Works Written by Mêlisa Annis
KEEP CALM AND CARRY ON
PIT
FIT FOR A KING/UNITED FRONT
THE CULT PLAY
GEORGE BELL
CHARLIE’S WAITING
ME: THE INHERITANCE OF A LONG-TERM FAULT
THE KING’S WIFE
Synopses:
Keep Calm and Carry On – (2W 1M) A dark comedy about the effects of grief. It’s the story of a mother and father who lose their son Tommy in the war in Iraq, well past the time anyone remembered a war was still going on. A surprising visitor comes with news which ultimately helps them all move on while keeping the memory and legacy of their Tommy alive.
Pit – (3W 5M) Set in 1980’s Wales, coal miners are being pitted against each other by management as Thatcher wants to close the mines down. The town is divided between those who scab, and those who don’t, and we follow the wives who have to fuel the fires to keep the protest going as they navigate the turmoil the Thatcher government has brought on them.
Fit For A King – (2M 1W) Fit For A King is about an aging upper-class actress in London, whose looks and fame are fading, but her love for her husband remains as deep as ever, despite his changing needs.
United Front – (3M 1W) United Front focuses on a welfare class family, they live in a tower on a council (welfare) estate, which is about to be torn down. We watch as they struggle with the governments new austerity policies and the changing world around them.
The Cult Play – (4W 1M) Inspired by House of Bernarda Alba, though not an adaptation, this is the story of four young women who have lived their lives as part of a Christian fundamentalist cult in a Colorado trailer park. Following their leaders recent arrest, a new leader is crowned, and the rules of their world change drastically. Somewhat dystopian in tone, the play deals with sexual assault, religion and collective punishment.
George Bell – (1M 1W) A romantic dark comedy. Two sanitation workers from the city are sent to an apartment in Queens to collect valuables to pay towards his funeral expenses. As they catalog the life of the deceased, they realize how very lonely the city can be, and how unseen they actually are.
Note: this play should be performed in a room, an apartment or non-traditional space.
Charlie’s Waiting – (3W) A dark comedy that follows two women the night before their wedding. A pregnant Louise is busy with all the planning while her fiancée Kelly busies herself feeding the goats. Everything is going to plan, that is until Louise is forced to confront questions of trust and intimacy, and she discovers how quickly plans can get derailed.
Me: The Inheritance of a Long-Term Fault – (2W 1M) The Inheritance of a Long-Term Fault delves into the enduring repercussions of colonial-era societal structures, illustrating their pervasive influence on our contemporary world—manifesting physically, linguistically, spatially, and spiritually. Interconnected scenes spanning time and space illuminate the clash between Me’s desire and the legacy she’s inherited form the past. Only a tectonic shift will allow her to hear the echoes from a mythological past and explore new possibilities of what comes next.