Backdoors and Alleys: twenty ten-minute stage plays for two actors and one set

This collection of twenty ten-minute plays is designed to be performed by two actors, using one simple, specific set. Each play suggests a slightly new arrangement of this set, realized by using a variety of signs, small set pieces, costumes and props, bringing to life each play’s individual world and experience.Actors’ ages and genders are indicated in each piece, but in most cases, this can be altered to fit the needs and desires of the players.These works span many topics with an array of diverse characters. Whether the theme is comic, serious or vaguely absurd, each one takes the audience into an adventure, unexpected, challenging and thought-provoking.“Animal Instincts” touches on the art taxidermy, and how a relationship might suddenly be sewn together unexpectedly under just the right conditions. “Bigger Than Life” explores family ties outside the back entrance of a funeral home. In this short play, if you’re “Playing Chicken,” you might actually be heading for an unconventional and promising career.“Out of the Box” gives a peek into the life of someone who actually lives inside a cardboard box, while “What Color is the Sky in Your World?” breaks through and into the minds of those who feel trapped inside a psychological box.You can travel down a strange sci-fi road in “Autoluia,” be stuck waiting outside an Amtrak station discovering some unhappy truths about the man you love in “I Can’t Fret in Heels,” try dancing your way into emotional well-being in “Thorns,” or find ultimately satisfying acceptance through an odd personal connection in “Poetic Therapy.” The rest of the plays in the collection round out a diverse package of useful and entertaining performance pieces. Great for short play festivals, audition scenes and acting class work. Read more