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THE NITNOID WARS, parts 1, 2, and 3

This is a new trilogy of plays. There are three of them, written in sequence. They are a little like the old serial movies of long ago, or the Star Wars movies, with some exceptions. They feature child actors aged 8 through 16. There are a few adults as well.

The plays are set on the California coast and the Oregon mountains in the year 2050, when a dictator calling himself Kubla Khan takes over North America using injections of specially programmed nanobots to subdue the population.

In THE NITNOID WARS, Part 1 (The Beginning), five children are hidden by their teacher, Jarvis, in the aftermath of earthquakes and a tsunami. In THE NITNOID WARS, Part 2, (The Journey), helped by various members of a small rebel network, the children make their way to the rebel  encampment at Mt. Angel. Their journey in a battered solar-powered humvee is stopped by repeated captures, and finally imprisonment by the enhanced android-like Censoids who are Kubla’s troops. In THE NITNOID WARS, Part 3, (The Final Battle), the  rebels fight the Censoids and then begin a new life together.

Come along on this epic journey about freedom and courage told in story and song. Scripts and music for THE NITNOID WARS, Parts 1 and 2 are now available. Part 1 has been produced in Omaha, NE by the Circle Theatre, at the Donna Reed Festival in Denison, IA, and at Coastal Repertory Theatre in Half Moon Bay, CA. Audiences and actors have been very keen to follow the ongoing saga. Part 3 is on its way!

WE ARE THE CHILDREN OF ABRAHAM

WE ARE THE CHILDREN OF ABRAHAM is a new play with music about three groups of American tourists: Muslims, Christians and Jews, who climb separately to the top of Mt. Sinai in the Egyptian desert. Avoiding the heat of the day, they all reach the top in the dead of night. All of them are there to honor Moses, the great prophet.

One of the travelers suggests that they all warm up and unwind by acting out some of the stories of their Abrahamic traditions. As they tell the stories of the near-sacrifice of Isaac, of Sarah and Abraham, and of Ishmael, the travelers learn interesting things about Islam, Judaism, and Christianity.

Though they all share a belief in one God, and honor the law and the prophets, their song and stories eventually become embroiled in argument. The discussion reaches a boiling point, and it’s unclear if they can have any meaningful dialogue.

The rabbi who is with the Jewish group suggests that they re-enact a final story: the Parable of Nathan the Wise. Through this exercise, the group comes to some interesting conclusions.

This play was performed at the Community United Methodist Church in May of 2009. There were discussions afterwards, led by speakers of different faiths. The response to the play and the discussions was overwhelming to me. So I have a new mission. The wonderful actor-singers who performed this work have committed to do it again in May of 2010, and we will be taking the show to some other locations and venues. Script and music are available.