Zipporah Porton has had both one-act and full-length plays produced at USC's Massman Theatre. Her full-length production of Faith and Family was chosen for the school's prestigious Under Construction series. Zipporah's one-act play Breakfast has been produced at Cypress College, Princeton University and in Australia. It was also chosen as Best One-Act Play 2000 by the Internet Theatre Workshop.
Breakfast*
This one-act play is composed of seven separate scenes, each occurring on a different morning at the same Los Angeles eatery. In the manner of La Ronde, each scene is a revealing conversation between two characters - one new and one from a previous scene- and the focus is on relationships (gay, straight, friends, lovers), the entertainment business, and especially about being young and confused in Los Angeles. Breakfast has had productions at the University of Southern California, Cypress College, Princeton University and in Australia. It was also chosen as Best One-Act Play 2000 by the Internet Theatre Workshop.
Faith and Family*
This full-length play is about a young woman trying to realize if she can reconcile her love for her family, her insecurities about her faith and her love for an African-American man who doesn’t fit into the mold of the life she is supposed to have as an Orthodox Jew. Faith and Family was chosen to be produced as a part of USC's Under Construction series. Then, it was chosen to run an additional weekend at a small theatre in Sherman Oaks, California.
Awake*
This full-length play was part of the 2012 Writers Bloc Reading Festival. Emerson has recently suffered from a devastating incident that has changed her life completely, though she has no memory of what actually occurred. Emerson is now trying to exist in a world that doesn't fit the ideals that everyone around her has set. Emerson is engaging in a newfound relationship with her mother as well as maneuvering through a romantic relationship. Will she be able to remember the past, or is it best left forgotten?
Three
In this full-length play, Olympia, Leonora, and Eva have been best friends since they were teenagers. Though they have grown apart in the past ten years, a letter from Olympia announcing that she plans to kill herself brings the three women together again in a cabin in a small town where they vacationed many years before. As Olympia tries to explain why she has decided to move on to the next world, her two friends try to convince her that they are still the Three they’ve always been.
NYC*
This one-act play takes a look at a variety of different "couples" as they examine the aftermath of their city after 9/11. Two sisters await the return of one a husband, a young couple ponders if they should continue down the same path, an older couple can not fathom how their country has changed and an unlikely pair shows that everyone was affected by the tragedy, no matter who they are.
Accidents HappeN
This full-length play is suitable for younger audiences. Accidents Happen is about a young girl, Tanner, who is suffering from anorexia. Tanner tries to keep her disease a secret, and in fact does not even realize she has a problem. Tanner’s parents are going through a messy divorce which doesn't help. After witnessing a car accident in front of her house, Tanner is visited by the woman who died inside the car. Tanner's encounters with a woman who is no longer living force Tanner to re-examine her own life.
Floorwalkers
In Floorwalkers, a full-length play about accepting your identity, Lane and Hudson become friends while working at a Bloomingdales. Lane aspires for bigger things while Hudson just wants to be happy. Can this pair find love when they have completely different aspirations?
The Beneficiary
A part of the 2013 Chicago Writers' Bloc Reading Festival, The Beneficiary is Zipporah's most recent play. In the full-length play, Harry Gold has found a way to make millions of dollars. While his methods may be legal, are they morally ethical? Agent Fiona Tower doesn’t think so.
If you would like to read or produce one of these plays, please contact Zipporah.
*Denotes a reading or production.