Playwrighting | Dramatists Guild | ||||||||
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Directing | Production History PDF | ||||||||
Acting | Curriculum Vitae PDF | ||||||||
For script samples, click here. | Email:daz at davidzarko dot us | ||||||||
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Full Length Scripts | ||||||||
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Youth Instructs Age |
Produced by The Actors' Theatre, Santa Cruz, CA 1990 (of a much earlier version) and by The Metropolitan Playhouse of New York, 1999 (as "History Lessons" also an earlier version). |
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“Rain and Revolution", written by David Zarko, is an elegant and precise comedy, a script with real dialogue, real concepts and – not least – real people. “Rain" is a warm and funny play, but more than that, it is a compelling and unique look at five interesting people, both individually and collectively. Each of them has a story, but it is the combined effects of plot and dialogue that give the play its substance and results in characters who actually have something interesting to say to each other and to us. -- Ann Bennett, Register-Pajaronian, February 22, 1990 |
For script samples, click here. |
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Celebrity Madness This play is an adaptation of the farce, What Happened to Jones by George Broadhurst. It follows the story line of the original and uses bits of Broadhurst's dialog throughout. It was developed in rehearsal with the company at The Metropolitan Playhouse of New York in 2000. |
Produced by The Metropolitan Playhouse, 2000. Go to Directing for photos and reviews. Also by Indiana Area Senior High School, 2013. |
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David Zarko, who also directed, has adapted this 1897 three-act farce to demonstrate its original fizz while sharpening its wit with some latter-day references. The result is an endearing and very serviceable farce, one that would be a boon to amateur groups seeking such fare, and far superior to many over-performed comedies currently out there. Zarko has directed his large cast with gusto... I recently had the great privilege of directing David Zarko's farce, "The Bishop Comes To Visit", at Indiana Area High School and can proudly claim great success. The audiences thoroughly enjoyed it... As a veteran director for high school theatre, starting in the late sixties, I can honestly say this was one of my happiest experiences. As a teacher of acting... I can unequivocally state that this script offers students countless opportunities... The play is not only brilliantly fast paced and challenging in its verbal and physically demands, but also comfortably within the student range of ability and growth... I believe it is ideally suited for high school production and I most sincerely recommend it. |
For script samples, click here. |
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The Consequences of Hunger A translation from the Venetian and Italian created for a production in California. I stuck very close to Goldoni's dialogue in most cases, while also giving the characters an American tone that places them in social classes recognizable to modern audiences. |
Produced by West Valley College, Saratoga, CA, 2001 and by Idaho State University, Pocatello, ID, 2004 |
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Roles & Notes |
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Boy Meets Girl, Many Times Adapted with reference to seven translations of Schnitzler's play Anatol, it was created because we found none of the translations to be readily playable. The result is a new telling of the story. |
Produced in a previous draft at Studio III Group, New York, NY, 1990 as "Anatol". It subsequently received staged readings in another much more advanced draft in 2005. This version is a recent re-write. |
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Politics as Usual An adaptation of the 1911 play by William C. DeMille (Cecil's brother), the flow of dialog, if not the wording, follows the original through much of the first act. The second act increasingly becomes my own, until the story takes a new direction entirely towards the middle of the act. |
Produced by Metropolitan Playhouse of New York, New York, NY, 2001. Go to Directing for a photo and reviews. |
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In a year when much was mediocre, the following made memorable impressions: The Howard Carter Archeology Award for Unearthing Worthwhile Plays ... and to The Metropolitan Playhouse for their production of "The Woman," an engaging 1911 political drama by William C. de Mille (brother of Cecil B. and father of Agnes). Discovered on microfilm at the New York Library, it was adapted and directed by David Zarko. The two leading female roles speak volumes about emerging feminism. |
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A Wonderful Redemption This is a "word-for-word" adaptation of the Dickens classic. The script uses all of the text that Dickens employed for his public readings, plus selected sections from the book that he left out. The narrative sections are performed, from a first person point of view, by the actor to whose character it applies. The staging needs to be fluid, and the text, musical in delivery. |
Produced by The Northeast Theatre, LaPlume, PA, 2002, and by the same under the name Electric Theatre Company, Scranton, PA 2007, 2008, 2009, and 2010. Also as a benefit for WVIA TV & FM, 2011. |
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This is the perfect Christmas event for any theater with a great imagination but a small budget. It can be mounted for practically nothing, and because Dickens' language is allowed to shine, not only is it more powerful than the usual treatment of the text, it is funny, ironic, witty and less sentimental, all without losing any of its appeal. |
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The Timeless Tale of a Hypocrite Based on Moliere's Tartuffe, the story is set in New York City during the LaGuardia administration. My reason; the distance Moliere's audience had from the commedia dell'arte roots he used to build the play, are approximately similar to our distance from the crazy family comedies of the 1930's. Although the script is mostly my own, save for a few minor reshufflings of event, it follows Moliere's story line and reflects his play in how the scenes unfold. |
Produced as "Mr. Tartoof" in an earlier version at Studio III Group, New York, NY, 1991, and in its current version (though it has since been extensively revised) at Marywood University, September 2011. Go to Directing for a photo. |
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Short Plays, One Acts & Long One Acts | |||||||||
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Pockets | ||||||||||
When Derek asks Alan for spare change one night, it leads to a much more involved conversation than either of them intended -- and a new understanding of "the other side." |
A late-night encounter on a New York street |
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Workshop performance at Ophelia Theatre Group, NYC in January 2015 (see details) |
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For script samples, click here |
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A Revolutionary Mystery Play |
Unproduced |
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A Ten Minute Goof |
Unproduced |
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For script samples, click here |
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Ten Minute Morality Play |
Unproduced |
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First Two Scenes (of five) |
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A Surrealist Experiment |
Produced in an earlier version by The Fabulous Theater Co., San Francisco, CA, 1980-81. |
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Ten Minute Ad Girls Play |
Produced by Metropolitan Playhouse, New York, NY, 1995 |
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In the mid-seventies, when my award-winning high-school Russian was still accessible -- at least for purposes of reading -- I translated and adapted five short plays by Chekhov. I've spent the ensuing 25 years re-working them as productions revealed their flaws and potential. My Russian has since all but disappeared, and I surmise that the plays have become more playable than they have become more faithful to the original Russian. But I also suspect they are now closer to the original Chekhov in spirit and in how friendly they are to actors and audience. | ||||||||||
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An Unromantic Love Story This play is also known as The Bear or The Brute. |
Produced by Catskill Mountain Theater, Margaretville, NY, 1989, by The Northeast Theatre, LaPlume PA, 2003, and by several community theatres and high schools. |
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Self-Inflicted Misery This play is also known as The Jubilee or The Anniversary. |
Produced in Griffin Conservatory, Scranton, PA 2008. |
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A Mid Life Crisis This play is also known as The Marriage Proposal. |
Produced by Catskill Mountain Theater, Margaretville, NY, 1989, by The Northeast Theatre, LaPlume, PA 2003, and by several community theatres and high schools. |
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A Late Life Crisis This play is also known as Swan Song. |
Produced by The Northeast Theatre, LaPlume, PA 2003, and by several community theatres. |
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A Very Public Confession This play is also known as On The Harmfulness of Tobacco. |
Produced by Catskill Mountain Theater, Margaretville, NY, 1989, and by several community theatres. |
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Scripts in Progress (all working titles) | ||||||||||
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A Kitchen Sink Comedy |
Unproduced Work-in-Progress. The play has had several table readings and a staged reading in February 2015 at Westbeth Center in NYC. |
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For script samples, click here. |
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An Imperial Dream Play |
Unproduced. An earlier draft was presented in a staged reading at The Metropolitan Playhouse in September 2013. Another staged reading of the rewritten play will be presented early summer 2015. |
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For script samples, click here. |
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People Taking Themselves Way Too Seriously |
Unproduced. Seeking to ready the script for a table reading. |
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A Holiday Show for the Modern Family |
Unproduced Work-in-Progress (on hold). |
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An Indonesian Adventure |
Unproduced Work-in-Progress (on hold). |
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An American Tale of Courage |
Unproduced Work-in-Progress; it has had a table reading and is now being rewritten. |
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Wanton Silliness The play alternates between scripted dialogue and detailed scenario upon which the actors improvise. A farce with some singing. |
Produced by The Post Theatre Company, Brookville, NY 1993, at American College Theatre Festival Region II, 1994 and at Hudson Guild Theater, New York, NY, 1994. This script (with rehearsal and teaching instructions) is being revisited. |
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The Facts Add up to Nothing |
Unproduced, unfinished, Work-in-Progress |
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