Blood Play

A SAMUEL FRENCH, INC. TITLE

Blood Play

Full-Length Play, Dark Comedy  /  3w, 3m

Oliver Butler, Hannah Bos, Paul Thureen

Written by Hannah Bos and Paul Thureen
Developed by Oliver Butler

Blood Play is a darkly comic thriller of post-war verve and pre-adolescent disquiet, created by New York’s critically lauded The Debate Society.

Blood Play

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  • Cast Size
    Cast Size
    3w, 3m
  • Duration
    Duration
    75 Minutes
  • SubGenre
    Subgenre
    Mystery/Thriller
  • Audience
    Target Audience
    Adult

Details

Summary
A tranquil suburban evening in the early 1950s: the kids are away on a Junior Cherokee camping trip and a string of coincidences leads to a spontaneous grown-up party in the basement of a new ranch house. Exotic cocktails are imbibed, raucous games are played, and new friends are made, but much is happening that no one is talking about. And something is stirring underground. Blood Play is a darkly comic thriller of post-war verve and pre-adolescent disquiet, created by New York’s critically lauded The Debate Society.
History
Blood Play was first produced by The Debate Society and presented by The Bushwick Starr in Brooklyn, NY in October 2012, under the direction of Oliver Butler. 
Cast Attributes
Keywords
Performing Groups
BEV FEINBERG - mid 30’s, sweet, desperate to fit in to the new neighborhood.
MORTY FEINBERG - late 30’s, affable, wildly in love with his wife, wants to be a great neighbor.
IRA FEINBERG - 10 years old, fragile and very small for his age. An old soul.
SAM FOGELBERG - late 30’s, slightly dim but lovable guy’s guy.
GAIL FOGELBERG - mid 30’s, neighborhood queen bee. Cold. Hard to please.
JEEP MATSON - early 40’s, single, odd. Covers his awkwardness with a smile.

The role of IRA is traditionally played by a female adult. 

  • Time Period 1950s
  • Setting Skokie, Illinois. Late August. 1951.
  • Features Period Costumes
  • Additional Features No Intermission
  • Duration 75 Minutes
  • Cautions
    • Mild Adult Themes

Media

"Once again Hannah Bos, Paul Thureen and Oliver Butler escort audiences into an unforgettable setting gleefully stacked with layer upon layer of affecting detail. A+" -Backstage, Read More

"They make us see life as kids again - with all the joy and dire vulnerability that entails" - Time Out New York, Read More

"Unsettlingly funny. The giggly-grim genius of it resides in its ensemble, whose patience and timing are dead-on." New York Magazine Vulture, Read More

"Blood Play is a stealth machine." - The New York Times, Read More

"[A] theatrical cocktail, as tasty as it is esoteric. Fix us another round." - The Village Voice, Read More

ON BREAKING CHARACTER

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Licensing & Materials

  • Minimum Fee: £55 per performance plus VAT when applicable.

Scripts

Available Formats:
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Authors

Oliver Butler

Oliver Butler

Oliver Butler is a founding member and co-Artistic Director of The Debate Society and has directed and toured with the company. In New York, Mr. Butler has directed the world premieres of The Lapsburgh Layover, Buddy Cop 2, Cape Disappointment, Goodbye New York Goodbye Heart, ...

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Hannah Bos

Hannah Bos

Hannah Bos (writer/actor) is a founder and co-Artistic Director of The Debate Society, an Obie Award-winning theater company. She has co-written and starred in all of the company’s plays: Jacuzzi (Ars Nova), Blood Play (Bushwick Starr/The Public Theater’s Under the Radar Fest ...

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Paul Thureen

Paul Thureen

Paul Thureen is a founding member and co-Artistic Director of The Debate Society, co-writing and starring in A Thought About Raya, The Snow Hen, You’re Welcome, The Eaten Heart, Cape Disappointment, Detroit and Buddy Cop 2. Recent New York and international performances inclu ...

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