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THE 13TH CRIME by Monica Cross

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Recommendations

  • Mark Harvey Levine:
    19 Jan. 2024
    “ Monica Cross' play finally brings Saint Nicholas, Father Christmas and Santa Claus together. These spirits of Christmas debate the Spirit of Christmas in a jaded manner. They duke it out (literally) over what Christmas really means. The fact that this play cam from a typo'd title makes it even more charming. The ending is hysterical. ”
  • Ryan Rappaport:
    17 Feb. 2023
    “ A jovial romp between, essentially, two ghosts of Christmas past and the modern, consumerist, ghost of Christmas present. Cross's writing is absolutely gorgeous. As I read (and read aloud), I am at once transported to a time long-gone, but whose rhetoric is still alive within Cross's voice. It feels both timeless and altogether modern.

    How it reminds the reader and viewer about the importance of perhaps not just Christmas, but the rejection of modern consumerism and the necessity of good deeds, community, and connection! To top it all off: this is a really funny play. What more can you want? ”
  • Lee R. Lawing:
    1 Jul. 2021
    “ Funny rift of the holiday consumerism of our current times, where Cyber Mondays means more than spending time with someone or just donating your time to a homeless shelter or numerous other ideas you can do to truly give back to your community and your sanity. Time does change, like celebrating the actual 12 days of Christmas at their proper time, but what hasn't changed is the hope we can all pass on for just a little bit of the magic all year long to keep the true meaning of giving on-going and not crammed into one month. ”
  • Lisa Dellagiarino Feriend:
    19 Jan. 2021
    “ This play is a HOOT. Saint Nicholas and Father Christmas had me giggling before Santa Claus even showed up. What a fun, imaginative piece! I would love, love, love to see this one in an evening of short plays, Christmastime or not. ”
  • Steven G. Martin:
    3 Jan. 2021
    “ A little bit of Christmas, a little bit of violence, a whole lot of fun.

    Old holiday traditions and philosophies about celebrating Christmas battle against more contemporary attitudes in Monica Cross's savage, 10-minute dark comedy. It's quite fun to see Father Christmas, Saint Nicholas, and Santa Claus together on stage. And Cross takes a not-so-subtle jab at the commercialization of holidays.

    The dialogue nicely captures the characters' personalities, costume designers will love the challenge of differentiating the characters, and the unexpected action will cause some audience members to gasp.

    This is a fun, tart holiday play for theaters. ”
  • Daniel Prillaman:
    30 Dec. 2020
    “ What do you get when you combine "Reservoir Dogs" and Christmas? The best gift ever. When you realize about a page to two pages in what Cross is really doing, it puts a smile on your face unlike any other, and it only gets wider from there. A delicious little frolic through the spirit of Christmas and the reason for the season that crews and audiences alike would relish. ”
  • DC Cathro:
    26 Dec. 2020
    “ Traditions and legends get twisted and tangled like tinsel in this madcap romp through holiday histories. A hilarious Christmas short with fun dialogue and even a few lessons along the way. Toss in some jabs at beloved holiday tales and you’ve got a great seasonal celebration, but you might want to leave the kids at home. ”
  • Scott Sickles:
    24 Dec. 2020
    “ Combine a Quentin Tarantino crime spree with classic animated TV Christmas specials and blanket them under a fabulous Val Lewton title, and the ensuing chemical reaction is pure Monica Cross!

    Father Christmas and St. Nick have different methods – or rather, M.O.s – of trying to instill the True Meaning of the holiday into the children of the world. What could have been an anti-consumerist polemic instead twists and turns into something far more clever, complex and surprising. A darkly comic gift for the ensuing Days of Christmas... and beyond! ”
  • Dominica Plummer:
    23 Dec. 2020
    “ This is a fun Christmas play that will test the holiday spirit! It's a cross cultural examination of Christmas fathers imagined as a crime spree that involves Father Christmas, Saint Nicholas, and Santa Claus. Lively dialogue, unexpected twists, and a surprise ending that will have audiences having some serious second thoughts about men in red suits! ”
  • Emily McClain:
    23 Dec. 2020
    “ We. can all agree that Christmas traditions have evolved over time (Ex: what the hell is figgy pudding and why are these people loitering on my lawn yelling about it?) but Cross brings the age-old conflict to new life in this delightful satire. We cheer for St. Nicholas and Father Christmas with their commitment to saving the Spirit of Christmas but their mission puts them on a collison course with the Big Man himself. This dark comedy would be an awesome addition to a holiday-themed 10 Minute Play Festival! ”