Mabel and the Talking Cat: A new one-act quirky comedy/drama

March 15, 2023 by Tara Meddaugh in absurdist theater, all female cast, animal theater, bechdel test, comedic, dark comedy, dramatic, fairy tale, gender neutral casting, inclusive casting, mystical creatures, one-act plays, outdoor theater, Plays, play for mature actors, theater of the absurd

“If I had opposable thumbs like you, I should rule the land!” ~Patches, the Talking Cat

How far are we willing to go to get the things that we want? How can doing a good thing enable a bad thing? How much would you sacrifice for a loved one? How long do you hold onto a far-fetched hope? How do you connect with those in the dark once you’ve been brought into a new light? Does guilt ever go away?

For a one-act play, Mabel and the Talking Cat sure brings up a lot of questions! On top of all that, we have a bit of magic, a witch in the neighborhood, an ogre, a missing husband and a talking cat! And you won’t find out until the end of the play which well-known fairy tale this play launches into…

Mabel and the Talking Cat is the story of a lonely baker, Mabel, who finally has the opportunity to adopt a child of her own. But her best friend, Patches, a talking cat, has grave hesitations about the questionable method she’s using to secure this precious child…

Plays About Sisters

February 25, 2023 by Tara Meddaugh in 10-minute play, all female cast, animal theater, bechdel test, children, comedic, dramatic, dark comedy, fairy tale, full-length plays, mature actors, Monologues, one-act plays, outdoor theater, play collection, play for mature actors, Plays, pre-teen, Teen, ten-minute plays, theater of the absurd, tween, women, women in the arts

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.

"The Prettiest Duckling" - To Be Published by YouthPLAYS

February 17, 2023 by Tara Meddaugh in all female cast, animal theater, allegory, bechdel test, comedic, dark comedy, fairy tale, gender neutral casting, inclusive casting, one-act plays, outdoor theater, Plays, Publications, Teen, tween

Happy to share that YouthPLAYS will be publishing my one-act play, The Prettiest Duckling. In this dark comedy, two “mean-girl style” ducklings plot the ousting of their gray-feathered sibling… But they’re always—only—always, thinking of her. Because they, you know, “love her so so much.”

Right?

This play was first performed as part of the production, When Fairy Tales Falter. Buchanan Highhouse and Jessica Caputo fabulously brought to life Gorgeous and Cutesy (yes, those are the names of the ducklings! What do you think Mama will name the gray-feathered duckling?), Nate Flower directed, and Georgia Evans did the costume design.

This play was a TON of fun to write. It went through lots of revisions and tweaks to really land it all (thank you, Kevin Christopher Snipes, Gabe Davis, Mike, Dylan, Luke, Nate, and team!). Can’t wait to see it take life beyond my local world soon. Stay tuned for more information when it’s published. But for now, I’l leave you with these empathetic words from Gorgeous:

“Being gorgeous is also, like, kind of a burden…I wouldn’t wish it on anyone.”

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Photos by JCP Images

25 Plays That Pass the Bechdel Test

January 28, 2023 by Tara Meddaugh in 10-minute play, 5-minute play, absurdist theater, all female cast, animal theater, allegory, blind casting, Children's theatre, comedic, dark comedy, dramatic, fairy tale, full-length plays, gender neutral casting, inclusive casting, holiday, one-act plays, outdoor theater, Plays, pre-teen, Teen, theater of the absurd, ten-minute plays, thriller play, tween, women, women in the arts, bechdel test, play collection

The Bechdel Test or Bechdel-Wallace Test, is one measurement of how well women are represented in film, and has carried over into plays and other literary work. It was first written by cartoonist, Alison Bechdel and she credits her friend, Liz Wallace, for the test. The test is simple. Your writing passes the Bechdel-Wallace Test if you can answer YES to the following 3 questions:

Does your writing have at least 2 women in it?
Do the 2 women talk to each other?
Do the women talk to each other about something other than men?

Monologue from "When Marshmallows Burn" Published in The Best Men's Stage Monologues Anthology

January 25, 2023 by Tara Meddaugh in 1-minute monologue, absurdist theater, blind casting, comedic, dark comedy, dramatic, gender neutral casting, inclusive casting, monologue for child actor, monologue for female acto, monologues for male actor, Monologues, mystical creatures, one-act plays, outdoor theater, Plays, Publications, Teen, Suspense, ten-minute plays, theater of the absurd, thriller, tween

I’m honored that my monologue from When Marshmallows Burn has been published in Smith & Kraus’s anthology, The Best Men’s Stage Monologues 2022, edited by Debbie Lamedman. Did you know Smith & Kraus has been publishing anthologies of the best men’s and women’s stage monologues for over 30 years? Very cool! In my dark comedy/drama:

Sammy and his mom are enjoying roasting marshmallows over 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? Read the whole play here.

Missy Flower and Buchanan Highhouse in When Marshmallows Burn, directed by Nate Flower. Photography by @designbyraegan.

This is a play about a werewolf, yes. But moreover, it’s a play about a mom and her son. I recently read Celeste Ng’s new novel Our Missing Hearts and in it, a central mother character says, “But in the end every story I want to tell you is the same. Once upon a time, there was a boy. Once upon a time there was a mother. Once upon a time, there was a boy, and his mother loved him very much.”

This hits me hard.

And when I was telling my 2 sons basically the whole story of Our Missing Hearts, you can bet I was choking up relaying this part of the book (and then hugging them!).

When Marshmallows Burn is not only a dark comedy about a boy becoming a werewolf. It’s a story about familial acceptance and the love of a mom and a son, in the face of changing identity.

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.

Sammy’s monologue runs about 1 minute long and is great for any gender actor. It gives the performer a significant journey from being proud of something new and exciting to being deeply worried and terrified to lose what matters most. It also lets an actor showcase both dark comedy as well as dramatic skills.

I was so lucky to have an outstanding team bring this play to life for the first time: Missy Flower as the mom, Buchanan Highhouse as the son, and Nate Flower as the director (produced by Free Space Theater, in collaboration with the Harrison Public Library). We performed the play around Halloween, at night in the great outdoors, and this was an absolute amazing backdrop for the play, which takes place at night, in the great outdoors…

Along with Sammy’s monologue, this anthology includes dozens of other wonderful monologues. As Ms. Lademan writes in her foreword, “These pieces present great acting challenges, and actors will have the pleasure of sinking their teeth into this sublime material while continuing to perfect their craft in their online or in-person workshops.”

Click here to get The Best Men’s Stage Monologues on amazon. You can also get Sammy’s monologue, What My Fangs are For, by itself here. Additionally, you can read an excerpt here of When Marshmallows Burn, or click below for the complete digital copy of that play:

When Marshmallows Burn, a 10-minute dark comedy by Tara Meddaugh

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New 30-Second Monologue About Trust from Pitfalls and Treasures

January 19, 2023 by Tara Meddaugh in 30-second monologue, allegory, animal theater, comedic, dark comedy, dramatic, Grief, monologue for female acto, Monologues, outdoor theater, Teen, ten-minute plays

My play, Pitfalls and Treasures, is a dark comedy/drama about two loner seagulls finding each other, and forming a kind of reliance, trust, friendship. Each has been ostracized from their former flock, but their response to the pain of being pushed out is very different. Andrew remains open, friendly, trusting, hoping for the best. Mary is more jaded and skeptical (“one bitten, twice shy” kinda situation). But now Andrew has twine wrapped around his foot and no one has stopped to help him except Mary. As the two search a littered parking lot for objects that might be used to cut off the twine from his leg, Mary points out dangerous litter (like chewing gum) which might appear treasures to Andrew if he is not careful. Andrew’s gratitude for Mary’s help is immense and he marvels at how he has even survived without her. In this monologue, Mary warns him not to be too trusting of her—or anyone for that matter, as she gets lost in thoughts from her own experience.

This is a 30-second contemporary monologue for a female actor, from late teens to any age adult. You can enjoy a short excerpt below, get the free monologue here, or the entire play here.

1-Minute Monologues

January 12, 2023 by Tara Meddaugh in 1-minute monologue, absurdist theater, animal theater, allegory, blind casting, child monolog collection, children, Children's theatre, comedic, comedy monolog collection, dark comedy, dramatic, dramatic monolog collecti, fairy tale, gender neutral casting, inclusive casting, monologue by child, monologue collections, monologue for child actor, monologue for female acto, monologue written by chil, Monologues, monologues for male actor, mystical creatures, pre-teen, Teen, teen monologue collection, tween

One-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.

The Moon River Raft: New Dark Comedy Play for 2 actors

January 06, 2023 by Tara Meddaugh in 10-minute play, allegory, animal theater, blind casting, comedic, dark comedy, dramatic, gender neutral casting, inclusive casting, one-act plays, outdoor theater, Plays, pre-teen, Teen, ten-minute plays, tween, Halloween

A wounded rabbit and her loyal sister, fleeing for their lives, hold onto hope that a secret Moon River Raft will carry them to a perfect land with no predators, filled with rainbows and radish tops as far as the eye can see… All they have to do is wait for this mysterious raft…in the middle of the night…in the woods…until Peak Full Moon…at a very creepy river bank…

You can check out what happens at this creepy river in my new one-act (miiiight slide by as a 10-minute) dark comedy, The Moon River Raft. It runs about 15+ minutes and has two great roles for ages teen through adult (the parts are written with female pronouns but the casting can be any gender). Yes, it’s dark, but it’s also funny as you lean into the cruelty, naivety and absurdity of the world these rabbits are in. It’s a play with minimal setting requirements and could adapt well to outdoor theater. CLICK BELOW TO READ MORE

Pitfalls and Treasures: Published in The Best Ten-Minute Plays 2022

December 29, 2022 by Tara Meddaugh in 10-minute play, allegory, animal theater, blind casting, comedic, dark comedy, dramatic, inclusive casting, outdoor theater, Plays, Publications, Teen, ten-minute plays, anthology

Before we ring in 2023, I’m happy to share that Smith & Kraus’s anthology, The Best Ten-Minute Plays 2022, edited by Debbie Lamedman, is out and available! I’m so honored that my 2-person play, Pitfalls and Treasures, has been published in this fabulous anthology. In the play:

Mary and Andrew are lonely and troubled parking lot seagulls, each ostracized by their former flocks. When Mary happens upon the injured Andrew, she embarks on the desperate challenge to remove twine wrapped around his leg. This play is about, well, yes, seagulls. And being seagulls, in a parking lot, with a numb leg and no flock, the stakes are high. But it’s also about love and loss, hope and failure, trust and apprehension, desperation and resignation. And of course, a seagull and a french fry! It’s a bit dark, a bit funny and a bit sweet.

Along with Pitfalls and Treasures, this anthology includes 50 other great new plays. While all of the plays included are diverse in theme, topic, style, and genre, in her foreword, Ms. Lamedman points out their commonality; they are all, “timely, cutting-edge, thrilling pieces of theatre.”

Ten-minute plays are unique pieces of theater. The “short stories” of theater, they give us a window into a few meaningful moments in time, and it’s a delightful challenge as a playwright to make sure the audience is brought in to the world, the characters and the story pretty darn quickly. I love writing in this format, and, short as it may be, I fall in love with my characters, as they become much larger than 10 minutes. I hope may feel a similar way as you dive into a 10-minute theatrical short!

Gregory Perry Photography, WCT 2021 production featuring Rob McEvily and Missy Flower, directed by Mel Nocera.

The original production of Pitfalls and Treasures was especially sweet as I had a fantastic team of people bringing the play to life: Under Mel Nocera’s keen direction, Missy Flower and Rob McEvily made the seagulls Mary and Andrew charming, funny, sharp and heart wrenching. Much gratitude also to WCT and their Executive Director, Alan Lutwin, for producing the play and their dedication to new work. And of course huge thanks and recognition to editor Debbie Lamedman for her amazing work on this anthology!

Click here to get The Best Ten-Minute Plays 2022 on amazon. Additionally, you can read an excerpt of Pitfalls and Treasures here or click below for a complete digital copy of the play:

Pitfalls and Treasures, a 10-minute play

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Netflix's "Dead To Me:" On Guilt, Grief, Friendship & Love

November 18, 2022 by Tara Meddaugh in Community, dark comedy, dramatic, Drama in real life, Grief, love, Shows, social, Streaming Videos, Television, What I'm Watching, women, women in the arts

I first discovered the Netflix show, Dead To Me, when my dear friend, Jessica, recommended it when it aired in 2019. Jessica and I became best friends when we were 14 and she went from home-schooling on her family farm to attending my small public school (she thrived and never looked back!). We acted in plays together, went on family vacations together, tons of sleepovers, visited each other at college and beyond, made crazy recordings, dated brothers once, spent every moment we could together. And for the next few decades, we shared almost daily phone calls as teens, to regular calls and letters as we made it through young-adulthood, to almost daily calls again, as we shared marriage and motherhood. We talked about anything and everything—relationships, society, philosophy, politics, families—and also cooking, cleaning hacks, books, tv. When I recommended the book Pachinko, she read it. When she recommended a recipe for a homemade ice cream cake, I made it. So when she recommended “Dead to Me,” I watched it. I remember her saying it was not like any other show she’d seen.

“Dead to Me” is a show about mistakes and consequences—and how you deal with both. It’s dark and funny. It’s tense and poignant. It’s a lot about guilt, but it’s also about motherhood and daughterhood. And at its core, it’s about friendship and love.

I’m actually a little shocked when I see that this show aired in May 2019 because Jessica was battling Stage 4 cancer at the time. She passed away 4 months later.

Shocked isn’t the right word.

Anyone who has lost a loved one knows that Grief kind of jumps up in your face and screams at you at any random moment it feels like.

Dramatic and Comedic pieces for Halloween Monologue Competitions

October 18, 2022 by Tara Meddaugh in 1-minute monologue, 10-minute monologue, 2-minute monologue, 5-minute monologue, child monolog collection, comedic, comedy monolog collection, dark comedy, dramatic monolog collecti, dramatic, Halloween, monologue collections, monologue for child actor, monologue for female acto, Monologues, monologues for male actor, mystical creatures, Suspense, Teen, teen monologue collection, thriller, tween

If you’re looking for a great monologue to use in a Halloween Monologue Competition, check out the monologues below, beginning with creepy Halloween monologues, followed by comedic Halloween monologues. Monologues range from 1 minute to 10 minutes, children, teen and adult.

A Play for International Raccoon Appreciation Day

October 03, 2022 by Tara Meddaugh in 10-minute play, animal theater, comedic, dark comedy, dramatic, gender neutral casting, Grief, inclusive casting, outdoor theater, Plays, ten-minute plays

**20 MAGICAL MINUTES OF DARKNESS & SILENCE & PEACE**, featuring Brian Bagot and Brenda Hettmansberger. Directed by Susan Ward at WCT. Gregory Perry Photography

October 1 was International Raccoon Appreciation Day! I only just discovered this today, but even though we are two days past the official date, we can all still celebrate these pretty amazing and adorable creatures. Raccoons are not simply partying around that pile of trash they dumped out of your curbside can. They’re important for many reasons. They distribute seeds from berries and nuts. They help keep our land clean by taking care of (aka eating) dead animals which would otherwise attract disease and insects. They also eat insects (including ticks) and rodents.

I love that the idea of this Appreciation Day is not only to celebrate raccoons, but all creatures who are commonly misunderstood as “pests,” but who play vital roles in our ecosystem. Isn’t this an important message that can apply to many facets of human living too? Many of us feel misunderstood at times, but we all have value and place in our world. I also personally love that raccoons exemplify “one person’s trash is another person’s treasure” (In fact, in my play, Pitfalls and Treasures, two seagulls refer to trash cans as “treasure cans.”). What is “trash” after all?

In honor of International Raccoon Appreciation Day, enjoy my short play, 20 Magical Minutes of Darkness & Silence & Peace. The play features 2 raccoons, Grace and Joffrey. Yes, there is talk of pizza in a dumpster, but the play transcends exclusive “raccoon issues,” and is mainly about personal connections. After a tragedy, Joffrey has run off from the gaze. Grace is charged to find him and bring him back home. But when she discovers him at a train station parking lot, he refuses to come back with her. Yet. He is reeling in grief, and in order to find solace and closure, he has to do something first. At this train station. And he needs her help.

Check out an excerpt here, or get the full play below.

20 MAGICAL MINUTES OF DARKNESS & SILENCE & PEACE

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Summer Monologues

August 01, 2022 by Tara Meddaugh in 1-minute monologue, 2-minute monologue, 3-minute monologue, 30-second monologue, 5-minute monologue, absurdist theater, allegory, blind casting, child monolog collection, children, Children's theatre, comedic, comedy monolog collection, dark comedy, dramatic, dramatic monolog collecti, gender neutral casting, inclusive casting, mermaids, monologue collections, monologue for child actor, monologue for female acto, Monologues, monologues for male actor, mystical creatures, Teen, teen monologue collection, thriller, tween, summer

If 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!

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

February 15, 2022 by Tara Meddaugh in 1-minute monologue, animal theater, allegory, dark comedy, dramatic, monologue for female acto, monologues for male actor, Monologues, mystical creatures, outdoor theater, pre-teen, Suspense, Teen, ten-minute plays, thriller, thriller play, tween, 10-minute play

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.

A Whole Lot of Monologues About Love

February 02, 2022 by Tara Meddaugh in 1-minute monologue, 2-minute monologue, 3-minute monologue, 5-minute monologue, comedic, comedy monolog collection, dark comedy, dramatic, dramatic monolog collecti, holiday, love, monologue collections, monologue for female acto, Monologues, monologues for male actor, romance, Suspense, Teen, teen monologue collection, valentine's day

Well, we are less than 2 weeks from Valentine’s Day! If you’re looking for a monologue about love for a performance, monologue slam, audition or anything else, check out these pieces. From dark to hopeful, you can find passionate monologues for women and men (and many for any gender), highlighting love in its various dramatic forms.

Pitfalls and Treasures to be published in Smith & Kraus's "The Best Ten-Minute Plays"

January 04, 2022 by Tara Meddaugh in absurdist theater, animal theater, allegory, blind casting, comedic, dark comedy, dramatic, gender neutral casting, inclusive casting, one-act plays, outdoor theater, Plays, Publications, socially distant theater, Teen, ten-minute plays, theater of the absurd

I’m honored that my dark comedy play, PITFALLS AND TREASURES, has been selected to be published by Smith & Kraus in the anthology, “The Best Ten-Minute Plays 2022” (editor Debbie Lamedman).

In the 2-person play, Mary and Andrew are lonely and troubled parking lot seagulls, each ostracized by their former flocks. When Mary happens upon the injured Andrew, she embarks on the desperate challenge to remove twine wrapped around his leg. This play is about, well, yes, seagulls. And being seagulls, in a parking lot, with a numb leg and no flock, the stakes are high. But it’s also about love and loss, hope and failure, trust and apprehension, desperation and resignation. And of course, a seagull and a french fry! It’s a bit dark, a bit funny and a bit sweet.

Huge thanks to the super talented original team: actors Missy Flower and Rob McEvily, director Mel Nocera, and all those at Westchester Collaborative Theater for its first production.

The play will be published in the anthology toward the end of the year, but you can read an excerpt of Pitfalls and Treasures here or click below for a complete digital copy of the play.

Over 15 Great Plays for Outdoor Theater

August 31, 2021 by Tara Meddaugh in 5-minute play, absurdist theater, allegory, animal theater, Children's theatre, comedic, dark comedy, dramatic, fairy tale, family, frog, monologue for female acto, mystical creatures, outdoor theater, one-act plays, Reader's Theater, socially distant theater, ten-minute plays, theater of the absurd, thriller, Plays, play collection

Outdoor theater has always evoked a unique energy to its cast and audience, and throughout the covid-19 pandemic, more people have been taking advantage of staging and enjoying theater outside. The abundance of fresh air and space coupled with the natural environment can be appealing and invigorating. So if you’re looking to stage theater outside, consider these 10-minute and one-act comedies, dramas, and dark comedies for adults, teens and children. From a garden to a campfire, a beanstalk to a forest, a zoo to a parking lot, all of these plays are naturally set outdoors. You don’t need to force a kitchen sink into your local park. The world of these play is already outside. Enjoy!

Pitfalls and Treasures: A new 10-minute comedy/drama for 2 actors

August 10, 2021 by Tara Meddaugh in absurdist theater, allegory, animal theater, comedic, Community, dark comedy, dramatic, one-act plays, outdoor theater, Plays, socially distant theater, Teen, ten-minute plays, theater of the absurd, theatre companies

Does the screech of a seagull symbolize Summer for anyone else here? What is a beach day without a seagull trying to snatch your french fry, right? Well, if you’re looking for a seagull perspective - and if you’re looking for a 2-person dark comedy/drama/comedy that can work for outdoor theater - check out my new 10-minute play, Pitfalls and Treasures. In it, Mary and Andrew are lonely and troubled seagulls, each ostracized by their former flocks. When Mary embarks on the desperate challenge of removing twine wrapped around Andrew’s leg, they both must decide how much to trust each other in the hope of finding a better life. Check out an excerpt or the complete play here.

This play is about, well, yes, seagulls. And being seagulls, in a parking lot, with a numb leg and no flock, the stakes are high. But it’s also about love and loss, hope and failure, trust and apprehension, desperation and resignation. And yes--also a seagull and a fry. It’s a bit dark, a bit funny and a bit sweet.

21 Mom Monologues

May 07, 2021 by Tara Meddaugh in 1-minute monologue, 2-minute monologue, 3-minute monologue, 5-minute play, absurdist theater, children, Children's theatre, comedic, comedy monolog collection, dark comedy, dramatic monolog collecti, dramatic, gender neutral casting, inclusive casting, monologue collections, monologue by child, monologue for child actor, monologue for female acto, monologue written by chil, Monologues, monologues for male actor, pre-teen, Teen, teen monologue collection, theater of the absurd, tween

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!

Celebrate National Frog month with some Frog Theater!

April 24, 2021 by Tara Meddaugh in 5-minute play, allegory, children, Children's theatre, comedic, 3-minute monologue, dark comedy, dramatic, full-length plays, inclusive casting, Monologues, outdoor theater, Plays, Suspense, Teen, theater of the absurd, thriller, tween, frog, animal theater

Did 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.