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Script Excerpts


A list of the script excerpts available on the Untitled Theater Co. #61 website. Scripts are available to perform for a royalty. Contact Edward Einhorn

Fairy Tales of the Absurd

Fairy Tales Script Excerpt

"One Head Too Many" is one of the three short scripts that made up Fairy Tales of the Absurd, performed Off-Broadway in 2003. It tells the story of a Princess who falls in love with her second head.

CAST: The show performed with a cast of 2 women and 3 men, as well as a number of puppets. However, the number of cast is flexible.

RUNNING TIME: "One Head Too Many" runs 40 minutes. The whole production runs 1 hour 30 minutes.

REVIEWS:

"The laughter feels like spring in Fairy Tales of the Absurd... a bright production with witty music and puppets galore….Almost unbearably funny. [Peter B. Brown's] pacing and diction are perfect."
The New York Times, D. J. R. Bruckner, June 18, 2003

"Ionesco's puncturing of pretension and his ability to find pure silliness in the everyday seem tailor-made for the young...the staging is also hilarious."
The New York Times, Laurel Graeber, June 20, 2003

"Staged with Pop Art panache by Edward Einhorn, Tales for Children... jauntily lays out Ionesco's thematic preoccupation with the way our minds are duped from the outset by parental chicanery."
The Village Voice September 18, 2001

"While many adults may find the show enjoyable and humorous, children savor the zany nature of the fairy tales."
Theatermania, June 13, 2003

"The use of puppetry, bright colored costumes, props, and sets, and cheerful music between scenes lends this would be-Electra story a bouncy sensibility that children will appreciate…The costumes in "Head" have a Mardi Gras quality to them, and the actors' make-up is terrific. Incrocci's extra head is another example of puppetry executed with charm and style."
Show Business Weekly June 25, 2003

"Ian W. Hill portrays the most personable and engaging talking food that I believe I've ever seen on stage. You'll be enchanted by the delicious variety of two writers' imaginations-Ionesco's and Einhorn's-as they take you and your family on a pleasant and happy journey to the cockeyed worlds beyond our own."
Nytheatre.com, June 11, 2003

"The small cast of actors is excellent. Uma Incrocci is a gifted puppeteer. Peter B. Brown and Celia Montgomery are so versatile that they nearly steal the show. It's quite an assembly of talent, including the first-rate puppetry.
Curtain Up, June 13, 2003

"Like any good comedy sketch, "One Head Too Many" works on several levels. The silliness obviously appeals to the very young while at the same time the witty dialog among the bickering parents can be appreciated by adults. Mr. Einhorn's particular brand of humor makes this story ideal family fare. Children's theater and literature are all the richer thanks to Mr. Einhorn's wealth of talents."
PuppetMaster, June 25, 2003

"An unequivocal delight"
Electronic Link, June 18, 2003

"A winning cast...As director, Einhorn demonstrates a perfection of timing and expression...the gift of Einhorn is the common humanity he injects into his delightfully idiosyncratic characters."
New York Arts Magazine, September 9, 2002

"A delighful introduction to the wonders of the surreal...light-hearted and entertaining without becoming sugar-coated."
Off-Off-Broadway Review

"A fun, imaginative and playful time for all."
NYTheatre.com Auust 15, 2002

"A witty exaggeration of the ageless parental ritual of storytelling to children."
New York Theatre Wire

"A very enjoyable show, fabulous for the adults and fabulous the the kids."
"Hi Drama" August 16, 2002

"Peter Brown wittily plays a chef giving a lecture on how to boil an egg, keeping his tongue firmly in cheek."
Back Stage November 30, 2001

Playing Dreidel with Judah MaccabeePlaying Dreidel with Judah Maccabbee

Playing Dreidel Script Excerpt

An original Hannukah play in which a contemporary boy meets the historical Judah Maccabee. The play is told in eight scenes, corresponding to the eight days of Hannukah.  Judah and the boy find each other in an abandoned room that exists in both the ancient temple in Jerusalem and the boy’s modern day temple, and the boy explains to Judah the odd modern practices that commemorate the ancient battles.  At first Judah is horrified, but then he comes to learn why the boy needs those traditions

CAST: 1 man, 1 boy (10 - 13 yrs old)

RUNNING TIME: 60 minutes

LYSISTRATA 100

Lysistrata Script Excerpt

An original adaptation of Artistophanes ancient Greek comedy, in which the women refuse to have sex unless the men call off their war.

CAST: The show was performed with a cast 100, including chorus. As written, it has 16 principal parts, with 11 women and 5 men. The number of chorus is flexible.

RUNNING TIME: 1 hour 15 minutes.

REVIEWS:

"Edward Einhorn seems to have done his research. The performances are lewd without being prurient, and he has reined in his boisterous ensemble just enough. The production fully utilizes the entire space. The actors cavort, yell and sing. This is a loud and raucous show. And so it should be since Lysistrata is after all a comedy. The audience for this show? Anyone with an appreciation for sex, or drinking -- or even Sex and the City"
Curtain Up

"Overall, Lysistrata 100, is an enjoyable erotic production with strong acting (including a large chorus handling complex choreagraphy/blocking), a brilliant sound design/composition by William Niederkorn and sensational directing/writing by Edward Einhorn who has made the leap from his children's theater off-Broadway production of Fairy Tales of The Absurd, to the orgiastic rituals of ancient Greece, with unsettling ease. All in all a fun, risque, energetic, piece of theater with some of the most talented off-off Broadway people behind it."
Hi! Drama

"Directed by Edward Einhorn, Untitled Theater Company #61 did a fine job of evoking the agora [the Greek marketplace] and makes good use of the unusual space"
L Magazine

IPHIGENIA AT AULIS

Iphigenia Script Excerpt

An original adaptation of the play by Euripides, in which Agamemnon is faced with the decision of whether to sacrifice his daughter Iphigenia on the eve of the Trojan War.

CAST: 3 women, 5 men, and a chorus of woman (the number is flexible)

RUNNING TIME: 1 hour 10 minutes.

 

Golem Stories

Golem Script Excerpt

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A retelling of the legend of a clay man in 16th century Prague. Rabbi Loew creates a Golem to defend the Jews, but this Golem seems more interested in listening to the Rebbetsin's stories and falling in love with the Rabbi's daughter. Is he the reincarnated spirit of her murdered lover? Or does his childlike façade hide the face of a demon?

CAST: 3 women, 5 men

RUNNING TIME: 1 hour 30 minutes

REVIEWS:

"Golem Stories' skillful direction, enthusiastic young cast, and fresh approach to the well-known story of the Golem of Prague give the play an energy and excitement that many larger scale productions don't have... In it simplicity and directness, Golem Stories is a reminder of the supernatural quality of the theater, which can transform the most basic elements of speech and play into something magical."
The Jewish Standard, October 24, 2003

"It really is quite wonderful."
Hi! Drama

"Edward Einhorn has skillfully written a fairy tale and love story for adults. His writing gives the players great opportunities, such as Rifka's fake mad scene which is executed with great aplomb. The style is an absurd fantasy; and as the best of the absurd genre, more than a hint of truth is borrowed from the real world."
Stage Pages

"Rather than simply retell the legend of the Golem, Edward Einhorn has skillfully woven the original into yet a new cautionary tale; In sum: our words are more powerful than we imagine."
Artzine

"Einhorn should be commended for seeking the deeper meaning behind the Golem legends."
Off-Off Broadway Review

Strangers and Linguish

Linguish Script Excerpt

Linguish Four people are quarantined with a curious new disease that causes aphasia, a condition that makes them lose their powers of speech. Yet as they lose conventional speech, they find a new language with which to communicate.

STRANGERS CAST: 1 woman, 1 man

RUNNING TIME: 35 minutes

LINGUISH CAST: 2 women, 3 men

RUNNING TIME: 1 hour 10 minutes

REVIEWS:

"The first part, a two-hander pregnant with Pinter-esque pauses, manages to convey the numbing repetitiveness and frustration of life with an amnesiac. The second, an inspired absurdist comedy, follows four strangers infected with a mysterious form of aphasia who are quarantined in a No Exit bunker. Literally at a loss for words, they must invent a new language in order to communicate—or to keep from going crazy. Side effects may include hilarity, we are told (it's definitely contagious)."
The Village Voice (2006)

"The dialogue is a slow burn of wit, un-canniness, seduction, and just the right amount of heart-wrenching...[Peter Bean] possesses an unsettling, calm-before-the-storm quality, as well as a muted sensuality, that makes him a fun and unpredictable fixation. If the other offerings of NEUROfest are as novel and cerebral as Strangers and Linguish, one might be obligated to make repeat visits."
Theater Talk

"NEUROfest's presentation of Strangers and Linguish has captivated me to the point where I'm gunning to buy a NeuroPass. Strangers...is an extremely well-acted and poignant study of amnesia but Linguish - a witty look at aphasia (the fascinating, terrifying neurological condition that robs one's ability to use language) - is the real star of the twin performances. The play is worth seeing for the brilliant ensemble alone, but the inventive bit of scientific license that describes the disease as an insidious virus is really what makes this show remarkable. "
L Magazine

"Touching, stark, and entirely unsentimental, Strangers is a smart, mature, highly effective one-act drama. Peter Bean gives one of his trademark excellent performances...Nancy Nagrant does excellent work as Sylvia, serving as both our guide into Richard's muddied consciousness as well as our surrogate...Josephine Cashman is luminous and warm as a psychologist... Both plays are neatly staged by Einhorn and feature effective production values"
nytheatre.com

"It is unique to find a complete ensemble performing at such an extraordinary level of skill. "
Hi Drama

"Edward Einhorn combines Beckett's absurd landscape with Mac Wellman's verbal Cuisinarting, and Oliver Sacks' ruminations into neuro-dysfunctions for his oddly entertaining foray into aphasia, euphoria, and euphony."
The Village Voice (1997)

"A well-written, well-acted meeting of Kafka and Oliver Sacks."
New England Review

A Shylock

Read an Excerpt

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Antonio says that Shylock was a capitalist. Jessica says that he was a Freudian nightmare. Tubal says he was a good Jew. Whom is Jacob Levy to believe? Perhaps Hamlet can guide him. Although this Hamlet seems to be a woman. Jacob Levy, a mild mannered professor, is taken on a tour of Shakespeare's Venice, as he tries to find his own answer to Shylock's legacy.

CAST: 3 women, 5 men

RUNNING TIME: 1 hour 15 minutes

REVIEWS:

"Einhorn skillfully intersperses the famed soliloquies with his own lines... [A] hard-working cast of eight romps through 24 roles. In the leads, John Blaylock plays the professor with a thoughtful performance that pulls together the disparate elements, and Catherine Dunning brings a lovely, mocking tone to the role of Hamlet."
Back Stage March 1, 1996

The Living Methuselah

Methuselah Script Excerpt

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Methuselah, the world's oldest man, has lived through the Flood, the Plague, Sodom and Gomorrah, Pompeii, and his own extremely poor judgment, thanks to his wife Serach, the world's oldest woman. Now age and a poor health regimen have caught up with him, and the doctor tells him he won't make it past the end of the play. Afflicted with every disease known to man, Methuselah fights on, flashing back in his delirium to former disasters and fantasizing about having handmaidens. Will he survive? It ain't necessarily so.

CAST: 3 women, 2 men

RUNNING TIME: 1 hour 15 minutes

One-Eyed Moses and the Churning Red Sea

Moses Script Excerpt

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Rabbi Tzipporah Finestein is having dreams that Moses is a pirate captain, battling Pharaoh on the high seas. Are they nightmares, or more? Two congregants may be the key to an answer.

CAST: 2 women, 1 man

RUNNING TIME: 15 minutes

Unauthorized Magic in Oz

Unauthorized Magic Script Excerpt

Edward Einhorn takes his Oz novels and brings them to the world of puppetry! Buddy, a small boy, has a mother who like to perform sorecery and a good friend who's a magician. But Glinda won't be happy when she finds out they are defying Oz law to do so. See the Living House, a two and a half foot tall puppet filled with characters in its windows! See Dr. Majestico attempt to destroy his own home! See Glinda, Omby Amby, Tempus the Parrot-Ox, and many more!

CAST: 2 women, 2 men

RUNNING TIME: 20 minutes