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
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)
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)
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)
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)
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)
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)
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
Elephant Ears Reading Series
Elephant Room Productions
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
November, 2022
(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)
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)
Jon L Peacock (Paul), Alana Rader (Celia), Arlene Moskowitz (Maureen), Jennifer Joy (Jacki), Roselyn Santos Ko (Brenda), Bill Kassay (Gavin) and Elliott Mayer (Artu)
(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)
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)
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)
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)
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