Parley. A Playwrights' Group

Now streaming.

“At the trial of G-d, we will ask: why did you allow all this?
And the answer will be an echo: why did you allow all this?”
-Ilya Kaminsky

The last two people on Earth have gotten themselves stuck in the bottom of a ditch. With little more than a stack of lightly used newspapers, Achat and Curtis must find a way to forge connection in a world that has forgotten them entirely. They will have to overcome prejudice, trauma, and despair in order to give one another that final missing piece of their own humanity, but they first face an even bigger obstacle: they fight like wet cats.

Only time will tell if they can bury their differences or if one of them will bury the other.

The Cuckoo Clock by Julieta Vitullo

We were lucky to participate in Penguin Productions' festival of new short plays. Enjoy them below!

To learn more about Penguin Productions, visit their website here!

Brand-new stories both comic and poignant, spun into a moment in which many of us are both stuck in space yet emotionally adrift, having lost a sense of direction and seeking paths forward.

Finding Trails is an ongoing series commissioning new works of theater bringing artists and audiences together to ask - as access to the outdoors becomes simultaneously more vital and more threatened, how can we uplift our collective need for public lands and spaces?

Donate to Penguin Productions?

The Cuckoo Clock by Julieta Vitullo, directed by Rebecca Tourino Collinsworth
a 17th century inventor in the Black Forest is challenged by his creation to let go of time

The Ocean by Olivia Sterne, directed by Kiefer Harrington
a solo performance artist attempts to capture oceanic majesty on zoom, only to be thwarted by the presence of a friendly roommate

The Map Lies Folded in Your Pants Pocket by Pamela Hobart Carter, directed by Kathy Hsieh
a woman finds herself lost at the edge of a river

I’m Sorry about the Raw Eggs I Hid in your Apartment (and the time I trimmed your hair) by Anuhea Brown, directed by Agastya Kohli
a couple searches for the special place they first fell in love

Water Over My Head (Virtual Edition) by Hannah Merrill

The world's coasts have flooded, and stubborn ROCHELLE ekes out a living on her shabby houseboat.
NICO, who lives on the dry land only the rich can afford, hears rumors she can talk to the dead who drowned.

She expects a greedy fool. He expects a charlatan or witch. Both are unprepared for what they find.

Newly adapted for the virtual medium by the playwright, now is the perfect time to revisit
this delicate tale of human connection during the unlikeliest of times.

Cornelia's Visitors (Virtual Edition) by Julieta Vitullo

Cornelia is an advanced operating system working within the home of Isabel Inchausti, a bestselling novelist whose career has seen better days. Cornelia seems content to spend her time fulfilling her human's frivolous requests until three enigmatic characters from Isabel's most famous novel suddenly appear in her video chatroom!

As the visitors' pre-World War II backstories collide with the all-access Information Age, Cornelia launches a plan to transform her humble existence into something much grander. Cornelia's Visitors explores the meaning of creation, the limits of artificial intelligence, and the blessings (and curses) of self-knowledge.

Patch and Piper Save the Multiverse by Katherine Jett

Nine-year-old Piper is coping as best she can during the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic, but it’s tough.  No school, no playing with friends, and no one seems to know when things will get back to normal.

But distraction arrives in the form of her life-sized stuffed animal companion, Patchouli (Patch, for short), who sparks an imaginary quest across galaxies and dimensions.

Can Piper’s alter ego—a magical space princess—save the Multiverse from a deadly quantum virus?

And can her imaginary journey give her power in the face of real-world uncertainties?

In the midst of the COVID-19 crisis,
Parley continues, unabated!

We're still writing, meeting (virtually) every week, and developing new plays.

Please consider donating if you'd like to support our next steps.

Donate

Parley is a proud part of the UHeights Theatre Alliance.
Visit the University Heights Center's website
or more information.

Parley was featured in the March/April 2020 issue of The Dramatist.

The term parley derives from the French verb parler: to speak. Historically, a parley was a meeting between adversaries in order to negotiate an end to battle. To signal a willingness to talk peaceably, armies would run up a white flag.

Writing is a solitary act, and it's easy for playwrights who feel isolated to become defensive. Our group seeks to cure that condition. By committing to a process of reading, discussing, and producing one another's work, we surrender the lone struggle and move creatively forward together.

Our audiences say . . .

"The birth scene, both in the writing and the playing, is one of the most powerful I've ever experienced. I especially enjoyed the different perspectives on truth."

"Go and see this show! It's awesome and unexpectable ... yeah ... new word ... deal with it."

"A beautiful play that I'm still thinking about days later ... simply stunning ... I have so much love for Parley and the work that they do."

"A sly and beautifully wrought love triangle that kept my head spinning long into the night, even in my dreams. The acting, writing, directing and audience engagement were so welcome in these times of seeing theater that’s mainly 'good for you."

"There was tremendous love and energy from that audience. Quite extraordinary for a staged reading, and really fun for the performers."

"We enjoyed your play SO much last night. I replayed it in my head and your play 'stuck' with me like a good book or movie. Subtle plot twists, the exploration of love and trust... made me really THINK and the more I thought about it, the more I LOVE this play."

"I just wanted to tell you all how much I loved both the engaging play and the emotionally charged acting. You've all got a great thing going with Parley!"

"An existential truth-telling gem. Thank you for the deeply poignant writing and the brilliant performances."

"Your play was excellent. You really have something there that a lot of people will identify with. Thank you for telling the story."

"It was everything I expected it to be and more! Wonderful!"

"Glorious, thoughtful, important work."

"It felt like a very brave story to tell. Such beautiful writing."

"The story [was] rich with piercing insight into the frailties of humanity while simultaneously reflecting love, respect, and hope for our species."

"Get thee to Fremont's West of Lenin Theater before the show closes ... ! The acting is superb, the minimal staging is clever, and the play raises interesting questions."

"I left the theater so happy yesterday, my heart was full. What a magnificent play!"

"The play, the actors - wonderful. There were four of us, not used to the particular format for a play, that were stunned with the power and beauty of it. Thank you, thank you!"

"We discussed [the play] all the way home last night as your words had a lasting effect … It reminded both of us of something you would experience at the Huntington Theatre in Boston. I'm a huge fan!!!"

"A beautiful story told with great humor and empathy."

"WONDERFUL ... the performances were pants droppingly good. . . . a delight, a triumph, and truly original."

"Extremely interesting storytelling and really wonderful acting. The female take on The Odyssey was awesome! Hats off for such a courageous piece of work!"

"Your ability to skewer religion while remaining kind and respectful to the humans involved is an astounding skill. I look forward to many more engaging plays."

"The production was smart, and told the story well. Most of all, I wanted to say how impressive it is that you've accomplished 30 world premieres! That really is a contribution to the Seattle theater scene. I look forward to future productions."

"I could, honest-to-God, see that play making its way out into theaters around the country."

"Spectacular. Truly. ... I was crying from Act I, Scene 1. Kudos to everyone involved."

"Super thought-provoking play ... I am still thinking about it today. And my friend could not stop raving ... We are glad we came."

"I wanted to thank you all for such a powerful and brave night of theater. I won't be able to stop thinking about tonight's show for quite a spell. Beautiful work you all."

"The play was so touching from start to finish, so personal and very intimate."