Hy Conrad’s credits span murder mysteries, games, and the critically acclaimed TV series “Monk,” which he joined as a story consultant and, later, executive producer. The novelist and playwright is now preparing “Write Me a Romance,” which will be presented as a stage reading at The Studios of Key West.
Conrad, who started as a stage actor, came up with an idea many years ago for a musical take on “Much Ado About Nothing” that he envisioned as a play called “Ta-Dah!”
“Being young and stupid, I decided to write everything, book music and lyrics,” Conrad said of that first play. “Somehow, I managed to snag a producer and get a production in New York, with some great talent involved, including a young Scott Bakula.”
The show’s short run provided Conrad with the confidence to keep going and connections, which included an investor in the play who happened to be starting a video-disc business.
Conrad suggested “MysteryDisc,” a mystery video game that you could solve in 16 different ways. It opened the world of mystery writing. He got calls from Milton Bradley and Parker Brothers to design other games as well as to write short solvable mysteries for his first publisher Sterling.
Mysteries proved the way to go. Many titles later, the hit detective series “Monk” remains Conrad’s most recognizable credit.
“Quite often people will come up to me and say, ‘I just started watching Monk for the first time and now I’ve seen every single episode.’ It has a perennial appeal, and that’s how we engineered it,” Conrad pointed out.
While he remains connected to the world of television, recently consulting on an international version of “Monk,” the avid traveler is happy to have Key West as his home base with his husband Jeff Johnson, who is directing the upcoming stage reading.
Attendees will get a first look at “Write Me a Romance,” described as a Tom Hanks-style throwback. The idea came about while Conrad was brainstorming a rom-com screenplay that could then be reimagined for the stage.
The plot centers on Joanne Marlowe who, following a failed marriage, resurrects her dream of writing a best-selling novel. But amidst the competitive world of New York publishing, Marlow must grapple with an assumed name, a potential conflict-of-interest lover, and the emergence of a mysterious author.
“Write Me a Romance” kicks off The Studios “First Look” series that provides audience members with stage readings of plays and screen adaptations before they are developed for wider release.
This was the first rom-com Conrad wrote. Seeing this on-stage will allow him to gauge how sympathetic or funny the audience finds the characters. Conrad, who believes this project will ultimately prove best suited for a movie, expects to make further edits and polishes. Things always change.
“That’s part of the process. But it will be invaluable for me to see it in front of a discerning audience.”
Tickets for “Write Me a Romance” available at tskw.org/write-me-a-romance/
