Shock is Easy---Laughter is Hard

Collected sketches

© ERIC FERGUSON
5348 48th Av. S.
Minneapolis, MN 55417
phone: (612)726-6364
eric@celticfringe.net
http://www.celticfringe.net

SYNOPSES OF PLAYS IN THESE FILES:

THE NEWSPAPER AT THE END OF THE EARTH: The editor of the last newspaper on a dying Earth is putting out the final edition.

SHAKESPEARE IN MONEY: Several people have been alleged to be the true author of Shakespeare's plays, and they all come to see him in one sketch.

LE VOYAGEURS ET L'OURS (THE VOYAGEURS AND THE BEAR): Two voyageurs meet a bear armed with teeth, claws, and a stock portfolio.

MONEY MEANS EVERYTHING: Messrs. Slogothy and Ripple work in the U.S. Mint, and Mr. Slogothy is very full of ....opinions. It's about money and rocks and alliteration.

THE BOMBER: Political satire about a right-wing zealot who wants to blow up the White House. I wrote this before the bombing in Oklahoma City. Honest. In fact, a reading scheduled for the Saturday after the bombing was canceled because of the subject matter.

PHILOSOPHY AND CABBAGE: A sketch from back in the eighties (with one early 90's update) about a bizarre cab driver and his unfortunate passenger.

CARTER SKETCHES: Three sketches starring Jimmy Carter. The idea is to have them scattered through a revue, with the audience having no idea the sketch includes Carter until he walks on.

THE FOXHOLE: A satire of homophobia in the military. Will go over very poorly in some circles.

A FAIR HEARING: A satiric history play about Joseph McCarthy. Written for a theater that folded before their McCarthy project came to fruition. Just my luck.

THE KNOW NOTHING: Patrick Buchanan goes back to the 19th century and meets nativists like himself--except it's Irish Catholics like himself they hate.

THE MICE WITHOUT A CAT: A satire of Alan Greenspan and the Federal Reserve. A delightful (I'd like to think) exposure of the financial world.

PPISR: A pseudo-PSA by Newt Gingrich for a public service program to replace Americorps.

SUPERTHUMB AD: A convenience store commercial to market adult vices to kids.

THE DUELING GROUNDS: To restore civility to modern males, Mother Hedda has opened a dueling parlour where men settle things the old-fashioned way.

To get all these plays in one gulp, click here to download a ZIP file.

CASTS: Cast sizes range from 2-8

LENGTHS: vary from 1-10 minutes

REQUIREMENTS: Fees are negotiable, and could be waived for readings or workshops. These plays call for a sketch-comedy style of acting. Realism could be deadly. All of these can be staged minimalistically, and some specifically call for such staging. Gender is immaterial for many roles, but where it matters, it matters. Colorblind casting is possible unless real persons are being portrayed.

NOTES:
Several have been produced. The rest except the Superthumb Ad and The Know Nothing have been read at The Playwrights' Center in Minneapolis. (current as of July 2001)

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