Writing

Some stuff I've written! Primarily poetry and plays. I may put up some of my older writing in the future, but it's, like, over 20 years old and kind of shoddy, if I'm being honest.

Poetry

Five-Syllable Sonnets (2007-2014)

This was a long term project that sort of fizzled out in 2014, but I think it had a good run. Fourteen lines, five syllables each line. Wrote them at home, at work, at school, on planes, right before I slept and right after I woke up.

Plays

IMPORTANT: This is one section of my website where the Creative Commons license is different than the general one for my work.

My plays are licensed under CC BY-ND 4.0.

In short, this means that you can perform my plays (even commercially) so long as you give me credit and don't heavily modify my original work. This is my copyright license, not my production license; production info is below.

If you want to produce one of my plays, please refer to this play production rates pdf and then email me so we can work on drafting a production contract. I am an easygoing guy who wants his work to be produced, so I promise not to be a jerk about all this.

All of my plays are free to read online. As a playwright, it's difficult to get your work read, and publishing is a hassle in and of itself.

If you like what you've read, please remember that I put a lot of time, effort, and—most importantly—student loans, into creating these. If you feel like chucking a few bucks my way, the relevant mobile app info is below. Anything is appreciated but never necessary to access my work. It you want a suggestion: $7-10 for a full length, $3-5 for a one act, and $2-3 for anything shorter.

PayPal: paypal.me/joshbelville | Venmo: @JoshBelville

Full Length

Peace [2m, 2w] - A family at Christmastime deals with the aftermath of their father's sudden life-saving surgery, while two siblings help each other find direction in their aimless lives. (This was my graduate thesis project.)

The Messiah of Main St [2m, 5w] - A man discovers that he is the next incarnation of Christ and ends up destroying himself trying to save others.

One Act

They're History [3m; comedy] - Two bumbling thieves travel back in time to secure IBM stock, except they go to the wrong year and are accosted by a World War II army man tracking down deserters.

Thank You Fifteen [3m, 1w; comedy] - Three guys get ready for a play, and along the way one of them finds out the other slept with his soon-to-be ex-wife.

Save vs Nerd [3m, 1w; comedy] - Two nerds convince their now-cool friend to play one last Dungeons & Dragons game. He doesn't want to, but his new "girlfriend" does.

The Anarchist and the Carpenter [2m; dramedy] - A philosophical play about two men from opposite spectrums of life who have to work together in order to survive.

Shorts & Monologues

Delusions of Grandeur [1m, 2w; 10 min; comedy] - A nerdy comic book store employee wastes time waiting for his "dream girl," but when she actually enters the store, he has difficulty dealing with her.

The Circle of Love [1m, 1w; 10 min; drama] - A cute little play about a guy helping his girlfriend get over her fear of heights -- with a twist at the end.

Bus Trip [2w; 5 min; drama] - A woman and her sister on a bus ride. Really short script.

Chauncey [1m; 2-3 min; comedy] - A monologue from a 16 year old boy who thinks women smell good.

The Old Man and the Toaster [1m; 10 min; dramedy] - A long monologue about an old man about to take his own life with his favorite toaster.