TRACE CRAWFORD
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Give Me My Sin Again (An Evening of Seven Deadly Plays)


Approx: 85 min                        Casting: Ideally 4M/1F  (with doubling) 

Using mock Shakespeare (or Fake-speare) as transition material, this collection of short plays explores the seven deadly sins as they appear in the modern world.  Along the way we see suburban one-upmanship, a paper hoarder literally drowning in memories, a movie review causing a drunken confrontation, a grenade in a public space, a sermon from the church of Heavy Metal, a thief that steals one’s memories, and dating in an age where nothing seems real without someone else watching.


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The Watch


Approx: 40 min                        Casting: 2 M

This play features a Pinteresque pair of career criminals stationed in a seedy motel room.  Constantly looking out the window, they have been assigned to watch for something but, unfortunately, have no idea what.  When it comes out that one has been assigned to kill the other, the ultimate existential quandary reveals itself.
What they are saying...
"playwright Trace Crawford offers thoughtful riffs and wordplay on whether we're the master or prisoner of time and whether the force in charge might be wearing a suit or torn jeans and T-shirt... the play sports immensely quotable lines..."
                                  - Nancy Churnin, Dallas Morning News

"balanced on the edge of Godot's left eyelash... there's a cat and mouse quality to the script. Definitely worth attending."
                                   - Alexandra Bonifield, criticalrant.com

"Waiting for Godot meets In Bruges."
                                   - Lauren Smart, Dallas Observer

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The Perfect Independent Film


Approx: 10 min                         Casting: 1 M, 1 F, 2 Flex

While trying to recall the events of a whopper of an office party the night before, an adorably awkward couple discovers that two struggling screenwriters have been writing a transcript of their lives.
What they are saying...
"Trace Crawford’s hilarious piece about two co-workers dogged by the attentions of wacky screenwriters, determined to turn their mundane existence into art…"
                                    - performing.artshub.com.au

“by leading US Playwright Trace Crawford… Delightful…”
                                    - Short+Sweet

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The Lady and 'The Tyger' (or William Blake's 'How I Met Your Mother')


Approx: 10 minutes               Casting: 1M, 1F

“The Lady and 'The Tyger' or William Blake's 'How I Met Your Mother'” shows us how our first impressions of people can be mistaken and that taking the risk to fall in love is worth it, despite the mixed emotions it can generate.  A man is sitting quietly reading poetry when he is accosted by a very unusual woman.  Somewhere between her screaming about not wanting to be touched and him describing the meaning hiding within a William Blake poem, they manage to make a strong interpersonal connection.  

Exploring themes of our illusionistic first impressions and the duality of our emotional reaction to the new, “How I Met Your Mother” is evidence that love can spring up from even the most bizarre of encounters. 

What they are saying...
"A charming piece that negotiates all its potential pitfalls deftly via smart scripting…. I'm charmed out of my socks."
                                     - Lexie Matheson, theatreview.org.nz

“The dialogue is engaging, subtly thought-provoking, and crafted to suit the ten-minute time frame very effectively.”

                                      - Faith-Ashleigh Wong, Appetite For The Arts

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And what a damn fine morning it is


Approx: 10 min                    Casting: 2M

In this comic play, two suburban male stereotypes emerge from their houses one morning. As they exchange niceties, it becomes apparent that beneath their pleasant facade lies a deep-seated resentment of the other. What follows is a flurry of consumerist one-upmanship, culminating in the revelation of the true source of their competition.
What they are saying...
"a hilarious send-up of consumerism in a neighborhood where aspiration is gospel... playwright Trace Crawford has his mischievous hand on our mercantile pulse"
                                     - Lynn Miller, Talkin' Broadway


“a testosterone-fueled battle over who has the best lawn, car and manly possessions… wonderfully droll”
                                      - Margie Royal, Delaware County News Network

"What can only be described as a good old fashioned 'pissing contest'...So entertaining."
                                      - Naomi Gall, The AU Review


"Wonderful!  The irony was fabulous!"
                                      - Mary Wren, Sydney Arts Guide

"Hilarious!"
                                      - Pam Walker, Megaphone OZ

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The Sum of Your Experience


Approx 10 min                      Casting: 2M

While trying to get home one night, a man is robbed at gunpoint by an eerie stranger who demands not money, but instead, his memories.  As the man recounts events from his life, he slowly loses his personality and the thief gains it.  All of us are, after all, the sum of our experiences.

What they are saying...
"The one work that struck this reviewer as the most serious... The scene ends with a real twist that makes this one the winner in the Drama category."
                                     - Alan R. Hall, CVNC

"… a mean-streets shakedown for something other than a character's money, a taut thrill ride…"
                                     - Byron Woods, Independent Weekly

"Part confession and part psychoanalysis..."
                                     - Cliff Bellamy, The Herald Sun

"…the concept was interesting and the climax as the victim, shorn of his memories, stares at the gun the thief had given him in return, excellent…"
                                      - Graham Cleverley, Wort.lu

"Crawford's cyclical twist at the end of the piece was a nice moment of absurdist theatre."
                                      - Andrew Dodds, Melbourne Theatre Perspective

"…reminiscent of "Fight Club," as the thief demands that the man give him his memories and forces him to painfully talk about his unhappy and unfulfilling life."
                                        - Katie Reilly, The Rotunda

"An intense, taut drama"
                                        - Short+Sweet

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You Can't Build an Empire Without Burning a Few Libraries


Approx: 10 minutes                  Casting: 1M, 1F, 1 Flex
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Two enthusiastic trainers attempt to teach a crop of new recruits how to work at the ancient Library of Alexandria on the eve of its destruction

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COINTELPRO Visits the Church Basement Ladies


Approx: 10 minutes                  Casting: 1M, 2F

Although the COINTELPRO was designed to infiltrate and disrupt the actions of American hate groups, occasional mistakes were made - so why not make them funny?  Here a COINTELPRO agent badly disguised as an old woman works his way into a small town ladies civic group and aggressively takes down its leader.

Set at the end of the 1960's, the play serves as a satire of Cold War Era paranoia as well as the state of our modern methods of espionage.  We just don't learn from our mistakes, do we?

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How to Succeed in Romance without Really Connecting


Approx: 10 minutes               Casting: 2M, 1F

"How to Succeed..." explores the nature of romance in the age of Facebook and how living in a society that ensures the average person is on video at least eight times a day has fundamentally altered who we are as a people.  

Beginning as a light parody of How to Succeed in Business..., the play quickly transforms into a broad satire about not only the state of 21st century relationships, but also the very condition of our modern voyeuristic existence.


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A Couple of Metal Gods Sitting Around Talking


Approx: 10 minutes                Casting: 2M

As two bandmates enjoy their mid-afternoon breakfast, one of them suggests the ultimate cardinal sin in the church of Metal – maybe they should include a power ballad in their setlist. It then becomes the other’s duty to set him back on the path of the Righteous and not let his lapse of Heavy Metal faith disrupt their Mission to convert the un-metal masses.

What they are saying...
"... wonderfully written by Trace Crawford..."
                                    - Betty Lou Roselle,
Delaware County News Network

"…takes you back to college days or memories of rock concerts attended….funny, yet endearing…"
                                    - Mary DeBerry, AHTSPOT.com

"…entertaining... If you’re as much a pushover for sight gags as I am, you’ll enjoy Carter and Ferreira playing air guitars like it’s a final competition on American Idol."
                                    - Bill Rodriguez, Providence Phoenix

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An Unfamiliar Waltz

Approx: 10 min                    Casting: 2M, 1F

When three people simultaneously discover a grenade, they are faced with the decision of what to do.

What they are saying...
"… an allegorical pseudo-romantic drama between a man, a woman, another man and a hand grenade.  I loved this one."
                                     - Russ Bickerstaff, Expressmilwaukee.com


"For those who desire something thought-provoking, “An Unfamiliar Waltz” will not disappoint… an intriguing and intricate dance."
                                     - Bob Abelman, The News-Herald

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time to change the pitch


Approx: 10 minutes              Casting: 2-3 M, 1 Flex, doubling, 3 pre-recorded characters

An extremely broad satire of the quest to create green vehicles, "Time to Change the Pitch" emphasizes the attempts, both genuine and half-hearted, by the auto industry to create a greener mode of transportation.  Ultimately, the play points out that the basic flaw is a system based on the combustion engine, but also that it is important to continue to search for possible solutions, even in the most bizarre of locations.

Set in a showroom, a sleazy car dealer takes a 1950's American family through the colorful history and failure of alternative fuel vehicles, with pitstops along the way to hear pitches from the president of Toyota and for the atomic powered car. (Yes, it was real!) 

Featuring a few characters with pre-recorded dialogue as well as the option for three pre-recorded video segments, “Time to Change the Pitch” also has the potential to be a true multi-media production, if so desired.

What they are saying...
"…Fast-talking TV car salesmen get a creative and funny retread in (the play by) National winner Trace Crawford..."
                                   - George Walker, Indiana Public Media

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Everybody's a Critic


Approx: 15 minutes               Casting: 2M

“Everybody’s a Critic” concerns the frustrations of a film school dropout and a stranger in a bar, who in the process of existentially analyzing the cannon of great American cinema, a dangerous anger bubbles to the surface that threatens to destroy one of them - or maybe not.   

In turns both philosophical and funny, “Everybody's a Critic” explores the question of why we are drawn to stories of inaction and ineptitude, not only in our entertainment, but also in our own lives.


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Back Issues


Approx: 10 minutes               Casting: 1M, 1F

A paper hoarder, still grieving from the drowning death of his daughter 15 years earlier, becomes trapped within the debris in his apartment and is rescued by an aspiring actress ready to abandon her dreams.

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Things You Can't Lose (Like TV and Tattoos)


Approx 15 min                        Casting: 2M, 1 F

In the spirit of healthy competition, two male co-workers at a popular tattoo shop try to impress a female customer who is getting her first tattoo.  In doing so, they humorously explore the darker side of pop culture (specifically Gilligan’s Island, M.A.S.H. and The Wizard of Oz).  Even “Over the Rainbow” has a dark side.

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The Last Firefly


Approx 4 min                         Casting: 1M

In a bar, late one hot summer night, a man explores why humans have the innate need to make physical connections with each other, and the lengths to which they will go to make contact.
What they are saying...
"Trace Crawford’s oddly enthralling story of ‘The Last Firefly’... (is) delicately recounted with a nice quizzical innocence"
                                    - Wholelotalovely Blog

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Christopher Durang Brings Medea Back to Disneyland


Approx: 15 minutes               Casting: 2M, 2F, doubling involved

Chirstopher Durang is the master of the theatrical parody, right?  So it was about time someone parodied him.

In this play, the basic story of Medea is told through an exaggeration of Christopher Durang's stylistic lens.  “Christopher Durang Brings Medea Back to Disneyland” finds the tale transplanted to a dry-docked Disneyland cruise ship/resort hotel - that may or may not be located in Dresden, London or Bangkok - and makes Medea and her nurse Larry endure hardship after hardship through a series of bizarre encounters.  Here the character of Medea is joined by a wise-cracking female chorus played by a single male actor with multiple heads, a forgetful nurse that has lost the ability to reproduce through experimental surgery involving a ham, and a litany of male characters all played by the same actor.

Featuring quick change character doubling and more literary references per page than even the quickest of audiences can catch, "Christopher Durang Brings Medea Back to Disneyland" is a piece that is sure to delight both fans of Mr. Durang and classicists alike.

What they are saying...
"Crawford places Euripidean characters in a modern absurdist setting, adapting the context of the story to take place in a geographically nebulous resort hotel owned by Creon."
                                    - Melinda M. Marks, San Jose State

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'You can't fix a broken plate with a hammer -- but can you fix a watch?'
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