In this short play (18 pages), Garret Garvey is a modern-day young author struggling with writer's block. In desperate need of inspiration, he jokingly calls out for a muse, and he gets what he asked for...and then some! He is visited by all Nine Muses of Greek Mythology, and they bring him a lot more than just inspiration.
PRODUCTIONS/RECOGNITION:
Performance at The Broke People Play Festival at NYU Tisch in 2018
Cast/Set Requirements and Production Details
Musing is a comedy with a running time of approximately 20 minutes.
CAST SIZE: 6-12
CHARACTERS:
GARRETT GARVEY: A young, frustrated writer struggling to write a short story.
CLIO: The bookish, nerdy muse of history.
MELPOMENE: The optimistic, cheerful muse of tragedy.
THALIA: The pessimistic, gloomy muse of comedy.
TERPSICHORE: The forceful yet graceful muse of dance.
OURANIA: The muse of astronomy, in desperate need of some attention.
EUTERPE: The artsy muse of lyric poetry.
CALLIOPE: The over-the-top muse of epic poetry.
POLYMNIA: The strict and matronly muse of sacred poetry and hymns.
ERATO: The loud, blunt muse of love poetry.
HANNAH: Garrett's sweet ex-girlfriend.
JACK: Offstage only, can be pre-recorded. Garrett's no-nonsense writing agent.
NOTE: The same actor(s) can play more than one muse. The only muses that appear onstage at the same time are Melpomene/Thalia and Euterpe/Calliope/Polymnia. Hannah can also be played by the same actress that plays any of the muses other than Erato.
SETTING: Garrett's apartment.
TIME: Present day
The Perusal Packet is free, and it contains a full synopsis and script excerpt. Email jamie.maletz@gmail.com to request one.
Jamie Elizabeth Maletz is a composer/lyricist, bookwriter, and producer of new works of musical theater. In New York, her works have been featured at Lincoln Center, Feinstein's/54 Below, NYU, Dixon Place, Under St Marks Theater, and Broadway Night at Prohibition. She received her MFA from the Graduate Musical Theatre Writing Program at NYU Tisch. Maletz has written 12 full-length original musicals, most of which have received workshops/readings or productions in New York and Arizona. As a composer/lyricist, Jamie has studied with Mindi Dickstein, William Finn, Rachel Sheinkin, Michael John LaChiusa, Steven Lutvak and Sybille Pearson. Jamie is the Administrative Assistant for Maestra Music Organization, and she writes the Women Who Wow Us series for the Maestra blog. She is also the Events Coordinator for Ring of Keys and the Technical Director for the American Popular Song Society. Jamie has worked as an intern with Tom Viertel/The Commercial Theater Institute and Ken Davenport.
She is a member of The Off-Broadway League, Maestra, ASCAP, The Dramatists Guild of America, and Fractured Atlas.
Maletz received her BA from the University of Massachusetts Amherst in 2011, where she designed her own major: Creative Writing and Composition for the Performing Arts. She spent her high school years at Boston Arts Academy, a performing arts high school from which she graduated as Valedictorian.
She is a monster enthusiast & mythology nerd, she loves board games, and she is a photographer/videographer whose favorite models are her two cats, Artemis and Batman.
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