Cherielyn Ferguson

Cherielyn Ferguson

Cherielyn Ferguson is a San Francisco Bay Area playwright. She’s a member of the Dramatists Guild, the Playwrights’ Center, Theatre Bay Area, Pear Playwrights Guild, and Play Café of Berkeley. She participated in the Kennedy Center Playwriting Intensive and continues as a member of the PlayGround-SF writers pool for 2023-2024.

Upcoming Readings/Productions:
Backyard - Pear Theatre,...
Cherielyn Ferguson is a San Francisco Bay Area playwright. She’s a member of the Dramatists Guild, the Playwrights’ Center, Theatre Bay Area, Pear Playwrights Guild, and Play Café of Berkeley. She participated in the Kennedy Center Playwriting Intensive and continues as a member of the PlayGround-SF writers pool for 2023-2024.

Upcoming Readings/Productions:
Backyard - Pear Theatre, Mountain View, CA, May 2024
Right - Playwrights' Center of San Francisco, June 2024

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Past Productions
Everything's Under Control - Lantern Theatre, Sheffield UK, April 2024
Carolers - Quannapowitt Players, Reading MA
An Afternoon's Enjoyment - Salem State University, MA
Lit Crit and Beach House - Monster Box Theatre, Jackson MI
Lit Crit - Pegasus Theater of Sonoma CA
Please Hold On - Gemco Players' Take Ten Festival, Victoria, Australia
Emergency Prep - Adams State University, Alamosa CO
Beach House - Fargo Moorhead Community Theatre, Fargo ND
This Will Be Thine - Pan Theater, Oakland CA

Past Readings:
Beach House - The Storefront Theatre, Waxhaw, NC
Lit Crit - The Chameleon Theatre Circle, Minneapolis, MN
Going to the Trouble - PlayGround-SF, San Francisco, CA

Workshop production:
Valuable - Shawnee Playhouse, Shawnee-on-Delaware, PA

Radio:
Interview with Two Octopuses, Vandals Visit Tony and Kevin, A Ride on the Bus - Spokane Public Radio
Doris Predicts, and The Chit-Chat Preserver - Old Tyme Radio, WAMF New Orleans

Cherielyn holds a BA in theatre arts from Santa Clara University and has studied at American Conservatory Theatre, HB Studio, Pittsburgh Playhouse, Berkeley Repertory’s School of Theatre, and the Dramatists Guild Institute.

Plays

  • Lit Crit by Cherielyn Ferguson
    Recommendations: 4
    ·
    Cast: 
    2
    ·
    Genre: comedy
    Genre: comedy
    10-minute play
    Ben paces anxiously behind Tara while she finishes reading his newly-completed novel. She turns a page and sighs. She makes a note. What’s she really thinking? Ben insists that Tara give it to him straight, no matter what. And then she does . . .
  • Into the Air by Cherielyn Ferguson
    Recommendations: 1
    ·
    Cast: 
    7–20
    ·
    Genre: biography, comedy + 3 more
    ·
    Keyword: Blanche Stuart Scott, 20th century American history + 7 more
    Genre: biography, comedy, docudrama/historic, drama, period
    Keyword: Blanche Stuart Scott, 20th century American history, Rochester NY, airplanes, flying, aviation, self-determination, early feminism, biographical
    Full-length play
    Early 20th century American aviatrix Blanche Stuart Scott doesn’t wait around for adventure and fame to find her. This Rochester-born woman goes after it, discovering that all along the way men want to claim her ideas as their own, use her flying expertise to enhance their own celebrity, or narrow her ambitions through marriage. Whether it’s confronting her mother’s disapproval of her...
    Full-length play
    Early 20th century American aviatrix Blanche Stuart Scott doesn’t wait around for adventure and fame to find her. This Rochester-born woman goes after it, discovering that all along the way men want to claim her ideas as their own, use her flying expertise to enhance their own celebrity, or narrow her ambitions through marriage. Whether it’s confronting her mother’s disapproval of her choices, defending her record as the best female pilot of her time, or battling for her rights in a male-dominated field—Blanche meets every challenge head on.

  • Please Hold On by Cherielyn Ferguson
    Recommendations: 2
    ·
    Cast: 
    2
    ·
    Genre: comedy, fantasy
    ·
    Keyword: Fantasy, imagination + 2 more
    Genre: comedy, fantasy
    Keyword: Fantasy, imagination, male/female relationships, Transportation
    10-minute play
    Who’s behind those placid voices that announce the next bus stop, tell us to exit from the rear, urge us to hold on for our own safety? Those voices want to connect with others, just the way the rest of us do. Take a 10-minute bus ride and hear them share a secret desire or two, and also reveal the course they take to find a life outside the bus.
  • Socks, Mugs, and Mouse Pads by Cherielyn Ferguson
    Recommendations: 1
    ·
    Cast: 
    6
    ·
    Genre: comedy, parody/spoof + 1 more
    ·
    Keyword: Napoleon, Jane Austen + 6 more
    Genre: comedy, parody/spoof, period
    Keyword: Napoleon, Jane Austen, Coco Chanel, Mozart, Mona Lisa, Alexander Hamilton, after-life, game show parody
    A short play
    Our earthly competition for fame doesn’t die in the Afterlife, it just takes a different form: The Ceremony of Induction into the Sock and Mug Hall of Fame. Recent inductees Mozart and Mona Lisa will judge the newest nominees’ memorabilia collections to select the next master or mistress of merchandising. Will it be Jane Austen, Coco Chanel, Alexander Hamilton, or Napoleon Bonaparte? May the...
    A short play
    Our earthly competition for fame doesn’t die in the Afterlife, it just takes a different form: The Ceremony of Induction into the Sock and Mug Hall of Fame. Recent inductees Mozart and Mona Lisa will judge the newest nominees’ memorabilia collections to select the next master or mistress of merchandising. Will it be Jane Austen, Coco Chanel, Alexander Hamilton, or Napoleon Bonaparte? May the best socks, mugs, and mouse pads win.
  • This Will Be Thine by Cherielyn Ferguson
    Recommendations: 1
    ·
    Cast: 
    2
    ·
    Genre: comedy, drama + 2 more
    ·
    Keyword: family, parents and adult children + 3 more
    Genre: comedy, drama, fantasy, movement/physical
    Keyword: family, parents and adult children, nostalgia, death, love
    10-minute play
    Overwhelmed as she clears out the family house, Julie mistakenly tosses out a memento of great importance to her late mother. Help comes from an unexpected source when she races to save the “treasure” she was told to hold on to—forever. A philosophizing refuse worker advises her let go of this thing that, as the saying now goes, does not spark joy. And to keep the thing that rings a bell.

  • Beach House by Cherielyn Ferguson
    Recommendations: 1
    ·
    Cast: 
    3
    ·
    Genre: drama
    ·
    Keyword: family, mother and son + 5 more
    Genre: drama
    Keyword: family, mother and son, real estate, house sale, childhood memories, letting go, a role for an older actress
    10-minute play
    Newly-widowed Carolyn surprises her adult son Mark when she says she’s ready to complete the sale of the family’s beloved vacation home—ASAP. Carolyn will do whatever it takes to get the house ready to sell—even if that mean erasing much of what makes the house so special to Mark. When Mark presses his mother about her hurry, he learns something about the house that he wishes he hadn’t.
  • Going to the Trouble by Cherielyn Ferguson
    Cast: 
    2
    ·
    Genre: comedy, drama + 1 more
    ·
    Keyword: Thanksgiving, Holidays + 4 more
    Genre: comedy, drama, holiday
    Keyword: Thanksgiving, Holidays, Aging mother, family relationships, generational differences, features role for older actors
    10-minute play
    A son wants to spare his forgetful mother the trouble of making a full-blown Thanksgiving dinner. He’s sure he has the perfect alternative, but she has other ideas.
  • Everything's Under Control by Cherielyn Ferguson
    Cast: 
    2
    ·
    Genre: comedy, period
    Genre: comedy, period
    10-minute play
    It’s 1951 and Bob comes home with something special from his research lab at Phillips Petroleum: a bottle you use once and throw away. For Bob, the future’s so bright, we’ll have to wear shades. His wife Marion’s not so sure about that. What if we said “no” to the future?
  • Valuable by Cherielyn Ferguson
    Cast: 
    5–7
    ·
    Genre: comedy, drama
    ·
    Keyword: one-act, older actors + 8 more
    Genre: comedy, drama
    Keyword: one-act, older actors, senior actors, urban gentrification, generational divide, autism, disability, millennials, retail, antiques
    One-act play
    An impossibly high rent hike forces Jane to sell off her treasured collectible and antiques inventory to make way for a trendy store owned by Nicholas, a determined Millennial. Rebecca, a young merchandise liquidator, only makes matters worse by questioning the prices of Jane’s merchandise. And just as Jane tries to hold on to everything that’s safe and familiar, Jane’s autistic adult...
    One-act play
    An impossibly high rent hike forces Jane to sell off her treasured collectible and antiques inventory to make way for a trendy store owned by Nicholas, a determined Millennial. Rebecca, a young merchandise liquidator, only makes matters worse by questioning the prices of Jane’s merchandise. And just as Jane tries to hold on to everything that’s safe and familiar, Jane’s autistic adult daughter Lucy presses her mother for more responsibility and independence. What’s the real value of Jane’s collection of old clocks, china, and vintage records—to Jane and to others? Are Lucy’s ambitions reasonable? And who gets to decide?
  • Emergency Prep by Cherielyn Ferguson
    Cast: 
    5
    ·
    Genre: comedy, farce + 1 more
    ·
    Keyword: one-act, topical + 5 more
    Genre: comedy, farce, satire
    Keyword: one-act, topical, slapstick, community issues, fear of the unknown, Relationships, safety
    One-act play
    After an apartment building break-in, four eccentric tenants gather to create a plan to survive whatever emergency lurks out there for them in these uncertain times. The orderly process of getting contact info and sharing their own oddball personal protection strategies devolves into chaos when they decide to stage a response to an imagined emergency. Lights are blown out, an intruder...
    One-act play
    After an apartment building break-in, four eccentric tenants gather to create a plan to survive whatever emergency lurks out there for them in these uncertain times. The orderly process of getting contact info and sharing their own oddball personal protection strategies devolves into chaos when they decide to stage a response to an imagined emergency. Lights are blown out, an intruder arrives, and cover is frequently taken. Will they be safer when the evening’s over? Who will go home feeling wronged and peeved? And who will stay to embark on the most promising security plan of all?
  • Museum Story by Cherielyn Ferguson
    Cast: 
    6–8
    ·
    Genre: comedy, drama
    ·
    Keyword: art, art museum + 2 more
    Genre: comedy, drama
    Keyword: art, art museum, sibling relationship, workplace
    One-act play
    Angie, a guard at a large urban art museum, is on the verge of becoming a supervisor, which promises even more access to the art she’s proud to protect every day. But her path is threatened when Garrett, a street artist, visits her workplace with a shady plea for help. Angie must protect herself and her future from Garrett’s flimsy claims that he’s left his troubled life behind.

  • Backyard by Cherielyn Ferguson
    Cast: 
    3
    ·
    Genre: drama
    ·
    Keyword: Parenting, community responsibility + 2 more
    Genre: drama
    Keyword: Parenting, community responsibility, neighborhood conflict, three female actors
    10-minute play
    If you hear something, do you say something: Two women overhear a neighbor lace into her kids with an obscenity-laden rant. Is it their responsibility to intervene?
  • Right by Cherielyn Ferguson
    Cast: 
    2
    ·
    Genre: drama, political
    ·
    Keyword: education, local elections + 5 more
    Genre: drama, political
    Keyword: education, local elections, teachers, parents, neighbors, LGBTQ, difficult decisions
    10-minute play
    Campaigning for a seat on the school board not only takes a lot of time—it can also be hazardous to friendships. When Kim, a newly retired-teacher, asks for her neighbor Amy’s help on the campaign, Amy’s decides she’s ready to enlist. But it doesn’t take long for Amy to find she doesn’t agree with some of Kim’s objectives for the district, and a new decision has to be made.
  • Dinner by Cherielyn Ferguson
    Cast: 
    3
    ·
    Genre: drama
    ·
    Keyword: Millenials, Job Interview + 1 more
    Genre: drama
    Keyword: Millenials, Job Interview, restaurant setting
    10-minute play
    After two grueling days of interviews Rory, an ambitious young tech worker, takes up a spur-of-the-moment invitation to have dinner with Sam, his potential manager. As the meal winds down, casual assumptions about class and background play a much greater part in Rory’s future than he could have predicted.
  • To Light or Not to Light by Cherielyn Ferguson
    Cast: 
    2
    ·
    Genre: comedy, drama + 1 more
    ·
    Keyword: changing neighborhood, winter holidays + 5 more
    Genre: comedy, drama, holiday
    Keyword: changing neighborhood, winter holidays, christmas, religious differences, tolerance, community, two-character
    10-minute play
    Nate and his family are new to the neighborhood, and when the holidays roll around, long-time resident John expects Nate to fall in line with the Cherry Avenue Tree Tradition. But Nate has more questions about the regimented decoration scheme than John’s prepared for and John begins to reconsider the whole thing. Who’s in and who’s out? And why?
  • Special Delivery by Cherielyn Ferguson
    Cast: 
    2
    ·
    Genre: comedy, dark comedy + 3 more
    ·
    Keyword: 1950s, twisted Christmas
    Genre: comedy, dark comedy, holiday, parody/spoof, period
    Keyword: 1950s, twisted Christmas
    10-minute play
    The 1950s weren’t all about Bing Crosby singing White Christmas and Silver Bells; some people could still have trouble getting into the holiday spirit. To wit—Jake’s got an anger management problem and he’d like to fix everyone’s wagon. He finds an unwitting accomplice in Irma, his mild-mannered, elderly neighbor. And then all hell—or rather, all fruitcake—breaks loose.
  • The Point of No Return by Cherielyn Ferguson
    Cast: 
    4
    ·
    Genre: comedy, holiday
    ·
    Keyword: family, christmas + 5 more
    Genre: comedy, holiday
    Keyword: family, christmas, Holidays, dysfunctional holidays, satire, generation gap, boomer-millennial conflict
    10-minute play
    Everyone’s holiday traditions are just like your own, right? Not so fast. When your new in-laws gift-giving customs make no sense to you, do you speak up or shut up? Newlywed Kristen finds out what happens when she goes with the first, risky option.