About me
_ Doc is an American, grew up in South and worked in the theatre since the age 11 (taught Theatre Arts at University of Texas, Austin; UCLA in Los Angeles; and in the UK). She now lives/writes in Oxford, England but travels home regularly. She writes realistic drama with political settings (hopefully with some humour) and always writes to the Bechdel Test. She attends workshops/staged readings/ productions, no matter the location.
Doc’s most recent full length production In My Bones, (mixed race cast) won the Panndora’s (sic) Box Staged Readings of New Work, and was produced by Panndora Productions for three weeks in May, 2023 in LA.
Doc’s plays have won numerous awards and have been produced in USA, UK and Ireland. One of her latest full lengths, Dear Viggo and The Blue Haired Woman won Best New Play (STAGED READINGS) in Dublin, AboutFace ‘s NEWvember (sic) New Works Festival. Jus’ Sayin’, Jus’ Sayin’ was a Finalist in 2024 Blue Ink Award, Chicago (not yet produced) and the original short Jus’ Sayin’ was produced in The Ink Festival, Suffolk, England, April ’24. Her new play Why AreYou Still Here? is to be produced April, at The Ink Festival ’25. Other full lengths produced include: Spitfire Sisters The Space Theatre, London; Little Did I Know, Bread & Roses Playwriting Award, 2017 (produced 2018) Bread & Roses Theatre, London, UK; God Don’ Like Ugly, Venus Theatre, Washington DC, 2015, won Best New Play.
Doc writes/directs/ produces short plays with Oxford Playwrights (three productions a year) in Oxford, England. . . . It’s an addiction.
My Plays
In My Bones
Synopsis:
“Locking women up for indefinite periods in immigration detention is inhumane, unjust and pointless. Our research has shown that the Home Office is breaking its own rules”. 2017 inspection report of Yarl’s Wood Immigration and Detention Removal Centre by the Chief Inspector of Prisons.
*********
Simidele, a West African teenager with an horrendous history, not to mention, attitude, meets/collides with Antonia, a straight-laced professor of Botany with secrets of her own, as they are forced to become room-mates, detainees in the Brideswell Detention Centre, England. Agassou, a magical panther, who resides in the gigantic Baobab tree over Simi's bed, watches over her, guiding her magical juju gift. Physical theatre, West African drums/dance feature, along with a lovely Fred Astaire/Ginger Rogers number between Simi and Agassou. In My Bones is also the story of two very different women’s relationship and their eventual friendship, born out of the need to trust . . . and survive.
Number of Characters: 3
Minimum Number of Actors Required: 4
Length (in Pages): 88
Location: Brideswell Detention and Illegal Immigration Centre A sparsely-furnished room in Brideswell Detention Centre, with two single beds, one on either side of the room. There is a small box of open shelves next to each bed. Simi’s shelves have a spare pair of
Key Words: British treatment of women and female Immigrants;
Has the Play Been Produced? Yes
Are the Rights Available? Yes
Has the Play Been Published? No
Award nominations/wins: won Panndora's (sic) Box Staged Reading Festival of New Plays and was produced by Panndora (sic) Productions, Long Beach, CA., USA
Reviews:
In My Bones PUBLICITY advert/photo of cast May 2023-07-29
Jus' Sayin', Jus' Sayin'
Synopsis:
Between 4.5 million to 15 million American children are exposed to physical violence/emotional control at home. Holly Girl (white) is one of them. Her best friend, Malachi or ‘Mopsy’ (black) is as well. Both aim to protect their mamas. Holly Girl’s mama wants someone to tell her what to do. Little does she know her daughter, who has a vividly wild imagination, talks continually with an unseen Voice, has a magical plant that grows into a brilliantly radiant tree, eventually enveloping her tree house . . . little does her mama know, but Holly girl is making plans. But then again, Holly Girl’s Jus’ Sayin’, Jus’ Sayin’.
Number of Characters: 4
Minimum Number of Actors Required: 4
Length (in Pages): 83
Location: Rural countryside, in the American Deep South.
Key Words: Young people; dark comedic drama; mothers victims of domestic violence; fantasy
Has the Play Been Produced? No
Are the Rights Available? Yes
Has the Play Been Published? No
Award nominations/wins: Jus’ Sayin’, Jus’ Sayin’ was a Finalist in 2024 Blue Ink Award (didn’t win—cheque only) and was short listed for the Frank Moffat Mosier Fellowship for Works in Heightened Language (not selected for production). Both of these competitions highly praised the script, but sadly, no joy for full production.
Reviews:
