way. The two believable characters have a strong relationship in a well written script. It’s a touching message about memory, dreams, and hopefulness.

This piece was produced at Soul Rep Theatre Company in Dallas, Texas in Frank's Place at the Dallas Theatrte Center in July, 1998. The review in the Dallas Morning News by Tom Sime says this about the play: "Mr. Spiller and Kelli Jeray are touchingly good as a married couple with money problems in Laura Henry's tender comedy Sand Dancing and Things in the Mail.  It's a lovely slice of life." 

About the playwright

Laura Henry's plays have been produced at theatres across the country including the Hangar Theatre, Cleveland Public Theatre, Centenary Stage Company, Echo Theatre, and OpenStage Theatre & Co. Laura has received fellowships from Cornerstone Theater Company, the Edward Albee Foundation, and the Dramatists Guild. She is a graduate of the MFA playwriting program at the University of California, San Diego, and is currently a teaching artist for Theatre for a New Audience and Playwrights Theatre of New Jersey.

$10.00

SHOES

By Judd Lear Silverman

When someone offers you a lightly-used pair of black wingtip shoes, you’d better check out the previous owner! A comedy about family obligations, unresolved relationships, and possessions, in all forms! Voted Best Play and Audience Favorite in NYC’s famed Turnip Festival 15-Minute Play Festival, this award-winning comedy has received acclaimed productions from California to Connecticut and recently was made into a short independent film, soon to be released.

Production History:

The play was read publicly at Pace University as part of an Afternoon of Plays, presented by Charles Maryan's Playwrights/Directors Workshop. It recently was voted Best Play and Audience Favorite at the Turnip Festival Theater's Annual 15-Minute Play Competition in New York. It was also presented in the Winterfest 2000 in Los Angeles, by Connecticut Heritage Productions, and at 12 Miles West. It was presented by Playwrights for Pets at Baruch Performing Arts Center in April 2007. Shoes has also been filmed by independent filmmaker Alan Steinfeld.

$10.00

TRUTH IN ADVERTISING

By Judd Lear Silverman

“You learn so much about a person when you vacation with them.” Sid and Marsha have learned much about the world and each other in their long marriage—but were they prepared for this disastrous trip to Bermuda? A funny cautionary tale, based on a real situation, about the things people buy into and the surprises and discoveries that may result! “Short, moves along at a clip, great as readers theatre piece.

Judd Lear Silverman's Truth in Advertising is fast, funny, and delightful. The phrase ‘And no paper umbrellas!’ will stick in your head! “…keeps the funny coming fast! johnshanahan.net

Truth in Advertising received two “premiere” productions—in New York City in the famed Turnip 15-Minute Play Festival and as part of New England Academy of Theater's 7th Annual Short & NEAT One Act Play Festival, where it was warmly received. The play was most recently heard in a public benefit reading, presented by Playwrights for Pets (as a fund-raiser for Animal Haven) in NYC.

About the playwright

Judd Lear Silverman, a playwriting grant recipient from the Berrilla Kerr Foundation, his plays have been seen at NYC’s Neighborhood Playhouse, Brooklyn’s Gallery Players, The Queens Players, Ohio's Dayton Playhouse, the Samuel French One-Act Festival, Houston’s Theatre Southwest, Florida’s Caldwell Theatre Co., Stage 3 in Sonora, CA, and the Herring Run Arts Fest in Middleboro, MA, as well as in the Edinburgh, London and Vancouver Fringe Festivals. He has spent many years developing new work as a playwright and a director, and teaches playwriting at the Henry Street Settlement Abrons Arts Center in New York City. A longtime member of Charles Maryan's Playwrights/Directors Workshop, he has written a book for children, Eddie Has Allergies.”Judd is also a founding member of Playwrights for Pets, an organization that raises money for NYC animal shelters, proving you can be allergic and still love animals!
 

$10.00

WOMEN ARE FUNNY
By May Kramer

Monologues, skits, one-act plays for auditions, women’s clubs, community theatre, and solo performance. Has 14 scripts, mainly for women. They are easy to do, with very clear characters, and all of them are funny.  They were a hit when performed by the Sausalito Players. Click here for the table of contents.

$17.50

Click here to read our kudos!