Bradley Nies, Playwright

I recently finished a two-act farce, and I've just completed it's second revision.  It still needs a lot of work, so please tell me your thoughts.  Below is a synopsis of my latest "masterpiece": It is 1968 in Houston, Texas, and mediocre horror novelist, Jonas Ogelsby, is thrilled when his girlfriend gives him a typewriter previously owned by famed British occultist Aleister Crowley.  But when this magical piece of office machinery begins predicting the future, Jonas feels compelled to do whatever the typewriter tells him to do . . . even murder! Please let me know if anyone wants a read!

If you read my blog, you know I like to write about the macabre.  While talking to a fellow playwright last week, I said it's important not to be ashamed to embrace this particular genre.  After doing a little research, I found other artists who, unashamedly, disturbed their audiences: "The Playboy of the Western World" -When John Synge's play opened at the Abbey Theatre in Dublin, Ireland in 1907, audience members stormed the stage screaming, "Kill the author!" "Dracula" -This version of Bram Stoker's novel opened in London's Mason Opera House in 1927, and it employed a nurse to be on hand with smelling salts for any patrons who felt faint. "Saved" -At the end of Edward Bond's play, which premiered at London's Royal Court Theatre in 1965, audience members stood and yelled "Revolting" and "Dreadful" before marching out of the theatre. "The Romans in Britain" -Howard Brenton's c...

Those who read my blog know my obsession with those shows on Broadway that don't last long.  With that in mind, here are five fairly recent shows that had short runs on the Great White Way: Lestat-04/26/2006-05/28/2006 (39 Performances) Written by Elton John, Bernie Taupin, and Linda Woolverton, this musical was inspired by The Vampire Chronicles by Anne Rice.  Reviews of the show were mostly negative, with one critic saying, " Lestat's contribution to art and equality is demonstrating that a gay vampire with a two-octave range can be just as dull as a straight one." Enron-04/27/2010-05/09/2010 (16 Performances) This straight play about the financial scandal and bankruptcy of a Houston-based American energy corporation last on Broadway for just over a month.  Hostile reviews, as well as the show's failure to earn any Tony nominations, were attributed to the play's closure. Wonderland-04/17/2011-05/15/2011 (33 Performances) After various wo...

I was surfing the invisible web this evening, and I found a few stage/screenplay awards that cater to us lovers of horror, mystery and suspense! Check out what I found! The Atlanta Horror Film Festival (Best Screenplay) is presented annually at the Synchronicity Theatre in Atlanta, Georgia.  Most Recent Winner:  "Killer Date" by Brandon Shypkowski and Joey Beni (2019) The Bloody Axe Award is presented annually to the winner of WildClaw Theatre's DEATHSCRIBE: The International Festival of Horror Radio Plays.  Most Recent Winner: "Whisper Trigger" by Dan Finnen and Sarah Gise (2018) The Bram Stoker Award (Best Screenplay) is presented by the Horror Writers Association for superior achievement in horror writing for best screenplay.  Most Recent Winner:  "Get Out" by Jordan Peele (2017) The Charles Ogle Award (Horror) is presented annually for the best in fantasy and horror audio theatre.  Most Recent Winner:  "The Floodga...

The other night, I re-watched an old made-for-television movie I saw as a kid in the 1970's.  To me, the creepiest part of When Michael Calls is when Michael, who's been dead for 15 years, calls his aunt to tell her that he finally realizes that he's dead! After watching this Telephone Horror, I decided to check out other horror movies where the same theme "rings" clear! I Saw What You Did (1965)-Two teenaged girls spend an evening making innocent prank phone calls.  But when they tell a man who just committed murder that they "saw what he did," their little joke quickly becomes quite serious. Play Misty for Me (1971)-A fling between a disc jockey and an obsessed fan takes a frightening turn with another woman enters the picture. When Michael Calls (1972)-With each ominous phone call from a woman's deceased nephew, one of her family members dies.  Will she be next? Black Christmas (1974)-While on Christmas break, a group of soro...

Well, it's that time of year again!  We're back to school, and what better way to make sure freshman sleep with the lights on than to do a run down of America's Most Haunted Colleges and Universities? Most of this information is from a list of haunted colleges in America I found on www.collegeconsensus.com.  Check them out...if you dare: Smith College, North Hampton, MA:   If you're a freshman taking classes at the largest women's college in America, don't be surprise if you are asked to find the secret staircase in Sessions House.  According to legend, a pair of star-crossed lovers, a British soldier and an American girl, would meet on these stairs, and their ghosts are said to still haunt the facility. University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN:   Known for the Fighting Irish, football legend Knute Rockne, and the original collegiate marching band, this prominent Catholic university is also known for haunted Washington Hall.  The story goes that leg...

As a fan of obscure plays, I did a little digging today and found some shows that are weird, quirky, and downright odd!  The following information comes from such incredible websites as broadwayworld.com and playbill.com.  Enjoy! The Vamp (1955) This crazy, over-the-top Hollywood satire opened at the Winter Garden Theatre and ran for 60 performances.  It starred Carol Channing as Flora Weems, a simple farmgirl who allows herself to be transformed into a silent screen star. Shinbone Alley (1957) This unconventional "back-alley" opera is about a lovelorn cockroach and his feline friend.  The show starred Eartha Kitt and ran for 49 performances.  It was abridged for a television broadcast, as well as adapted by Allied Artists into an animated film. Rockabye Hamlet (1976) Based on Shakespeare's classic play, this show utilizes rock, pop, and country music to tell the story of the besotted Danish prince.  The musical was staged as a rock concert and ...