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Manipulative

a comedy
A privileged student seeks payback after her mother offers refuge to an interloping stranger.

Cast: 3m, 4f

Female
CELIA CARTER, 20, music student 
JACKI WILLIAMS, 20, initially unemployed, later a design student
MAUREEN CARTER, 50s or 60s, Celia’s mother, retired
BRENDA MILES, 20s, usher
 
Male
GAVIN STONE, 20s, real estate agent                                           
PAUL, 20, law student, Celia’s boyfriend
ARTU, 20s or 30s,  security guard    ​
 
Setting
Los Angeles

Time
Spring and summer

(online reading)
Atlanta Dramatists
Atlanta, Georgia
​February 24
, 2025

​Cast: S-Netchem Hetep (Celia), Kenisha Johnson (Jacki), Angela Van Tassel (Maureen), Ferrin Tinter (Brenda), Julian Cornejo (Gavin), Cole Kiker (Paul), Adam Ross (Artu)
Picture
S-Netchem Hetep (Celia), Julian Cornejo (Gavin), Kenisha Johnson (Jacki), Angela Van Tassel (Maureen), Cole Kiker (Paul), Ferrin Tinter (Brenda) and Adam Ross (Artu)

(online reading)
Writing Room
Indie Film Theater Network
Los Angeles, California
​September 10, 2024


Cast: Leanne Huffman (Celia), Bern Adette (Jacki), Pixie Esmonde (Maureen), Amy Axelson (Brenda), Nate Raven (Gavin), Sean Logan (Paul), Stephen Lyons (Artu)
Picture
Pixie Esmonde (Maureen), Leanne Huffman (Celia), Sean Logan (Paul), Nate Raven (Gavin), Bern Adette (Jacki), Stephen Lyons (Artu) and Amy Axelson (Brenda)

(online reading)
Tiger's Heart Players
New York, NY
​February 19, 2023

Cast: Carla Alvarez (Celia), Lizzie Ritteler (Jacki), 
Alice Anne English (Maureen), Lizette Cooper (Brenda), Alexander Clark (Gavin and Paul), Joel Roman (Artu)
Picture
Carla Alvarez (Celia), Lizzie Ritteler (Jacki), Alice Anne English (Maureen), Alexander Clark (Paul), Lizette Cooper (Brenda) and Joel Roman (Artu)

(online reading)
Elephant Ears Reading Series
Elephant Room Productions
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
November, 2022
Picture

(online reading)
Play Readings With Friends
New York, NY
September 9, 2022

​Cast: Alana Rader (Celia), Jennifer Joy (Jacki),
Arlene Moskowitz (Maureen), Roselyn Santos Ko (Brenda), Bill Kassay (Gavin), Jon L Peacock (Paul), Elliott Mayer (Artu)
Picture
Jon L Peacock (Paul), Alana Rader (Celia), Arlene Moskowitz (Maureen), Jennifer Joy (Jacki), Roselyn Santos Ko (Brenda), Bill Kassay (Gavin) and Elliott Mayer (Artu)

(reading)
LAVA Center

Greenfield, Massachusetts
​
August 11, 2022
Picture

(online reading)
Writers Workshop
Just Write! Lakeland
Lakeland, Florida
March 7, 2022

Cast: Maille-Rose Smith (Celia), Michelle Wafford (Jacki), Diane DiLillo Gutierrez (Maureen), Danielle Wirsansky (Brenda), Jonathan Fedkiw (Gavin), Matthew Menendez (Paul), Joel Roman (Artu)
Picture
Maille-Rose Smith (Celia), Matthew Menendez (Paul), Michelle Wafford (Jacki), Diane DiLillo Gutierrez (Maureen), Danielle Wirsansky (Brenda), Joel Roman (Artu), Jonathan Fedkiw (Gavin)

(online reading of the first ten pages)
First Fridays
The Barrow Group
New York, NY
April 2, 2021

Cast: Kate McMorran (Celia), Sol-Marie Quintero (Jacki), Monica Sharma (Maureen), Samiha Mehnaz (Brenda), Merlin Whitehawk (Gavin), William Mok (Paul), Wes Candela (Artu)
Picture
Sol-Marie Quintero (Jacki), Kate McMorran (Celia), Merlin Whitehawk (Gavin), Monica Sharma (Maureen), William Mok (Paul), Samiha Mehnaz (Brenda), Wes Candela (Artu)

One scene from an early draft (Seductive Haven​) - Lament of the Failed Alcoholic​ - produced by Small Fish Radio Theatre, Intoxicated, live recording at Chicago Dramatists, Chicago, March 23, 2014