Barbara Lhota is award-winning playwright and screenwriter who has written over 200 plays and has had over 50 productions. The Studio's production of her play, Third Person, was selected by the Boston Herald as one of the top ten plays of the 1993-94 season. She received her MFA in Dramatic Writing from Brandeis University, where she was an artist-in-residence and taught playwriting. Barbara now lives in Chicago.
Barbara's plays Strangers and Romance are published in Women Playwrights: The Best Play sof 2001. Barbara is the coauthor of four collections of 10-minute plays as part of the Smith & Kraus' Foresnsics Series. She was awarded the Harold and Mimi Steinberg Award for Playwriting for Hanging By a Thread at Brandeis University. Her plays have been produced in New York, Chicago, and various other cities across the country...and beyond.
Barbara is currently working on two new plays - Echo, a drama set in the early 1990's about a family with a non-verbal autistic child using faciliated communication as a means of talking with that child, and a rewrite of her 1940's screwball comedy, The Double, for Babes with Blades. Barbara won the Babes with Blades- Joining Sword and Pen Competition last year with her new play, Los Desaparecidos (The Vanished), which was produced at Raven Theater, by Babes with Blades.
Barbara J. Lhota
Email: Info@BarbaraLhota.com
MOST NOTABLE PLAYS
STRANGERS - originally premiered at Brandeis University in Boston, Chicago premiere was with Jupiter Theater Co at The Athenaeum, published in Smith and Kraus Women Playwrights, The Best Plays of 2001 edited by D. L. Lepidus. This one-act has received over 19 productions. (see Production history) May 2009 made into a film called Elvis is Alive and Living in Canton Ohio.
THIRD PERSON - premiered at the Huntington Studio Theater with Boston Theater Works. Receive recognition from The Boston Herald as one of the top ten plays of the 1993 season. (see Production history)
ROMANCE - companion piece to Strangers, published in Smith and Kraus Women Playwrights: The Best Plays of 2001 edited by D. L. Lepidus. Finalist in the Love Creek Theater Co. Samuel French One-Act contest. (see Production history)
SCREENPLAYS
THE LONG SHOT - full-length screenplay optioned by Elizabeth Klaviter Productions in Los Angeles.
DONUTS - short-length comedy (5-10 minute length)
BLINDSIDED - a modern-day Oedipus (5-10 minute lenth), cowritten with Janet B. Milstein
ELIVIS IS ALIVE AND LIVING IN CANTON OHIO (STRANGERS) - a short-length drama (15 minutes in length) - Shot, in process of being edited, Directed by Carter Martin
POWER SINGLES - short-length comedy (7 minutes), cowritten with Janet B. Milstein, winner of best director and best special effects, finalist for screenwriting for the 48-Hour International Film Project - Chicago. Shot and produced, Directed by Matt Wechsler
Currently working on a new short film script, story by Carter Martin. Co-writing with Janet Milstein on several new film projects.
PUBLISHED WORK
Strangers and Romance are published in a book edited by D.L. Lepidus entitled Women Playwrights: The Best Plays of 2001, Smith and Kraus
Two monologues from Romance are included in The Best Male Monologues of 2001 edited by D.L Lepidus, Smith and Kraus
Co-authored with Janet Milstein, Forensics Series Volume 1: Duo Practice & Competition: Thirty-five 8-10 Minute Original Comedic Plays, Smith and Kraus
Co-authored with Janet Milstein, Forensics Series Volume 2: Duo Practice & Performance: Thirty-five 8-10 Minute Original Dramatic Plays, Smith and Kraus
Co-authored with Ira Brodsky, Forensics Series Volume 3: Duo Practice and Competition: Thirty-five 8-10 Minute Original Comedic Plays for Two Females, Smith and Kraus
Co-authored with Ira Brodsky, Forensics Series Volume 4: Duo Practice and Competition: Thirty-five 8-10 Minute Original Dramatic Plays for Two Females, Smith and Kraus
AWARDS
Mimi and Harold Steinberg for Hanging by a Thread
Honorable American College Theater Festival for Strangers
Finalist, Love Creek Theater Co. Samuel French One-Act Contest for Romance
Winner, Babes With Blades' 2nd annual playwriting competition, Joining Sword and Pen, for Los Desaparecidos (The Vanished)
EDUCATION
MFA in Dramatic Writing, Brandeis University
BFA in Theater Arts, Wayne State University
PRODUCTION HISTORY
FULL-LENGTHS
Theater Company Location Director
LOS DESAPARECIDOS (THE VANISHED)
Raven Theatre Babes With Blades Chicago, IL David Woolley
THE DOUBLE
(Staged Reading)
Prop Theatre Babes With Blades Chicago, IL Leigh Barrett
THIRD PERSON
National Pastime Symposium Chicago, IL Elizabeth Klaviter
Huntington Theater Boston Theater Works Chicago, IL Jennifer Brown
American Stage Festival American Stage Festival Milford, NH Jennifer Brown/Bob Walsh
(Workshop/Staged Reading)
MIT Players Kresge Little Theatre, MA Boston, MA Lila Stromer
GREENSKIN
Theatre Asylum The Producers Club New York, NY Len Duckman
Heartland Studios Backstage Theater Co. Chicago, IL Ben Goldman (Reading)
MORBID CURIOIUSITY
Chicago Dramatists Womens Theatre Alliance Chicago, IL Elizabeth Klaviter
(Workshop/Staged Reading)
Theatre Building Writer’s Bloc Chicago, IL Elizabeth Klaviter (Workshop/Staged Reading)
Griffin Theater Griffin Theater Chicago, IL Lila Stromer (Workshop/Staged Reading)
The Huntington Theater Boston Theater Works Boston, MA Jennifer Brown
(Full Production)
HANGING BY A THREAD
The Laurie Theater Brandeis University Boston, MA Vincent P. Mahler
TABLEAU (Musical)
Wayne State University Studio Theater Detroit, MI Al Fisher
THE NERDY GIRL AND THE INTERGALACTIC DOG
Side Project Rascal Children's Theater Chicago, IL Dan Foss
Rogue Theater Co. Rascal Children's Theater Chicago, IL Dan Foss
ONE-ACTS
Theater Company Location Director
STRANGERS
Waltmar Theatre Chapman University Orange, CA Alex David
The Black Box Theater Kenyon College Gambier, OH Caitlin Cody
The Mercury Theater Magelyn Theater Portland, OR Annie Kaiser
The Athenaeum Jupiter Theater Co. Chicago, IL Kristy Kambanis
Phil Bosakowski Theater The Sackett Group New York, NY Janine Flood
European Repertory Naked Earth Chicago, IL Steve Longmuir
University of Virginia Charlottesville, VA Mark Hanson
Tribecca Theater Lab New York, NY Tim Lord
Madison Avenue Theater New York, NY Lee Gundersheimer
he Wang Center Access and the ArtsBoston, MA Nancy Politzer
The Ritz Theater Westville, NJ Randy Petersen
New England Theater Con.Newton Country Newton, MA Lila Stromer
Elliot Hall The Footlight Club Boston, MA Spencer Klein
The Kresge Little Theatre Mass. Inst. Tech Boston, MA Spencer Klein
Castleton State College Castleton, VT Jeffrey Flood
American College Theater Henessey Theater Durham, NH Susan Dibble
Brandeis University TheatreCrawford Theater Waltham, MA Susan Dibble
ROMANCE
The Athenaeum Jupiter Theater Company Chicago, IL Kristy Kambanis
Mercury Theater Magelyn Theater Company Portland, OR Annie Kaiser
Madison Avenue Madison Avenue Theater New York, NY Lee Gundersheimer
Nat Horne Studio Love Creek One-Acts New York, NY Faye Jackson
The Kresge Theatre Mass. Institute for Tech. Boston, MA Spencer Klein
Elliot Hall The Footlight Club Boston, MA Spencer Klein
PRETTY CRAZY IN DETROIT
Madison Avenue Madison Avenue Theater New York, NY Lee Gundersheimer
BEEKEEPER AND HIS DAUGHTER
Nat Horne Theater Love Creek Productions New York, NY Kendel D. Smith
ALL I EVER WANTED
Wayne State University Studio Theater Detroit, MI Barbara Kanady
FAMILY PORTRAIT
The Bailiwick Repertory Directors' Series Chicago, IL Lila Stromer
10-20 MINUTE ONE-ACTS
Theater Company Location Director
PERSONAL PENCHANTS
Links Hall Stockyard Theater Fest Chicago, IL Sarah Mostad
Prop Theater Camenae Ensemble Chicago, IL Ali Dornhagen Provincetown Inn Providence PlaySlam P. Town, MA Linda Posage Devanaughn Theatre SlamBoston Boston, MA Deidre Purcell
Bailiwick Rep Theatre Bailiwick's 2nd Sex Series Chicago, IL L.M. Attea
THE MATING HABITS OF FROGS
Etcetera Festival Experimental Theater of Chi Chicago, IL Ben Goldman Devanaughn SlamBoston Boston, MA
ACCEPTANCE LETTER
Circle Theatre Circle Theatre Company Forest Park, IL Ann Kasak
A GOOD SOLID HOME
Circle Theatre Circle Theatre Company Forest Park, IL Ann Kasak
Theatre of Western Springs Western Springs, IL Ed W. Wavak
FLYIN' HIGH
Artistic Home Artistic Home Chicago, IL Mike Carol
WITHOUT YOU
Circle Theater Circle Theater One-Act Fest. Chicago, IL Mark Michalak
THE GOOD SON
Circle Theater New Play Festival 4 Forest Park, IL Chris Arnold
TO BE IN YOUR SHOES