JAMIE PACHINO
~FULL-LENGTH PLAYS~
SPLITTING INFINITY
( formerly
titled: VISIBLE/INVISIBLE)
3/W 3/M
Unit Set
A Nobel prizewinning physicist decides to go after evidence of
God, through physics. As she single-mindedly pursues her goal, she upsets the balance
of her relationship with Rabbi Saul Lieberman, her oldest and best friend, and
her star graduate student, the child of a Christian Scientist.
PRODUCTION
HISTORY
·
Splitting Infinity was commissioned by Steppenwolf Theatre
Company.
·
World premiere: Geva Theatre, April, 2006
·
Subsequent productions:
DEVELOPMENT/NEW
PLAY FESTIVALS
·
American Conservatory Theatre, First Look Festival (Joe
Calarco, director)
·
Hartford Stage Brand NEW Festival (Will Pomerantz,
director)
·
A Contemporary Theatre Women Playwrights Festival
·
Geva Theatre New Voices Reading Series
·
New Theatre Reading Series,
AWARD
HISTORY
·
Winner,
Laurie Foundation Theatre Visionary Award
·
Winner,
STAGE Competition for plays about science and technology
·
Winner,
ACT Women Playwrights Festival
·
Winner,
Becket Arts Festival
·
Winner,
Dorothy Silver Playwriting Competition
·
Finalist,
PlayLabs, The
·
Finalist,
Jane Chambers Award
·
Gold
Medal, Pinter Prize for Drama
WAVING GOODBYE
3/W 2/M
Extensive Technical Considerations
PUBLISHED: Playscripts, Inc. (www.playscripts.com)
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The story of Lily Blue, a 17 year old
photographer who loses her father in a mountain climbing accident, and must
spend her 17th year with the mother who abandoned her. Taking place in the
past and the present, WAVING GOODBYE is also about loss, grief, change,
making art, being stalled, wishing things were different, moving forward,
first love, not turning into your mother, and those irrevocable moments after
which nothing is the same. PRODUCTION HISTORY ·
Steppenwolf Theatre Company and Naked Eye Theatre Company,
co-production at the Steppenwolf Studio, Chicago ·
Red Hen Productions, ·
Aurora Theatre, ·
Syzygy Theatre,
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AWARDS HISTORY
·
Winner of the Kennedy Center Fund for New American Plays Production
Grant. Other honors, see AWARDS
PAGE
·
Winner of
REVIEWS
Highly
Recommended, Chicago Sun-Times
Recommended, New City, Chicago
"Our
pick" Citysearch.com
"Jamie Pachino's fierce, and fiercely written
new play, "Waving Goodbye" is a sensitive, often scorchingly acted production
... unquestionably the work of a playwright who can create fresh, strong,
memorable characters, who writes with her heart emblazoned on her sleeve and
who has a real feel for the stage. She also knows a thing or two about adult
relationships, and about the often irreconcilable needs in the life of any
truly driven person, whether an artist or an adventurer. ... her characters
give off a searing heat ... perfectly cast ... wonderfully physical ... utterly
enchanting ... riveting ... haunting... and touching. Highly Recommended."
Chicago Sun-Times, Hedy Weiss
"Jamie Pachino has fashioned a sensitively
crafted exploration of filial tensions further complicated by the duties
exacted of artists... This parable of loss and resurrection is sumptuously mounted
by Naked Eye Productions, in conjunction with the Steppenwolf Studio. ...Waving
Goodbye emerges as a ... significant step in a career well on its ascent."
Windy City Times, Mary Shen Barnidge
"Waving Goodbye" is ... an aching
character study that looms as large as its stunning New York loft setting. This
world premiere by playwright Jamie Pachino comes with a pedigree-a grant from
the Kennedy Center Fund for New American Plays (putting it in the important
company of "Angels in America"). Presented by Naked Eye Theater in
conjunction with Steppenwolf, Waving Goodbye is a tight, five character tale...
an emotional drama that muses over the complex legacies of grief, both
debilitating and liberating... an actors' playground... an ambitious script ...
succeeds admirably... a fertile new work."
Chicago Free Press Magazine, Web Behrens
"Jamie Pachino's new work is a beautifully
written portrait of loss, rage, change, and the terror--and joy--of trusting
another person in the wake of personal cataclysm. ... Pachino writes from the
gut and heart in a way that's utterly refreshing. ...an intriguing work that
deserves to be heard."
The Reader, Kerry Reid
"Waving Goodbye," a surprisingly powerful
production staged by Naked Eye Theatre. The whole thing is a touching,
occasionally poetic exercise in trying to wave goodbye, one of the hardest and
most important things we ever learn to do."
New City, Michael Amadeo
"The scale of playwright Jamie Pachino's
Waving Goodbye is a measure of her continuing and rapid growth as a young
writer.”
Backstage.com, Katherine Burke
“Jamie
Pachino’s Waving Goodbye examines age-old questions about art’s permanence and
life’s fragility, yet each moment crackles with originality. The intimate,
coming of age drama … achieves rare theatrical elegance. …The play is funny—as
well as heartbreaking.”
Louis Mayeux, Atlanta Journal-Constitution
THE RETURN TO MORALITY
3/W 3/M
Set: Can be minimal or extensive.
THE RETURN TO MORALITY is a lightning paced political satire
about Arthur Kellogg, an author who writes a scathing satire of the religious
right, only to see it get published non-fiction, and embraced by far right and
militia groups as a manifesto. Before Arthur has a chance to fix the portrayal
of the book, he winds up interviewed by Sixty Minutes, abandoned by his wife,
and ultimately blackmailed into giving the keynote address at the Republican
National Convention, live, with unanticipated results.
AWARDS
HISTORY -- Winner of 8 national awards; Nominee Illinois
Governor’s Award; Runner Up, Osborn Award. See Awards page for further honors.
PRODUCTION
HISTORY
·
Rep Stage,
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University of Maryland,
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Seattle Theatre Project, Washington
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The Blue Room, California
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Fairmont State College, W. Virginia
·
Theatre in the Square, Atlanta
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Theatre Americana, California
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InterAct Theatre, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania USA
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City Lights, San Jose
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Stage 3 Theatre Festival of New Plays, California USA
·
Bloomington Playwrights Project, Indiana. Y.E.S. Festival,
Kentucky
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Oglebay Institute, W. Virginia.
·
Y.E.S. Festival, Kentucky.
REVIEWS
"The Return to Morality is
totally cynical, urgently relevant, and wickedly funny .... It strikes the
motherlode of iniquity with its trenchant observations on the hypocrisy and
venality involved in the merchandising of morality by the media .... From its
satirical title to its surprising but satisfying ending, [The Return to
Morality] is a play with a punch that entertains as it admonishes."
Sherman Spencer, The Stockton Record,
California
"... a sardonic knockout, as
hilarious as a tent full of clowns and as topical as next year's election ...
Pachino's text bristles with caustic wit, directed principally toward hypocrites
and opportunists in publishing and in politics ... the acid social commentary
comes across as broad brush lunacy, uproarious on its surface, and thoroughly
scary beneath ... searing, giddy ..."
Leo Stutzin, Modesto Bee, California
“On the surface…THE RETURN TO MORALITY is a playful, upbeat
comedy about the way political attitudes are formed and altered by image
managers, spin doctors and the media.
But buried under all the superficial fun is a thought-provoking
commentary on responsibility both in and out of the political arena…”
Barbara Mackay, The Washington Post
"Intelligently written ... there
is not a missed step in the show, which is tied up in a dandy and unexpected
ending. Bravo and brava." Kathe Waterbury, The Union
Democra“Playwright Jamie Pachino’s pointed satire The Return to Morality is a
brisk, biting comedy that lunges for
the trembling throats of sound-bite-fixated news media and
platitude-dealing politicians alike, as well as artists, their art and those
who promote or become enamored of that art for the sake of that other fearful
American deity, popularity. The play spares no one.”
John W. Young, Chico News and Review
“As a scathing satire on our media saturated age, it hits one
high note after another with the accuracy of a missle. ... Pachino’s script has
us laughing out loud even as she attacks her targets with surgical skill.”
David Cannon, Mongtomery
“Buried under all the superficial fun is a thought-provoking
commentary on responsibility, both and out of the political arena.”
Barbara Mackay, The Washington Post t
"Confronting the dilemma that
strong beliefs and good intentions may not be enough in today's political
arena, The Return takes a jab at the moral police whose hypocrasis are
overpowering ... this play has something to say about the world today without
forcing its opinions down your throat."
University of Pennsylvania Guides
AURORA'S MOTIVE
3/W 4/M
Set:
Can be minimal or extensive.
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The true story of
Aurora Rodriguez and her prodigy daughter Hildegart in early 20th century
Spain. A noted lawyer, author and activist before she was 15, Hildegart
lectured nationally on sexual freedom, women's rights, birth control and
socialism. In 1933, when she was 18, her mother killed her. AWARDS HISTORY – Named one of the top ten productions
of the year by the Chicago Tribune.
See Awards page for further honors. PRODUCTION HISTORY ·
Teatro Vista, Chicago, Illinois USA, 1999 ·
(Production remount) Theatre on the Lake, Chicago, 2000 ·
Optioned for the screen by Greenstreet/SKE Films, New York City. |
REVIEWS
"This moving and ambitious play from an
immensely talented writer deserves full houses. Not only does Pachino introduce
us to a character most of us know little about, she skillfully universalizes
the mother daughter conflict so that any child who has rebelled from parental
control, or any parent who has given up a precious fledgling becomes
emotionally engaged. ... This play deserves a major production."
Chris Jones, Chicago Tribune
" ...movingly told by playwright Jamie Pachino
... a tale that will leave you shaking your head at the unbelievable possibilities
-- and failures -- of human experience."
Andrew Patner, Chicago Sun Times
"Aurora's Motive is an intense, well-crafted
history play ... a script that explores the history and ideas at play without
beating us over the head with either. The result is a sad and compelling story
of mother's-love- as-destructive-force, and idealism's painful transformation
into rigidity."
Ben Winters, New City, Chicago
PUBLICATIONS
·
Excerpted in Monologues for Actors, Meriwether/Contemporary Drama
Service.
·
Excerpt published in The Ultimate Scene Study Series, Volume IV: 104
Short Scenes for Four Actors, Smith and Kraus, May 2000.
THEODORA: AN
UNAUTHORIZED BIOGRAPHY
2/W 4/M
Set:
Multi-level platforms, can be done on a budget.
Technical requirements: Script includes video and slide projections,
but can (and has been) produced without them.
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The exposé of the courtesan,
actress, and eventual Byzantine Empress alternately painted by history as a
despot, romantic heroine, revolutionary, and nymphomaniac. A
thought-provoking and exuberantly funny exploration of the essential nature
of history, biography, and whether you can ever know a woman completely AWARDS
HISTORY -- please see AWARDS page
for honors |
PRODUCTION
HISTORY
·
Bloomington Playwrights Project
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Women Playwrights Conference, International Theatre
Institute, Athens Greece, 2000
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Total Theatre, Columbus, Ohio USA, 1999
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The Firelight Players, San Antonio, Texas USA, 1999
·
Theatre Conspiracy, Washington D.C., Emerging Women
Playwright’s Series, 1998
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Red Hen Productions, Cleveland, Ohio USA, 1997
·
Bailiwick Repertory, Chicago, Illinois USA, 1995
(Originally commissioned by Bailiwick for their Women at the Center Festival)
REVIEWS
“Jamie Pachino’s moving and intelligent new historical play about
Aurora Rodriguez was a fascinating tale of a mother daughter trauma played out
against a backdrop of revolutionary politics. Pachino’s play was the most
impressive work by a local author produced all year. She’s a name to
watch.”
Chris Jones, Chicago Tribune, (end of
year review)
“This moving and ambitious play by an immensely talented writer
deserves full houses. A compelling historical tale [told] with
speed, truth and heart…This play deserves a major production.”
Chris Jones, Chicago Tribune
(production review)
"Theodora is an interesting,
witty, and fast-paced play. Pachino has a dead on knack for timing. She has
carefully and deftly interspersed hijinks with earnest dialogue, repartee with
soliloquy, motion with pause to offer a varied and lively play. And she knows
how to build round, appealing characters into that texture ... a fun and
entertaining two hours... a worthwhile play."
Craig Owens, Bloomington Independent
"A funny, involving and thought
provoking play."
George Walker, WFIU
"Pachino moves through what could
have been dry-as-dust arguments about historiography with an extraordinary
grace, intelligence and wit."
Chicago Reader
"Pachino has created a delightful
and provocative conundrum ... [a] rich and amusing play about works and words
... a fascinating trip through history, what makes it, and why we remember
those we do, as well as being an account of Theodora that's about as complex as
the woman herself surely must have been."
Nightlines (Chicago)
"This is entertainment that is
both amusing and thought provoking. Try not to miss it."
Plain
Press (Cleveland)
"a provocative, often very funny
play by Jamie Pachino ... Theodora gives us a beautifully prepared banquet of
food for thought. A genuine must-see."
Diane Windeler, San Antonio
Express-News
RACE
(Adaptation
of Studs Terkel's bestseller RACE: How Blacks and Whites Think and Feel About
the American Obsession)
2/M
2/W 4 (African American) 2/W 2/M
(Caucasian) 1/M (Hispanic) (Can be produced with more actors, but not
fewer)
Set:
Minimal set requirements.
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An
adaptation of Mr. Terkel's eloquent oral histories of race in America. From
community and political leaders to everyday citizens, RACE exposes a range of
human experience, brutally and honestly coming to terms with this volatile
and important issue. AWARDS HISTORY -- please see AWARDS
page for honors PRODUCTION HISTORY ·
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Soul Rep Theatre, ·
Cuyahoga Community College, ·
Strawdog Theatre Company, Chicago, Illinois USA ·
Burbage Theatre, Los Angeles, California USA PUBLICATION
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Meriwether Publishing/Contemporary Drama Service Fall, 2000 as part
of Multicultural Theatre III: Contemporary International Plays for Young
Audiences (anthology) |
REVIEWS
"... a fluid and fascinating adaptation by
Jamie Pachino succeeds where theater does best. It makes us see, hear and hurt
through others' souls. ... Combining spellbinding storytelling with survival
tales, the play teems with truth telling."
Chicago Tribune
"It simply echoes, in searing flesh-and-blood
form, the truths, falsehoods and pervasive ambivalence on this issue that have
defined and distorted our society from one generation to the next. Yet in
bringing us face-to-face with these all too familiar refrains, RACE forces us
to listen to the sound of our own voices and fears. Pachino's razor sharp focus
... gives RACE just the right cutting edge."
Chicago Sun-Times
"I especially recommend this play for those
who consider themselves racially unbiased."
LA Weekly
RACE TOURING PRODUCTION/EDUCATIONAL VERSION
45
minute version of the full length script for middle and high school audiences.
Calls for four actors: 2 African American (1 woman, 1 man); 2 Caucasian (1
woman, 1 man).
PRODUCTION HISTORY
·
Northlight Theatre, IL, outreach tour, Chicago schools.
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Long Wharf Theatre outreach tour, 2000. Connecticut schools.
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Blue Heron Theatre outreach tour, New York City schools.
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City Lit Theatre tour, through Urban Gateways, 1996-1999. Chicago and
suburban Illinois schools.
CHILDREN OF CAIN
2/W 5/M
Set: Run down kitchen (unit set)
Fate takes on freedom of choice in this black comedy about a
broken family with a curse on its head. Combining elements of biblical lore,
Greek tragedy and contemporary comedy, CHILDREN OF CAIN is a modern day gothic,
a lightning paced story of redemption during a summer thunderstorm in deep
Texas.
Character breakdown: 2 women, 5 men
AWARDS
HISTORY -- please see awards page.
PRODUCTION
HISTORY
·
The Playwright's Center, Chicago, Illinois USA, 1993
REVIEW
"A chilling and absorbing piece
of writing ... Jamie Pachino exhibits a keen sense of dialogue, with an ear for
clarity and restraint ... rough and violent and an intriguing piece of
theatre."
Gay Chicago Magazine
FAMOUS
FOR FIFTEEN YEARS
6/W
1/M (African American)
Set:
various locations, flexible.
Technical
requirements: Script includes pre-recorded video segments which air during
performance.
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A non-linear, time-traveling party with the acolytes
of a very Andy Warhol-like artist. From appearances at the artist's 1984
memorial service to 1969 "scene and be seen" parties, Venus Envy,
Holly Grail and their friends must come to terms with lives they've lived in
front of the cameras, and for their autobiographies. A funny, ironic,
multi-media look at art, fame and the art of being a celebrity. AWARDS HISTORY -- please see AWARDS
page for honors PRODUCTION HISTORY ·
Oberon Literary Ensemble, NYC. REVIEW: “…filled
with good ideas and excellent moments.
What is there to learn from celebrity?
What do people do when their lives have been spent in pursuit of a
fame that doesn’t even feed them, much less satisfy them? These questions are worthwhile, and when
Holly Grail confronts them in a scene with Venus Envy (who has reverted to
her real name), the contrast between them…is almost searing. Pachino’s strong writing…is made achingly
real.” Theatremania.com |
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