September starts the search for pumpkin-flavored treats and crisp apple delights for some – but there’s a bountiful harvest of new shows to license, too! Check out these titles, newly available as of September from Concord Theatricals in the US.
Archduke by Rajiv Joseph
(Full-Length Play, Dark Comedy / 1w, 4m)
Belgrade, 1914. Three hungry young men are offered something to eat (and the chance to change the course of history). Their mission: kill Archduke Franz Ferdinand and set the century alight. Embark on this darkly comedic journey by award-winning writer Rajiv Joseph – described by Time Out as “a delicious cackle in the dark”– as it uses history (and comedy!) to talk about the past in tandem with our own moment.
Exotic Deadly: Or the MSG Play by Keiko Green
(Full-Length Play, Comedy / 3w, 3m)
It’s 1999, and Ami is an awkward, Japanese American high school girl just trying to stay as invisible as possible until her world comes crashing down with a terrible discovery: Her family is responsible for manufacturing MSG, the poison spice getting all the kids hooked. Meanwhile, a mysterious new girl arrives from Japan. Her name? Exotic Deadly. She’s loud, she smokes and she’s not playing by the rules. Who… or what is she? In this time-traveling adventure, Ami vows to save the world from MSG and through her quest, realizes what she’s capable of, if she would just stop being invisible.
Mrs. Stern Wanders the Prussian State Library by Jenny Lyn Bader
(Full-Length Play, Drama / 1w, 2m)
Berlin, 1933. With martial law in effect, political activism has become a capital crime. An encounter between the Gestapo and a graduate student takes a surprising turn when an earnest young officer must interrogate the political thinker Hannah Arendt – a woman of unparalleled wit, charm and ideas. Inspired by real events, this fantastical drama delves into the life and mind of one of history’s deepest thinkers.
Operation Mincemeat: The Expanded Cast by David Cumming, Felix Hagan, Natasha Hodgson and Zoë Roberts with Avalon
(Full-Length Musical, Comedy / 13 any gender + ensemble)
The year is 1943, and we’re losing the war. Luckily, we’re about to gamble all our futures on a stolen corpse. This musical comedy is the fast-paced, hilarious and unbelievable true story of the twisted secret mission that won the Allies World War II. The question is, how did a well-dressed corpse wrong-foot Hitler? Operation Mincemeat: The Expanded Cast – a licensable version of the show for performers 19 and younger – is a full-length adaptation of the Broadway and West End hit that’s been adapted for student performers. Its grand total of 87 characters can be divvied up across a cast ranging from just 13 to over 100 actors. While the opening of Act II (“Das Übermensch”) is optional, all other dialogue – and fun! – from the original version remains intact.
Step by Step by Peter Quilter
(Full-Length Play, Comedy / 3w)
Three women go on a two-day hike together up a hill as a memorial to their recently deceased friend, Rebecca. Each of them carries with her an inscribed stone to place at the peak as a monument to her. But they have to get to the top first, and the climb will be as challenging, unexpected and hilarious as life itself. Adapted from the original version for three men known as The Hill (also now available for licensing below), this is a funny and touching new play about friendship and all its complications.
The Hill by Peter Quilter
(Full-Length Play, Comedy / 3m)
Three men go on a two-day hike together up a hill as a memorial to their recently deceased friend, Gareth. Each of the men carries with him an inscribed stone to place as a monument to him at the peak. But they have to get to the top first, and the climb will be as challenging, unexpected and hilarious as life itself. A funny and touching new play about friendship and all its complications. (Note that Step by Step, an adaptation featuring three women, is also newly available.)
The Luckiest by Melissa Ross
(Full-Length Play, Dramatic Comedy / 2w, 1m)
Lissette is a vibrant, independent woman who lives on her own terms. But when a sudden diagnosis changes life as she knows it, she must navigate the strong opinions of her mother and her best friend as she resolutely forges her own path for her future. As she faces her new reality with a healthy dose of humor and heartened by the love of her friends and family, Lisette’s journey reminds us of the power in each of us to take ownership of our lives. An affecting, thought-provoking and deeply affirmational story of how we live and love.
For more new titles, read more in our Newly Available for Licensing series on Breaking Character or visit Concord Theatricals in the US.
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