
-- Brian Guehring
Playwright-in-Residence and
Education Director, Omaha Theater Company

This site is now listed
on the USA Plays for Kids website :
.
Thanks for dropping by my web site! Hopefully
this will be a useful and interesting web site for people
(especially directors and producers!) who are interested
in new scripts for young audiences. Theres an official
biography, the latest news in my playwriting world, and
a great database of 17 of my scripts with script samples,
cast sizes, target audiences, production history and
stuff. AND thanks to my brilliant brother each category
can be clicked to sort the database by that category.
My Playwriting Philosophy
I am passionate about theater for young audiences
and I strive to write scripts that challenge, educate,
and entertain young people and their families. As the
Playwright-In-Residence for a professional theater for
young audiences, I have developed a strong ability to
also write both scripts with small casts for professional
theaters and scripts with large casts for youth theaters.
As a student of the great Suzan Zeder, I believe strongly
in continuing to develop and revise my work. Ill
go through many, many drafts before I let my scripts
go to publication. Im excited to work with new
theaters and directors to learn more about my script.
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PLAYWRITING
NEWS:
Spring 2008 Update
SABBATICAL!
After 10 years of working full time for the Omaha Theater Company,
I have decided to take a three-month sabbatical this spring (March through
May) to write. I recently realized that I havent written a play that didnt
have production parameters (when it starts rehearsal and size of cast) since
graduate school. So I am going to work on some projects that I want to work
on.
I have a new play about my grandmothers that I have wanted to work on for a while
AND I want to take a stab at turning my original play King Chemo into
a childrens book. Im also hoping to work on cleaning up a couple
of older projects, too. AND Ill also really clean up my home office,
take a couple of trips, and get plenty of naps with my pups. The sabbatical
is about taking time to take care of my artistic self. Obviously, I am REALLY
looking forward to the break.
CONFERENCES
In March I am going to Chattanooga, TN to the Southeast Theatre Conference
(SETC) where I am giving feedback to the theater for young audience productions
at the conference and am presenting on a couple of panels.
In July, I am going to the annual American Alliance for Theater and Education
(AATE) Conference in Atlanta. I am on two panels during that conference: one
on doing TIE work with medical/health issues and another on childrens
theater touring.
PUBLISHED ARTICLE
Theater for Young Audiences Today, the journal for the United States
Center for the International Association of Theatre for Children and Young
People, published my article Queer Youth Theatre: Challenges, Strategies, and Mission where
I interviewed leaders of 4 other queer youth theater groups to compare our
approaches to the work and its role in theater for young audiences. It is in
the spring 2007 issue.
DRAMATIC PUBLISHING
My original plays King Chemo and The Bully Show are available
through Dramatic Publishing. They are listed in the 2007-2008 Catalog! How cool
is that? www.dramaticpublishing.com
Winter 2007-2008

Michael Lyon recently interviewed
Joseph Slate (author), Brian Guehring (playwright), and Kevin Ehrhart (director) about
bringing their musical version of Miss Bindergarten to the stage.
Brian Guehring's
original plays :
The Bully Show
and
King Chemo

are now
available through Dramatic Publishing. They are listed in
the new 2006-2007 Catalog!

CONFERENCES
I just got back from the ASSITEJ/USA conference (or the TYA/USA conference)
in Minneapolis and saw some great international performances. Next I go to
TCG (Theater Communications Group) for an education director conference. Then
in August, I travel to Vancouver (assuming my passport returns by then) to
go to the AATE conference (American Alliance for Theater Education). I am leading
a session on the role of the playwright in a Theater In Education play.
PUBLISHED ARTICLE
Theater for Young Audiences Today, the journal for the United
States Center for the International Association of Theatre
for Children and Young People, published my article "Queer Youth Theatre: Challenges, Strategies, and Mission" where
I interviewed leaders of 4 other queer youth theater groups
to compare our approaches to the work and its role in theater
for young audiences.
NATIONAL AWARD WINNER
Last July, my friend and colleague Tracy Iwersen and I went to Orlando for
an awards ceremony of the National Education Association. Our Pride Players
teen theater group was awarded a Human and Civil Rights award for youth advocacy.
The ceremony was really fancy (thank goodness our costume rental had a nice
tuxedo I could use) and inspiring. There are a lot of amazing educators doing
inspiring work in the public schools here in the United States. It was a huge
honor to be on stage with these great educators and advocates.
| UPCOMING
PRODUCTIONS :
Spring 2008 Update
(past productions)
January-April
2008
Old Yeller
Touring around the Country
January-April
2008
Old Yeller Touring around the Country
The Omaha Theater Company
is touring Old
Yeller for its winter/spring
national tour. The website has
a list of all the performance
locations and dates:
http://www.rosetheater.org/national-tour-about.asp
Janaury 2008-March 2008
Where
the Red Fern Grows
Virginia and SE
The Barter Players in Abingdon, VA
produced my adaptation in the fall in their home theater
and are now touring the production around the Southeastern
United States. This will be the first production to use
actors.
http://www.bartertheatre.com/young_audiences/players_tour.php
April 10-13
Where the Red Fern Grows
Town
Hall Theater, Dayton OH
This outreach touring teen productions features
performers in grades 7 through 12. http://www.townhalltheatre.org/season/2007-08_season.html
Spring 2008
The Super Adventures of Pyramid
Man and Dr. Nutrition
Omaha, NE
I am currently developing a new Theater
In Education piece to tour to elementary schools
exploring healthy eating and exercise. This is part
of a grant from ConAgra foods. We are hoping to pilot
10 performances this year.
January-April 2009
Miss Bindergarten
Omaha, NE
I have adapted these popular picture books
for the Omaha Theater Company and it goes on National
Tour next Winter.
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