CHARLES DEEMER
A Playwright’s Resume
Education
BA, UCLA, English (Phi Beta Kappa)
MFA, University of Oregon, Playwriting
Books Published
Christmas at the Juniper Tavern (Arrowood
Books, 1985).
Ten Sonnets (Irvington Press, 1994).
The Deadly Doowop (Cedar Bay Press, 1997;
Greatunpublished.com, 2003).
Screenwright: the craft of screenwriting
(SPHP, 1997; Xlibris, 1998).
Seven Come Eleven: Stories and Plays,
1969-1999 (Writers Club Press, 2000).
Collected Plays (NoSpine, 2000).
Seven Plays (Greatunpublished.com, 2001).
Five Screenplays (Greatunpublished.com,
2002).
Selected Stories (Greatunpublished.com,
2003).
What Happens Next? An Introduction to
Screenwriting (Greatunpublished.com, 2003).
Three Oregon Plays (Greatunpublished.com,
2003)
Emmett’s Gift (Three Moons Media, 2003)
Love At Ground Zero (Sextant Books, 2003)
The Seagull Hyperdrama (Sextant Books, 2004)
Dress Rehearsals: The Education of a Marginal
Writer (Sextant Books, 2004)
Writing Grants and Fellowships
Shubert Playwriting Fellowship, 1971
Maryland Committee for the Humanities, 1976
Metropolitan Arts Commission, 1979, 1981, 1984
Oregon Committee for the Humanities, 1980, 1984 (3)
Actors Theatre of Louisville, 1981
Oregon Arts Commission Fellow, 1981 (fiction), 1988 (drama)
Distinguished Writer-in-residence, 1988, The Catlin Gabel School
Distinguished Scholar-in-residence, 1989, The Catlin Gabel School
Writing Awards
Haycox Short Story Prize, 1967
3rd Place, National Short Play Competition,
University of Missouri, 1971
Roll of Honor, Best American Short Stories,
1971, 1972, 1974
Greasepaint Best Original Play, 1983, 1984,
1985
Willies Best Original Play, 1984, 1986, 1987
Oregon Arts Foundation Theatre Award, 1984
ACE, cable-TV, best regional drama
(nationally), 1984
Writer of the Year, 1986, Neighbor Newspaper
Community Award
Winner, "Crossing Borders"
International New Play Competition, 1997
Winner, Buckham Alley Theatre Playwrights’
Competition, 1998
Highest ranking playwright (international),
New Century Writer Awards, 1998
Finalist, Oregon Book Award, 1998 (twice),
2001.
Plays produced in last 10 years (* = Premiere)
1994
Christmas at the Juniper Tavern, Eclectic
Theatre Co., Portland
Ramblin’: stories and songs of Woody Guthrie,
Nobby’s, Portland
1995
*The Bride of Edgefield, Edgefield, Gresham
Abigail and Harvey, University of Portland
Christmas at the Juniper Tavern, Eclectic
Theatre Co., Portland
The Half-Life Conspiracy, Eclectic Theatre
Co., Portland
Ramblin’: songs and stories of Woody Guthrie,
Newport Performing Arts Center
1996
*Who Forgives?, Cork Theatre Co., Ireland
Ramblin’: songs and stories of Woody Guthrie,
Seattle Community College
1997
*The Buddha Child, Haven Project, Portland
Who Forgives?, Stark Raving Theatre, Portland
*Last Song of Violeta Parra, Prisma, Santiago,
Chile
1998
*Famililly, Wharf Rat Theatre Co., Salem, MA;
Clark College, Vancouver
*Bedrooms & Bars, Buckham Alley Theatre,
Ohio
*Dribbling for the Home Team, Haven Project,
Portland
Christmas at the Juniper Tavern, Community
Theatre, Coos Bay
Last Song of Violeta Parra, University of
Barcelona, Spain
1999
*Sad Laughter, Clark College, Vancouver
*The Last Roundup, Haven Project, Portland
*The Legacy of the Wobblies, Unitarian
Church, Portland
2000
*The Guardian of the Light, Haven Project,
Portland
Christmas at the Juniper Tavern, Community
Theatre, Corvallis
2001
*The Man Who Searched for Tomorrow, Haven Project, Portland
The Half-Life Conspiracy, Variety Café, New York City.
*The Ordeal of James Otis, Unitarian Church,
Portland
2002
*Wonderful One Times One: An Appreciation of E.E. Cummings, Unitarian Church, Portland
2003
*You Might As Well Live: An Appreciation of Dorothy Parker, Unitarian Church, Portland
*American Gadfly: The Story of Wayne Morse, Wayne Morse Ranch, Eugene.
2004
American Gadfly: The Story of Wayne Morse, Lane Community College; also Springfield.
Here I Stand: An Appreciation of Paul Robeson, Unitarian Church, Portland
In Memoriam: Reflections on Grief, Unitarian Church, Portland.
2005
*Snoops, UU short play festival, Vancouver, WA.
American Gadfly: The Story of Wayne Morse, Newport Performing Arts Center.
Full production list: 51 plays by Charles Deemer
(all
dates are premieres; italics:
premiered in Portland, asterisk:
major work)
2005:
Snoops (10 min.)
2004:
In Memoriam: Reflections on Grief
Here I Stand
2003:
American Gadfly: The Story of Wayne
Morse
You Might As Well Live
2002:
Wonderful One Times One
2001:
The Man Who Searched for Tomorrow (10
min.)
The Ordeal of James Otis
2000:
The Guardian of the Light
(10 min.)
1999:
"We Have Fed You All For A
Thousand Years" -- the Legacy of
the Wobblies
The Last Roundup (10 min.)
*Sad Laughter (staged)
1998:
Dribbling for the Home Team (10
min.)
*Bedrooms & Bars (staged & full)
*Famililly (winner, 1997 "Crossing Borders" International Playwriting Competition)
1997:
The Buddha Child (10 min.)
*The Last Song of Violeta Parra (hyperdrama)
1996:
*Who Forgives?
1995:
*The Bride of Edgefield
(hyperdrama)
1989:
Champoeg: the Story of Old Oregon
*Varmints
1988:
The Oregon Constitutional Debates
(one act)
*Cocktail Suite
(hyperdrama)
Who Should Educate Our Children?
(10 min.)
1987:
The Evacuation (10 min.)
*Bateau de Mort
(hyperdrama)
Rancho! (hyperdrama)
*Turkeys (hyperdrama)
1986:
The Trouble With Wally (one act)
*Chateau de Mort
(hyperdrama)
Abigail (one act)
1985:
*Waitresses
Abigail and Harvey (one act)
Echoes of the Peaceful Heart
(one act)
1984: The Genie in the Bottle (one act)
Armed in the Spirit (one act)
*The Comedian in Spite of Himself
*Christmas at the Juniper Tavern
1983:
Song of the Salmon
(staged)
Testing (one act)
*The
Half-Life Conspiracy
1981:
The Talkin' Oregon Rainwater Blues (staged, one act)
*Country Northwestern
The Ballad of Sam Crab
(one act)
Mongrel Woman's Blues (one
act)
1980:
*1934: Blood and Roses (one act)
1979:
*Ramblin' (one act)
*The Pardon
1976:
The Battle of the Ages (one act)
1971:
The Profession
The Dragon (one act)
1970:
Above the Fire (one act)
Employment
Writing Faculty, Portland State University,
Screenwriting