-AUTHOR - PLAYWRIGHT - SCREENWRITER -
FREDERICK STROPPEL
LATEST NEWS!!!
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TWISTED SHORTS returns with its Christmas edition, SEASONS READINGS, on Tuesday November 28th, 2023, at St. Luke's Episcopal Church in Sea Cliff NY. Participating in the annual Giving Tuesday, a portion of the proceeds will go to NOSH Delivers, a food pantry helping out the needy in the North Shore area.
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MARJORIE , my newest play, is a dark comedy about gun culture in America. It had its first reading in September 2023 at the Sea Cliff Arts Council space in Sea Cliff NY, featuring Maggie Odell, Paul Marchese, Joe Hughes, Liz Stroppel and Ann DiPietro.
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KELLYANNE AND GEORGE: AN AMERICAN LOVE STORY, a two-character play about a certain political couple, will have a reading at Studio 797, 8th Avenue in NYC on Friday, June 7th, featuring Joanna Keylock and Peter Plano and directed by Paul J. Michael. It had its first public reading in November 2021 at the Metropolitan Bistro in Sea Cliff, NY,
A production is planned for Fall 2024.
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CURVEBALLS just won Best TV Comedy Series at the 2024 Venus International Film Festival in NYC.! It's a comedy series about the crazy and very adult goings-on behind the scenes of a kids baseball show. I created the show with my old Third Rail Comedy partner Jennifer Jiles, who once worked for the NY Mets as the host of a similar show called "Dynamets!" , so she knows the terrain well. The pilot episode, which I wrote, has been recorded as a podcast, working with SueMedia Productions, and will be available for your listening pleasure in the near future.
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VIRAL VIGNETTES, a web-series dealing with the Covid pandemic, which was streamed in 2020, is now a feature-length film. Produced by David Levin, the short films featured a revolving cast of well-known actors: Robert Wuhl, Don Most, Barry Bostwick, Max Gail Jr., Susan Ruttan, Renee Taylor, Fred Melamed, Jane Kazmareck, John Schneider, Linda Purl, Audrey Landers, Jim Meskimen, Gail O'Grady, Yvonne Jung and Lydia Cornell. I served as head writer and story editor, and wrote five episodes: "Old Buddies", "Care Package", "Phoning It In", "Prom Night" and "Common Census".
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RIVER OF DOUBT, a play about Teddy Roosevelt and his life-and-death expedition into the Amazon, had its first NYC reading at the National Arts Club off Gramercy Park in September 2018. The three-man cast featured Allan Zeller as Teddy Roosevelt, Dave Morrissey as his son Kermit, and R. G. Madruga as Colonel Candido Rondon. Looking to do a NYC production later this year.
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THE GIRL IN THE RED DRESS, a new musical with book by myself and music and lyrics by Maia Sharp, Buddy Mondlock and Art Garfunkel, had its first NYC reading in May 2018 at the National Arts Club The reading featured Broadway's Kennedy Caughell, with a cast including Richard Barone, Bill Phillips, Joanna Keylock, Kimberly Squires and Allan Zeller. A workshop production directed by Hunter Foster was performed at the Redhouse Theater in Syracuse in summer of 2019. The musical is being developed by Mark Graham and Peter Staley of Saugatuck Productions.
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TOMORROW'S TODAY, an independent film based on my screenplay CHARLIE BOY, wrapped production in July 2018 in Astoria. Produced by School of Old Productions (Greg Kritikos, producer; Dean Martini, executive producer), the film stars Greg Kritikos, Kelly LeBrock, Burt Young, Teddy Smith, Peter Plano and is directed by Timothy Hines.
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FALL RIVER, a new play about Lizzie Borden and the "Crime of the Century", had its world premiere at Penguin Rep in Stony Point NY in October 2017, directed by Artistic Director Joe Brancato, and featuring Sofia Jean Gomez and Oliver Wadsworth.
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The Penguin Rep production of SMALL WORLD completed a successful run in NYC in September 2017. The original cast of Mark Shanahan (as Walt Disney) and Stephen D'Ambrose (as Igor Stravinsky) were again directed by Joe Brancato, with performances from September 13-October 7 at the 59E59 theater complex. Critics raved: "Highly original and entertaining!" "Totally fascinating!" "Profound and memorable!"
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SMALL WORLD
Two giants of the 20th Century, filmmaker Walt Disney and composer Igor Stravinsky, clash during the making of the animation classic Fantasia. This two-character comedy explores the volatile relationship between these two very different geniuses, and considers the personal nature of creativity and art. SMALL WORLD, produced by Penguin Rep in Stony Point NY to kick off their 2015 season, moved to NYC in September 2017, at 59E59. Directed by Artistic Director Joe Brancato and starring Mark Shanahan as Walt Disney and Stephen D'Ambrose as Igor Stravinsky, "Funny...Provocative...the initial humor moves into dangerous and exciting territory." NY Times. "Immensely entertaining...The spirited banter between the great men is chock-full of clever witticisms" - Broadway World. "A witty reflection on the nature of art and creative genius...highly entertaining and accessible." - The Journal News.
Have a Screenplay You Want to Write?
A Script You Need to Polish?
A Story You Have to Tell?
Now available for Script Consulting, Polishing, Script Doctoring, and Professional Guidance at any step of the screenwriting or playwriting process. Wide experience in filmmaking, television writing, theater, and publishing. If you have a writing challenge or an idea you just have to get down on paper, or if you're just looking for a professional critique of your work, contact fredstrop@aol.com to set up a free consultation!