DEBORAH DEGEORGE HARBIN
playwright
MY PLAYS: A brief artistic history
My plays have been produced in New York City, Washington, DC, Baltimore, Seattle, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Virginia, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia. Below you'll find synopses and production histories for my major works. For information about my most current plays, use the drop-down menu under "The Plays" tab.
The Quickening
Hannah Marks, president of the Voluntary Human Reduction Movement, dreams of a different kind of Earth. She dreams of wide open fields, endangered species living in peace, and most of all, a world with fewer humans. Needless to say, population reduction is an uphill battle – so when this beleaguered environmentalist stumbles on the chance to shut down a quack fertility business, she jumps at the opportunity to make a impact. Enter Lillian, a self-styled miracle worker whose talent in pregnancy arts confounds medical science. Hannah is determined to unmask Lillian – but as the mystery deepens, how far will Hannah go to prove that Lillian is a fraud? The Quickening touches on subjects of environmental crisis, feminism, and evolving attitudes toward childbearing.
The Quickening was produced by the Milligan College Theatre Department in Spring 2012.
Radius: Universal Robot
​(Previously titled RUR: Reboot)
This fast and loose adaptation of Rossum's Universal Robots uses Karl Capek's classic sci-fi script as a jumping off point to explore technology anxiety in the modern age. Having attained success and fame with his fast-growing hydroponic cabbage, Dr. Norton Ozymandius sets out to create something even greater. Heedless of warnings, he commands his technicians to build, perfect, and replicate the world's first feeling robot - Radius. Radius: Universal Robot utilizes a collage of contemporary film and literature references to create a daring dramedy about a robot forced to choose between human destruction and self-annihilation.
Radius: Universal Robot was produced by Run of the Mill Theatre in Baltimore, Maryland in February, 2011.
The Unlucky Princess Battles the Ghouls
​After a rotten day at school, brother and sister Gwen and Mikey use their imagination to work through the day's troubles. As their ordinary bedroom transforms into a mythical landscape, Gwen must confront her bad luck, face off with two angry ghouls, and even battle a T-Rex with the help of her loyal ninja dog. By joining forces, and with a little help from Mom, Mikey and Gwen will discover the importance of uniqueness and transform the way they see each other - and themselves!
The Unlucky Princess Battles the Ghouls (and other adventures) was produced by Mountain State Repertory Theatre in Morgantown, WV, in the summer of 2014.
Laws of Construction
​At Grandview Hospital, it seems that every doctor, nurse, and patient is seeking an escape. While some blow off steam with gossip and forbidden romance, others dredge up ghosts and hallucinate about their futures. As the stress mounts, dead scientists weigh in and life-sized scissors snip their way through nurses’ dreams – but finally, all must confront the truths of love and death.
Laws of Construction was produced in spring 2007 by the Department of Theatre at the Catholic University of America's Callan Theatre.
Jane Bald
Weeks into their journey up the Appalachian Trail, Soul Flute and Jean Machine reach the top of Jane Bald on a dark and stormy night. Named for a woman who died on the mountain, their blustery camp site gives Jean Machine an uneasy feeling as she contemplates the young girl’s demise – and her own secret. Inhabited by haunting visions, Jane Bald will unearth the hidden resentments of the adventurous couple and bring them face to face with the specters they fear most.
Jane Bald was directed by Jacklyn Merrill as part of the West Virginia University director's showcase in December 2014. It will be presented in New York City this May as part of Emerging Artists Theatre's annual New Work Series.
Hypochondria
​a short play
Obsessed with new diseases she discovers on the internet, Debbie demands that her husband believe she is really, truly sick this time. Her hypochondria appears to be a family trait, as she and her sister Carrie trade lists of symptoms and home remedies. But when Carrie truly needs help, will Debbie put aside her imagined ailments and resign herself to wellness?
Hypochondria was first presented at the 2010 Asheville Fringe Festival. It received its second production as part of Milligan College's 2010 Annual Festival of One Acts. In 2011, Hypochondria was selected by Stone Soup Theatre and presented at the theatre's Double (XX) Fest.
Fat Reserves
​At first blush, Bridget seems like the kind of girl Ed, a middle-aged amateur chef with a passion for comfort food and plus-sized beauties, would never fall for. But the moment Ed meets this stick thin waitress and secret aspiring actress, he knows there’s a chubby girl inside her just waiting to get out. The match seems made in hog heaven, as Bridget devours every buttery dish Ed puts in front of her. But her astronomic rise in size puts model/roommate Cassandra on high alert. As Ed and Cassandra face off, it’s Bridget’s choices that will finally tip the balance of power – and determine her fate.
Fat Reserves was produced as part of the 2014 Asheville Fringe Festival.
Constellations
Constellations sets the breakdown of the American family against the backdrop of the night sky. When her life begins to orbit around the mood swings of her starry-eyed spouse, a discontented wife decides to make a bid for freedom. But when her husband’s forgetfulness turns out to be more than just a mood, she discovers that the forces of guilt, loyalty, and love are stronger than she suspected.
Constellations was performed at the Eldred Theatre at Case Western Reserve University in Spring 2004.