CRAIG JESSEN

Writer / Director

Plays

Selected Work

Hamletsen

In pagan Denmark, the shield maiden Claudia murders her brother, King Hamlet, to spare the kingdom a disastrous war with Norway. But peace brings a new threat: Horatio, a Papal emissary determined to Christianize Scandinavia. When Horatio recruits Claudia’s hapless nephew Lars on a quest for revenge, she must decide whether the fate of her country is worth killing again.

A dark comic reimagining of Hamlet full of anachronistic whimsy and an utterly indefensible glut of obscenity and vulgarity.

The End of Sex

World Premiere · Theatre Vertigo, Portland, Oregon

Working in the shadow of a co-worker who stole her research, a pharmaceutical scientist is thrust into the spotlight when she creates a cream that can relocate sexual sensation.

“A sexy play with a big heart.”

The Oregonian

“This smart new play stretches credulity just far enough without letting it snap. Plus, it’s funny, with enough emotional underpinning to give the jokes some sting.”

Oregon ArtsWatch

“The script manages to address just about every intriguing or troubling circumstance you’d imagine might arise from such a drug without sacrificing his lively plot or fleshed-out characters.”

Portland Monthly

“Dark humor throughout and a damn good story to boot.”

Dennis Sparks Reviews

Ghostly

Winner · Chameleon Theatre Circle New Play Contest

Alejandra was a Shakespearean actress and darling of regional theater. Walter retired early to write the Great American Novel. Now they’re both quite dead, and their ghosts have taken up residence with their adult children. But in their effort to keep their legacy alive, they may just end up being the death of their kids.

Midnight Requisition

World Premiere · Skypilot Theatre, Los Angeles

When their estranged mother arrives unannounced at the funeral of their father, three sisters put aside the opportunity to mend old wounds and instead plot fresh revenge.

Alice Through the Looking Glass

Commissioned by Southern Oregon University

Frustrated by the constraints of her Victorian home, Alice ventures into a parallel world of whimsy and imagination. But when she meets a queen all too like her overbearing older sister, things take a dark turn.

Pylon

World Premiere · Portland Ensemble Theatre Company, Portland, Oregon

Three high school friends have a new hobby: stealing traffic cones and putting them on their friends’ lawns. But when Dee finds out, they barter for her silence by bringing her along. As the three boys vie for her affections, they discover that stealing a woman’s heart is far more difficult than stealing a cone.

“Clever, heartfelt storytelling.”

The Portland Tribune

“An engaging young cast and playwright/director Craig Jessen’s keen eye for the emotional truths in small moments lend this modest tale of teen pranks and relationships a larger resonance.”

The Oregonian

“A thoughtful, well-scripted, and solidly performed piece of new work.”

The Portland Mercury

Directing

Select Productions

America’s Journey Rogue Valley Symphony
Much Ado About Nothing The Attic Theatre · Los Angeles
Feedback The Lyric Theatre · Los Angeles
Romeo and Juliet The SCV Space + The Attic Theatre · Los Angeles
Pylon Portland Ensemble Theatre Company
Two Rooms Southern Oregon University
Flowers Until Sunrise Intravenous Theater · New York Featuring D’Arcy Carden
Champagne & Stories The Attic Theatre · Los Angeles Ensemble devised work
Ladder to the Attic Southern Oregon University