Check out nine (9) plays plus a trio of monologues all featuring the sister relationship! From rabbits on the run to sisters contemplating marriage in the 1700s to adult sisters with a foster baby—and more—these 9 plays explore the challenges and connections of this unique sibling relationship. There are plays here for children, teens, young adults and mature adults, ranging from absurdist to dark comedies to dramas.
Read MoreDid someone say UNICORN??
Okay, so there just are not enough monologues out there for unicorns! Right?? But here’s your chance to finally play one (I know you have always wanted to). Check out my comedic monologue, CloudLily The Unicorn & Zoey, which runs about 30 seconds to 1 minute long. In it, CloudLily, a unicorn, is talking to her loyal fan, 4-year-old, Zoey. Zoey has been visiting CloudLily in the magical forest and giving her super awesome gifts. You know the kind of gifts some 4-year-olds give you, right? Like…weeds…and clumps of dirt? So CloudLily is grateful. I mean, how could she not be? Zoey is an adorable child who is the definition of “pure of heart.” But…CloudLily also knows humans have access to some pretty cool things besides just, well, dirt. Check out what CloudLily asks Zoey for in the short funny monologue for any age actor (child, tween, teen, or adult!).
Also, gotta give some props to the inspiration for this monologue. One of my followers on Facebook messaged me he got a “Top Fan Badge” for my page. I gave him some virtual props and said, “you win!” He wisely asked me what he won. And I said, “hmmm…you or your kids can give me a topic and I’ll see if I can write a little monologue about it.” He told me his daughter loves rainbow unicorns. Well. Here’s your monologue, Zoey! Hope you enjoy!
Enjoy a little excerpt (and silly floating animated unicorn head video, as well!)!
CLOUDLILY
(to 4-year-old Zoey)
Zoey. I love the dandelions and clovers and…clumps of dirt you keep bringing me every day. They’re all really cool and special and I know it’s super fun watching my magical unicorn horn turn them into rainbow colors and make them dance and stuff like that. But I hear—CLICK HERE FOR MORE
My silly floating-head-unicorn amateur animation of “CloudLily The Unicorn & Zoey.”
I’ve written about sister-relationships before (in The Bronze Lining and The Moon River Raft to name a few), but the relationship is especially unique in my two Ruby and Millie plays. These plays both feature the same sisters, but at two very different points in their lives.
In Ruby and Millie and the Dying Cucumbers, Ruby is a child around 9 years old and her older sister, Millie, is around 16. It’s 1943 and their father is a Prisoner of War in Europe. He has charged Ruby to lead her apartment building’s rooftop Victory Garden on the homefront in White Plains, NY. With their mother working long hours and their father gone, teenage Millie carries weighty responsibilities of her own. In the play, Millie has been searching for her little sister at night, and finally finds her on the rooftop. While Millie tries to convince Ruby to come inside to bed, Ruby discovers some of her vegetables are dying, and fears this is a harbinger of bad news for her father and the war.
In Ruby and Millie and The Old Chemical Plant, we fast forward 50+ years. The war is a distant memory while Seinfeld blares on the tv at night. Ruby has had a successful career but never married; Millie is a widow with children living all over the globe. The sisters live in the same senior apartments, and are tending to a fig tree in their 1990s community garden together. Ruby and Millie have always been close. Neither one can imagine life without the other by her side. But now they struggle with decisions that may, for the first time in 60+ years, take them very far away from each other.
Read MoreOne-minute monologues are an important way to make a quick impression to agents, casting directors, schools/colleges/universities. While longer monologues definitely have their place, sometimes actors are required to stick with showing their chops in less than 60 seconds. One-minute monologues also fairly easy to memorize because, well, obviously, they’re short, and they work well for younger actors who may not be ready for a 2-minute monologue or longer. One-minute monologues are also great to perform in festivals, competitions or classes, and an accessible way for actors to hone their craft privately or with a coach.
Having only 1 minute to showcase yourself as an actor can be a bit daunting though, so I’ve started a new page of my 1-minute monologues to make things a little bit easier for actors. These monologues have story and character arc, even if short, and they help actors showcase versatility and evoke emotion from their audience. There are dramatic 1-minute monologues, comedic 1-minute monologues, 1-minute monologues for women, men, any gender, teens and children. From candy-inspired monologues for kids to mean girl monologues for teens to hopeful love or scorned love—these 35 monologues allow actors to dig into complexities and give a memorable performance, in one minute.
Read MoreWhile not as common, these bite-sized monologues can come in handy! So I’ve started a new page solely devoted to these 30-second monologues. Finding an impactful monologue that is less than 1 minute can be challenging. You want to convey engaging emotion, a bit or story and arc, and hopefully have a powerful opening and closing line. This is not easy in such a short time! But I’m up for the challenge and I know you, as actors/directors, are up for that too! So enjoy my growing list of memorable little monologues that can leave your mark in only 30 seconds.
Read MoreJack is known as being a “dull boy” around the village. But would a “dull boy” impulsively climb up a random giant beanstalk that grew up in his back yard over night and then once he reached cloud-level, suddenly miss his mom and turkey and fence post, want to go back home, and now be too scared or stuck to climb back down?
Um…Maybe…
At least, this is one of Jack’s worries (besides being pecked to death, falling to death, starving to death—stuff like that!). He has something to prove to his village. He IS more than the boy who chased a baby bear thinking it was a sack of gold coins. He may get into more pickles than the average fairy tale boy, but he also always finds ways to get out of those pickles. He’s made it up this giant beanstalk because he has the spirit of adventure inside of him—and that passionate spirit will ultimately get him off this beanstalk too. It’s just might happen in the order he thinks it will…
In Jack and Dear Raven, high in the clouds, Jack begs for the help of a raven passing by—the only creature who has shown Jack any attention as he’s clung to this slippery beanstalk through the wee morning hours. This bird, whom Jack quickly dubs “Dear Raven,” has their own worries in raising a brood of birdlings while trying to finish their novel, Aviary Ethics (which no other bird seems to care about). Dear Raven is not only curious about this human in the sky, but also irritated as Jack and his giant beanstalk are blocking an important flight path. Jack and Dear Raven need to figure out a way for Jack to get off this beanstalk. Now. Before the hawks and eagles come to peck out his eyes after their morning mice.
Read MoreHappy to have two of my pieces (Forgiveness and Defeat at Pokemon Gym and If I Were A Flower) featured in Performer Stuff’s collection of 10 Monologues for Carefree Kids (article written by Amanda Grace).
Read MoreIf you’re looking to beat (or lean into!) the heat of the season with a summer-themed monologue, check out this list of 17 monologues that go along nicely with Summertime. Whether it’s someone’s connection to growing veggies, a safari vacation that goes amiss (in all the coolest ways), seeing a lame mermaid at the beach, pushing someone in a mud puddle, spooky things that happen in the woods at night, or ice cream your dog can’t have—enjoy these 17 comedic, dramatic, thriller, teen and children’s monologues that are great for Summer!
Read MoreIf you’re looking for a large cast Christmas play for young actors or young audiences, with lots of gender inclusive/neutral roles, check out Chaos in a Christmas Snow Globe. Yup, it takes place inside a Christmas Snow Globe, complete with Christmas Tree, train and ice skating pond. Designers can be as detailed or as representative as desired for this world which leaves lots of room for creativity.
The Christmas Gang loves their place of honor in 8-year-old Stella’s bedroom, come the Sunday after Thanksgiving when all the Christmas decorations are displayed, but they’re also getting a bit bored of the same routine. Luckily, they’re in a Snow Globe with Santa himself who has a pretty cool ability to evoke, oh, I don’t know…a little something called…
Christmas Magic!
Christmas Magic will bring some excitement to the snow globe, for sure! But what the friends don’t realize is that Christmas Magic has a mind of its own. And what it decides to bring is…um… well…
A Jack-o-Lantern (Whaaaa? Yes!) who has been pining away to join the Christmas Snow Globe for years! But can this Halloween decoration convince the Christmas Friends (especially the stickler Elf) that it truly belongs with them? Or will it be booted back to the dusty shelf? Enjoy this family-friendly one-act Christmas play about acceptance and appreciation.
This play runs approximately 20 minutes. The whole class, club, church or company can perform in this show! It has 11 speaking roles (9 gender inclusive/neutral roles, 1 female, 1 male), and an unlimited number of non-speaking reindeer. There’s some group singing (just “Jingle Bells” - don’t worry), opportunities for dancing, and fun scene setting. Check out the list of characters here.
Read MoreHave you ever wanted to spice up a traditional Christmas Caroling outing? Santa hats are fine and all, but how much cooler would you look if you wore…say…an astronaut costume? That is Sam’s small request in this 2-minute comedic monologue, A Case for Astronaut Caroling. But before he can sing into that awesome voice-changing space helmet, he has to convince his mom of his plan… Does he make a compelling enough case to win her over?
Check out my free comedic monologue, A Case for Astronaut Caroling. This monologue comes from the one-act play, Christmas Superpowers and Beleving in Blitzen (check out that play here. It has a lot of other comedic monologues). The character role is a child, so this monologue is great for children actors, or tween through young adults who would like to play children (good audition material for children’s plays). This role is gender inclusive/flexible.
Read MoreWhile some theaters and schools are open for in-person performances, there are many throughout the world which are not able to be open in this capacity yet. (We are all in different situations throughout the globe and my heart is with you all!) If your school or theater is looking for a family-friendly Christmas show which lends itself to social distancing or virtual theater, check out the one-act play, Christmas Superpowers and Believing in Blitzen. Since this is a monologue-heavy play, it allows for increased social distancing in rehearsals and performances and also slides more easily into virtual theater.
Christmas Superpowers and Believing in Blitzen is a comedy great for children, teens or young adults playing the roles of children. It runs approximately 30 minutes with a minimal set, and with doubling, has 5 roles (2 female, 3 male). Without doubling, it has a cast of (3 male, 2 female, 3 gender inclusive/flexible casting—but in reality, most of the roles can be gender flexible).
To four children, Christmas is no simple sleigh ride. Annie’s new best friend is a talking reindeer, and she’s not sure if that’s really okay. Sam is experiencing the pressure of being the Lead Shepherd in the church pageant. Dylan has a very secretive wish he hopes Santa can deliver. And Lauren needs to make sure someone is giving her little brother a very special Christmas. Experience the joys and challenges of Christmas through the eyes of these children in this monologue-driven one-act comedy.
Read MoreOkay--Halloween Theater doesn't ALL have to be scary! Check out these comedic monologues, perfect for this time of year, including:
My Missing Skittles, A Dad’s Defense, I Don’t Wanna Be A Jedi, Apple Pie Pain, The Real Value of Candy, Baby Ants in a Pie.
Click below for more details on the monologues.
As we honor our mothers for this season (and every day!), enjoy over fifteen (15) “mom monologues.” These monologues are either specifically about moms, spoken to moms, or spoken by moms. From a werewolf’s conflicting feelings about his mother to children asking their mom for a pet skunk, from a mother struggling with her own mortality to a woman adopting a child in her 50s, these monologues range from comedic to absurd to dramatic. Enjoy these children, teen and adult monologues all centering around mother relationships!
Read MoreDid you know April is National Frog Month in the US? World Frog Day is March 20, but if you missed applauding our amphibian friends that day, rest assured you still have this month to celebrate this awesome creature! Frogs play a vital part in our ecosystem, not to mention they’ve been instrumental in scientific advancements in many fields. They make up about 90% of all amphibians (there are over 6000 species of frogs!), they have adapted to do some really neat things (like survive basically frozen for months in the Arctic or carry around tadpoles in their vocal sacs!), and they are super cute and unique!
So what better way of paying tribute to our beloved frogs than by exploring some frog theater? (Okay, there are lots of other ways to pay tribute to these important cuties. Sadly, “at least 2,000 species [are] estimated to be in danger of extinction," so let’s be kind to them and their environment too. Here are ways to make your yard more habitable for frogs and additional things you can do for frogs.)
Yes, I can happily say I have a whopping (should I say “hopping?” harhar) three (3) theatrical pieces about frogs! A 10-minute dark comedy, a 5-minute children’s play, and a quirky dark comedy/dramatic monologue.
Read MoreHow many of us have ever felt our friends were moving on without us? Or worried that we’d be left out because we were somehow different from those around us? Pebbles and Tails is my new children’s play about frogs growing up, but it’s also a story of acceptance, kindness, bravery and friendship.
Scoot, Wiggles and Crunch have been friends since they hatched from eggs in the pond, hiding from predators together, protecting each other, and playing “Kick Pebble” together. But when Scoot realizes that Wiggles and Crunch have developed into froglets, while Scoot remains a tadpole, Scoot feels left behind. Is their friendship strong enough to endure their changing paths?
Pebbles and Tails is a comedic/dramatic children’s play for 3 actors of any gender. It runs around 5-8 minutes in length. It’s perfect for child actors for performances, workshops or Reader’s Theater in the classroom. It’s great for teen competitions and fun for any age actors to perform for young audiences. It’s also great material for animation projects. And I’m releasing it during National Frog Month in the US!
Read MoreMeet Ari and Quinn. They’re elementary school students, thrilled their current Science Unit allows each child to study their own classroom crayfish! How cool, right? Well, not so cool when Billy accepts a dare which leads to the untimely demise of someone’s crayfish! The unlucky crayfish had a maroon marker dot on its back. These uniquely colored permanent marker dots were supposed to be a way the kids could tell their crayfish apart. But somehow, Juliet used the same maroon color as Ari! Ugh! Now good friends, Ari and Quinn, need to uncover clues which hopefully will determine the crayfish identity. But will their detective work be enough to solve the mystery?
Funeral for a Crayfish is a 5-minute comedic children’s play for 2 actors with flexible casting (any gender). It’s funny, it’s fun to read and perform, and it explores friends thoughtfully working together to solve a problem. It’s ideal to read in the classroom for Reader’s Theater, and also great for workshops, performances, competitions and acting practice.
Funeral for a Crayfish includes a page of fun facts about crayfish. Like—did you know crayfish live 20-30 years? Or that there are recipes for, gulp, Crawfish Cheesecake?
Enjoy an excerpt from Funeral for a Crayfish or get the complete digital play below.
Read MoreHave you ever felt someone was judging you, teasing you, or making fun of you when in fact, maybe they were just, I don’t know, hungry? Sometimes we can see our own insecurities mirrored back in other people’s (or sloths’!) eyes, when they’re not actually there. Self-acceptance and being confident in our own value—independent of what we assume others think about us—are such important qualities to nurture in children, teens, and yup, even adults. It’s one of those bright shimmering keys to happiness. :)
Staring at The Sloth is a comedic children’s play that runs about 5 minutes long. It’s cute, it’s funny, it’s sweet, and come on—SLOTHS! But at its core, it’s a story about a child, Riley, who is insecure, has been teased, and needs to shift perception to assume the best, instead of the worst, out of someone else. Luckily, Riley has an awesome friend who can help ground their perspective:
The sloth at the zoo keeps staring at Riley. Is it Riley’s spiky hair? Long nose? Or chocolate milk stain? Can Jaime convince Riley that the sloth is not making fun, but maybe, just maybe, thinks Riley is cool?
Meet Riley and Jaime in this excerpt from Staring at The Sloth. This short comedy is great for adults or teens who want to play children and perform for young audiences, or for children to try their hand at acting in a manageable play themselves. It’s also ideal classroom Reader’s Theater material for those practicing reading out loud, and for discussion about self-acceptance and being kind.
The play requires 2 actors, and gender casting is flexible/inclusive. It can work for Zoom, Outdoor Theater, competitions, classrooms or the traditional stage. Even in five minutes, there’s lots of room for creativity for actors, directors and designers. Enjoy an excerpt from new 5-minute play, Staring at The Sloth, or get the complete play below:
Read MoreHere near New York City, we have had quite a snowy February! When we received half an inch of snow at the end of January, my son and I spent almost an hour rolling up shreds of snow to create a small snowboy. I think he was half leaves and mulch, but hey; we had a little snow and were going to enjoy it! Of course, if we’d only waited a few days…we would have found ourselves in a true Winter Wonderland! A Nor’easter gifted us a glorious 2 feet of perfect packing snow! Needless to say, making a much larger snowman after that storm took a whole of five minutes. Not even a week later, we found ourselves receiving at least another foot of snow, and there’s more to come this week.
So—our family has made some sort of large snow-army in our backyard, a snow Bill Cipher, a snow-slide and lots of mini snowmen. Going on walks in the neighborhood is a treat, as we get to take in all the awesome snow creations people have made around us (we’ve even created “Snowman Certificates” to leave on people’s porches). So yes, we have snow on our brains! And…since my son has been responding to fiction writing-prompts for his schoolwork, he gave me a writing prompt himself which has resulted in this wintery children’s monologue, Snowman Versus Sun. I also have to give him credit as he designed the monologue cover himself (his at-home-digital-design class with Mom: Canva!)
As the title indicates, the monologue is about that age-old problem: snowman v. sun. In this 1-minute free comedic monologue great for young kids, Titus takes on the sun directly himself. Do you think the sun will listen to him? He’s got a pretty big request…
Read MoreFrom February through April, my Giving Back Initiative will support an impactful and innovative organization called Barbershop Books. A few months back, I heard a Ted Radio Hour, which spurred me to do a bit of research after the show (not terribly uncommon for the Ted Radio Hour!). This episode, School of Life, was about exploring “life lessons that teach us far more than any textbook.” Part three featured Alvin Irby, an educator, author, comedian and founder of the intuitive-upon-reflection, brilliantly modeled organization that captured me in an instant. Barbershop Books’ mission is this:
“Help Black boys ages 4-8 to identify as readers by connecting fun books to a male-centered space and by involving Black men in boys' early reading experiences.”
So how does Barbershop Books do this?
Irby came up with his idea, while watching one of his first-grade students in the Bronx squirm impatiently at a local barbershop. Irby kept wishing he’d had a book to lend the boy, which naturally led to the thought, someone should put books for kids at the barbershop… This idea, coupled with Irby’s impressive background in education and leadership, transformed into his nationally recognized organization.
Barbershop Books offers early literacy training to barbers while placing engaging children’s books into barbershops. Formerly antsy boys can read funny books while hanging at the barbershop! This may sound simple, but the thought behind it is well-researched and effective—which is why it’s so exciting and promising. Reading is power and when there is a stark reading gap among race or gender (see # 2 below), this inequity can follow these individuals for the rest of their lives. Barbershop Books is making progress to close the reading inequity gap, and in so doing, empower these boys for the rest of their lives. Here’s how:
Read MoreCruelty continues to be a theme I explore in my work for adults, as well as for children and teens. It’s a theme that will always be examined in many mediums by many people—because, sadly, it happens from cradle to grave—from those with the least power to (quite dangerously) those with the most power.
While my writing often explores cruelty, more importantly, it explores those who experience cruelty and their journey to gain strength. This happens in outwardly large ways and it happens in seemingly small ways. Giving voice to those struggling against oppressors, whether this be from leaders, “frenemies,” manipulating criminals, or schoolyard bullies, is important because these voices are valuable, precious, and inspiring. They are the ones we need to hear.
In my short monologue, Eiffel Tower Keychain, Lindsey gains strength against her classroom bully. Lindsey’s father, who has moved and no longer lives with her, gave her a glass Eiffel Tower keychain, which now a bully has grabbed from her. Lindsey pleads with the taunting bully to give her back the keychain. At first she is meek, then she demands it back with the strength of deserved self-worth. This is a short dramatic monologue, only around 30 seconds in length, appropriate for children or tweens, gender-neutral.
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