Howdy Folks!
Just finished a new ten-minute comedy western play titled The Lonely Cowboy, suitable for all ages! Guaranteed to have no spittin', no cursin', no horsin' around and no naughty bits! Well, maybe just a little horsin' around. :-)
Lonely Cowboy is sitting out alone in the desert, beside his campfire, happy as a pig in slop. What happens when a string of colorful characters decide to pay him a visit? There's the Grizzled Prospector looking for gold, the Dancehall Girl who jumped out of an overturned stagecoach, the Singin' Cowboy and the Preacher.
This fun play has a cast of four males, one female or two males, one female and two other females dressed as males.
E-mail me for information on readings or if you'd like to produce this play.
Happy trails!
bobbi c.
Official Website
2026. Celebrating 45 years as a published author. I am a writer focusing on spooky, quirky, weird short fiction--with humor. Murder mysteries, ghosts, mysterious spookiness, weird westerns & fantastica--you name it. Author of the "Nameless, Texas" short fiction series.
Thursday, April 22, 2010
Thursday, April 8, 2010
DOT's a prize winner!
Dear friends,
The good news just keeps on comin' here at Catnip Cottage! This morning I learned that my new Christmas play, Dot & the (Amazing Technicolor) Quest for the Real Santa Clause won THIRD PLACE in the East Valley Children's Theatre Aspiring Playwright's Contest in Mesa, AZ! AND it comes with a cash prize...my first ever!
I'm still looking for a theatre to premiere a production of DOT, so e-mail me if you're interested, or check out an excerpt on my website.
Happy trails!
bobbi c.
The good news just keeps on comin' here at Catnip Cottage! This morning I learned that my new Christmas play, Dot & the (Amazing Technicolor) Quest for the Real Santa Clause won THIRD PLACE in the East Valley Children's Theatre Aspiring Playwright's Contest in Mesa, AZ! AND it comes with a cash prize...my first ever!
I'm still looking for a theatre to premiere a production of DOT, so e-mail me if you're interested, or check out an excerpt on my website.
Happy trails!
bobbi c.
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
LITTLE RED RIDING BOOTS & COOTER COYOTE...a Short Comedy Play available for productions...
LITTLE RED RIDING BOOTS & COOTER COYOTE, a new ten-minute play by Bobbi A. Chukran, native Texan playwright, is now available for readings and productions.
The play is a very loose retelling of the Little Red Riding Hood fairy tale, with a Texas twist and a quirky villainous coyote who tries to steal Granny's food from Little Red Riding Boots, with hilarious results. You will love this funny, heartwarming tale about a fiesty young heroine who teams up with her grandmother to outwit a rascally coyote.
This comedy tale is written for a cast of 3 F, 2 M and 1 or 2 Either (in a horse costume), or for easier staging, a toy stick horse can be used. The play is rated Family-Friendly, fun for kids of all ages!
For more information, script excerpt or to get permission to produce this new play, please e-mail Ms. Chukran.
To read more about the playwright, download a resume or read excerpts of other plays, please visit Bobbi's website.
Happy Trails!
bobbi c.
The play is a very loose retelling of the Little Red Riding Hood fairy tale, with a Texas twist and a quirky villainous coyote who tries to steal Granny's food from Little Red Riding Boots, with hilarious results. You will love this funny, heartwarming tale about a fiesty young heroine who teams up with her grandmother to outwit a rascally coyote.
This comedy tale is written for a cast of 3 F, 2 M and 1 or 2 Either (in a horse costume), or for easier staging, a toy stick horse can be used. The play is rated Family-Friendly, fun for kids of all ages!
For more information, script excerpt or to get permission to produce this new play, please e-mail Ms. Chukran.
To read more about the playwright, download a resume or read excerpts of other plays, please visit Bobbi's website.
Happy Trails!
bobbi c.
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
Playwriting News!
Dear friends,
I just found out that a sequel I wrote to my first ANNIERELLA play, titled "Annierella & the (Not So) Secret Garden" as well as a spoof based on Bram Stoker's DRACULA titled "Vampire Fever!" are semi-finalists in the 2010 Youth Education on Stage play writing competition. I'm in some fine company there, with several of my friends from the Playwright's Binge Yahoo group and my friend Steph Deferie.
This is the same competition where ANNIERELLA was the First Place Winner last summer.
Happy Trails,
bobbi c.
I just found out that a sequel I wrote to my first ANNIERELLA play, titled "Annierella & the (Not So) Secret Garden" as well as a spoof based on Bram Stoker's DRACULA titled "Vampire Fever!" are semi-finalists in the 2010 Youth Education on Stage play writing competition. I'm in some fine company there, with several of my friends from the Playwright's Binge Yahoo group and my friend Steph Deferie.
This is the same competition where ANNIERELLA was the First Place Winner last summer.
Happy Trails,
bobbi c.
What others are saying about ANNIERELLA:
A blurb from my first director, Jack Dyville, about ANNIERELLA:
"As producer of Youth Education On Stage, we have found that doing SUMMER SHORTS, a short play festival is the ideal way to give more grade school children each summer that all important opportunity to sink their teeth into roles (even if they are brief plays) rather than just playing a tree or third chorus kid to the left!!!
With "Annierella" my cast had so much fun with these folksey characters and had the opportunity to create roles that had meaning to them. The dialogue was clever and the jokes were strong. The audiences loved it and it moved the judges -- winning the Best Over-All Production of the Festival".
---Jack Dyville Co-Producer Youth Education On Stage (Williston North Dakota) and Artistic Director, Friends Always Creating Theatre (NYC)
ANNIERELLA was also one of the featured plays announced by the publisher today. You may read it online here:
Brooklyn Publishing Announces the Publication of two versions of ANNIERELLA
Happy trails!
bobbi c.
"As producer of Youth Education On Stage, we have found that doing SUMMER SHORTS, a short play festival is the ideal way to give more grade school children each summer that all important opportunity to sink their teeth into roles (even if they are brief plays) rather than just playing a tree or third chorus kid to the left!!!
With "Annierella" my cast had so much fun with these folksey characters and had the opportunity to create roles that had meaning to them. The dialogue was clever and the jokes were strong. The audiences loved it and it moved the judges -- winning the Best Over-All Production of the Festival".
---Jack Dyville Co-Producer Youth Education On Stage (Williston North Dakota) and Artistic Director, Friends Always Creating Theatre (NYC)
ANNIERELLA was also one of the featured plays announced by the publisher today. You may read it online here:
Brooklyn Publishing Announces the Publication of two versions of ANNIERELLA
Happy trails!
bobbi c.
Saturday, March 27, 2010
Playwriting FAQ
Since I've had a lot of questions lately about how I write my plays, I decided to put together a page of FAQ's, or frequently asked questions on the subject. I'll be adding to this as time goes by, so if you have any questions you'd like answered, let me know.
Playwriting FAQ
Happy trails,
bobbi c.
Playwriting FAQ
Happy trails,
bobbi c.
Friday, March 26, 2010
Production Scripts
Dear friends,
I was contacted by Production Scripts, in the UK, a few weeks ago and asked to submit some of my scripts to list on their website. I sent them my new Christmas play, DOT & the (AMAZING TECHNICOLOR) QUEST FOR THE REAL SANTA CLAUSE and it got posted there today. They are not a publisher; they act as a sales outlet for scripts, and hopefully, productions. The playwright gets a percentage of the sales price.
So far, DOT has not been produced, but I hope since Christmas is coming up, that will change soon.
I'm excited to be affiliated with Production Scripts. Surf on over and take a look if you're looking for any type or length of drama or comedy script, for adults or for children or youth.
happy trails,
bobbi c.
I was contacted by Production Scripts, in the UK, a few weeks ago and asked to submit some of my scripts to list on their website. I sent them my new Christmas play, DOT & the (AMAZING TECHNICOLOR) QUEST FOR THE REAL SANTA CLAUSE and it got posted there today. They are not a publisher; they act as a sales outlet for scripts, and hopefully, productions. The playwright gets a percentage of the sales price.
So far, DOT has not been produced, but I hope since Christmas is coming up, that will change soon.
I'm excited to be affiliated with Production Scripts. Surf on over and take a look if you're looking for any type or length of drama or comedy script, for adults or for children or youth.
happy trails,
bobbi c.
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
Our local theatre finally has a permanent home!
After years of putting up with sub-standard conditions, our local Way off Broadway Community Players theatre has a permanent home in a renovated former bathtub plant here in Leander, Texas. The new space features a rehearsal stage and plenty of space to spread out.
A recent article in the local Hill Country News newspaper gives the full story and also reports on the grant that the theatre received from the newly formed Leander Public Arts Committee.
As a local playwright who lives within "spittin' distance" from the new theater, I couldn't be happier for them!
Their first show in the new facility will be NOISES OFF by Michael Frayn and I can't wait to see it!
For more about the WOBCP, please check out their website.
Happy trails from warm and sunny Texas!
bobbi c.
A recent article in the local Hill Country News newspaper gives the full story and also reports on the grant that the theatre received from the newly formed Leander Public Arts Committee.
As a local playwright who lives within "spittin' distance" from the new theater, I couldn't be happier for them!
Their first show in the new facility will be NOISES OFF by Michael Frayn and I can't wait to see it!
For more about the WOBCP, please check out their website.
Happy trails from warm and sunny Texas!
bobbi c.
Friday, March 5, 2010
FREE Preview of new play
Howdy folks!
I just added a FREE PREVIEW of my DOT & the (Amazing Technicolor) Quest for the Real Santa Clause on my website. Take a look! This is a brand new unpublished play suitable for all audiences. Here's a synopsis from a previous post for the curious amongst you.
Happy trails!
bobbi c.
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
Sunday, February 28, 2010
ANNIERELLA published...it's official!
Folks!
I got the best birthday ever this year when my editor at Brooklyn Publishers called to tell me that my ANNIERELLA and the (Very Awesome) Good Queen Fairy Cowmother plays are officially published now! Woohoo, and yeehaw (as Annierella would say).
This has been an almost year-long process from writing the one-act play (my first), to doing a short version for the Youth Education on Stage competition, to winning First Place in that, to the submission to Brooklyn, their acceptance, the editing process and now publication!
A preview of the script can be downloaded on the publisher's website here:
Preview of ANNIERELLA
Here's hoping that ANNIERELLA rides far and near and has many productions!
Happy trails,
bobbi c.
I got the best birthday ever this year when my editor at Brooklyn Publishers called to tell me that my ANNIERELLA and the (Very Awesome) Good Queen Fairy Cowmother plays are officially published now! Woohoo, and yeehaw (as Annierella would say).
This has been an almost year-long process from writing the one-act play (my first), to doing a short version for the Youth Education on Stage competition, to winning First Place in that, to the submission to Brooklyn, their acceptance, the editing process and now publication!
A preview of the script can be downloaded on the publisher's website here:
Preview of ANNIERELLA
Here's hoping that ANNIERELLA rides far and near and has many productions!
Happy trails,
bobbi c.
Saturday, February 13, 2010
Another new play....DRACULA BITES
Finished another new play last week, DRACULA BITES. It's a full-length vampire comedy loosely based on Bram Stoker's classic. This one was definitely a challenge to write while avoiding all the old cliched vampire jokes. I hope I was able to pull it off.
Excerpts are available, just e-mail me.
Also updated my official website, which you can read here.
Happy trails!
bobbi c.
Texas playwright
Excerpts are available, just e-mail me.
Also updated my official website, which you can read here.
Happy trails!
bobbi c.
Texas playwright
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
Dot & the (Amazing Technicolor) Quest for the Real Santa Claus Synopsis
Brand-new holiday and Christmas comedy play available for productions. 8F, 1M, adult or youth; some doubling, app. 60-minutes
A story about a young woman named Dot who yearns for a traditional holiday, her mother and aunt who embrace the modern, a runaway inflatable helicopter, old toys that come to life, a very strange cat named Cattywampus, and a quest through a magical fantasy land for the real Santa Claus. Sometimes what you search for is right under your nose.
Contact the playwright for more information on readings or productions.
A story about a young woman named Dot who yearns for a traditional holiday, her mother and aunt who embrace the modern, a runaway inflatable helicopter, old toys that come to life, a very strange cat named Cattywampus, and a quest through a magical fantasy land for the real Santa Claus. Sometimes what you search for is right under your nose.
Contact the playwright for more information on readings or productions.
Friday, January 29, 2010
ANNOUNCING, A NEW PLAY!
After slaving over a hot keyboard for FOUR whole days, I'd like to announce my latest play...this time, a full-length.
DOT and the (AMAZING TECHNICOLOR) QUEST FOR THE REAL SANTA CLAUSE
This is a holiday/Christmas play for adults, nine characters with possible doubling or cross-dressing (oh my!). I wrote it for a playwriting competition, and actually made the deadline. Motivation is a good thing!
It's been sent to several directors, but like they say, a play is never finished.
happy trails,
bobbi c.
DOT and the (AMAZING TECHNICOLOR) QUEST FOR THE REAL SANTA CLAUSE
This is a holiday/Christmas play for adults, nine characters with possible doubling or cross-dressing (oh my!). I wrote it for a playwriting competition, and actually made the deadline. Motivation is a good thing!
It's been sent to several directors, but like they say, a play is never finished.
happy trails,
bobbi c.
Are playwrights whiners?
Perhaps. Do we have a right to be? Perhaps.
Take a look at this quote from an article in the Guardian (UK) by Theresa Rebeck. You can find the entire post HERE.
"Is the American theatre allowing itself to become irrelevant? The problem isn't that playwrights aren't being paid enough. It's that theatres all over America are looking towards New York to tell them what new plays to do. Meanwhile, New York is in thrall to revivals and movie stars."
Of course, I'd love it if every small community theatre in Texas decided to do my plays, but I'm not famous enough. Yet. LOL.
Food for thought...
bobbi c.
Take a look at this quote from an article in the Guardian (UK) by Theresa Rebeck. You can find the entire post HERE.
"Is the American theatre allowing itself to become irrelevant? The problem isn't that playwrights aren't being paid enough. It's that theatres all over America are looking towards New York to tell them what new plays to do. Meanwhile, New York is in thrall to revivals and movie stars."
Of course, I'd love it if every small community theatre in Texas decided to do my plays, but I'm not famous enough. Yet. LOL.
Food for thought...
bobbi c.
Monday, January 11, 2010
DEATHTRAP by Ira Levin coming to WOBCP
Opening this week! One of my all time favorite plays, DEATHTRAP, by Ira Levin, is coming to the Way off Broadway Community Players, here in Leander. It plays through January 30th. Please check their website for details, or to reserve tickets.
Happy trails!
bobbi c.
Happy trails!
bobbi c.
Monday, December 21, 2009
ANNIERELLA scripts available soon...
Word from the publisher is that I should have scripts to ANNIERELLA by January/February. It will appear in the fall catalog that's mailed out to 50,000 schools, theatres, etc. and will be on the publisher's website and advertised by e-mail to 20,000. I'm just giddy with happiness since none of my previous publishers have ever done that much to promote my work.
For those of you who are interested, here's the synopsis I recently wrote for the catalog:
"Poor little Annierella is heartbroken when her step-mother, Eula Gee, tells her that she cannot attend the Cowpoke’s Ball at the Lazy R&B Ranch with her step-sisters Frizelda Ann, Brizelda Jane and Mozelda Joe.
But then along comes a hilarious Fairy CowMother with an attitude the size of Texas who makes Annierella’s dreams of going to the Ball come true. With the use of an old watermelon from the compost patch and a few enchanted armadillos, Fairy Cowmother gets Annierella to the Ball in style.
When Annierella finally meets Roy Bob and he falls head over heels in love with her, she learns that sometimes it’s best NOT to get what you wish for in this Texas style version of the classic tale. The audience will laugh all the way to the surprising twist ending that turns the original story topsy-turvy.
This ain’t your mama’s Cinderella story!"
Happy trails!
bobbi c.
For those of you who are interested, here's the synopsis I recently wrote for the catalog:
"Poor little Annierella is heartbroken when her step-mother, Eula Gee, tells her that she cannot attend the Cowpoke’s Ball at the Lazy R&B Ranch with her step-sisters Frizelda Ann, Brizelda Jane and Mozelda Joe.
But then along comes a hilarious Fairy CowMother with an attitude the size of Texas who makes Annierella’s dreams of going to the Ball come true. With the use of an old watermelon from the compost patch and a few enchanted armadillos, Fairy Cowmother gets Annierella to the Ball in style.
When Annierella finally meets Roy Bob and he falls head over heels in love with her, she learns that sometimes it’s best NOT to get what you wish for in this Texas style version of the classic tale. The audience will laugh all the way to the surprising twist ending that turns the original story topsy-turvy.
This ain’t your mama’s Cinderella story!"
Happy trails!
bobbi c.
Friday, December 18, 2009
That Disney Magic....The Princess and the Frog
I know, it's not a play, but I also happen to love movies. And watching movies is a good exercise for playwrights, I think. I personally pay very close attention to dialogue, how the characters interact, and how the story might be staged if it was a play.
Husband and I saw *The Princess and the Frog* yesterday, and LOVED it. At first I thought it would just be a few hours of mindless distraction from these major decisions we're having to make since Husband quit his job, but it was much more than that.
It wasn't really a kid's movie at all--well, not only for children, anyway. It has that wonderful Disney hand-drawn animation that we fell in love with as kids. It's also different because it's set in the past in New Orleans and they didn't miss a trick about the food, culture, accents, music, setting---they really did their homework. I recognized several spots, including the Voodoo Museum and one of the main graveyards although they had been turned into 'toons. And they managed to turn a traditional story on its head with a few twists along the way.
I want to figure out how they can manage to make you laugh your rear
off AND cry your eyes out at the same time..LOL. That's the Disney magic.
Happy trails!
bobbi c.
Husband and I saw *The Princess and the Frog* yesterday, and LOVED it. At first I thought it would just be a few hours of mindless distraction from these major decisions we're having to make since Husband quit his job, but it was much more than that.
It wasn't really a kid's movie at all--well, not only for children, anyway. It has that wonderful Disney hand-drawn animation that we fell in love with as kids. It's also different because it's set in the past in New Orleans and they didn't miss a trick about the food, culture, accents, music, setting---they really did their homework. I recognized several spots, including the Voodoo Museum and one of the main graveyards although they had been turned into 'toons. And they managed to turn a traditional story on its head with a few twists along the way.
I want to figure out how they can manage to make you laugh your rear
off AND cry your eyes out at the same time..LOL. That's the Disney magic.
Happy trails!
bobbi c.
Friday, December 11, 2009
Local theatre in Leander, tonight!
I've wanted to see this play (The Farndale Townswomen's Christmas Carol, for short) for quite some time, and was jazzed to find out that our local community theatre is doing it as their annual Christmas offering. Directed by Tavaris (Tazz) Kelly from Austin, and featuring several actors that we've enjoyed in previous productions, it should be a HOOT.
So if you're in Leander tonight or this weekend (and where else would you be? Hmmm?),check it out! Performances continue this weekend, with performances at 8 p.m. tonight, tomorrow night and with a matinee on Sunday, December 13.
See you there!
bobbi c.
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
ANNIERELLA tentative publication date, January!
Hi folks!
The tentative publication date of BOTH versions of my ANNIERELLA play will be in January 2010. Brooklyn Publishing decided out of the blue to bring out the short award-winning ten-minute version and the longer one-act version simultaneously since they are both very different from each other. I'm totally psyched about that and very grateful to them for giving my first published play a good start!
Getting both versions published means that it will be easy for interested schools, festivals, directors, community theatres, etc. to order scripts.
And by the way, although the first production of ANNIERELLA was done by young people, that doesn't mean that it's just a kid's play! I've pretty much turned the original story inside out and upside down, and it has a great message for adults as well as young people/children.
I'll post more news as soon as I hear!
Happy trails,
bobbi c.
The tentative publication date of BOTH versions of my ANNIERELLA play will be in January 2010. Brooklyn Publishing decided out of the blue to bring out the short award-winning ten-minute version and the longer one-act version simultaneously since they are both very different from each other. I'm totally psyched about that and very grateful to them for giving my first published play a good start!
Getting both versions published means that it will be easy for interested schools, festivals, directors, community theatres, etc. to order scripts.
And by the way, although the first production of ANNIERELLA was done by young people, that doesn't mean that it's just a kid's play! I've pretty much turned the original story inside out and upside down, and it has a great message for adults as well as young people/children.
I'll post more news as soon as I hear!
Happy trails,
bobbi c.
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