New dramatic/comedic children's monologue: Baby Beet and the Doggie Toy

November 19, 2025 by Tara Meddaugh in 1-minute monologue, allegory, animal theater, children, Children's theatre, comedic, dramatic, gender neutral casting, Grief, inclusive casting, monologue for child actor, Monologues, monologues for male actor, monologue for female acto, outdoor theater, pre-teen, tween

If you’re looking for a 1-minute dramatic/comedic blend monologue for a young child actor, check out Baby Beet’s monologue, BABY BEET AND THE DOGGIE TOY, from my full-length children’s play, THE UNDERGROUND ADVENTURES OF A CARROT AND POTATO. Yes, Baby Beet is exactly what her name implies: she’s a young purple root vegetable. She’s not quite a baby, but she’s used to playing that role in her beet family and she relishes in it (she’s called out a few times in the play for forgetting her “baby” lisp she puts on only because it’s cute!). Baby Beet is adorable and she knows it!

New Award-Winning Full-Length Children's Comedy for a Large Cast: The Underground Adventures of a Carrot and Potato

April 02, 2025 by Tara Meddaugh in children, Children's theatre

Super excited to share my new play, a full-length children’s comedy for a large cast, THE UNDERGROUND ADVENTURES OF A CARROT AND POTATO.

The whimsical play follows an unlikely friendship between a dancing carrot and a groove-loving potato, whose underground world is turned upside down when they challenge the rigid expectations of their soil-bound society. [Get the play here!]

I was so honored and thrilled that THE UNDERGROUND ADVENTURES OF A CARROT AND POTATO won East Valley Children’s Theatre’s (EVCT) 2024 annual playwriting competition; in fact, their contest announcement inspired me to write the play! They were looking for a play 60-90 minutes in length with a cast of at least 18, and while I had written children’s plays before (check out some children’s plays here!), I had never written one of that length with that size cast! I loved the challenge though and had a blast making each character have its own unique voice and moments to shine. The roles are for any gender (they’re mostly vegetable characters!), and range in size, giving opportunities for older experienced actors, as well as actors starting out, and lots in between. [Complete list of characters here]

Holiday Monologues for Men

December 02, 2024 by Tara Meddaugh in comedy monolog collection, Children's theatre, Christmas, monologues for male actor, monologue collections

From a hopeful mistletoe romantic to a dude with an axe or a video-game loving elf, enjoy these holiday/Christmas monologues for men!

Holiday Monologues for Women

November 27, 2024 by Tara Meddaugh in Christmas, Children's theatre, comedy monolog collection, dramatic monolog collecti, monologue collections

From a woman with a crush on Santa to an overstressed Hallmark romcom watcher to an influencer rejected by a snowman, check out these fun, unique and memorable holiday and Christmas monologues for women!

One-Act Christmas Plays

August 06, 2024 by Tara Meddaugh in Christmas, Children's theatre, play collection

Yes, it’s 90 degrees where I am, but I also know theaters are planning holiday shows already! So check out my list of memorable and unique One-Act Christmas Plays, all of which are straight plays—no musicals. The plays range from children’s theater with a 16+ ensemble cast in a Grinching 101 class to an existential 2-person play about Christmas Trees for teens and adults. Enjoy!

New Comedic Christmas Monologue: Hallmark Christmas Romcoms are Stressing Me Out

December 12, 2023 by Tara Meddaugh in 1-minute monologue, Children's theatre, Christmas

Okay. I promise - at least ONE PERSON out there is going to feel heard in my new comedic Christmas monologue, HALLMARK CHRISTMAS ROMCOMS ARE STRESSING ME OUT. We have tons of things to do each holiday season, right? And these light-hearted romcoms are supposed to make us feel warm, cozy, carefree and jingle-bell happy, right? But what if we just. can’t. keep. up?

That’s what is going on with Scarlett! She has made a pact with her best friend, Maia, that they will watch all the Hallmark Christmas romcoms of the season and dish about them all! Sounds easy, right? It’s not to Scarlett! Especially when Hallmark pulls the ole “let’s do double features for Thanksgiving weekend!” Now she’s hopelessly behind and it’s time she come clean to Maia. Hopefully Maia can expend a bit of holiday grace and let it slide. Or maybe she’ll be like my real-life friend who is 10 movies ahead of me but thankfully gave me the rundown of the best ones, so I can skip to those and pretend I’m not failing Hallmark Christmas Romcom season. ;)

HALLMARK CHRISTMAS ROMCOMS ARE STRESSING ME OUT runs about 1-1.5 minutes.

New Christmas Comedy One-Act Play for a Large Cast: Grinching 101

November 27, 2023 by Tara Meddaugh in Christmas, Children's theatre

If you’re looking for a one-act Christmas play for a large cast, check out my new comedy, GRINCHING 101:

Grinching professors, Sourpuss Fuddy Duddy and Killjoy Cactus Snarl, are pleased to find their classroom filled with eager elf-students desiring to learn the art of becoming a grumpy Christmas grinch. However, the class of bright-eyed cheerful students are blatantly failing. Every. Single. Lesson. Are the elves really that dull? Are they actually trying? Or is there some other reason they’re all in this class…? And is there anything, like, anything at all, that maybe…just maybe… the Grinching professors can learn from the sugar-loving, compliment-spewing elves?

Grinching 101 is great for actors of any age - children, tweens, teens, adults, and Theater for Young Audiences. There are 16 character roles and an unlimited number of ensemble elves (no singing), who have unison lines and actions; no matter how many people you’re looking to cast, they have a place here! All actors are on stage for the entire play. While some roles have gender pronouns mentioned, they are all appropriate for any gender casting and directors have permission to change gender pronouns to fit casting.

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?

Two One-Act/Ten-Minute Plays About Sisters - for Youth and Mature Adult Actors

January 27, 2023 by Tara Meddaugh in children, Children's theatre, comedic, dramatic, family, historical, one-act plays, outdoor theater, Plays, pre-teen, Teen, ten-minute plays, tween, women, all female cast, mature actors, play for mature actors, play collection

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.

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.

JACK AND DEAR RAVEN: A new 10-minute 2-person comedy/drama

September 14, 2022 by Tara Meddaugh in 10-minute play, allegory, animal theater, children, Children's theatre, comedic, dramatic, fairy tale, family, gender neutral casting, inclusive casting, one-act plays, outdoor theater, Plays, pre-teen, Reader's Theater, Teen, ten-minute plays, tween

Jack 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.

"Forgiveness and Defeat At a Pokemon Gym" and "If I Were A Flower" included in Performer Stuff's list of 10 "Monologues for Carefree Kids"

August 03, 2022 by Tara Meddaugh in children, Children's theatre, comedic, inclusive casting, gender neutral casting, monologue for child actor, Monologues, monologues for male actor, Teen, tween

Happy 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).

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!

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! CLICK FOR MORE

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.

Great Virtual or Social Distancing Christmas Play: Christmas Superpowers and Believing in Blitzen

November 22, 2021 by Tara Meddaugh in 1-minute monologue, children, Children's theatre, Christmas, comedic, gender neutral casting, inclusive casting, holiday, monologue for child actor, monologue for female acto, Monologues, monologues for male actor, one-act plays, Plays, pre-teen, socially distant theater, Teen, Zoom plays, virtual theater

While 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. CLICK FOR MORE

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!

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.

"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!