GRIZZLY K. SUNSHINE
PLAYWRIGHT - PROFESSOR - WEST END INVESTOR
Ordinary Sanity:
The McKinley Affair
Colosseum
Cupcakes
Teenage Mutant
Ninja Orphans
About
Grizzly K. Sunshine
Rosie
Rescuing the
Rainbow
LYING NEON
6 Men; 3 Women; 6 Either (90 minutes)
Lying Neon is a high-octane, absurdist adventure comedy set in 1996, just as the Olympics are about to sweep into Atlanta. When U.S.A. rugby star Deke Guts urgently needs a heart transplant, a mismatched group of heroes is thrown into a frantic race against time. After accidentally shooting down a Red Cross medical drone carrying the precious donated heart with their dad’s shotgun, they take it upon themselves to get the IGLOO cooler to the hospital before it’s too late. They face challenges like melting asphalt, toxic neon gases, and even killer bees. To make matters worse, they're relentlessly pursued by eccentric villains, including unscrupulous landlords, rabid raccoons, and heat-stricken, zombie-like, Fiji fans. Along the way, the heroes must also navigate a web of technological challenges, where the path to survival is clouded by malfunctioning gadgets.
THE HELLO GIRLS
6 Men; 3 Women; 6 Either (90 minutes)
In The Hello Girls, three multi-lingual women join the 1917 Allied war effort as switchboard operators, profoundly affecting the outcome of World War I. Using their bravery, intelligence, and cyanide-laced peach pits, these women navigate the treacherous world of wartime communications, young love, and double-crossing spies. Set in an abandoned Daum Nancy Crystal Factory, this drama unfolds against the backdrop of a war-torn Paris, featuring a diverse cast of three women, five men, and six characters of either gender, including vengeful Generals, unreliable Corporals, and iconic historical figures. This play's ending offers directors the choice between an uplifting resolution or a darker, more gruesome sci-fi twist.
THE PIGEON LADY: FOUND IN NEW YORK
6 Men; 2 Women; 5-7 Either (80 minutes)
This play delves into the tumultuous life of Bernie Davenport, a mentally unstable homeless woman living in 1984 New York City. Bernie creates an innovative umbrella business from nothing but recycled materials. She believes this endeavor will bring her estranged, ballerina daughter, Clara, back from Ireland. With hallucinations of her daughter guiding her, one of Bernie's twin boys attempts to intervene, but her stubbornness and detachment from reality prove insurmountable. Along the way, colorful drag queens and purple city pigeons become the most unlikely allies, symbolizing hope amidst despair. With a poignant conclusion, the play explores themes of mental illness, family dynamics, and the power of delusion in shaping one's reality. Very loosely based off of the 'Turtle Dove' character from Home Alone 2.
NOW AVAILABLE WITH NEXT STAGE PRESS!
Coyote Uglier
8 Men; 9 Women; 8 Either (90 minutes)
In Coyote Uglier, we find Aspen Davenport in her early 40s, grappling with the unexpected inheritance of her former stomping grounds, the NYC Coyote Ugly bar. As a struggling music producer at Virgin records, Aspen's world is further complicated by the daunting task of revitalizing the failing bar, which is plagued by bursting pipes, ghosts, and high-spirited rats. Amidst the chaos, the bar's sponsorship of a softball team adds another layer of hilarity through physicality. Through hard-work and a bit of gambling, the characters ultimately discover the importance of finding their crowd. With a vibrant ensemble of approximately 25 actors, Coyote Uglier is a comedy that promises laughter, heart, and the timeless lesson of embracing one's pack.
ROSIE
5 Men; 4 Women; 5+ Either (90 minutes)
Rosie is the 1940s comedy (with a hint of science fiction), that tells the tale of three tough, and tatted, women, who navigate what society would call ‘character flaws’ in order to interrupt a group of outcast academics, set to unleash an acid rain over the city of Las Vegas. This demonstration of terror, straight from the mind of a mad, muddled Meteorologist, has an emergency landing at Rosie’s Hangar, where all the ‘book smarts’ in the world can’t conquer girl power! This full-length play has light Russian and Finnish language components.
Click HERE for purchase and perusal.
COLOSSEUM CUPCAKES
3 Men; 6 Women; (60 minutes)
One earthquake prone summer in Rome, two pre-teen rivals battle for their place in the Girl Scout history books. Daisy and Ginger’s summer comes down to one final tie-breaking achievement patch battle, as they must go head-to-head in the annual Girl Scout Cupcake War. The problem is, neither of them know a spoon from a spatula. Daisy enlists her family to help her bake something ‘electric,’ while Ginger gets salty with several sorts of sabotage. This one-act comedy is filled with outlandish physicality, haunted kitchen antics, and the opportunity to cook up a big, deliziosa mess!
Click HERE for purchase and perusal.
TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA ORPHANS
6-8 Men; 5-8 Women; 6+ Either (90 minutes)
Laser scenes! Volcanic eruptions! Poisonous bees! Teenage Mutant Ninja Orphans is a new, two-act drama by Off-Broadway playwright Grizzly K. Sunshine. TMNO tells the story of Dallas and his tattered, orphan gang in the 1980s. One stormy Halloween night, this rag-tag team joins forces to steal the famous Paradise Emerald for the Hawaiian Mafia, a family that they think will always protect them. This play is meant to teach kids, who might not be in the best situation, to find a way to bloom where they are planted. TMNO features a multi-lingual component and its recommended audience age (10+). Fair warning, this show is high in spectacle! It is filled with unique challenges for your cast AND your crew! Turtle Power!!!
Click HERE for purchase and perusal.
RESCUING THE RAINBOW
3 Men; 5 Women; 7 Either (80 minutes)
Rescuing the Rainbow by Grizzly K. Sunshine premiered Off-Broadway in 2016 at the 777 Theatre in NYC. This enchanting comedic play follows Morpheus, the Greek god of dreams, as he endeavors to rescue his beloved Iris, the goddess of rainbows, who is trapped on Earth. Enlisting the help of fellow gods, Morpheus leads them through a series of extraordinary challenges, including encounters with a wild mountain yak, avalanches, and California wildfires in the Hollywood Hills...not to mention…emo rock music! Designed for LGBT+ youth, this play imparts the valuable lesson that life is about embracing every color and emotion, encouraging kids to use all the crayons in their crayon box.
Ordinary Sanity: The McKinley Affair
14 Men; 3 Women; 5-10 Either (90 minutes)
Ordinary Sanity: The McKinley Affair takes audiences on a gripping journey through the troubled delusions of assassin, Leon Czolgosz, a mentally tormented anarchist. In this thought-provoking play, Leon grapples with his own sanity, weaving in and out of hallucinations that vividly portray the struggles and injustices faced by those on society's fringes. Through his twisted delusions, Leon confronts the stark disparity between political rhetoric and the harsh realities endured by American working-class men. This play uniquely delves into the troubled psyche of the assailant, shedding light on the complex interplay between mental illness, poverty, and societal injustices that ignited this historic event. Based upon true events!
10-MINUTE PLAYS
FREE SHORT STORIES!
CLICK ON THE COVER PHOTO TO ACCESS THE STORIES!
WHO IS GRIZZLY K. SUNSHINE?
Grizzly K. Sunshine is a Tommy Tune winning playwright, professor, and director at Galveston College. Grizzly's work has been seen Off-Broadway, at The Kennedy Center, at The Smithsonian Institute in Washington D.C., & Walt Disney World. He has 5+ plays published with Next Stage Press and 25+ other publications around the globe including an article with Writer's Digest in 2020. You can find his plays at The Drama Bookshop in New York City. Most recently, he has become an investor in London's West End (Avenue Q: 20th Anniversary). He has his B.A. in Theatre Education and his M.A. in English & Creative Writing. Grizzly Sunshine loves tennis, Mariah Carey, and his oxymorons.
CONTACT THE CAVE: GRIZZLYKSUNSHINE@GMAIL.COM