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ROYALTY/LICENSING REMINDER

3 Female, 3 Male, 1 Bear (Doubling) • One-Act/Full Length • ~90 Mins​

Synopsis

As if things weren’t bad enough – what with her rocky relationship with her father, her unpopularity with the neighbors, her failing health and finances, and the looming threat of losing her property – Patrice Bean foolishly decides to strike up a friendship with a very large black bear.

Inspiration Set

Production History

None to date.

Development History

BIG BASTARD received a public development excerpt reading in New York, New York on Fri, Mar 14th, 2025 as part of Jade Rabbit Theatre Company's Playwright's Lab. The cast featured Eric Webb as Arthur Bean, Betsy Regus as Patty Bean, Todd Butera as Cody Hodges, Carole Monferdini as Patrice Bean, and Marie Eléna O'Brien as Brenda Simmons.

BIG BASTARD received a public development excerpt reading in New York, New York on Wed, Nov 5th, 2025 as part of New Ambassadors Theatre Company's Play Development Lab. The cast featured Brian Reilly as Arthur Bean, Sammy Smedley as Patty Bean, Robert Maisonett as Cody Hodges, Carole Monferdini as Patrice Bean, and Marie Eléna O'Brien as Brenda Simmons.

Awards/Recognition

None to date.

Reviews/Recommendations

"Craig Houk has a gift for writing obstreperous older women - cranky, mouthy, arch, and complicated -- and he's given us a real gem in BIG BASTARD'S Patrice. As this Rural Gothic story unfolds in two timelines, Houk peels Patrice/Patty like an onion, exposing layers that burn...and bring tears. A potent mix of humor, danger, and dread, with an appealing dash of the uncanny, BIG BASTARD will sink its claws into you."

"Big Bastard is an unsettling, dark mystery. Houk skillfully weaves the story of Patty’s trauma as a young woman at the hands of a “big bastard” with the tormented existence of Patrice who, years later, must contend with a villain of an entirely different species. The haunting interlaced story lines take the audience on a heartbreaking journey that will certainly provoke conversation and reflection after the curtain drops."

Enter "N/A" if not applicable. 

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NOTE: To License Brute Farce, Syd​, Cooler, or Cold Rain, please visit Next Stage Press.

REMINDER: No presentation or production of BIG BASTARD, in whole or in part, is allowed unless permission is granted by the playwright or his designated agents.