John McDonnell Tierney, aka “Jack McT” is an “early career, emerging” playwright who brings a lifetime of experience to the creative process. A retired Professor, Jack at age 77 embarked on a third “career” as a Dramatist in April 2022 while drawing on his first “career” as a Professor of Music (1970-1989) and his second as a Professor of Psychology (1997-2012), all of which coincided with Jack’s career as a professional musician (1963-present).
As a senior playwright, Jack feels a particular responsibility to write roles for senior characters (age 50+). And, as a longtime Feminist, Jack feels a similar responsibility to write roles for women, especially senior women. As a teaching professor, Jack’s work focused on Human Development with a particular research interest in Comparative Religions. Heeding the classic advice given to writers of all kinds, “Write what you know”, Jack writes plays about real human beings as they grow and change. As a life-long peace and social justice advocate and an Ally in the LGBTQA+ Community, Jack embeds themes of tolerance, compassion, and kindness while trying to “tell it like it is,” even when “what it is” is disquieting.
CATALOGUE OF WORKS
2016-2023
A LETTER FROM CHARLIE
Big Charlie arrives at his parent’s home unexpectedly with a “hand-delivered” un-opened letter from their Grandson, affectionately known as “Little Charlie,” but who, now twenty, has become just plain “Charlie.” The letter hints that Charlie has moved to San Francisco to be part of the LGBTQ+ community there and much to Big Charlie’s surprise, Rose and Mitch are not all that surprised. In fact, they have a surprise of their own for both Charlies.
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WHAT NO ONE TALKS ABOUT
It has been a long-held assumption that it is “human nature” to use violence against other people to advance one’s own religious or political agenda. And, that assumption has been used to justify killing in war. In this “Ten-Minute Play, 18 year old soldier Joey O’Leary is deeply worried about breaking the “God’s” commandment, “Thou shalt not kill.”
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ALPHABET SOUP
Diversity - Equity - Inclusion
The Anytown Community Theater Play Selection Committee is meeting to write a Call for Submissions notice. The four members of the committee -Margaret, Marybeth, Sidney, and Walter - are all in their seventies and have been together for five decades. They have lived in their bubble for a long time, producing theater according to tradition. But their bubble is burst this year because The Community Theater Association of America (CTAA), of which their group is a member, has “woke” up.
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THE PLEDGE
The Board of Education is meeting to discuss the dismissal of A recently-hired Teacher for refusing to comply with a Law requiring teachers to “lead” students in The Pledge of Allegiance. The Board Members are outraged but are advised against firing the teacher outright fearing law suits. So, they meet to give her “her say,” and then they will fire her unless she can persuade them to reconsider. Learn more.
INTERVIEW WITH ARCHIE
"Mensch tracht und Gott lacht."
Elijah Whitman, a Seminarian preparing for religious ministry, arrives at an Interfaith Retirement Home to interview Bishop Archibald Doherty, aka “Archie,” on the occasion
of his 90th birthday. The play opens with a major revelation by Archie; it seems that he,
in some 75 years of ministry, has never told “The Truth!” Until now, that is.
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AND GOD LAUGHS
Cardinal Rowan O’Sullivan, aka “Sully,” has served the Church all his life believing God has a good plan for his life. But recently Sully has been diagnosed with Stage-Three Alzheimer’s Disease that will dash all hopes for a future. And Sully, hoping to negotiate a change of plans is reminded Man plans...AND GOD LAUGHS! But, in the end; who will have the last laugh? Learn more.
LIAR, LIAR, PANTS ON FIRE!
It is the premise of this short play that the ability to lie convincingly and spontaneously is an essential skill for success.
And,
there is considerable evidence that the better you are at lying the greater your chances for success. If you are a good enough liar, you could even be elected President or at least to the House of Representatives!
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THE TEST
The Council on Interplanetary Technology Seeding, unknown to humankind, has been “seeding” us with increasingly more sophisticated technologies over more than three million years as a test of our potential and capacity to use really, really, really sophisticated technologies yet to come for the common interplanetary good and continuance; one bad decision has the potential to destroy the Universe and indeed, The Cosmos. Learn more.
EXTRAORDINARY HERO
A Musical!
Building on the classical “Hero’s Journey” story structure, this ninety-minute musical features some sixty minutes of original music for singers and full orchestra. The story is powerfully conveyed in the lyrics and expressive emotions of the orchestrations. Learn more.
KEEPERS OF THE SECRET
A Mystery Play
A two-thousand year old secret that could change the world! Learn more.
THE EVOLUTION OF BILLYBOB GOODFELLOW
Science & Religion: A Morality Play in One Act
This One-Act Play follows William Roberts Goodfellow III, aka “BilyBob” and his moral evolution from age twenty to eighty. Starting in 1985 and taking place at twenty year intervals, the drama follows BillyBob over sixty years through a series of four “snap-shot” scenes.
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OFFENDING GOD!
Elijah Williams, a student in Jules Bookman’s senior seminar has enjoyed the class and has come to like the professor very much. But one of Bookman’s lectures throws Elijah into a fit of cognitive dissonance. It seems the topic of human sexuality, specifically science’s position on sexual diversity, is at extreme odds with Ruben’s religious beliefs on the same subject.
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PROCEED TO THE ROUTE
This short Play focuses on a hilariously series of miscommunications between Harvey Patterson, a mild-mannered lawyer just trying to get across town and his very “personal” digital assistant. Learn more.
BETTY, THE STATEN ISLAND FERRY FAIRY
George Patterson is a middle-aged lawyer taking the Staten Island Ferry to work in Manhattan as he does every day. Today will be an unusual day for George, he will meet Betty, an otherwise normal-looking person who happens to believe that she/he is a fairy. Learn more.
COKE? I DON'T LIKE COKE!
An elderly woman with a significant hearing impairment is admitted to the cardiac ward of a major urban hospital. She is interviewed by a nurse who struggles to be heard. Learn more.
THE WAITING ROOM
"What are you waiting for?"
Bard, an aging playwright is in the waiting room of a small train station when approached by Charon (Kay-Ron), The Train Conductor who breaks the bad news...it seems Bard had a heart attack and is quite dead, a reality that Brad is most reluctant to accept. Learn more.
BELIEVE
This play emerges from the classic “battle” between religion and science; a battle that Science, for the most part, is uninterested in, but a battle that Religion is passionate about. Learn more.
HUMAN NATURE
Is it “human nature” to kill or use violence against other people to advance our own religious or political agenda? Learn more.
THE ENCLAVE
This play focuses on a group of clergy, a Rabbi, an Imam, and a Priest. They have formed inter-faith activist group that they call The Enclave to promote peace. Learn more.
PEACEMAKER, A Musical
CHARTER OAK THEATER, HARTFORD-May 6 & 7, 2016
Members of an ancient tribal community gather at the council fire as have the ancestors of all the peoples of the Earth. A storyteller, relates the dreams of Humanity’s Child whose name is Peacemaker. Learn more.
HUMANITY’S CHILD: A MUSICAL FOR TODAY!
NEW YORK THEATER FESTIVAL - 2019
THE PLAYERS THEATRE OFF-BROADWAY July 29-Sept 1, 2019
Humanity’s Child: A Musical for Today is literally just that: “for today!”
It emerges from real life and the experiences of young people as they march for their lives , and especially young women as they navigate the complex world of gender relations in the 21st century.
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