I’m very happy and thrilled to say that Playfest Santa Barbara, a well-regarded new play development organization, has chosen my play “I and the Emperor” as one of three finalists in their 2021 new play competition.

“I and the Emperor” is a historical character drama about the Emperor Napoleon and his complicated relationship with a young girl, Betsy Balcombe, during his end-of-life exile on the island of St. Helena.

A few years ago, my tragicomedy “Encore, Encore” was also a finalist in Playfest Santa Barbara’s new play contest, so I’m especially honored to have a second one of my plays recognized within just a few years.

Many thanks again to Playfest Santa Barbara and Artistic Director R. Michael Gros!

I’m very proud to say that my historical drama “I and the Emperor” is a semifinalist in an annual new play festival sponsored by the American Association of Community Theatre (AACT)!

“I and the Emperor” is a recent play of mine from earlier this year concerning Napoleon Bonaparte and his unlikely relationship with a young girl while on exile in the South Atlantic at the end of his life.

This is the third time a play of mine has been recognized by AACT as they’ve navigated through a mountain of (hundreds of) new scripts every year. (My other plays “Fifteen Men in a Smoke-Filled Room” and “The Footsteps of God” were also given a nice nod by the group in 2013 and 2018, respectively – with “Fifteen Men” being recognized within the top 20 scripts.)

Many thanks to AACT again for their kind consideration!

I’m very pleased to announce I have a finished a new historical drama of which I am very proud – “I and the Emperor.”

Briefly, “I and the Emperor” explores the unlikely, turbulent relationship between the 16-year-old Betsy Balcombe and the aging Napoleon Bonaparte during the latter’s exile on the island of St. Helena. The play is ultimately the story of Betsy herself, who comes to understand life, with all its peaks and valleys, through understanding the complexity and tragedy of the exiled Emperor in her backyard.

At its heart, “I and the Emperor” is a sometimes droll, sometimes dramatic, but ultimately touching and thoughtful coming-of-age tale. As a theatrical piece, the play is noteworthy for its two powerful leading roles and several strong supporting characters and that it requires only 7 actors (2 women, 5 men) and a simple unit set to bring its story to life.

(Napoleon and Betsy Balcombe, from an etching in Balcombe’s memoir.)

You can read a synopsis of the play here!