About Wade Bradford… Eldridge Playwright Wade Bradford has a new job in addition to teaching. The college professor is now the plays/drama guide for the website About.com. His target audience consists of drama teachers, directors, actors, techies, students and theatre lovers. In addition to connecting users to the latest in the drama world, Wade assures us he’ll still find plenty of time to write. His latest play, “Thumbelina,” (our current “Spotlight Play”) joins his other eight popular titles including “Cinderella in New York” and the musical “A Midsummer Night’s Dream.” Congratulations, Wade!

A new “Apprentice” TV series has started and now you can bring a comic version to your stage. Burton Bumgarner’s new 1-act, “Frump Tales”, is just the ticket to success as “The Ronald” challenges three different groups to spice up his fairy tales.

Holiday Lights

Holiday Lights - Broadway lights will once again shine brightly, after a crippling strike that kept more than two dozen shows dark for 19 days. This will certainly make the holidays brighter.
Holiday Cheer - During this busy holiday season, depression can hit, especially in seniors. One alternative to living alone or going to a retirement center is the roommate alternative. Pat Cook’s new comedy, “The New Kid on the Block,” offers a hilarious look at one such small group searching for a fourth -- and perfect -- roommate.


Strike -- Some Broadway lights are still shining, even though some 3,000 stagehands remain on strike closing many shows. According to an Associated Press story in the New York Daily News, the stalemate between the people who work backstage and the League of American Theatres and Producers has forced theatergoers, particularly tourists, to find other attractions. Yesterday in the theater district, flyers were passed out advertising many of the 48 off-Broadway shows, that is productions in theaters smaller than 499 seats. One man promoting an off-Broadway musical said some people think all theater is closed, not realizing off-Broadway is open for business. "They don't understand the difference," he said. (Posted 11/13/07)

Twelfth Night

Twelfth Night — The creators of our latest musical comedy, “Twelfth Night,” were recently featured in a newspaper article in the Boston Globe. The Eldridge team of Tom Large and Stephen Murray, who wrote the adaptation and created the music, are given some well-deserved kudos. While Tom is new to the Eldridge house, Stephen has many plays and musicals with us. Congratulations, guys!

Noodles

Our Spotlight play, “Noodles,” is not only hilarious but has a message. Playwright Don Swartz explains, “I want to say to the audience that we all have wacky families. Cut them some slack and embrace them and love them while you still can.” Read more about Don and the play’s creation. Remember your own family during National Family Week, Nov. 18-24, or, after the holidays you may wish to observe “Forgive Mom and Dad Day” coming up in March, 2008!

Millionaires

Millionaires -- While millionaire Mark Cuban is still in the “Dancing With the Stars” news, that other famous rich man, Donald Trump of “You’re fired!” fame is not forgotten. Check out our newest spotlight comedy, “Frump Tales,” where a certain tough businessman wants all the fairy tales in the world to make him big profit$. A hilarious one-act by Burton Bumgarner.

Christina Hamlett

Congratulations to Eldridge playwright Christina Hamlett -- In a soon-to-be released book, “Chicken Soup for the Chocolate Lover’s Soul,” she contributes the chapter, “Love at First Truffle,” the romantic story of how she and her husband first met. In addition to her popular Eldridge plays, Christina often contributes articles about the art of playwriting to such magazines as “The Writer,” and “Children’s Writer.”