Alive

Ashley has given it all up to follow her husband’s career, finding solace in People magazine and candy bars.  Is that really a life?  Is that really living?  In the meantime, husband Jacob can’t resist a good antique store and wondering about the previous owners.  But when he arrives home with his latest treasure, Ashley is horrified.  He intends for the pretty — but definitely used — urn to hold the ashes of whichever of them goes first.  This opens a Pandora’s box, both hilarious and heartbreaking, about their relationship, their dreams, and what makes us truly alive.

"a short, dark comedy with a surprisingly sweet undertone."
-David Cunningham British Theatre Guide


"Alive really does live up to its name. By the end you feel a sense of renewed life, of being, yes, alive, of wanting to jump up and down on your sofa in celebration of what we have in the right now."
-Rob Warren, Everything Theatre


The seamlessness of the trajectory of the play is thanks to the quick-witted dialogue between the characters...  Considering the premise is so morbid, the script, written by Jenny Stafford, is unexpectedly hilarious...  The foreshadowing and symbolism throughout the production, meanwhile, complement the writing with a sense of sophistication and completion.
- Reem Ahmed, The Indiependent


Alive was recorded as part of the American Playbook Podcast through the HBMG Foundation, and was presented at TheSpaceUK in Edinburgh in 2021, where it was nominated for the Spirit of the Online Fringe Award, and the Hidden Gem Award.


Alive was published and is available for licensing through Pioneer Drama Service. 
Get more info here: Alive-One Act (pioneerdrama.com)

CornFoxGoose

20-minute musical
Book and Lyrics by Jenny Stafford
Music by Charles Innis 

Based on the 1920s, real-life intelligence test by Lewis Terman, entitled “A Study of the Intellectual Processes of Seven Bright Boys and Seven Stupid Boys,” this musical follows Terman as he tries his intelligence test on two boys he’s already determined to be “smart” or “stupid.”  A story about self-identity, and how we and the world determine our worth. 

CornFoxGoose received a reading at New York University, and was a finalist for a NYC short film grant. 

Performer Credits:
Stephen Mark, Patrick Burr, Alex Rivera

To Have and To Hold

15-minute musical
Book and Lyrics by Jenny Stafford
Music by Willem Oosthuysen 

When Eric and Ashley hire a married couple to act as marriage counselors for them, they get more than they bargained for. 

To Have and To Hold was originally written for and produced by Prospect Theatre Company, and was later produced as part of Barrington Stage’s “Musical Shorts.” 

 

Skittles 

10-minute play
By Jenny Stafford 

Brothers-in-law Will and Eddie try to mend their relationship by going ice fishing.  However, when they pull a magical armadillo out of the ice, their relationship is truly tested. 

Skittles received second prize in the McLean Drama Company Playwriting Competition, and was presented at the Woolley Mammoth Theatre in Washington, D.C. 

The Envelope

One-Act Play
By Jenny Stafford 

In this absurd dark comedy, Timmy and Mikey are strangers who meet when Timmy sees Mikey standing on the side of the road, holding out an envelope.  Timmy, determined to escape his boring, hopeless life, finds himself desperate to know what’s inside Mikey’s envelope.  Mikey, with a secret and a mission of his own, just wants to be left alone.  As the two argue, cajole, punch, faint, fake, and joke their way to getting what they want, they eventually find themselves wondering what it is that they’re actually trying to get from each other.   

The Envelope was produced as part of the Gallery Players Black Box New Play Festival. 

Performer Credits:
Jenny Stafford and Kevin Velez

It's Me

10-minute musical

Book by Tyrone Robinson and Jenny Stafford
Lyrics by Jenny Stafford
Music by Minjoung Hwang 

Renee, a depressed dental hygienist, can’t wait to attend her high school reunion and relive the days when her life was wonderful—and try to rekindle the spark with her high school sweetheart.  However, when she gets there, no one remembers who she is. 

It’s Me was produced by the Midtown Theatre Festival in NYC. 

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