Sally Has Something to Say (2019)

Produced by the Three Brothers Theatre company in the summer of 2019, Sally Has Something to Say is a full-length play that satirizes Washington politics and the mainstream media who no longer knows which end is up.  In short, the play is ripped from the headlines.

SYNOPSIS

The time is the present. Bill McCarthy, a conservative newspaper columnist is married to Martha Connors, a liberal newspaper columnist is a large city somewhere in the Midwest.  Their nightly local cable show is called "Sound Off." 

They also have a spoiled 19-year old daughter named Sally. Bill thinks his journalistic time has passed and that he'll never host a network show. Then one day, a big story falls right into his lap. He receives an anonymous tweet that large deposits of lithium, a precious metal used to power cell phones and computers, has been found in the mountains of a former Soviet eastern block country, Castonia.

When this story hits cable news, its collective jingoist coverage not only propels Bill and Martha into the national spotlight, but it also could start a new Cold War between Russia and the U.S. But that's not the worst of it. The entire Castonia story might be untrue. And Sally might be the key. But with Russia and the U.S. gearing up for war, is it too late to stop a global catastrophe? 

Three Brothers Theatre's Executive Director, Josh Beadle of working with Gerry:

"Whip-smart and hilarious, Gerry's writing should be necessary reading for all. No playwright is working this hard to walk us through the hall of mirrors of modern-day America."

Produced by the La Strada Ensemble Theater company in the spring of 2018, Catchpenny is a full-length play that takes place a little farther in the future.

SYNOPSIS    

John J. Peterson III (age 67), CEO of Peterson, Connelly and Brown, one of the top ad agencies in Chicago, and Steven McCall (age 26), CEO of Parallax Unisystems, Inc., a top Internet Silicon Valley company meet in a hotel in Chicago to discuss a possible merger. 

John, feeling that he’s lost his edge, is reluctantly convinced that a merger with a hot Internet company will give him back his marketing mojo. He also fears that he might be losing his biggest account, AgraGeo, a large chemical conglomerate that has branched into the genetically modified food market.

As John and Steven get to know each other over several drinks, secrets get revealed. The more they talk, the more their differences come into sharp conflict over their views of marketing and the human condition. Then an unforeseen event propels them into a profound examination of their inner lives, putting the final merger in dire peril. 

La Strada's Artistic Director, A.J. Ciccotelli said of collaborating with Gerry:

"Gerry Ringwald is a master craftsman who can blend social criticism into a hilarious comedy.  He is a scathing satirist whose plays will stand the test of time. I've directed, acted and produced both his full lengths and his short gems, they are incredible comedies that will make you both laugh out loud and most of all...think.  Brilliant comedies with a bite - my cup of tea!"

Produced by the La Strada Ensemble Theater in the spring of 2017, Not Curing Cancer is a dark satire about cancer, non-profit corporations, mass-media, and the pharmaceutical industry.  

SYNOPSIS

Not Curing Cancer pokes fun at the commercialization of cancer research, celebrity fundraising, athlete endorsements, product placement, infotainment shows, hype, sex, show business, and other targets.  

Recently widowed, Jane Huxley has entered the workforce after being a stay-at-home mother for over 20 years. Her late husband was a famous Chicago public relations guru. By happenstance, Jane is offered a job at one of the top P.R. firms in the Windy City. She has been tasked to help wealthy businesswoman Harriet J. Roman, promote a non-profit foundation to find a cure for testicular cancer, the disease that took Harriet’s husband. 

Not Curing Cancer is a farcical journey that chronicles Jane’s attempt to put a pretty face on cancer and her desire to seek fame and fortune on her own terms. What Jane discovers is that the road to fame is paved with tons of unintended consequences.  

Actress and iHeart Radio personality, Christine Nagy, said of working with Gerry:

"His plays are uniquely original and brilliantly written. They are hilarious. They're so funny, in fact, that as an actor, you don't want the audience to miss one line, so the timing must be precise. And that's an amazingly fun challenge. Along with being funny, Gerry's plays are timely and thought provoking. Working on his plays are an actor's dream.  The world needs smart, original, witty, and thoughtful plays. Gerry Ringwald is that voice. He's the playwright we need here and now."

“All Roads Lead to the Airport”is a satirically comedic theatrical play that pokes fun at various aspects of show business and Hollywood itself. Based on personal observation made by the playwright over two decades, this funny play is full of authentic Hollywood moments that are captured in vivid detail for maximum fun and laughter. 

The first short play, “All That Glitz and Glamour” is about a young out-of-town Tom Cruise fan who comes to a Hollywood movie studio, desperately looking for his idol. “Writer Romper Room” centers on a used car king in Anaheim who dreams of being a Hollywood TV producer. “Down for the Count” chronicles the journey of a motion picture executive who is sent to Transylvania to get Count Dracula sell his castle so the studio can turn it into a theme park. “Hitler Goes Hollywood” follows a studio producer quest to genetically clone Adolf Hitler, with the expressed purpose of making the first “authentic Hitler movie.” 

“All Roads Lead to the Airport” is full of industry jokes, but the play is also easily accessible and relatable to any audience anywhere. This ninety-minute play is fresh, funny, and fabulously relevant to our celebrity-obsessed culture. You will laugh.  

In 1974, Samuel Donner (age 74), famed writer and director, blacklisted in 1949 for his left-wing sympathies, has died. After the memorial service, Sam’s son Philip Peterson (age 46) and grandson, Billy Peterson (age 24) and argue about Sam’s life. 

“The Valley of Jarama” chronicles three generations of the Dysart family and their individual encounters with the shame of the Blacklist, and their battles with its present legacy. Sam’s son, Philip is a staunch conservative, and has many skeletons in his closet. Philip’s liberal son, Billy is working on a book about the Blacklist, which threatens to expose many family secrets. While he was alive, Sam suffered with dementia, while trying to investigate who actually betrayed him to the House Un-American Activities Committee (H.U.A.C.).

Philip has been running away from his father’s “Communist ties” all his life. He also worries that his son could get drafted into the Vietnam War, because of his absence from the university. Billy tries to patch up his relationship with his father, as he tries to understand a grandfather he hardly knew. 

The play switches back and forth in time between 1949 (when Sam was forced to confront the H.U.A.C. and Congressman Richard Nixon himself) and 1974 (the day President Nixon resigned). In the forties, Sam butts heads with studio head Carl Russell (age 54), who wants him to betray his friends in front of the committee. One of his friends, actress Marjorie MacDonald (age 25), might have betrayed him after their one-night stand. In the seventies, Billy argues with Philip over the Blacklist and how it became the blueprint to use against anti-Vietnam war protesters. Like Sam, he is a liberal in an era that is extremely hostile to any political or social dissent. Each character must examine the legacy of the Blacklist in very different ways.

The play begins on a Friday morning in a conference room in Berwyn, Illinois. The event is a one-day company orientation seminar for new employees of “Lebuyathan” (pronounced “La-Buy-A-Thon”), one of the top e-commerce firms in the U.S. The seminar is being run by a pair of married “Occupational Reconceptualists,” Fanny and Freddy Foster whose job it is to build break down the negative thinking that hold back the doors of success. 

Each of the four new contract employees (with no benefits) has been hired for only six months, with no guarantee of extension. Senior Copywriter Dave Dudley is cranky and his confrontational style has gotten him fired at several agencies. User Experience Analyst Debbie Doberman is data driven and oblivious to the nuances of human behavior. IT supervisor Billy Baxter thinks all computer problems are caused by human folly. Graphic Designer, Bonnie Bennett thinks images trump everything, including content. 

What follows is a series of “character building” exercises. All backfire. What follows is a series of confrontations that reveal hidden secrets about all the participants. The play satirizes the so-called “the new economy,” Wall Street, economic recessions, downsizing, worker outsourcing, executive bonus up-ticking, self-actualization, new-age religions, globalization, ageism, sexism, and most other “isms” you can imagine. In short, the play explores the human costs to a society that puts profits over people.

Waiting for Wood is a dark comedy that chronicles a young, naïve couple from Texas, who decided to come to Los Angeles to seek fame and fortune as porn stars. Our heroine, Shenandoah, wants to be a rock and roll singer, and thinks that doing a few adult videos will get her some exposure and lead to a recording contract. Their comedic voyage through the vast adult video landscape tests their relationship in strange and humorous ways. Along the way we meet many colorful characters who give us a bird-eye view of adult entertainment industry from a variety of perspectives. The play is about the quest for fame by any means necessary, and how people justify and rationalize their own sometimes contractor motivations and behaviors.