full length plays
Hughes’s work “…explores heavy subject matter with humorous dialogue and strong characters”
-The New York Times
American Yu
A Chinese dissident arrives at a small Minnesota college to begin teaching American Literature, when a campus speech by the state’s Governor is interrupted by a minor riot. The backlash that ensues against a troubled student pits politicians against the school’s administration as well as the new, outspoken professor. A play about politics, race, and other absurd conditions of democracy.
Finding the Roosters
The story, set in mid-1960s New England, follows the disintegration and rebuilding of the Fine family. Richard and Evelyn are in the middle of a nasty divorce brought on by Evelyn's alcoholism and Richard's emotional distance after the death of their elder son in the war. Their younger son Oscar has taken the death hard as well, becoming fascinated by Holden Caulfield and wearing his dead brother's army jacket. Unable to deal with the boy, Richard decides to have him disassembled, literally, and shipped to a military school.
Their Great Magic
A year ago, acclaimed American novelist, John Irwin, and his wife suffered a terrible car crash near their mountain-top home in Woodstock, NY. He survived, she did not. After months of mourning, insurance litigation, and tabloid harassment, Helen’s ghost has returned to constantly haunt John and keep him from writing, sleeping, and staying sober. His daughter, Violet, and her new boyfriend arrive to try and rescue John from his downward spiral, only to be caught up in a wild war of words and wit that reaches far beyond our material world. A comic romp of a ghost story wrapped around a drama about love, death, and family.
children’s plays
The Tempest
A comic Shakespeare adaptation
PROSPERO: “So be prepared for an amazing journey, for our tale is not only one of sorcery but also an innocent love story and if that were not enough to cover the price of admission, we add a good dose of politics to guarantee division.”
19 characters. 11M, 6F, 2Either; 53 pages in length. Approximately 45-60 minutes running time.
a quote about how everyone was so delighted
A Midsummer Camp’s Dream
A comic Shakespeare adaptation
Deep in the Catskill mountains, Camps Bluster and Hill-a-Wee are sent into chaos as Theseus arrives to announce that he’s bought the land and must close one of the camps to make way for his new wife’s mansion and horse farm. His son Demetrius and fellow camper Lysander must now lead the boys in a winner take all talent show against the girls, led by Hermia and Helena, to determine which camp must close. All the while, King Oberon is vexed by his queen and sets his trusty aid, Puck, to scatter magic, confusion, and a good dose of laughs across the forest. A Midsummer Camp’s Dream is a very modern adaptation of the Shakespeare classic for kids of all ages, written in free verse with almost 100% new dialogue.
17-19 characters. 60 minutes running time.
Doc Faustus
A comic spin on Marlowe’s Doctor Faustus
It’s 1984 and Doc Faustus is the most awkward and bullied teen at Hope High until he meets the demon Mephistopheles and sells his soul in exchange for knowledge and fame. When Doc learns that his actions have turned the school upside-down and endangered his friends, he fights to reverse the curse by learning to love himself and others. This comedic spin on Christopher Marlowe’s classic is a delightful play for the entire family and offers a large, zany cast of both mortal and supernatural characters.
19 Characters Run time: 65 minutes