SHORT PLAY
Suspense, Thriller
Suspense, Thriller
Horror is often the manifestation of guilt and regret, nothing more. But what comes to us at night
in the shadows might be far worse.
in the shadows might be far worse.
CHARACTER INFORMATION
Angus - Man, any adult age
Matilda - Woman, any adult age
Matilda - Woman, any adult age
THEMES
guilt, shadow figures, crime, supernatural
AWARDS & RECOGNITION
Best men's Monologues
(Smith & Kraus Publishers, NH - 2022)
SEMI-FINALIST
(MadLab, OH - 2022)
(Smith & Kraus Publishers, NH - 2022)
SEMI-FINALIST
(MadLab, OH - 2022)
REVIEWS & RECOMMENDATIONS
“A seductively sinister play filled with secrets, silences, and shadows. Angus and Matilda’s quiet confrontation touches on being unfaithful before veering into the unfathomable. Tension builds poetically and powerfully to a frightful finish that will linger with audiences long after the stage fades to blank.”
(Ken Preuss)
(Ken Preuss)
“In his ten-minute horror dynamo - OF NIGHT SHADOWS - John Mabey makes wonderful use of a window and a third character who doesn't enter or speak but is always there. Angus and Matilda grapple with his eerie existence - as if their lives and marriage depend upon it - until the chilling conclusion. Would love to experience this work in a dark musty theater, to feel the atmosphere the two characters work in harmony to create and I love it that Angus and Matilda can be any age. Will their marriage survive? Only the shadow knows.”
(Charles Scott Jones)
(Charles Scott Jones)
“With OF NIGHT SHADOWS, John Mabey has created an atmospherically creepy play with two deep and thoughtful characters. This one is sure to give an audience chills.”
(David Lipschutz)
(David Lipschutz)
“John Mabey’s moody psychological horror explores universal human experiences—persistent guilt, paranoia, secrets within a marriage— personified in an unseen antagonist, lurking just offstage. With echoes of Poe (and I Know What You Did Last Summer), this dark tale asks: what we would forgive or deny to stay married and stay sane? And can what we’ve chosen to repress ever truly stay hidden?
OF NIGHT SHADOWS’ strength lies both in its dream-like dialogue and the space between the words, the unspoken. Its evocative imagery and fantastically spooky ending would be a treat for designers and directors alike.”
(Jillian Blevins)
OF NIGHT SHADOWS’ strength lies both in its dream-like dialogue and the space between the words, the unspoken. Its evocative imagery and fantastically spooky ending would be a treat for designers and directors alike.”
(Jillian Blevins)
“Psychological horror at its best and written by a master craftsman!”
(Melissa Milich)
(Melissa Milich)
“Of Night Shadows is a wonderfully tense one-act by John Mabey. The setup is quick as Matilda and Angus hide from a stranger passing by on the street. Each new development of the plot is thrilling, leading to a conclusion that chills. The script uses the viewer's imagination to evoke its horror, which is my favorite way to see it on the stage.”
(John Medlin)
(John Medlin)
READINGS & WORKSHOPS
10 Minutes A Month Playwriting Collective, United Kingdom - 2021
PRODUCTIONS
Jakespeare Theatre Company, MA - 2022