Monica Cross

Monica Cross

Monica Cross earned her Masters of Fine Arts in Shakespeare and Performance from Mary Baldwin College (now Mary Baldwin University) in 2013, where she took her first playwriting class with Professor Todd Ristau. She has had several short plays produced at festivals across the United States, and self produced her one-act play, “Cyrano on the Moon” at the Tampa International Fringe Festival in 2017. The Red...
Monica Cross earned her Masters of Fine Arts in Shakespeare and Performance from Mary Baldwin College (now Mary Baldwin University) in 2013, where she took her first playwriting class with Professor Todd Ristau. She has had several short plays produced at festivals across the United States, and self produced her one-act play, “Cyrano on the Moon” at the Tampa International Fringe Festival in 2017. The Red Dice Collective then produced “Cyrano on the Moon” at the Minnesota Fringe Festival in 2018. Wonder of Our Stage, Monica's first full length play, was winner of the 2018 Players New Play Festival in Sarasota, FL, and went on to be included in their Summer Sizzler's Series in 2019. She is also the recipient of the 2019 John Ringling Towers Individual Artist Award for Performing Arts, and a fellow at the Hermitage Artist Retreat.
Member of the Dramatists Guild.
Associate Member of Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America.

Plays

  • THE ARIA OF JULIE D'AUBIGNY, the cross-dressing, sword-fighting, opera singer, wherein she seduces men and women alike, wins numerous duels, must be twice pardoned by the King, and eventually finds true love. by Monica Cross
    Recommendations: 9
    ·
    Cast: 
    10–20
    ·
    Genre: biography, docudrama/historic + 3 more
    ·
    Keyword: Julie d'Aubigny, La Maupin + 8 more
    Genre: biography, docudrama/historic, drama, period, tragedy
    Keyword: Julie d'Aubigny, La Maupin, intimacy, sword fighting, opera, Opera Singer, dueling, stage combat, cross-dressing, stage combat for women
    [Full-Length Historical/Biographical/Drama]
    2021 O'Neill Semi-Finalist
    2021 Shakesepare's New Contemporaries Semifinalist

    UPDATED DRAFT: 11/11/23
    Julie d’Aubigny was born with a talent for singing, but she was raised as a duelist. She is used to solving her problems with violence, which has gotten her some unwanted notoriety. While gaining acclaim in the Paris...
    [Full-Length Historical/Biographical/Drama]
    2021 O'Neill Semi-Finalist
    2021 Shakesepare's New Contemporaries Semifinalist

    UPDATED DRAFT: 11/11/23
    Julie d’Aubigny was born with a talent for singing, but she was raised as a duelist. She is used to solving her problems with violence, which has gotten her some unwanted notoriety. While gaining acclaim in the Paris Opera, she is also getting attention for her complicated love life: a friend abroad who is an on-again-off-again lover, a doe-eyed man who shares her bed, and a woman she longingly pines for. With a long list of past conquests both in fighting and in romance, Julie, sometimes, has a difficulty keeping the two separate. As her love life spins out of control, she begins to feel as if she is fighting the whole world at once. But if she can find someone who understands her, maybe she can finally have the love she has been searching for.
  • ARIADNE'S WAKE by Monica Cross
    Recommendations: 2
    ·
    Cast: 
    2
    ·
    Genre: drama, experimental + 3 more
    ·
    Keyword: Ariadne, female friendship + 8 more
    Genre: drama, experimental, fable/folktale, fantasy, verse
    Keyword: Ariadne, female friendship, feminism, textile arts, minotaur, Theseus, Icarus, wings, beach setting, waves
    [Full-Length Absurdist Two-Hander]
    In Crete, an abandoned tower full of unfamiliar inventions looms above, a crumbling labyrinth littered with the bodies of the dead lies below, and Eva and Dyo sit on the beach, caught between the two. Last night, Ariadne ran off with a stranger, leaving her two waiting women (and best friends) to wonder what they are supposed to do next. Eva longs for adventure and...
    [Full-Length Absurdist Two-Hander]
    In Crete, an abandoned tower full of unfamiliar inventions looms above, a crumbling labyrinth littered with the bodies of the dead lies below, and Eva and Dyo sit on the beach, caught between the two. Last night, Ariadne ran off with a stranger, leaving her two waiting women (and best friends) to wonder what they are supposed to do next. Eva longs for adventure and resents being left behind, while Dyo misses her friend and wishes people would stop abandoning her. Ariadne was the glue holding their friendship together and in the wake of her absence that friendship begins to crumble like the architecture that surrounds them.
  • HERO DOGBERRY by Monica Cross
    Recommendations: 7
    ·
    Cast: 
    8
    ·
    Genre: adaptation, comedy + 4 more
    ·
    Keyword: Shakespeare adaptation, Much Ado About Nothing + 4 more
    Genre: adaptation, comedy, drama, period, romantic comedy, verse
    Keyword: Shakespeare adaptation, Much Ado About Nothing, disguise, cross-dressing, Women fixing things, relationship fix
    [Full-length Verse Comedy]
    Updated draft posted: Feb 5, 2024
    Hero and Beatrice have been masquerading as the constable of the night watch, Dogberry, and his deputy, Verges, while all the able bodied men of Messina have been away in the Princes' civil war. When the men come home from battle, Hero plans to put her disguise away forever in favor of making a vow of "til death do us part....
    [Full-length Verse Comedy]
    Updated draft posted: Feb 5, 2024
    Hero and Beatrice have been masquerading as the constable of the night watch, Dogberry, and his deputy, Verges, while all the able bodied men of Messina have been away in the Princes' civil war. When the men come home from battle, Hero plans to put her disguise away forever in favor of making a vow of "til death do us part." But when she is accused of adultery at the altar, she puts on her disguise once more to discover the truth.
  • TO GOD BE THE GLORY by Monica Cross
    Cast: 
    6–11
    ·
    Genre: biography, drama + 2 more
    ·
    Keyword: Fanny Crosby, christian faith + 4 more
    Genre: biography, drama, faith-based, period
    Keyword: Fanny Crosby, christian faith, blind central character, blind performer, hymns, 19th century American history
    [Full-length Historical, Faith-Based Biography]
    Fanny Crosby, a woman blinded in Infancy, is working at the New York Institute for the Blind when Cholera reaches the city in 1849. When the school is closed due to the illness, she volunteers as a nurse. One night she becomes ill and dreams of her grandma, a deeply religious woman. In the dream, her grandma asks her if they will meet in heaven. Fanny...
    [Full-length Historical, Faith-Based Biography]
    Fanny Crosby, a woman blinded in Infancy, is working at the New York Institute for the Blind when Cholera reaches the city in 1849. When the school is closed due to the illness, she volunteers as a nurse. One night she becomes ill and dreams of her grandma, a deeply religious woman. In the dream, her grandma asks her if they will meet in heaven. Fanny Crosby wakes the next morning, recovered from the illness, but sick at heart. This starts her on a journey that will lead her to dedicate her life to mission work and write over 8000 hymns.
  • WONDER OF OUR STAGE by Monica Cross
    Recommendations: 21
    ·
    Cast: 
    5
    ·
    Genre: adaptation, biography + 9 more
    ·
    Keyword: Shakespeare, LizPunk + 8 more
    Genre: adaptation, biography, dark comedy, docudrama/historic, drama, fantasy, parody/spoof, period, science fiction, tragedy, verse
    Keyword: Shakespeare, LizPunk, Robots, automatons, John Dee, Queen Elizabeth, coming of age, intergenerational conflicts, 16th Century, English Renaissance
    [Full-Length Sci-fi/Historical/Drama]
    In the 16th century, the greatest minds of the day created wooden robots called automatons. What if one of the greatest poets of all time was himself an automaton? What if William Shakespeare were one of those robots?

    Queen Elizabeth I commissions the notorious necromancer John Dee to play matchmaker in order to find her a very particular suitor....
    [Full-Length Sci-fi/Historical/Drama]
    In the 16th century, the greatest minds of the day created wooden robots called automatons. What if one of the greatest poets of all time was himself an automaton? What if William Shakespeare were one of those robots?

    Queen Elizabeth I commissions the notorious necromancer John Dee to play matchmaker in order to find her a very particular suitor. But when John Dee presents her with an Automaton, a man made completely out of wood, the Queen laughs in his face and leaves the newly made creation unable to fulfill his purpose. Unsure what to do, the Automaton stumbles into the theatre, almost literally. As he gains popularity upon the stage, tensions arise with his creator, and he sets out to forge his own destiny.
  • THE CAGE WHICH HOLDS A HEART by Monica Cross
    Recommendations: 6
    ·
    Cast: 
    2
    ·
    Genre: drama, fable/folktale + 3 more
    ·
    Keyword: radio play, Radio drama + 8 more
    Genre: drama, fable/folktale, fantasy, radio drama, science fiction
    Keyword: radio play, Radio drama, magical realism, grief, loneliness, letting go, memories, breakup, Dysfunctional Relationship, Based on a Fairy tale
    [One-Act Drama]
    Also available in Radio Drama format. Contact me for Radio Play Edition.
    Quiet-type Gabriel gives coworker Sabrina a place to stay after she gets thrown out by her boyfriend. But Sabrina feels uneasy about staying with Gabriel, especially when she discovers that beneath the surface Gabriel has secrets. But as the past comes to light, Sabrina discovers things are more complicated...
    [One-Act Drama]
    Also available in Radio Drama format. Contact me for Radio Play Edition.
    Quiet-type Gabriel gives coworker Sabrina a place to stay after she gets thrown out by her boyfriend. But Sabrina feels uneasy about staying with Gabriel, especially when she discovers that beneath the surface Gabriel has secrets. But as the past comes to light, Sabrina discovers things are more complicated than they seem.

    You can also read DC Cathro's companion to this play WHEN THE HEART IS FREED: https://newplayexchange.org/plays/2049651/when-heart-freed
  • CHANGELING by Monica Cross
    Recommendations: 13
    ·
    Cast: 
    2
    ·
    Genre: drama, fable/folktale + 2 more
    ·
    Keyword: mother, child + 8 more
    Genre: drama, fable/folktale, fantasy, verse
    Keyword: mother, child, motherhood, moon, infertility, Faeries, forest, lost child, rejection, acceptance
    [One Act Dramatic Fantasy]
    Updated 2/16/22
    A mother is lost in the forest searching for her missing baby. In the forest she meets one of its inhabitants, a forest child. But time works differently in the forest and child she seeks is the grown man before her. The mother cannot accept that this is the child that she hoped for, and the child, seeking only to be seen for who he has become, refuses to...
    [One Act Dramatic Fantasy]
    Updated 2/16/22
    A mother is lost in the forest searching for her missing baby. In the forest she meets one of its inhabitants, a forest child. But time works differently in the forest and child she seeks is the grown man before her. The mother cannot accept that this is the child that she hoped for, and the child, seeking only to be seen for who he has become, refuses to pretend to be the person the mother wants him to be. But the forest, which nurtures all who come to her, provides as space for both mother and child to meet and reconcile and the chance for them to finally form a bond.

    Content Warning: Implied Infertility, Familial Rejection.
  • CYRANO ON THE MOON by Monica Cross
    Recommendations: 20
    ·
    Cast: 
    5
    ·
    Genre: adaptation, dark comedy + 3 more
    ·
    Keyword: Cyrano, moon + 5 more
    Genre: adaptation, dark comedy, fantasy, period, romantic comedy
    Keyword: Cyrano, moon, storytelling, unconventional love story, death, afterlife, Nuns
    [One-Act Drama]
    Cyrano de Bergerac wakes up in a lunar afterlife ready for more adventure. Meanwhile, Roxanne, still living within the convent walls, struggles to reconcile her love with Cyrano's legacy. Roxanne sets herself to the task of writing the postmortem adventures of “Cyrano on the Moon” with the help of two Nuns. On the Moon, Cyrano battles the embodiments of vice, compromise, and all...
    [One-Act Drama]
    Cyrano de Bergerac wakes up in a lunar afterlife ready for more adventure. Meanwhile, Roxanne, still living within the convent walls, struggles to reconcile her love with Cyrano's legacy. Roxanne sets herself to the task of writing the postmortem adventures of “Cyrano on the Moon” with the help of two Nuns. On the Moon, Cyrano battles the embodiments of vice, compromise, and all of Cyrano's old enemies with the help of his old friend and rival Christian. As scenes shift back and forth between the surface of the Moon and the convent’s small chamber, the two worlds begin to collide, and the three women take turns entering the world of Cyrano's adventures and question him about life and love.
  • EDGAR ALLAN POE'S THE MASQUE OF THE RED DEATH by Monica Cross
    Recommendations: 7
    ·
    Cast: 
    4–5
    ·
    Genre: adaptation, dark comedy + 1 more
    ·
    Keyword: Red Death, Edgar Allan Poe + 6 more
    Genre: adaptation, dark comedy, horror
    Keyword: Red Death, Edgar Allan Poe, plague, contagion, pandemic, party, death, halloween
    [One Act Horror Comedy]
    Updated Draft 3.24.2022
    While secluded in an isolated abbey in the midst of a brutal and deadly plague, Prince Prospero throws a Masquerade Ball for a thousand of his closest friends. Two friends stand at one end of the great gathering watching and commenting on those that pass by. But when an unidentifiable guest shows up in a mask of particularly poor taste given the...
    [One Act Horror Comedy]
    Updated Draft 3.24.2022
    While secluded in an isolated abbey in the midst of a brutal and deadly plague, Prince Prospero throws a Masquerade Ball for a thousand of his closest friends. Two friends stand at one end of the great gathering watching and commenting on those that pass by. But when an unidentifiable guest shows up in a mask of particularly poor taste given the occasion and the circumstances, the entire party is thrown into an uproar. The friends are shaken, Prince Prospero rages, and the Red Death descends upon them all.
  • LADY M'S CHRISTMAS by Monica Cross
    Recommendations: 5
    ·
    Cast: 
    4
    ·
    Genre: adaptation, comedy + 4 more
    ·
    Keyword: Shakespeare Adaptations, christmas + 5 more
    Genre: adaptation, comedy, dark comedy, holiday, parody/spoof, period
    Keyword: Shakespeare Adaptations, christmas, Macbeth, Christmas tree, ghosts, marriage problems, alternative Christmas
    [One-Act Christmas Comedy]
    It's Christmas in Dunsinane, and Mac and Lady are celebrating their first (and only?) Christmas as King and Queen. But Mac can't seem to get a pesky ghost to leave him alone, and in a desperate attempt at normalcy, Lady M has decided to through a feast on Christmas Eve. The whole castle is buzzing, but is it with Christmas cheer?
  • THE 13TH CRIME by Monica Cross
    Recommendations: 10
    ·
    Cast: 
    3
    ·
    Genre: comedy, dark comedy + 7 more
    ·
    Keyword: Father Christmas, Saint Nicholas + 3 more
    Genre: comedy, dark comedy, fable/folktale, faith-based, fantasy, holiday, parody/spoof, political, satire
    Keyword: Father Christmas, Saint Nicholas, Santa Claus, Figgy Pudding, Spirit of Christmas
    [Ten-Minute Christmas Play]
    Saint Nicholas and Father Christmas have gone on a crime spree to undermine the Consumerism that has taken over Christmas (one mission for each of 12 days of Christmas) but when they run into Santa Claus in the early morning hours on the day of Epiphany, they decide to commit one more crime... in the spirit of Christmas, of course!

    Written as part of the Secret...
    [Ten-Minute Christmas Play]
    Saint Nicholas and Father Christmas have gone on a crime spree to undermine the Consumerism that has taken over Christmas (one mission for each of 12 days of Christmas) but when they run into Santa Claus in the early morning hours on the day of Epiphany, they decide to commit one more crime... in the spirit of Christmas, of course!

    Written as part of the Secret Santa Title Exchange challenge through Playwrights Thriving. The title "13th Chime" was gifted to me by Steven G. Martin. However, through a typo, I received the "13th Crime," for which error I am amused and delight.
  • A BAD CONNECTION by Monica Cross
    Recommendations: 8
    ·
    Cast: 
    2–3
    ·
    Genre: drama, science fiction
    ·
    Keyword: Robots, Science Based + 3 more
    Genre: drama, science fiction
    Keyword: Robots, Science Based, Near Future Technology, loneliness, bad breakups
    [Ten-Minute Play, set in the near future]
    Freshman Jenna is struggling in College Algebra, but also in her personal life. Living alone in her Apartment is making it hard to connect with others. But when the robot that is suppose to keep her connected to her friends connects her instead with her ex, things go from bad to worse.
  • THE BALLAD OF HELLELIL AND HILDEBRAND by Monica Cross
    Recommendations: 2
    ·
    Cast: 
    2
    ·
    Genre: adaptation, docudrama/historic + 4 more
    ·
    Keyword: knights, forbidden love + 2 more
    Genre: adaptation, docudrama/historic, drama, fable/folktale, opera, verse
    Keyword: knights, forbidden love, based on a work of art, Hellelil and Hildebrand
    [A 10-minute play in Ballad Stanza]
    Inspired by Hellelil and Hildebrand, the Meeting on the Turret Stairs by Frederic William Burton
    Hellelil has fallen in love with Hildebrand, a knight in her father's employ, but her father is furious upon finding out, and sends Hellelil's eight brothers to kill Hildebrand. Hellelil urges Hildebrand to escape, but he chooses to face her brothers head...
    [A 10-minute play in Ballad Stanza]
    Inspired by Hellelil and Hildebrand, the Meeting on the Turret Stairs by Frederic William Burton
    Hellelil has fallen in love with Hildebrand, a knight in her father's employ, but her father is furious upon finding out, and sends Hellelil's eight brothers to kill Hildebrand. Hellelil urges Hildebrand to escape, but he chooses to face her brothers head on, ultimately dooming them all.
  • THE BEGINNING OF EVERYTHING by Monica Cross
    Recommendations: 17
    ·
    Cast: 
    2
    ·
    Genre: drama, science fiction + 1 more
    ·
    Keyword: isolation, immortality + 6 more
    Genre: drama, science fiction, zoom
    Keyword: isolation, immortality, aging, death, space travel, humanity, human condition, starting over
    [Ten-minute Science Fiction Play]
    Also, adapted for zoom. Contact playwright for Zoom Edition.
    Cindi and Dell are on an important mission to find a planet on which to scatter the seeds of humanity and foster a new civilization. But they’ve been out in space longer than anyone anticipated. On Cindi’s 400th birthday, they stand on the Observation Deck, just a thin stasis barrier between them and...
    [Ten-minute Science Fiction Play]
    Also, adapted for zoom. Contact playwright for Zoom Edition.
    Cindi and Dell are on an important mission to find a planet on which to scatter the seeds of humanity and foster a new civilization. But they’ve been out in space longer than anyone anticipated. On Cindi’s 400th birthday, they stand on the Observation Deck, just a thin stasis barrier between them and the void of space. Cindi holds all that is left of humanity in a small box. Dell tries to keep them on mission as the two fight over the container and the meaning of life itself.
  • BOXING DAY, 1835 by Monica Cross
    Recommendations: 7
    ·
    Cast: 
    2
    ·
    Genre: drama, holiday + 1 more
    ·
    Keyword: Factory workers, family + 5 more
    Genre: drama, holiday, period
    Keyword: Factory workers, family, christmas, boxing day, Sisters, death, Victorian era
    [10-Minute Historical Drama)
    The day after Christmas, Tam, who has been working as maid in a fine house, comes home to bring a gift to her younger sister, Gabby. But the relationship is strained and recent events have bred resentment.

    Written as part of the Secret Santa Title Exchange challenge through Playwrights Thriving. The title "Boxing Day" was gifted to me by Dominica Plummer.
  • BY THE NEON LIGHTS OF THE TACO BELL SIGN by Monica Cross
    Recommendations: 12
    ·
    Cast: 
    3
    ·
    Genre: comedy, drama + 1 more
    ·
    Keyword: Taco Bell, stress + 6 more
    Genre: comedy, drama, fantasy
    Keyword: Taco Bell, stress, Pocket Change, college students, Nacho Cheese, Crunchwrap Supreme, magical realism, site specific
    [Ten-Minute Drama]
    Ginna and Chrissy make a late night run to Taco Bell. As Chrissy uses loose change to grab the grub, Ginna has a chance encounter with Trinity, who bums a cigarette and offers some advice, the kind of advice one can only get outside a Taco Bell late at night.
  • THE CASE OF THE STOLEN MOON by Monica Cross
    Recommendations: 3
    ·
    Cast: 
    2
    ·
    Genre: fantasy, science fiction
    ·
    Keyword: moon, noir + 4 more
    Genre: fantasy, science fiction
    Keyword: moon, noir, detective, female detective, scifi, soft scifi
    [10-Minute Sci-fi Noir play]
    The littlest moon on Mythos IV has been stolen and Holland Rush, P.I., has been tasked with tracking it down. This has lead her to the office of childhood friend Angelix, the CEO of Galactic Tides. There they rehash their old friendship as they uncover a deeper secret about the missing moon.
  • DOUBLE-CROSS-DRESSING by Monica Cross
    Recommendations: 6
    ·
    Cast: 
    2
    ·
    Genre: adaptation, comedy + 4 more
    ·
    Keyword: As You Like It, based on Shakespearean characters + 7 more
    Genre: adaptation, comedy, drama, period, romantic comedy, verse
    Keyword: As You Like It, based on Shakespearean characters, based on Shakespeare, sequel, Forest of Arden, Orlando, Rosalind, cross dressing, marriage
    [Ten-Minute Verse Play]
    Five years after the events of William Shakespeare's As You Like It, Orlando finds himself in the Forest of Arden once more... and in a dress. Both husband and wife don their disguises, in the hopes of truly finding themselves and each other.
  • ERRATA by Monica Cross
    Recommendations: 7
    ·
    Cast: 
    3
    ·
    Genre: dark comedy, science fiction
    ·
    Keyword: science fiction, thermodynamics + 8 more
    Genre: dark comedy, science fiction
    Keyword: science fiction, thermodynamics, Heat death of the Universe, Mircoblackhole, Destruction of the Earth, Centauri System, Milky Way, actors, corrections, dramaturgy
    [10-minute Science Fiction Play]
    In the Far Future, a Galactic Dramaturg presents a selection of the work by Earth Dramatist Ted Moniker.

    Written for National Science Fiction Day 2023.
  • EYES OF PUREST GOLD by Monica Cross
    Recommendations: 5
    ·
    Cast: 
    5–7
    ·
    Genre: horror
    ·
    Keyword: horror, pregnancy + 5 more
    Genre: horror
    Keyword: horror, pregnancy, Birth, delivery, Queen Elizabeth, monstrous, baby
    [10-minute horror play]
    A father rushes to the hospital room where his wife has just given birth. A student gives a book report on the play we are watching. The Father finds something unsettling about the newborn. A student gives a history lesson on an "alleged mother of a cat." Queen Elizabeth I demands the child be raised in her court. A student presents a science fair project about...
    [10-minute horror play]
    A father rushes to the hospital room where his wife has just given birth. A student gives a book report on the play we are watching. The Father finds something unsettling about the newborn. A student gives a history lesson on an "alleged mother of a cat." Queen Elizabeth I demands the child be raised in her court. A student presents a science fair project about identifying precious metals. A mother wakes up.

    Content Disclosure: This play deals with “monstrous births.”
  • GROWTH IN ISOLATION by Monica Cross
    Recommendations: 16
    ·
    Cast: 
    2
    ·
    Genre: drama, fantasy + 1 more
    ·
    Keyword: peach, isolation + 7 more
    Genre: drama, fantasy, zoom
    Keyword: peach, isolation, magical realism, long distance relationship, Video Chat, zoom, breakup, personal growth, millennials
    [Ten-minute Play for Zoom]
    Written for the Quarantine Playwriting Bake-Off, Round 3.
    Kallie and Ryan have spent the last five months apart. Ever since Kallie moved across the country for a new job, Ryan has been struggling with the changes brought on by being alone. Ryan has sent Kallie a peach he has grown himself, and they finally have a chance to Video Chat, but things do not go as smoothly...
    [Ten-minute Play for Zoom]
    Written for the Quarantine Playwriting Bake-Off, Round 3.
    Kallie and Ryan have spent the last five months apart. Ever since Kallie moved across the country for a new job, Ryan has been struggling with the changes brought on by being alone. Ryan has sent Kallie a peach he has grown himself, and they finally have a chance to Video Chat, but things do not go as smoothly as either hope. This ten-minute play designed for video performance asks the question: how much of a change is too much for a relationship to withstand?
  • ON ROBOTS AND RAINDROPS by Monica Cross
    Recommendations: 13
    ·
    Cast: 
    2
    ·
    Genre: drama, science fiction + 1 more
    ·
    Keyword: Robots, Lesbian + 5 more
    Genre: drama, science fiction, zoom
    Keyword: Robots, Lesbian, growing old, loneliness, poetry, Shakespeare, memory
    [Ten-Minute Play, set in the near future]
    Billy, a woman of retirement age, has been prescribed a in-home companion robot to keep her company. She begrudging to admit she needs any companionship, but as she tries to figure out how her new robot friend works, she finds that maybe she would like some company after all.
  • OPEN MIC AT THE BISTRO BAR by Monica Cross
    Recommendations: 5
    ·
    Cast: 
    3
    ·
    Genre: comedy
    ·
    Keyword: Open Mic, Aardvark + 2 more
    Genre: comedy
    Keyword: Open Mic, Aardvark, play with music, play with songs
    [Ten-Minute Comedy]
    Phil has a new song to share at the Open Mic night. Only problem is, it's actually Sheila's song.
  • THE SALT-FILLED PATH by Monica Cross
    Recommendations: 5
    ·
    Cast: 
    2
    ·
    Genre: fable/folktale, fantasy + 2 more
    ·
    Keyword: Slug, Fairy + 8 more
    Genre: fable/folktale, fantasy, verse, young audiences
    Keyword: Slug, Fairy, Tadpole, A fairy tale, salt, Problem Solving, Moral, Lesson, adventure, children
    [A Ten-Minute Children's Play in Verse]
    Lou (a slug), Pollywog (a tadpole), and Phil (a fearie creature) are going on a trip. But there seems to be some debate on who is actually doing the most work. When they come across big puddles of saltwater in the path, Lou is desperate for Phil's help, but simply charting a path out of salty mire is not possible. Phil must get to the root cause of the...
    [A Ten-Minute Children's Play in Verse]
    Lou (a slug), Pollywog (a tadpole), and Phil (a fearie creature) are going on a trip. But there seems to be some debate on who is actually doing the most work. When they come across big puddles of saltwater in the path, Lou is desperate for Phil's help, but simply charting a path out of salty mire is not possible. Phil must get to the root cause of the problem in order to save Lou from a salty demise!
  • THE TIME IS OUT OF JOINT by Monica Cross
    Recommendations: 9
    ·
    Cast: 
    2
    ·
    Genre: comedy, fantasy + 1 more
    ·
    Keyword: science, physics + 6 more
    Genre: comedy, fantasy, science fiction
    Keyword: science, physics, fourth wall, dramatic theory, time, laboratory, experimental, female scientist
    [Ten-Minute Play]
    Two scientists attempt to understand the nature of their own particular dramatic world with quantifiable evidence collected with the help of the audience.
  • BRADEN THE BURGLAR: A CAUTIONARY TALE FOR LIARS AND THIEVES by Monica Cross
    Recommendations: 2
    ·
    Cast: 
    2
    ·
    Genre: horror
    ·
    Keyword: horror, lies
    Genre: horror
    Keyword: horror, lies
    [10-Minute Horror Play in Verse]
    Braden has broken into a shop on a street of abandoned buildings, but unfortunately this one wasn't abandoned. Wilma was there to defend her property, and now she wants answers as to why Braden has broken into her place.

    Content Warning: Guns, Violence, Murder, Festering wounds, Death.
  • ... IN REFRIGERATORS by Monica Cross
    Recommendations: 16
    ·
    Cast: 
    2
    ·
    Genre: dark comedy, horror + 2 more
    ·
    Keyword: women in refrigerators, poorly written female characters + 4 more
    Genre: dark comedy, horror, parody/spoof, zoom
    Keyword: women in refrigerators, poorly written female characters, revenge horror, refrigerators, Cons, slinkies
    [Five-Minute Horror Comedy]
    A man wakes up in a Refrigerator, tied to a rack with tangled slinkies. There is a voice. And it is very cold.
  • GUILTY by Monica Cross
    Recommendations: 10
    ·
    Cast: 
    2–3
    ·
    Genre: comedy, dark comedy
    ·
    Keyword: Diet Culture, guilt + 2 more
    Genre: comedy, dark comedy
    Keyword: Diet Culture, guilt, Chocolate Cake, murder
    [A 5-Minute Comedy about Diet Culture]

    Content warnings: calorie counting, diet culture, and death.

    Sandra is feeling guilty about cake. Kim is feeling guilty about something else.
  • A HUG FOR MATTHEW WEAVER by Monica Cross
    Recommendations: 4
    ·
    Cast: 
    3
    ·
    Genre: experimental
    ·
    Keyword: Matthew Weaver, autobiography + 2 more
    Genre: experimental
    Keyword: Matthew Weaver, autobiography, dreams, self-aware characters
    [Five-minute Sketch in honor of Matthew Weaver]
    A young playwright wishes to return the encouragement that Matthew Weaver has given them.
  • A PLAY FOR LARRY RINKEL by Monica Cross
    Recommendations: 2
    ·
    Cast: 
    2
    ·
    Genre: biography, drama
    ·
    Keyword: Larry Rinkel, Metadrama + 1 more
    Genre: biography, drama
    Keyword: Larry Rinkel, Metadrama, birthday
    [One-minute Metadrama]
    This is a birthday play for Larry Rinkel in response to his Birthday play for Matthew Weaver: A PLAY (NOT ONLY) ABOUT MATTHEW WEAVER by Larry Rinkel. Two characters discuss the impending birthday of Larry Rinkel
  • RED PEN, GREEN INK by Monica Cross
    Recommendations: 7
    ·
    Cast: 
    2
    ·
    Genre: drama
    ·
    Keyword: homework, 3rd grade + 2 more
    Genre: drama
    Keyword: homework, 3rd grade, friendship, ADHD
    [5-minute play for children]
    Kayla has gotten a perfect score on her math homework, Danny didn't even turn it in. A simple question about the homework puts a strain on their friendship.

    Written as part of the Secret Santa Title Exchange challenge through Playwrights Thriving. The title "Red Pen, Green Ink" was gifted to me by Colette Murphy.
  • KING NOW by Monica Cross
    Recommendations: 12
    ·
    Cast: 
    2
    ·
    Genre: adaptation, dark comedy + 3 more
    ·
    Keyword: Richard III, two princes + 2 more
    Genre: adaptation, dark comedy, docudrama/historic, drama, period
    Keyword: Richard III, two princes, children, locked in the tower
    [Two-Minute Sketch]
    Richard has locked the boys in the tower. As they settle into their uncomfortable surroundings, the boys discuss succession.
  • I'VE GOT THIS by Monica Cross
    Recommendations: 8
    ·
    Cast: 
    2
    ·
    Genre: comedy, dark comedy
    ·
    Keyword: animals, city life + 3 more
    Genre: comedy, dark comedy
    Keyword: animals, city life, playing dead, Possum, squirrel
    [One-Minute Comedy]
    Squirrel has just lived through a traumatic near-collision with a car, and wants nothing more than to share this experience with Possum, but to Squirrel's dismay, Possum seems unphased by the tale.
  • NOT EXACTLY HOW I REMEMBERED IT by Monica Cross
    Recommendations: 2
    ·
    Cast: 
    2
    ·
    Genre: drama
    ·
    Keyword: mom, Childhood + 5 more
    Genre: drama
    Keyword: mom, Childhood, reading, Batman, Parenting, long lost toys, favorite books
    [One-minute Drama]
    Jude's mom returns a box of his childhood things. This leads to a few new discoveries.
  • THE PANTHEON WARS: THE DEATH OF DEATH by Monica Cross
    Recommendations: 3
    ·
    Cast: 
    2
    ·
    Genre: drama, fable/folktale + 1 more
    ·
    Keyword: Hades, Pluto + 5 more
    Genre: drama, fable/folktale, fantasy
    Keyword: Hades, Pluto, underworld, Charon, Roman Pantheon, Greek Pantheon, death
    [One-Minute Drama]
    Part of The Pantheon Wars series
    Hades awaits Pluto in the underworld. Pluto needs to destroy Hades to take over. But the conversation between the old God of Death and the New is something neither of them really expected.
  • THE PANTHEON WARS: DECLARATION by Monica Cross
    Recommendations: 5
    ·
    Cast: 
    2
    ·
    Genre: dark comedy, drama + 1 more
    ·
    Keyword: Messenger of the Gods, Hermes + 6 more
    Genre: dark comedy, drama, fable/folktale
    Keyword: Messenger of the Gods, Hermes, Mercury, Roman Pantheon, Greek Pantheon, poison, death, Declaration of War
    [One-Minute Drama]
    Part of The Pantheon Wars series
    The war between the Pantheons had to start somewhere. Find out exactly how it happened, as Mercury delivers the Declaration of War to Hermes.
  • THE PANTHEON WARS: GET IT OVER WITH by Monica Cross
    Recommendations: 3
    ·
    Cast: 
    2
    ·
    Genre: comedy, dark comedy + 2 more
    ·
    Keyword: Vulcan, Hephaestus + 5 more
    Genre: comedy, dark comedy, fable/folktale, fantasy
    Keyword: Vulcan, Hephaestus, Roman Pantheon, Greek Pantheon, stage combat, fight to the death, hammers
    [One-Minute Comedy]
    Part of The Pantheon Wars series
    Vulcan is surprised by Hepheastus's reaction when the Roman God comes to destroy his Greek counterpart.
  • THE PANTHEON WARS: LOVE LIFE by Monica Cross
    Recommendations: 6
    ·
    Cast: 
    2
    ·
    Genre: adaptation, dark comedy + 3 more
    ·
    Keyword: venus, aphrodite + 4 more
    Genre: adaptation, dark comedy, drama, fable/folktale, fantasy
    Keyword: venus, aphrodite, Goddess of Love, Roman Pantheon, Greek Pantheon, bondage
    [One-Minute Drama]
    Part of The Pantheon Wars series
    This one minute play features an exchange between Venus and Aphrodite. With the Greek pantheon on the way out and the Roman pantheon on the way in, there is not enough room in the universe for two Goddesses of Love.
  • THE PANTHEON WARS: THE JUPITER TRILOGY by Monica Cross
    Recommendations: 2
    ·
    Cast: 
    4
    ·
    Genre: comedy, dark comedy + 2 more
    ·
    Keyword: Juno, Hera + 6 more
    Genre: comedy, dark comedy, fable/folktale, fantasy
    Keyword: Juno, Hera, Jupiter, Zeus, Roman Pantheon, Greek Pantheon, domestic conflict, stage combat
    [A Short Play in Three Parts]
    Part of The Pantheon Wars series
    The Jupiter Trilogy is three one minute plays designed to be performed together: DOUBLE TROUBLE, THE SAME TO ME, and BY JUPITER!
    Juno comes to kill Hera but initially finds Zeus instead. When Hera arrives Juno and Hera begin bickering with Zeus rather than killing each other. When Jupiter arrives the domestic dispute only grows.
  • THE PANTHEON WARS: LATE TO THE PARTY by Monica Cross
    Recommendations: 5
    ·
    Cast: 
    3
    ·
    Genre: comedy, dark comedy + 2 more
    ·
    Keyword: Dionysus, Mercury + 5 more
    Genre: comedy, dark comedy, fable/folktale, fantasy
    Keyword: Dionysus, Mercury, Roman Pantheon, Greek Pantheon, partying, drinking, wine
    [One-Minute Comedy]
    Part of The Pantheon Wars series
    Mercury is sent to find the the missing Bacchus, only to discover Bacchus has been partying with the person he was sent to kill.
  • THE PANTHEON WARS: WHAT'S IT GOOD FOR? by Monica Cross
    Recommendations: 5
    ·
    Cast: 
    2
    ·
    Genre: adaptation, drama + 3 more
    ·
    Keyword: Greek Pantheon, Roman Pantheon + 6 more
    Genre: adaptation, drama, fable/folktale, fantasy, movement/physical
    Keyword: Greek Pantheon, Roman Pantheon, war, Ares, Mars, combat, sword fighting, death
    [One-Minute Drama]
    Part of The Pantheon Wars series
    Ares and Mars fight over who should be the ultimate God of War.
  • THE PANTHEON WARS: WISDOM IN WAR by Monica Cross
    Recommendations: 2
    ·
    Cast: 
    2
    ·
    Genre: adaptation, drama + 2 more
    ·
    Keyword: Athena, Minerva + 7 more
    Genre: adaptation, drama, fable/folktale, fantasy
    Keyword: Athena, Minerva, Greek Pantheon, Roman Pantheon, war, wisdom, Household goods, combat, Sword fighting.
    [One-Minute Drama]
    Part of The Pantheon Wars series
    Athena and Minerva have a very wise conversation.
  • A SHOWER OF METEORITES by Monica Cross
    Recommendations: 4
    ·
    Cast: 
    2
    ·
    Genre: comedy, dark comedy + 1 more
    ·
    Keyword: Meteors, Meteorites + 4 more
    Genre: comedy, dark comedy, faith-based
    Keyword: Meteors, Meteorites, Meteor shower, Defying expectations, shower, Star gazing
    [One-Minute Play]
    Sally and Fanny are meeting in a field to watch a Meteor Shower. But each one has a very different idea of what they want to get out of the experience.
  • TO BRING YOU JOY by Monica Cross
    Recommendations: 6
    ·
    Cast: 
    2
    ·
    Genre: drama, fantasy + 1 more
    ·
    Keyword: joy, gifts + 5 more
    Genre: drama, fantasy, science fiction
    Keyword: joy, gifts, first contact, aliens, outer space, diplomacy, negotiation
    [One-Minute Science Fiction Play]
    Two Aliens meet on a deserted planet. A first contact.
  • TO TOUCH by Monica Cross
    Recommendations: 8
    ·
    Cast: 
    2
    ·
    Genre: drama
    ·
    Keyword: coronavirus, Covid-19 + 4 more
    Genre: drama
    Keyword: coronavirus, Covid-19, illness, isolation, Quarantine, Touching
    [One-Minute Drama]
    Written for The Coronavirus Play Project by The One-Minute Play Festival, To Touch explores comfort and isolation.
  • THE WARSHIP WATERLOO by Monica Cross
    Recommendations: 7
    ·
    Cast: 
    3
    ·
    Genre: comedy, science fiction
    ·
    Keyword: scifi, Space opera + 4 more
    Genre: comedy, science fiction
    Keyword: scifi, Space opera, Waterloo, Xanadu, Utopia, Whiskey
    [One-Minutes Sci-fi Play]
    Written for the Whiskey Theatre Factory One-Minute Play Competition.

    The Warship Waterloo seeks sanctuary at the Utopian Space Station, XANADU. But XANADU has a strict law that no warships are allowed in Xanadu space. Can the Captain of the Waterloo convince them to take in his ship?
  • IN CONVERSATION WITH CATERPILLARS - a monologue by Monica Cross
    Recommendations: 3
    ·
    Cast: 
    1
    ·
    Genre: comedy, dark comedy + 1 more
    ·
    Keyword: Caterpillars, Milkweed + 5 more
    Genre: comedy, dark comedy, zoom
    Keyword: Caterpillars, Milkweed, Toxic plants, poison, Poisonous, Nurturing, growth
    [Monologue]
    Carly is trying so hard to foster a new batch of caterpillars. But... maybe she is a little over eager.
  • DO YOU WANT TO BE A MERMAID? - a monologue by Monica Cross
    Recommendations: 1
    ·
    Cast: 
    1
    ·
    Genre: drama, fantasy
    ·
    Keyword: mermaids, Monofin + 5 more
    Genre: drama, fantasy
    Keyword: mermaids, Monofin, magic, self confidence, Self-Expression, self-esteem, monologue
    [Monologue]
    Janine spies a woman at an arts festival and approaches her about an unlikely opportunity.
  • FORGETFULLY YOURS - a monologue by Monica Cross
    Recommendations: 5
    ·
    Cast: 
    1
    ·
    Genre: romantic comedy
    ·
    Keyword: ADHD, dating + 1 more
    Genre: romantic comedy
    Keyword: ADHD, dating, online dating
    [Monologue]
    Morgan has had a great time on this date, the first date in a long time. Morgan tries to explain how this date has been so impactful. Hint: It has to do with ADHD.
  • KRAMPUS MY STYLE - a monologue by Monica Cross
    Recommendations: 12
    ·
    Cast: 
    1
    ·
    Genre: comedy, holiday
    ·
    Keyword: Krampus, alternative Christmas + 1 more
    Genre: comedy, holiday
    Keyword: Krampus, alternative Christmas, eating cookies and milk
    [Monologue]
    It's December fifth, Krampusnacht, but Krampus has no where to go.
  • A LITTLE LITERARY ANALYSIS - a monologue by Monica Cross
    Recommendations: 8
    ·
    Cast: 
    1
    ·
    Genre: comedy
    ·
    Keyword: Sonnet 116, wedding + 7 more
    Genre: comedy
    Keyword: Sonnet 116, wedding, Wedding toast, monologue, Sappho, Shakespeare, Maid of Honor, bridesmaids, best man
    [Monologue]
    Wendy is Gabby's Maid of Honor, and she has taken issue with Chad's Best Man speech. So before Chad goes on to ruin Gabby and Frank's wedding, Wendy is going to do something about it.
  • RESPECT THE NOSE -a monologue by Monica Cross
    Recommendations: 9
    ·
    Cast: 
    1
    ·
    Genre: comedy, dark comedy
    ·
    Keyword: clowns, mime + 3 more
    Genre: comedy, dark comedy
    Keyword: clowns, mime, Emily Dickinson, physical comedy, juggling
    [Monologue]
    Content: Clowns
    There are some common misconceptions about clowns, but Cozymittens is going to clear a few things up.
  • "SHE REPELS MY LETTERS" from WONDER OF OUR STAGE - a monogue by Monica Cross
    Cast: 
    1
    ·
    Genre: docudrama/historic, drama + 2 more
    ·
    Keyword: monologue, Men over 60 + 2 more
    Genre: docudrama/historic, drama, fantasy, science fiction
    Keyword: monologue, Men over 60, John Dee, Shakespeare
    [Monologue]
    John Dee's Monologue from WONDER OF OUR STAGE
    Published in The Best Men's Stage Monologues 2024
  • SWEET ZOMBIE JESUS -a monologue by Monica Cross
    Recommendations: 4
    ·
    Cast: 
    1
    ·
    Genre: comedy, dark comedy + 2 more
    ·
    Keyword: Jesus, Jesus Christ + 8 more
    Genre: comedy, dark comedy, faith-based, zoom
    Keyword: Jesus, Jesus Christ, Mary (mother of Jesus), zombies, no seriously zombies, dreams and nightmares, dreams, mechanics, Dream logic, priest
    [Monologue]
    There was a dream that feels like more than a nightmare. But the interpretation of the dream may be more than expected.
  • SLEEPING BEAUTY ISN'T GOING TO SAVE YOU by Monica Cross
    Recommendations: 3
    ·
    Cast: 
    7
    ·
    Genre: adventure, drama + 2 more
    ·
    Keyword: Fairytales, fairytale + 8 more
    Genre: adventure, drama, fantasy, science fiction
    Keyword: Fairytales, fairytale, apocalypse, post-apocalyptic, snow white, Sleeping Beauty, Fairy tale princess, cyberpunk, stage combat for women, stage combat
    [Full-Length Sci-fi/Fantasy]
    While scavenging for old world technology that can be used to buy their way into the supposedly Utopian fortress, known only as the City, a group of women unearth a cryogenic chamber containing the sole living person from the pre-apocalyptic world. They believe her to be Sleeping Beauty, who has become a religious icon in their society, but when they accidentally bring her...
    [Full-Length Sci-fi/Fantasy]
    While scavenging for old world technology that can be used to buy their way into the supposedly Utopian fortress, known only as the City, a group of women unearth a cryogenic chamber containing the sole living person from the pre-apocalyptic world. They believe her to be Sleeping Beauty, who has become a religious icon in their society, but when they accidentally bring her out of centuries of frozen slumber, she is not at all what they expect.
  • THIS IS AND IS NOT CRESSID by Monica Cross
    Cast: 
    7–9
    ·
    Genre: adaptation
    ·
    Keyword: Troilus and Cressida, based on Shakespeare + 5 more
    Genre: adaptation
    Keyword: Troilus and Cressida, based on Shakespeare, Women's point of view, Trojan War, Fall of Troy, feminist retelling, trial
    Script coming soon.

    CW: Mentions of death, Blood, Mentions of sexual harrassment and assault, Mentions of sexually transmitted diseases, War, and Misogyny

    Hector is dead, and Hecuba wants someone to blame. All eyes look to blame the beauty whose face launched a thousand ships: Helen. She, in order to save her own skin, offers Cressida as the reason for Troilus’s recent wild...
    Script coming soon.

    CW: Mentions of death, Blood, Mentions of sexual harrassment and assault, Mentions of sexually transmitted diseases, War, and Misogyny

    Hector is dead, and Hecuba wants someone to blame. All eyes look to blame the beauty whose face launched a thousand ships: Helen. She, in order to save her own skin, offers Cressida as the reason for Troilus’s recent wild behavior. Helen suggests that Hector’s death is a direct result of Troilus’s recklessness. Cressida is dragged from the Grecian camp back to Troy to face a reckoning in the court of public opinion. This trial of sorts is the focus of everyone but Cassandra, who tries to direct attention to the giant wooden horse that looms at the city gates. Heedless of Cassandra’s warnings, Hecuba, Andromache, and Helen gang up on Cressida to teach her the duty women owe their men. Cressida makes her defense while Troy crumbles around her.