Ed Simpson

Welcome to Mirthmaster.com, the homepage of
of playwright, director, and professor of theatre Ed Simpson

UPCOMING EVENTS:

In May, the latest plays in my Electric City Suite cycle, "Mixed Nuts and Bolts" and "Orbiting Scranton" will premiere at the Northeast Theater, an Equity company in Scranton, PA. They'll be presented along with The Amazing Goldin and the Regeneration of the Punjabs under the direction of Don Wildman.

I will be teaching playwriting/scriptwriting at the Wildacres Writers Workshop from July 7-14, 2007. Wildacres is a breathtakingly beautiful retreat located in the Blue Ridge mountains near Little Switzerland, NC. Writers from all over the country convene there for a week of creativity and community.
Check out their website at www.wildacres.com.

The Battle of Shallowford will be presented by the Raleigh Little Theater in October '07, and in November, The Amazing Goldin, a new musical based
upon my play, with music and lyrics by Elizabeth Feller, will premiere
at the Northeast Theater.

In addition to my ongoing work as playwright-in-residence at High Point University, I'll be teaching playwriting and directing at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro next year.

ONGOING PROJECTS:

I've accepted a commission from the Community Theater of Greensboro to write a play for a May 2008 premiere. Watch this space for details!

I'm also currently writing 6 more plays for my Electric City Suite, commissioned by the Northeast Theatre of Scranton, PA.

A MESSAGE FROM ED:

After 26 wonderfully fulfilling years, I've left my professional and creative home at
Indiana University of Pennsylvania and have relocated to Winston-Salem, NC,
where I look forward to continuing my writing full-time. In addition, I plan to work
as a free-lance director and am excited about serving as an adjunct professor
at High Point University, where I am directing Miller's All My Sons this October.
I also recently taught a master's class in playwriting to theater students
at Meredith College in Raleigh, NC.

RECENT PRODUCTIONS:

The first four plays of Electric City Suite were performed at the
Stillwater Theatre in Raleigh, NC, in October '06.

Elephant Sighs opened at the Third Stage Theater in Los Angeles on October 26,
starring Richard Herd (Seinfeld, V, TJ Hooker, In the Garden of Good and Evil,
and many others), David Wells (CSI, The Bernie Mac Show, Ellen, Murphy
Brown, and many more), JD Cullum, James Hendrickson, and Joe Ross,
under the direction of Don Eitner.

The Battle of Shallowford was produced by the Oconee Community Theater of
Seneca, SC, October 20-28 under the direction of Herschel Harper.
Check out their website at www.Oconeetheater.com.

The Battle of Shallowford had a successful run through July 15 at the Cumberland County Playhouse,
"Tennessee's Family Theater." The production was directed by Tom Parkhill.
Check out www.ccplayhouse.com for information.

The Battle of Shallowford has also recently received productions at the Kerney (NE)
Community Theatre, the Ocala (FL) Civic Theater, and the North Street Playhouse (VA).

Additional Particulars opened June 14 as the first production of the Williamston Theater,
a new professional theater in Williamston, MI, under the direction of Tony Casselli.
Check out their website at www.williamstontheatre.org.

Paris of the Lackawanna and First Dance in Your Dreams opened at The Northeast Theater,
an Equity theater in Scranton, PA, on June 9. The plays were directed by Don Wildman
and recorded for future broadcast on WVIA, Scranton's NPR station.

Elephant Sighs was produced by the Broach Theater and the Occasional Theater
at the Broach Theater in Greensboro, NC, in May, under the direction of Michael Lilly.
The production then moved to Asheville, NC, where it was presented at
the North Carolina Theatre Conferences "Stoneleaf Festival."

To anyone considering a production of any of my plays...first of all - thank you!
Secondly, I'd love to hear from you and would be happy to answer any
questions you might have...and even, if at all possible, to visit your production!
feel free to contact me at esimpson@highpoint.edu for details.