Peter Hardy

Peter Hardy

Peter Hardy lives in Atlanta, Georgia and works as an actor, director, playwright and producer. His plays have received more than 30 productions around the United States, and he's won playwriting awards from At Rise Magazine, the Festival of Southern Theatre and the New Southern Theatre Festival. In 1993 his play MYSTERIOUS CONNECTIONS was chosen for development at the Eugene O'Neill Theater Center...
Peter Hardy lives in Atlanta, Georgia and works as an actor, director, playwright and producer. His plays have received more than 30 productions around the United States, and he's won playwriting awards from At Rise Magazine, the Festival of Southern Theatre and the New Southern Theatre Festival. In 1993 his play MYSTERIOUS CONNECTIONS was chosen for development at the Eugene O'Neill Theater Center's National Playwrights Conference. He has been commissioned to write several historical dramas for the City of Roswell, Georgia and for Coker College in South Carolina. Since 1999 he has produced the annual Essential Theatre Play Festival, dedicated to developing and producing new plays by Georgia writers.

Plays

  • SALLY AND GLEN AT THE PALACE by Peter Hardy
    Recommendations: 2
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    Cast: 
    2
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    Genre: comedy, drama + 1 more
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    Keyword: friendship, Young actors + 8 more
    Genre: comedy, drama, romantic comedy
    Keyword: friendship, Young actors, date rape, Movies, movie theater, nostalgia, healing, 1970s, college students, young men with older women
    This play has been successfully produced in Georgia and Florida, and only seems to have become more timely and relevant as time has gone by. It’s a two-character, single-set comic drama set in 1973, when the term “date rape” did not yet exist, and it follows the growing friendship between two college students working together in the lobby of a movie theater in a university town. It is not a play ABOUT trauma...
    This play has been successfully produced in Georgia and Florida, and only seems to have become more timely and relevant as time has gone by. It’s a two-character, single-set comic drama set in 1973, when the term “date rape” did not yet exist, and it follows the growing friendship between two college students working together in the lobby of a movie theater in a university town. It is not a play ABOUT trauma, it is a play about friendship, and the ways that friends can help us through the worst experiences of our lives. Much of the play is light and funny as Sally and Glen get to know and care for each other, over a period of months, talking about life and love and movies. But when Sally is forced into sex by a popular fraternity boy she’s long had a crush on, she doesn’t understand what’s happened and blames herself. Glen tries to tell her that she’s been raped, and she angrily rejects the idea, quitting her job. On her last day at the theater, Glen tells her the plot of a film script he's been writing (that is clearly a painful and confusing story from his own past), which helps her to see that what happened to her had not been her own fault.
    "Through his principle characters, Mr. Hardy explores the bonds and separations of friendship, evoking the wonder of youthful innocence while all too quickly these two young college students confront the harsh realities of growing up into adulthood. The results are many comic vignettes that morph into moments of great poignancy." Bob Farley, Artistic Director, Georgia Ensemble Theatre (Roswell)
    "Really, really enjoyed the show last night! Lovely production of a sweet, moving play." Clifton Guterman, Associate Artistic Director, Theatrical Outfit (Atlanta)
    "We had the honor of being in the opening night audience last night for Essential Theatre's Sally and Glen at the Palace. Peter Hardy has given us a touching and intimate work that's an absolute must for cinephiles!"
    Scott Poythress, Co-Founder of Drama, Inc. (Atlanta)
    "If you love film, or theater, do yourself a favor and go see Sally and Glen at the Palace. Saw it last night and loved it! Congratulations to all involved, that was some beautiful storytelling!" Claire Bronson, Co-Founder of Drama, Inc. (Atlanta)
    "Saw Sally and Glen at the Palace tonight. The direction is elegant, the performances are sincere and achingly human, and the writing manages wit without snark, and compassion without being saccharine."
    Topher Payne, Author of PERFECT ARRANGEMENT, EVELYN IN PURGATORY, MORNINGSIDE


  • Mysterious Connections by Peter Hardy
    Cast: 
    5
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    Genre: drama, experimental + 1 more
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    Keyword: dreams, female friendship + 4 more
    Genre: drama, experimental, fantasy
    Keyword: dreams, female friendship, alcoholism, sexual abuse, family betrayal, Lesbian
    A journey through darkness into light. Isobel, a young woman who is going back to finish her college education, becomes friendly with two unlikely roommates – the outgoing Jonesy, a southern deb with a surprisingly open mind, and the reclusive librarian Pamela. Isobel and Pamela are instantly drawn to each other and begin to spend time together. What neither Isobel or Jonesy realize is that Pamela has been...
    A journey through darkness into light. Isobel, a young woman who is going back to finish her college education, becomes friendly with two unlikely roommates – the outgoing Jonesy, a southern deb with a surprisingly open mind, and the reclusive librarian Pamela. Isobel and Pamela are instantly drawn to each other and begin to spend time together. What neither Isobel or Jonesy realize is that Pamela has been having a strange, sexual relationship with Travis, a young film student. When she abruptly calls a halt to the affair, Travis ingratiates himself with Jonesy in order to try and become a part of Pamela’s ongoing regular life.
    As the play moves on, Isobel and Pamela become so close that the former is able to enter the latter’s dream world, where the two of them confront old ghosts and nightmares from their past. The humorous Jonesy also manages to straighten Travis out.
    It may not sound like it, but there is quite a lot of comedy in the play.
    “It was a pleasure to have had you as a playwright at the 1993 National Playwrights Conference, and to have worked with you on MYSTERIOUS CONNECTIONS. You have imagination, courage, and insight. Thank you for sharing them with us.”
    Lloyd Richards, Artistic Director, Eugene O’Neill Theater Center
    “This is a solid play; the characters are rich and complex and the story is compelling.”
    Mervin P. Antonio, Literary Manager, New York Public Theater
    “This is a well-written, enjoyable play. Your characters are clearly drawn and refreshingly off-beat. Your dialogue is skillfully written.”
    Kate Loewald, Director of Play Development, Manhattan Theatre Club
    “I found this work truly fascinating. You’ve managed to incorporate the dreamscape and reality to such an extent that, by the time I finished reading, I accepted all the stretches and flights that were occurring onstage.”
    Sarah Cotter Hogroian, Literary Associate, Arena Stage (Washington, D.C.)
    “I enjoyed the theatrical non-realism of the piece; its unique blend of darkness and humor.”
    Scott Edmiston, Literary Associate, Huntington Theatre Company (Boston)


  • A Lovely Undertow by Peter Hardy
    Cast: 
    7–8
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    Genre: drama, experimental + 2 more
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    Keyword: mystery, suicide + 5 more
    Genre: drama, experimental, fantasy, mystery/thriller
    Keyword: mystery, suicide, alcoholism, dreams, poetry, comic books, Joseph Campbell
    Michael is a talented mystery writer falling into drink. When he learns that Lisa, a former lover, has killed herself, he sets out on a mission to understand her death, going to see a number of her their mutual acquaintances. His investigation evolves into something more like a dream journey into his own unconscious memories, overseen by the ghost of Lisa herself. He learns more about himself than he does...
    Michael is a talented mystery writer falling into drink. When he learns that Lisa, a former lover, has killed herself, he sets out on a mission to understand her death, going to see a number of her their mutual acquaintances. His investigation evolves into something more like a dream journey into his own unconscious memories, overseen by the ghost of Lisa herself. He learns more about himself than he does Lisa, but we come to understand a bit more.
    “Thank you for sending me a copy of A LOVELY UNDERTOW which I enjoyed reading. I found it an ambitious and bold play with an impressive mix of fantasy and reality.”
    Jack Bradley, Literary Manager, Royal National Theatre (London, England)
    “I continue to like your work, very much. The new play is really quite beautiful, and the structure seems to me original and theatrically compelling.”
    David Hammond, Artistic Director, Playmakers Repertory Company (Chapel Hill, NC)
    “I feel that your writing demonstrates a great deal of skill. You use a strong grasp of dramatic language to take on a rich and compelling topic.”
    Nina Steiger, Associate Literary Manager, Ensemble Studio Theatre (New York City)
  • The Puny Column by Peter Hardy
    Cast: 
    4
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    Genre: adaptation, comedy
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    Keyword: Texas, aliens + 2 more
    Genre: adaptation, comedy
    Keyword: Texas, aliens, Newspaper, the Great Galveston Flood
    Strange goings on in a small Texas town come to the attention of the author of the local paper's "Puny Column" (in which she tells folks about who's feeling "puny" (i.e. unwell) that week. Maybe aliens have invaded. Maybe they've been here already, for a long time, without anyone noticing. An offbeat comedy in the style of "Greater Tuna", with four actors playing multiple roles.
  • Couples Therapy by Peter Hardy
    Recommendations: 1
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    Cast: 
    3
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    Genre: dark comedy, drama
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    Keyword: dreams, romantic break-ups + 1 more
    Genre: dark comedy, drama
    Keyword: dreams, romantic break-ups, friendship
    A dream play about Tom, his friend Lisa, and her ex-boyfriend Larry, talking about the breakdown of Lisa and Larry's relationship. In a dream. As Tom says, at one point: "I’m sleeping next to Frances, and I dream that I’m sleeping next to her -- and in the dream, I can see into her dream where she’s arguing with Larry, and Larry tries to draw me into the discussion and get me to take his side, but...
    A dream play about Tom, his friend Lisa, and her ex-boyfriend Larry, talking about the breakdown of Lisa and Larry's relationship. In a dream. As Tom says, at one point: "I’m sleeping next to Frances, and I dream that I’m sleeping next to her -- and in the dream, I can see into her dream where she’s arguing with Larry, and Larry tries to draw me into the discussion and get me to take his side, but I don’t want to get involved." A poignant, comic and mysterious one-act play about relationships.
  • Gladiators or Kamikazes by Peter Hardy
    Cast: 
    3
    ·
    Genre: comedy
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    Keyword: middle age, dating + 1 more
    Genre: comedy
    Keyword: middle age, dating, adult friendship
    Raymond and Bob, two middle-aged guys, talk about the perils and strategies of asking out women. Dina, their waitress, provides commentary.
  • Courtesy and Consideration by Peter Hardy
    Recommendations: 1
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    Cast: 
    2
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    Genre: comedy
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    Keyword: male friendship, condoms + 1 more
    Genre: comedy
    Keyword: male friendship, condoms, Sex
    Raymond and Bob are two middle-aged men talking about buying condoms. Because, every now and then, you need to buy a new box … even if the old one's just been sitting there in your drawer, for years ...