SYNOPSIS
"A Blink in the Eyes of God" is about broken people on a quest to become whole. One person is broken physically, one emotionally, one mentally, and one spiritually. They're four disparate strangers, trapped in a room and fearing for their lives. They're desperate for answers and a way out but when the answers don't come so easily, they start battling each other. Personal failures come to light, along with their fractured morality. Then the value of faith is questioned. But one shocking revelation after another convinces them that in order to become whole, they must unite and confront the iniquities of their past. When they do that, they unexpectedly uncover a remarkable secret that reveals the mystery of how they're connected and leads them to the surprising truth of their destinies.
REQUIREMENTS
"A Blink in the Eyes of God" is a character-driven, full-length dramatic play. There are six characters and one simple, sparsely decorated set. There is music but no songs - live musicians are not required.
Two of the characters are people of color. There are two female characters who pass the Bechdel Test, and one character is listed as male but could be switched to female or non-binary.
Playwright Bio
Joe DeGise II
Joe DeGise II is a two-time MAC (Manhattan Association of Cabarets) award-winning improvisational comedian. He was a performer, director, and writer with New York City’s renowned improv and comedy group, Chicago City Limits, for over 25 years (running off-Broadway for almost 10 years). He has written and performed for sketch groups, been featured at both the Aspen and Toyota Comedy festivals, and worked in television and film (including Hacks with Jim Gaffigan). Among other roles on the dramatic stage, he starred as an adult survivor of childhood sexual abuse in the acclaimed play “Lemon Meringue.” He also teaches comedy and improvisation at The New York Conservatory for Dramatic Arts and travels around the country using improvisational techniques to lead workshops in team building, presentation skills, and creativity in the workplace, and for major corporations. Clients include Intel, Merck, NYU, British Air, American Express, and the Philadelphia Museum of Art.
In addition to decades of honing his storytelling skills in front of audiences in real-time, Joe has written hundreds of short pieces, giving him authentic and hard-earned lessons in how to tell stories effectively. “A Blink in the Eyes of God,” his first full-length play, was selected as a finalist in both The New Works of Merit Playwriting Contest and The Chameleon Theatre Circle’s Annual New Play Contest.
Production History
There have been four staged readings of "A Blink in the Eyes of God." Feedback was extremely positive at the first one, after which extensive rewrites were done based on some constructive insights received. This led to a second reading where the response was even better. Still, the script was tweaked and fine-tuned, leading to a third reading where the response was the best thus far. A fourth reading was done without an audience, specifically for camera, and it is that recording from which the trailer comes. There has been no production yet.
