Read two one-act plays for free!
You can now read two of my one-act plays entirely for free! That’s right! Free! My plays, WHAT HAPPENED AT THE MUD PUDDLE and THE PRETTIEST DUCKLING (aka The Devious Duckling) are both published by YouthPLAYS which has recently announced that they now offer free online reads for all their published plays!
In their announcement email, they explained their decision:
“Between industry consolidation and the pressures that so many teachers and other theatre-makers are under these days, we felt that this was the time to lower the barriers between you and finding the right show.” ~YouthPLAYS
Licensing, royalties, printable pursual scripts and hard copies remain for purchase as as usual, but now you can peruse the entire script for free before deciding if it’s a good fit for your production.
Check out descriptions of my plays, published by YouthPLAYS, below, and enjoy your free read!
THE PRETTIEST DUCKLING
(aka The Devious Duckling)
By Tara Meddaugh
Dark Comedy. 20-25 minutes. 2 any gender. Suitable for middle school and older.
Not just for youth! Great for young adults too! This is a tight 2-hander—
Funny, fun to play and watch, devious, “mean girl pretending to be nice manipulation” style play!
Synopsis
(from YouthPLAYS)
Gorgeous and Cutesy weren't born yesterday. In fact, it's been minutes since they hatched, but they're already facing big bird problems: One of their fellow ducklings is "ugly." Yes, that one. Gorgeous would never dream of harming the strange sibling they love "so so much," but Gorgeous doesn't want to end up exiled to the sewage swamp like the goose family with the red-eyed gosling. On the other hand, if they got Cutesy to do something about the problem, that wouldn't be so bad, right? Cutesy's a certified good egg, but can the youngest duckling stand up for their cross-species sibling, or will Gorgeous get the ugly outcome Gorgeous wants?
"In The Prettiest Duckling, Tara Meddaugh channels Hans Christian Andersen via Mean Girls to give us a hilarious twist on a classic fairy tale. The characters are so riotously funny that it's easy to forget that they're up to no good. Even then it's almost impossible not to laugh out loud at their witty repartee, clever zingers, and Machiavellian scheming." - Kevin Christopher Snipes, creator of The Two Princes for Gimlet Media and author of Milo and Marcos at the End of the World
WHAT HAPPENED AT THE MUD PUDDLE
By Tara Meddaugh
About the Play
Comedy. 25-30 minutes. 8 females, 4 males. Suitable for middle school and older.
Great for middle and high schoolers, especially looking for a monologue-driven play
Easy to rehearse in small groups, lots of fun parts and monologues
Synopsis
(From YouthPLAYS)
Taylor and Chloe have been friends for years. At least they were—until Taylor suddenly and mysteriously throws an over-the-top yacht party the same day as Chloe's birthday party. Despite Taylor's reputation as the meanest girl in school, no one wants to turn down the chance to sample an extravagant candy station, dance to the live music of the hottest new band or receive a pricey swag bag. But before the boat even leaves the dock, Taylor turns on her guests, moving in on Jasmine's crush, telling Ronni to "walk the plank!" and humiliating the new girl, Amanda. Will the lure of the luxurious yacht with its own Ferris wheel be enough to keep the guests from walking? Or will they abandon ship for nicer ground at Chloe's backyard ice cream party? Loyalties and friendships will be tested in this play for an ensemble cast, and of course, someone will be pushed into a mud puddle.