Welcome to the comedic mind of

Joe Simonelli

Called "the next Neil Simon," Simonelli's plays have delighted audiences and production companies with their fast humor, simple stagings and quirky characters.

Plays available for production:

(Click on the play title for a synopsis)

Stocks and Blondes
Men are Dogs
Heaven Help Me
Roommates
The Next Time Around
Ladies in Lingerie
Romance.com


Royalties
Men are Dogs and Ladies in Lingerie available through Baker's Plays. Please contact us for royalty rates on both amateur and professional productions of any other titles.

Joe Simonelli is a member of the Dramatist Guild of America.

For further information, contact us.

You are currently listening to the overture of "The Next Time Around"

CLICK HERE For dates and locations of plays being performed

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'Stocks and Blondes' Synopsis

The fast paced world of Wall Street is broadly parodied in this side-splitting comedy where rapid-fire repartee is the norm and the doors never stop slamming.

Set in a small suburban brokerage office, things start to unravel when it is learned that Jeff Hanson's biggest client, Herb Willy, is planning to pull his brokerage account from the firm. Since this account generates most of the revenue for the office, Tom, the rather unscrupulous office manager, hatches a plan to try to retain the account. As they uncover that Jeff s client has a weak spot for blondes, they decide to sic a femme fatale on the unsuspecting and rather nerdish Willy.

But who to get on such short notice? Why Jeff s unfaithful and rather promiscuous fiancee Myra. Throw into the mix a pesky singing telegram messenger, a surprise audit by the female compliance officer and a deranged female client who holds the office hostage in act two, and you have a madcap caper that will keep audiences in stitches from beginning to end.

Cast: Five men, ages thirty to sixty.
Five women, ages thirty to sixty.

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'Men Are Dogs' Synopsis

Doctor Cecelia Monahan thinks she has everything under control. As a family therapist she runs a support group for single and divorced women who are trying to come to grips with the way they are treated by the various men in their lives.

One member of her group only dates police officers while another had a boyfriend who, unbeknownst to her, was a bank robber. As she listens to the complaints of her group her eavesdropping mother, who lives upstairs from her home office, constantly plagues with unwanted advice on everything from cooking to dating.

Cecelia is not above employing some rather unorthodox methods in therapy. She hires a young bartender/actor to interact with her group. Role playing, however, can be quite dangerous in Dr. Monahan's group therapy as a hostile cadre of angry woman beats the unsuspecting bartender senseless.

It's only when she meets, the new substitute postal delivery person, Bob Crowley that the smitten Cecelia must learn to practice what she preaches.

"...a sweet sitcom about the life of a woman psychologist...it's group therapy with a women's support group, and the comedy sections work the best..." Richmond Shepard, Performing Arts insider (New York City)

"...audiences are doubling up with laughter." Asbury Park Press.

"Simonelli displays an adept comic touch..the group therapy sessions alone are worth the price of admission." Phil Dorian - Two River Times

(comedy) 2m,6f/interior - Baker's Plays
2 men, ages 25 to 45.

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'Heaven Help Me' Synopsis

The three Holloway brothers have a slight problem. The chain of restaurants left to them by their father is close to receivership. The only remaining asset they jointly own is an old beach house located on a valuable bit of waterfront property in Rockaway, New York.

The dilemma? Their deceased brother, Fred, who also happened to be the only brother who knew anything about running restaurants, is haunting the beach house. And to make matters worse, he doesn't even believe he's dead!

It's up to the three remaining siblings to convince him that he is indeed a ghost and that he should stop haunting the house so they can unload it. Eldest brother Sam wants to sell the beach house and put the money into saving the restaurants. More pragrnatic middle sibling Kevin, who also happens to be the companies' accountant, has an overbearing wife and children to answer to. And younger 'black sheep' brother Rollie, desperately needs the money to settle gambling debts. Add Rollie's ditzy New Jersey girlfriend and the deceased Fred's remarried widow to the mix and you have a recipe for fun.

Act two opens with one of the funniest seance's since "Ethel tried to contact Tillie." The play ends with a 'twist' ending that will leave a smile on everyone's face.

 

Cast: Two women, ages twenty five to fifty.
Four Men, ages thirty to sixty.

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'Roommates' synopsis

Frank Avino is a divorced 40-something accountant with dreams of becoming a best selling author. A pretty smooth operator when it comes to the dating game, Frank's only problem seems to be how to keep his overbearing mother back in Brooklyn and out of his small suburban New Jersey apartment.

The serenity is broken when a police officer brings Frank's best friend Tom over to the tiny apartment. Tom, it seems, has been thrown out of the house of his live in girlfriend due to a domestic squabble. The "put open" Frank agrees to let Tom stay a few nights until he can find his own place. However as the days turn into weeks Frank is a little concerned that Tom is getting too comfortable.

Add in a tough downstairs landlord, Franks' latest flame and a surprise visit by Frank's mother and things start to get hilarious. When fFrank learns, that Tom has started to date his older sister he has had enough and hatches a plan to get rid of him without hurting his feelings.

In his review of this play the critic for the Asbury Park Press referred to the author as "the next Neil Simon."

Cast: Three Men, 40 to 65.
Two women, 40 to 65.

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'The Next Time Around' synopsis

(musical accompanyment currently available on CD only)

This musical contains ten original songs. Although it has three different sets it can be done in a large venue with scenery as extravagent as the set designer wishes, or in a smaller venue as it was originally premiered at the First Avenue Playhouse in Atlantic Highlands, New Jersey. Set on Wall Street and Atlantic City, the play deals with the budding romance between a divorced rogue stockbroker, Paul Simms, and the new female complience officer, Arlene Johnson, who is also divorced and raising two teenage daughters, Jessica and Amanda. As Paul tries to stay on the 'straight and narrow', he must try to come to terms with his allegience to his 'black sheep' brother, Fred, or his new found love, Arlene.

Cast: Six Men, 20 to 50.
Five women, 15 to 50.

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'Ladies in Lingerie' synopsis

The actors are mysteriously dying in a small theatre in Nyack New York just as resident playwright Sal Fatone is trying to salvage an otherwise dismal season for the Fairview Players. Among his problems, a stingy Producer/theatre owner, diva actresses and one pompous out of town actor. Who's killing all the actors? It's up to Sal to find out.

"...don't miss Ladies in Lingerie." Two River Times

Winner - best original production - 2007, New Jersey Perry Awards

mystery/comedy (4m,3f interior - Baker's Plays)



'Romance.com' synopsis

A musical comedy about internet dating. When Alan Fisher meets Katie Bass on an internet dating service, the notes of love are found, keystroke by keystoke. Throw in Alan's pessimistic best friend Bill, his blacksheep father Steve, and Pam's skeptical mother Katie and you have a romantic mix that is sure to entertain. Eight original songs.

"Romance.com, with words, book and lyrics by Joe Simonelli, is a promising new work...the musical scenes are witty, funny and poignant." Hi Drama Manhattan cable Theatre review program

"...the audience at the performance I attended certainly couldn't get enough of it." Mitch Montgomery- Off-Off Online

musical/comedy (3m,3f - interior)