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Looking for a play to produce? Click here to read synopses (complete
with casting information) and PDF excerpts of
my plays that are available for production. Click here to view
my monologues, available for use in class and for auditions.
They're organized by age and gender and include many monologues
for teen actors.
Looking for a screenplay? Click
here to learn more about my work available for production.
Check out some of my favorite lines from my plays!
SPECIAL NOTE: The Brooklyn Publishers website is being rebuilt. To order one of my plays that they publish, I recommend calling them toll free at 888-473-8521.
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| "Jon Dorf is
the voice of this generation's high school student. He has
captured the inner and outward struggles that confront today’s
youth and brings light to those issues that we deem important
but are too afraid to broach. The significance of his work
is far beyond that of his writing genius. It speaks to everyone
on a personal level and gives a voice to a growing population
that has so much to say. His plays have proven vital, not
only to the growth of our young actors but also to the development
of their young minds. We continue to use Jon’s works here
at Choate Rosemary Hall and look forward to his next creation."--Paul
Tines, Executive Director of the Paul Mellon Arts Center and
Head of the Choate Rosemary Hall Arts Department. |
 AFTER MATH. A student
mysteriously disappears in the middle of math class. What
happened? Why? Those
left behind try to find some answers. Did anyone really know
who he was? And why is it they've only noticed him now that
he's gone? Written specifically for teen actors, with a flexible
cast and a length (35 minutes) that's ideal for school
festivals and competitions. Check out three monologues
from the play,
or click here to order AFTER MATH from Playscripts!
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MUSICAL!!! DAY ONE (music by James Balmer and Mary Nelson) is a full-length musical written for high school performers (cast size is flexible and can include an almost unlimited number of performers) and developed at the Choate Rosemary Hall Summer Arts Conservatory. Some people wish high school would last forever. Others would do anything to get it over with. Who will win out? Click on the title to read a synopsis, read an excerpt, and even listen to some of the songs! |
 HIGH SCHOOL (NON) MUSICAL is a full-length parody of the Disney hit, but it also stands on its own. Join Toy Boatin, Gaberella, Shitzu, Cryin and the rest of your favorites as the Roswell High bowling team competes for the state championship, young actors pursue their dreams of performing in the Winter Muse Cycle, and surgical decathletes perform in real surgery. But when Gaberella's singing voice turns out to be so bad it could cause mass casualties... Click here to order it from Playscripts now!
The Springfield Academy of Arts and Academics premiere of High School (non) Musical (Springfield, OR--photo by Stephen Speidel)
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| 4 A.M. What's it like to be awake when the rest of your world is asleep? Meet an early-morning jogger, a lonely short-wave radio DJ, a modern Romeo and Juliet, and even the monster under the bed--among many others--as they search for connection in the magic hour. Written specifically for teen actors.(30-35 minutes, flexible cast of 6-30+) and available from YouthPlays by clicking here! |
DEAR
CHUCK captures the lives of its collection of teen characters in moments that range from the ridiculousness of taking over
the kiddie pool at the local swim club to the wrenching aftermath
of a friend's suicide. What they all have in common is the
search for their "Chuck," that elusive moment of
knowing who you are. It has both a flexible length (35-55
minutes) and a flexible cast size (from 10-30+). Click
here to order it from Eldridge Publishing! |
NOW
YOU SEE ME tackles the hot-button topic of school violence. Written for teen actors and using fast-paced, often comedic scenes, it examines what causes young people to slip through
the cracks and what drives them to violence. It has a flexible
cast size and is just the right length for festivals and competitions--and it's a great conversation starter to talk about a serious issue. Click here to order it from Brooklyn Publishers! |
TWISTING
CAROL is a one-act slaughter of the Dickens classic. Young
Ebenezer Scrooge dancing with a popsicle stick, a ghost named
Bob, another ghost who thinks his name is Bob and a Tiny Tim
who considers himself short but not tiny. Flexible cast size,
anywhere from 8 to 40+. Click here to order it from Playscripts! |
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WAR
OF THE BUTTONS is a funny, poignant full-length (based on
a French novel, the source for the 1994 Irish movie) about a "war" between the youth of a town on the edge of economic
ruin and the students of the nearby prep school that is buying
up the town. It's appropriate for audiences age ten and up,
and consists almost entirely of teen roles. It's mostly male,
so it's ideal for a boys school or a theatre group which finds
itself with lots of guys. Click here to order it from YouthPlays! |
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Can't figure out
why your script isn't working? I can help. For a reasonable rate,
I will give you detailed feedback to get your project back on track.
Click here for information. |
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Starting out as a writer? Get
help by clicking here. You'll find playwriting instructional tips, links to young playwrights contests, sample query and cover letters and even a suggested reading list!
 Young Playwrights 101 is the complete resource for young playwrights and those who teach them! Inside you'll find detailed instruction, organized in easy-to-follow lessons, including practice exercises: it's a full playwriting course, available as a paperback or as a downloadable e-book!
But what's even better about Young Playwrights 101 is that you don't have to be a student or drama teacher to benefit from it: no matter what your age or experience, if you’re looking for detailed, no-nonsense advice about the craft and business of playwriting, this is the resource for you. Click on the picture to order it now!
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Click here to read my December newsletter!
ME IN BARBADOS! I recently returned from Barbados, where I taught playwriting and met with local theatre practitioners as part of the US State Department Cultural Envoy program. I even appeared on Good Morning, Barbados, the island's TV morning show!
READ MAGAZINE FEATURES YOUNG PLAYWRIGHTS 101! There's an excerpt and a Q&A with me in their November 18, 2008 issue! And check out the full Q&A in their blog!
UPCOMING PRODUCTIONS! 4 A.M. has what may be its world premiere at Edwin Parr High School (the school in Athabasca, AB, Canada that premiered AFTER MATH) in April 2009. HIGH SCHOOL (non) MUSICAL will be produced by North Attleboro Theatre Company (North Attleboro, MA) in January 2009, by Osceola Middle School (Seminole, FL) in February 2009, by Olentangy Orange Middle School (Lewis, OH) in March 2009, and by Greater Lowell Technical High School (Tyngsboro, MA), Marion C. Early High School (Morrisville, MO) and Durant High School (Plant City, FL) in April 2009. THANK YOU FOR FLUSHING... will be produced by Mackenzie High School (Deep River, ON, Canada) in January 2009, by Toledo School for the Arts (Toledo, OH) in February 2009, by Foley Intermediate School (Foley, MN) in April 2009 and by Harrison School for the Arts (Lakeland, FL) in May 2009. South County Secondary School (Lorton, VA) and Robinson High School (Tampa, FL) will produce AFTER MATH in January. Beatty High School (Beatty, NV) will produce DEAR CHUCK in January. Highline Academy (Denver, CO) will produce NOW YOU SEE ME in January 2009. FROM SHAKESPEARE WITH LOVE? goes up at Hiawatha High School (Kirkland, IL) in February 2009 and at After Hours Theatre (Vavenby, BC, Canada) and New Hope Community Theatre (Milton, FL) in March 2009. Keep an eye on this space for the latest production news.
STUDY PLAYWRITING WITH ME! I teach Introduction to Playwriting for the Writers Store's Writers University. The next session begins on January 5, 2009. The course goes through all of the playwriting basics, and for each of its four weeks, you'll be assigned writing exercises on which I'll personally give you feedback--and you'll have the opportunity to interact with me online to ask questions about playwriting. To learn more or to enroll, visit Writers University.
ME AT HOLLINS UNIVERSITY! In summer 2008, I served as Visiting Associate Professor of Theatre at Hollins University in beautiful Roanoke, Virginia as part of their Master of Fine Arts in Playwriting program, The Playwright's Lab. To learn more about this innovative new program, please visit their website here. Want to read an interview with me on YouTube conducted while I was there? Click here!
LISTEN TO ME ON THE MICHAEL DRESSER SHOW! I did a live radio interview on the nationally syndicated Michael Dresser Show to talk about THANK YOU FOR FLUSHING... Want to listen? The interview takes place from 1:42-24:20. Click here.
  
Jake River Fraser performs Stealing Saxophones from Homeless People in Canberra, Australia (photo by Pling)
GUEST ARTIST! I will be returning as a guest artist to the Missouri and Tennessee Thespian Festivals in January! And this February, I make my first appearance at the Alabama Thespian Festival!
COOL! Read the interview with me at AbsoluteWrite.com, an online magazine with over 75,000 writers subscribing.
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Tiny Tim Runs the Marathon. Comedy. After his crutches are found abandoned, it soon gets out that Tiny Tim is preparing to run a marathon. A true inspiration to every one of us, right? But what if the media machine already has its inspirational story? What if Tiny Tim running a marathon is just going to mess everything up? How far will they go to stop him?
Operation Hamlet. Comedy. Can three students save their class from certain tragedy at the hands of the crazed Mrs. Macbeth? No problem--but they're going to have to become part of Hamlet and turn it into a comedy from the inside, or risk becoming part of the body count. Lots and lots of roles in this one.
And much, much more...
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