25 Plays That Pass the Bechdel Test

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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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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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!

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.

New Christmas One-Act Play for a Large Cast: Chaos in a Christmas Snow Globe

November 30, 2021 by Tara Meddaugh in blind casting, children, Children's theatre, comedic, Community, family, gender neutral casting, holiday, inclusive casting, mystical creatures, one-act plays, Plays, pre-teen, Reader's Theater, Teen, tween, winter, Christmas

If 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.

New Comedic Christmas Monologue: A Case for Astronaut Caroling

November 22, 2021 by Tara Meddaugh in 2-minute monologue, blind casting, children, Children's theatre, Christmas, comedic, gender neutral casting, holiday, inclusive casting, monologue for child actor, monologue for female acto, Monologues, monologues for male actor, pre-teen, Teen, tween

Have 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.

Funny Monologues for Halloween

October 11, 2021 by Tara Meddaugh in 1-minute monologue, 2-minute monologue, blind casting, child monolog collection, children, comedic, comedy monolog collection, gender neutral casting, Halloween, holiday, inclusive casting, monologue collections, monologue for child actor, monologue for female acto, monologues for male actor, Monologues, teen monologue collection, tween

Okay--Halloween Theater doesn't ALL have to be sca ry! 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.

"Pebbles and Tails," a new Short children's play

April 02, 2021 by Tara Meddaugh in 5-minute play, allegory, blind casting, children, Children's theatre, comedic, dramatic, Education, gender neutral casting, inclusive casting, outdoor theater, Plays, pre-teen, Reader's Theater, Teen, ten-minute plays, tween

How 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!

"Funeral for a Crayfish" - new 5-minute children's play

March 23, 2021 by Tara Meddaugh in 5-minute play, blind casting, children, Children's theatre, comedic, gender neutral casting, inclusive casting, Plays, pre-teen, Reader's Theater, tween

Meet 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.

"Staring at The Sloth" by Tara Meddaugh: New comedic children's play

March 09, 2021 by Tara Meddaugh in 5-minute play, blind casting, children, Children's theatre, comedic, dramatic, Education, gender neutral casting, inclusive casting, outdoor theater, Plays, pre-teen, Reader's Theater, Teen, tween

Have 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:

Snowman Versus Sun by Tara Meddaugh: New Children's Comedic monologue

February 10, 2021 by Tara Meddaugh in 1-minute monologue, blind casting, children, Children's theatre, comedic, gender neutral casting, inclusive casting, monologue for child actor, monologue for female acto, Monologues, monologues for male actor, outdoor theater, winter, Christmas

Here 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…

Clippers by Tara Meddaugh: A dramatic monologue from the one-act play, Seventeen Stitches

January 21, 2021 by Tara Meddaugh in blind casting, dark comedy, dramatic, gender neutral casting, inclusive casting, monologue for female acto, Monologues, monologues for male actor, one-act plays, Teen, Suspense, thriller, Halloween

If you’re looking for a 2-minute dramatic monologue from a play, check out my newly released monologue, Clippers, from my one-act play, Seventeen Stitches. Clippers is appropriate for tweens, teens and young adults; it is suitable for actors of any gender. In this monologue, Peter struggles to make sense of his father’s actions and intentions. When Peter was attacked by a bully who wanted his bike, Peter’s father rescues his son, but lets the bully take the precious bike. Peter doesn’t understand why his loving father would not punish the bully, and from that moment on, feels abandoned by his father.

Eiffel Tower Keychain by Tara Meddaugh: New dramatic children's monologue

January 12, 2021 by Tara Meddaugh in 30-second monologue, blind casting, children, dramatic, gender neutral casting, inclusive casting, monologue for child actor, monologue for female acto, Monologues, monologues for male actor, tween

Cruelty 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.

Butterfly in the Tomato Plant by Tara Meddaugh: New 30-second children's dramatic monologue

January 08, 2021 by Tara Meddaugh in children, blind casting, dramatic, gender neutral casting, inclusive casting, monologue for child actor, monologue for female acto, Monologues, monologues for male actor, pre-teen, tween, 30-second monologue, outdoor theater

If you’re looking for a short children’s monologue with a dramatic bent, consider my monologue, Butterfly in the Tomato Plant. It is a challenge to perform (or write) a monologue which shows arc and range in 30 seconds but rewarding to explore. In Butterfly in the Tomato Plant, Nicole observes an injured butterfly, bullied by the same children who had bullied her the previous day (they ripped her backpack and now they have ripped the butterfly’s wings). She reflects on her own desire to have wings and escape bullies, but then realizes the butterfly’s wings did not end up saving it. She decides to take the butterfly home to care for it in a windowsill plant she has been nurturing herself.

20 + Christmas Monologues

November 13, 2020 by Tara Meddaugh in 1-minute monologue, 5-minute play, blind casting, child monolog collection, children, Children's theatre, Christmas, comedic, comedy monolog collection, dark comedy, dramatic, dramatic monolog collecti, gender neutral casting, holiday, inclusive casting, monologue collections, monologue for child actor, monologue by child, monologue for female acto, monologue written by chil, Monologues, monologues for male actor, pre-teen, Teen, teen monologue collection, tween

Holiday lights and decorations are going up EARLY this year! While live productions in theater are rare right now (what a surreal/hard thing to say…), many performers are turning to monologues as they gear up for streamed shows, classroom performances, or socially distanced live theater. Monologue-based performances allow actors to rehearse on their own, and lend themselves easily to a Zoom-style platform. Whether you’re able to manage covid-precautioned in-person theater or are using a video service, holiday monologues can be a nice way to keep festive theater on the mind.

Check out these ten (10) Christmas monologues below, plus a packet of additional Christmas monologues for children, extracted from my one-act play, Christmas Superpowers and Believing in Blitzen. These monologues range in length from 30 seconds to 5 minutes.

Christmas Kale by Tara Meddaugh: a 1-minute children's comedic monologue

November 10, 2020 by Tara Meddaugh in blind casting, children, Children's theatre, Christmas, comedic, dramatic, gender neutral casting, holiday, inclusive casting, monologue for child actor, monologue for female acto, Monologues, monologues for male actor, pre-teen, tween, 1-minute monologue

It’s Christmas morning and Sam has a problem. He is outraged that Santa has, yet again, given him oranges in his stocking, despite his previous complaints that he doesn’t like them. Since Santa has not heeded his requests, Sam devises a simple plan that will teach Santa a lesson.

Christmas Kale is a one-minute comedic children’s monologue, for an inclusive cast (not gender specific). It’s suitable for children or pre-teens.

Christmas Kale is from the one-act play, Christmas Superpowers and Believing in Blitzen.

Children/Teen Monologue: Second-Hand Dirt by Tara Meddaugh

October 14, 2020 by Tara Meddaugh in blind casting, children, Children's theatre, comedic, dramatic, gender neutral casting, inclusive casting, monologue for child actor, monologue for female acto, Monologues, monologues for male actor, Teen, ten-minute plays, allegory, one-act plays, outdoor theater

In Sharing Soil (a 10-minute play within my longer vignette-style piece, Movements of the Wind), Carrot and Potato risk safety and rejection from their own garden cultures when they embark on a new friendship in the face of soil prejudices.

Carrot’s monologue, Second-Hand Dirt, from Sharing Soil, shows a moment of how hurt can be masked with scapegoating. Carrot has just been bullied by other carrots, even having her carrot tip bitten off by them. When Potato finds her crying, Carrot lashes out in misplaced anger toward the quizzical young vegetable. Potato does not stand for this, and Carrot shares how her attempts to be kind to other carrots have not been reciprocated, leading her to become “mean.”