Life on the Bowery

Tim, Kelly

Samuel French, Inc.

The Cave (Acting Edition for Theater Productions)

Literature & Fiction

Kelly, Tim

Dramas & Plays

Dramatists Play Service, Inc.

THE STORY: The scene is a rustic shack in the remote wilderness of New Hampshire's White Mountains, the home of the sinister Granny Goodwife and her young helper, Susanna, whom Granny found abandoned in the woods. Known as a healer adept in the use of folk remedies, Granny is also suspected of being a witch and, indeed, she has kept Susanna a virtual prisoner by casting a spell which only she can break. Susanna and the others who live nearby are also intimidated by the tale of The Scarecrow Woman (reputed to be Granny's sister) who rises from the bottom of Muddy Pond when there is fog on the mountains and beckons people to their deaths. As the play begins Susanna and her friend Charlotte are plotting to outwit Granny by impersonating The Scarecrow Woman and demanding Susanna's release, a plan which is complicated by the unexpected appearance of John, a young college student who is doing research on the folkways and folklore of the region. Enthralled by Granny's bizarre stories and weird potions, John is reluctant to take the tale of The Scarecrow Woman or the girls' attempt to make use of it seriously until, in a shocking, macabre twist, he is made aware that they are all indeed in the presence of genuine, and terrifying, evil-and that there are truths which must be accepted even though they defy understanding and logic.

Fog on the Mountain.

THE STORY: As the author describes: Imagine what would happen if the tragedy of Hamlet were played like a story in a trashy detective magazine! The bard would never be the same and neither would your audience. Shy on poetry but loaded with poetic license (and laughter) THE OMELET MURDER CASE introduces Chicago's number one private investigator and hack writer, Shake Speare. Shake is noted for his juicy yarns: Who Poisoned Juliet?-Don't Go In The Tower With Richard-Madman Macbeth Is A Lousy Host. With his faithful secretary Miss Marlowe he's summoned to the fabulous Elsinore Mansion, where things are, as Shake would say, moiderous. The once-lovely Miss Ophelia has traded in her evening wrap for a straitjacket, the Stern sisters (Gilda and Rosa) are acting weird, and society queen Gertrude is all nerves because her flaky son is telling people that his father was done in by poison dropped in the ear (was it murder or wax buildup?). But it isn't until Shake arrives that things really get muddled. Gertrude's new husband, Claude, is downright rude, and son Hamlet is edging closer to the funny farm minute by minute. Shake's deductions are both awful and uproarious. Could the true murder weapon be those mysterious olives? The lukewarm Ovaltine? What has cable television to do with any of it? The solution, alas, leaves Shake with egg on his face, but Marlowe is determined to write up the case. She gets the detective's blessing, although he thinks a title like Hamlet will never sell. The riotous characters are fun to play and the production aspects are extremely simple. Ideal for contest use or for any group looking for something amusing and different. Running time is about thirty minutes.

The Omelet Murder Case.

THE STORY: One of the most fascinating mysteries dealing with William Shakespeare is the fact that he left his wife, Ann Hathaway, nothing but his second best bed. This odd bequest has puzzled biographers for centuries. The play opens as several gossipy neighbors visit Anne's cottage. They already know of the bequest and are anxious to see Anne's reaction when she hears the news, which is about to be delivered by Shakespeare's two daughters, Judith and Susanna. The women are cheated out of their amusement by Anne's fierce faith in her husband, even though his wealth has been left to others. However, the bard was never one to leave things as they seem and by curtain time Anne has discovered just how greatly Will loved and needed her. It's a surprise ending that catches not only Anne unaware but the audience as well. A delightful romantic comedy, extremely simple to stage. About twenty minutes.

Second Best Bed. (Acting Edition for Theater Productions)

THE STORY: Lord Ruthven, a charming but vicious vampyre with a taste for gambling, gains the confidence of Aubrey, a weak-willed young man who is dazzled by Ruthven's worldliness and urbanity. Through him Ruthven gains entrance to the stately count

The Vampyre: A "Penny-Dreadful" Stage Thriller In Two Acts

Full-Length Drama  /   This dramatization is the essence of Dickens' most theatrical novel, a parade of colorful characters: wicked Uncle Ralph; stylish Madame Mantalini; "decayed" Arthur Gride; pitiable orphan Smike; the winsome Cherryble brothers; lovely Madelaine Bray; scheming Lady Hawk; and the amazing Crummles with their seedy theatre troupe. Standing above all the villains is the infamous Wackford Squeers who, with his horrible wife and daughter, runs his dreadful school with his cane and tablespoons of foul-tasting medicine. A delightful blend of comedy, mystery and melodrama written for easy production, based on the novel by Charles Dickens.  (Casting 15m., 15w. ~ Flexible With Doubling)

Nicholas Nickleby (A Play)

Dramatic Publishing

Cast size 11m, 11w. This is a wild, free-flowing comedy that's easy to stage. Joining M*A*S*H are two unpredictable madcaps, Hawkeye and Duke. They can't be dealt with casually, however, because they are also two of the best chest surgeons in South Korea. They decide to wage a campaign to get a young Korean to the United States and entered in a good school. The thread of this effort helps tie together the pileup of comic adventures that pyramid right before the eyes of your astonished and hysterical audience!

M A S H

Dramatic Pub. Co.

Murder by Natural Causes

The Dramatic Publishing Company

This comedy parodies every English mystery play ever written: but it has a decidedly American flair. Miss Maple, a dowager with a reputation for "clever" weekend parties, invites a group of detective writers to eerie Ravenswood Manor on Turkey Island, where they are to impersonate their fictional characters. The hostess has arranged all sorts of amusing incidents: a mysterious voice on the radio, a menacing face at the window, a mad killer on the loose. Who is that body in the wine cellar anyway? Why do little figurines keep toppling from the mantle? Then a real murder takes place, and Miss Maple is outraged. She offers an immense reward to the "detective" who can bring the killer to justice. And what an assortment of zany would-be sleuths! When they're not busy tripping over clues, they trip over each other! Laughs collide with thrills, and the climax is a real seat-grabber as the true killer is unmasked, and almost everyone turns out to be someone else! Can be played as a pure farce, or as humorous satire.

The Butler Did It

Concord Theatricals

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Books by Tim, Kelly