William Brasse
El Cerrito, Ca
Expression is the need of my soul!
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Biography

Known for his comic novels, William Brasse has also published in the genres of mystery, historical fiction, and serious, sad and depressing. His novels are available from Rough Magic Press (www.roughmagic.com). His short fiction has been published in a number of small magazines (see links at www.roughmagic.com/Author.html).

He currently has four full-length plays seeking venues. Two are comedies that sprint between satire, farce, screwball and possibly a couple of other sub-genres. Who’s counting, after all?

Two more are dramatic biographies. The subjects are the dancer Maud Allan and the writer Don Marquis. Both were rich and famous, died in poverty, and are largely forgotten today.

He also has nurtured two one-act plays into presentable adulthood. Both could be classified as slightly bizarre.

As to personal information, the most pertinent fact is that he rarely looks like his photograph. Like almost everybody, he lives in California. Like fewer people, he is originally from Tennessee. Like almost no one, he has been a vegan since 1979.

 

Plays

The Angel's Dance
by William Brasse

Judas Iscariot (Jay) Wyclif, son of the world-famous atheist activist Matthew Mark Wyclif, has been taking his father’s money under the pretense of funding an atheist organization chapter, but his organization is only involved in model railroading. When his father’s management consultant comes to check things out, Jay fears he will be arrested. Jay and the consultant need shelter from a sudden storm and take refuge in a church.

The Church of the Eternal Fig Leaf is currently being squatted by two conmen who aren’t having a lot of luck building a rich and generous congregation. Stumbling upon Jay, they fantasize: famous atheist converts to Fig Leaf resulting in lucrative publicity. The two disagree over how to approach Jay and will temporarily go their separate ways.

Sylvia stumbles into the Fig Leaf looking for an AA meeting which isn’t there, but she finds Jay and his model trains a good substitute. Her stepfather, Senator Blurt, is escorted to the oval office where he meets with the President, who plans to get evolution out of the public schools by making it a religion. Blurt is given a lot of money and assigned to do the legwork, meaning find some sort of church that can be bribed to pray to The Origin of Species. The quest leads Blurt to the Fig Leaf where he pays off a minister who is (as we know) a conman. The faux minister has no intention of meeting his end of the deal until he realizes that the Secret Service is guarding the church doors. He needs a congregation or he needs a way out. Eventually everybody ends up at the church but nobody’s praying.

Cast:
Jay Wyclif, white male, twenty-five to thirty. Jerry, white male, about forty-five. Quin, white male dwarf, about the same age as Jerry. Senator Ezekiel Blurt, white male in his fifties. Muriel Blurt, white female, about fifty. The senator's latest wife. Sylvia, Muriel's daughter, Blurt’s stepdaughter. Twenty something. Wally, male, at least early twenties, no older than thirty-five. Slovenly appearance. Bitsy (Tabitha, Tabby), an attractive woman pushing forty. Southern. Harold (Midge) Mitchell, white male about fifty. President of the United States. Robert (Nobby) Castor, white male about fifty. The president's right-hand man. Woody Mandrake, an experienced Secret Service agent. Ajax Gusto, a novice Secret Service agent. Mrs. Diaz, Hispanic adult female any age. This is a non-speaking role. There are thirteen characters. Eleven actors required with doubling.
The Method in It
by William Brasse

It is Felix's first day as a psychiatrist at Down & Batten LLP. It is also Misty Down's twentieth birthday. Her father, Lionel Down (founding partner of Down & Batten), has promised to reveal what happened to her mother years ago. Misty is appalled to hear that her mother ran away with a spaceman, and the spaceman is her father, not Lionel. She also discovers that her boyfriend is in psychiatric treatment due to a misunderstanding. Felix's patients include a rowdy poet with hysterical blindness and a performer who can no longer perform. Aliens appear. Also the Brain Police. Misty finds solace with the performer. Felix narrowly escapes imprisonment and starts a new career.

Cast:
Felix Catalpa Black male, about 40. A psychologist just starting a`new job at Down & Batten LLP. Lionel Down PhD White male about 45. One of the partners in Down & Batten. Father of Misty. Misty Down White female, twenty. Daughter of Lionel. Justin Holder White male, twenty. Boyfriend of Misty. Not overly bright. Ted Hendricks PhD White male, any age from 30-50. A psychologist in the practice. Unexcitable. Fern Ballantyne PhD White female, about 30. A psychologist in the practice. Rather good-looking. Mallorree White female, about 30. Acting receptionist. Beauregard Batten PhD White male, mid-sixties or older. The other partner in Down & Batten. Homer Hardcastle White male, about 50. A poet along the lines of Charles Bukowski. Rowdy, slovenly, deliberately provocative. Suffering from hysterical blindness. A patient. Pip White male, about 25. A performer who is conflicted about performing. A patient. Detective Robert Bosphorus Male, at least 30. A detective with the Brain Police. Dianne White female, about 45. Misty’s mother. Appears once briefly without speaking and has one offstage speech. Cora Female, at least 60. Receptionist. Only appears bound and gagged in a closet. Dr. Sean Camp An alien disguised with a bag over his head. Does not speak. Aliens A and B There are two alien characters in the play in addition to Dr. Camp. They do not speak. They appear both as aliens and disguised with bags over their heads. Requires at least fourteen actors. There are eleven speaking characters. Doubling is not possible. There is one non-speaking, non-alien character (Cora). Doubling possible. Possibly a mannequin. There is one character (Dianne) who does not speak except offstage. Doubling possible. There are three alien characters. They do not speak. Doubling is not possible. Optionally, one or more additional aliens could appear in crowd scenes. Doubling possible.
The Bridge or Some Place later
by William Brasse

Run time about 12 minutes

Michael, a Vietnam veteran with a serious head injury, is at work in the control room of a drawbridge in 1978. Truc appears, demanding that the bridge be raised to allow his cruise ship through. Michael informs him that not only is the bridge inoperable, the river is only about six feet deep. Truc soon realizes, but has difficulty believing, that he has gone back in time from 2015 to 1978 and has no idea how to return. His ship has disappeared. He and Michael discuss the situation. There is another apparent time shift. Truc is still in the control room, but his ship is heard, sounding its horn to request that the bridge be raised. Truc makes a desperate decision.

Cast:
Michael Chapman, white male about 30 Truc Van, Vietnamese male 35. His English is essentially perfect, but slightly stilted.
How to Spell (And Why)
by William Brasse

Run time about 30 minutes

A play about the importance of language and the difficulty of communication. Harley spells words out loud and becomes involved with a murder. A police officer is unsure what city he is in. Harley discovers that spelling can be deceptive, but is he speaking English or not? Harley meets Kirstie when he is hit by her car which blows up unexpectedly. There seem to be technical difficulties and deviation from the script. A dead man explains some theatrical conventions. Harley and Kirstie run away, handcuffed together. The dead man returns to explain why the play has no ending. Which it doesn’t.

Cast:
Harley, a man in his mid-twenties. Hip. Man at Bus Stop, any age. Luther, a man a little older than Harley. Stolid. Wilson, a police officer. About 50. Dignified, serious and confused. Georgina, Wilson’s wife. About the same age. Fluttery with a touch of mystery. Officer Batt, a police officer of lower rank than Wilson. Any age. Cockney accent. Mick, a thug. Duff, a thug. Kirstie, a young woman, twenties, fussy and meticulous. A Dead Man, any age. Various non-speaking extras appear briefly.