ONE-ACT PLAYS
by Tara Meddaugh
THE VISITOR IN THE DOORWAY
A one-act dark comedy/drama
After a life-altering event, Clare runs away from everyone she knows and isolates herself in a secluded cabin. But when a familiar, yet unwelcome, visitor shows up at her door and refuses to leave, she must decide if she should let him inside.
DETAILS
Cast: 2 actors - 1 female (20s-30s) 1 male (could be not gender specific; any age)
Genre: dark comedy/drama
Running time: 15-20 minutes
Setting: A cabin in the woods
Time: Contemporary
Click here for an excerpt to the play THE VISITOR IN THE DOORWAY.
Click below for the complete digital copy of the play, THE VISITOR IN THE DOORWAY.
THE PRETTIEST DUCKLING
A dark comedy
"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
“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?” YouthPLAYS
DETAILS
Cast: 2 any gender
Age: Tween-young adult
Genre: Dark comedy, heightened, allegory, mean-girl, fairy-tale, high school, middle school, college
Setting: By a pond
Length: 20-25 minutes
Click here for a free excerpt or click below for the complete play, THE PRETTIEST DUCKLING.
INTO THE VIOLET
An absurdist dark comedy
by Tara Meddaugh
When two fairies find themselves trapped in a jar in the woods, they must struggle through hope and despair to create the escape they desperately need.
DETAILS
Genre: Dark comedy, absurdist
Cast: 2 actors - 2 females (could be any gender if desired)
Age: teen-adult
Running time: around 15-20 minutes
Setting: A glass jar behind a waterfall
Lola and Nadine had lived a blessed and carefree fairy life, until a child trapped them in a glass jar in the woods and never returned. While Lola gives in to this life of despondency, Nadine tries to give her hope that they might, someday, fly outside their glass prison once again. But as the gravity of their situation becomes unbearable, and the line between reality and fantasy becomes malleable, they must find some way to create the escape they desperately need. "Into the Violet" is a dark comedy about hope and despair, deception and reality, and how connection to others may be the only way to survive the unthinkable.
Click here for a free excerpt and click below for the complete play, Into the Violet.
Two rabbits flee for their lives, holding onto hope that a mysterious secret Moon River Raft will carry all Woundeds to a perfect land. But things are never what they seem in the middle of the night…at a creepy river bank…in a forest…under the moon…
Are they?
DETAILS
Genre: Dark comedy/drama/heightened
Cast: 2 actors - 2 female, but can be any gender
Age: Teen-adult
Setting: Riverbank, night
Time period: Present
Running time: Around 15 minutes
When the rabbit, Selina, breaks her leg, she knows she will not survive long in a forest filled with predators. While the rest of her rabbit colony has ostracized her as a “magnet of death,” her sister, Meredith, remains loyal and plans to keep her safe by hiding her in a tree stump forever. But when Meredith discovers Selina has left the stump and gone to a creepy river in the middle of the night, Selina reveals a secret she has learned from the elder-rabbits: The Moon River Raft is arriving tonight and will take all Woundeds to a perfect place where injuries are healed and no predators exist. Selina pleads with Meredith to come with her, but Meredith has serious doubts. As the Moon River Raft approaches, their fate becomes clear and their loyalty to each other is truly tested.
Click here to read an excerpt of the dark comedy play, The Moon River Raft. Click below for the complete digital copy of the short play, The Moon River Raft.
MABEL AND THE TALKING CAT
A dark comedy/drama
By Tara Meddaugh
A lonely baker has the opportunity to finally adopt a child of her own. But her best friend, Patches, a talking cat, has grave hesitations about the questionable method she’s using to secure her precious child. Hint: a witch is involved.
DETAILS
Genre: dark comedy/drama/fairy tale
Cast: 2 (1 female, 1 any gender)
Running time: 15-20 minutes
Setting: Outside a cottage in a garden
Tags: 2 person play, fairy tale tangential, play with a cat, animal play, magical, strong roles, funny, quirky, in the world of a witch
Click here for a free excerpt to MABEL AND THE TALKING CAT.
Click below for the complete one-act play, MABEL AND THE TALKING CAT.
SEVENTEEN STITCHES
Two teenagers 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.”
DETAILS
Cast: 2 actors - 1 male, 1 female
Genre: dark comedy/drama
Set: minimal, an open space
Running time: Approximately 25 minutes
Click for an excerpt of the one-act play, Seventeen Stitches.
Click below for the entire one-act play, Seventeen Stitches.
THE EYES OF OLD BET
A one-woman one-act play
Martha has reconciled herself to a childless, but contented, life with her husband, Edward. Yet when she’s unexpectedly blessed with a daughter, she begins to see the world through new eyes—not only in the excitement and vitality of her precious Sybil, but also in what society will withhold from her daughter, simply because of her gender. Martha’s own prejudices are put to the test when a strange creature arrives in their small town whom Sybil adores, but Martha fears: the second elephant in America, called Old Bet. Yet when a revelatory incident occurs between Sybil and Old Bet, Martha begins to see more similarities to the elephant than differences. Their relationship merges and diverges until a tragic end, but it also inspires hope and strength for bringing progress to the next generation.
The Eyes of Old Bet is the story of this elephant, but it is also the story of a mother and daughter finding a way to stand up for those who are not given the same privileges they are, reaching to gain more power of their own, and finding their voice.
DETAILS
Cast: 1 actor - Female
Age: 20s-70s
Running time: Around 20-25 minutes
Setting: Early 1800s. Somers, NY, a small rural town around 50 miles north of New York City. Kitchen, farm, path outside…
Genre: historical fiction, realistic drama, drama/comedy, family friendly
Content deals with: women’s rights, animal rights, circus, elephants, farm, immigrants, settlers, suburbs of NYC, mother/daughter relationship, prejudices, civil rights, finding your voice, legacy, strong female roles
Click here for a free excerpt to THE EYES OF OLD BET.
For the complete one-act one-woman play, THE EYES OF OLD BET, click below:
POORLY WRAPPED
When Grace, a beautiful and mysterious woman, walks into a local gift shop on a small island, the sales clerk is instantly smitten with her. Under Grace’s “guidance,” Clark goes to extreme lengths to make sure she is satisfied with her purchase. Yet as her demands increase, Clark is torn between his duty to the shop and his growing lust of this stranger.
DETAILS
Cast: 2 actors - 1 male, 1 female
Genre: dark comedy
Set: a gift shop
Running time: 20-30 minutes
CLICK to read a free excerpt of Poorly Wrapped.
CLICK BELOW for a complete digital copy of Poorly Wrapped (once purchased, you will be given a link to download the script)
THE WITCH IN THE GINGERBREAD HOUSE
After giving up her dreary home at The Witches' Estate in search of warmth and sweetness, Delphine creates a new life for herself on the outskirts of a busy village. She builds a beautiful and welcoming gingerbread house to live in, and opens her home and treats to the children of the village. Despite her openness, the children return her kindness with mischief and terrorism. Delphine’s giving spirit retreats, and she draws upon her witch’s disposition to survive. But when she finds two strange and other-worldly children, named Hansel and Gretel, gnawing at the icing on her house, her true nature is put to the test--and her life changes once again.
DETAILS
Cast: 5-6 actors - 1-2 male, 2 female, 2 children (any gender)
Genre: dark comedy/drama
Set: minimal, impressionistic
Running time: Approximately 40 minutes
Click for an excerpt to The Witch in the Gingerbread House
CLICK below for a complete digital copy of The Witch in the Gingerbread House (once purchased, you will be given a link to download the script)
Take a snowy walk through the child-like magic of Christmas, where reindeer talk, Santa is real, and who wants super powers?
CHRISTMAS SUPERPOWERS AND BELIEVING IN BLITZEN
To four children, Christmas is no simple sleigh ride. Annie’s new best friend is a talking reindeer, and she’s not sure if that’s really okay. Sam is experiencing the pressure of being the Lead Shepherd in the church pageant. Dylan has a very secretive wish he hopes Santa can deliver. And Lauren needs to make sure someone is giving her little brother a very special Christmas. Experience the joys and challenges of Christmas through the eyes of these children in this monologue-driven one-act comedy.
DETAILS
Cast: 5-8
With doubling 5 total: 3 male, 2 female (male and female parts can be interchangeable, if needed)
Without doubling 8 total: 3 male, 2 female, 3 male/female/neutral/flexible casting
Genre: Comedy/Children's/Teen/Monologue play
Set: minimal
Running time: Approximately 30 minutes
Click for excerpt of Christmas Superpowers and Believing in Blitzen.
Click below for the digital copy of Christmas Superpowers and Believing in Blitzen.
Click below for a paperback or kindle copy on amazon of Christmas Superpowers and Believing in Blitzen:
RUBY AND MILLIE & THE OLD CHEMICAL PLANT
A comedy/drama
Sisters, Ruby and Millie have always been extremely close—from Millie caring for Ruby during the strain of WW2, to Ruby watching out for Millie’s bad knees. 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 far away from each other.
DETAILS
Genre: Drama/Comedy/Dramedy
Cast: 2 actors - 2 female
Age range: 50s-80s; mature
Set: Community garden, 1990s
Running time: 10-15 minutes
CLICK for a free excerpt to Ruby and Millie & The Old Chemical Plant
CLICK below for a complete digital copy of Ruby and Millie & The Old Chemical Plant
A NOTE ABOUT THE PIECE:
Ruby and Millie & The Old Chemical Plant was originally written and performed as part of the full-length play, The Victory Garden Plays. The Victory Garden Plays is a 7-piece collection of short individual plays encompassing journeys of individuals on the American home front during WW2. The opening movement of The Victory Garden Plays portrays sisters, Ruby and Millie, as a child and teenager, struggling to maintain their rooftop garden, while their father is a prisoner of war overseas. That play can be found here as RUBY AND MILLIE AND THE DYING CUCUMBERS. In the 4th movement, Frank and Jerry & The Chemical Plant, we experience the story of a wealthy chemical plant owner whose factory is requisitioned by the government and used for war purposes. In an effort to create his own meaningful legacy during war times, the plant owner decides to offer up some of his land to be used by the community for growing fruits and vegetables. Five decades later, the chemical plant is gone, but the allotment of a community garden, in that space, still remains. And here, in Ruby and Millie & The Old Chemical Plant, now in their 60s, we meet Ruby and Millie again, fifty years after their rooftop garden. This is the final piece from The Victory Garden Plays. It may also stand alone as its own complete short play.
Click below to read the entire play, The Victory Garden Plays.
CHAOS IN A CHRISTMAS SNOW GLOBE
When the Christmas Snow Globe gang gets bored with their same routine, Santa uses Christmas Magic to bring them a bit of excitement. But no one expects this excitement to arrive in the form of a Halloween jack-o-lantern inside their snow globe! Can Jack-o-Lantern convince the Christmas friends that it truly belongs with them, or will it be booted back to the dusty shelf? Enjoy this family-friendly one-act play about acceptance and appreciation.
DETAILS
Genre: Children’s/Tween/Teen/Comedy/Christmas
Cast: 11+ (1 male, 1 female, 9+ gender neutral/inclusive). There are 11 speaking roles, but there are unlimited non-speaking roles as reindeer.)
Running time: Approximately 15-20 minutes
Setting: A Christmas snow globe inside Stella’s bedroom. This may be as detailed or representative as desired.
Great for: Large casts, children, teens, tweens, adults performing for children, young audiences, reader’s theater, classrooms, reading, family-friendly material
Click for a free excerpt to the Christmas one-act play, Chaos in a Christmas Snow Globe.
Click below for the complete one-act play, Chaos in a Christmas Snow Globe.
MOVEMENTS OF THE WIND
As wind sweeps through a garden, its inhabitants must confront the volatile effects of Mother Nature, as well as their own changing nature. The story follows several short, intertwined pieces, as Carrot and Potato, taught to be enemies from birth, struggle to remain friends, Tulip wants more out of life than only her partner, and two pieces of pollen attempt to make a dangerous jump from a dying flower to a fresh one. Through sacrifice and friendship, they must not only survive their trials, but also come to populate another generation.
DETAILS
Cast: 5 - 12+
-3 female, 2 male but flexible casting; does not need to be gender specific.
-Doubling written in, but can be a larger cast with no doubling, as many as 12 characters/roles.
Genre: dark comedy/drama/family
Set: minimalist, impressions of a garden, flower and greenhouse
Running time: Approximately 60 minutes
For an excerpt click EXCERPT OF MOVEMENTS OF THE WIND.
Click below for the complete digital copy of Movements of the Wind.
Click for the entire hard copy one-act play, MOVEMENTS OF THE WIND.
THE OTHER THREE SISTERS
Intertwined scenes of a family are juxtaposed between the 1700s of Jane Austen’s day, and the late 1900s in Queens, NY. 18th Century Mary must decide if she will wed on oaf she despises to make her neighbors jealous, as 20th Century Mary considers allowing back her missing husband who claims to have been sleeping for the years he was away. While the scenes span generations, the women encounter the same issues of marriage, money, and pride.
DETAILS
Cast: 4 female, 1 male
Genre: 1700s/1900s comedy
Partial Adaptation of Jane Austen’s epistolary short story, The Three Sisters
Set: a living room
Running time: Approximately 40 minutes
For an Excerpt of The Other Three Sisters, click here.
Click below for a complete digital copy of The Other Three Sisters (once purchased, you will be given a link to download the script)
WHAT HAPPENED AT THE MUD PUDDLE
Taylor and Chloe have been best friends for years. At least, they had been, 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, her party fills up, as 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 $50 gift card goodie bag. But before the boat even leaves the dock, Taylor begins to turn 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, complete with its very own ferris wheel, and live entertainment, 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 are tested in this ensemble cast play, and of course, someone gets pushed into a mud puddle.
DETAILS
Cast: 8 female, 4 male
Genre: Comedy/teen, monologue play
Set: Minimal, a yacht party, a backyard
Running time: Approximately 25-35 minutes
CLICK FOR AN EXCERPT FROM THE ONE-ACT PLAY, WHAT HAPPENED AT THE MUD PUDDLE.
CLICK BELOW for the entire play, WHAT HAPPENED AT THE MUD PUDDLE
GRINCHING 101
Grinch professors, Sourpuss Fuddy Duddy and Killjoy Cactus Snarl, are pleased to find their Grinching 101 classroom filled with eager elf-students desiring to learn the art of becoming a grinch. However, the class of bright-eyed cheerful students are blatantly failing. Every. Single. Lesson. Can these grinching professors get the class of chipper elves to learn anything about becoming a good grinch? And perhaps along the way, can the grinching professors can learn something from the elves?
DETAILS:
Genre: Comedy/Christmas/children/teen/theater for a young audience
Running time: 30-40 minutes
Cast size: 16+
Age: any age - child through adult
Setting: Classroom at the North Pole
Click here to read a free excerpt of the one-act play, GRINCHING 101.
Click below for the complete play, GRINCHING 101.