“Six-Legged”, Barger’s newest play, is available on Blurb and Amazon . It’s a short piece focused on creating an engaging live work with a small cast of younger actors.
“Red Book For An Angry Night”, Barger’s debut collection of written theater work, is available through Amazon and Blurb.
The collection consists of three full length plays, two one-act plays, and an introduction in one scene [only available in the softcover and hardcover anthology editions]
Generally the works would be considered appropriate for young adults and up. Broadly speaking they fall into the categories of melodrama, dark comedy, period drama, and fantasy. An excerpt from the author’s note:
“In regards to the content, yes, these stories are often grizzly and angsty and melodramatic and ‘dark’. Fiction allows selfish exploration of anti-social curiosities in a constructive, imaginative, safe, and consensual form. But just because the narratives and characters presented are often misanthropic, exploitative, self-important, or generally despicable, that doesn’t mean they are in any way serious. […] Theater does many things but my favorite is that it lets grown-ups play. The following hopefully acts as a more convoluted way for us to sit together and cut Barbie’s hair off before throwing her down the stairs.”
In addition to the anthology versions, each play is available separately in paperback
Rampion AKA The Mischief Tragedy of Magic Hair OR No Ball Gown Scene SLASH Play Stupid Games is a tumultuous fairy tale adaptation.
The back cover reads: They went through a blender and came out sad. Braiding together multiple tropes around promises and hair, “Rampion” is a fairy tale medley that doesn’t know when to cut and run. This show can be accomplished with eleven to fourteen actors.
Roosters is an angst riddled period drama.
The back cover reads: Selfish people and maybe a witch get a very old book and make bad choices. Melodrama to the bone, “Roosters” is a grim period romance centered around a refusal to let well-enough rot in peace. This show can be accomplished with eight to ten actors.
New Hard Places is a “family focused” period crime drama.
The back cover reads: Stubborn people with few scruples generally failing under pressure.
Unapologetically morbid, “New Hard Places” is an anachronistic period drama driven by one family’s grizzly reckoning with their unsubstantiated sense of grandeur. This show can be accomplished with eight to ten actors.
Also, the two one-act plays are available in paperback under the title Moon Howl, with an introduction detailing their origins and similarities. The back reads: Please enjoy these meat machines spitting bloody fireworks. “Moon Howl” contains two one act plays that aren’t about the monsters but nevertheless insist on presenting them. Part one can be accomplished with five actors. Part two can be accomplished with eight actors.
PDFS of the full collection, and each play, are listed for sale alongside the physical copies.
For questions, comments, concerns, or celebrations, feel free to email bargersusanna@gmail.com
Susanna F. Barger 