Plays
(selected highlights; full listing and production history available upon request.)
NOTHING
a play about something
a one act comedy. 3 M, 3 W.
A surreal look at the lives of 6 people from birth to death as they battle it out to be top dog. As we journey through their lives, the audience is slowly drawn into their game as the characters examine your life and imminent death. And time passes. And time passes. And time passes quickly. Who will survive the longest? Who will rewrite their ending? How long will you stay on this journey before they decide your life means nothing?
“Mr. Gompers’ Nothing, the stand out play of the evening, wallops a punch and gives the festival a much-needed kick.” - Kara Childs, The Wilmington Star News
THE WARD OF NO REDEEMING QUALITIES
an experience in two acts
A play in two acts. 5 M, 4 W.
Welcome to the ward. This play in two acts follows a day in the life of 9 asylum inmates as we learn how each of them arrived at their present state. All of the characters have been pushed over the line; hence outrageousness is their stock in trade. The ward examines how insanity can often stem from too much sanity as we consider how similar we, the audience, are to those we regard as crazy. Throughout the course of the play, the inmates come up with horrifying (and often humorous) ways to scare the audience out since they're "just another group of damn observers…." that have come to stare and observe the ward.
"The ticket to The Ward carries the phrase “an experience in two acts by Robert Charles Gompers.” And it certainly is an experience – one that is disquieting, and forceful. The thin line between sanity and insanity causes the viewer to cringe. Playgoers will talk about this riveting original work for some time.”- Vivian Sue Penn, The Wilmington Star News
LOSING STEAM
3 friends, 2 acts, 1 big secret
A play in two acts. 3 M.
Losing Steam is a look at the lives and loves of three gay men who have been friends for over 20 years. The play is an in-depth examination of their friendship, relationships, loss, secrets, and the lies we tell not only ourselves but each other to make it through another day.
“Sometimes theater “with a voice” works too well, howling loudly to a target audience. Sometimes, those shows serve as a reminder that, despite our differences in race, in choice, in gender, in prayer, we are one people and one species, like it or not. Sometimes – ideally and rarely – theater with a voice does both, shoving a specific agenda down everyone’s throat…while making it a pleasant experience. To see this in action, check out Losing Steam written by Robert Charles Gompers who can parade an agenda around like a blue-ribbon horse without trampling a soul.”
- Scott Gold, The Wilmington Star News
THE LONG RIDE HOME
a journey in 791 miles
A play in two acts. 4 M, 1 W.
The Long Ride Home is a play about first love, lost loves, second chances, and regret. This two-act chronicles the lives of James and Paul in their mid-20's, mid-30's, and again in their early 40's. As we follow the highs and lows of their relationship, we learn of the sacrifices they're forced to make for themselves and each other. As the two look back on their lives together, they contemplate the different roads they've chosen and they realization, does any of it truly matter as long as you're with the one you love? The Long Ride Home poses the question how far would you go to get the one you want back?
Awarded Best Play of The Fresh Fruit Festival
at Cherry Lane Theatre, NYC
OF LIGHT AND LOVE
THE RELATIVITY
a symphony for five voices
A play in two acts. 2 M, 3 W.
The Relativity of Light and Love is an avant-garde theatre piece that sheds new light on the physics of one relationship. Combining elements of theatre, art, music, and poetry this work deals with the notion of relationships through not only the central couple but also the people involved in their lives. The dialogue in the play overlaps and swirls around the audience as the characters race through, overlap, and alter details of the story while sweeping us up in the whirlwind of the character's romance and inevitable downfall.