Little Nell and the Mortgage Foreclosure

Welcome to "Playwright Spotlight" — your exclusive backstage pass to the creative minds crafting the incredible plays featured in our Theatrefolk catalogue. Discover the magic, quirks, and genius of the playwrights who help bring the stage to life. Let's meet one of these exceptional playwrights who offers the chance for your student performers to shine in their spotlight. What inspired you to start writing plays specifically for high school & middle school students?After retiring from the bench, I was asked to direct a play at a local Junior High School. I soon found I needed plays for the kids to perform. So I wrote my first, Little Nell and the Mortgage Foreclosure. Can you share a bit about your creative process when developing plays that resonate with students? I start with the germ of an idea, and begin to write. Are there any challenges you face when writing for student performers, and how do you overcome them?I try to remember what my life was life when I was the age of those that I am writing for, and I try to write something that would have interested me. What themes or messages do you aim to convey through your plays?When I have written my farces, my only message is "have fun!" When I wrote my Holocaust play, I Wanted to Live I wanted to teach my actors and audience of the Horrors of the Holocaust, and demostrate the courage of a 10 year-old Jewish Child who acted heroically in her efforts to save her life and the lives of her family membered, and to teach young people today what hatred can lead to. When I wrote Mornings After The Dream I was trying to show black children in America that if President Obama could be elected President, that they too could succeed — if they were willing to put in the needed effort, and that American, if it had been a racist country, would never had elected a black President. How do you balance education and fun in your scripts?I believe vocabulary is critical to the success of every child. I never hesitate to use big words in a script. But I always use the words in a context where they are clearly understandable to the student actor. Can you share a memorable experience or feedback from a student performance that left an impact on you?On more than one occasion, I have cast students who were doing poorly in school, only to see them succeed in their performance, and thereafter become confident in themselves. This led to their new success in school. Any advice for teachers or directors looking to choose engaging and age-appropriate plays for their student performers?Don't be afraid to choose a play with a strong positive message. What is your favourite play you've written so far?My favorite melodrama is Little Nell and the Mortgage Foreclosure. My favorite farce would be The Day Ma's Boys Done Went to Town to Rob The Bank Again. My favorite Christmas Play would be my The First Herald Angel, or The Stuffed Animal. My favorite serious play would be I Wanted to Live, my Holocaust play. My favorite Halloween play would be Death Warrant for Dracula. My favorite murder-comedy would be The Gulls. I am very proud of all my plays. Anything else you'd like students and/or directors to know about you as a playwright? As a young lawyer, I decided I wanted to be a judge. At 32 years of age, I ran to be elected a Circuit Judge. I took no money from anybody, except my dad and brother, for my campaign. I didn't ask permission or blessing from the political bosses. I went door-to-door for six months, and I won both my primary and general election. I became a Circuit Judge at age 33, and remained on the bench, through four "retention" elections, for 26 years, until my retirement. In my retirement, I served as a volunteer theatrical director for our local Catholic High School, and three junior highs. I have published 18 plays, and more recently three books about America's Great Depression of the 1930s, two Christmas Children's stories, four books of my political opinion pieces that originally appeared in our local newspapers, and two other short books. My books can be seen on my author's website, and they can be found ordered on Amazon by simply typing in my full name: John Donald O'Shea. More details can be found on my author's website, which can be viewed here.

Looking for a melodrama with all the traditional fixings? Young heroine, dashing hero, moustache-twirling villain…. With it’s broad appeal and easy staging, Little Nell and the Mortgage Foreclosure by John Donald O’Shea is a great choice for some great fun. High school and middle school students alike will love this delightful melodrama replete with broad comedy, memorable characters, and plenty of booing and hissing for the stovepipe-hat-wearing villain! Nell Pureheart and her wise old Auntie Nora are about to lose the family homestead to unscrupulous banker Wiley Whiplash. Whiplash will forgive the mortgage under one condition: Nell must marry him! Nell and Nora call on heroic Casey Cleandeed to save the day. Unfortunately, despite his recent law degree, he’s not very bright. The play follows a side-splitting trail of intrigue and deception until the truth about the homestead is finally revealed! Fortunate enough to be directed by the playwright himself, the drama team at Alleman High School in Rock Island, IL had a ton of fun mastering the melodrama!

Time for a Tfolk Top Ten Plays For…Small Casts. Sometimes you need something small. Not everyone needs the cast of thousands. Or maybe you have so many great students, you want to give a group something substantial to work on. All of these plays are one acts and call for a cast of 5 or less. Click the link and you’ll be taken to the webpage for each play. There you’ll get the details and read sample pages. All the best with your search! Better Than the Movie Cast Size: 3 First dates can be the worst or the best. Especially when you’re on a date with the guy or girl of your dreams. Will the giant soda cause bladder issues? Will the Heimlich manoeuvre be needed over a popcorn kernel? Will the guy in the back ruin everything? Ellenalicemonajune Cast Size: 4 Ellen, Alice, Mona, and June share those uncomfortable truths that only close friends can tell each other, particularly regarding a boyfriend who wears red leather pants. A great character piece for four actresses. Flaky Lips Cast Size: 2 Two young women live in separated societies. One skin colour on this side. One skin colour on that side. They have never seen what the other looks like, until circumstances throw them together. A small cast but a challenging acting opportunity. Carrying The Calf Cast Size: 4 A teenager fed-up with being bullied drags her reluctant friend to a self-defence class. But more important than the karate training, the instructor challenges the group to find self-confidence, independence, and to choose their own destiny. Diverse roles. Prom Night Cast Size: 3 An unlikely pair meet in the woods – the uncool Catholic girl and the linebacker Prom King. Neither wanted to go to prom and neither wanted to be with their dates. Truth and secrets come out in this gem of a small cast play. Power Play Cast Size: 5 A gunshot is heard. Which of the five characters did it and why? Was it the Goth girl? The football star? What are the realities and the stereotypes of high school violence? Violence is about power. So is high school. Stressed Cast Size: 4 Stress is driving this quartet of teen characters crazy – so much so they can’t stop talking about it. This play is a symphony of sound and character. Little Nell and the Mortgage Foreclosure Cast Size: 5 A delightful small cast melodrama replete with broad comedy, memorable characters, and plenty of booing and hissing for the stovepipe-hat-wearing villain! Master of Puppets Cast Size: 3 Mrs Slattimore speaks to teen couples about communication. She wants Joanie to see she wears bossy pants and Chuck already has a mom. Soom the big guns have to come out – Truth puppets. That’s right, puppets who tell all. Underneath Cast Size: 5 Brittany is depressed and can’t hide it. Echo is excited but doesn’t want anyone to know. Trina has a secret and she wants to tell the world. It’s hard to keep emotions clamped down, even in winter. The snow is piling up as secrets rise to the surface. Need more? Check out some of these additional options too!Mummu Cast Size: 4 Mummu is here to bring you a story. A good story with a great emotional landscape. Even deities who exist on an eternal plane don’t have time for bad theatre. Franz Kafka Cancels His Cell Phone Plan Cast Size: 5 A modern absurdist play that puts elements from three of Franz Kafka’s works into the context of the everyday absurdities of our 21st century lives. Hamlette Cast Size: 5 Hamlet is played by a girl in this twisty-turny comedic interpretation of the classic Danish tale. Sweep Under Rug Cast Size: 5 In the future the issue of poverty is solved through separation and subserviance. A teen causes trouble simply because she wants to better herself.

Episode 66: John Donald O’Shea, PlaywrightDon O’Shea has had quite the life leading up to his current role as playwright. Learn about his journey from law to playwriting. It is never too late to start writing!

This week on Spread the Love, Lindsay and Craig talk about Little Nell and the Mortgage Foreclosure, a charming melodrama suitable for high schools, middle schools, and community theatres by John Donald O’Shea.