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Plays by Dan Friedman

The plays gathered here are not all the plays I have written. Since I was 19, I have completed 17 full-length plays. Here are the ones that I think worth continuing to read and perform.

As may be evident when reading these scripts, I have been primarily influenced by William Shakespeare, Bertolt Brecht, Fred Newman and Heiner Müller. 

Shakespeare, especially through his history plays, taught me to think big on stage, and helped me fall in love with the sound of the spoken word. Brecht gave me the making-strange-effect as a means of looking at the familiar with new eyes and gave me permission to move beyond conventional realism.  From Fred Newman, both as a playwright and as a political mentor, I learned the value of constant innovation.  Heiner Müller liberated me from the straightjacket of narrative and, like Shakespeare, inspired me with the beauty and complexity of his language. 

Many of my plays are infused with American folklore and song.  I have a deep respect for and emotional connection to the American people, in all their diversity, and to the history and culture they have created over the last 400 years.  

The plays are arranged in reverse chronological order, that is, from the newest to the oldest.  When production photos are available, I have included a photo of a production at he top of the script.

I (and my co-authors) hold the copyrights on these scripts. If you would like to produce them, you need to contact me (dfriedman@me.com) for permission.  That said, I don’t make my living as a playwright and am eager to have these scripts produced as often as possible by as many different groups of people as want to play with them and I’m happy to make them available at rates that fit any budget.more

 
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