New York Theatre Workshop Launching Youth Artistic Instigators Company for Teens

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Through the injustices and crimes of 2020 (and, sadly, all these years before 2020), through a global pandemic, through ravaging fires and global warming, through a divisive presidency (and campaign), through economic, education and childcare crises - there are always people who rise up. Thank God for this, otherwise, we’d be crumpled in a depressed lump indefinitely. First and foremost, thank you to all the people, rising up in their own ways, all across the country and world. Humans do not give up.

Humans, do not give up.

Theater has a unique ability to bring a dramatic voice to current issues, allowing the audience to see bits of the world through the perspective of a character who may, or may not, be quite different from ourselves. Couple that with the voices of youth (they won’t be called “youth” for very long)—and see what inspiration unfolds. New York Theatre Workshop is launching “a new free after school program called Youth Artistic Instigators…”

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Ruby and Millie & The Old Chemical Plant by Tara Meddaugh: A One-Act Play for 2 female actors

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If you’re looking for a 15-minute comedy/drama for 2 female actors in their 60s, check out Ruby and Millie & The Old Chemical Plant. Sisters, Ruby and Millie, have been through a lot together. During WW2, 9-year-old Ruby took charge of her apartment building’s rooftop Victory Garden, hoping her patriotic war efforts on the home front would help bring her father back from a prisoner-of-war camp. Teenage Millie, disillusioned as her own boyfriend was fighting in the war abroad, cared for her younger sister as their mother took on a job, working long hours.

Now, over fifty years later, Ruby and Millie still live just down the hall from each other, in a senior living community. They still tend to a community garden. And they still take care of each other. But today, something is different. It’s not just that Ruby sat on her glasses watching Seinfeld last night or that Millie is suspicious someone has been stealing their tomatoes. Today, Ruby and Millie both have secrets and dreams to share which may, after all these years, lead them in very different directions, very far away from each other…

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Spooky Play for Halloween: Free Space, a dark comedy/absurdist thriller by Tara Meddaugh

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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—

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New Full Length Play: The Victory Garden Plays by Tara Meddaugh

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How many of you decided that Pandemic 2020 would be the year you started your own edible garden? Whether it was in a luscious back yard, an upper story deck, or a window sill (friends and I started seeing how many vegetables we could grow in water jars from mere root cuts!), people all over seemed to be growing vegetation to eat like no other time in the 21st Century. In March, many of us found flour, bread and toilet paper impossible to purchase and there was a panic as we contemplated our food supply chain breaking. Growing our own produce seemed to offer stability, predictability, a tiny sense of control and perhaps even purpose during our unsettling time staying at home. (click below for continued post or click here for The Victory Garden Plays)

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5 Great “Mean-Girl” monologues for teens: Comedy with a sharp edge!

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You don’t have to be auditioning for Mean Girls on Broadway to appreciate these monologues. For teens, or young adults, looking to show off their cutting, yet comedic side, these monologues are great for auditions, competitions, and performances. These monologues are funny and, well, kind of mean, operating under the layered humor I find interesting: show your self-absorption and cruelty under the guise of being nice. Check out these monologues about friendships, dance class, high-heeled shoes, Calculus and more!…

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New dramatic monologue: "Birthday Balloons" by Tara Meddaugh

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If you’re looking for a dramatic, heartfelt monologue, approximately 2 minutes long, for a female actor (or male), consider my new monologue, Birthday Balloons. Grief has been an uninvited guest in my life the past 5 years, one which has also snuck into my writing in fits and starts. I wrote this a year ago, found it yesterday and edited—and…can I confess something? I almost don’t even want to look at this again. It becomes a little hard to breathe when I read it. Still, I share it with you. Because there are many things we don’t wish to sit in which find voice and connection in theater.

In this dramatic monologue, Adelaide, suffering from a terminal illness, tries to reconcile her desire to give her son a happy birthday next month with the impending hopelessness she feels. She speaks to her friend. You may read the excerpt below and click at the end for a free digital copy of the whole monologue, Birthday Balloons.

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New comedic/dramatic monologue: "The Best General Tso's" by Tara Meddaugh

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My short monologue, The Best General Tso’s is about finding old General Tso’s chicken in the refrigerator during stay-at-home measures. While losses are certainly felt in big moments, I’ve often found that it’s in mundane moments that our pains become acute. Because these moments are day-to-day, they’re also frequent and hard to escape. The Best General Tso's is, on one hand, a comedic moment between Larissa and her almond-bag-buying partner, but it also draws on the complex feelings and experiences underlying a simple mundane moment. Sometimes a leftover is not just a leftover.

Enjoy this new monologue for a female (or male) actor, older teens through adult, which runs about 1.5 minutes long. Check out an excerpt below and click at the end for the full piece.

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Climbing the Walls Exhibition: Including new monologue by Tara Meddaugh, The Best General Tso's, featuring Sara Jean Ford

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I’m happy to be a part of a joint exhibition between Studio Theater in Exile and Hudson Valley MOCA called Climbing the Walls. Artistic Director of Studio Theater, Mara Mills, envisioned the virtual exhibition as a vehicle to "explore the ways we are experiencing life right now and how we imagine the future” during this global pandemic.

My short (1.5 minute) monologue, “The Best General Tso’s features the fabulously talented actor, Sara Jean Ford (you may know her as Christine Daae in Phantom of the Opera on Broadway—and from lots more!). It’s about finding old General Tso’s chicken in the refrigerator during stay-at-home measures. While losses are certainly felt in big moments, I’ve often found that it’s in mundane moments that our pains become acute. Because these moments are day-to-day, they’re also frequent and hard to escape. The Best General Tso's is, on one hand, a comedic moment between partners, but it also draws on the complex feelings and experiences underlying a simple mundane moment. Sometimes a leftover is not just a leftover.

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New dark comedy/absurdist 10-minute play: What's Inside The Eiffel Tower Coffee Mug by Tara Meddaugh

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It’s Rebecca’s and Henry’s 10th wedding anniversary. Henry usually has his morning coffee at precisely half past seven, but today, Rebecca can’t wait this long for him to take his coffee mug from the cupboard. She has a secret to reveal to him. And it’s not your typical surprise anniversary gift. It’s a very… unnerving secret… And what Henry finds inside his souvenir coffee mug this morning just might change their marriage forever.

What’s Inside the Eiffel Tower Coffee Mug is a 2-person (1 male, 1 female) 10-minute play that embodies “dark comedy.” We can laugh at absurdities of the couple’s playful interaction of heightened language, but feel a punch to the gut as we discover the darkness that underlies the humor. This play has been described as embracing beauty and the grotesque in one, or finding beauty within the grotesque. It’s a unique journey to act and direct. It will give your audience the chance to laugh, cringe, empathize and ultimately find a sense of peace….

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A Reading of New Plays by Tara Meddaugh: Free Virtual Theater August 7

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What are you doing this Friday? Wanna join me for some virtual theater and conversation?

It is not often I can invite you to a performance of my work which is open for all to see, from whatever part of the globe you call home. So I'm happy to share that Tagragg Productions is presenting an evening of four of my 10-minute plays, complete with a short discussion following each piece (we can chat!). The show is FREE and will be performed live via Zoom, 7pm Eastern Time, August 7.

To attend the performances, click the Zoom link here.

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New 10-minute rom-com/dramatic play for Zoom: A Human Body to Hug by Tara Meddaugh

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If you’re looking for a 2-person play to perform, or practice, which is specifically designed for Zoom or other video platforms, check out my new play, A Human Body to Hug:

Dana and Cody are on a blind date. On Zoom. During a pandemic. Despite the awkwardness, they strive to find a connection during a very isolating time. And...well, someone has to clean up cat pee...

This 10-minute rom-com-dram play is written especially for video streaming, so there are no production questions you need to ask, like "should we read that stage direction?" or "how do we act out that fall?" Your audience can step into Cody's and Dana's private world for a moment--backgrounds, chats, cats on laps and all…

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Dramatic Read-Aloud from Chat-n-Read: Goldilocks and The Three Dinosaurs by Mo Willems

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Check out my latest Chat-n-Read video where I read the fabulously funny, Goldilocks and the Three Dinosaurs, as “retold by” Mo Willems. And before our story together, we chat about dinosaurs! Our modern day world is full of toys, movies, tv shows, books, scientists all dedicated to dinosaurs! (Oh, and you get to see one super cool dino toy in my video: my son’s Jurassic Park RC dino that can do all sorts of things! Big thanks to my husband’s parents for that rockin’ toy!) But why are dinosaurs so fascinating to us? I think there are lots of reasons, but what stands out to you?

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11 Great Dramatic Monologues for Children

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Finding a dramatic children’s monologue that is thoughtful, relatable, and age-appropriate can be a challenge. Here, I’ve collected ten (10) dramatic children’s monologues for you that are unique, memorable and fun for kids to act. These monologues range from 30 seconds to around 2 minutes. From Goldilocks having second thoughts to Lindsey confronting a bully who took a precious souvenir to Jenna facing an angry sister and a floor of broken glass—enjoy these 10 monologues show which can showcase your child’s dramatic talent and range!

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Thirteen (13) Great Comedic Children's Monologues Involving Child to Parent Confrontations

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Is there anything more comically dramatic than a child breaking the bad news to his dad that he doesn’t want to be a Jedi? Or a daughter justifying to her mom why she should have a pet skunk? Okay…maybe a few things are a bit more dramatic, but emotions are emotions, and these clever children’s monologues are full of fun, clean drama, comedic timing and relatability. Muster up your passion for Animal Crossing, iPads and candy, and showcase your acting talent with these twelve (12) great comedic children’s monologues where a child confronts a parent. And definitely, have fun doing it!

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New children's comedic monologue about Animal Crossing: Your Crucian Carps are Blocking the Doorway, Mom

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Okay, I’m not exactly a gamer, so my children were thrilled when I mentioned how Nintendo Switch’s Animal Crossing: New Horizons looked like a game I might be able to get into. A few adult friends shared how they were loving playing it and the idea of setting up my own paradise island amidst our pandemic quarantine near New York City sounded, well, pretty darn appealing. I wasn’t alone in that thought. Apparently, this game sold more than 13 million copies in the first 6 weeks after it was released in March. [Skip to my new comedic children’s monologue, Your Crucian Carps are Blocking the Doorway, Mom]

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New Chat-n-Read: "A Big Guy Took My Ball" Read-Aloud

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Chat about giving people the "benefit of the doubt," then enjoy the read-aloud, "A Big Guy Took My Ball" by one of my favorite children’s authors, Mo Willems.

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Art As Protest on The Show Up from Patreon

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We all know art can be a powerful tool. Check our Friday’s 10am show surrounding the theme of “art as protest,” on The Show Up from Patreon:

The role of art in confronting important political and social issues is a long standing tradition. From Stonewall to Black Lives Matter, artists have long used their craft to push for change. Join us this Friday, June 26th at 10am PT as we connect with EbonyJanice and Thea Monyee´, Taina Asili and Kesha Bruce of Spirit House Art — all artists who use their vision today to fight for a better world tomorrow.

The Show Up is free and open to all, so invite your friends, sign up today and show up on Friday to meet these awesome creators who are pushing our world forward.

Petition for BIPOC Critics in New York Times's Theater/Culture Staff

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Representation and voice in theater, and theater reviews, matter. Click here to sign this petition for the New York Times to include in their roster of theater critics representation of black, Indigenous and people of color.

“For many years, The New York Times has failed to add BIPOC theater critics to its staff. Works by BIPOC artists have been subjected to the white critical gaze that often fails to bring even a cursory understanding of the experiences that inform the works of BIPOC artists. As a result, any attempt to stray from white-centered narratives are either labeled as ‘radical,’ or dismissed as amateur attempts by yet unformed aesthetic practices. This critical gaslighting of BIPOC artists has shaped the choices of many theaters and institutions only too eager to please the tastes of The Times's critics. Many works by BIPOC theater artists have been prematurely killed by biased and racially insensitive reviews from white critics.

”The New York Times must have its own critical awakening. We live in a city where BIPOC artists have been working even before the Times first ran its presses. Its stubborn insistence in maintaining a roster of white critics denies BIPOC artists the right to be carefully considered and understood. “

~Ralph Pena

Juneteenth: In Solidarity - Black Lives Matter

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Today is Juneteenth, freedom day, marking the ending of the crime of slavery in the United States on June 19, 1985. This is the date when Union solders landed in Texas with news that the war had ended and those who had been enslaved were no longer (note that this is over 2 years after President Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation).

“Juneteenth has never been a celebration of victory, or an acceptance of the way things are. It's a celebration of progress. It's an affirmation that despite the most painful parts of our history, change is possible––and there is still so much work to do.” - President Barack Obama

Both professionally and personally, I stand in solidarity with black women, men, children and people of color against overt, covert, systemic and all forms of racism in the country and world. I continue to evaluate my own assumptions, listen, learn and support. A notice from PBS recently said that our [USA] “country finds itself in a period of education and reckoning of the racism embedded in its birth.” What a painful, vile atrocity to have embedded in the birth of your nation—and to see unfolded in sickening unjust ways for hundreds of more years. How could there not be anger, hurt, turmoil, righteous indignation when this is felt or understood? But let us stay committed now, and always, to reckon with that history and its effects, and to create a strong shift from this history. Changes can occur on various levels through large movements as well as small interactions. This will go beyond our lifetime, but I think to the verse in Galatians 6:9 which I memorized as a child, “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up." Do not give up. Black Lives Matter.