Dalton Gossett
Dr.
Shreveport, LA
A university professor with over 60 publications professional and lay scientists and over 40 years in the music business. Now focused on being a playwright.
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Biography

Dalton Gossett has a B.S. and M.S. degree from Texas State University and Ph.D. degree from Texas A&M University in the life sciences. As a university professor, researcher, and administrator, Dalton published over 60 papers in scientific journals for both the professional and lay scientists. In addition to his academic career, he has also been involved in the music business for over 40 years as a songwriter, performer and band leader. Since retiring from being the Associate Dean for the College of Arts and Sciences at Louisiana State University in Shreveport, he has focused his attention on being a playwright with particular interest musical theater.

Plays

Jingles, The Lonely Elf
by Dalton Gossett, Austin Harleson

The basic plot of the story is the attempt of the hero, a monitor elf named Jingles, to overcome the bigotry of the father of girl with whom he has fallen in love. The play begins with the story of the formation of Santa’s Monitor Elf Corps as a way of keeping some of the elves busy after Santa remodeled the toy factory at the North Pole. The job of the Monitor Corps is to keep Santa up on the latest Christmas wishes of the boys and girls, and one of these Monitor Elves, Jingles, is assigned to a pet store. After as few years Jingles becomes sad because he is lonely. He falls in love with and elf named Holly. Holly is the daughter of the chief toy maker, and he believes that monitor elves are below the station of toy making elves. Holly falls in love with Jingles, and Jingles, Holly, and other try to change her father’s attitude. After some Christmas magic, her dad has a change of heart, becomes more tolerant, and allows Holly to marry Jingles.”

Cast:
LEONIDAS MOTTLE – apparent age 48- an elf and brother of IGNATIUS MOTTLE SANTA CLAUS – ageless, but appears to be in his 60’s OBADIAH KRINGLE – apparent age 68- head elder of the elves JEDADIAH KRINGLE – apparent age 65 – brother of and assistant to OBADIAH JINGLES KRINKLETOES – apparent age 22 - a male Monitor Corps elf CEO ELSTEN – age 8 – a young girl PEARCE ELSTEN - age 10 – a young boy HOLLY MOTTLE – apparent age 20 – a girl elf toy maker and Daughter of IGNATIUS MOTTLE IGNATIUS MOTTLE – apparent age 52 - head of the elf toy makers PUDDIN – apparent age 28 - an elf (can be male or female) TINKER – apparent age 10 - a young elf (can be male or female) MRS. ELSTEN (NONNA) – age 55 - grandmother of PEARCE and CEO ELSTEN KNOCK KNOCK – apparent age 17 – an elf who helps handle the Reindeer herd (can be male or female) FOUR ELDER EXTRAS – apparent ages 50 – 75 – to make up the Council Of Elders (can be male or female and as few as two) YOUNG EXTRAS – apparent ages 8 -16 – elves to make up the ensemble (can be male or female and as few as four)
Deborah, A Woman of Valor
by Dalton Gossett, Austin Harleson

This musical is based on the biblical story of Deborah as told in The Book of Judges, chapters 4 and 5. It is a tale of two strong women at a time when women were considered to be second class citizens. The main character, Deborah, was one of only two women to ever govern the Israelites during biblical times. She was a judge and prophetess in the mid-twelfth century BCE, and the plot revolves around her efforts to lead the Israelites in a battle to free them from the oppression of Jabin, king of the Canaanite city-state of Hazor. It is a story of Deborah’s faith in the Lord and courage as she encounters the problems associated with trying to assert herself as the leader of a male dominated society. The story opens with the people’s cry to the Lord for a deliverer and then moves to Deborah’s appointment as judge. It then focuses on her effort to build an army, and concludes with a battle in which the Lord helps Israel attain victory against a much larger and better equipped military force. One of the subplots revolves around the second strong woman, Jael, who avenges the death of her mother and uncle at the hands of man called Sisera, the general of King Jabin’s army. A second subplot deals with the change in the faith of a man called Barak who Deborah appointed as the general of the Israelite forces.

Cast:
DEBORAH – age 20 – 30 – an Israelite prophetess who was selected to serve as Judge of Israel LAPPIDOTH – age 20 – 40 – Deborah’s husband MOSHE – age 20 – 40 – An Israelite man and friend of Lappidoth TALIAH – age 12 -16 – an Israelite girl HULDAH – age 20 – 40 – an Israelite woman and friend of Deborah JABIN – age 40 – 50 – A Canaanite king of Hazor SISERA – age 30 – 50 – A Canaanite general of Jabin’s army KERET – age 30 - 40 – A Canaanite and second in command of Jabin’s army YASSIB – age 18 – 50 – A proselyte Israelite spy (man or woman) and a servant in General Sisera’s headquaters SHIMON – age 40 – 50 – An Israelite man and uncle of Jael AVITA – age 35 – 55 – An Israelite woman and the mother of Jael JAEL – age 18 - 25 – An Israelite woman married to Heber the Kenite GALADREL – ageless – an angel, can be male or female HEBER – age – 25 -40 – A Kenite male and husband of Jael CHIAM – age 40 – 60 – an Israelite male and an elder of the City of Kedesh EXTRAS – from none to six males and/or females to serve as villagers when necessary and be part of the ensemble.