Synopsis
Side hustles. It’s seems like everybody has at least one these days. For Minerva Ross, the way to escape the doldrums of her graphic design job in Washington, DC, is to write and narrate her own feminist true crime podcast about how and why women commit murder. Meanwhile, across the country, Felicity Evanston, a Mormon stay-at-home wife and mother—and Minerva’s high school nemesis—has just started selling ridiculously patterned leggings for the multi-level marketing company Linen & Fate, as much as a way of having something that’s just hers as to supplement her husband’s income. The two haven't crossed paths in years, but when the bubbly and unassuming Felicity snaps and realizes the only way to get ahead in a rigged pyramid scheme is to literally start killing off the competition, both women suddenly experience the kind of overnight success they’ve been so desperately craving—but risk losing their families, freedom, and very souls in the process. MLM IS FOR MURDER (OR, YOUR SIDE HUSTLE IS KILLING US) is an of-the-moment story about capitalism, feminism, work-life balance, and pop culture told using parody podcasts, emoji-strewn dialog, Facebook Live videos, and polyester-spandex murder weapons. It begs the question: How much are you willing to give up to get everything you’ve ever wanted?

“As always, John's writing is funny and clever while delivering smart and surprising revelations throughout. I felt both tickled and suckerpunched by the actions of his characters, who are endearing from the get go. I appreciated the way this play calls out the voyeuristic nature of true crime shows, and I learned a lot about pyramid schemes along the way. I saw the reading at NextStop and can't wait to see where this play goes next!” — Olivia Haller

“With scathing views of capitalism, Bavoso aims this dark comedy at MLMs, the Mormon church, urban ennui, products, sales, modern technological information exchange, and macabre fascinations, for a frighteningly fair version of the American Nightmare. Discussions of outsourcing, formative life events like private school childhood, feminist affairs, the burgeoning need and fear to create something of one's own, spousal disappointment, and much more, navigate a tale of domestic sabotage, treachery, and myth making. Variously witty, polemical, astute, the drama takes wild, progressively daring turns when two characters' desperate, hyper ambitions take personal offense. A play that keeps upping the ante.” — Ricardo Soltero-Brown

Cast Breakdown
4W, 1M

Running Time
~2 hours

Development History
• Reading, NextStop Theatre Company, Herndon, VA, July 2019

Awards/Recognition
• Finalist, Playwrights’ Week 2019, The Lark, NYC (top 25 out of 1,320 submissions)

Read the latest draft of the script on the New Play Exchange.

Listen to a themed playlist on Spotify.

Synopsis
The eagle charged with eating Prometheus’s liver each day is growing weary of the routine. But when Heracles shows up to free the titan, the two unlikely friends are forced to decide whether to take a risk on a new life or stick with what they know.

“A playful take on the Greek myth of Prometheus that surprisingly speaks to us today about friendship. It makes you think about the beauty of predictability and routines of friendship. This would be a hit at any festival on myths (esp Greek myths) or any comedy showcase. This is a perfect comedy with the liveliness of a David Ives short play. The hugging in this play -- it's so sweet!!! This would be a fun, challenging play for beginning design and costume designers in high school and college.” — Asher Wyndham

“This play is loaded with wit! Such a creative idea, I never even considered the poor bird who Zeus had also inadvertently condemned and its relationship with Prometheus. A uniquely endearing show that is so easy to imagine playing out on stage.” — Ryan Bultrowicz

Cast Breakdown
3 actors, any age/race/gender

Running Time
10 minutes

Deverlopment History
• Orange County Ten-Minute Play Festival, Orange County Arts Council, Sugar Loaf, NY, August 2019 (Reading)

Read the script on the New Play Exchange.

Synopsis
What happens when the people we create to hide our true selves get to live lives of their own? Tiffany is about to find out… but she’s gotta get through a very enthusiastic Orientation Coordinator first.

"'The Home for Retired Canadian Girlfriends' by John Bavoso... is probably one of my favorites of the evening. Bavoso creates an imaginary world where imaginary girlfriends go when they are no longer needed. It’s relatable, current, and relevant with a solid script and concept." — Backstage Baltimore

"The ninth number of the evening titled 'The Home for Retired Canadian Girlfriends' by John Bavoso was, by far, the most clever work on the playbill... This play is a true gem." – MD Theatre Guide

“A lighthearted comedy of a possibility that feels totally unexplored: What happens to all those Canadian Girlfriends? Very funny, a great addition to any festival.” — Maggie Goscinski

“There’s a whole new level of ‘beards’ in this cleverly conceived comedy. Long after the laughs, long after you’re done rooting for both Tiffany and Rupert, you will be lost in thought. Bavoso will have you in the palm of his hands. As it turns out, it is the perfect place to be.” — Claudia Haas

“John Bavoso's short comedy has a strong concept and even stronger execution. He shows a real affection for Tiffany, whose existence is thrown into turmoil before she ever has much of a chance to live her life. There are plenty of laughs, but the best part is the depth Bavoso brings -- we control our lives, we don't exist solely to serve as a function of someone else's life.” — Steven G. Martin

Cast Breakdown
1M, 1F

Running Time
10 minutes

Production History
• The Coming Out Play Festival, The Q Collective, St. Louis, MO, October 2019 (Production)
• 10x10x10 2019, Fells Point Corner Theatre, Baltimore, MD, May/June 2019 (Production)
• Belfast Pride Play Festival, Cold Comfort Theater, Belfast, ME, June 2019 (Production)
• ArlingTEN Short Play Festival, AFD Theatre, Arlington, MA, June 2019 (Production)
• Second Festival of Shorts, B3 Theater, Phoenix, AZ, June 2019 (Production)

Development History
• Midwest Dramatists Conference, Olathe, KS, September 2019 (Reading)

Listen to a reading of the play on the Short Play Podcast.

Read the script on the New Play Exchange.

Photo Credit: Grace O'Keefe and Tom Piccin in the Fells Point Corner Theatre production, courtesy ofTrent Haines-Hopper/THsquared Photography

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?

“That’s a load of work for a two hour play to carry, but Bavoso and his cast make it work by installing their characters with complexity and depth. These are human beings, prone to error and capable of greatness, just like us, and so sympathetic and even sacred.” — DC Theatre Scene

“Aside from its laughs, which are scattered but sharp, at its core John Bavoso’s Blight is an engagingly original exploration of one of women’s most fraught choices in their childbearing years. Written from an implicitly women’s point of view, it has been imagined with insight and empathy by someone wombless.” — DC Metro Theater Arts

"Is it wrong to be so enamored of a play called 'Blight?' Written by John Bavoso, it is a show that has solid writing, some really funny lines, and an assortment of characters that ring true—they are recognizable in their humanity and in their inhumanity... it’s also a really well-done show with an erudite script, and a powerful emotional wallop." — MD Theatre Guide

"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

Cast Breakdown
6W, 3M

Running Time
2 hours with one intermission

Production History
• Playwrights' Round Table, Orlando, FL, April 2018
• Pinky Swear Productions, Washington, DC, October 2018
• 5th Wall Productions (Workshop Production), Charleston, SC, February 2019

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)
• Finalist, Queer Village Reading Series, National Queer Theater, August 2018
• Rough Draft Reading Series, 5th Wall Productions, Charleston, SC, November 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 of 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: Pauline Lamb, Rachel Manteuffel, Hilary Kelly, Brian Crane, Rebecca Dreyfuss, and Thomas Shuman in the Pinky Swear Productions production, courtesy of C. Stanley Photography

Synopsis
The morning after tasting the forbidden fruit, Adam is getting ready to leave Eden forever with Eve. But he has to do one thing first—officially break up with his boyfriend, Steve.

“A very funny take on what REALLY went down in Eden. Bavoso takes very familiar elements and tropes, mixes 'em up and voila! A new, entertaining theater piece is born. Recommended!” — Bryan Stubbles

“What a delightful play about the fall of man. I enjoyed the banter between Adam and Steve and I know Steve’s new garden is one I’d be more than happy to be a part of if I could.” — Lee Lawing

Cast Breakdown
2M

Running Time
10 minutes

Production History
• arciTEXT 2019: Forbidden Fruit, The Arc Theatre, March 2019 (Production)
• Festival of Ten XI, The College at Brockport, Brockport, NY, March 2019 (Production)
• Short+Sweet Sydney, Sydney, Australia, February/March 2019 (Production)
• Short+Sweet Queensland, Gold Coast, Australia, July 2018 (Production)

Development History
• Orange County New York Arts Council 10-Minute Play Festival, Port Jervis, NY, July 2017 (Reading)
• Act Out: A Queer Review, Washington, DC, May 2017 (Reading)

Read the script on the New Play Exchange.

Watch the College at Brockport and arciTEXT 2019 productions on YouTube.

Photo credit: Laura Seeds

Synopsis
On the night the Washington Capitals win the Stanley Cup, Rebeccah stands on a platform in the Gallery Place-Chinatown station of the Washington Metro and mourns the loss of her Jimmy Choos... and potentially her relationship with Sonja.

“Among the strengths of Bavoso's #AREASONABLEAMOUNTOFCAPS is its specificity. The time and location of this play are absolutely integral to understanding the characters and action. This play could only take place when and where Bavoso sets it, which leads to details in the dialogue and characterizations that added so much to my enjoyment.” — Steven G. Martin

Cast Breakdown
4W, 1M

Running Time
10 minutes

Production History
• LiveArt in a Day, LiveArtDC, Washington, DC, June 2018

Read the script on the New Play Exchange.

Photo Credit: Ryan Maxwell Photography

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.

“… a compelling look at the ‘old guard’ of the LGBT community’s pitfalls in adopting the language and perspective of its younger members.” — DC Metro Theater Arts

“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
• DC Queer Theatre Festival, Washington, DC, December 2018
• Shorts Gone Wild 6, City Theatre/Island City Stage, Wilton Manors, FL, August 2018
• Queer Shorts: Unity, StageQ, Madison, WI, June 2018

Development History
• 7th Annual New Works Festival (Reading), Fantastic.Z Theatre, Seattle, WA, February 2019
• Hothouse: The Punch! (Reading), Theater Alliance, Washington, DC, June 2017

Read the script on the New Play Exchange.

Photo credit: Casey Sacco and Christina Groom in the City Theatre/Island City Stage production; courtesy of George Wentzler

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

“Extremely funny, timely, and well-written, this ten-minute play is a trip (pun intended). Just when you think you know what's going to happen, Bavoso sends you reeling off in a direction you never expected. Full of snappy, witty dialogue, great roles for both actors, a strange little truth that many of us have felt but never expressed, and a wicked ending that will leave audiences talking about it for days. Great piece!” — Emily Hageman

“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

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: Chloe Mikala and Jonathan M. Rizzardi in the Source Festival production; courtesy of 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 (Production), Los Angeles, CA, July 2017
• Women's Eight-udes (Production), AlphaNYC Theater Company, New York, NY, April 2017

Read the script on the New Play Exchange.

Watch a brief excerpt from The #metoo Plays reading on YouTube.

Photo Credit: Fredrik Wass on Flickr.

Written by John Bavoso with Seth Alcorn, Karen Lange, Kenny Neal, and Britt 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: Karen Lange, Rebecca Phillips, Rebecca Speas, and Britt Willis in the Pinky Swear Productions production; courtesy of 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: Andrew Flurer, Gregory Atkin, and Patrick Joy in the Source Festival production; courtesy of Teresa Wood Photography

Synopsis
Two unlikely strangers volunteer to spend a year together away from the world in a mysterious bunker—though what unfolds underground isn’t what either of them could ever have expected.

“Talk about a roller coaster of a play. Just when you think you know what's going on, Bavoso yanks the rug out from under your feet. It's real, it's genuine, it's sweet—and then it's something else entirely. There is so much going on in this play—relationships between men, grieving, isolation, the longing for something great that seems unattainable. A true retelling of the Adam and Eve story, only instead of a red apple, there's a red button. A pretty brilliant short play that gets more done in ten pages than some plays do in fifty.” — Emily Hageman

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: Leon Joseph and Davo Hardy in the Short+Sweet Sydney production; courtesy of 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
• 14th Annual inspiraTO Festival, Theatre inspiraTO, Toronto, ON, May/June 2019
• 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.