-AUTHOR - PLAYWRIGHT - SCREENWRITER -
FREDERICK STROPPEL
PROJECTS
SMALL WORLD
Two giants of the 20th Century, filmmaker Walt Disney and composer Igor Stravinsky, have a momentous collision during the making of the animation classic Fantasia. This two-character comedy imagines the volatile relationship between these two very different geniuses, and explores the personal nature of creativity and art. Directed by Joe Brancato, SMALL WORLD was produced in 2015 at the Penguin Rep Theatre in Stony Point, NY., and had its NYC premiere in September 2017 at 59E59, featuring Mark Shanahan as Walt Disney and Stephen D'Ambrose as Igor Stravinsky. "Funny...Provocative...the initial humor moves into dangerous and exciting territory." NY Times. "Immensely entertaining...The spirited banter between the great men is chock-full of clever witticisms" - Broadway World. "A witty reflection on the nature of art and creative genius...highly entertaining and accessible." - The Journal News.
SMALL WORLD was originally produced by the Stray Kats Theatre Company in Newtown CT in January of 2013, directed by Kate Katcher. "Magical...highly enjoyable and very funny" - Jim Hill Media "A winner with a long and happy future!" - Joanne Greco Rochman "If you thought that a comedy about a fancied meeting between two world-famous artists couldn't pack a wallop for audiences, guess again. That's just what Frederick Stroppel's delightful riff on a meeting between Walt Disney and Igor Stravinsky does -- and in spades" - News-Times.Com
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TAKE 2 is an anthology series for TV developed by Anson Williams and Don Most (of Happy Days), David P. Levin and Frederick Stroppel. Iconic duos from the entertainment world are reunited in original scripts that show off their talents in new and surprising ways. Here's our promotional video:
FALL RIVER, my new drama about Lizzie Borden and the mysterious doings in a small New England town, received its world premiere in Octyober 2017 in Stony Point NY at the acclaimed Penguin Repertory Theater. The two-character play was directed by artistic director Joe Brancato, and starred Sofia Jean Gomez and Oliver Wadsworth (below)
TEDDY AND THE RIVER, a new play about former President Theodore Roosevelt and his ill-fated venture into the Amazon with his son Kermit, was recently performed at Penguin Rep in Stony Point, NY, and also at Cedarmere, the estate of 19th century poet William Cullen Bryant in Roslyn NY. The three-character play is an historical drama about the quest for greatness and the implacable cruelty of nature.
THE BLIND TRUTH, a play by Vinny Basile and Frederick Stroppel, with original songs by Vinnie Basile and Elysa Sunshine, is now in development. THE BLIND TRUTH tells the true story of Mr. Basile, his early blindness, the failed struggles to restore his sight, and his discovery of music and how it saved his life.
Read more about Vinny HERE.
OTHER NEWS:
My evening of one-acts, SENIOR MOMENTS, will be produced in 2018 by the legendary Moscow Arts Theatre! Founded by Stanislavsky , the MAT premiered Chekhov's four great plays, and is considered the wellspring of modern theater. It is a profound honor to be included in their upcoming season. The Russian title of the evening translates to "FROM THE LIFE OF FOSSILS".
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MOTHER OF THE WEEK, a short film written by Jennifer Jiles and Frederick Stroppel and directed by Lee Davis, has been shown at a number of film festivals, winning several awards including Audience Choice. It recently won awards at the Big Apple Film Festival and the Queens World Film Festival. It is currently being developed into a TV series.
A WORLD OF PLEASURE, a short film based on my one-act play of the same name, is now making the rounds of film festivals. It recently won Best Short Film at the L-DUB Film Festival in Lake Worth, Florida. Produced by Tina Pfeiffer and directed by Guisela Moro, the film stars Steven D. Mairano, Tina Pfeiffer and David Ausem.