Gather by the Ghost Light Jonathan Cook

GROUND CONTROL TO BABY TOM: Two female astronauts, charged with the important mission of carrying the first pregnancy to full term in space, find themselves entangled in patriarchal nonsense, even 400 million miles away on a spaceship orbiting Jupiter's moon Io.
Written by Emily McClain
Directed by Devon McSherry
Performed by Karla Daly as "Celeste" and Amy Pickrel as "Natasha".
Cover art by: David Curtis Studio (david-curtis.com)
Intro/Outro music: JK/47
About the writer: Emily is a playwright and theatre educator based in Atlanta, Georgia. Her plays have been produced across the country and worldwide. She’s published through New Stage Press and more of her work can be found at New Play Exchange.
You can watch the full video of this episode at https://www.youtube.com/@GatherbytheGhostLight
Gather by the Ghost Light merch is available at www.ghostlightpubs.com (Ghost Light Publications)
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POSTPARTUM: The Mother had a baby a month ago. Her Husband knows something is wrong. And the baby monitor keeps making these weird noises...
Written by Jillian Blevins
Directed by Jonathan Cook
Performed by Marian Thibodeau as "Mother" and Matt Hoffman as "Husband".
Intro/Outro music: JK/47
About the writer: Jillian Blevins is a playwright and theatre artist whose short plays have been performed in Chicago, Seattle, San Francisco, New Haven CT, Providence RI, Portland ME, and New York City. In 2020/21, she conceived and produced 'Digital Dionysia', a six-week online new works festival which featured her plays 'Izzy at Zoom Therapy' and 'Be The Bacchae' along with 24 other new plays from around the globe. In the summer of 2023, her one-act ‘The Bed Trick’ was a participating play in Valdez Alaska’s Last Frontier Theatre Conference, and her 10-minute Jewish sci-fi comedy ‘Space Laser, in Space!’ was a finalist at the Samuel French Off Off Broadway New Play Festival. Her queer historical dramedy, 'Romeo & Her Sister' will premiere in June 2024 at the New Hampshire Theatre Project, closing their season and in celebration of Pride Month. Proud member of the Dramatists Guild.
You can watch the full video of this episode at https://www.youtube.com/@GatherbytheGhostLight
Gather by the Ghost Light merch is available at www.ghostlightpubs.com (Ghost Light Publications)
If you would like to further support this podcast, please visit Gather by the Ghost Light is increasing public knowledge of emerging writers and actors (buymeacoffee.com)
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For more info or if you wish to contact us, please visit www.gatherbytheghostlight.com
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IT'S HAPPENING IN YOUR REFRIGERATOR: Deutero-Fung, a mold spore with big ideas, attempts to rally his fellow mold spores into blooming immediately and take over the apartment-verse, but Hyphae-Fung, a mold spore with even bigger ideas, warns the community that blooming early will be a mistake. Look out! Cuz it's Happening in your Refrigerator!
Written by Greg Kotis
Directed by Jonathan Cook
Performed by Sol Baird as "Deutero-Fung"; Brad King as "Hyphae-Fung"; and the cast of Urinetown the Musical at Le Chat Noir Theatre as the mold spore community.
Intro/Outro music: JK/47
About the writer: GREG KOTIS is a two time Tony™ Award winning author of many plays and musicals including Urinetown (Book/Lyrics), The End of All Flesh, I Am Nobody, The Truth About Santa, The Sting (Lyrics), Lunchtime, Give the People What They Want, Michael von Siebenburg Melts Through the Floorboards, Yeast Nation (Book/Lyrics), Pig Farm, Eat the Taste, and Jobey and Katherine. His work has been produced and developed in theaters across the country and around the world, including Actors Theatre of Louisville, American Conservatory Theater, American Theater Company, The Apollo (West End), The Brick, the Eugene O’Neill National Theater Conference, The Geva Center, Goodspeed, Musicals, Henry Miller’s Theatre (Broadway), Manhattan Theatre Club, New York Stage and Film, New Line Theatre, The Old Globe, Perseverance Theatre, Roundabout Theatre Company, Soho Rep, South Coast Rep, The Saint James (Off West End), The Tank, and Village Theatre, among others. Future projects include ZM, an original musical about teenaged fast-food workers trying to survive a zombie plague. Greg co-founded Theater of The Apes with his wife Ayun Halliday (www.theater-of-the-apes.com), and is a member of the Neo-Futurists, the Cardiff Giant Theater Company, ASCAP, and the Dramatists Guild. He grew up in Wellfleet, Massachusetts, lives in New York City, and is the proud father of India and Milo.
You can watch the full video of this episode at https://www.youtube.com/@GatherbytheGhostLight
Gather by the Ghost Light merch is available at www.ghostlightpubs.com (Ghost Light Publications)
If you would like to further support this podcast, please visit Gather by the Ghost Light is increasing public knowledge of emerging writers and actors (buymeacoffee.com)
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For more info or if you wish to contact us, please visit www.gatherbytheghostlight.com
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THAT NIGHT "BUTCHER" PETE GOT KNOCKED OUT BY JESSIE "THE CANNON" TESORI: World class heavyweight champion fighter, “Butcher” Pete Wilcox, is at the peak of his career – a living legend with a winning streak to brag about. He never expected, however, that his undefeated record would end in an exhibition match with Jessie “The Cannon” Tesori – a lightweight contender from the women’s fighting division.
Written and directed by Jonathan Cook
Performed by Ian Russell as "Butcher Pete", Bonnie Marie Williams as "Jessie 'The Cannon' Tesori", Robb Smith as "Mikey B.", & Valentin Angel Fernandez and Jonathan Cook as the Ring Annoucers.
Intro/Outro music: JK/47
About the writer: Jonathan Cook is heavily involved in the fine arts as an actor, writer, and filmmaker based in South Carolina. Many of his short plays have been produced in theatres around the World and and his full length play INSURGENTES was a semi-finalist in the 2020 Screencraft Stage Play Contest and the SE Texas Festival of New Plays. He is a five-time recipient of the Porter Fleming Literary Award in the playwriting category and some of his works have been published in anthologies by Smith & Kraus, Black Bed Sheet Books, Ghost Light Publications, and Ardneh. Aside from playwriting, he has also written and directed several short films that have been presented in regional film festivals as well as distributed internationally on ShortsTV. He is also the host and producer of the radio theater podcast GATHER BY THE GHOST LIGHT. Launched in 2020, GATHER BY THE GHOST LIGHT is a collection of stage plays adapted to an audio only format performed by voice actors and edited with appropriate sound effects and music.
Gather by the Ghost Light merch available at Ghost Light Publications
If you would like to further support this podcast, please visit Gather by the Ghost Light is increasing public knowledge of emerging writers and actors (buymeacoffee.com)
If you are associated with a theatre and would like to perform this play, please send an email to gatherbytheghostlight@gmail.com to get connected with the playwright.
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Gather by the Ghost Light
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UNKNOWN NUMBER: As a snowstorm rages outside, a woman receives phone calls from an entity that attempts to lure her outside.
Written by Greg Mandryk
Directed by Chris Plumridge in association with Ruby Sky Productions
Performed by Jacquie Floyd as "Samantha", Barbara Guinan as "Mom", Morey Norkin as "Dad", Scott Sickles as "Dispatcher", Dana Hall as "Operator", & Chris Plumridge as "Joe".
Intro/Outro music: JK/47
About the writer: Greg Mandryk is a playwright living in Cleveland, Ohio. His work has been produced throughout the United States.
Gather by the Ghost Light merch available at Ghost Light Publications
If you would like to further support this podcast, please visit Gather by the Ghost Light is increasing public knowledge of emerging writers and actors (buymeacoffee.com)
If you are associated with a theatre and would like to perform this play, please send an email to gatherbytheghostlight@gmail.com to get connected with the playwright.
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Gather by the Ghost Light
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FOR A LIMITED TIME ONLY (aka THE BREAD PLAY): After getting the unlimited bread deal at an Italian restaurant, Arlo and Val are both stuffed and ready for the check. But their server doesn’t bring them their check. He brings them more bread. He keeps ... bringing them more bread. He won’t stop. He won’t ever stop. The bread is unlimited. And there is no escape. A romantic horror comedy about the hard truth that nothing lasts forever, except maybe bread.
Written by Daniel Prillaman
Directed by Jonathan Cook
Performed by Roshelle Simpson as "Val", John D. Nelson as "Arlo", Valentin Angel Fernandez as "Server", and Jacquie Floyd and Jonathan Cook as the "Advertisement Announcers"
Intro/Outro music: JK/47
About the writer: Daniel (he/him) is a neurodivergent ginger Virginian currently based out of Northern Ohio (with his creative partner and wife, Allisyn). He has a special fondness for absurdism, folklore, and horror, but ultimately loves plays about honest people (or talking animals) in situations he hasn't seen before. When not gleefully giving his "soul" to artistic endeavors and projects, he legitimately enjoys long walks on the beach, a video game with a glass of wine, and biscuits. His plays include "A Pirate Carol," "The Ashen Crown," and "You See Them in the Corners of Your Eyes," which have been produced in camp workshops and schools across the United States. His cosmic horror, "In the Slush," was a Finalist for the 2023 Princess Grace Award. Daniel is an alumnus of the University of Virginia and a member of the Dramatists Guild.
Gather by the Ghost Light merch available at Home | Gather by the Ghost Light (bigcartel.com)
If you would like to further support this podcast, please visit Gather by the Ghost Light is increasing public knowledge of emerging writers and actors (buymeacoffee.com)
If you are associated with a theatre and would like to perform this play, please send an email to info@gatherbytheghostlight.com to get connected with the playwright.
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Gather by the Ghost Light
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