Hello there!

This will be a somewhat abbreviated newsletter, as I'm racing to leave for the Tennessee Thespian Festival in the morning, but I couldn't wait to send out this special request to my teen/former teen readers and information about my online playwriting class, the latest session of which begins on Monday.  The featured monologue and playwriting tips of the month will return next time.  Sorry!


I NEED YOUR JOB STORIES!
Are you a teen with a job?  Were you a teen with a job?  Do you know a teen with a job?  Whether it's funny, sad or downright strange, if you've had a memorable moment or two (or ten), I want to hear about it.  Why?  Later this spring, I'm going be writing a new play, Workin It, inspired by the job adventures of teens.  4 A.M., one of my most produced plays, started with teen 4 A.M. stories.  I would love to hear from you.  Teachers or drama directors, please feel free to pass this along to the teens you know.  And email me! 


STUDY PLAYWRITING WITH ME ONLINE!
Are you a teacher who wants to expand your horizons?  A budding young playwright?  Here's a chance to study playwriting with me without ever having to leave your desk or your home, or even change out of your pajamas.  In this four-week course, we'll work on ten-minute plays and give you all the tools you need to get started as a playwright.  It's offered through Writers University and begins on Monday, so there's no time like the present to sign up.  Click here for more info!

ALL THE NEWS THAT'S FIT TO (DIGITALLY) PRINT
As I mentioned, I'm off to present playwriting workshops at the Tennessee Thespian Festival this weekend, and later this month, I will be a guest artist at Hagerty High School (near Orlando, FL), where I'll be working with the cast of Harry's Hotter at Twilight (one-act version).  Also, a special congratulations to the cast and crew of the Piedmont Academy (GA) production of Thank You for Flushing My Head in the Toilet and other rarely used expressions, which won the Georgia State Independent School Association State One-Act Play Competition.  And last but definitely not least, I'm hard at work on The Locker Next to Mine, a commission for Wantagh High School.  Stay tuned for more information about this full-length drama that tackles such difficult issues as teen suicide and coping with the death of a fellow student.


WARM UP YOUR WINTER, OR SPRING INTO SPRING!
Or something like that...with some of my most popular titles.  As you're looking for your 2012 offerings, check out these hits:

Harry's Hotter at Twilight (full-length version) at Rutland High School (Rutland, VT)

Harry's Hotter at Twilight, my crazed mash-up parody of Harry Potter and Twilight, comes in two sizes.  Want a full evening of comic mayhem?  The full-length version (90-100 minutes, 12-40+ actors) is available from YouthPLAYS.  Prefer some compact craziness for a festival or night of one-acts?  Try the one-act version (35-45 minutes, 10-30+ actors), available from Playscripts.  Both versions are suitable for teen (middle school and older), college and adult actors alike.
 
The next quartet of plays are widely produced one-acts, great for competition or festivals or classroom projects, which have widely flexible casts:

Thank You for Flushing My Head in the Toilet... is my widely acclaimed one-act dramedy about bullying.  Find a study guide, alternate endings and much more at its dedicated website, http://thankyouforflushing.com.

4 A.M. features a group of teen characters navigating the magic hour between night and morning as they search for connection.  And don't forget to check out the full-length rock/pop musical version, available from YouthPLAYS.  Or visit its website at http://4ammusical.com, where you can hear recordings of most of the show!

In After Math a student disappears in the middle of class.  Where did he go, and why have they only noticed him now that he's gone?

In Just Add Zombies, a desperately bad high school production of Romeo and Juliet is overrun by zombies, threatening to redefine the meaning of "live theatre" in fast-paced comedy.

And last but not least, don't forget High School (non) Musical, my full-length, highly flexible comic send-up of the Disney phenom.

Visit my website at http://jonathandorf.com for a full listing, including a number of widely used competition duets.