Brian wins Orlin Corey Medallion from Children’s Theater Foundation

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I was incredibly honored to win the Orlin Corey Medallion Award from the Children’s Theater Foundation which honors significant achievements for the enrichment of children in the United States and Canada through nurturing artistic work in theatre and the arts.   The Children’s Theatre Foundation of America challenges and supports theatre artists to achieve excellence in service to young people.

My playwriting mentor Suzan Zeder, Gayle Sergel from Dramatic Publishing  and I

This award honored my work as a playwright for young audiences, my work at the Omaha Theater Company, and the establishment and leadership with my Pride Players teen theater group. The list of previous honorees is a literal who’s who in the Theater for Young Audiences field.  I am humbled to be put in the same category as these incredible leaders.

Holiday Time Around the World

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An audience interactive play introducing audience members to holiday stories from Germany, Israel, Africa, Mexico, China and Russia

 

Production History
2011 Main-stage professional production Omaha Theater Company, 2007 Touring production CATS Theater in Arlington Texas, 2005 & 2006  Main-Stage professional production Omaha Theater Company, 2002-2004 Black Box Main Stage professional production Omaha Theater Company

Cast Size:  for a minimum of 2 actors (1m/1f), a 4 person version is available, could be adapted for a large youth production

Click here to read a scene sample from Holiday Time Around the World

Go to the contact page for a full perusal copy, to inquire about expanding it for a large youth or entire school production, or to inquire about royalties

If You Give a Cat a Cupcake

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Laura gives her new Cat a cupcake. The Cat is so excited and happy, but he then asks for sprinkles. Laura gives him sprinkles, but the Cat makes a huge mess. Cleaning up the mess will get him wet, so Laura gives him a bathing suit….which leads to crazy adventures to the beach, the gym, a mountain, a lake, and a museum..

Production History
2010 Omaha Theater Company Main-stage Production; 2010-2011 National Tour

Cast Size: 3-8 actors (1m/1f/1e)

Click here for If You Give a Cat a Cupcake scene sample

Click here to view the one minute promotion video from the Omaha Theater Company National Tour.

Go to the contact page to request  a full perusal copy or to inquire about royalties.

Julie of the Wolves

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World premiere stage adaptation of the Newberry Award winning book about a 13 year old Inupiat Eskimo girl who gets lost on the Alaskan tundra and must befriend a wolf pack for survival. Production is a heavily movement based show.

Production History
2000 Omaha Theater Company (Professional production on Mainstage)

Cast Size: 6 actors (3m/3f)

For a scene sample of Julie of the Wolves click here

Many Disguises of Robin Hood, The

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Robin Hood uses many disguises to continually trick the Sherrif of Nottingham, his daughter Luciana, and Prince John. Robin Hood eventually needs HER merry band of outlaws and her childhood friend, the brave Maid Marian, to save her from the gallows.

Production History
2009 Omaha Theater Company Youth Production; 2003 Omaha Theater Company (Youth production) 2002 Papillion La Vista Arts Network Youth production

Cast Size: 8-30 actors (6f/2m)

For a scene sample of The Many Disguises of Robin Hood click here

Go to the contact page for a full perusal copy or to inquire about royalties

Miss Bindergarten Welcomes You To Kindergarten

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Adaptation of 3 popular picture books by Joseph Slate about a Border Collie Kindergarten Teacher and her 26 animal students

Production History
2009 Omaha Theater Company national tour; 2007 Omaha Theater Company Mainstage Production

Cast Size: for a minimum of 6 actors (3m/3f)

For a scene sample of Miss Bindergarten Welcomes You To Kindergarten click here

NEBRASKALAND! The New Nebraska History Theme Park

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A TIE play where audience is put in role to help planners decide which famous Nebraskans to honor first in the theme park. (can be adapted for other state histories)

Production History
1999-present Omaha Theater Company (school tour)

Cast Size: for 3 actors (2f/1m)

For a scene sample of NEBRASKALAND! The New Nebraska History Theme Park click here

Popularity Coach goes to NYU

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Popularity Coach (a new original play) was selected for development by New York University’s New Plays for Young Audiences in the summer of 2019.  David Montgomery and Teresa Fisher run an incredible program. I had the incredible opportunity to work on the play with director Adil Mansoor, dramaturg Cecily O’Neil and a cast of nine talented young adults for a week of rehearsals.  We then had two public readings (and even got highlighted as 9 Cool Things to do with your Kids this Weekend on NYTIMES.com).  After some COVID delays, the show is scheduled to open in Omaha in fall of 2022.

PRIDE PLAYERS celebrating its 20th Season!

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Pride Players (an award winning teen theater troupe exploring gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, queer and allied teen issues)  is celebrating its 20th anniversary!   On January 26th 2018, we will perform our 20th project of new devised scenes. Following the performance, we will have a big reception to celebrate our 20th year!  (Michael is working now on an epic music mix to represent 20 years of queer anthems)

https://www.rosetheater.org/shows/pride-players/

Pride Players, The Best of

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A collection of skits, parodies, scenes and monologues exploring created by teens exploring the challenges and successes of gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgendered or straight allied teens

Production History
1999-present Omaha Theater Company (Teen productions)

Awards/Reviews
2006 National Education Association’s Human and Civil Rights Award Winner; 2011 Heartland Pride Parade Grand Marshalls; 2011 Omaha Arts and Entertainment Awards winner for best performance for young audiences; 2012 American Alliance for Theater and Education Featured Conference Performance;

Cast Size: 10-30 actors (6f/4m)

For a scene sample of The Best of Pride Players click here

Go to the contact page to receive a perusal script or to inquire about royalties (no royalties are charged if young actors are performing these skits for free.  Otherwise royalties go towards the Tracy Iwersen Pride Player college scholarship fund)

Sacagawea: Discovering History

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Jane is a 14 year old who is dragged along on a family road trip following the route of the Corps of Discovery led by Meriwether Lewis and William Clark. History comes to life for her though when the family reaches Ft. Mandan, South Dakota, where Sacagawea, a 16 year old Shoshoni Native American, joined the 1804 expedition.

Production History
2003 Omaha Theater Company professional Black Box production and local tour; 2002 Omaha Theater Company Black Box professional production

Cast Size: for 3 actors (1f/2m)

For a scene sample of Sacagawea: Discovering History click here

Sherlock Holmes and the First Baker Street Irregular

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Adaptation of two classic Sherlock Holmes short stories: The League of Red Headed Gentlemen and The Adventure of the Blue Carbunkle told through the frame of how Sherlock Holmes first started working with Wiggins and the Baker Street Irregular street kids.

Awards:

2018 American Alliance for Theater and Education Distinguished Play Award: Best Published Adaption for high school and middle school audiences.

Production History:
November 2015 Omaha Theater Company (professional mainstage production)

Summer 2016  Magic Circle Youth Theater at Tufts University

Fall 2016  Sacred Hearts School-Atherton California (middle school production)

Cast Size: For a minimum of 12 actors (7m/5f) can easily be expanded to 20+

For a scene sample go to Dramatic Publishing

To buy a copy of the script or apply for royalties go to Dramatic Publishing

Sherlock Holmes and the First Baker Street Irregular wins Distinguished Play Award

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I’m totally honored to have been awarded a 2018 AATE Distinguished Play Award for my new play SHERLOCK HOLMES AND THE FIRST BAKER STREET IRREGULAR!

 It was honored in the adaptation category for middle school and high school audiences.  This is a major honor in the field.    The play is published by Dramatic Publishing and features a gender non-conforming young person as the lead (playing Wiggins).

Spoiled Princess, The: A Grimms Fairy Tale

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A beautiful, but pampered princess publicly humiliates all of her suitors, including a kind young prince. Then the princess is given a gift of a minstrel from an anonymous prince, she dismisses the minstrel and sends him to sing to the pigs. However, the minstrel eventually tricks the princess into kissing him. When her father catches them, the princess is forced to marry this poor minstrel. When she must work in the kitchen for the kind young prince whom she rejected earlier, her humiliation is complete. The humbled princess, though, still has one more surprise in store for her.

Production History
2007 Summer Camp Youth Production, Papillion NE

Cast Size: for a minimum of 4 actors (2f/2m)

For a scene sample of The Spoiled Princess: A Grimms Fairy Tale click here

Stronger Than Strong: American Tall Tale Heroines

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Sally Ann Thunder Ann Whirlwind Crockett from Omaha Theater Company Afterschool Drama final performance

An 1880’s medicine show sells its strength elixir by entertaining the crowd with tales of strong women who drank the elixir including Slue Foot Sue (the cowgirl); Sally Ann Thunder Ann Whirlwind Crockett (the Tennessee frontier gal) and Annie Christmas (New Orleans Keelboater).

Production History
2006 Papillion Arts Camp (youth production), 2011 Omaha Theater Company (youth production)

Cast Size: 12-40+ actors (a professional cast of 6-8 actors draft is being developed)

Click here to read a scene sample from Stronger Than Strong: American Tall Tale Heroines

This play was recently published by Dramatic Publishing. Go to Dramatic Publishing for a perusal copy and for royalty information.

Super Adventures of Nutrition Man and Dr. Exercise, The

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The Super Adventures of Nutrition Man & Dr. Exercise begins with the invited audience getting to see Nutrition Man’s top secret hideaway.  Unfortunately, the Super Sickly Slug has also infiltrated the secret lair.  When the villain eventually removes the memory of  Nutrition Man and his partner Dr. Exercise, the audience has to help the superheroes remember the importance of healthy choices before its too late!

Awards

2010 American Alliance for Theater Education (AATE) Unpublished Play Reading Winner

Production History
2008-current Professional Touring Production Omaha Theater Company (touring into the schools for 60 performances a year), 2010 Imagination Stage professional production

Cast Size:  for a minimum of 3 actors (2m/1f or 2f/1m) with doubling  can be easily expanded to 10

Click here to read a scene sample from the Super Adventures of Nutrition Man and Dr. Exercise

Go to the contact page for a full perusal copy or to inquire about royalties

Tall Tale Heroes of Americana Show

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A turn of the century medicine show troupe of players performs three patriotic tall tale hero stories: Paul Bunyan, John Henry, and Sally Fink.

Production History
2002 Omaha Theater Company (Mainstage professional production)

Cast Size: for a minimum of 5 actors (2f/3m)

For a scene sample of Tall Tale Heroes of Americana Show click here