Monologue from When Marshmallows Burn to be published in Smith & Kraus's "The Best Men's Stage Monologues”
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 her wereson? 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.
The monologue runs about 1 minute. Sammy is a child, around 10 years old, but was written with the intention of a teen or young adult actor playing the child role. This is a men’s/male monologue and was selected for the anthology as such, but like many of my characters, it can be played by an actor of any gender, as well.
I had a stellar creative team for the first production: Missy Flower as Melissa, Buchanan Highhouse as Sammy, directed by Nate Flower, produced by Free Space Theater and sponsored by the Harrison Public Library. This production was performed during the pandemic outside at night, with trees making a perfect backdrop for the Autumn production. Check out some photos below.
For now, you can read the monologue that will be published in the anthology here, and the book is set to be out in late 2022. You can read the 10-minute play (WHEN MARSHMALLOWS BURN) from which this monologue comes, here.
