Books and Publishing
"Akinetopsia"
Akinetopsia consists of some of playwright Brian Bigelow’s most recently completed plays and aspires, as all its predecessors do, to entertain first and foremost. Though its subject matter can, at times, tend toward the serious, a consistent buoyancy lifts it from the melodramatic into the comedic without ever transcending into farce.
Akinetopsia is a collection of six short plays whose lighthearted perspective casts its gaze on a wide swath of experiences from mall-rats to inmates, from alcoholics to journalists, and family gatherings from France to the beaches of the American East Coast.
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"Burn Before Reading"
A novella in six parts, Burn Before Reading follows a cast of over twenty characters as they go through a typical day at a state college, gathering that evening at a single apartment, where one cannot call what transpires a “party” because it happens every night—including tales of smoking and drinking, waxing philosophical, playing cards, pairing-up and splitting apart, manufacturing psychoactive chemicals, and drug-deals gone wrong.
Each of the six parts follows a different person or group of people as their paths intersect throughout the day—only ending once the “party” is over.
In Burn Before Reading, author Brian Bigelow tells his tale in a straightforward and unpretentious—but not entirely unembellished—manner, aspiring to be a casual and entertaining reading experience.
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"The King of Wooden Spoonists"
The five plays that compose playwright Brian Bigelow’s The King of Wooden Spoonists run the gamut from stylized to naturalistic, but remain tethered to very real experiences.
The first, and longest, play uncovers the comic complications that can arise when romantic aspirations fall on deaf ears, operate at cross-purposes, or even betray, under the guise of a story about a college freshman finding his way as he searches for a major and the relationships he forms along the way.
The subsequent four plays feature a traditional boy-meets-girl story set in a mental hospital, an art-gallery opening, the redemptive potential of friendships, and, finally, a second chance for old friends to reconnect after many years apart.
The King of Wooden Spoonists draws its name from the tradition of awarding a wooden spoon to the last-place finisher in chess competitions.
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"The Capgras Delusion"
In its 270 pages, The Capgras Delusion features four plays, by playwright Brian Bigelow, that are ideal for a little escapism.
Beginning with the play “Gifted Students”—an affectionate portrait of the American high school experience—and ending with a tragic long-distance romance in “The Heart Grows Fonder,” The Capgras Delusion aspires to be an entertaining diversion worth the time it takes to read it.
In between, you’ll find a story about a loving family, comedically dealing with the drama and controversy that arises during a pair of holiday gatherings, and a story about four friends reminiscing and “shooting the breeze” over dinner, sharing relatable experiences earned from a lifetime of errors.
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"The Inhumane Treatment of Seafood"
Despite its name, The Inhumane Treatment of Seafood is not about seafood. Instead, it aspires to be light, but intelligent, entertainment about life in general.
Crafted by playwright Brian Bigelow, these 20 short plays feature families, focus on the trials and tribulations teenagers face, chronicle the various ambitions and shortcomings of young adults as they navigate college and beyond, and explore the many spots in between. These slices of life are endearing vignettes that can be read in any order.
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"The Passive Resisters Soccer Club"
Brian Bigelow’s newest book—named for the soccer club Mohandas Gandhi founded in Johannesburg, South Africa—The Passive Resisters Soccer Club is an upbeat book of twelve short plays.
Though The Passive Resisters Soccer Club focuses primarily on the exploits of young people—a high-school house party, several concertgoers at an outdoor festival, a young man working multiple internships in search of a vocation—it also features an entire life told in increments of birthdays, an unexpected pregnancy and an unplanned family, and the twilight of an elderly couple’s marriage.