Bess Frankel
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Original Plays Include:
2076
Written in collaboration with Sophia Deery, Esther Fallick, Joey Odom, ​Kaity Paschetto, ​Shannon Sullivan, & Elias Wygodny​
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“When you saw the news and thought it was terrible,
​did you secretly not see those people ​as real people
​because they were somewhere else?”
​​By the year 2076, climate change has pushed America underwater. Set within the confines of a rescue ship, these survivors keep their spirits up with exercise, sing-alongs, and relationships. ​But the memory of loved ones left behind, and fear of the earth retaliating against the abuse it’s been given, might become too much to handle.
Cast: ​6 Gender Neutral
Production: Columbia University 2nd-Year Project, 2018, Directed by Bess Frankel
Finalist:
  • 2018-2019 Playwrights Realm Fellowship
  • 2019 Columbia @ Roundabout Reading Series

The German Party
“That’s all a person wants, isn’t it -
To be a part of something that matters.”
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In 1932 Berlin, seven childhood friends gather to ring in the New Year. With first jobs, engagements, and the excitement of the upcoming national election, there’s much to celebrate. This long-awaited reunion takes a dark turn, however, when they realize the newly rising Nazi Party might mean the end of their friendship.
Cast: ​4W, 2M
Public Staged Readings,: 
  • Asolo Rep, March 2020
  • Columbia University​, September 2016, Directed by Estefanía Fadul
  • Pearl Studios, May 2016​​​, Directed by Estefanía Fadul
Finalist:
  • 2017 Columbia @ Roundabout Reading Series
  • 2016 PlayPenn Writers Conference
Winner: 2015 Dogwood Emerging Playwright Award

The Visitors of 2017
​“Is this how the universe sees me?
​With you?”
In a Florida town just outside Disney World, a liberal teenager witnesses a beautiful spaceship flying through the sky. ​But when she realizes she must share this experience with a middle-aged conservative neighbor, ​they both resist the inevitability of their shared humanity.
Cast: 4W, 4M
Finalist: 2022 ​Eugene O’Neill Playwrights Conference
Thesis: Columbia MFA Playwrights Program, 2019

Neuroclear
"I don't remember the last time someone made eye contact with me like this. No one up looks up anymore, they're all staring at their phones.
​Your eyes make me think if I listen to you, I won't regret anything."

A neurotic woman, Ashley, has become increasingly frustrated with how emotionally stimulated she is all the time. So she undergoes a new medical procedure called Neuroclear: plastic surgery for the personality. It can decrease a person’s jealousy, suppress their shyness, and so forth. ​Ashley responds so well to the treatment, that she wants more procedures done, ​eventually putting her own humanity at risk.
Cast: 3W, 2M
Semi-Finalist: 2017 ​Eugene O’Neill Playwrights Conference Developmental Production: Produced by the Really-Really Theatre Group in Seattle, Directed by Henry Nettleton, 2017 (under the title Much Better).
Review: Seattle Times
  • About + Resumé
  • My Name
  • News
  • Plays
  • Other Projects
    • Teaching
    • The Wellspring Sessions
  • Contact