Elle Thoni

Elle Thoni

Elle Thoni (they/them pronouns) is a xenogender playwright and public artist investigating how our sense of belonging, identity, and loss are changing with our climate. They are currently a 2024 MFA Dramatic Writing candidate at Carnegie Mellon University (Jaödeogë - Pittsburgh).

Plays

  • Monstrous, or A Short Narrative on an Extraordinary Birth of Rabbits by Elle Thoni
    Cast: 
    11–20
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    Genre: dark comedy, drama + 6 more
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    Keyword: abortion, queer + 6 more
    Genre: dark comedy, drama, experimental, fantasy, movement/physical, period, political, satire
    Keyword: abortion, queer, nonbinary, trans, reproductive freedom, reproductive justice, intersectional feminism, magic
    Mary's present-day search for an abortion provider lands them back in 1720s England, where they pass as Mary Toft - a historical figure notorious for giving birth to rabbits. A queer exploration of rage in the post-Roe era, Monstrous confronts restrictions on reproductive rights with absurdity and magic.

    Script available upon request
  • Queen B: A New Work of Honeybee Futurism by Elle Thoni
    Cast: 
    8–12
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    Genre: adventure, experimental + 4 more
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    Keyword: bees, ecodrama + 5 more
    Genre: adventure, experimental, movement/physical, musical, political, science fiction
    Keyword: bees, ecodrama, environment, alternative musical theater, outdoor performance, genderqueer, centers lgbt characters
    100 years into the future, cities have sealed themselves under holographic domes to protect themselves from the inhospitable climate. Yet, when the robo-bee population begins to die off like their honeymaking ancestors, the fate of this new society rests upon the fading memories of the last living beekeeper, a (former?) revolutionary who goes by the name Queen B.

    Book & libretto by Elle...
    100 years into the future, cities have sealed themselves under holographic domes to protect themselves from the inhospitable climate. Yet, when the robo-bee population begins to die off like their honeymaking ancestors, the fate of this new society rests upon the fading memories of the last living beekeeper, a (former?) revolutionary who goes by the name Queen B.

    Book & libretto by Elle Thoni
    Music by Dameun Strange and Carlisle Evans-Peck
  • Bestiary of Rogues by Elle Thoni
    Cast: 
    6–8
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    Genre: docudrama/historic, drama + 2 more
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    Keyword: queer, anarchist + 8 more
    Genre: docudrama/historic, drama, experimental, fable/folktale
    Keyword: queer, anarchist, punk, fable, folklore, animals, mask, documentary, verbatim, American Folk Music
    After a fatal fire at communal house in South Minneapolis, a band of urban animals come together to tell the story of what happened - or is it? Part documentary theatre and part punk folklore, Bestiary of Rogues sifts through the wreckage to find the difference between between fact and truth with tremendous heart.
  • Woolly by Elle Thoni
    Cast: 
    6–10
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    Genre: docudrama/historic, drama + 3 more
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    Keyword: science, climate change + 4 more
    Genre: docudrama/historic, drama, experimental, fantasy, science fiction
    Keyword: science, climate change, prehistoric times, intergenerational, death, grief
    As evolutionary biologist Dr. Robin Slater prepares for her Ted Talk, she and members of her family find themselves disappearing into the so-called "tundra" of their anxious imagination. When - and how - will they be able to find their way back to the present time and moment? Unapologetically weaving together fantasy, science, and documentary, Woolly is a play about the science of de-extinction and...
    As evolutionary biologist Dr. Robin Slater prepares for her Ted Talk, she and members of her family find themselves disappearing into the so-called "tundra" of their anxious imagination. When - and how - will they be able to find their way back to the present time and moment? Unapologetically weaving together fantasy, science, and documentary, Woolly is a play about the science of de-extinction and the liminal space between hope and heartbreak.
  • Saber, MN by Elle Thoni
    Cast: 
    6–10
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    Genre: experimental, horror + 3 more
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    Keyword: ecodrama, radio theatre + 2 more
    Genre: experimental, horror, mystery/thriller, political, radio drama
    Keyword: ecodrama, radio theatre, mystery/thriller, horror
    The township of Saber, MN hasn’t made news since one of its farmers discovered a saber tooth skull in 1883. Yet, when the City Council considers reopening an abandoned quarry, the woods surrounding the town become home to a host of supernatural fauna. Why are extinct animals coming back – and what are they after? A dark tale about haunted woods and resource extraction, Saber MN is an immersive audio play...
    The township of Saber, MN hasn’t made news since one of its farmers discovered a saber tooth skull in 1883. Yet, when the City Council considers reopening an abandoned quarry, the woods surrounding the town become home to a host of supernatural fauna. Why are extinct animals coming back – and what are they after? A dark tale about haunted woods and resource extraction, Saber MN is an immersive audio play experience asks you to confront the wilderness within.

    Listen here or on Spotify: https://www.wildconspiracy.org/sabermn

    Please inquire for script.
  • The first whale by Elle Thoni
    Recommendations: 2
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    Cast: 
    2
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    Genre: drama, experimental
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    Keyword: queer, genderqueer + 7 more
    Genre: drama, experimental
    Keyword: queer, genderqueer, gender nonbinary, nonbinary lead, science, natural history, coming out, whale, magical realism
    Natural history gets a redux in this queer retelling of the evolution of the whale from a land to sea mammal.