Halloween Theater
Give your kids some fun, family-friendly monologues great for Halloween! All of these are appropriate for any gender performer.
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
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.
Okay--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.
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.
Let’s be honest - the woods at night can be creepy for even the bravest of us. It’s not quite so bad though if we have someone by our side. But what if that someone suddenly…disappears? And leaves us alone, calling their name, only to find…someone else appear instead?
That is the premise behind my new thriller/dramatic/horror monologue, Where’s Your Hand, Chloe? Addison’s friend, Chloe, disappears on their walk home in the woods (NEVER TAKE THE SHORTCUT THROUGH THE WOODS!). At first, Addison is relieved when she thinks the person in the distance is her friend. But she soon discovers the bloodied soul that is getting closer and closer to Addison is not at all Chloe. Addison’s panic increases as she sees the grotesque Being holds Chloe’s braid wrapped around its shoulder.
As we round the corner toward Halloween and all things spooky, check out my new suspenseful 2-3 minute monologue, Where’s Your Hand, Chloe? This is a great monologue for actors who really want to tap into their horror/frightened/panicking-but-trying-to-stay-calm side. The monologue arrives to you just in time for those awesome Halloween Monologue Slams! Enjoy an excerpt below and check out other suspenseful monologues here or creepy monologues here.
If you’re looking for a humorous monologue with a dark undertone, check out my new monologue, Cutting Down the Maple Tree. Kari is pushed too far by her (presumably cheating) husband and lashes out in vengeance, cutting down a taunting tree and trapping his drunken legs under it. Now, at least, the tree will no longer have hold over her and she looks forward to a “fresh start” with her husband.
This dark comedy/thriller/dramatic monologue is approximately 2 1/2 minutes long, and is appropriate for adults, 20s to 60s. It is a fun and challenging role for an actor, as Kari’s intentions, emotions and state of mind are complex and varied. Enjoy an except below:
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.
Suspense is a powerful tool in theater. Who doesn’t want to keep the audience on the edge of their seat? Writers and directors can create entire plays or films that center on building suspense, ultimately paying off in the final scene. When you have only 1-2 minutes in a monologue to convey a scene or character, creating this world of suspense can be a challenge, but if you manage it, you’ll have your own payoff.
Here, I’ve compiled 12 short monologues which cultivate a scenario of suspense, while conveying a memorable story and character. From murdered ferrets, floods and fangs, to guns, sirens and fires—these monologues are sure to keep your audience leaning in.
My new monologue, What My Fangs Are For, is the story of a werewolf child telling his mom about his first squirrel kill; it’s darkly humorous, a bit creepy, a bit dramatic. But…it’s also the story of a boy discovering a new identity, trying to make his mother proud, then worrying, with horror, that his new identity may drive her to not love him anymore.
Maybe the whole “eating a raw squirrel” part is not so relatable, but Sammy is not the only child (or adult) to have to reveal a part of their identity which they worry a loved one may not accept.
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—
For those of you feeling the Star Wars vibe (or for those of you who are not!), check out my new 1-minute comedic monologue for a male or female child (or young teen) actor. Joel has to break some tough news to his Star-Wars-Superfan dad. Is his dad going to cry when he hears the news? Will he stop making BB8 donut hole treats? Joel doesn’t know, but it’s time for the truth, before his dad makes him wear those Jedi pajamas. Ready? Okay. So… Joel really just isn’t into Star Wars. The truth is, he’d prefer Captain Underpants. So. There you have it. Enjoy my new monologue, I Don’t Wanna Be A Jedi. …
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…
Well, it’s the day after Halloween. Crisp, light candy wrappers in the trash. Piles of crushed red-dye candy coating on the floor. Parents—did you check your kids’ candy last night and “skim” any off the top? Kids—did you do an inventory last night and confirm your tally this morning? Okay, so a lot of families are happily generous with their candy on Halloween (thank you!), but transparency is nice, right?
So today, on the morning after October 31st, enjoy this duo of monologues about disappearing Halloween candy! In the first one, My Missing Skittles, Sal catches his dad, red-handed at midnight, eating his Halloween candy! In the second, A Dad’s Defense, Doug justifies to Sal that he’s never pretended to be perfect in the first place. But he comes up with the resolution that hopefully satisfies both parties (Just don’t tell Mom!).
Enjoy these funny monologues, from child to parent, and parent to child! My Missing Skittles is about 1 minute long and suitable for any child! A Dad’s Defense is about 1.5 - 2 minutes long and great for adults. If you've been looking for a monologue duo perfect for a child and adult to act out together (Parent/Child Theater, here we come!), this is a great match! Have fun!
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!
Halloween is less than a week away, friends, so if you’re indulging in some creepy theater right now (or indulge year-round), check out my new monologue, Pieces of Coal. This thriller, horror, dramatic monologue is great for creepy auditions, eerie Halloween competitions or just for some chilling acting fun. The monologue is suitable for a female or male actor, ages teen through adults. It runs about 1.5 to 2 minutes long (pauses tell a lot here too!), and has lots of room for creative and interesting acting and directing. So, what is the monologue about? Well, have you heard those eerie ghost stories about centuries-old children appearing in bedroom mirrors in the middle of the night?…
If you’re looking for a thriller, dark, horror, or dramatic monologue, check out This Heat In My Brain. This monologue is free, about 1.5 minutes long, can be for a male or female actor, and allows for unleashing some disturbing and versatile acting. In it, Sloane implores his victim to sympathize with him and his assault. Check out the excerpt below:
As Halloween approaches, children’s minds and salivary glands start turning toward candy…but when so much candy is too much, it’s great some dentists offer a candy-for-money exchange, right? Well, check out Fred’s reaction to the deal his dentist set up. Does he think it’s so great? In this 1-minute comedic monologue for children, Fred confronts his dentist when he realizes the deal is not exactly what he was promised at his last visit! Enjoy this short funny monologue, entitled, THE REAL VALUE OF CANDY, suited for male or female actors (around ages 4-12)!
If you’re looking for some eerie or dark monologues in the spirit of Halloween, check out these creepy monologues!
If you’re looking for an eerie, creepy or thriller play in the spirit of Halloween, check out these plays that just might give you a chill or two! From the witch in that gingerbread house, to a mysterious heart, a domineering bingo chip, a lust for human hair—and more—enjoy these uniquely dark (and sometimes comedic) plays by Tara Meddaugh…
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…
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…
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…
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.
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.”
Okay, parents, Halloween is quickly approaching…You’re going to make, buy, rent or borrow your child’s halloween costume, you’re going to traipse around town in the dark, carefully monitoring your child so s/he doesn’t get lost in the shuffle of dressed-up children mobs. You’re going to tend to sugar-high meltdowns, freak-outs when…
Okay, kids, we’re a month away from Halloween and a 9-year-old just told me he read 90% of parents steal some of their kids’ Halloween candy! Do you think your parents are in that majority? Or is your mom or dad in that elite angelic 10%? And parents, do you think it causes no harm to skim a little Reeses Pieces from the tip? …
Check out my new dramatic monologue below for a male or female actor. A scientist cannot mask his familial love for the horrifying creature he has created (paying a bit of homage to Mary Shelley, post-Halloween)...
Written and delivered today, on Halloween, is my brand new (as in, an hour old!) monologue, Boringest. Ghost. Ever. This monologue is great for kids, even the young ones (ages 4+)! Children can play with the dramatic and comedic elements of this monologue and deliver a funny, and even a little spooky (but still family-friendly), performance! It’s a good length for kids, running about 1 minute and is suitable for any gender.
In the monologue, Ayla is frustrated that her middle-of-the-night visitor won’t play with her, won’t talk until the wee hours of the night with her, and won’t even tell her what her name is! Instead, this girl in the odd dress just keeps…well…standing there. Staring at Ayla. Being the boringest ghost she’s ever seen.