Tender Chickens

10 MINUTES - Theirs was a love forbidden. But no matter who came first, somebody got laid today.

Written for the 2025 Playwrights Thriving Secret Santa Title Exchange.
With a-pollo-gies...

10 MINUTES - Theirs was a love forbidden. But no matter who came first, somebody got laid today.

Written for the 2025 Playwrights Thriving Secret Santa Title Exchange.
With a-pollo-gies...

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Tender Chickens

Recommended by

  • Matthew Weaver: Tender Chickens

    Busser wholeheartedly embraces a chickentacular title, with gusto, and the results are anything but fowl. No poultry pun goes unexplored, with enough ribald innuendo to please the naughtiest of audiences. Fun for the whole henhouse.
    Upon being called a birdbrain: "That’s not much of an insult considerin’ I’m a bird."
    A gem of a nugget, and a nugget of a gem.

    Busser wholeheartedly embraces a chickentacular title, with gusto, and the results are anything but fowl. No poultry pun goes unexplored, with enough ribald innuendo to please the naughtiest of audiences. Fun for the whole henhouse.
    Upon being called a birdbrain: "That’s not much of an insult considerin’ I’m a bird."
    A gem of a nugget, and a nugget of a gem.

  • Dallas Ray-Macke: Tender Chickens

    What can I say? Busser refuses to pull any punches when it comes to a fantastical casts being, you know, fantastical. He always finds the perfect sweet spot between an actor's dream/nightmare and a producer's dream/nightmare. Clucking hilarious!

    What can I say? Busser refuses to pull any punches when it comes to a fantastical casts being, you know, fantastical. He always finds the perfect sweet spot between an actor's dream/nightmare and a producer's dream/nightmare. Clucking hilarious!

  • Kieran Khanna: Tender Chickens

    This is so funny! John Busser filled this play up with tons of chicken puns and funny phrases to the max! The characters and the stage directions CRACKED ME UP!! I also appreciate how this play tackles child and parent relationships, and how Shelly finds their place in the biiig coop! Well done John!

    This is so funny! John Busser filled this play up with tons of chicken puns and funny phrases to the max! The characters and the stage directions CRACKED ME UP!! I also appreciate how this play tackles child and parent relationships, and how Shelly finds their place in the biiig coop! Well done John!

View all 15 recommendations
HENRIETTA: F, A Chicken
SHELLY: F/M, An Egg
CW: M, Cock-of-the-Walk, Southern accent

NOTE: SHELLY may be played by either sex. Adjust verbiage accordingly throughout (boy/girl, he/she, him/her, etc) For clarity of dialogue I have chosen one sex to represent SHELLY, in this case, male. In certain cases, I have provided an alternate line depending on the sex of the actor cast.

Development History

  • Type Reading, Organization Cleveland Public Theatre, Year 2025
  • Type Reading, Organization Playwrights Thriving , Year 2025