“Play writing is an extension of my education from NYU and the most fun I have at the computer. It requires the insight of an actor with a keen understanding of the art of stagecraft. Words are vital, but so are the things not written. Dependance on professional collaboration is daunting for me, but only together can we create a powerful and unique experience for the audience. The immediacy of live performance is thrilling.”
BEGINNING AGAIN
Full Length
4 Actors
Emotional, Symbolic Theatre
Over an eighteen-month period, our lead engages in three seemingly random conversations. We learn his wife has died but the play avoids cliché speeches about sitting at her bedside, anger at God or reconciliation with family. Instead these conversations and events reveal the desperate, random journey of men grieving. Its logline is simply, “A story of life after death.”
Inspired by Roland Barthes’ Mourning Diary and based on extensive research of his writings and theories, the play is a meditation on culture, symbolism, art, emotions and loss. Mr. Barthes’ teaching on Semiology, myth and artistic intent are cleverly intertwined with the emotional highs and lows of living after tragedy.
Beginning Again requires four actors and can be effectively staged in simple black box or fully equipped stages. It may not be easily absorbed by mainstream audiences, but is an exact fit for progressive, intelligent companies with the mission of educating, inspiring and challenging their audiences.
David’s Play Beginning Again received its World Premier at the Alleyway Theater and was a smash! The Buffalo News called it “Thoughtful and thought provoking” and said it was “a deserving award winner.” Buffalo Theatre Guide said “David Alan Brown’s script is the leading light here … the script conveys with philosophical musings, intelligent ruminations, humorous wit and lyrical dialogue.” Buffalo Rising gave the play 4/5 Buffaloes and Buffalo Vibe wanted to dive right into the conversation. We even got a shout out on Yelp!
THE WAR OF ART
Full Length
12-16 Actors
Historic and Poignant
Few people realize that Michelangelo and Leonardo Da Vinci were contemporaries with parallel talents and divergent personalities. Fierce rivals with fundamentally different views of the world, they were placed on a collision course by the famous politician Machiavelli, who sought to use their renown for the glory of Florence. He placed them in competition; each commissioned to paint a massive fresco in the central government chamber, on opposite walls no less.
Based on actual events, my play creates deep characterizations based on historical references, captures the audience with depictions of artistic culture and weaves politics throughout. The first act sets up the rivalry and the second imagines the two adversaries in the same room, fraught with tension.
IT IS WHAT IT IS
Full Length
Six Actors
Realist Domestic Drama
Tom has a failing marriage and fanciful writing career and is struggling to understand his relationship with Lucas, a younger, gay man. The two are obviously sincere friends, and when circumstances allow them to consider the full breadth of their feelings they find themselves intrigued and confused.
The play offers compelling new perspectives on topical issues – communication, sexuality, friendship, domestic life – from the perspective of a unique, sensitive character in our culture; the middle-aged, stay-at-home Dad.
The play’s innovative dialogue includes text-messages projected on a screen adjacent to the stage. This element goes beyond gimmick to allow audiences to consider generational gaps in communication and how they are manipulated.
CONFIDENCE
One Act
8 to 16 actors
Progressive & Provocative Youth Theatre
The taut script depicts the true story of a high school senior who seduced multiple classmates using Facebook, explicit photographs and his own manipulation skills. He was eventually arrested and convicted of multiple felonies.
The story grows more compelling when we learn all the students involved were boys, including many “A List” members of the student body. Adults in the community are horrified and label the boy a predator, but perhaps there is more to the relationships than grown-ups want to believe.
In Confidence, dialogue overlaps from two simultaneous scenes; the “perpetrator” being interviewed in jail and a composite “victim” talking with his therapist. In the center is a faux Greek Chorus of students providing commentary on the events. All intertwine effectively to create a shocking, fast paced and provocative story.
BLUE
One Act
2 Actors
Artistic, Impactful Acting Showcase
This is the stand alone third act of Beginning Again, featured above. In this act, a father and son discuss their lives more than a year following the death of their wife and mother. In a private gallery away from the New York elite, Roland and his son question the trivia of daily life, the depths of love and the difference between the mythology of our culture and the truth of our hearts. The play engages some of Roland Barthes’ most engaging theories and applies them to raw, real emotions.
Two strong male leads (45 and 20 years old) are required for this showcase of acting power and intellectual exploration. It can be effectively presented in any studio or theater space.
COLLABORATIVE WORKSHOP OPPORTUNITY
Suicide is a shocking act with wide reaching consequences. Theater provides an opportunity to explore many iterations of the incident, the characters and the aftermath of this event. David Alan Brown offers a unique collaborative opportunity, bringing the sketches of a play format to your Company as a foundation for artistic creation. Your talented cast and professional staff can combine with his nuanced and effective style to create art. Let’s work together!
