Intro

Thanks so much for stopping by.  My creative pursuits include playwriting and screenwriting, and the ensuing collaborations with directors, producers, actors and others (including a MLB pitcher) that have made writing incredibly fun and rewarding. 

I've included loglines of available stage plays below, as well as my resume.  If you'd like to contact me directly to discuss your projects or mine, please email DonaldTLewis@gmail.com 

Stage Plays

Full-Length   

FULL COURT PRESS (drama)

In a downtown Chicago hotel Men's Room on the day of the NBA Draft, eight guys take on race, basketball and what it means to be a man, balling on the court of explosive racial politics. 

   "Powerful and provocative...Lewis writes in a muscular, blue-collar style, full of colorful character riffs but with a strong sense of structure and conflict"  

   Daily Variety

QUIET LIGHT (drama)

Haunted by the memory of the 1968 Democratic Convention, an ex-cop finds the woman who had clashed with him in the streets, now a Chicago architect and confidential lesbian, and seeks to destroy her.

   "A taut psychological thriller...intensely engages the audience" 

   North Coast Journal

HIGH AND INSIDE (dramedy)

A former Major League pitcher, estranged from his family and the game, is forced to reconcile the sum of his life when his 17-year-old daughter comes to visit on summer vacation.    

   Written with Steve Trout, former Chicago Cubs pitcher

FIRE WATER (dramedy)

Economically dispossessed and on its way off the map, the central Illinois town of Ft. Alabaster discovers that the answer to its uncertain future lies with the spirits of its Native American past.

THIRD WORLD (dramedy)

Anxious to shed their middle class comforts and move to Nicaragua, an unmarried couple sees their social commitment unravel as they direct attention to the truth and circumstance of their personal lives.

   "Humorous, satirical, sad and profound in its exploration of the meaning of commitment" 

   Long Beach Press-Telegram

One-Act

ALEXANDER AND THE UNITED SNAKES OF AMERICA (comedy/youth)

In a boxcar, a homeless boy and his dad confront a group of snakes on their way to the United Snakes of America Convention, the two groups forced to challenge their fears and misconceptions.

   "Shear enchantment, certain to delight and charm audiences of all ages" 

   Bloomington Voice

MELISSA TUNES IN (comedy/youth)

A self-centered 12-year-old girl learns a life lesson when she's transported and trapped in a sitcom world starring herself.   

   "A very inventive, delightful play...the theatricality of the piece is very clever"

   Bonderman Workshop

GOOD GIRL (monodrama)

A doll searches for answers when her young owner doesn't return, revealing dark, disturbing secrets a doll shouldn't have to know.

   "Riveting...smartly crafted and deftly performed"

   Beverly Hills Outlook

JUNKMAN (monodrama)

While exploring an alley and collecting treasures, a junkman is forced to confront the demons of his trade.

   "A stunning theatre piece...manages to encompass a good deal of truth and profundity"

   Pittsburgh New Works Festival

   "Grips the audience and doesn't let go"

   J. Paul Nicholas, Director, Living Series Festival, Piper Theatre, NYC

WELCOME! (drama)

A woman on a late night toilet paper run is prevented from entering the Big Mart, her newcomer status raising suspicions. 

POLITICAL SCIENCE 101 (drama)

Struggling through stages of political grief, a working man finds that all is not lost -- there's always more to lose. 

Resume

Productions/Readings

GOOD GIRL 

   City Playhouse (Los Angeles, CA)

   Bailiwick Repertory (Chicago, IL)

   SUNY Festival of Ten (Brockport, NY)

   Gardner Stages (Los Angeles, CA)

   Bloomington Playwrights Project (Bloomington, IN)

   Heartlande Theatre Company (Detroit, MI)  

   Mackay Festival of Arts (Mackay, Australia)       

   CrossCurrents (Kansas City, MO)

   Kanawha Players (Charleston, WV)

ALEXANDER AND THE UNITED SNAKES OF AMERICA

   Encore Theatre (Lima, OH) 

   Lincoln Community Playhouse (Lincoln, NE)  

   Bloomington Playwrights Project (Bloomington, IN)

   Carmel Performing Arts Festival (Carmel, CA)

QUIET LIGHT

   PIP World Premiere Theatre (Eureka, CA)

   Asylum Theatre Company (Las Vegas, NV)

FIRE WATER

   Asylum Theatre Company (Las Vegas, NV)

   Villagers Theatre (Somerset, NJ)

THIRD WORLD

   Uprising Theatre (Long Beach, CA)

   Cassandra Gaylor Theatre (Los Angeles, CA)

FULL COURT PRESS

  West Coast Ensemble (Los Angeles, CA)

      Nominated, NAACP Theatre Awards

JUNKMAN

   Piper Theatre Productions (New York, NY)

      Featuring Obie Award Winner Arthur French

   Pittsburgh New Works Festival (Pittsburgh, PA) 

WELCOME!

   Between Us Productions (New York, NY)

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Published Works

MELISSA TUNES IN

   Brooklyn Publishers 

ALEXANDER AND THE UNITED SNAKES OF AMERICA

   Leicester Bay Theatricals

   Six of One...Six Plays For Young Actors and Audiences (anthology)

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Affiliations

CHICAGO DRAMATISTS

   Resident Playwright Alumnus

COLUMBIA COLLEGE CHICAGO

   BA Film & Video

NORTHERN ILLINOIS UNIVERSITY

   BA History

STAGE 32

   Member