…last and always
By Allan Baker
On 9/11 a gay couple…one in the World Trade Center and one at their home in the city…must say goodbye. Sometimes love can take you to a safe place when nothing else can.
One of three winners of the annual 10 minute-play competition of Tree City Playhouse in Sylvania, Ohio, this play was to have been produced in May, 2020. Production was suspended due to the pandemic. A future production is pending.
For information: https://www.sylvaniaarts.org/theatre/treecityplayhouse/
Sean and Corey are enjoying the beginning of a relationship and their new home. Their dogs, Abby and Dex, are not. Abby, Sean’s young, excitable and mischievous dog, must learn to deal with the much older and steadier Dex, who has long been Corey’s companion and protector. There are conflicts to be resolved in the relationships of all four characters. Fortunately, all four are able to communicate in funny, lovely and unexpected ways. “What if you and your dog could talk?” A sweet, funny and moving tribute to the animal companions with whom we share our lives.
Reviews of "Dex & Abby" at Ground Floor Theatre:
Sun News Austin
Austin Chronicle
Photos from the production
Dex & Abby was developed with support from the Scriptworks Seed Support Fund. Collective support for playwrights at www.scriptworks.org
Published, 2023 by Original Works Publishing, Los Angeles, CA.
“The World Premiere of an award-winning play by a fresh, literate and engaging Texas Playwright. Dare is the story of an elderly gay man whose desire to die on his own terms sparks an impassioned challenge from his younger gay doctor. The conversation that follows is an intense exploration of love, friendship, AIDS and activism – and a celebration of the rule-breakers who came before us, paving the way for same-sex marriage legislation in 2015. As funny as it is intimate, Dare is a touching reminder that the lessons of history must be part of any struggle for a better and more accepting world. This play weaves together the history of gay liberation, the enduring threat of homophobia, the impact of AIDS, aging in the gay community, end of life issues, the argument between advocates of gay “assimilation” and gay “radicalism” ... and the vital role of drag queens. Winner of the 2017 Mario Fratti-Fred Newman Political Play Contest at the Castillo Theatre in NYC.”
Reviews of "Dare" at Desert Rose:
Broadway World
Coachella Valley Independent
Photos from the production
Dare was developed with support from the Scriptworks Seed Support Fund. Collective support for playwrights at www.scriptworks.org
DARE
By Allan Baker
Winner, 2017 Mario Fratti-Fred Newman Political Play Contest
Staged reading at Castillo Theatre
543 W. 42nd St., New York City
Monday, August 7, 2017 at 7 PM
“The Castillo Theatre sponsors the Mario Fratti-Fred Newman Political Play Contest and reading series bi-annually to encourage the writing of progressive plays that engage the political/social/cultural questions and/or historical events and issues that impact on our communities.”
In his 82nd year, Jack, a resident of a nursing home in the Central Valley of California, has decided to end his life by refusing food and starving himself to death. His young and new “consulting gerontologist”, Josh, has been summoned by the home’s administrator to try to discover the reason for Jack’s decision. Both Jack and Josh are gay, though from very different generations. In their afternoon of conversation and in four flashbacks from Jack’s past (San Francisco, ’73; Fire Island, ’78; New York City, ’87; and New York City, ’90), we come to understand the “play” in which Jack, the theatrical veteran, feels the “dramatic arc of his character” is now complete. And, in the character of the doctor, we see the impact of this “play” on its intended “audience”.
For information, please go to the Castillo Theatre at: http://www.castillo.org/playwriting-contest/
Modus Vivendi Theatre Company and The Registry Theatre present
An LGBTQ Festival of the Arts
September 10th, 11th and 12th, 2015 at The Registry Theatre
122 Frederick St., Kitchener, Ontario
Featuring A Midwinter Night’s Converstion, by Allan Baker.
"Jamie
and Will have been in a loving, comfortable and mutually supportive
relationship for many years. But all relationships encounter unexpected
challenges. That's when truth, sensitivity, self-awareness and honesty
are most important. When one of the two is an actor...a very good actor...both
the nature of the challenge and how the couple come to deal with it...can be
quite...interesting."
This was the first production of Midwinter and the first international production of one of Allan’s plays.
Eskandar*, by Allan Baker
Thursday, July 30th at 7 PM and
Saturday, August 1st, at 7:30 PM
Remnants
of a Dream, by Ruth Cantrell
Friday, July 31st at 7:30 PM and Sunday,
August 2nd at 2:30 PM
Supremacy, by Rosalyn Rosen
Saturday, August 1st at 2:30 PM and
Sunday, August 2nd at 7 PM
The Yeager Theater at Stages Repertory Theatre
3201 Allen Parkway, #101, Houston, Texas
For tickets, visit http://stagestheatre.com/
*Inspired by Bizet’s Carmen and the Shahnameh, or “Epic of Kings” of the 10th Century Persian poet Firdowsi; Eskandar is the story of the tragic clash of cultures, histories, social and gender roles and geo-politics in today’s Afghanistan. Joe, an Afghan-American who has returned to Afghanistan as part of a covert operation, falls in love with Eskandar, the wild, impetuous and entrancing “kept boy” of an Afghan warlord. They develop a relationship, which ends in tragedy.
DARE
Directed by Rudy Ramirez
With
Harvey Guion, Zac Carr, Jude Hickey and Harrison Harvey
In a nursing home in the Central Valley of California, Jack, an 82-year-old gay man, reflects on a life that has spanned the most tumultuous years of gay history and explains to Josh, a young gay doctor, his decision to complete the “dramatic arc” of his character in the play that is his life. This play weaves together the history of gay liberation, the enduring threat of homophobia, the impact of AIDS, aging in the gay community, end of life issues, the argument between advocates of gay “assimilation” and gay “exceptionalism”...and the vital role of drag queens.
A staged reading.
Ground Floor Theatre
979 Springdale Rd., Austin, Texas
Wednesday, February 25th, 2015 at 7:30 PM Admission is free.
Developed with support from ScriptWorks’ Seed Support Fund. For more information about ScriptWorks, visit www.scriptworks.org.
Coachella Valley’s LGBT and Gay Positive Stage Company
For "Family" and Friends
To celebrate Pride Month in the Palm Springs area, the Desert Rose Playhouse and the Tolerance Education Center present staged readings of two of Austin gay playwright Allan Baker’s award-winning one act plays!
Click (Password: "read")
Click It's Saturday night and two gay guys are online trying to hook up, each for a somewhat different reason. Jason sees easy sex as a way to avoid intimacy. Michael sees it as a way to get to emtional intimacy more quickly.
A Midsummer Night’s Conversation (Password: "read")
It’s four months into the relationship and a gay couple must face a critical moment. It’s a time for honesty, intimacy and total self-exposure. And one of the two is an actor...a very good actor.
June 26th at the Tolerance Education Center, 35147 Landy Ln., Rancho Mirage, CA. (760) 328-8252
West Coast Players 5th Annual One Act Plays Festival,
July 11th to 20th, 2014.
Clearwater, FL
...last and always (Password: "read")
“On 9/11 a gay couple...one in the WTC and one at their home in the city...must say goodbye. Sometimes love can take you to a safe place when nothing else can.”
“On 9/11 a gay couple...one in the WTC and one at their home in the city...must say goodbye. Sometimes love can take you to a safe place when nothing else can.”
Actors’ Theatre of Santa Cruz 19th annual “8 Tens @ Eight” Play Festival, Jan. 3rd to 26th, 2014, Santa Cruz, CA.
“On 9/11 a gay couple...one in the WTC and one at their home in the city...must say goodbye. Sometimes love can take you to a safe place when nothing else can.”
Theatre Department of the University of Guam annual festival of student directed short plays. Mangilao, Guam.
November 14th to 23rd, 2013.
Dex & Abby
By Allan Baker
Directed by
Stacey Glazer
With
Tom Byrne
& Jenny Lavery
Matthew C.
Burnett, David Shea Henne and Kelly Matthews
“A gay couple and their two dogs. The guys are in love. The dogs don’t get along at all. A funny, sweet, and very moving tribute to
the companions with whom we share our lives.”
Staged
Readings
Salvage
Vanguard Theatre, 2803 Manor Rd., Austin, TX
Mon., March
11th at 7:30 and Sat., March 16th at 8
Admission
is free, but reservations required.
Email: abbyproductionsaustx@yahoo.com
Developed with support from ScriptWorks’
Seed Support Fund. For more information
about ScriptWorks, visit www.scriptworks.org.
Click "It’s Saturday night and two gay guys are online, trying to hook-up, each for a somewhat different reason. Jason sees quick and easy sex as a way to avoid emotional intimacy. Michael sees it as a way to get to emotional intimacy more quickly."
"First Place in the Playwriting Competition!"
Produced by Eclectic Company Theatre as part of their 9th “Hurricane Season” festival of one act plays, July 13th to August 5th, 2012, Los Angeles, California. For information you may visit the theatre website.
Beauty “A great work of art changes hands and a tale of beauty is told...by the Dealer, the Collector and the Buyer.”
Produced from July 11th to 15th, 2012 by Salem Theatre Company of Salem, MA as part of their “Moments of Play” short play festival. For information, you may visit the theatre website.
...last and always “Sometimes love can take us to a safe place when nothing else can.”
Produced by Buffalo United Artists Theatre as part of their “Takes Ten: GLBT Short Plays” festival, June 22nd to July 1st, 2012, Buffalo, New York. For information you may visit the theatre website.
...last and always “Sometimes love can take us to a safe place when nothing else can.”
Produced by Blue Slipper Theatre as part of their first 10 Minute Play Festival, May 11th through 20th, 2012, Livingston, Montana. For information you may visit the theatre website.
An evening of short plays, including Beauty, by Allan Baker. “A great work of art changes hands and a tale of beauty is told: by the Dealer, the Collector and the Buyer.”
Presented February 23rd to 25th, 2012 by The Valley Repertory Company, 100 High St., Enfield, Connecticut.
Click here for theatre website and complete program.
;
Sept. 9th to 17th, 2011 at the Kalita Humphreys Theater
3636 Turtle Creek Blvd. at Blackburn
Presented by Uptown Players
Festival includes Click and A Midsummer Night’s Conversation.
Click here for complete Festival line-up and to order tickets!
...last and always “Sometimes love can take us to a safe place when nothing else can.”
With Charles Gould and C. Frederick Secrease
Directed by Nick Brennan
Sometimes love can take you to a safe place when nothing else can.
At the Shell Theatre, 300 W. 43rd St., New York City, Jan. 21 to Feb. 6, 2011.
Read
about the plays and see photos from Connect.
Meet the playwright, director and cast of Connect.
...last and always “Sometimes love can take us to a safe place when nothing else can.”
This play was produced by NativeAliens Theatre Collective as part of their tenth “Short Stories” program for New York City’s Gay Pride Festival, June 24th to 28th, 2009.
The Samuel French Off Off-Broadway Short Play Festival, June 2007.
Five Minutes Three short scenes set in the World Trade Center on 9/11, reminding us that sometimes five minutes can be a lifetime...and sometimes love can take us to a safe place when nothing else can.
Produced by Emerging Artists Theatre of New York City.
Emerging Artists Theatre’s Fall Festival of Short Plays, October 31st to November 19th, 2006, New York City.
Five Minutes Three short scenes set in the World Trade Center on 9/11, reminding us that sometimes five minutes can be a lifetime...and sometimes love can take us to a safe place when nothing else can.
Contact: email
Abby Productions
4711 Spicewood Springs Rd., #159
Austin, TX 78759