Tony Mantia

Tony Mantia was born and raised in St. Louis, MO and is currently a Chicago-based playwright. While earning his BA in Theater at Loyola University Chicago, he completed The Second City Chicago Conservatory and the iO Chicago Training Center programs. In 2020, Tony earned an MFA in Writing for the Screen & Stage from Northwestern University. His play New Dementian was selected for Northwestern’s Festival of New Works, and was a semifinalist for the Eugene O’Neill Theater Center’s National Playwrights Conference. Tony’s play Lady Bug Heaven was a winner of the Theater Masters TAKE TEN competition, which received an Off-Broadway production through the Rattlestick Theater and was published by Concord Theatricals. He is a member of the Dramatists Guild.

Tony has worn many hats on his above...

Tony Mantia was born and raised in St. Louis, MO and is currently a Chicago-based playwright. While earning his BA in Theater at Loyola University Chicago, he completed The Second City Chicago Conservatory and the iO Chicago Training Center programs. In 2020, Tony earned an MFA in Writing for the Screen & Stage from Northwestern University. His play New Dementian was selected for Northwestern’s Festival of New Works, and was a semifinalist for the Eugene O’Neill Theater Center’s National Playwrights Conference. Tony’s play Lady Bug Heaven was a winner of the Theater Masters TAKE TEN competition, which received an Off-Broadway production through the Rattlestick Theater and was published by Concord Theatricals. He is a member of the Dramatists Guild.

Tony has worn many hats on his above-average-sized head during his writing career, including teaching screenwriting at the college and high school levels. He served as an Adjunct Professor in English at East-West University where he taught courses on Public Speaking and Introduction to Comedy Writing. Tony was a writer and producer for Condé Nast, where he worked on Vanity Fair’s scripted true-crime series Love is a Crime, which featured fellow St. Louis native, Jon Hamm. Despite rocking frosted tips and jorts in his youth, Tony assistant produced and wrote on the Vogue Magazine fashion history docuseries, In Vogue: The 2000s. On top of freelancing for a smattering of other shows, including the children’s education series Curious Morenike, Tony served as producer and head writer for over 250 episodes of PEOPLE Magazine’s daily pop culture news podcast, PEOPLE Every Day.

Tony currently lives in Chicago's West Town neighborhood with his incredible wife and their very lazy dog. Even though he resides in the Windy City these days, Tony remains a die-hard Cardinals and Blues fan. He’s currently working as a writer, producer, and story editor for the production company, Pod People.

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Scripts

The Milkman vs. The Great Beast of Darkness

by Tony Mantia

Cast Size
5—13
Genre
comedy,
dark comedy,
drama,
fantasy,
movement/physical,
satire,
science fiction,
young audiences

After learning that someone from his past is up for parole, Will seeks out therapy for the first time in his life. Due to having bad insurance, Will is only covered to see an ad-supported, AI chatbot therapist named Dale. Dale utilizes his full AI features (for an additional marginal fee) to give Will an immersive opportunity to process his past. As Will reconnects with old friends and considers going into...

After learning that someone from his past is up for parole, Will seeks out therapy for the first time in his life. Due to having bad insurance, Will is only covered to see an ad-supported, AI chatbot therapist named Dale. Dale utilizes his full AI features (for an additional marginal fee) to give Will an immersive opportunity to process his past. As Will reconnects with old friends and considers going into business with his social media famous brother, he learns that everything has its price as he discovers his personal life, information, and fears may be used against him.

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New Dementian

by Tony Mantia

2
Cast Size
6—8
Genre
comedy,
dark comedy,
drama

Chuck is a man of the people, everyone’s best friend, and a committed husband and father. At least, that’s what he’s been telling himself all these years. Chuck wakes up from surgery after falling in his garage and busting a hip. His children, Lizzie and Kurt, now have to be parents to their father to ensure his safety and well-being. Chuck is in denial about his early onset Dementia. After falling into a coma...

Chuck is a man of the people, everyone’s best friend, and a committed husband and father. At least, that’s what he’s been telling himself all these years. Chuck wakes up from surgery after falling in his garage and busting a hip. His children, Lizzie and Kurt, now have to be parents to their father to ensure his safety and well-being. Chuck is in denial about his early onset Dementia. After falling into a coma he encounters memories and loved ones from his past. Chuck critically examines how good of a father and husband he really was as his mind continues to betray him. New Dementian is a dramedy that explores breaking the cycle of inherited family trauma and one’s significance in the universe.

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Lady Bug Heaven

by Tony Mantia

Cast Size
3
Genre
comedy

Lady Bug Heaven is a comedy about a tiny mind looking for an answer to one of life’s big questions. Just as she’s tucked into bed, five-year-old Emma wants to know what happens when people die. Her parents, Alan and Jenn, scramble to come up with an honest answer about the afterlife that doesn’t keep her up all night, or scar her for life. The family attempts to process grief and determine if The Beatles were...

Lady Bug Heaven is a comedy about a tiny mind looking for an answer to one of life’s big questions. Just as she’s tucked into bed, five-year-old Emma wants to know what happens when people die. Her parents, Alan and Jenn, scramble to come up with an honest answer about the afterlife that doesn’t keep her up all night, or scar her for life. The family attempts to process grief and determine if The Beatles were ever real at all.

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1821

by Tony Mantia

2
Cast Size
6
Genre
comedy,
dark comedy

1821 is a dark comedy about two former college roommates catching up in rural Missouri. Jason and TJ no longer share a dorm, let alone live in the same state. They plan a cozy get-away with their significant others, Nadia and Brynn. After a few hours of eating and drinking, and playing games, and more drinking, things take a turn. Nadia discovers their weekend neighbors are flying a Confederate flag. Emotions...

1821 is a dark comedy about two former college roommates catching up in rural Missouri. Jason and TJ no longer share a dorm, let alone live in the same state. They plan a cozy get-away with their significant others, Nadia and Brynn. After a few hours of eating and drinking, and playing games, and more drinking, things take a turn. Nadia discovers their weekend neighbors are flying a Confederate flag. Emotions and alcohol levels are high, tensions flare, secrets are revealed, and relationships are questioned.

This play explores what people do when the friends and family they love dearly hold differing social views. Do you blindly accept them? Debate? Physically fight?

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Man Up

by Tony Mantia

Cast Size
3
Genre
comedy

Matt is kind of in the middle at something when his dad "has" to talk to him no matter how busy he is. We've all been there. Except Matt is an astronaut--in space. This is a comedy about how some people never reach their parent's high expectations, even in low-Earth orbit.

Matt is kind of in the middle at something when his dad "has" to talk to him no matter how busy he is. We've all been there. Except Matt is an astronaut--in space. This is a comedy about how some people never reach their parent's high expectations, even in low-Earth orbit.