Plays
Please contact Chris Till at Paradigm Talent Agency for rights inquiries. Sample scripts are available via New Play Exchange.
INSERTION
one-act (3f, 2m), ~90 mins
Maisie has finally landed an apprenticeship at the prestigious Red Key Publishing House, with the acclaimed fiction writer Gilda Tarrington assigned as her mentor. But posh, ancient Gilda has a secret: she’s really the mind behind the famous pseudonym of an erotic paperback empire, and she believes Maisie has the potential to be her successor. Determined not to lose her first major writing opportunity, Maisie sets out to learn everything she can about sex in a series of hilarious, harrowing, and heartwarming escapades.
"The B Street Theatre has set the gold standard in new comedy development with its world premiere of Insertion by Sarah Groustra." -BroadwayWorld Sacramento
"Maisie is such a wonderfully written character. It's so refreshing to see a female character going after what she wants. She is equal parts funny and heart-breaking. I really found myself rooting for her throughout the whole play. This character will be a gift for young actresses." -Shaun Leisher via New Play Exchange
"Maisie's journey -- both with regards to her own sexuality and shame about being a virgin as well as her insecurity as a writer -- are so grounded and nuanced." -Noah Good via New Play Exchange
Production History:
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staged reading: B Street Theatre New Comedies Festival, Sacramento CA - dir. Imani Mitchell & Carolyn Murray (July 2022) * FESTIVAL WINNER! *
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world premiere production: B Street Theatre Mainstage, dir. Tara Sissom-Pittaro (July 2023)
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staged reading: 938 Collective, Brooklyn NY - dir. Nadiya Atkinson (November 2023)
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Murphys Creek Theater, Murphys CA - dir. Todd Thomas (April 2024)
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Fishmarket Theatre Co. at The Connelly Upstairs - dir. Nadiya Atkinson (April 2024)
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Theatre on the Ridge, Paradise CA - dir. TBA (June 2024)
Awards & Honors
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Winner, 2024 Stage Play Award, Austin Film Festival
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Finalist, 2023 Jane Chambers Award, which honors plays with feminist themes and significant roles for women.
RADIO MAN
one-act (3f, 1m), ~75 mins
After a climate crisis decimates civilization as we know it, two sisters trek across the post-apocalyptic wasteland with only an eccentric voice on their transistor radio for company. When another young girl stumbles upon their campsite, they must decide whether or not the newcomer can stay. Longing, reminiscence, and a desire for their past life bond the women together, while the looming dangers of the natural world threaten to take their lives.
"An absolute gut-punch knockout of a play. Radio Man surehandedly weaves together loss, displacement, and the dangerous blindness of innocence into a tight, compelling sci-fi drama led by three young girls. I'll be thinking about that ending for a very long time..." -Sophie McIntosh via New Play Exchange
"A stellar play...Groustra has a gift for planting narrative breadcrumbs." -Leah Plante-Wiener via New Play Exchange
"I felt the emotional impact settle deep within my ribcage. In this exploration of sisterhood, relationship, trauma and recovery, division, and human connection, there is such power." -Rhiannon Ling, Theatre Times
Production History:
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world premiere production: the 2023 SheNYC Festival at the Connelly Theater, New York City, dir. Mackenna Goodrich, starring Emma Mineo, Lisa Naso, & Claire McPartland. Winner: SheNYC Festival Award for Best Script, Best Direction, Best Lead Actress (Emma Mineo)
Development History:
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The Parsnip Ship Play Club, December 2021
Awards & Honors
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inclusion in the curriculum of "Society and the Future" 2024 humanities course at Davidson College with Professor Sharon Green
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SheNYC 2023 Best Script Award
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2023 WaterWorks Theater Festival Finalist
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2022 Austin Film Festival Second-Rounder
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2021 James E. Michael Prize for excellence in playwriting (Kenyon College Award)
THE HAND THAT FEEDS YOU
one-act (2m, 1nb), ~60 mins
John plans to knock down the family butcher shop he's been bequeathed from his estranged father until he discovers that a meat monster has taken up residence inside. A haunted dark comedy about inheritance, otherness, and how at the end of the day, we're all just sacks of meat.
Production History:
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staged reading, WaterWorks Theater Festival at LiveArts, Charlottesville, VA - dir. Claire Chandler (May 2024)
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Players Theatre Residency/Forager Theatre Co, NYC - dir. Jennie Hughes (upcoming, December 2024)
Development History:
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Valdez Theater Conference (June 2024)
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Forager Theater Company UNEARTH workshop (September 2023)
THE THIRD HUNGER, OR THE DONNER PARTY PLAY
one-act (3w), ~60 mins
The year is 1846, and the girls are girling. Also, they're eating people. But Frances and Patty won't eat each other - not yet. The Third Hunger is the story of the infamous Donner Party expedition, told from the shrewd perspective of some of its youngest members.
Production History:
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staged reading, LimeFest at The Tank - dir. Abby Davis (August 2024)
Development History:
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Under Construction 3 writer's group at The Road Theater (2023)
THE LAUNDRY PLAY
one-act (1m, 1w), ~75 mins
David is a museum curator whose panic attacks have gone untreated for years. When he considers taking a job that will move him halfway across the country, this comes as a shock to his girlfriend, Eliza. Told largely through both characters' conversations with a therapist, The Laundry Play paints a portrait of a relationship on the verge of either connection or collapse, and the emotional landscape of intimacy with clinical anxiety.
Production History:
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Chain Theatre Winter One-Act Festival, New York City, dir. Mackenna Goodrich, starring Sara Rosenthal & Ben Teitelbaum (February 2023)
Development History:
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Yonder Window Theater Company Ascending Playwrights Program (August 2022)
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Advanced Playwriting Intensive at Grub Street Boston with Kira Rockwell (Summer 2021)
Short Plays
MELODY
Monologue (1f), ~10 mins
An aging 1970s feminist icon recounts the strange night when a young woman, Melody, appeared on her doorstep.
"This direct-address storytelling monologue is riveting and had me leaning forward in my seat to learn what was going on. It's rich with gorgeous language and specificity. It will leave you with a lot of questions, but they are fascinating questions! It's a really unique and memorable piece for a mature performer." -Aly Kantor via New Play Exchange
Production History:
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B3 Theater Company Feminist Festival, Scottsdale, AZ, dir. Erin Buvala Benites (January 2023)
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BrooklynONE Productions, NYC, dir. Tiffany Rexach (February 2024)
Publications
- Melody was published in Roi Fainéant Press in 2022.
REGIS COUNTY INVITATIONAL TRACK MEET
Short Play (2f), ~10 mins
Two runners sit on the bleachers of a middle school track meet.
Production History:
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Greenhouse Ensemble, NYC, dir. Christine McBurney (March 2024)
MAGIC STAND
Short Play (2f), ~10 mins
At a lemonade stand in the dog days of summer, two girls sample some very interesting brownies.
Production History:
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developed for Historically Close Friends' The Newest Plays You've Never Seen Festival, Burlington VT, dir. Jill Holland (September 2023)
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Kenyon College Stagefemmes Alumni One-Act Festival, Gambier OH (September 2023)
HANGUPS
Virtual Play (1f 1m), ~10 mins
It's difficult to navigate a relationship in quarantine, especially when you don't know what that relationship is.
Production History:
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Playdate Theatre, Find a Way or Make One Festival, dir. Mark Feuerstein (August 2020)