Joseph has always loved stories. They're fundamental to how we tell the truth about ourselves, each other, and the world around us. Stories are how we convey meaning. Theatre is especially potent because of the intimacy and immediacy of the storytelling that happens, as well as the collaborative nature between those onstage and the audience.
Joseph loves all aspects of producing and performing a show, but there is nothing quite like writing an original show. Creating a world and being the first person to imagine what it will look like is incredible. Watching it come to life is unlike anything other. Writing in general is a magical experience, but writing plays even more so.
Joseph has written several short plays, many of which are linked below (just click on the title to be taken to the play), and is working on a full-length, three act show.
1-800-Save-A-Life is a show based on a series of tweets Joseph saw one day. A period piece set in a bookstore in Boystown (a neighborhood in Chicago) in December of 1983, the show is about the gay community grappling with the horrors of AIDS, navigating family relationships, and learning how to live in community.
"COVID Cooties"
COVID Cooties was originally written as an assignment for participation in the Calvin Theatre Company. All students were required to write a script that dealt with the way the COVID-19 pandemic impacted our education once we returned to in-person learning, and this was Joseph's contribution. It's a short, lighthearted romantic comedy.
Queerly Beloved is an ethnographic play Joseph created. They made a form to receive stories of LGBTQ+ students at Calvin University, then turned those stories into a play. There are two versions of the play -- this one is a version where the students are featured on a panel, interviewed by a narrator.
Queerly Beloved is an ethnographic play Joseph created. They made a form to receive stories of LGBTQ+ students at Calvin University, then turned those stories into a play. There are two versions of the play -- this one is a version which features vignettes (small scenes) where the stories come to life.
Joseph Ryan Newton Creates: Plays from Scratch
Hurricane was written after the suicide of a close friend. It grapples with the themes of mental illness and sexual assault in college. It shows the beauty of friendship and the importance of supporting one another.
Light is an exploration of faith (specifically Judaism) as a guiding force in the lives of individuals impacted by grief and strained family relationships. Featuring a mother and daughter, Light uses the Chanukah story to show how the darkness will not win.