PLAYS
Secret Hour // Beating a Dead Horse // Ahoy-Hoy // Eleanor and Dolly // Some Kind of Weasel
Secret Hour
Married couple Kate and Ben have such a difficult time communicating about difficult topics that they’ve come up with a game—“secret hour”—in which they must tell each other the truth, no matter what. Even so, as they struggle to have a baby, Kate doesn’t know how to tell Ben that she doesn’t want to be a mother—so much so that she’s secretly had an IUD for two years.
To make things even more complicated, Kate is an ethics professor. The play is interwoven with her often-humorous lectures to her students, where she asks them (and the audience) to weigh the ideologies of Confucius and Nietzsche and answer the question, “Is your greatest ethical responsibility to yourself, or to others?”
Secret Hour received its world premiere production at Capital Repertory Theatre in New York, and was nominated for the Susan Smith Blackburn Prize.
Subsequent productions include The Public Theatre and the Ensemble Actors Studio.
Secret Hour is available for licensing through Broadway Play Publishing.
“Stafford’s dialogue is fiery and incredibly smart, peppered with genuine humor, humanity and honest emotion. Funny, smart and engaging. Highly recommended. A gem.”
–The Daily Gazette
“Secret Hour is quick, funny and smart in an engaging way.”
–Trans Union
“Stafford’s play is a story of true love and its cost through human nature…a delectable comedy.”
—Berkshire Edge
“The show invites you in, to watch the cracks and lies in their lives burst through their veneers. It is performed with great humor, strong delivery, and a large serving of sadness and deceit. It is engaging, fun, sad, and emotional…Secret Hour is a very satisfying time spent at the theatre. “
–Nippertown Review
“A wise, perceptive work. It is an enjoyable parable about the search for the authentic life about which Kate teaches. As all parables, the plot is simple, until examined. The success of the play is in the balance playwright Stafford finds in the story. Thankfully, Stafford leavens what could be a dreary work about truth, right and wrong, and authenticity by adding a lot of humor. Though it cannot be called a comedy, you will laugh more than at most plays that do call themselves comedies. Secret Hour might not change your life…but it could.”
–Troy Record
“This deeply thought provoking script (Jenny Stafford, playwright) is layered with intricacy and filled with smart, witty, insightful dialogue...This top rate show is not to be missed. It’s thought provoking on a deeply philosophical level as it addresses ethics, truth, authenticity and our relationships with ourselves and others. It is, entertaining, quirky, engaging and extremely funny at times.”
— burghvivant.com
“The play is smart, funny and sometimes gut-wrenching as a married couple work their way through some daunting “secrets” to find answers to the question of their highest ethical duty.”
—Sun Journal
Beating a Dead Horse
Steve and Marty Martin are two brothers on the brink of closing their failing pet funeral home, “A Nice Farm Upstate With Plenty of Room to Run Around.” That is, until an eccentric, rich old lady offers them a fortune for the funeral of her nearly dead racehorse, Sir Trots-A-Lot. There's only one problem: the horse won't die.
Beating a Dead Horse is the recipient of the 2017 Reva Shiner Comedy Award, and was originally produced at the Bloomington Playwrights Project, with multiple productions across the country.
Beating a Dead Horse is available for licensing through Broadway Play Publishing.
“It's rare that you come across such a nonstop funny show. From beginning to end, it's just flat-out hilarious. The characters are fun, and the show is a great escape from pretty much everything right now."
-Chad Rabinovitz, Herald Times
”For theatregoers who like to laugh and think, Beating a Dead Horse is a winner...the audience is roaring.”
-Connie Shakalis, Herald Times
Ahoy-Hoy:
A Play About That Relatable Feeling When Someone Else Invents the Telephone Three Hours Before You Do
It’s 1876 and also, right now. Elisha Gray is this close to inventing the telephone. He’s brilliant, anxious, and ready to make history… if Alexander Graham Bell doesn’t beat him to it. Spoiler: He kind of does. Two oversized egos. One telephone. A battle of beards and bell tones. Ahoy-Hoy is a deliriously unhinged, unapologetic sprint through American ambition, innovation, and the absurd quest for legacy.
Ahoy-Hoy won the Audience Choice Award at the Modern Works Festival at Urbanite Theatre, and received readings and development through Lemonade Stand Theatre, SOMA Stage, and Prologue Theatre.
Eleanor and Dolly
Ellie is an ambitious high school senior who is determined to fulfil one of her life goals: to marry her high school sweetheart. The only problem is, she doesn’t have one. However, when a new foreign-exchange student arrives in the last few months of school, Ellie channels the advice of her hero, Eleanor Roosevelt, to try to make her plan come to fruition.
Eleanor and Dolly has been produced at Temple University, and is available for licensing through Broadway Play Publishing.
“…the stakes for the characters are high as they hurtle towards a turning point in all of their lives, but Stafford effortlessly injects every crisis with warmth, patience, and humor.”
-BroadwayWorld
An invitation to a suburban bachelorette party arrives with instructions to “bring a pair of panties that represents your relationship with the bride,” sending storyteller Jenny Stafford spinning into a hilarious and thought-provoking existential crisis.
Some Kind of Weasel was presented at the 2020 Edinburgh Fringe Festival through Flying Solo Presents!, performed online.
“Some Kind of Weasel tells an undoubtedly feminist story, and Stafford’s writing extends beyond familiar narratives, not only deconstructing the dangers of stories which pit women against one another but examines why these stories prevail.”
-Dominic Corr, The Wee Review
MUSICALS
The Homefront // Extended Stay // The Goree All-Girl String Band // Prodigy // The Artist and the Scientist // Color Inside the Lines // Awakening // Paramour
The Homefront
Book by Malika Oyetimein and Jenny Stafford
Music by Sam Salmond
The earliest stages of a feminist revolution in the American workforce is at the center of this powerful and inspiring true story of strength and resilience. When World War II comes to a close and the men return home, the women are immediately fired from their jobs at the factory. Two best friends—one black and one white—lead a movement to fight for the jobs of their fellow female workers. But when their progressive ideals fall short and it becomes clear that the black women and the white women will no longer have the same opportunities in this post-war world, they have to decide what – and who – are they willing to give up in the fight, and what happens when loved ones get caught in the crossfire. American history, pop rock, and feminist revolution collide in this rousing new musical.
The Homefront was presented as part of Village Theatre’s Festival of New Musicals and BETA series, and through the Next Festival of New Musicals at Theatre Latte Da. The show has also been developed through residencies at the Johnny Mercer Writers Grove at Goodspeed, the Catwalk Institute, and Barn Arts. Finalist for the National Alliance for Musical Theatre Festival (NAMT recommended), the Pipeline Award, and the O’Neill Musical Theatre Conference. Recipient of a Frank Young Fund NAMT grant.
Extended Stay
Book and Lyrics by Jenny Stafford
Music and Lyrics by Scotty Arnold
Owen checked into an extended stay hotel in Mishawaka, Indiana, five years ago—and has not been able to convince himself to leave his room since. Plagued by both fear and ennui, Owen finds himself stuck in every sense of the word. When the new front desk clerk, Emma, arrives, she is desperate to pull herself out of her own “stuckness” after a massive life failure and a dark past. She finds herself befriending both Owen and his adventurous but troubled friend, Ethan. As these three broken people come together, will they help each other or harm each other?
Extended Stay was produced at the Kitchen Theatre by WoW Productions in 2025. Development at the Rhinebeck Writers Retreat and the Florida Festival of New Musicals. Winner of the WoW’s Now New Musicals Festival, and the Colorado Festival of New Musicals. Finalist for the Yale Institute for Musical Theatre, and a semi-finalist for the Eugene O’Neill Musical Theatre Conference and the Pipeline Award.
“Extended Stay has a fascinating premise—strangers meet at a rundown Midwest extended-stay hotel—and intriguing characters. Three young adults, each broken in some way, come together. But will they help each other or harm each other? The music was tuneful, and the show was surprisingly funny for a plot that has some deeper material at its core. Creators Jenny Stafford and Scotty Arnold…have some memorable songs—especially “The Crossroads of America,” opener, and a clever tune about the joys of a well-worn bathrobe. (Really!)”
–Matthew J. Palm, Orlando Sentinel
The Goree All-Girl String Band
Book and Lyrics by Jenny Stafford
Music and Lyrics by Artie Sievers
The year is 1938 and The Goree All-Girl String Band is the biggest new radio sensation in Texas. They also happen to be convicted criminals. The six band members teach themselves music from behind bars and earn a slot on a prison-based radio program. Through sisterhood, determination, and a little bit of luck, these women work (and play) together to fiddle their way to freedom. Inspired by a true story, The Goree All-Girl String Band is a tale of redemption that features an ensemble of actor-musicians performing a brand new country score.
The Goree All-Girl String Band was presented as part of the Village Theatre Festival of New Musicals, and through an industry reading at the Drama League. Finalist for the 2021 PEN America Writing for Justice Fellowship, semifinalist for the O’Neill Musical Theatre Conference. Previous iterations of the show were presented at the New York Musical Theatre Festival, starring Tony winner Lauren Patten (Jagged Little Pill).
“(It’s) taken a real-life story and turned it into a rousing two-act evening of fun and genuine social concern.... this score is entirely new and rousing as all-get-out”
-The Huffington Post
“The story of the Goree Girls just begs to be a TV series, film or the next offering on Broadway....Mark my words, this show has a life beyond NYMF.”
-Times Square Chronicle
“... a sweet story of female friendship, the reclamation of agency, and the healing power of music — It's the story that hooks you, but it's the music that keeps you there.”
-Theatre Mania
“Imagine A Prairie Home Companion staffed by felons, or Orange Is the New Black with yodeling and a washboard...it’s a production that deserves a longer run. Hopefully the producers will find their way to a lengthier sentence. It would be a crime not to.”
-Front Row Center
PRODIGY
Book and Lyrics by Jenny Stafford
Music by Willem Oosthuysen
Emily, at age 14, is convinced that she’s a prodigy, just like her two heroes—her dad (a cellist) and Mozart. She just doesn’t know at what. However, when Emily is told that her father is killed in a car crash right before his biggest competition, she is determined to find out what makes her special and make him proud. With the help of her imaginary friend, Mozart, she sets off on a quest to find her skill.
Through non-linear storytelling, we also follow Emily at age 34. Having found her skill as a cellist like her father, she has buried herself in the obsessive world of the cello, and Cello (portrayed by an actor throughout the piece) becomes the only real relationship in her life. However, as she starts to discover the limitations of her isolation, she is challenged to reexamine who her father was, who she is, and how music, mental illness, and art define her and the world she has created for herself.
Prodigy received a full production through CCU, after being presented at New York University’s Collaborative Development Program, Indiana University, the Harrisburg New Works Festival, and the Two Rivers Theatre. Prodigy was also a finalist for the Yale Institute for Musical Theatre, the Eugene O’Neill Musical Theatre Conference, and the Barrington Stage Mainstage.
Performer Credits:
Alyse Alan Louis, Cyrilla Baer, James Sasser, Stephen Mark, Patrick Burr, Tara Halpern. Cello: Alden Terry
The Artist and the Scientist
Book and Lyrics by Jenny Stafford
Music by Brandon Anderson
Story by Jenny Stafford and Brandon Anderson
The Artist and the Scientist is a musical that takes place over the span of five minutes, in the moment between a Scientist’s proposal to his girlfriend, an Artist, and her decision. An out-of-space, out-of-time folk rock musical that explores the creative and scientific forces that make us who we are, and the people who challenge us to open ourselves to something more.
The Artist and the Scientist received an off-off Broadway run at the CAP 21 Theatre Company in 2015.
Performer Credits:
Jamila Sabares-Klem, James Penca, Christina Deccico, Brandon Anderson. Piano: Kristen Rosenfeld
“Inventive and deeply moving…the show is smart, witty, funny, and deeply emotional — with great empathy for all its characters.”
–Rob Hartmann, Stagebuzz.com
”A highly ambitious and complex new musical…musically, the show moves in an arc that is in sync with the book…as the show progresses, the songs become richer and more lushly romantic”
–Howard Miller, Talkin’ Broadway
Color Inside the Lines
Book, Music, and Lyrics by Jenny Stafford
A palm-reading drag queen tells Jenny she’ll never find love, sending her mind reeling back to high school and a match-making scheme that went horribly wrong. After hopefully filling in the bubbles of a scantron, envisioning her perfect match, she is paired with the biggest loser in school. Was this whole “matching system” just a cruel hoax by the popular kids, sitting around in someone’s dad’s hot tub, laughing at the losers as they paired them up? Maybe--but years later she wonders…what if he was her perfect match? Questions about love, destiny, erasure, and memories collide in this comical and surprisingly touching story of growth, acceptance, and the expansiveness of love.
“…a poignant play, full of recognisable situations and with plenty of dry humour"
-David Cunningham, British Theatre Guide
"An emotional, compelling and comic piece, not to be missed."
-Rachel Louise Martin, West End Best Friend
"A wry and warm musical memoir"
-Louise Penn, LouReviews
Color Inside the Lines was presented at the Denver Fringe Festival, where it won Best Solo Show. It was presented online at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in 2021, and will be presented at the 2022 Edinburgh Fringe Festival in person.
Awakening
Based on the novella by Kate Chopin
Book by Jenny Stafford
Music by J. Oconer Navarro
Lyrics by Joel B. New
Set in 1899 Louisiana, Awakening tells the story of Edna Pontellier, a young mother of two and the wife of a successful New Orleans businessman. While the family is vacationing at a seaside resort, Edna becomes acquainted with Robert Lebrun, a younger man who sparks feelings and confidence that Edna had forgotten. When she returns to the city, Edna throws off the trappings of her old life -- devotion to family, attention to societal expectations, and adherence to tradition -- to explore her own wants, interests, and desires. But her independence comes with a price.
Awakening was the recipient of the Margo Lion Award, a Frederick Loewe Foundation Grant, and is a two-time finalist for the Eugene O’Neill Musical Theatre Conference.
Performer Credits:
Farah Alvin, Carrie Love, Roy Raines, Devin Ilaw, David Burnham, Mariand Torres, Isabel Santiago
Cirque du Soliel’s Paramour
Story by West Hyler
Music by “Bob and Bill” (Mark Lessard and Guy Dubuc)
Co-composer and Lyricist Andreas Carlsson
Additional Lyrics by Jenny Stafford
Cirque du Soleil has dazzled audiences the world over, and after a successful Broadway run, Paramour—its boldest, most heart-soaring spectacle ever moved to Hamburg in Germany, 2019. Paramour spins the thrilling tale of a beautiful young actress forced to choose between love and art in the glamorous world of Golden Age Hollywood.
Featuring eye-popping acrobatics and sumptuous music and dance, Paramour is a groundbreaking new event that will transport you to a sublime world of emotion and awe as it walks the exhilarating tightrope of the heart.
THEATRE FOR YOUNG AND FAMILY AUDIENCES
Two Bugs are Better Than One // The Wind in the Willows // Cinderella // The Star Child // A Whooper’s Tale
Two Bugs are Better Than One
Book and Lyrics by Jenny Stafford
Music by Willem Oosthuysen
Students at the Peachtree School for Insects are up to their usual antics, but today there is a buzz in the air because Fiona the Firefly, the leader of their community, has disappeared! Marvin and Anna, a scatter-brained moth and a studious worker bee, are assigned the duty of finding Fiona and bringing her back to safety. During this 45-minute original musical, children will travel with Marvin and Anna on an epic journey of self-discovery. Along the way, they’ll meet a sassy spider, a dramatic mosquito and a sly fly, all of whom teach an important lesson about how collaboration, cooperation and self-confidence can help save the day!
Two Bugs are Better Than One was originally commissioned by the New York City Children’s Theatre. The show did a three-year tour through the NYC area, received an off-Broadway run, and toured with the Walnut Street Theatre in Philadelphia.
Performer Credits:
Hector Manuel, Vanessa Spica, Diana Fox
“Two Bugs are Better Than One is a prime example of this goal. After conducting much research on the topic, they found that many pre-schoolers experience difficulties connecting with others in school settings. Thus, “Two Bugs are Better Than One” addresses these issues by showing the benefit of two strong individual bugs working together as a team.”
–Nora Fried, Newyorkfamily.com
The Wind in the Willows
In this whimsical and musical adaptation of the enduringly popular children’s novel, you’ll join Mole, Ratty, Badger, and Mr. Toad on their whirlwind adventures through the countryside and beyond.
The Wind in the Willows was commissioned by the Walnut Street Theatre, and toured as part of their 2025 season.
Performer Credits:
Jenny Stafford and Willem Oosthuysen
Cinderella
Book and Lyrics by Jenny Stafford
Music by Willem Oosthuysen
This classic fairytale comes alive in a fresh, new way in this reinvented adaptation. Cinderella dreams of attending the ball thrown by Prince Andrew, a young prince who is nowhere near ready to be King. Through her kind heart and the help of dear friends (Fairy Godmother and Sir Mikhail), the two embark on a journey to find what truly makes a King or Queen.
Cinderella was originally commissioned by the Spotlight Youth Theatre, and has received over 15 full productions across the United States and Canada.
“…this show is hysterically fun and dramatically beautiful.”
–Donna Scumaci, Patch.com
Performer Credits:
Jenny Stafford and Willem Oosthuysen
The Star Child
Book by Jenny Stafford
Lyrics by Sarah Underwood
Music by Josh Freilich
Based on Oscar Wilde’s short stories, this fun-filled musical follows Mattan, the self-proclaimed "most beautiful boy in the world.” When a suave Marketing Man comes to town to send Mattan on tour, his fame goes to his head. However, when he becomes so self-centered and cruel that a witch takes his beauty, he must go on a journey and learn to see beauty through the eyes of others.
The Star Child was a finalist for the Ronald M. Ruble New Play Competition, and was presented at the Emerging Artists Theatre, the Finger Lakes Musical Theatre Festival, and French Woods.
Performer Credits:
Mykal Kilgore, Hannah Elless, Jason “Sweet Tooth” Williams, Nick Corely, Anne Fraser Thomas, Cecily Daniels, Patrick Oliver Jones
A Whooper's Tale
Book by Jenny Stafford
Music by Russel J. Coutinho
Lyrics by Lynn Sanders
A Whooper’s Tale was originally developed and presented through Theatre Building Chicago’s Young Audiences Program. A Whooper's Tale tells the incredible true story of George Archibald, the ornithologist whose innovative passion kept the whooping crane from going extinct in the early 1970s. Tex, one of the last whooping cranes born in captivity, believes she's a human and refuses to lay an egg. It's up to George and the other cranes to help her find her true identity and save her species. This upbeat show is filled with fun and music while teaching about nature and taking care of the planet.
A Whooper’s Tale was originally developed and presented through Theatre Building Chicago’s Young Audiences Program
Short Works
Alive // CornFoxGoose // To Have and To Hold // Skittles // The Envelope // It's Me
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.