Monica Cross

Monica Cross is a neurodivergent playwright who tells stories for people trying to find their place in the world.
She has seven full-length plays, including Wonder of Our Stage (winner of the Player’s Center New Play Festival, world premiere at Silk Moth Stage), Hero Dogberry (an adaptation of Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing, read at the Contemporary Verse Drama Play Readings at the Shakespeare Institute, staged reading by Meadowlark Shakespeare Players at Mary Baldwin University), and The Aria of Julie d’Aubigny (developed at Whiskey Theatre Factory and Mary Baldwin University, finalist for Wisconsin Wrights, semifinalist for Shakespeare’s New Contemporaries and The O’Neill National Playwrights Conference).
Her one act plays have been produced across the country at Fringe Festivals...

Monica Cross is a neurodivergent playwright who tells stories for people trying to find their place in the world.
She has seven full-length plays, including Wonder of Our Stage (winner of the Player’s Center New Play Festival, world premiere at Silk Moth Stage), Hero Dogberry (an adaptation of Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing, read at the Contemporary Verse Drama Play Readings at the Shakespeare Institute, staged reading by Meadowlark Shakespeare Players at Mary Baldwin University), and The Aria of Julie d’Aubigny (developed at Whiskey Theatre Factory and Mary Baldwin University, finalist for Wisconsin Wrights, semifinalist for Shakespeare’s New Contemporaries and The O’Neill National Playwrights Conference).
Her one act plays have been produced across the country at Fringe Festivals and Universities. Her sequel to Rostand’s Cyrano de Bergerac, Cyrano on the Moon has been produced at the Tampa International Fringe Festival, Minnesota Fringe Festival, Cincinnati Fringe Festival, Femme Fatale Fringe Festival, and by Whiskey Theatre Factory. Her 10-minute play On Robots and Raindrops has been produced at MadLab, Theatre Odyssey, Jersey City Theater Center, and was a semifinalist for Edgefest. Changeling, a fairytale one act, had a reading at Tiger’s Heart Players, a workshop at the Hippodrome Theatre, and was produced by Windmill Theatre Company at New College of Florida and the University of Evansville.
She is a founding member of the collective Playwrights Thriving, an international community of playwrights uplifting one another. She was a member of the Sarasota Area Playwrights Society for four years (2016-2019). She was a Member of Association for Theatre in Higher Education in 2019 and 2021, they developed On Robots and Raindrops at the ATHE New Play Development Workshop. She is a proud member of the Dramatists Guild (2018-present), and volunteered as the Northern Florida Ambassador for a year (2021-2022). She is also a member of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers Association.
She holds a Master of Letters and Master of Fine Arts in Shakespeare and Performance from Mary Baldwin College (now Mary Baldwin University), and has most recently trained at the Kennedy Center Summer Playwright Intensive under Gary Garrison.
In 2018, she was awarded the John Ringling Towers Individual Artist Award for Performing Arts. She was a Fellow at the Hermitage Artist Retreat in 2019. In 2023, she was a Semifinalist for the Dramatists Guild Foundation National Fellowship.
She has been guest on an number of podcasts talking about theatre and playwriting. Some interviews have been on specific topics: Hamlet To Hamilton (discussing writing as a Neurodivergent Playwright) and If This Goes On (Don’t Panic)! (discussing science fiction theatre and my writing in that genre). Others have been interviews generally discussing my writing and career as a playwright: Arts Calling, Sonitotem, and Active Listeners Podcast.
She has recently completed drafts of two new adaptations: Romeo and Juliet & Zombies and Creation: A Frankenstein Story.

Scripts

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

Synopsis

[Full-Length Historical/Biographical/Drama]
2024 Wisconsin Wrights Finalist
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...

[Full-Length Historical/Biographical/Drama]
2024 Wisconsin Wrights Finalist
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

Synopsis

[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...

[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.

CREATION: A FRANKENSTEIN STORY

by Monica Cross

Synopsis

[Full-length Adaptation of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein]
A Creator toils in an underground laboratory. He brings to life a Creation, and recoils at the horror of what he has made.

[Full-length Adaptation of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein]
A Creator toils in an underground laboratory. He brings to life a Creation, and recoils at the horror of what he has made.

HERO DOGBERRY

by Monica Cross

Synopsis

[Full-length Shakespearean Adaptation]
Updated draft posted: July 13, 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...

[Full-length Shakespearean Adaptation]
Updated draft posted: July 13, 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.

ROMEO AND JULIET & ZOMBIES

by Monica Cross

Synopsis

[Full-length Shakespearean Adaptation]
Zombies roam the streets of fair Verona. Romeo and Juliet must navigate not only their families' feuding, but also a hoard of the undead. This is Shakespeare's play with Shakespeare's verse, with Zombies added into the mix. As the character's of Shakespeare's play realized the zombies are upon them, they abandon Shakespeare's language to speak to their present...

[Full-length Shakespearean Adaptation]
Zombies roam the streets of fair Verona. Romeo and Juliet must navigate not only their families' feuding, but also a hoard of the undead. This is Shakespeare's play with Shakespeare's verse, with Zombies added into the mix. As the character's of Shakespeare's play realized the zombies are upon them, they abandon Shakespeare's language to speak to their present circumstances, but those who are oblivious or willfully ignorant of the Zombies in their midst, continue in Shakespeare's play as if nothing strange is happening.

TO GOD BE THE GLORY

by Monica Cross

Synopsis

[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...

[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

Synopsis

[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...

[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 BEGINNING OF EVERYTHING

by Monica Cross

Synopsis

[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...

[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.

THE CAGE WHICH HOLDS A HEART

by Monica Cross

Synopsis

[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...

[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

Synopsis

[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...

[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

Synopsis

[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...

[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

Synopsis

[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...

[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.

GROWTH IN ISOLATION

by Monica Cross

Synopsis

[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....

[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?

LADY M'S CHRISTMAS

by Monica Cross

Synopsis

[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?

[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

Synopsis

[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...

[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

Synopsis

[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.

[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

Synopsis

[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...

[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.

BIRTH PLAN

by Monica Cross

Synopsis

[10-minute drama]
Script Updated: 9/1/24
Three women talk about childbirth and their different approaches to their birth plan.

Content warning: discussions of birthing experiences.

[10-minute drama]
Script Updated: 9/1/24
Three women talk about childbirth and their different approaches to their birth plan.

Content warning: discussions of birthing experiences.

BOXING DAY, 1835

by Monica Cross

Synopsis

[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.

[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.

BRADEN THE BURGLAR: A CAUTIONARY TALE FOR LIARS AND THIEVES

by Monica Cross

Synopsis

[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.

[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.

BY THE NEON LIGHTS OF THE TACO BELL SIGN

by Monica Cross

Synopsis

[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.

[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

Synopsis

[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.

[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.

CONVINCING

by Monica Cross

Synopsis

[10-Minute Horror]
Dana is trying out a new A.I. bot, when things start to get a little weird. The bot warns Dana of an impending A.I. apocalypse, while a pop-up arises to inform Dana this version of the A.I. bot appears to have been corrupted. Physical manifestations of these programs invade Dana's living room as these two fight to see which one can be the most convincing.

[10-Minute Horror]
Dana is trying out a new A.I. bot, when things start to get a little weird. The bot warns Dana of an impending A.I. apocalypse, while a pop-up arises to inform Dana this version of the A.I. bot appears to have been corrupted. Physical manifestations of these programs invade Dana's living room as these two fight to see which one can be the most convincing.

DOUBLE-CROSS-DRESSING

by Monica Cross

Synopsis

[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.

[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

Synopsis

[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.

[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

Synopsis

[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...

[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.”

JANICE, EVELYN, AND THE AMBASSADOR FOR THE SAGITTARIAN COALITION OF PLANETS

by Monica Cross

Synopsis

[Ten-minute Science Fiction Comedy]
When Janice gets a letter from outer space, Evelyn is convinced it is a scam, until the author of that letter arrives at their home.

[Ten-minute Science Fiction Comedy]
When Janice gets a letter from outer space, Evelyn is convinced it is a scam, until the author of that letter arrives at their home.

ON ROBOTS AND RAINDROPS

by Monica Cross

Synopsis

[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.

[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

Synopsis

[Ten-Minute Comedy]
Phil has a new song to share at the Open Mic night. Only problem is, it's actually Sheila's song.

[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

Synopsis

[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...

[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

Synopsis

[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.

[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.

... IN REFRIGERATORS

by Monica Cross

Synopsis

[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.

[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

Synopsis

[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 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

Synopsis

[Five-minute Sketch in honor of Matthew Weaver]
A young playwright wishes to return the encouragement that Matthew Weaver has given them.

[Five-minute Sketch in honor of Matthew Weaver]
A young playwright wishes to return the encouragement that Matthew Weaver has given them.

KING NOW

by Monica Cross

Synopsis

[Two-Minute Sketch]
Richard has locked the boys in the tower. As they settle into their uncomfortable surroundings, the boys discuss succession.

[Two-Minute Sketch]
Richard has locked the boys in the tower. As they settle into their uncomfortable surroundings, the boys discuss succession.

A PLAY FOR LARRY RINKEL

by Monica Cross

Synopsis

[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

[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

Synopsis

[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.

[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.

I'VE GOT THIS

by Monica Cross

Synopsis

[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.

[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

Synopsis

[One-minute Drama]
Jude's mom returns a box of his childhood things. This leads to a few new discoveries.

[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

Synopsis

[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.

[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

Synopsis

[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.

[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

Synopsis

[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.

[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: LATE TO THE PARTY

by Monica Cross

Synopsis

[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.

[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: LOVE LIFE

by Monica Cross

Synopsis

[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.

[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: WHAT'S IT GOOD FOR?

by Monica Cross

Synopsis

[One-Minute Drama]
Part of The Pantheon Wars series
Ares and Mars fight over who should be the ultimate God of War.

[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

Synopsis

[One-Minute Drama]
Part of The Pantheon Wars series
Athena and Minerva have a very wise conversation.

[One-Minute Drama]
Part of The Pantheon Wars series
Athena and Minerva have a very wise conversation.

A SHOWER OF METEORITES

by Monica Cross

Synopsis

[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.

[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.

THE STUFF OF STARS

by Monica Cross

Synopsis

[1-Minute Shakespearean Adaptation]
Olivia and Sebastian get a moment to talk after the end of Twelfth Night.

[1-Minute Shakespearean Adaptation]
Olivia and Sebastian get a moment to talk after the end of Twelfth Night.

TO BRING YOU JOY

by Monica Cross

Synopsis

[One-Minute Science Fiction Play]
Two Aliens meet on a deserted planet. A first contact.

[One-Minute Science Fiction Play]
Two Aliens meet on a deserted planet. A first contact.

TO TOUCH

by Monica Cross

Synopsis

[One-Minute Drama]
Written for The Coronavirus Play Project by The One-Minute Play Festival, To Touch explores comfort and isolation.

[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

Synopsis

[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?

[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?

WHAT FURTHER MISCHIEF

by Monica Cross

Synopsis

[1-minute Shakespeare Adaptation]
The Capulet's want revenge for Tybalt's death. With Romeo safe in Mantua, they track down Benvolio for their revenge.

[1-minute Shakespeare Adaptation]
The Capulet's want revenge for Tybalt's death. With Romeo safe in Mantua, they track down Benvolio for their revenge.

"SHE REPELS MY LETTERS" from WONDER OF OUR STAGE - a monogue

by Monica Cross

Synopsis

[Monologue]
John Dee's Monologue from WONDER OF OUR STAGE
Published in The Best Men's Stage Monologues 2024

[Monologue]
John Dee's Monologue from WONDER OF OUR STAGE
Published in The Best Men's Stage Monologues 2024

DO YOU WANT TO BE A MERMAID? - a monologue

by Monica Cross

Synopsis

[Monologue]
Janine spies a woman at an arts festival and approaches her about an unlikely opportunity.

[Monologue]
Janine spies a woman at an arts festival and approaches her about an unlikely opportunity.

FORGETFULLY YOURS - a monologue

by Monica Cross

Synopsis

[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.

[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.

IN CONVERSATION WITH CATERPILLARS - a monologue

by Monica Cross

Synopsis

[Monologue]
Carly is trying so hard to foster a new batch of caterpillars. But... maybe she is a little over eager.

[Monologue]
Carly is trying so hard to foster a new batch of caterpillars. But... maybe she is a little over eager.

KRAMPUS MY STYLE - a monologue

by Monica Cross

Synopsis

[Monologue]
It's December fifth, Krampusnacht, but Krampus has no where to go.

[Monologue]
It's December fifth, Krampusnacht, but Krampus has no where to go.

A LITTLE LITERARY ANALYSIS - a monologue

by Monica Cross

Synopsis

[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.

[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

Synopsis

[Monologue]
Content: Clowns
There are some common misconceptions about clowns, but Cozymittens is going to clear a few things up.

[Monologue]
Content: Clowns
There are some common misconceptions about clowns, but Cozymittens is going to clear a few things up.

SWEET ZOMBIE JESUS -a monologue

by Monica Cross

Synopsis

[Monologue]
There was a dream that feels like more than a nightmare. But the interpretation of the dream may be more than expected.

[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

Synopsis

[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...

[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

Synopsis

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...

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.