Monologue from When Marshmallows Burn to be published in Smith & Kraus's "The Best Men's Stage Monologues”

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I’m honored that a monologue from my dark-comedy play, WHEN MARSHMALLOWS BURN, has been selected to be published by Smith & Kraus in the anthology, “The Best Men's Stage Monologues 2022” (editor Debbie Lamedman).

In the play, When Marshmallows Burn, Sammy and his mom are enjoying roasting marshmallows by the fire, under the full moon, when something very strange starts to happen. Sammy’s arms look a little furry. His teeth look a lot like fangs. And he has a sudden urge to kill squirrels—and eat them raw. What (or who) else will he have an urge to kill? Is there anything his mother can do to stop him, or can she ultimately accept and love him? This is a dark comedy about a boy becoming a werewolf, but it’s also a story about acceptance and love, in the face of changing identities.

The monologue selected for the anthology (What My Fangs are For) takes place the moment Sammy has returned from his first kill in the woods. He is proud he found his late-night snack without troubling his mom for help. As he relays killing the squirrel to her, he realizes his mother is becoming increasingly scared of him and his pride turns to fear that she will no longer love him as a werewolf.

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Don't Close The Doors: New 10-minute thriller/dramatic monologue

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If you’re looking for a solo thriller performance piece, consider my new 10-minute monologue play, Don’t Close the Doors. There’s no gore, no blood, yet the ominous atmosphere is consuming. This is a perfect choice for spooky Halloween theater, but is also powerful as a dramatic tragedy any time of year.

We’re familiar with the creepiness a bedroom closet can evoke: What’s inside those closed doors when we’re sleeping in our bed, when we’re practicing the violin, talking to a friend…? Does closing those doors keep out whatever it is that might be lurking from within? But what if that presence in the closet doesn’t want to be there any more than we want it there? What if that presence in the closet is the one being tortured, not us? In Don’t Close the Doors:

Abigail, a ghost in Stephanie’s closet, is sorry she must use her powers to freeze Stephanie in place, but what she must share with Stephanie is so dire that sometimes these things must be done. At first, it appears Abigail’s ominous presence is a threat to Stephanie. However, as Abigail relays the tragedies which have left her paralyzed in Stephanie’s closet, we realize it is Abigail who desperately needs Stephanie’s help to end her heartbreaking torture.

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New 10-minute dark comedy, absurdist thriller (perfect for Halloween & outdoor theater): When Marshmallows Burn by Tara Meddaugh

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If you are looking for some Halloween theater, perfectly designed for outdoor staging, check out my new play, When Marshmallows Burn:

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Sammy and his mom are enjoying roasting marshmallows by the fire when something very strange starts to happen. Sammy’s arms look a little bit different. His teeth look a little bit different. He has a sudden urge to kill squirrels. What else will he have an urge to kill? Is there anything his mother can do to stop him? And will his mother be able to accept his new identity?

This is a dark comedy, absurdist thriller for 2 actors (1 female, 1 male or 2 female - one role is gender neutral). It’s funny; how often does someone ask, “Can I eat that squirrel over there? You don’t have to cook it. I promise I’ll like it raw.” It’s dark; um...see squirrel line above! There is growing dread at the gravity of the situation, a full moon, suspense, blood. Yet ultimately, it is a story about discovering a new identity, and searching for, or giving, acceptance and love.

It’s an exciting piece to produce any time of year, but especially during this spooky, eerie, Halloween season—this play will fit right into a creepy lineup of shows. What’s also really cool is that this play takes place outside. Around a campfire. So if you’re looking for a socially distanced, outdoor theater experience, this is about as perfectly set up as they come! If you’re interested in performing, make sure to fill out the royalty request form and send it to me.

CLICK HERE for an excerpt to the play, When Marshmallows Burn.
CLICK BELOW for the complete digital download to the dark comedy, When Marshmallows Burn.

When Marshmallows Burn, a 10-minute dark comedy by Tara Meddaugh
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Spooky Play for Halloween: Free Space, a dark comedy/absurdist thriller by Tara Meddaugh

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Even during a pandemic, Summer flies by. And in New York State, something seems to have happened in the last week as temperatures left the high 80s, brown leaves are on the ground, homegrown apples are everywhere, and there is more talk about…Halloween. And that means theater for Halloween. Which means, you can pull out those dark comedies, thrillers, weird, spooky, creepy pieces that might be engaging any time of year, but hold a special kind of place as we gear up toward October 31.

I have several spooky plays and monologues that fit this bill, but a great full-length play for this darker time of year is my absurdist thriller, Free Space. This is a play where a mother pretends she’s her daughter for a terrifying reason. A young woman tries to escape her trapped existence where loneliness and aspirations ache in her bones. It’s a story of a dominating bingo chip (yes, I said “bingo chip”) who becomes increasingly demanding—and jealous. It’s always cold, usually tense, oftentimes eerie. Desperation and stakes are high. Cruelty abounds. And yet—

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Poorly Wrapped, a One-Act Play for 2 actors about Desire, Obsession, Power

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We’re less than a month away from Valentine’s Day, so check out the one-act play, Poorly Wrapped, on the topic of Love…or at least, lust, obsession, greed, power, and desire! It has 2 great roles for 1 male and 1 female actor and runs around 25 minutes long. It’s a dark comedy/drama, a bit eerie, a bit funny, some elements of the absurd mixed in with some potential creepiness…

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6 Dark Monologues About Love

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If rainbows and heart emojis are not your thing around Valentine’s Day, sink your acting teeth into some of the darker places love can take you in these 5 darkly “romantic” monologues. From that smoking gun on the table to obsession to restraining orders, jealousies and a car wreck, love can lead you to strange places! Enjoy these monologues showcasing a not-so-rosy side of love. (If these monologues are not quite what you’re looking for, you can also check out my comedic or hopeful romantic monologues about love!)…

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Weird or Creepy Plays for Halloween

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If you’re looking for some plays with a thrilling, weird, scary or eerie nature, just in time for Halloween, check out my list of 6 GREAT PLAYS FOR HALLOWEEN! From a domineering talking bingo chip to an apartment enveloped in human hair to a line of diamonds which seems rather painful—these dark comedies, dramas and thrillers give you a fun dramatic ride!

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Creepy Monologues

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If you’re looking for some creepy monologues this Halloween, check out these 10 monologues. From a disappointing journey in Hell to a blood-stained Banana Republic dress, take an eerie ride with these unique characters and their drama.

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Unknown Playwrights Feature of my dark comedy monologue, "March in Line"

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It’s so much fun to see wildly different interpretations of the same monologue, right? Yet within all the differences, it’s telling to find the commonalities that run throughout. Unknown Playwrights Monologue Monday series does a great job of showcasing new monologues, and then compiling an A-Z video list of actors performing the piece. You can see three videos below of actors performing my monologue, March in Line, just to show how very different they can be!

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Ferret Envy on Unknown Playwrights Monologue Monday

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Okay, so I was beyond elated when I first read Ionesco’s La Cantatrice Chauve (the Bald Soprano) in 9th grade French Class, as it confirmed a name for the style of theater my teenage self had already been unknowingly writing in: Theater of the Absurd. It was weird, it was dark, it was funny. I loved the feeling of laughing then cringing, cringing then laughing, laughing while cringing. After I read through Ionesco at my school library, my teacher suggested I try Albee, and these two writers (perhaps along with the tv show, Northern Exposure) were important influences in my writing.

So huge thanks to Bryan for this nice write-up on his blog, Unknown Playwrights, about my monologue, Ferret Envy, including A through Z video performances of the monologue.

”Sometimes you see Ionesco‘s name thrown around with Theatre of the Absurd. Same deal with Albee. Nah, Meddaugh is where it’s at. Picture this: You are SO jealous of your friend’s ferret that you (probably) killed said ferret because…you want to be your friend’s ferret!!!! This is a fun, funny goofed-up piece of theatrical brilliance.”

Bryan, I am blushing that you can put me in a category with these writerly gentlemen. Thanks for the shout-out, and you can check out prolific playwright Bryan Stubbles’ work here.

New 10-minute dark comedy play for 2 actors: Alfred and Lily and Their Marvelous Tank in the Forest

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If you like dark comedies (cringe and laugh, laugh and cringe—then pause to think seriously for a minute…), check out my new 10-minute play, Alfred and Lily and Their Marvelous Tank in the Forest. Yes, it has two frogs in it who jump around, chew on sticks, and get jealous of pond creatures with purple scarves—but this allegory doesn’t only provide fun entertainment; it’s thought provoking and generates great discussion. Does a horror have to affect you personally for you to notice something is wrong? How long will you accept happy lies until you’re willing to see what is in front of you? How can two individuals have such contrasting views of reality?…

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Dramatic/Thriller monologue: Shelley Knows

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If you’re searching for a dramatic/thriller (in time for Halloween!) 1-minute monologue for a female (or could be male) actor, check out Shelley Knows. In this monologue, Louise, riddled with guilt after murdering Shelley in a fit of passion, fears this friend may be coming for her, from beyond the grave…

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New dark comedy/thriller monologue: F For Friendship

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If you’re searching for a dark comedy/thriller monologue that is only 1 minute long, for teens to young adults, check out this monologue, F is For Friendship. In it, Michelle, holding a gun in her hand, rates the friendship of fellow mean-girl, Alicia. And Alicia is not scoring well…

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New dramatic/thriller monologue: Buddy's Mommy

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If you’re searching for a dark, dramatic or thriller monologue for a female (in time for Halloween!), check out Buddy’s Mommy. In this 2-minute monologue, amidst the sounds of sirens drawing near, Cali imparts her final motherly words to her young son, Buddy. She hopes he will remember her for the strong love she has for him, not for the gruesome murders he’s going to soon hear about…

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New dark comedy/thriller monologue: Remove the Rock, Please

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Keeping in line with my month of Halloween/eerie drama, here is a newly released monologue of mine, Remove the Rock, Please. What happens when a reasonable request made by a good upstanding citizen is repeatedly ignored by the town mayor? A Banana Republic dress gets blood on it, apparently. Check out the dark comedy/thriller/dramatic monologue below, for a female actor.

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Now available: Seventeen Stitches, a one-act dark comedy thriller for 2 actors

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In this one-act dark comedy/thriller, Rachel and Peter meet in a vortex-like space between opposing lines of people. While Rachel is simply passing the time before she returns to her place in line, Peter has stepped out of his line in protest. As the lines begin to close in on them, he must make a life-altering decision by choosing to continue forging his path in his father’s line, or join the haunting allure of Rachel’s line, the “line of diamonds.”

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