Synopsis
Can a home be haunted by the actions of its owners? In BLIGHT, Silvia and Cat Henson have just moved from a tiny apartment in Washington, DC, into their sprawling dream home in the small, affluent town of Greenville, Delaware. But the house only happens to be in their price range because it was most recently the home of a teenaged mass shooter and his single mother. Within days of moving in, they’re confronted by a mayor who wants to erase their house from the map, a neighbor who’s on a mission to turn it into a memorial, and an alarmingly chipper consultant who specializes in the macabre. Is this the right time and place for Silvia and Cat to bring a new baby into the world, or will the house create an irreparable rift between them and their new community?
"One of the fascinating aspects of theater is how it makes you ask yourself questions you have never considered: Would I live in a house where a mass murderer lived? That’s the thought writer John Bavoso plants in the audience’s mind at the start of 'Blight'... In 'Blight,' the word 'monster' gets thrown in every direction. But this play reminds us that it’s easy to label people and then dismiss them as enemies. Looking for our common humanity is much harder." — Orlando Sentinel
"BLIGHT is [a] play that's urgently relevant to the time we live in now. I was impressed with Bavoso's scope: the house of the play fills with people from the past and the present. A terrible event lies at the center of this play and the house in it, but it's the vivid, real characters that give this play life." — Sam Mayer, The Landing Theater Company
"The selling of a home that previously belonged to a teenager who committed a mass shooting sounds like a powder keg waiting to explode, but the script by John Bavoso... show[s] the tender sides of this ultra sensitive situation... One doesn’t expect much joy or humor from the ominous and dreary description, but the show was actually quite delightful." — DC Theatre Scene
“A thrilling play that creates a unique atmosphere to discuss the themes of motherhood and beliefs. Hooking its audience from the first scene, Bavoso tangles us up in the main conflict while also giving us new takes on old ideas. This is definitely a new way of doing a haunted house story, one that is not only fresh, but that may be a stronger perspective on what makes something haunted.” — Nelson Diaz-Marcano
Cast Breakdown
6W, 3M
Running Time
110 minutes with one intermission
Production History
• Playwrights' Round Table, Orlando, FL, April 2018
• Pinky Swear Productions, Washington, DC, October 2018
Development History and Awards/Recognition
• Semi-Finalist, National Playwrights Conference, Eugene O'Neill Theater Center, 2018 (withdrawn from further consideration in March 2018 due to production status)
• Rough Draft Reading Series, 5th Wall Productions, Charleston, SC, April 2018
• Premiere Series Staged Reading, Playwrights' Round Table, Orlando, FL, December 2017
• The Kennedy Center Page-to-Stage Festival (Reading), Pinky Swear Productions, Washington, DC, September 2017
• New American Voices Play Reading Series, The Landing Theatre Company, Houston, TX, April 2017
• Named one of the Top 20 Full-Length Play Finalists for the Source Festival 2017
• Hothouse New Play Development Series v5.0 (Workshop), Theater Alliance Washington, DC, October 2016
Read the latest draft of the script on the New Play Exchange.
Listen to a themed playlist on Spotify.
Photo Credit: Todd Klassy on Flickr
Synopsis
Erin thinks she's got a handle on her grief, until she receives a package that challenges everything she thought she knew about her recently deceased big sister.
“This concisely captures that moment after the death of someone we love. A lot of ‘ifs’ and new discoveries. Despite the play being about grief, it is actually quite funny. Bravo!” — Bryan Stubbles
Cast Breakdown
2W
Running Time
10 minutes
Production History
• Summer Shorts, Playwrights’ Round Table, Orlando, FL, July 2018
Read the script on the New Play Exchange.
Synopsis
Shari's thrilled to have her new girlfriend, Deanna, as her guest to her cousin's wedding... that is, until Deanna throws an unexpected punch during the reception.
“I was lucky enough to see a reading of this incredibly funny (and sincere!) play and enjoyed it tremendously. Bavoso skillfully explores homophobia (and biphobia within the queer community) with the cadence of a screwball comedy. Even when I thought I knew where the scene was headed next, Bavoso proved me wrong, catching my assumptions off-guard in the best ways! And, hey, two GREAT roles for women here!” — Brittany Alyse Willis
“Funny, pithy, and poignant. Excellent exploration of the many levels of damage homophobia can do. And it does not go where you think it will.” — Patrick Flynn
Cast Breakdown
2W
Running Time
10 minutes
Production History
• Queer Shorts: Unity, StageQ, Madison, WI, June 2018
Development History
• Hothouse: The Punch! (Reading), Theater Alliance, Washington, DC, June 2017
Read the script on the New Play Exchange.
Synopsis
Two strangers. One crowded Metro car. A gallon of milk. What could go wrong?
"Also delightful is local playwright John Bavoso’s “Threat Level: Cream,” a droll and twisty tale of two Washingtonians (Chloe Mikala and Jonathan M. Rizzardi) who encounter a suspicious gallon of milk on the Metro." — The Washington Post
"I also liked John Bavoso’s Threat Level: Cream, which closes out the first Act. Rusty (Jonathan M. Rizzardi) and Kara (Chloe Mikala) are strangers on a train — specifically, the Washington Metro — who engage over a bottle of milk which someone has left on the seat next to Rusty... Eventually the conversation drifts to more mundane matters — their jobs, how hard it is to get rest, and so on. Indeed, they go on a bit too long (can a ten-minute play be too long?) until the action suddenly lurches more violently than a Metro train. The terrific climax is accentuated by Rizzardi’s first-rate work as Rusty and by director Connor Hogan and the production team, who bring the Metro experience to life." — DC Theatre Scene
“A tale you'll identify with—at first. Two people so run ragged by modern America's rampant negativity and obsession with safety meet on a Metro train. An unopened gallon of milk becomes the topic, but this play ends with a twist reminiscent of Zoo Story. Shocking and fun.” — Francis Boyle
“To say something or not about a suspicious or left behind item in public -- most of us, aware of living in a dangerous world where terrorism could happen anytime, can relate to this situation in Bavoso's play. We're always looking around, wondering about that backpack... Are we overreacting these days about our safety in public? Should we always say something to authorities, or will it just be a waste of time? And then the play becomes something else, a shocking twist that I didn't see coming. Check out this topical play.” — Asher Wyndham
Cast Breakdown
1W, 1M
Running Time
10 minutes
Production History
• Source Festival, Washington, DC, June/July 2017
• Orange County New York Arts Council 10-Minute Play Festival, Port Jervis, NY, July 2017 (Reading)
Read the script on the New Play Exchange.
Photo Credit: Teresa Wood Photography
Synopsis
During a seemingly chance encounter after work in a shitty bar, Celia discovers she has more in common with Renee than just their fondness for whiskey.
Cast Breakdown
2W
Running Time
10 minutes
Production History
• The #metoo Plays (Reading), Celine Havard and Fish In Water Productions, New York, NY, May 2018
• Short + Sweet Hollywood, Los Angeles, CA, July 2017
• Women's Eight-udes, AlphaNYC Theater Company, New York, NY, April 2017
Read the script on the New Play Exchange.
Photo Credit: Fredrik Wass on Flickr.
Written by John Bavoso with Seth Alcorn, Karen Lange, Kenny Neal, and Brittany Alyse Willis
Synopsis
Join the cast and crew of a traveling Bluegrass variety show as they record a special night of traditional murder ballads for the radio. Things quickly start to go awry as uninvited guests—of the spectral variety—begin to reveal the other side of these sadistic stories: the victims’. Will they—or you—be able make it out without a little bit of blood on their hands?
"Over Her Dead Body shows us what it really means when we romanticize violence. It’s both entertaining and important, and haunting in the best possible way." — DC Theatre Scene
"You will walk away from Over Her Dead Body feeling strangely exhilarated, because you’ve discovered a work that manages to be fun and electrifying while at the same time chillingly thought provoking." — DC Metro Theater Arts
Cast Breakdown
4W, 1M
Running Time
90 minutes, no intermission
Production History and Awards
• Capital Fringe Festival, 2016
• Kennedy Center Page-to-Stage Festival, 2016
• Winner, Best Musical and Best Overall Show, Capital Fringe Audience Awards 2016
Watch the Kennedy Center performance on YouTube.
Listen to a themed playlist on Spotify.
Photo Credit: Ryan Maxwell Photography
Synopsis
Curtis has only just met Everett, but he learns a lot about his new hookup—and his past—by snooping though the music on his computer.
"Bavoso writes some wincingly funny lines and Atkin takes full advantage of them; indeed, Curtis is a character Oscar Wilde could have written, if Wilde had known what Spotify is." — DC Theatre Scene
"Bavoso wrote a hilarious script full of excellent, and excellently terrible, music." — MD Theatre Guide
"John — I had a chance to see your play at the Source Theater Friday night and it packed a mighty punch. I truly did not see the twist (nor did the people behind me)! And when I did I became teary-eyed and the whole meaning of the play shifted for me. It was just lovely and so poignant. Would you tell your cast that they were marvelous? Truly your play was one of the highlights of the night." — Karen Kane, Columbia Heights
“A tender story about unlikely relationships and the secret guilt held by regret and heartbreak. Bavoso creates a story that you think is going to go one way, but delightfully goes an entirely different direction and reveals new facets to a story that we think we know. John Bavoso has an amazing gift for making a plot twist both impacting yet so natural you almost miss it's a plot twist. Kylie and Janet and Robyn and Cher is a lovely play the is both funny and heartwarming. I highly suggest reading it.” — Franky Gonzalez
Cast Breakdown
3M
Running Time
10 minutes
Production History
• [spectrum] LGBT New Play Festival, Funky Little Theater Co., Colorado Springs, CO, July 2017
• Metropolitan State University of Denver, CO, December 2016
• Source Festival, Washington, DC, June/July 2016
Read the script on the New Play Exchange.
Photo Credit: Teresa Wood Photography
Synopsis
Set in an underground bunker, Adam & Steve tells the story of two unlikely strangers who meet for a year away from the world—though what unfolds throughout the year is not what either of them expected.
Cast Breakdown
2M
Running Time
10 minutes
Production History
• Short + Sweet Theatre Festival, Sydney, Australia, January 2016
Read the script on the New Play Exchange.
Listen to a themed playlist on Spotify.
Photo Credit: Favaloro Media
Synopsis
Ashley has brought her new girlfriend, Skyler, home for Christmas (Skyler's Jewish, but we're not going to talk it about it) to meet her family—who turn out to be exceptionally bad at adapting to change.
"The funniest and best directed is "Homo for Christmas" written by John Bavoso... This is a total laugh fest! Ignorance of the facts doesn’t seem to matter in some circles these days, but it does have an unusual reaction in most family gatherings. Will the parents and grandmother accept the new partner of their beloved child? In this farcical production of miswords and misunderstandings, this family takes the prize." — NoHoArtsDistrict.com
“Probably the finest, cleverest, most inspired aspects of Bavoso's Christmas-set comedy are the complications that are never alleviated, only exacerbated. Grandma could prove a goldmine. The grand miscommunications, both deliberate and genuine, are ablaze and absolutely what set this apart from the other plays in its genre. Ready for the holidays or festivals, this family malfunction will absolutely work anywhere, anytime.” — Ricardo Soltero-Brown
Cast Breakdown
4W, 1M
Running Time
10 minutes
Production History
• Actors Workout Studio, North Hollywood, CA, December 2017
• Pinky Swear Productions, Washington, DC, December 2015
Read the script on the New Play Exchange.
Photo Credit: Actors Workout Studio
Synopsis
When Olivia and Lizzie, two best friends since college, planned their vacation to Rio de Janeiro, they were looking forward to booze, beaches, and beautiful Brazilian boys. What neither of them expected was to find their potential soul mate... in one another. But after a life-altering night in a rundown hotel, they must confront questions of romance, lust, friendship, and identity—and in doing so, discover that the road to true love is rarely straight.
"First-time playwright John Bavoso’s inventive and appealing script for Olizzia would make a terrific indie rom-com caper that would be a hit on the lesbian-and-gay film festival circuit [...] Despite this production’s shortcomings (which are easily ignored), Olizzia is definitely a play worth seeing. And Bavoso is a playwright to watch out for." — DC Metro Theater Arts
"Ultimately, Olizzia may be a little talkative and hasty towards its resolution, but its heart is in the right place: soul mates can come from where you least expect them, so keep your eyes (and mind) open." — DC Theatre Scene
Cast Breakdown
2W, 2M
Running Time
70 minutes, no intermission
Production History
• Capital Fringe Festival, Washington, DC, June 2014
Read the script on the New Play Exchange.
Listen to a themed playlist on Spotify.
