PLAYS

As a playwright, Lizz's work has been seen across the country in New York, Connecticut, Maine, Vermont, Colorado, Florida, and Minneapolis.

FULL LENGTHS

AND THE LIGHTS OF THE BOREALIS WERE SHINING

Woman, 5 Gender Neutral (doubling possible, 4 actors min, 6 max)

​​The agreement was simple: Bee would live with Al, a talking polar bear, for a year. In exchange, her family would be blessed with incredible wealth. All this comes with a contract, however, and when Bee unknowingly breaks the terms, she is left alone and determined. With the help of strangers and a bit of magic, Bee embarks on a journey to rediscover the person she thought she knew, and maybe even discover what her own worth is. An adaptation of East of the Sun, West of the Moon

SELECT DEVELOPMENT

  • Production: Gadfly Theater, 2017

  • Residency: Eugene O'Neill Theater Center, 2018

  • Production: The Tank, 2023​

REVIEWS

“ While there are many stories about magic, it’s rare that you come across one that allows you to believe in it, even just for a while. Mangan’s play manages to do just that. The story is electric, weaving together brief moments of connection across time. I am such a sucker for queer twists on fables and mythologies, and this play beautifully embodies that. The characters are bursting with life, and the world is deeply immersive. There’s a lot of room for interpretation in the staging as well that would make this play dazzling to see performed live. ”

—Sasha Karuc, Playwright

“ Lizz’s writing reminds me of the work of Sarah Ruhl. There is such a whimsy in the magical realism of this play as BEE discovers themselves through this pact. This is a play that can be staged so colorfully and so pure. Can't wait to read more of the author’s work. ”

—Eric Roberts, Director

“ A magical journey with some exceedingly well-crafted characters. Spells and curses are woven in every part of this play, present in time, space, and language. The enchantments here are not light, for magic is dangerous after all. Mangan does justice to the original tale, capturing the impossible nature of the adventure, while also telling a melancholic and carefully-written story of two young people who earnestly need one another, even though they don't see what's good in themselves. ”

—Ky Weeks, playwright

STRIKE/OUT

4 Female, 1 Femme-Presenting Actors

Tuesdays are, for the Strike Sisters, a day for bowling, beer, and bickering. When tragedy strikes for a fellow team member, the remaining players are faced with the harsh realization that the place they go to for escaping their outside world problems may be becoming a problem in and of itself.

SELECT DEVELOPMENT

  • Staged Reading: Historically Close Friends, 2023

  • Staged Reading: Kitchen Sink Theater Company, 2024

ICARUS AND AMELIA EARHART HAD TEA THIS MORNING

2 Women, 3 Men (doubling possible, 4 actors min, 5 max)

Amelia Earhart and Icarus meet on an island in the Bermuda Triangle and begin to plan a way off.
Long-time friends Amy and Isaac are working towards their own desires, but second-guess their success.
As both groups try to support their counterpart, they find that their own inner conflicts may be getting in the way. An exploration of self-sabotage and what lengths we go to in order to escape our problems.

SELECT DEVELOPMENT

  • Staged Reading: The Tank, 2019

  • Production: Eleven & One Theatre Collective, 2020

  • Production: William Smith and Hobart Colleges, 2024

REVIEWS

“A great exploration of friendship and creative creation with a fascinating exploration of meaning and discovery. Beautifully done. ”

—Cheryl Bear, Actor

“A beautiful look at the creative process and how the art we make so often reflects and bleeds into our lives. The way Mangan explores platonic relationships between artists is also fascinating. ”

—Shaun Leisher, Dramaturg

SWIVES

4 Women, 2 Men

In the distant past of 2007, a group of women took to the internet to declare their undying devotion to Severus Snape (yes, THAT Severus Snape). "swives" is an imagining of what could have happened if these women had met IRL, and just how far they would have gone to prove their devotion to their religion.

SELECT DEVELOPMENT

  • Staged Reading: First Kiss Theatre, 2024

REVIEWS

“swives! SWIVES! This play rocks. This play makes you go "oh no" again and again. This play makes you really feel for its wonderfully strange characters. Produce it please!. ”

—Lee Harrison Daniel, Playwright/Producer

“This play reads like a period piece reflecting a bygone era of Live Journals and fan fiction. A play that's about what it's like to be obsessed about pop culture. A play devotion to something beyond comprehension. Loved how the playwright never judges these characters. You almost seem to understand them. I loved this play and hope it gets produced. ”

—Shaun Leisher, Dramaturg

SHORTS

DEFINING BLUE SPRAY PAINT

2 Women

Hal’s dad is cheating on Hal’s mom with Ken’s mom who’s cheating on Ken’s dad. And there’s no word to define how it feels to know that. Or to define how it feels to eventually become you best friend’s step-sister. Or to define the fear that maybe this is going to affect your entire life and every future relationship in it.

SELECT DEVELOPMENT

  • Staged reading, Eleven and One Theatre Collective, 2020

REVIEWS

“The almost shocking but sad image of an ill-fitting old wedding dress with blue splotches of paint and a child trying to make sense of it all is incredibly theatrical and evocative. Mangan’s words are powerful and poetic, despite the characters’ insistence that they are pointless. The feelings here are strong, raw and relevant. Beautiful play. ”

—Andrew Martineau

OKAY.

2 F/NB Actors

Alex is sick and Sam is tired. At the end of what feels like everything, the failing couple tries to remember what made them think their life together could be okay.

SELECT DEVELOPMENT

  • Production: Manhattan Repertory Theatre, 2018

  • Production: Irvington Theater 10-Minute Plays Festival

Filmed for Irvington Theater 10-Minute Plays Festival (Credit: Em Hausmann)

REVIEWS

“The impact this had is the type of impact I wish all of my work, hell all work has on me. The opening monologue sets you up to scene 2, where a string of okays absolutely breaks your heart. And that final scene? So beautiful. If I ever need to show anyone an example of a fantastic one act, this is where I'm going. ”

—Cole Hunter Dzubak, Playwright

“An incredibly powerful piece about finding a way to work through a grief that tears them inside out and connect. Very well done. “

—Cheryl Bear, Actor

EYES AND TEETH

2 Women

A girl from a Little town is visiting her sick grandmother in a Big city. While grandmother sleeps, the girl sneaks out and meets a woman who makes her feel new. Exciting. Red. Together, the women spend a night together that show them growing up and being grown is not what it always seems. An adaptation of Little Red Riding Hood

SELECT DEVELOPMENT

  • Staged Reading: National Theater Institute, 2018

  • Staged Reading: Babycastles, 2020

  • Staged Reading: American Stage Theatre Company, 2023

REVIEWS

"A marvelous adaptation of Little Red Riding Hood that takes us through a journey of coming of age into an awakening. Well done.."
—Cheryl Bear, Actress​

"A poetic, primal, thrillingly queer reimagining of a classic fairy tale that breathes new life and agency into Red Riding Hood. Absolutely gorgeous work.  "
—Haley St. James, Dramaturg and Playwright

"Beautiful and fast-paced, Lizz Mangan's adaptation of Little Red Riding Hood embraces the idea that "not everything is as it seems" in new and exciting ways. EYES AND TEETH keeps you holding your breath as it unfolds into a world crackling with potential and new beginnings."
—Sasha Karuc, Playwright