Comedy-Drama/ 3 Characters, 2 Women, 1 Man/ One Act

Synopsis: Selma is a young woman keeping two full time jobs — working as a stripper at a local club, and taking care of her mother at home. Mama is a loving, but overbearing, woman in her sixties determined to convince Selma to stop stripping and to find a mate. When Michael moves in next door, Mama is convinced that he is the perfect man for her daughter. Simply Selma is a touching comedy/drama about family, relationships, and sexual politics.

Contact information:
Amateur and professional rights:
Jonathan Joy
9604 SR 7 #35
Proctorville, Ohio
USA 45669
Ph.: (740) 886-7223
E-mail: joyjonathan@yahoo.com

About the Playwright: Jonathan Joy is theatre artist-in-residence at the Paramount Arts Center in Ashland, Kentucky. Annually, he works with over two thousand students (K-12) in educational theatre classes at the Paramount and at the Huntington Museum of Art and Huntington Renaissance Center in Huntington, West Virginia. His first play, Simply Selma, was published in 2003 by the One Act Play Depot. A Match Made in Heaven is now available at Brooklyn Publishers. His full length, American Standard, won two regional awards for playwriting including the 2003 Wallace E. Knight Excellence in Writing Award. His written work will also be included in three upcoming theatre books: Millennium Monologues 2, Shakespeare Festivals Around the World, and 60 Seconds to Glory: 220 Monologues for Women. His new play, The Princess of Rome, Ohio, was a 2004 Finalist for the Seven Devils Playwriting Conference in McCall, Idaho and a Semi-Finalist at the Dayton Playhouse Futurefest. Professional acting and directing credits include work with the Phoenix Theatre Circle in Columbus, Ohio; Virginia Stage Company in Norfolk, Virginia; Huntington Rep in Huntington, West Virginia; and the Backstage Players in Ashland, Kentucky. Since 1998, Mr. Joy has served as Director/Manager of Free Spirit Productions, a regional theatre troupe located in Kentucky and West Virginia. He holds an MA in English (Drama/Creative Writing emphasis) and a BFA in Theatre (Acting/Directing emphasis) both from Marshall University, where he is currently an adjunct professor teaching Theatre Appreciation.

Simply Selma was first produced by Free Spirit Productions at the Huntington Museum of Art, Huntington, West Virginia in August, 2001.