ROOTED IN TRADITION
CREATING FRESH WORKS
Welcome to my site.
ROOTED IN TRADITION
CREATING FRESH WORKS
About Walter Thinnes, Playwright
WALTER THINNES is an emerging playwright whose thirty plus plays have received more than 130 productions, readings, or awards in 26 states, and around the world, including The Kennedy Center, Eugene O’Neill Theatre Conference, and several Off-Off-Off-Broadway Theaters. He is currently located in Central Florida and you can find some of his scripts at www.newplayexchange.org.
He is the recipient of the Colonial Players’ Promising Playwright Award, Annapolis, MD; Theatre Oxford L.W. Thomas Award, Oxford MS; Appalachian New Play Festival Judge’s Choice Award, Athens, OH; winner of the Centre-Stage New Play Festival in Greenville, SC; and most recently the winner of the Appalachian Playwriting Festival by the Parkway Playhouse in Burnsville, NC.
While I refer to my current look as 'deranged prospector come in from the hills,' of course the most frequent inquiry I get is whether or not I am Santa Claus. I tell the young 'un that, no, but I am Santa's nephew. After a quick exchange about whether the tyke has an uncle of their own, they get the concept. I explain that while the gift thing is a family enterprise we all pitch in to help with, Santa does all the deliveries and makes all the decisions. While I can put in a good word for them (they have been good, haven't they?) it is their parents who are in direct contact with the big man and that they had better be good, just in case. The parents are always grateful for the encounter. There you have the Legend of Walter Claus!
BLOODLETTING IN THESE HILLS
Next on stage for me...
I am looking forward to the premiere production of the winner of the 2024 Appalachian Playwriting Festival at the Parkway Playhouse in Burnsville, North Carolina - my script BLOODLETTING IN THESE HILLS.
Performance will take place on August 1-3 and 8-10. I and the cast and crew will be giving a talkback after the performance on August 3. I am excited to see the production staged and hope you have the chance to join me in this lovely mountain theater. Tickets at:
Here is the cast...
I've had a brief discussion for some of the special effects in the script with director Elizabeth DeVault and fight choreographer Mike Yow. Sounds like they are putting together a great production and I look forward to seeing their work. Below you can see a countdown until opening night. Come and see it !
Hot News about my most recent script!
First place winner of the One-Act Play Contest!
My most recent script is a one-act play titled FATHER IS BACK IN TOWN. It is a one-act play for three actors. It was just awarded First Prize in the Drury University One-Act Play Contest for 2025. It comes with a small cash prize, bragging rights and a possible production in a future season. I was actually a winner in a previous version of the contest and traveled to see a production of my one-act play "Big Payday" in October 2015 at their campus in Springfield, Missouri. They did a terrific job with that production and I am confident they will do the same if they decide to mount this script.
Fun News about a Publication!
Another of my short plays about to be published...
In 2022 my short play HAPPY BIRTHDAY, LEONARD was performed at the Seventeenth Annual Ten-Minute Play Festival by Theatre Odyssey in Sarasota, Florida. I had a chance to attend the performance and they did a very good job. They just advised me that the script would be included in their fifth volume of winning play scripts and I am working with them to proofread the galleys. Publication date will be announced soon and I will announce it here when details available.
Coming in the new year
More Motorcycle Product Reviews
Coming Soon: I will be publishing past product reviews and new, exciting merchandise evaluations in a special motorcycle section of this website. Under construction, watch for the announcement.
Happening lately and coming soon
The year so far...
My full-length script POP TARTS AND RAMEN received a developmental reading with feedback by the members of the Theatre Club of Beacon College (featuring instructor Autumn Welt and students Ben Silva, Adonis Tomer, Charlie Ige, and Uma Lazoff) of Leesburg, FL. It was a great success and will impact future iterations of the script.
My recent script FATHER IS BACK IN TOWN was selected as the First Prize Winner in the One-Act Play Contest by Drury University in Springfield Missouri. It come with a cash prize and possible production by the theater department in a future season!
My full-length script POP TARTS AND RAMEN received a online reading as part of the Plays in Progress Virtual Reading Series by the Whiskey Theatre Factory from Orlando, FL in April 23, 2025. The excellent reading and subsequent feedback has sent me back to editing the script.
My short play HAPPY BIRTHDAY, LEONARD will be published in the Theater Odyssey Festival Plays Volume Five book in Sarasota, FL. I will share details when available.
My full-length play BLOODLETTING IN THESE HILLS was the winner of the Appalachian Playwriting Festival in 2024. It will receive a fully mounted production as the third play of the 2025 Season of the Parkway Playhouse in Burnsville, NC. Performance dates are August 1-3 and 8-10, 2025. More details to follow as they become available.
Most Recent Mountings of my Scripts
From last year..
My short play SPY BIRDS was shortlisted for the Sydney Theatre Festival in New South Wales, Australia.
My full-length play BLOODLETTING IN THESE HILLS was the declared the winner of the Appalachian Playwriting Festival in 2024. There were two public readings directed by Erika Tyner and featuring the exceptional talents of Addison Amos, Tom Harrison, Austin Dakota Whitehead, Lilly Bartleson, Olivia Woodford, and Alan Steele.
My new short play LEAVE ME A MESSAGE was featured by THE PULP STAGE in Portland, Oregon on April 1, 2024 in a live internet reading. It was part of their Pulp Factor Showcase and was directed by Jonathan Hernandez and read by Artistic Director John Marks, Colleen Socha and Katie Mortemore. The reading is now on Apple Podcasts, Audible and Spotify. Search for 'The Pulp Podcast' and 'Leave Me a Message.'
THEATER MAKERS LABS of Middletown CT produced my short play HAPPY BIRTHDAY, LEONARD as part of their Crappy Valentines Festival on February 17, 2024 at Keeney Memorial Cultural Center in Wethersfield, CT.
The Rover Dramawerks theatre in Plano, TX selected my short play "myspacefacebook.com" as a semi-finalist for their 2024 comedy performance.
My short play HAPPY BIRTHDAY, LEONARD was selected as a Semi-Finalist for the 2024 Off Broad Street Short Play Festival in Augusta GA.
Some Images from Recent Activity
Other mountings of my scripts
Since the Pandemic closed the theaters...
My short play HAPPY BIRTHDAY, LEONARD has received quite a number of productions recently.
REBOUND PRODUCTIONS performed the play as a part of their New Writing Showcase on July 26, 2023 featuring Clarisse Encontre and Christina Raise at the HEN & CHICKENS THEATRE, LONDON, UK .
It was presented in the Seventeenth Annual Ten Minute Play Festival at the ODYSSEY THEATRE in SARASOTA FLORIDA in June 2022. It was directed by Amanda Schlachter and featured Jenny Aldrich Walker and Julee Breehne.
BARRINGTON STAGE in PITTSTOWN, MASSACHUSETTS presented a streaming production of it as part of their Tenth Annual 10x10 Festival in March 2021.
It was also selected as a Semi-Finalist in the OFF BROAD STREET SHORT PLAY FESTIVAL in AUGUSTA GA
My full length play THE RELUCTANT PROPHET received an excellent staged reading as part of the Talkback Tuesday Series at the Polaris North Theatre Co-operative in NEW YORK, NEW YORK on May 23, 2023. It was both well received and provided valuable feedback that further developed the script. It featured John L. Payne, Meliora Dockery, Francis Parkman, Leslie Lynn Meeker, Jen Nolan and Sophie Larin.
My short play CELEBRITY DIVORCE was performed by the PLAYWRIGHTS ROUND TABLE OF ORLANDO, FLORIDA as part of their LAUNCH Festival in March, 2022. It was directed by Dev Zebra, and featured Russell R. Trahan, Anthony Marando and Kaley Redfield. It was also a finalist in the Short+Sweet Play Festival in the Dubai, United Emirates as well as their Festival in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
My short play 2020 - A PERFECT YEAR FOR MAGICAL THINKING received a streamed production in the Old Library Theatre's 10th Annual One Act Play Festival in FAIR LAWN, NEW JERSEY on February 2021. It was also performed by STAGE DOOR PRODUCTIONS as part of their 14th Annual One Act Festival in Fredericksburg VA in January 2022. It was selected and recorded by student Lanee Stiver for Senior Directing Credit at JOHN BROWN UNIVERSITY in SILOAM SPRINGS, ARKANSAS in April 2022.
My short play AT THE DINER WITH DAD (licensed by ART AGE Publications - Senior Theater Resources) was performed in GAINESVILLE FLORIDA in February 2021.
Information Regarding Walter's Scripts
TEN-MINUTE PLAYS