Words

Plays

Antigone - The Farce

A farce about an Ancient Greek Valley Girl who wants to bury her dead brother and a stubborn king who won't let her.

Script complete. 

Oedipus - The Farce

A farce about a king who believes he killed his dad and shagged his mom.

Semifinalist - 2020 Eugene O'Neill National Playwrights Conference

Script in rewrites.  

My article about the process is at the bottom of this page and here.

Medea - The Farce

A farce about a dishonored wife who gets revenge on her cheating husband by killing their children.  

Nothing says funny like a mom trying to kill her kids. 

Rough draft in process. 

Goldilocks and the Three Bears - The Farce

A TYA farcical adaptation of the famous children's story.  

It's a 45-minute, fast-paced, funny, physical farce AND it's a musical 😁  

Script and music complete.

Jack and Jill Went Up the Hill - The Farce

A farcical adaptation of the famous children's rhyme.  

Another 45-minute family farce.

Currently being imagined. 

The Totally Telethon

A comedy about a traveling telethon troupe raising money for charity while battling a Russian mobster.

It's farcy, campy entertainment.

Script complete.

Screenplays

S&M Flowers

A farcical comedy about three guys who have one day to pack the apartment of an S&M dominatrix.

Finalist (Best Screenplay) - 2021 Austria International Film Festival

Script complete.

Zack Sucks

A dark comedy about a dad who pushes chores and his teenage son who hires a lawyer to fight them.

This script is funny.  And dark.  And then funny again.  And then dark.

Script complete. 

Tragic Orgy

An absurd comedy about a workaholic college girl suffering from Ancient Greek Personality Disorder.

Quarterfinalist - 2015 BlueCat Screenplay Competition

Rewriting.  Can't get the tragic to connect with the orgy.  Ain't that always the case.

TV Sitcoms

Charity Is Dead

A star, a has-been and a wanna-be learn the value of charity as they clash for control of a B-rated, nightly telethon.

Finalist - 2021 MadWife TV Writer Contest

Finalist - 2021 Filmmatic Comedy Screenplay Awards

Articles

Article on Medium 

Oedipus is the Drunk

by Aaron Easterbrooks

April 2023

Unworthy. That’s how I felt after breaking creative ground on my farcical adaptation of the Greek tragedy Oedipus. The year was 2014 and I was an unknown 43-year-old directing dinner theater on cruise ships with few professional credits to my name. Oedipus’ imaginary IMDB page was over 2000 years old and linked to names such as Sophocles, Freud and Fiennes.

Fortunately, or unfortunately (only fate knows), I had a tragic itch in need of a comedic scratch. I pushed my Achilles’ heel of insecurity aside and spent two years adapting the most famous dad-killing, mom-shagging play in history until finally… I had a rough draft! Prouder than a first time Olympian, I held my fist to the sky, fingertips calloused from typing, and proclaimed, “Not so unknown anymore, huh Sophocles?” 

He didn’t answer.

I was alone in the universe with a rough draft.

Shit.

Two years became three, then five, then six. After a Zeusian amount of articles and books read, numerous rewrites, a few moments of success, many personal defeats, and one still unfinished script, I came to a radical conclusion:

Oedipus is the anonymous drunk.

Theatrical News Flash! For those of you who don’t geek out on Ancient Greek tragedy, Oedipus was a prince living with his “mom and dad”, the king and queen of Corinth. One night at a party, an anonymous drunk told Oedipus his parents weren’t his real parents. This was the catalyst leading Oedipus to his eventual eye-gouging fate. Terrible party.

At first I doubted my conclusion. I was still just an unknown 49-year-old directing yuck-yuck on big boats. Don’t get me wrong, I love me some good yuck-yuck but dramaturgical confidence was lacking. Someone before me must’ve suggested this anonymous drunk thing. A scholar? An actor? An intuitive stagehand?

Not that I’ve found.

After more than two millennia, the drunk remains a random, unnamed guy who happens to possess detailed knowledge of Oedipus’ lineage. Maybe Ancestory.com would’ve been helpful in Ancient Greece?  

As I was partaking in the potentially dangerous act of sipping my own wine while re-reading Oedipus, behold, a second discovery! During the Corinthian Messenger scene, Oedipus suggests he’s a slave. First to the Messenger, then to his wife-mom Jocasta. This idea is unexpected because, prior to this, there’s no discussion of Oedipus being a slave; not even a hint of indentured servitude, part-time employeeness or a few hours of community service.

Summoning Socrates-like wisdom, I imagined if Oedipus can suggest he’s a slave, he can also suggest, to himself, his folks aren’t his actual folks. For a second time in six years I experienced pride as I pictured Oedipus babbling drunk to himself, “They’re not your real parents…” and then vomiting fermented grape juice on his sandals. Seriously Oedipus, alcoholism is real. Get some help.

As I continued my climb up research mountain, I concluded that Oedipus is an impulsive, paranoid, easily-manipulated character who:

• Blinds himself because he couldn’t see the truth.

• Is a king but becomes an outcast.  

• Solves a crime he believes he committed.

• Is wise enough to answer the Sphinx’ riddle but doesn’t know his own origin.

• Saves a city but can’t save himself.

I ask you Sophocles, author of the play, are these contradictions a coincidence? Methinks there’s more here than meets the eye (pun intended). If we continue down this dusty dirt road (pun intended) while allowing for the possibility that Oedipus is the drunk, we see (weak pun, still intended) more contradictions:

• Oedipus plants the seed of doubt in his own mind.

• Oedipus has a “good life” but ruins it himself.

• Oedipus works to uncover a truth based on a non-truth.

Did I hear you say, “More contradictions please.” Take a look at my colorful contradiction document at the end of this article. All the better if you possess some knowledge of Sophocles’ Oedipus, but not vital. Cue elevator music…

Welcome back. Sophocles was either a terrible writer or those contradictions were intentional. If putting ancient pen to papyrus wasn’t his skill set, joke’s on us (good one Aristotle). But, if we embrace the contradictions like Oedipus did his momma, while also accepting that Oedipus is the drunk, we may discover a hidden theme embedded within Sophocles’ script:

Human beings are an inherently contradictory creature.

Fate vs. Freewill; Sight vs. Blindness; Know Thyself—all Oedipal themes, but the numerous contradictions in Sophocles’ script force me to reconsider contradictions inherent in humankind:

• We’re invaluable to each other, but to the physical universe at large, insignificant.

• We demand from others what we’re not willing to do ourselves.

• We insult but want to be respected.

• We know little but believe we know much.

• We create children and then abandon them.

• War.

• Artificial intelligence.

• Jumbo shrimp.

• Soft rock.

• We love to hate.

• We hate to love.

• We believe our opinions are fact.

• We pollute the most livable planet in our solar system.

• We vote for politicians who don’t care about us.

• We point out flaws in others but ignore our own.

• We oppose child labor but probably buy products made by children.

• We’re born only to die.

• My Denver Broncos haven’t won a Super Bowl in years!

That last one’s personal. I still can’t believe Elway didn’t sign Brady when he had the chance.

My big Ancient Greek question is if Sophocles’ intended theme is about human’s inherent contradictions. Plausible, although we’ll never know; Oedipal themes are as numerous as regrets in my life. Also, our beloved playwright is more than six feet under (meters… sorry, I’m American) and over 2000 years gone, but… all those contradictions are hard to ignore and the murder scene stories don’t add up and how’d everyone know Laius was killed before the sole survivor returned and why’d the Sphinx ask a riddle only to commit suicide and…

Stop.

Relax.

Drink some wine.

Human beings will forever contradict one another. It’s our fate. The TBD is if we’re the Oedipus who self-destructs or the wise philosopher who saves the city. A provocative thought considering the state of the planet in 2023. Unfortunately, we only see fate after the fact and… wow! I just realized “fate” can be spelled with letters from “after”. My third discovery!

Before wrapping up this attempt to be part of the theatrical cool-club (special hand shake?), allow me to show respect for the canon of Oedipus scholars, authors and playwrights who’ve made this article possible. I stand on your shoulders. Also, if my anonymous drunk theory has already been suggested, I beg your forgiveness. I publish my thoughts sheepishly, fully expecting a voice to be raised in the classroom of history declaring, “Aaron, you’re a dumbass. So and so suggested this drunk thing back in the year such and such.” That would make the ultimate contradiction true... this article’s a repeat. Final joke’s on me.