Bradley Nies, Playwright

After reading Tarzan of the Apes in junior high, I was convinced that the Earl of Greystoke was 'da man!' After doing research for our upcoming production of Robin Hood , however, I realize that Robin of Locksley may have been cooler than the vine-swinging Lord of the Jungle. With this in mind, let's compare. Tarzan: *Athletic and goodlooking *Courageous and steadfast *Intelligent and loyal *Lives in the jungle *Deeply in love with Jane *As a leader, he is true to himself no matter the cost. *Behaves ethically in most situations. (Just don't get on his bad side!) Robin Hood: *An excellent archer and swordsman *Heroic and defends the underdog against oppression *Crafty and well-liked by everyone. (Except the Sheriff of Nottingham.) *Lives in the forest *Highly devoted to his Merry Men, as well as Maid Marian *As a leader, he guides his followers to accomplishing their dreams. *Doesn't win all of his fights, but he's cool with that. So, ...

I just finished a play I hope to submit to two 10-minute play festivals this summer.  It's called Collecting Strangers, and this docudrama depicts the shocking murder of film star Ramon Novarro; a murder that brutally outed a closeted Hollywood legend. Due to the censorship of homosexuality in early Hollywood, as well as his inability to reconcile his religious beliefs with his love of men, silent film star Ramon Novarro sought comfort in alcohol and male hustlers.  Sometime between the late evening/early morning hours of October 30th and October 31st of 1968, Novarro was murdered after hiring an escort who sought a large sum of money rumored to be hidden in his home. Wish me luck as I send this work to the Scriptwriters Houston's Annual 10x10 Showcase, as well as the Q Collective's Coming Out Play Festival of 2019!

Written by John Pielmeier and based on the book by William Peter Blatty, the stage version of The Exorcist was originally produced in Los Angeles at the Geffen Playhouse in July of 2012.  This production starred Brooke Shields and Richard Chamberlain. Four years later, in October of 2016, The Exorcist made its UK debut at the Birmingham Repertory Theatre.  It starred Jenny Seagrove, Peter Bowles, and, most notably, Sir Ian McKellen as the voice of the devil. The Birmingham production transferred to the Phoenix Theatre on London's West End and spooked audiences from October 2017 until March of 2018. The show will begin its UK/Ireland tour this September and will be haunting such cities as Windsor, Glasgow, Birmingham, Manchester, Dublin, Edinburgh, and Aberdeen. How long before this creepy contribution will be possessing the Great White Way in NYC?

Comedy legend Tim Conway passed away this morning in Los Angeles, California.  He was 85 years old.  According to People Magazine, Conway was best know for his work on The Carol Burnett Show. After studying radio and television at Bowling State University, he enlisted in the army.  After that, he worked at a local radio station in Cleveland, Ohio before moving to L.A. and starring in the television program McHale's Navy.  He guest starred on The Carol Burnett Show for eight seasons before accepting Burnett's offer to be a regular in 1975.  As an actor, I truly looked up to him.  He will surely be missed.

While surfing the web this morning, I found an interesting article about real spooky stories of the stage.  The following four tales come from Lisa Kay Jennings of theatrenerds.com.  Check out the website for more details! Emma Livry-A French ballet prodigy, she made the fatal mistake of fluffing her tutu next to a gaslight. Moliere-France's greatest playwright, he died of Tuberculosis while performing his play The Imaginary Invalid. The Man in Grey-An unknown man whose remains were found in 1848 walled up in a theatre in London. The Phantom of the Opera-Gaston Leroux's novel was based on a real-life disfigured contractor who fell in love with and kidnapped an opera singer.

I just finished a play that will have a staged-reading this June!  Enter Three Murderers related the ties that Jeffrey Dahmer, Jay Kelly Pinkerton, and Ronald O'Bryan had to Texas.  The reading will be hosted by Theatre Suburbia and sponsored by Scriptwriters Houston! Enter Three Murderers, Three Plays by Bradley Nies: *Alcohol and Muscles- While stationed in San Antonio, Texas, Jeffrey Dahmer meets a male prostitute bearing a resemblance to his first murder victim. *The Lord of Dead Things- While paying dominoes with a prison chaplain in Huntsville, Texas, Jay Kelly Pinkerton confesses to the violet murder and rape of an Amarillo woman. *The Man Who Killed Halloween- After poisoning his eight year-old son on Halloween in Deer Park, Texas, Ronald Clark O'Bryan refuses to admit his guilt to the heinous crime.

I am currently working on a play that takes place during the "Satanic Panic" that troubled the United States throughout the 1980s and into the early 1990s.  My working title is "The Devil's Hour;" a tribute to Lillian Hellman and her classic play, "The Children's Hour." According to Aja Romano, who writes for Vox Media, most people attribute the "Satanic Panic" to the false claims made against daycare centers during the 1980s.  Allegations of this nature involved reports of children being abducted and bred for sacrifices, pornography and prostitution.  While my play doesn't deal with the abuse of children, it does deal with the allegations made against a counselor at a shelter for homeless male teens.  According to a resident of the shelter, the counselor requests he take part in a satanic ritual in exchange for being allowed to stay at the shelter after breaking the rules.  As part of these al...