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Diva D Publishing: We are an independent publishing company that specializes in multicultural stage plays, fiction and poetry. Our primary author is award-winning writer David-Matthew Barnes. All of our products are distributed through Lulu. New titles coming in 2008! Defenseless, Don't Mention It, It's A Pleasure To be Sad, Just Before The Drop, The Seventh of August and We Never Made It To Paris.
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NOTE: If you are interested in producing one of David-Matthew Barnes' stage plays that are available through Diva D Publishing, please download this free Application for Production Rights. There is no charge to perform a play or an excerpt from a play (such as a scene or a monologue) for educational or training purposes. However, if the play or excerpt is performed in front of a paying audience, a royalty must be paid to the author. All plays written by the author are fully protected under the copyright laws of the United States of America.Please fill out the application and return by fax to 916.706.2693 to the attention of Nick Moreno, Literary Manager. We require producing organizations to pay all royalties due a minimum of 48 hours prior to the first scheduled performance. Due to the volume of requests we receive, please allow 3-5 business days for a reply.
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Download: $1.25 In this gritty and urban drama, a young runaway befriends a vagrant street musician who is seeking shelter in the basement of an abandoned building. What begins as a possible friendship, sadly evolves into a mutual suicide pact. This riveting one-act play received a world premiere at The California Stage Company. It was then selected by Love Creek Productions for a showcase performance at The Creative Place Theatre in New York. This play will be produced this summer in Atlanta at Oglethorpe University. The script features a role for one woman and one man and requires a simple set. A dramatic short play for young actors. Contains adult subject matter.
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Download: $2.50 Winner of two 2003 Elly Awards, including Best Original Script! A provocative and controversial play that features roles for seven women and three men. In a run down, road side diner in Grand Island, Nebraska, a horrendous storm is looming and ten people are about to be caught in the eye of it. In the course of one night, confessions of emotionally impacting secrets are revealed, forever changing each character’s life. Contains adult language and subject matter. Not suitable for younger audiences. "The characters and their lives are compelling, some acting moments memorable and the dialogue sharp..." The Sacramento News and Review
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Download: $1.25 WINNER OF THE 2007 CARRIE MCCRAY LITERARY AWARD FOR BEST STAGE PLAY! A powerful one-act play for women. Nationally selected festival play by Kingwood College. Having recently both turned fifty, childhood friends Judy and Olivia decide to return to a quaint seaside town that they once visited on family vacations during their early teen years. Reminded of love's lost, choices made and the fading of their youth, Judy and Olivia reaffirm their friendship, the tender memories they share and the journey through life that has made them the women they are now. Bracelets and Boyfriends is a delightful and thought-provoking play about two women who must look back before they can move forward. Production requires a simple set. A great companion piece with the play Clean. Contains some mature themes.
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Download: $2.50 A new suspenseful stage play that will leave audiences on the edge of their seats. In this modern thriller, an aspiring female journalist named Jennifer Hawkins uncovers a terrifying secret about a seductive news reporter named Marco Visconti who murdered an international film star to boost his failing career. Determined to expose him for his crime, Jennifer agrees to help the FBI gather the necessary evidence needed to arrest Marco. Wearing a hidden recording device, Jennifer attempts to get the truth from Marco - a confession that will convict him and set a wrongly accused man free. Risking her life, Jennifer goes to Marco - assured that if something were to go wrong, the FBI would intervene - and convinces him that she believes in his innocence. When Marco realizes that she is lying, he violently turns on Jennifer, determined to prevent her from telling the truth - by murdering her. Contains some mature themes.
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Download: $2.50 The perfect stage play for church youth groups and youth ministry programs! In this delightful play, four young women come-of-age at an all-girl Catholic boarding school. Rachel wants to become a nun and devote her life to God. Naomi has been expelled from numerous schools and Our Lady of Grace is her last chance. Mara is obsessed with two things: old movie stars and herself. Alisha struggles as she is the only black student at school. Having known her fair share of heartache, Sister Josephine is an unconventional nun who becomes a mentor to Rachel, Naomi, Mara and Alisha. The world premiere of this play was extended due to audience demand. The script features roles for 6 women and 2 men. Suitable for all ages!
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Download: $1.25 A chilling new play from award-winning writer David-Matthew Barnes. Three students at an urban American high school utilize their teacher's sudden death during detention to strike revenge against her. A haunting exploration of contemporary youth. Contains adult language and subject matter.
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Download: $1.25 A powerful and provocative new play that challenges the definition of love. After their relationship is discovered by their classmates at school, Alberto and Justin are being separated by their parents and the school’s administration. In the morning, Alberto is being sent to a military school in Utah. Realizing that the chance to say good bye is now, they meet in the night. Features roles for two men. Production requires a simple set. Contains mature themes.
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Download: $1.25 WINNER OF THE 2008 WORLD AIDS DAY WRITING CONTEST! When sixty-year-old New York native Stella discovers that her grandson has been diagnosed with AIDS, she turns to her best friend Madeline for comfort and strength. Features roles for two women. Production requires a simple set.
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Download: $1.25 A controversial one-act play for women, set in the break room of a corporate office. Amy chooses to have an abortion after discovering that she is pregnant with the child of her married boss with whom she is having an affair. Claudia discovers that she will never be able to have children of her own. Nicole is pregnant with her first child but has recently realized that she is not in love with her successful husband. An excerpt from this play was featured in The Best Women's Stage Monologues of 2000. After it's world premiere in Chicago, False Hopes was selected by Love Creek Productions for inclusion in their Summer 2001 One-Act Series in New York and received an Equity showcase production at The John Houseman Studio Theatre. False Hopes features roles for 3 women and requires a simple set. Contains adult language and subject matter.
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Download: $2.50 The film version of Frozen Stars is now available on DVD! This multicultural coming-of-age stage drama explores the lives of three young people as they struggle with personal and religious beliefs, peer pressure, family relationships and the overwhelming power of love and friendship. Three excerpts from the script are featured in The Best Women's Stage Monologues of 2002. Features roles for 8 women and 8 men, including strong roles for Latin actors. Requires a simple set. Contains some mature themes. "An ultra sincere depiction of young people...passionately performed..." The Chicago Reader
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Download: $1.25 Nationally selected play by The Hudson Exploited Theater Company for their acclaimed reading series Where Theater Starts. Hayden and Persephone Caulwell have been married for twenty-two years. Constantly referred to as “the perfect couple”, Hayden and Persephone have found themselves hiding the discord in their marriage from their family and friends. After a dinner party, they engage in a volatile confrontation, as years of affairs, secrets and emotions begin to surface. Realizing that their marriage has ended, husband and wife lash out at each other until the dining room – and their lives – are left in shards. With a shock twist of an ending, the final moments of Hour Glass will leave audiences riveted. Inspired equally by the short story Bliss by Katherine Mansfield and the Greek myth of Persephone. Contains adult language and subject matter.
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Download: $1.25 A modern day adaptation of Ibsen’s A Doll’s House. Margaret has convinced everyone – including herself – that her relationship with Anthony is perfect. But when Margaret's childhood friend – a sardonic flight attendant named Bridgette – comes to town for a quick visit, Margaret confesses that for the first time in two years she ate lunch alone, a moment that prompts the sudden realization that her life and her relationship are more damaged than she wants to admit.
I Ate Lunch Alone Today was selected by Love Creek Productions for inclusion in their Winter 2003 One-Act Series in New York and for the 16th Annual Chicago Director's Festival at the Bailiwick Repertory Theatre. A popular one-act play that features roles for two women and two men. Contains some mature themes.
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Download: $1.25 This heartbreaking new play explores the life of a troubled young girl named Cathy who has been emotionally crippled by a family secret and Dawson, the young man that she turns to for comfort and escape. Set in 1967, Cathy is haunted by images of the Watts Riots, an event she watched from her bedroom window two years ago. Dawson is conflicted with guilt and feels responsible for Cathy’s happiness while trying to understand the bizarre behavior of her wealthy parents as his own family struggles with poverty. Features roles for one woman and one man. It’s A Pleasure To Be Sad was developed in workshop at the 2007 Southampton Writers Conference in New York under the instruction of Marsha Norman. Contains mature themes.
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Download: $1.25 A beautiful love story for young men. Nationally selected festival play for Queer Shorts. When the ultra-intelligent but very hot Johnny Ramirez is selected to be the math tutor for the-always-misunderstood but very flirtatious Alex Wilde, the two young men discover love for the very first time. Filled with a poignant tenderness, this sensitive look at young love is sure to charm audiences around the world. Features roles for two men. Contains some mature themes. Suitable for teen audiences.
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Download: $1.25 Moments after her husband of twenty-four years leaps to his death from a twelve story building, a woman comes face to face with a man who claims to have been her husband’s lover of five years. On the rooftop, sorrow, regret and anger culminate in a second tragedy. Features roles for one woman and one man. Production requires a simple set. Contains mature themes.
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Download: $1.25 No Boys Allowed is a new multicultural drama for young women. In this popular one-act play for high school students, four women come to terms with the tragic death of their friend Cindy, who was killed in a drunk driving accident on the night of the Junior Prom. Cindy has left behind friends who are emotionally crippled by the guilt that haunts them. Instead of going to the dance with Alex, a young man who Cindy had a crush on, she opted to accept a babysitting job. A year after Cindy's death, Amy Isleton hosts a sleepover, bringing together Cindy's closest friends. Justine reveals that she was the one who was supposed to baby sit. Kimberly reveals that she went to the dance with Alex, despite the fact that she knew Cindy had feelings for him. Ramona harbors anger against the other three and has come to the sleepover to end her friendships. Amy feels responsible for Cindy's death as her father was driving the car. Suitable for high school audiences.
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Download: $1.25 A dramatic one-act play for teenagers. At a bus stop on a city street in Chicago, a young Latin high school couple, Mario and Ana, emotionally confront his ties to an urban street life and her impending thoughts of suicide. Number 76 was featured in The Best Stage Scenes of 2000 and San Francisco's The Comfusion Review. After receiving a world premiere in Chicago, Number 76 was selected by Love Creek Productions for inclusion in their Summer 2001 One-Act Series in New York and received a showcase production at The John Houseman Studio Theatre. The script features two strong roles for young Latin actors. Contains adult language and subject matter
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Download: $1.25 A short comedic play for teenagers. Fed up with always doing the right thing, Annabelle decides to break away from the vacation she is on with her parents at a beachside resort. After she is befriended by a compulsive lying waitress named Jonalyn, Annabelle attempts to get drunk for the first time. When Gilbert, a love confessing fellow vacationer, discovers that Annabelle has been drinking he loses interest in her as his respect diminishes. When it is revealed that Annabelle has only been drinking apple juice, a crucial lesson is learned by all. The script features roles for 3 women and 3 men. Production requires a simple set.
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Download: $1.25 A clever comedy that celebrates individuality, Punch Bowl is a five minute play that will certainly appeal to young actors and audiences! At the junior prom, a sly misfit named Judy convinces Conner and Brenda, the prom king and queen, that she has poisoned the punch after they've each drank a glass. Even though they fear their lives are nearing an end, Conner and Brenda do not try to repent for all the wrong they have done in their lives, especially for the horrific way they have treated Judy. Suitable for high school audiences and junior high school audiences.
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Download: $1.25
A thought provoking short play for the holidays! In this powerful one-act play for women, the universal importance of family is learned on Christmas Eve. The year is 1965. Rita has been suddenly widowed as her husband, John, has been killed in Vietnam. Since his death, Rita has been ostracized by John's family simply because Rita is white and her husband was black. Loneliness has left Rita emotionally crippled and suffering from a deep depression. When John's older sister, Marla, shows up unexpectedly and brandishing a rum cake, the two women finally come to terms with their shared grief and sorrow. Through their tears and conversation, they come to the realization that they will always be family, despite the color of their skin. This play features dynamic roles for two women. Contains some mature themes.
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Download: $2.50 Artistically inspired by the song Jackie's Strength as recorded by Tori Amos, this heartfelt play explores the lives of three women (Venita, Maggie and Sarah) who live in a rundown apartment building in an unnamed American city. Venita is a black woman who has been ostracized from her family for marrying a white man named George. Maggie endures a loveless marriage and within ten years, she gives birth to five children. Sarah desires a life of picture-perfect glamour and excitement and has married her high school sweetheart. After a few brushes with reality, Sarah becomes dismayed with her predictable life and slips into a crippling depression. Over the course of 34 years, Venita, Maggie and Sarah confront social and political issues as they fight to assert their identity and protect their friendship. Contains adult language and subject matter.
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Download: $2.50 A powerful and tender love story for men. On a rainy night, two male co-workers, Marco and Christopher, are drawn together out of loneliness. Marco is married to a Korean woman whom he does not love. Christopher is suffering from a broken heart after another failed relationship. In the course of one night, the two men emotionally confront the expectations of a new relationship, the conflict of conforming to an unfriendly society, the traditional roles expected of men and the powerful and consuming feelings of love. Sloe Gin Fizz addresses timely, controversial topics and has become known as one of the most powerful plays written by David-Matthew Barnes.
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StayStay (book)
Download: $1.25 Stay is a popular one-act play for high schools and colleges! On the same day that her boyfriend, Jessie, is released from a work camp, eighteen-year-old Alison Freeman receives a letter from her estranged mother who wants a second chance. Alison must decide whether to accept a marriage proposal from Jessie, continue living with her lonely Aunt Carla or leave her small hometown to join her mother for a new life in New York. The script features roles for four women and two men. Contains some mature themes.
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Download: $1.25 Stronger Than This is a timely drama, exploring sensitive and important issues to gays and lesbians. Kyle's lifetime partner, Martin has been murdered in a vicious hate crime. Samantha's soul mate, Charlene, has been killed in a tragic car accident. Both young people are emotionally crippled by their grief and feel discarded by their loved one's conservative families. They become instant friends when they both attend a support group, seeking some type of solace. Rather than tell a roomful of strangers about their feelings, Kyle and Samantha decide to see each other through their anguish. Through the tears, both are able to see slivers of a new found hope. Stronger Than This addresses a timely, controversial topic and has become known as one of the most powerful plays written by David-Matthew Barnes.
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Download: $1.25 A short play for women around the world. When Mrs. Whitmore is informed by Miranda, an airline employee, that her husband's plane has crashed and there are no reported survivors, she suddenly realizes that a new sense of liberty has been given to her with which she will be able to make many lifelong dreams come true. This one-page play examines a sensitive issue with an unconventional twist. Features two roles for women. Contains some mature themes. Suitable for teen audiences.
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Download: $1.25 A young woman named Trixie Howard is forced to survive a date from Hell in this hilarious new comedy. The scripts features roles for two women and one man. The play received a world premiere at Oglethorpe University in Atlanta in August 2006 and is quickly becoming a cult favorite.
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Download: $1.25 Nominated for two Elly Awards, including Best Original Script. Threnody is a dramatic one-act play for young actors. Dana and Jake are a young couple who suffer from a horrible drug addiction and a volatile love affair. Threnody is an in-depth and frightening exploration of the disintegration of two people, grasping for any signs of hope or human compassion in a world where none exists. Excerpts from Threnody are featured in The Best Stage Scenes of 1999, The Best Women's Stage Monologues of 1999 and The Best Men's Stage Monologues of 1999. The script features roles for 1 woman and 1 man. Contains adult language and subject matter. "In The Tennessee Williams-flavored Threnody, the dialogue sings with poetic flashes..." The Sacramento News and Review
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TryTry (book)
Download: $1.25 Try is a new favorite at one-act festivals and colleges across the nation! This play was nationally selected for The Makor Theatre 10-Minute Play Festival in New York. Having been burned by bad relationships in the past, Janessa Martin battles over her decision to give her new boyfriend, Colby Varner, a key to her apartment. As past issues begin to surface for both, Janessa and Colby are forced to address the fact that they don't fully trust each other and why. Try is a contemporary play that explores the pitfalls of dating in a humorous style. A strong performance piece for two actors. Contains some mature themes.
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