David Osmundsen
Tempe, AZ
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Biography

Dave Osmundsen's work has been seen and developed at the Midwest Dramatists Conference, Phoenix Theatre, Manhattan Repertory Theatre, In the Water Theatre Company, and the New American Theatre in LA. His one-act, A Firework Unexploded, was published in the inaugural issue of The Dionysian. His play Stupid, Fat, Ugly was a semi-finalist for the 2017 National Playwrights Conference at the Eugene O'Neill Theatre Center. In addition to playwriting, he has also written for StageBuddy and TheatreIsEasy and has had short stories published on ScholarsAndRogues.com. He is currently pursuing his MFA in Dramatic Writing from Arizona State University.

Plays

What Price? What Glory?
by David Osmundsen

Hollywood, 1927. A young woman's adventures in silent-era Hollywood take a devastating turn. 

New York City, 2014. A young actor is set to make his Broadway debut in a musical about a silent-era film actress who went missing in 1927.

Side by side, we hear their stories.

Cast:
WANDA, an actress BENJY, an actor VOICE #1, male, plays MARCUS, KENNETH, and EMAIL #3. VOICE #2, male, plays HARRY, VICTOR, GEORGE, SHEP, EMAIL #1 and EMAIL #4. VOICE #3, female, plays ALEX, MATRON, SECURITY GUARD, JILL, MOM, MOTHER, CHRISTINE, and EMAIL #2.
Something for Sondra
by David Osmundsen

Janey Tubben, her underachieving best friend Brian, and her sassy mother Sondra are forced to navigate the rocky waters of friendship and loyalty when Sondra is diagnosed with a deadly disease right when Janey receives the opportunity of a lifetime.

Cast:
SONDRA TUBBEN: Late forties/early fifties. A “fun mom” who has her limits, and when she reaches them, you do not want to be around her. Suffers from ALS over the course of the play. JANEY TUBBEN: Sondra’s daughter, late teens. Fiercely intelligent (she intends to attend Harvard), but can hold a grudge like nobody’s business. BRIAN MILLER: Janey’s friend from high school marching band, late teens. Compassionate, passionate, yet an underachiever, especially compared to Janey. The three characters can be any race.
The Ushers
by David Osmundsen

The play follows a year in the lives of a small group of ushers at a Florida community theatre. Their desires, passions, and past hurts all come out as they vie for the Usher of the Year award.

Cast:
VELMA – Early sixties. Small, quiet, the new usher to the Rhinestone at the start of the play. ELLEN – Early seventies. Brash, straightforward, and blunt, but an excellent usher who has been ushering at the Rhinestone for a long time. MARY – Mid-sixties. Warm, caring, was “Usher of the Year” the previous season. Has a distinct Minnesota accent. RHODA – Late sixties. Eager to help, but doesn’t know her boundaries. JOHN – Mid-Sixties. In the autumn of his life. Attractive, passionate about his work, and perhaps a bit too bossy. The house manager of the Rhinestone Community Theatre. EILEEN – The new usher at the end of the play. Played by the same actress who plays ELLEN.
Stupid, Fat, Ugly
by David Osmundsen

When Mandy's younger gay brother Eric mysteriously dies, she travels to New York City to find out what exactly happened. What she discovers about her brother's death (and herself) will change her life forever.

Cast:
MANDY, mid-twenties. Attractive, but in a homier way. Has a hard time leaving her comfort zone. ERIC, early twenties. On the larger side of fat, his attempts at charm mask something much more desperate. TREVOR, mid-twenties. Essentially the ideal gay—handsome, great career, but of course, has a dark side. RICHARD, mid-sixties. Has lived through the best and worst of the gay community. KORI, late-twenties/early-thirties. Tough but wise, honest but nurturing. Preferably a different race from the actress playing Mandy.
Ferret Ran Away
by David Osmundsen

Don has broken up with his boyfriend after being diagnosed with HIV. Celia has become pregnant after a one-night encounter at a party. Will these siblings be able to cross personal and familial boundaries to reach one another in their times of need?

Cast:
DON, twenty-one CELIA, eighteen, his sister JESSIE, eighteen, CELIA’s best friend VINCENT, twenty-five, DON’s ex MOTHER, DON and CELIA’s mother, played by the same actress as JESSIE FATHER, DON and CELIA’s father, played by the same actor as VINCENT
The Yes Lives
by David Osmundsen

Alexander: Gay, cynical, and has a problem saying "yes". John: Straight, optimistic, and has no problem saying "yes". Over fifteen years, these two unlikely friends sustain each other through the highs and lows of life, and learn the consequences of saying (or not saying) the Y word.

Cast:
ALEXANDER JOHN RONALD SHELLY MORGAN (played by the same actor who plays SHELLY) TOMMY (played by the same actor who plays RONALD)
A Firework Unexploded
by David Osmundsen

Ned loves fireworks. Gina doesn’t. A seemingly meaningless difference that forces them to confront their insecurities, flaws, and what they mean to each other.

Cast:
NED, male, 20s GINA, female, 20s
Make Way
by David Osmundsen

When the government starts an initiative to begin humanity anew, three unnamed characters (referred to as A, B, and C) are paid to throw old books into a fire pit. When A comes across one of his favorite childhood books, he tries to save it from being burned, sparking a debate about the value of old books and ideas in a world that is trying to start over—and whether they’re worth keeping around.

Cast:
A: Male, late teens/early twenties B: Female, late thirties/early forties C: Male, late fifties/early sixties
Pix of Your Partner's Privates
by David Osmundsen

When Shelly is about to return to the other side of the country, her long-distance boyfriend John gives her something to remember him by...

Cast:
JOHN, 20s SHELLY, 20s