ANDREW BISS

Talk about a fast turnaround. I'd completed a new short play entitled ‘The Butcher’ on March 20th and somehow managed to secure agreement for its debut production on March 31st – an astounding 11 days later! This, quite simply, never happens. No matter how good or how well-received a newly written play might be, it can take months or even years for it to make it from page to stage (see aptly named production title below). Of course, there were extenuating circumstances that led to this remarkable occurrence. I’d been contacted by a theatre group in Hong Kong ( The Hong Kong Players ) a few days earlier, inquiring about the production rights for a number of my short plays from The Meta Plays collection. When they informed me of the theme of their production, I happened to mention that I’d just completed a new play that seemed tailor-made for just such a theme and would make it available for them to read if they so desired. They did, and a couple of days later they contacted me to a...

‘The Craft’ was announced the ‘Best of the Decade’ winner on September 6th, 2018 at the Minnesota Shorts Play Festival in Mankato, Minnesota, which restaged their best reviewed shows from the last nine years of producing the festival. The play also garnered best actress and best actor awards for its talented cast of Callie Sonnek and Zach Bolland. Hearty congratulations to all! Director Chad Brancamp, with Callie Sonnek and Zach Bolland.

A Practical Guide to Becoming a Playwright is officially released! It’s been a real labor of love sharing what I’ve learned over the past two decades or so and I truly hope it proves to be a valuable tool for any aspiring or early-stage playwrights who pick up a copy. Inside you’ll find straightforward, practical guidance on honing your craft and steering your plays toward successful productions. While many playwriting books focus solely on stagecraft, this one also examines the nuts and bolts of getting your plays produced. After all, writing a play is one thing, but it won't have fulfilled its purpose until it's been brought to life on a stage. Examining everything from structure, dialogue, and creating well-rounded characters, to formatting, writing synopses and preparing your plays for submission, A Practical Guide to Becoming a Playwright offers a comprehensive explanation of the often challenging process of writing plays and getting them into the hands of producer...

I was very excited and more than a little proud to see that “ Monologues They’llRemember You By ” had become the number one bestselling book in Theater Acting & Auditioning in the Amazon.com.au Kindle Store today. In truth, I’ve been astonished, overjoyed and rather humbled by the tremendous reception the book has enjoyed since its release. It’s been selling extremely well in the US  and has also proven to be a popular seller in the UK , Canada , Australia , and Continental Europe. So a great big, heartfelt thank you to everyone who’s purchased a copy so far, and more than that, I hope it helps land you all of the roles you’re chasing after – for me to know that my words have helped you achieve your goals would be the ultimate reward. And to my friends Down Under, all I can say is…good on you, mates!

It suddenly struck me as I was writing the last blog post that I had neglected to make any announcement on here of the recent publication of my short play anthology, “ Ten-Minute Plays: The Comedy Collection .” It seems rather astounding in a way, but I can only put it down to the fact that almost immediately upon its release I embarked upon a stretch of foreign travel, and upon my return I was dealing with a rather nasty case of dengue fever (a souvenir from the aforementioned foreign travel). So allow me to attempt a little rectification. As the title suggests (or more accurately, makes patently clear), this is a collection of ten-minute plays, all of which fall into the comedy genre in one way or another. It seemed to be a good idea to put together a collection comprised solely of comedies, as these are often the favored genre in ten-minute play festivals and so would provide a great resource for any theatre practitioners looking for just that. The volume contains 15...

Firstly, I’d like to wish everyone a very Happy New Year! 2017 was a very important year for me, as it saw the publication of my monologue book “ Monologues They’ll Remember You By ,” which I’m happy to report has so far been a great success, finding its way into the hands of actors across the US , the UK , Canada , Australia and Continental Europe. It also saw the publication of my anthology of comedic short plays, “ Ten-Minute Plays: The Comedy Collection ,” which is also proving to be very popular, hitting the #1 spot for hot new releases on Amazon upon its release. And 2018 promises to be another big year, as I’m currently working on a brand new book which I hope to finish in the coming months. This one’s a little different for me, as it will not be a book of my playwriting work but a book about playwriting itself. It’s still in its formative stage, but essentially I will be sharing insights and experience from my journey as a playwright, offering advice, tips, and all ...

I was delighted to see today that "Monologues They'll Remember You By" got off to a roaring start on Amazon, hitting the #1 spot on Hot New Releases for Acting and Auditioning! It's a very gratifying result, especially after all of the effort that went into putting together a book that I could truly feel confident in and stand behind 100%. But of course, writing a book and marketing a book go hand in hand, and no matter how good the product you're offering is, if your target audience don't know about it, it isn't going to sell many copies.  So even though the hard work put into creating the book is over, the hard - and in some ways harder - work that goes into promoting it has only just begun. But with an auspicious start like this, I'm more than motivated to roll up my sleeves and start spreading the word!   

Yes, the day has finally arrived: ‘ Monologues They’ll Remember You By ’ is officially released! It’s been a long journey, I have to say: The search to compile the best monologues within my body of work; the task of selecting what to include and what to omit; creating introductions to each piece, defining the setting, tone and character; and writing the introduction to the book itself, along with other supporting materials. But it was all worth it in the end, and I’m proud and confident to put this book before the buying public, safe in the knowledge that what I’m offering is a truly valuable and unique resource for any actor. One of the things that really sets this book apart is that not only does it contain a large array of monologues you won’t find anywhere else, it also provides a guide on how to approach your monologue search from an entirely new perspective. Though the monologues included are separated into male and female monologues (40 male, 40 female) of varying age ...

I’m happy to report that 'Monologues They'll Remember You By' debuted at the number one spot on Amazon in new releases in Acting & Auditioning when it first went “live”, providing an auspicious start to the book’s release into the market. Though the official release date is still a few weeks away (September 14th), it’s available for pre-order in both paperback and e-book editions on Amazon, so if you’d like to be one of the first to receive a copy when it hits the presses, so to speak, get your order in now by clicking here .

At long last I have a new book coming out. This particular book, however, is quite different to anything I’ve released in the past as it’s a text book . I’ve been working for some time now on assembling a book of monologues for actors of all levels taken exclusively from my back catalogue of plays, and I’m pleased to report that the official launch date is now within sight. Since I already had numerous monologues of mine published in various trade publications (with another one on the way), the idea to create a book of my own seemed like a logical move. The only hesitation I had about embarking on such a project was the sheer size of the task ahead of me. But, never having been one to shy away from a challenge, earlier in the year I began the lengthy process of reading through all of my plays and selecting what I considered to be the best contenders for inclusion in the book. When I’d whittled the list down I found I was left with a substantial total of 80 comedic, dramatic...

'The Craft' will receive another London staging when Bigger Fish Theatre's SHORTSTUFF2 production is reprised at the acclaimed Theatre503 on July 5th, 2017. The theatre is renowned for presenting groundbreaking new plays, winning an Olivier Award in 2010 for its production of Katori Hall's 'The Mountaintop.' And don't forget that the initial production of SHORTSTUFF2 will be taking place at the White Bear Theatre in Kennington, London, on June 26th, 2017. Tickets for that event are available here . Tickets for the Theatre503 production are available at the theatre's website here . I wish the casts and crews of all the plays involved in SHORTSTUFF2 all the very best, and of course to my fellow playwrights in the show, Fran Bushe, Janice Hallett, Barbara Lindsay, Alasdair Melrose, Micah Smith, and Ruby Thomas.

I’m very happy to report that London ’s Bigger Fish Theatre will be producing ‘The Craft’ as part of its SHORTSTUFF2 production at the White BearTheatre on 26 June, 2017. This will mark the 15 th production of the play to date and this production in particular promises to be an excellent one.  That said, I should point out that neither Jude Law nor Charles Boyer will be in the cast lineup, or any inhabitants of London Zoo for that matter.  Bigger Fish Theatre was formed in 2017 by Charlie Burt, Michal Horowicz and Alasdair Melrose with the aim to produce original drama and music theatre. All three met at the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama and are clearly blessed with frighteningly high levels of taste and discernment having chosen to produce The Craft⸮ I only wish I could be there in person to see it, but instead I’ll just wish the cast and crew and everyone involved in the production to break a leg! Details on purchasing tickets will be availabl...

My short play ‘Carbon-Based Life Form Seeks Similar’ will be produced this coming weekend as part of the Tortilla Entertainment Company’s new short play festival Tortilla Twister 2017. The event runs May 19, 20, and 21, and takes place at the Alliance Francaise, Bangalore . Full details are available here . The five-minute version of the play is now available in the anthologies 105 Five-Minute Plays for Study and Performance from Smith & Kraus Publishers and 5-Minute Plays (Applause Acting) from Applause Theatre & Cinema Books. This marks the first time I’ll have had a play produced on the continent of Asia and I’m very grateful to Anita Mithra at Tortilla Entertainment Company for making this possible.

If the title of this post brings to mind images of intimate, candlelit gatherings of Dublin ’s polite society making small talk while sipping on Negronis and Pink Ladies, allow me to clarify. ‘Cocktail Conversation’ is a one-act play I wrote some years ago now – in 2002 to be precise – but which is sadly just as relevant today as it was back then. It was written in response to a dispiriting news article I’d read which attributed a new rise in HIV infections among young people to advances in antiretroviral drug therapy (commonly referred to as “drug cocktails”). The perception had begun to form among the younger demographic of the gay community that HIV infection wasn’t really such a big deal anymore since these drug cocktails essentially allowed you to live forever  – or at least to a close approximation of a normal lifespan. The play is written as a comedy, but is subtly underpinned by a sobering reality in the lives of its two protagonists. It’s centered around two young...

‘What’s the Meta?’ is to be produced at SUNY Jefferson in Watertown, NY, as part of an evening of 8 ten-minute plays taking place on April 7, 2017. Interestingly, while ‘What’s the Meta?’ may not be my most produced play – ‘The Craft’ recently earned that distinction after finally beating out ‘Indigenous Peoples’ – it is almost certainly my most read play. First published in the Smith & Kraus anthology ‘ The Best Ten-Minute Plays for 2 or More Actors, 2009 ,’ it was subsequently picked up for a second publishing deal by the noted literary scholar Michael Meyers for the Bedford/St. Martin’s tome ‘ The Bedford Introduction to Literature: Reading, Thinking, Writing (10th Edition) .’ That weighty, best-selling textbook is still studied at colleges and universities all across the country, arguably giving that little play the largest audience of any of my works to date. And there’s nothing the matter with that!

‘The Craft’ has been selected for production by the Parish Players of Thetford Hill, Vermont, for their 11th Annual Ten-Minute Play Festival this February. Based at the Eclipse Grange Theatre , the Parish Players have been bringing the classics, musical comedy, contemporary drama, and original works to their community for over 50 years. Produced by Leah Romano & Duncan Nichols, this year’s festival will take place at the following dates and times: Thursday, February 9, 16 at 7:30pm | Friday - Saturday, February 10-11, 17-18 at 7:30pm | Sunday Matinées February 12, 19 at 3:00pm The Parish Players is an incorporated not-for-profit organization staffed and run entirely by group of admirable volunteers.

Monologues from ‘The Craft’ to be Published in New Anthology Two monologues from ‘The Craft’ are to be included in a new anthology from theatrical trade publisher Smith & Kraus, Inc. , entitled ‘222 More Comedy Monologues, 2 Minutes And Under,’ edited by John Capecci and Irene Ziegler. Publication expected early 2017. It’s been an astonishing 12 years since I had monologues from ‘Cuthbert's Last Stand’ and ‘Kitchen Sink Drama’ published in this forthcoming book’s predecessor, ‘ 222 Comedy Monologues 2 Minutes and Under, Volume 4 ,’ so I find it somewhat remarkable that after all these years we’re both still going strong. One of the things I like most about these collections is that they’re specifically focused on comedy monologues. Comedic writing is all too often made to take a backseat to its dramatic counterpart, and that’s both unfair and unfounded. It’s as if, in the process of making someone laugh, a work of comedy becomes viewed as something frivolous and triflin...

‘The Craft’ will be making its Philadelphia premiere next month when the University of Pennsylvania’s Theatre Arts Council will be producing the play as part of its annual One Acts Festival. A total of four plays will be staged during the event, which takes place on February 3rd and 4th, 2017. More details will be available on the Theatre Arts Council’s website in the coming days. While ‘The Craft’ has been produced in several different countries and many states across the U.S., this latest production will mark the play’s official hometown debut.

Theatrical trade publisher Smith & Kraus has selected a monologue from “Carbon-Based Life Form Seeks Similar” for inclusion in its forthcoming anthology THE BEST MEN’S STAGE MONOLOGUES OF 2017, edited by Lawrence Harbison. Tentative publication date: 12/2017. In the play “Carbon-Based Life Form Seeks Similar,” Leslie’s decided to give love another try. But in a world of shameless self-promotion, prepackaged personalities, and artificial body parts, can someone still be loved simply for who they are, or do happy endings only exist in massage parlors? Smith and Kraus Publishers, founded in 1990, is the premier US publisher of contemporary trade theater books and associated digital resources. The publisher’s books enrich the theater experience for theatre students, theater professionals, and theater audiences alike.

I’m happy to report that ‘The Craft’ swept the awards at this year’s Minnesota Shorts Festival, in Mankato MN this weekend. As well as the play taking the award for ‘Best of the Fest,’ actors Travis Carpenter and Noelle Lawton were voted Best Actor and Best Actress. And in helming ‘The Craft’ to the top spot, this also marks director Maggie Maes' fourth year in a row of directing the winning play. Congratulations and thanks to all three of them for their talent and hard work in putting together a show that the audience very clearly took to their hearts (and funny bones).