Robert John Ford
PLAYWRIGHT | COMPOSER | LYRICIST | PRODUCER
FALL 2026
FALL 2026
ROLF(E)
Book, Music & Lyrics by Robert John Ford
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You know him from "The Sound Of Music," but how did a dancing messenger boy become a member of the Nazi Youth movement during one fateful summer? Was he the villain or just a naïve, hormonal teenager? And exactly how do you spell his name? ROLF(E) tells the hilarious back-story of an unheralded and misunderstood hero-wannabe who would do anything for love and the resistance, while also examining more serious and timely themes such as gender/sexual identity, the rise of fascism, and the challenge of discerning what is actually true in an era of disinformation.
A workshop production is planned for fall 2026 in NYC. Info will be posted here when confirmed. ​​​​​​​
DECEMBER 2026
THE LAST RIDE​​​
A novel by Robert John Ford
When a middle-aged architect learns that a rickety old wooden roller coaster - one that he and his friends would congregate around during the carefree summers of his childhood - is scheduled to be torn down, he journeys to the site, determined to enjoy one last ride. Along the way, he examines everything from his career choices to his current relationships with his son and his spouse-to-be.
This novel is currently in development. Info will be posted here when publishing date is confirmed.​​​​​​​
WINTER 2027
CYCLEPATHS​​​
Book. Music & Lyrics by Robert John Ford​
This one-hour musical comedy tells the saga of a hipster couple from Brooklyn who falsely believes a tandem-bike journey as part of RAGBRAI - the Register's Annual Great Bike Ride Across Iowa - will be a relaxing, carefree summer vacation. Each song focuses on a specific aspect of the ride, such as the delusions, the host towns, the weather, the food, the debauchery, the locals, and the exhaustion. CYCLEPATHS began as a sketch in RJF's musical revue UTOPIA - THE IOWA MUSICAL REVUE, which has been performed 75+ times throughout Iowa since 2008.​​
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A new production is planned for January 2027 in Iowa. Info will be posted here when confirmed. ​​