'Further Than We've Ever Been'
A new play in two acts
By Jim Reyland

On the day Jerry’s dreams finally came true, he died.

When a lifetime of bad decisions finally catches up with you, you wonder if in your case, free will wasn’t all it was cracked up to be. Relax; some things last forever.

“An interesting examination of the prevalence of destiny and the impossibility of tricking death and bad fortune. The dialogue – particularly that of the Friend- is snappy and quite funny.” — ARENA STAGE, Washington DC  

“You skillfully navigate a bold and inventive structure with compelling language.  The character of “Friend” is particularly powerfully imagined. We look forward to reading more of your work.” — YALE REPERTORY THEATER, New Haven 

Download a PDF of "Further Than We've Ever Been"

'A Terrible Lie'
By Jim Reyland

Charlie Clark kept a journal for fifty years. His story lies on the table
with its terrible ending for everyone to see, for anyone to tell.

John Bridges is Walker Maxwell. Walker Maxwell's first book was a bestseller. The follow up refused to follow; the pressure was enormous; so Walker lied. He took what didn't belong to him and told the world it was his. John's wife Emily is a nursing home nurse. Emily wasn't truthful because she loved her mother but Emily didn't lie. She only wants to save her husband from his lie. Max Trumper is Walkers agent; he can save the liars? Francine and Margaret Simon are seventy-year-old twin sisters from Columbus Ohio; they can't lie; they are the brutal truth.

Download a PDF of "A Terrible Lie"

"Shelter" was produced fall 2006 by the American Negro Playwright Theatre in residence at Tennessee State University in Nashville.

BEST USE OF THEATER AS A VEHICLE FOR SOCIAL CHANGE: Jim Reyland's SHELTER On a subject close to his heart, local writer and producer Reyland crafted this drama about life among the city's homeless. Based on Reyland's own activist experience, and drawing from an actual and tragic local death, Shelter drew support from homeless organizations and helped raise awareness of one of those social ills that just won't go away. —MARTIN BRADY, NASHVILLE SCENE, OCTOBER 15TH 2007

'SHELTER'
A play in two acts
By Jim Reyland

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Press:
Homless for the Holidays
Nashville Scene, 12/14/2006

Ten do's and don'ts when approached by a homeless person. #1. Ask their name and give them a few minutes of your time just to talk. #2. Suggest local agencies that might help like The Campus in Nashville. #3. Carry Mcdonald's gift certificates in small denominations or take them to McDonald's to eat. #4. In the winter keep warm socks and old coats in your car. #5. It's best not to drive them or follow them anywhere. This usually leads to a scam. #6. Don't hand out cash. The average panhandler can make over a $100.00 a day and most of it goes to drugs and alcohol. #7. If they have a long rehearsed speech with props it's probably a scam . #8. Check their shoes, if they have nice shoes they're probably working you. #9. If you encounter them multiple times get to know them. Learn their story, remember their names. #10. Follow your heart.

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'Stuff'
By Jim Reyland

   Bobby Warren has a secret!
      But is there too much stuff between him and the truth?

'Stuff,' a two-hand one set play featuring Milton Stack and Bobby Warren, two former Army buddies hired to clean out the stuff that has accumulated on the stage of an old vaudeville theater. As the play opens, the stage is filled with every kind of 'stuff' imaginable. As the story progresses, the audience discovers that there is a violent and until now unspoken history shared by the two men. These are two people who respect each other and have taken care of each other but there's that awful past they've never really talked about. Little by little we clear away the stuff to reveal the pain and discover the forgiveness. The piece closes, the stage is now empty and Milton and Bobby have cleared the 'stuff' from the stage and from their lives.

Download a PDF of "Stuff"

"...Reyland has a real play on his hands"

"Bobby Warren has a secret, but there may be
too much stuff between him and the truth."

"Entertaining, fast-paced and emotionally fearless"

‘Article IV’
(Good people do bad things)
A new play
By Jim Reyland

Reclusive millionaire Jonathan Forty wants to give away his fortune.
     Faith Lockhart is willing to pay the price.

Jonathan Forty an eccentric bachelor piano teacher receives a phone call on his fortieth birthday. Adopted at age six months, his biological father has died and willed to him a vast fortune. Paralyzed by a life of abandonment; he sets out to find a companion who is willing to marry him, bear him a child, quietly divorce him and for a price, remove herself from their lives forever.

Download a PDF of "Article IV"