susan goodell

Susan Goodell is a resident playwright with Rising Sun Performance Company in New York and a member of Connecticut’s Theatre Artists Workshop, founded by Keir Dullea and the late Susie Fuller. She is author of the full-length HEELS OVER HEAD, first produced by Tri-State Actors Theatre; winner of Rover Dramawerk’s Seconds Award and now chosen by Rising Sun as one of its “Pipeline Plays” in development. Her 90-minute HOPE THROWS HER HEART AWAY was staged at Chicago’s Genesis Theatrical Productions. Her scripts have been developed at theatres including Virginia Stage Company, The Barrow Group, and The Women’s Theater Company, Parsippany, New Jersey. Her short plays have received over 140 stagings at venues including The Abingdon, the Boston Theatre Marathon, Mildred’s Umbrella and The Changing Scene Northwest. Other recognition: Steppenwolf Theatre Company commission, Djerassi Resident Artist, Denver Drama Critic’s Circle nomination and the Denver Post’s 10-best list. A former small-town newspaper editor and Madison Avenue public relations executive, she lives in New England. 

WEBSITE AND SOCIAL MEDIA
Website: https://newplayexchange.org/users/913/susan-goodell

MORE ABOUT ME
I began writing plays because I’m intrigued by ordinary annoyances and wanted to see a moment on stage when a character’s arm falls asleep. I see comedy in small, everyday things. Though I abandoned my childhood dream to become a photojournalist, I remain captivated by what photographer Cartier-Bresson described as “decisive moments,” those snapshots in time that distill a larger human situation. My plays reflect my absurd world view. If one appliance breaks, it’s an inconvenience. If two break consecutively it’s calamitous. If three appliances fail, it’s a hysterically funny vortex of the cosmos that must be heroically jousted. Likewise, I see how our personal realities create often-comic pseudo-worlds in every living room. Particularly today, the eroding of truth, the rise of demagogues and hucksters, the allegiance to false prophets prompts an infinite exploration. Playwriting helps me cope with the puzzle of being human. Audience response, particularly laughter, assures me others share my observations. It’s my privilege as a playwright to receive that connection. 

WHAT I'M WORKING ON
Rewriting HEELS OVER HEAD and another full-length play.

KEYWORDS
​Quirky comedy