Elisabeth Giffin Speckman

*FINALIST, O'NEILL
*FINALIST, HENLEY ROSE AWARD

FULL LENGTH: Clytemnestra never launched a thousand ships, but that doesn't mean she couldn't have.

Clytemnestra has always felt a bit overshadowed, whether by her sister, Helen, her husband, or her children. She often finds solace while alone in her bath, but when her sister's abduction leads to unspeakable events, Clytemnestra's life is forever altered. A modern, feminist exploration of Clytemnestra's tale, Clyt; or, The Bathtub Play is a darkly comedic, lyrical love letter to one of mythology's most misunderstood women.

Wendy awakens to a boy in her bedroom. Not just any boy, but the Peter Pan: the same one as from the stories her mother has told her and her brothers. Only in her mother's stories, Peter lived in Kensington Gardens, not some place called Neverland. Eager to show off, Peter, alongside a reluctant Tinker Bell, guides the Darling children to Neverland where they encounter the Lost Boys, pirates, mermaids, and more. But Wendy soon realizes she might be more ready to grow up than previously thought.

A group of actors meet onstage to put on a play. Transforming the stage and themselves into the locations and characters from A. A. Milne's poetry, they learn about friendship and the power of play.

A whimsical whirlwind of nostalgia, When We Were Very Young: Scenes from the Poetry of A. A. Milne is a celebration of childhood and the bittersweet beauty of growing up.

The year is 1933 and the world has started to feel as if it has "gone mad."

At a country estate in England, a talking White Rabbit approaches a young girl, mistaking her for "Alice." When the girl, Daphne, runs to tell her mother, Evelyn, about the strange and wondrous rabbit, her grandmother overhears.

As it turns out, her grandmother is the Alice in question, and the White Rabbit needs her help. The Queen of Hearts has gone mad again -- worse than before -- and the King of Hearts has disappeared. Vowing to help, Alice, Evelyn, and Daphne go down the rabbit hole to try to set things straight.

Filled with familiar Wonderland and Looking Glass characters, Once Upon an Alice sees three generations of women band together to stand up to tyranny.

A modern day monster play.

Torie Frankenstein has trouble fitting in. She's the only one in her grade who even likes school - especially science - but even so, no one wants to be her lab partner for the big science fair. Torie decides to take some drastic measures to secure both first place in the fair and her classmates' attention, but did she go too far? Will she be able to fix her monster of a problem?

The year is 1992. It is summer.

A group of foster siblings in Ft. Wayne, Indiana, slip into the night with trash bags, what little they own, and a trusty copy of The Boxcar Children. Having learned they are soon to be separated, they decide to take matters into their own hands. Ren and her foster siblings find shelter in what they hope is an abandoned treehouse. They soon discover, however, not everything is what it seems.

A nostalgic nod to pre-teen dreams of freedom, hot and sweaty summers, and the perils of growing up. With an approximate runtime of 50 minutes, Boxcar Kids offers 11 roles for young actors.

*Available from Next Stage Press*

PERFECT FOR FRINGE FESTIVALS!

ONE ACT (approx. 50 min): A modern Cinderella story: in reverse.

Princess Cynthia of Malibu has it all, yet she longs to be "normal." Wouldn't it be wonderful to be unremarkable and forgettable? When the paparazzi break the news about her husband’s foot fetish--he'd been caught forcing women throughout town to try on Cindy's shoes--she seizes her chance and embarks on an adventure to find out who she truly is. Going incognito as Ella, Cindy seeks to prove herself capable without servants and discover what the world outside of celebrity culture really has to offer. Meeting a host of quirky characters while traversing across the Kingdom of California's urban sprawl, Cindy discovers that what she's been craving most has been with her all along.

A one act for young actors.

Part Prince and the Pauper, part Alice in Wonderland, this play is a fun and magical romp into another world full of princesses and stepmothers, cursed beings, the Three Bears, a lion guard, and more.

4 people provide advice 4 words at a time.

Suitable for Zoom.

A man contemplates life, love, and airplane trips while anxiously awaiting the arrival of an old flame after 408 days of being apart.

Three pies sit on a bake sale table.

This play was written as part of a playwriting Title Swap. Title gifted by Miranda Jonte.

Sam and James, having only just met each other, and tired after a long day of driving, enter their hotel room to discover there is only one bed.

FINALIST, HENLEY ROSE AWARD

NEW DRAFT COMING SOON.

FULL LENGTH: Jayne, a lifelong transient, is finally settling down in the small town of Sky, Minnesota, hoping to buy the building that hosts the town’s grocery store, which he manages. Margot, a girl of 14 ½, adopts him as her new companion and confidant. Not used to so much positive attention, Jayne finds himself charmed by her, and Todd, the local police chief, notices. As Jayne and Margot’s friendship grows, it becomes even more complicated when Caleb, a teen looking for the father he never knew, rolls into town and Jayne’s past may finally catch up to him.

A play that explores the subtle and sometimes complicated nature of multi-generational friendships, parenthood, small-town secrets, big-time prejudices, and the fallacy (or not) of memory when alcohol is involved.

Inspired by the New York Times' front page May 24, 2020.

Written for CODE RED PLAYWRIGHTS.

A young man is remembered. He dances along.

A couple wake in separate beds for the first time in seven years. They imagine what the other is doing.

Written for Theatre is the Cure's Artists for Change global virtual event in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

A young mother reflects on her own childhood boundaries and those of her son during the time of coronavirus.

LILLIAN WALD (35) discusses the importance of a new venture with nurse Lina Rogers at Henry Street Settlement.

New mom Claire is less than thrilled with her mother's choice of photo for the family Christmas card.

Available from YouthPLAYS

A play for young actors.

Something strange is afoot at Holmes Jr. High, and it is threatening the end of year festivities. Someone has stolen the Holmes' mascot hound costume and until it is returned, nothing can go on as planned. Jamie Watts, the principal's son, is determined to solve the mystery and enlists fellow students Cheryl Locke, Mary, and Lee Strade to help save the day. A fun, comedic mystery loosely based on everyone's favorite detective.

21 speaking roles.

Hugh, an American researcher on a base in Antarctica, prepares for the day (and days) ahead while in COVID-19 quarantine.

Written in response to a prompt from Theatre is the Cure: Worldwide Theatrical Event.

Amy reflects on her losses and whether ignorance really is bliss after her mother's passing.

Written in response to a prompt from Theatre is the Cure: Worldwide Theatrical Event.

A woman admits she has never met Matthew Weaver.

On their wedding day, TIMOTHY seeks to give KAY the day of her dreams, as best he can, given the circumstances.

Sally, a high school student, uncovers a conspiracy when she is assigned an unknown playwright for a drama class project.

Written as part of the 365 Women a Year: A Playwriting Project's "Women in Theatre" Monologue Collection

Mary Pickford is filming a silent film. She breaks her silence.

Three women sit atop piles of trash. They contemplate their past and how they define themselves.

Mercy Otis Warren visits the Pilgrim Hall Museum in 2028 on the 300th anniversary of her birth.

Written as part of the 365 Women a Year: Playwriting Project's Women in Theatre Monologue Collection

In a rehabilitation hospital hallway, a young woman approaches a man. Coming on strong with dated movie references and sass, will she find the connection she secretly seeks, or end up instead revealing more than she meant?

A woman composes a letter to an imagined daughter.

Originally composed and performed as a part of 50in50: Letters to Our Daughters by the Billie Holiday Theatre and WACO Theatre.

A poetic performance piece for actors. Ensemble piece. Suggested: 5-7 actors.

Appropriate for young actors and audiences.

KARA calls her best friend JANICE to give her the bad news about her being unable to attend JANICE's first-ever girl-boy party tonight.

In the not-so-distant future of 2045, a boy and his father contend with strict guidelines in the hopes of saving the near-extinct firefly.

Jane, a college student, comes home with exciting news: her longtime crush is coming over. Tonight. Her one problem? Her roommate Maggie's preferred bathroom decor. Will Jane convince Maggie to redecorate before it's too late?

Contains strong language.

Lorraine runs home to tell her Daddy about a man she and Johnny saw out by the creek.

Written in response to Justin Guidroz's THE COORDINATES PROJECT, Round 1

Frank Stone has had it with the pothole on Barkhurst. His wife, Vivian, worries over her holiday potluck. Their daughter, Sara, hasn't emerged from her room in days.

Frank comes up with a creative solution to fill the hole and ends up lifting everyone's spirits in the process.

ONE ACT:
This isn't your average Zoom conference call. This is PROM 2020.

When a group of high schoolers -- some friends, some strangers -- log in to their assigned "prom pod" for their senior prom, they try to make the best of the situation at hand.

Two middle school girls in the fall of 2004 make a powerful pact in a cornfield.

A slightly shorter, max 10-minute version is available under "script sample."

Jerome's first day on the job as a salmon cannon worker in the PNW goes a bit differently than planned.

Union Station, Washington, D.C. A young girl lies about her age to a man waiting for a train, but is she the only one who's lying?

Jayne reflects on the night of the big game. He was seventeen.

A domestic violence survivor reflects and advises.

Written for Indiana University-Purdue University Columbus call for monologues on domestic violence.

It's exactly what it sounds like...or is it?

Dog observes. Dog worries. Dog focuses on what dog can control.

A poetic performance piece for 2 actors and art.

Two childhood friends meet, years after jealousy and puberty tore them apart.

THE ARTIST and THE CRITIC are roles open to any gender, sexual orientation, race, age, human.

A group of people share the one about the 51 year old woman...