Second Edition · Upstage Left Press · 2026
When Churchyards Yawn and Other Plays
Four plays in which the past is not past, the dead are not silent, and familiar stories open to reveal the lives concealed inside them.
| Author | Jeanmarie Simpson |
|---|---|
| Foreword | Chuck Fager |
| Publisher | Upstage Left Press |
| Edition | Second Edition · May 25, 2026 |
| Length | 317 pages |
| Paperback ISBN | 979-8998900860 |
| Hardcover ISBN | 979-8998900877 |
The Four Plays
When Churchyards YawnCharacters trapped in Purgatory confront not only one another, but the wounds, evasions, cruelties, and longings left unresolved beneath Shakespeare’s tragedy.
Lear: A Solo AdaptationKing Lear is stripped to one actor, one cloak, and the final flickering moments of a dying mind.
Ghosts of the Gilded StageAn aging actor returns to an empty theatre and sifts through the fragments of a life spent in costume, light, longing, exclusion, and devotion.
Even Unto DeathIn the silence after Joan of Arc’s execution, the play remains with those left behind: her mother, father, brothers, and the women who worked beside her.
For Readers and Theatre-Makers
The collection gathers theatrical works addressing grief, power, memory, faith, survival, and the haunted afterlives of story. The revised edition includes a foreword by Chuck Fager and contextual materials for study and production.
Purchase & Discovery
Paperback on Amazon
Hardcover on Amazon
Kindle edition
Goodreads
New Play Exchange
Performance Rights & Educational Use
Performance rights and educational materials for all four plays are handled by Upstage Left Press: upstageleftpress@gmail.com