Brendan Moir's Playwright Corner

Two astronomers realize that the universe, having expanded to the fullest extent, is now collapsing in on itself at an alarming rate. The two astronomers observe this phenomenon as pleasantly and remorsefully as a sunset, discussing love, life, and...

The full collection of Nonsense poems by the father of nonsense poetry, Edward Lear. Come with me and experience fantastical vignettes of unscrupulous individuals as only Edward Lear can present them. Come find yourself in indescribable predicaments...

Playwright Maurice is on the very verge of having success and notoriety upon the opening of his new play. In fact, he's so elated at his future prospects that he's decided to propose to his mistress, Jeanne once the evening is over. However, he comes...

Come and join me as we rediscover one of the greatest myths to come out of the Emerald Isle: "Deirdre of the Sorrows," adapted for the stage by J.M. Synge.Deirdre, a woman of immeasurable beauty, is betrothed/condemned to the King of Ulster,...

Set against the backdrop of a small college town, the Heyst's familial tensions converge during the holiday weekend; not only is the family's livelihood at stake, but the debt collector has just come into town, the youngest daughter has returned from...

Come and experience this delightfully humorous collection of satirical fables that playfully subvert traditional moral lessons, entitled "Fables for the Frivolous" by Guy Wetmore Carryl. Each fable presents a witty and whimsical tale featuring talking...

"Grimm Tales Made Gay" is a hilarious reinterpretation of classic Grimm fairy tales infused with humor and irreverence. In this collection, each Brother's Grimm tale is transformed into a witty and whimsical narrative, featuring absurd situations,...

Two of the most influential and early feminist plays to have ever graced the stage, we have have Miss Julie and The Stronger.Miss Julie is a one act tragedy that finds itself in a similar vein as Henrik Ibsen's "Hedda Gabbler" and "A Doll's House," in...

"Mother Goose for Grown-Ups" is a delightful reinvention of classic nursery rhymes tailored for a more mature audience. In this witty and irreverent collection, Carryl puts a humorous spin on beloved childhood favorites such as "Humpty Dumpty," "Jack...

The father of Ulysses, The Dublineers, and Finnegan's Wake (James Joyce) was also an avidly prolific poet. As of recently, most of his poems entered the public domain, so let us continue with this season's overarching theme of reading early twentieth...

Riders to the Sea & Shadow of the Glen are both one act plays by J.M. Synge, an Irish playwright in the early 20th Century who made it his life's mission to accurately depict the people of the Irish Countryside.Riders to the Sea is a Tragedy in One...

One of the cornerstones of early science fiction writing, and the work that introduced the concept of "robot" to the western world, Rossum's Universal Robots (or RUR) is Karel Čapek's finest work, and is the inspiration for multiple pop culture...

Come join me in reading the one of Oscar Wilde's only remaining tragedies, based on one of the most notorious recollections of the Bible. A story of gruesome ends for gruesome desires that shocked many of the theater goers in the late 1800's.Salomé,...

Step into the enchanting world of August Strindberg's "Swanwhite," a captivating fairy tale filled with magic, romance, and happy endings (who knew Strindberg was capable of that!). Swanwhite (a spirited young princess with a heart as pure as gold),...

When is vengeance justified? And to what extent?Adolf, an artist, is having martial problems with his independent wife Tekla. Meanwhile, Gustav, his friend, attempts to get Adolf to stand up for himself and "be the man of the house." But behind all of...

Come join me as we enter the scene of a remote military outpost where we'll experience the tumultuous relationship between two embittered souls as they confront the harsh realities of their disintegrating marriage. Oh how lives of others can be so...

If you cast a reasonable doubt in someone, are you responsible for their actions? Especially when that doubt was planted in order to manipulate?This is one of the central questions posed in August Strindberg's "The Father," a three act play about a...

Enter the surreal world of August Strindberg's "The Ghost Sonata," where a young student becomes entangled in the mysterious affairs of a haunted mansion. As he navigates its labyrinthine corridors, he encounters a cast of eccentric characters,...

Life, a fleeting shadow, a whisper in the wind,We wander lost, adrift in the void,Seeking solace in the darkness,Yet finding only echoes of our own despair.What is truth? What is meaning?These questions haunt me, torment me,As I tread the great...

Come and listen to one of the most famous collaborations of early twentieth century Czech literature, "The Insect Play, or Ad Infinitum."Come and see how many similarities The Brothers Čapek draw between our problems, our beliefs, and our struggles...

Come join me in reading the magnum opus of J.M. Synge, where a young traveler has come from out of town boasting that he's committed patricide, which, rather than ostracizing him, causes many women of the town to become morbidly curious about this...

The Complete Works of J.M. Synge.Riders to the Sea: A mother and her daughters are dealing with a familial curse that seems to cause all of the men in the family to die. Anxieties come to a peak when the last, remaining son is getting ready to ride...

Come join me in the hilarious romp that is The Tinker's Wedding by J.M. Synge, a story of two young tinkers trying to con a travelling holy man into marrying them, all while their mother is constantly trying to satiate her indomitable thirst for...

A blind couple regains their sight only to realize they hate the look of one another. Hilarity and pigheadedness ensues.Come join me on a three act romp through the Irish countryside where we begin to learn that ugliness and beauty aren't as topical...