Plays by Michael Thomas Tower

ART IS never born to be hidden away. Never! That is totally against its nature.
DR. DAVIS in "A CERTAIN UNSOUNDNESS OF MIND"

THERE ARE those in this world who think they can destroy a life and by so doing, destroy its meaning and its force and its result. It doesn't work that way. Never has -- never will, for what they seek to destroy only grows stronger. But the angry and the ignorant do not learn.
VINCENT in "THE NATURAL FLIGHTS"

LAYDON: We try to make a profit ...
SYLVAN: No, God makes prophets. Men make messes. Well, some of the prophets made messes, too, but that's another story.
from "PIER PRESSURE"

WOMEN are too complicated. Everything is put together at odd angles and joined in dark corners. Maintenance is done by intuition and repair work by guess. It's just bad construction.
JOHN LORE in "FINAL STAGE"

THERE just idn' time enough in this life to complete ever'thing you need to do. If you're gettin' ever'thing done you think you need to do, then you're gettin' too little done.
GILMAN in "WINTER'S CHILD"

WE DO leave something behind, that's captured and used and built on forever. Otherwise, our progress -- no matter the years -- would be measured in seconds and we would have no meaning at all. We have taken larger steps than that.
ESTELLE in "STAR LIGHT, STAR BRIGHT"

IF IT weren't for frustrated women, the concept of God would have never survived. God exists only for women and wives. He's just aggravation for children and men.
FETON in "TINKER'S NEBULA"

WALLACE: I told you from the beginning that marriage wasn't in the cards for us. We were friends -- that's all.
VICTORIA: No, Wallace, we were lovers. That's all.
from "TO HEAR A DISTANT TUNE"

SUCCESS is mostly making people believe what you want them to believe, and hiding from them what you don't want them to know.
KEN in "FALL SEASONS"

I did a lot-a prayin' when I was a little kid. But bad things kept happenin' so I figured that was a big waste-a time. Hidin' under the bed was a lot more effective than prayin'.
DWAYNE in "TOUCH FIRE" (in progress)

WHEN YOU'VE gone some distance, then look back, the failures tend to loom larger than the accomplishments, regardless how numerous or how grand. Rather than savoring the splendor of our achievements, we may merely end up being burdened with the constant weight of "if only."
KENNETH in "AN UNAUTHORIZED LIFE" (in progress)

ONE-ACT PLAYS CLICK ON THE TITLE TO ACCESS THE COMPLETE SCRIPT
Back Roads	COMEDY Anita is fed up with her boring small-town life. So when Harry comes along with the promise to whisk her away to a new and better life, she takes off with him. However, they don't go far before they end up in a seedy motel in the middle of nowhere with seemingly insurmountable problems. Because Harry is long on promises and Anita is long on hope, they keep on looking for an escape -- till they find a way, dubious though it may be, to resume their precarious journey. 13 MIN. / 1M, 45+; 1F, 20-25+. SET: SHABBY MOTEL ROOM.
Certain Unsoundness of Mind, A	DRAMA; GAY CHARACTERS When a college professor discovers the true talents of one of his students, he attempts to set the course for the student's future. But the student has very different ideas about the order and demand of his priorities. Their common love of poetry brings the professor and the student together, and their sexual orientation strengthens their association -- but these are the very elements that fuel their war ... and truce. Without providing specific answers, this story poses the questions: What is the value of Art? What is an artist's obligation? 30 MIN. / 2M, 20s & 60. SET: PARK BENCH.
Final Stage	DRAMA A legendary Broadway director, having lost his "touch" years ago, is given a comeback opportunity by his long-time friend and former protege. When he fails this time, his good friend must fire him ... and his future is uncertain as he steps back into his world of old memories and broken dreams. 22 MIN. / 2M, 35-40, 60+. MINIMAL SET: REHEARSAL STAGE.
Pier Pressure	DRAMA WITH SUBSTANTIAL COMEDY On a dark and lonely night, on a pier near a downtown business district, a man troubled with financial setbacks encounters another man who inspires him to rethink certain personal basics in a most unusual way. Assisting with this mental modification is a succession of strange but affecting women (all played by the same actor). Providing plenty of comical highlights throughout, the story takes bizarre twists and turns with language and ideas that will leave viewers room to draw their own very personal conclusions. 25 MIN. / 2M, 1F PLAYING THREE ROLES; ANY ADULT AGES. SET: CITY PIER.
Places	DRAMA WITH SUBSTANTIAL COMEDY An older actor (opinionated, precise and traditional) "passes the torch" to a younger (less exacting) actor as they prepare to go onstage. Starting with laughs galore, it concludes as a touching drama that deals with addiction, failure, hope and friendship. 25 MIN. / 2M, 25-30, 55+. SET: BACKSTAGE DRESSING ROOM.
Pull of Paradise, The	COMEDY; LESBIAN CHARACTERS Myrna Jean and Freddie Mae are on the verge of a breakup. They've lived in their home at Paradise Point Trailer Park for a good many very happy years. But Myrna claims that Freddie Mae has done her a grievous wrong and insists they must now go their separate ways -- even though, she admits, she still loves Freddie Mae. Mama, with more wiliness than wisdom, comes up with the solution that keeps them all together. 17 MIN. / 3F, 30+-60+. SET: LIVING-ROOM OF A RUNDOWN "TRAILER HOUSE."
Run Jenny	DRAMA In the mid 1850s in the South, an abolitionist wife is on trial for the murder of her slave-owner husband. The townspeople speak up, some in her defense, others condemning her, some finding the truth of themselves. The trial concludes with a guilty verdict -- then we learn the heart-wrenching truth, from a brave and determined slave. A very moving and thought-provoking drama. 55 MIN. / 5M, 25-65+; 2F, 30+ (1 CAUC, 1 AFR-AM [SOME SINGING]). MINIMAL SET & COSTUMING PRESENTS THE PLAY AS A FORM OF STORY-TELLING; VERY EFFECTIVE AS A READING. INCLUDES 1 ORIGINAL "HYMN."
Star Light, Star Bright	DRAMA After shopping and errands, Estelle and Harley, older people with a valued friendship, rest at a sidewalk cafe before resuming their journey to their individual homes. In a display of lyrical language and thought, they explore much of the value of the past and the hope of the future. Before the evening is out, Estelle has a most unexpected and unusual discovery of a love she thought was lost forever. Lyrical language. 30 MIN. / 2M, 25 & 65; 1F 65. SET: SIDEWALK CAFE.
To Hear a Distant Tune	DRAMA WITH SUBSTANTIAL COMEDY Wallace and Leeanna, brother and sister, have lived together for years in the old family house, having made a very comfortable life for themselves as they enter their retirement years. But one of their leisurely, comfortable days is interrupted by the return of a woman who boarded with them years earlier. She has a request of Wallace that shocks him and shakes the foundation of his and Leeanna's affinity. The play is about the truth of relationships to those who value them, and the relationship of truth to those who doubt it -- an honest drama told with much humor. 32 MIN. / 1M 60+; 2F, 40-45+, 55+. SET: FRONT PORCH.
FULL-LENGTH PLAYS CLICK ON THE TITLE TO ACCESS THE COMPLETE SCRIPT
Dodging Eden	COMEDY WITH SIGNIFICANT DRAMA When Darrell's mama dies, his ex-girlfriend, Evie, returns to reclaim Darrell. When he isn't encouraging, she tries to take custody of Angel, the child she had 11 years previously and left with him. This opens a can of worms that reveals real love, real friendship and real life. 90 MIN. / 2M, 30s; 3F 12-60+. SET: SHABBY MOTEL ROOM.
Fall Seasons	DRAMA WITH SUBSTANTIAL COMEDY; GAY CHARACTERS Ken is an alcoholic. James is his ex-lover who succumbs to Ken's plea to visit him. James must fight to maintain his new-found "freedom" and not be pulled back into Ken's disastrous world of booze. Daniel is James's new lover, whose hidden past emerges to complicate the decisions that must be made. The troubled world of many relationships, regardless of the trouble's cause, is universalized in this picture of addiction and co-addiction, told with much humor as well as poignant drama. 110 MIN. / 3M, 25+. SET: A MESSY ROOM.
Natural Flights, The	DRAMA WITH SIGNIFICANT COMEDY; GAY CHARACTERS Anchored in triumph and tragedy, marked with laughter and tears, this is the story of friendship -- about a group of friends who, in the midst of adversity, realize their need of, and value to, each other. They confirm a common bond of extraordinary character as they individually and collectively deal with the assault of personal and societal pressures that many men encounter, or foster themselves, when dealing with homosexuality, bi-sexuality, inter-generational relationships, fear of coming out, and bigotry. These are people who share their love and strength in facing the harsher forces of life. 110 MIN. / 8M, 20-55+; 1F 55+. SET: A SAN FRANCISCO APARTMENT LIVING-ROOM.
Tinker's Nebula	DRAMA WITH SIGNIFICANT COMEDY In some undetermined time, a period long past or an age in the distant future, in a desolate and unforgiving land, bands of primitive people who speak a lyrical language encounter each other. None of them trust strangers for they've never seen other such creatures. Slowly they come to realize that their survival is best assured if they work together. Thus begins their discovery of cooperation, friendship, bonding and harmony. 111 MIN. / 5M, ANY AGE; 3F, 1 LATE TEENS-20s, 2 ANY AGE (EASY DOUBLE-CASTING=4M, 2F). SET CAN BE MINIMAL & SIMPLE OR MORE ELABORATE IF DESIRED. SOME SURREALISM IS SUGGESTED.
Winter's Child	DRAMA Fourteen-year-old Haro sees his life, and the lives of his family, as very ordinary, until the winter of 1950 when his grandmother dies. That's when family secrets begin to unravel and everyone must deal with truths that they never suspected, and some must shoulder the guilt. By the time Haro finishes telling us his story, healing has begun and hope lights the future, even though tragedy must run its course. 120 MIN. / 3M, 14-74; 4F, 12-42+. SET: 1950s FARM KITCHEN + 1 SIMPLE HAYLOFT INSET.
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