Real Husbands of Honeydo County

A cover commission for a Play written by Eddie McPherson.

Ten Little Dunces

Cover art for a play by Eddie McPherson. The synopsis goes something like this:
Ten dunces have been invited to an old house on Dunce Island to be murdered. One by one they are done in according to a silly nursery rhyme hanging over the fireplace. Because they’re not the brightest bulbs in the box, the poor victims are murdered rather easily by such things as vacuum cleaner hoses and live alligators. After several murders take place, they become suspicious of each other. But when the last person bites the dust and there’s no one else on the island, the question remains: Who the heck did all the murdering?? A fun parody of one of Agatha Christie’s most popular mystery novels.

That'll Learn Ya

A cover for a play written by Eddie McPherson. You can check out more of his plays at: http://www.eddiemcpherson.com/.


Here's the synopsis for, "That'll Learn Ya."
The quiet western town of Possum Trot has been under
a gypsy spell for two hundred years; a spell that has turned the whole village into clueless nincompoops who have never grown smart enough to progress with the rest of the world. The guilty gypsy’s great grandson (seven generations later), Seymour Justice, has begun his quest looking for this town to break the spell once and for all.  

His perseverance pays off when he and his best friend, Edmund, finally stumble upon the lost village.  The secret to breaking the spell is buried in a metal box somewhere in Possum Trot.  So the search is on and Seymour and his buddy seek the citizens’ assistance (which is a challenge within itself) to find the mystery box.  If the spell isn’t broken by midnight, not only will the town remain in the dark cave of ignorance, but Seymour and Edmund will become nincompoops too and must remain in Possum Trot for the rest of their lives.

Cricket County

Below is a play cover by Eddie McPherson. The synopsis of the play goes something like this:

Oswald Tippenhimmer and his city family take their country cousins from Cricket County to the Colorado Mountains for Christmas this year.  This trip, however, isn’t exactly offered from the kindness of their hearts – but is an attempt to get on Grandma Taylor’s good side so she will include them in her will since she and her Cricket County family inherited late Uncle Zeke’s millions.

Once they arrive at the ski lodge, they find the owners are trying to get their aging grandfather back to the retirement home so they can better attend to their failing business. 

However, Gramps, as they call him, would rather stay and spend Christmas with the only family he has left.Oswald gets an idea:  If he can get Gramps to court lonely Grandma Taylor,  she will surely be grateful enough to leave the city bunch some of her inheritance money.

It’s a lesson in appreciating our elderly.   We should love everyone in our world – even those who can’t do anything for us in return.

Almost Treasure Island

A play cover commission written by Eddie McPherson. The synopsis goes something like this:
Jack and his buddies have followed a treasure map to a secluded little island where a priceless treasure is supposedly buried. Led by Roger, “Captain Sir”, and somewhat entertained by Magician Jeff, the boys arrive to discover “Water as far as the eye can and find out that they have only half of the map. Before the group left, Jack’s sister, Sara, snatched the other half of the map. Dreaming of “manicures and Macy’s,” Sarah and her set of friends travel to the island to unveil their riches. Neither group knows about the other group or their plans. The girls cook up a plan to swipe the map, but while searching the island the boys overhear their scheme and counterplot. In an attempt to scare the girls off the island, the boys find themselves in a cold sweat; face to face with the Jungle Man.

The Real Housewives

Below is a cover art for a play by Eddie McPherson. His plays can be found at: http://www.eddiemcpherson.com/

The synopsis of this play goes something like this:
Welcome to Cricket County – the land that cool forgot. With characters named Bodean and Chigger, what’s not to love? The gals think being a housewife is the highest callin’ there is. They’re happy with their cookin’, gardenin’, cleanin’ lifestyle, with neighbor-spyin’ and coon-huntin’ on the side – until “richer’n clabbered cream” Monica Northcutt crashes their quilting bee with her women’s rights spiel. Discontent brews faster’n a jar of sun tea, and suddenly cookin’ frog legs don’t look so appealing. Though the gals say if you offered their husbands a penny for their thoughts, you’d get back change, the good ol’ boys have the last word as they show their wives the true meaning of beauty: contentment! Fun side gags involving a scarecrow and “muscadine juice.” May be used as dinner theatre.

Shakespeare in Cricket County

A cover commission for a play by Eddie McPherson. The synopsis goes something like this:

Shakespeare? Elkin Taylor and his kinfolk down home in the hollow never heard of him. When city-cultured Mrs. Featherred hears about Elkin’s huge inheritance, she visits Cricket County with two Shakespearean actors eager to get an endowment for her theatre. But when “Romeo and Juliet” perform with their lofty language, the kinfolk haven’t a clue about what is going on. Even their confused dog, Mudhole, attacks them. Pile on one silly misunderstanding after another and mix it together with madcap action, you have a hilarious hillbilly play that’s fun for both the performers and the audience.

The One That Got Away

A play cover written by Eddie McPherson. The synopsis goes something like this:
A headline in the state newspaper reads, “Annual Fishing Tournament Expecting Record Number of Female Participants.” This news is great for women who love the sport of fishing. It’s even better news for men who love the sport of “picking up chicks”. When Brad and his buddies hear the news, they pack their backpacks and head to Weiss Lake where the tournament is being held. Because the guys know that the women at the tournament will be impressed with men who exude expert fishing knowledge, they conduct research by picking up a couple of fishing magazines at the local Seven Eleven. They figure by the time the “chicks” find out the men know nothing about fishing they have already won them over with their “charm and animal magnetism.” But when one of the men’s inept cousin tags along unintentionally and then accidentally spills the beans to the women about the men’s intentions, the weekend becomes more than anyone bargained for. And then Brad’s fiancée shows up. The women have a plan to put the ego-filled fellows in their place - - and it’s not going to be pretty.

Beowulf

A play cover commission written by Eddie McPherson.

Beowulf on a Budget

A cover for a play by Eddie McPherson

The synopsis goes something like this:

Beowulf, the classic hero, kills the ferocious monster Grendel — but in a funny slapstick comedy? This adaptation becomes a farce when someone steals all the costumes and props the night before the show. But the show must go on! It gets even more hilarious every moment. Imagine Beowulf using a plastic bucket for his helmet, a mop for his sword, and his armor is a suit of mail (letters and postcards). The Director, acting as the narrator, helps the actors agonize through the preposterous adventure. The characters, dressed in appropriate costumes using impossible props, bravely accomplish their mission. Every student will want to read the true Beowulf story after this delightful fiasco.

Shoestring Theatre

A cover for a play by Eddie McPherson. The synopsis goes something like this:
Sanders is very upset. The budget for his opening show of the new theatre season is being cut by eighty percent. This particular play is to be an epic retelling of the timeless classic, "Cinderella," an expensive show that includes grand costumes, elaborate sets, and high-priced special effects. But how is he expected to pull off such a spectacle with practically no money? To add insult to injury, Sanders learns that the reason his budget is cut is because Mrs. Brakes, the executive director of the theatre, and her pal Bonnie, the president of the board of directors, have embezzled the "Cinderella" money to fund a nice long cruise in the Caribbean. Sanders is outraged and decides to take matters into his own hands. "If it's a low-budget show they want, it's a low-budget show they'll get," he tells a friend. He rounds up some local yokels with no acting experience and casts them in the show. He uses cardboard boxes for the set, paper confetti and flashlights for special effects, and a child's wagon for the royal carriage in which Cinderella rides to the ball. Cinderella's "beautiful" gown is even worse. But revenge turns from sweet to bitter when Sanders learns that the trip planned was a surprise for him and his wife. Too late, the show has already opened. What a disaster ... that is until the reviews come in and the show is the hit of the season!

Christmas in Cricket County

A cover commission for a play written by Eddie McPherson.
The synopsis goes something like this:
Hillbilly hilarity abounds in this down-home drama with broadly played characters. It's a clash of cultures when the well-heeled preppie city cousins take a limo to their country cousins' home for the reading of their Uncle Zeke's will on Christmas Eve. When they discover that they are to receive only one hundred thousand dollars apiece, they throw a tantrum over such a "small" amount of money -- but the country cousins are thankful for their fifty dollars to buy new coats and shoes. In their tradition, the country cousins perform a simple Nativity reenactment for the city kids. Only then do the preppie cousins understand what it means to give without reservation or condition. A surprise twist at the end gives the country kids an unexpected bonus.

I Was A Teenage Chameleon

A cover commission for a play by Eddie McPherson. 
The synopsis goes something like this:
Average Joe and Jane Doe are ordinary teenagers who want to fit in. Their dreams of becoming popular overshadow everything else in their lives. Joe’s ultimate goal is to make the school’s paddleball team (playing paddleball is the ultimate in coolness at Typical High). Meanwhile Jane will sacrifice her lifelong friendship with her nerdy BFF, Eunice, in order to be accepted by the most popular girls in school.
The Symbolic Ladder of Popularity stands on stage throughout the play reminding the protagonists (as well as the audience) of their ultimate goal. They MUST reach the top of that ladder – no matter what the cost.

The Cow Tippers

A play cover commission written by Eddie McPherson. The synopsis goes something like this:
Mrs. Brown has moved to Hoke's Bluff to study rural school life. She's used to schools equipped with state-of-the-art computer labs and up-to-date technology. At Hoke's Bluff, however, high tech is an intercom system consisting of an aluminum can with a piece of string attached. On the first day of school, the sheriff shows up looking for leads to cow-tipping pranks. Her study of "these people" may be more than she bargained for. But as relationships are built, Mrs. Brown not only teaches her students a few lessons, but she learns a few of her own. And when Clyde, the school janitor, has eyes for her, she also discovers that there's more on these people's minds than just cow tipping.

Another Play Cover Commission

Below is the finished cover commission for a play by Eddie McPherson.

Cricket County Academy Play Cover

Another play cover commission for a play by Eddie McPherson. The synospis of the play goes something like this:
When Elkin inherits huge wealth from Uncle Zeke, he enrolls his hillbilly cousins into the highbrow private school, Gold-Leaf Academy. The school wants to reject the kinfolk when their cultural gap becomes a “black hole” of hilarious miscommunication. But when the school administration discovers that super-rich Elkin may endow the academy, everything changes. Cousin Fester even wins the "Prince Charming" role in the school production of Rapunzel as his sisters become the "Evil Witches." The country cousins have never been in a school play, so everything turns comically chaotic. Despite his ineptness, hayseed Fester wins the affection of the class beauty, Kayla, who plays the "Princess." Kayla chooses Fester to be her date to the school dance. Then Fester decides to take all the girls to the dance in his limo. The school snobs who ridiculed them learn that homespun charm and courtesy wins the day. 

A cover commission for a two-act play.

The play is about a young girl and boy whose parents refuse to let them get married because they root for opposing college football teams. 

Play Cover

 A cover for a play by Eddie McPherson.
The play details can be viewed at:
http://www.pioneerdrama.com/SearchDetail.asp?pc=DIVINESTEL&id=0

Play Cover

Below is a cover I've recently completed for a play cover written by Eddie McPherson. This specific play can be viewed at: http://www.hitplays.com/default.aspx?pg=fr-t