free short scripts (pdf)

“THE TALK”

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Two people set out to have a truly deep personal discussion about race… if they can ever get through the pre-talk about talking about race.
Co-written with Darius Stubbs.

2 actors (male or female), one black one white.
Premiered at Cleveland Public Theatre’s “Station Hope”, 2017.

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“A CHRISTMAS STORY” (ADAPTED BY QUENTIN TARANTINO)

A 10 minute stunningly violent, profane, and verbose retelling of everyone’s favorite pink-bunny-clad boy.
“You’ll shoot your eye out” takes on a whole new meaning….
6-10 actors, any ethnicity

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H. R.

Civilization will be undone by the seven most frightening words in the English language: “Human Resources needs to talk to you.”
2 men, 2 women. Premiered at Dobama Theatre, 2009; Samuel French Off Off Broadway Short Play Festival, 2009.

“‘Writing in the style of true farce, Coble penned a hysterically funny script, full of overblown characters, each one with a secret to hide, which are revealed through slips of the tongue and acting double-takes” — Cool Cleveland
“Coble neatly reverses gender roles in this light and tasty play” — Cleveland Plain Dealer

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HAUNTED

An actress prepares to step onstage in a tiny role, only to be visited by four very unfriendly theatrical spectres…
1 woman, 4 actors of either sex. Premiered at Contemporary American Theatre Company, 2006.
Winner, Best of the Fest, 2006.

“In the whimsical, wry ‘Haunted’, Coble has created some long-needed theater ghosts, but to name them would undercut the surprise” — Columbus Dispatch

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QUICK  TRIP

A woman stops in to see her almost comatose mother in a nursing home. A song by Duke Ellington reveals a new opportunity.
2 women. Premiered at Great Lakes Theatre Festival, 2005.

“Truly moving without being saccharine… a beautiful exploration of what we all need at the end of the journey” — Scene Magazine

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TIES  THAT  BIND

BE ASTOUNDED by the Amazing Krispinsky in his ULTIMATE FEAT OF DAREDEVILTRY as he heroically, death-defyingly, mind-numbingly attempts his GREATEST ACT OF ESCAPE EVER! But can even he wriggle free… from… HIS OWN LIFE??
2 actors (male or female)
Premiered at Actors Theatre of Louisville Humana Festival 2005. Performed at the New York Fringe Festival, 2005.

WATCH  THE  LIPS

Sammy Fullwood and his dummy Mr. McBuffer are happy to sell you theatre memorabilia from the gift shop… or at least Sammy is.
2 actors (male or female)
Premiered at Actors Theatre of Louisville Humana Festival 2005. Performed at the New York Fringe Festival, 2005.

“Smart, funny shows that channel the neurotic anxiety of a culture crumbling onto its own ideals and convert it into humor and laughs” — NYTheatre

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REMOTE

Two haggard businessmen stumble into their hotel room after a disastrous meeting, only to discover they’re in the middle of a televised hostage crisis.
2 men. Premiered at Contemporary American Theatre Company, 2004.
Winner, Best of the Fest, 2004.

“Very funny… a suitable refuge from home life” — Columbus Dispatch

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BAGGAGE  UNATTENDED

A couple. An airport. A suitcase left unattended. What could go wrong?

1 man, 1 woman, 2-3 extras.  Premiered at Contemporary American Theatre Company, 2002.
Winner, Best of the Fest, 2002.

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10  MINUTES  FROM  CLEVELAND

A collection of ten 10-minute plays following a day in the life of a major city – in this case, Cleveland, OH. Each play is set in an iconic area (“the hospital”,”the graveyard”, “the nightclub” etc.), so that dialogue can be changed to fit any city as needed. The pieces can be performed separately or as one full-length play. 3 women, 3 men. Premiered at Dobama Theatre, 2005.

“Delicious, entertaining… Writ larger, this is a play about how we as people get along in the crucible in which we find ourselves: Home.” — Cleveland Plain Dealer

“Giddily invigorating and hilarious” – Scene Magazine

“This inspiring and often mind-altering show takes the audience on a journey of soul-searching and ‘site-seeing’, and the surprising result is a sense of warmth and safety rather than one of cold and continual defeat” — Sun Press

“Enormously entertaining and insightful” — Cleveland Jewish News

“Wildly funny and poetic.” — Akron Beacon Journal

“Coble has the most astonishingly accurate – and wicked – eye and ear on society and it’s foibles of any current writer”
— Cool Cleveland

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DYNGUS DAY

Laquanda desperately wants in on Polish holiday Dyngus Day.  Her sister Cherisse is here to shut that down.  Let the pierogies fly.

2 Women, African-American.  Premiered at The Manhattan Project, 2015.

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ALMA MATTER

Rob graduated from this school.  Really.  No, seriously.  But can he prove it?

1 man, any ethnicity.  Premiered at Ohio University, 2012.

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THE REASON WHY

Paul has a reason why he was caught with the frog in the blender.  And it’s a damn good one.

1 man, any ethnicity.  Premiered at Geva Theatre, 2014.