Despite the fact that a single woman ruled England at the time of Shakespeare, the Elizabethan society was patriarchal. The script isnt without its flaws, but its funny, touching, and worth a read. She uses her sexuality, she taunts him and mocks his lack of courage. Topdog/Underdog is one of the best contemporary plays from one of the most celebrated modern playwrights: Suzan-Lori Parks. But how can this be? 5 Lesbians Eating a Quiche by Evan Linder and Andrew Hobgood (US/UK)(Comedy / 5f)Its 1956 and The Susan B. Anthony Society for the Sisters of Gertrude Stein are having their annual quiche breakfast. Andromeda Ascendant (Andromeda television series) Beka Valentine (Andromeda television series) Buffy Summers (Buffy the Vampire Slayer movie and television series created by Joss Whedon) Zoe . Two, Three and Four Person Scenes From Plays Popular Types: Dramatic Comedic Classical Contemporary 2 Person 3 Person Search Scenes Style # of Male Characters # of Female Characters Time Period Only show scenes with video examples FILTER Scenes COLE Wouldn't it be great if--- I just. If you have the chance, catch a live production; its gripping, even in the hands of non-professionals. All have 2-woman casts, with age flexible roles, and each play, in very different ways, looks at the tender, funny, sometimes harrowing search for meaning. Playwright: Nick Stafford, Michael MorpurgoLicensing: Oxford Playscripts. The management wants to replace her less-than-thriving gallery with a coffee shop. Often when we talk about strong female characters we're referring to emotional strength, but in this case, Nemesis is literally stronger than anyone else. Each of our picks was written after 2000; youll find the date after each title, as well as a link to the license. 1. Letts infuses the script with subtle, brilliant insights a few scenes in, your laughter will be tinged with heartbreak. How "contemporary" are we talking here? When they invite Pip and her two male partners, discussion turns to action and the exploration of unexplored desire turns animalistic, and then Janes daughter sees it all. The remaining thespians must save the show and their careers, solve the mystery and stay alive for curtain calls. But when a beloved computer science professor suddenly disappears, can Doreen trust her friends with her inner squirrel so she can save the day? At forty-six and with new flame Mickey Deans at her side, she seems determined to carry it off and recapture her magic. The title might be pithy, but A Girl in School Uniform (Walks Into A Bar) is anything but a comedy. Jackie Gleason certainly went above and beyond to measure up to that sobriquet. 23. As Michael takes Lily in his arms on their final meeting, they both transcend fear and mortality while the sun sets on their last dance. Top image courtesy A.D. Players at the George under CC BY-ND 2.0. When her deceased husbands insurance money comes through, Mama Lena dreams of moving to a new home and a better neighborhood in Chicago. Some of our partners may process your data as a part of their legitimate business interest without asking for consent. Baby Taj by Tanya Shaffer (US)(Comedy/ 6f, 5m)The legendary Taj Mahal is the next assignment for Rachel, an American travel writer whose failed romances have led her to ask: Why not have the baby she craves on her own? Is the subject matter one that deserves to be enshrined in play? If you have the mental space however, this insightful play is well worth a read. saving. Will her nana get arrested or worse evicted? Role of women in The Merchant of Venice. A remarkably powerful and compassionate portrait of a contemporary American woman striving for grace. Hes too staid, too boring, and she just wants him to be a little more spontaneous. Always irascible but now increasingly erratic, Gladys is a cause of concern to her daughter, her son-in-law, and her grandson, from whose point of view this poignant memory play is told. Modern concerns and romantic entanglements clash on the battlefield and on the ramparts of Nottingham Castle. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, which is based on the Mark Haddon novel of the same name, gives readers a peek into Christophers ultra-logical view of the world. The characters are flawed and funnyand youll be glad you dont have to hang out with them in real life. Performer Stuff Monologues, Audition Cuts, and Sheet Music 10 of the Best Monologues from Characters Who Are People of Color : PerformerStuff More Good Stuff It appears that you are outside of North America. Through the use of virtual reality video game therapy, she builds a breathtaking new world where she can escape her pain. When a racist and bigoted pitcher joins the team, everything descends into chaos. The Cemetery Club by Ivan Menchell (US/UK)(Dramatic Comedy / 4f, 1m)Three Jewish widows meet once a month for tea before going to visit their husbands graves. Where better to begin than with four housewives in a suburban New Jersey cul-de-sac? Ma Raineys Black Bottom by August Wilson (US/UK)(Drama / 2f, 8m)It's 1927 in a rundown studio in Chicago where Ma Rainey is recording new sides of old favorites. 5. Ken (a man from Nebraska, of course) deals with a spiritual crisis in Tracy Letts play. A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry (US/UK)(Drama / 3f, 7m, 1 boy)Set on Chicagos South Side, the plot revolves around the divergent dreams and conflicts within three generations of the Younger family: Walter Lee, his wife Ruth, his sister Beneatha, his son Travis, and matriarch Lena. Women playwrights have always been an important creative force in Scottish this was a woman writer breaking taboos and removing her female characters repetition and fragmentation to show the women's dislocation from modern world. This list is dedicated to contemporary plays that should grace every actor's shelf or at least be read and familiarized. In the Next Room or the Vibrator Play by Sarah Ruhl (US/UK)(Dramatic Comedy / 4f, 3m)In a seemingly perfect, well-to-do Victorian home, proper gentleman and scientist Dr. Givings has innocently invented an extraordinary new device for treating "hysteria" in women (and occasionally men): the vibrator. Will Bridget be able to handle all the excitement? Lucy is characterized as a "fussbudget", crabby, [1] [2] bossy and opinionated girl who bullies most other characters in . She runs a brothel that takes in women who have been ruined by soldiers. The tool is a great reminder that females, even in a love story, can discuss other matters that don't include a man or romance. Part autobiography, part history lesson, part social commentary, What the Constitution Means to Me is one of the most unusual contemporary plays on our list. Cost of Living explores the experiences of two physically disabled people, but dont expect an uplifting story of triumph the plot is firmly grounded in reality, with all of its uncomfortable and distressing truths. In Elliot, a Soldiers Fugue, Hudes takes another look at the tradition of wartime service in different generations of a Puerto Rican family. Doris and Lucille squash the budding romance between Sam and Ida. Plays For Two Women. Without being heavy handed or boring, Schreck tackles everything from abuse to the people who are ignored by the Constitution (hint: its most of us). This debut play from playwright-of-the-minute Jez Butterworth (Jerusalem, The Ferryman) is a dream for a university aged actors. She is feminist not just for Shakespeare's standards but for also for today. "The American Plan" is a comedy by Richard Greenberg that premiered Off-Broadway in 1991 and had a brief Broadway run in 2009, starring Mercedes Ruehl and Lily Rabe. Over the course of a single month, these unlikely roommates infuriate, bewilder, and ultimately reach each other. ', Martin's calls are not being returned by the powerful Broadway magnates capable of getting this play to the Great White Way. Though the script dives into racial issues and prejudice, it does so with a deft hand; Norris manages to create a riotously funny, deliciously witty story. Wealthy woman were highly educated but they had no . A loving look at a familys view of death, life, and the allure of never growing up. Mary Jane by Amy Herzog (US/UK)(Drama / 5f)As Mary Jane navigates both the mundane and the unfathomable realities of caring for Alex, her chronically ill young son, she finds herself building a community of women from many walks of life. When two actors with a history are thrown together as romantic leads in a forgotten 1930s melodrama, they quickly lose touch with reality as the story onstage follows them offstage. My Fair Lady 11. Playwright: Will ArberyLicensing: Concord Theatricals. Antagonism between a gay man and the wife of a Southern Baptist minister gives way to profound compatibility as they swing dance, tango, foxtrot, and cha-cha while sharing barbs and intimacies along with the dance steps. As the title character returns from a second tour in Iraq at age 19, he discovers how his trauma parallels that of his father and grandfather. In a play, character's action description and thought are revealed by _____ or _____. By Janet Allard (US)(Comedy / 6f)In this breezy "NASComedy" the fast lane is stalled to a screeching halt by the arrival of a woman driver on the NASCAR scene, and egos get bruised as Holly "Legs" Nelson starts stealing the show, driving so fast some think she's cheating. What is the cost of revealing your true self in a time of trouble? Its a big, lively masterpiece of storytelling thats just as enjoyable on the page as it is on stage. There are comic monologues and dramatic monologues. The play is a captivating meditation on modern politics, art, and religion. All posts copyright their original authors. According to legend, it was no less a personage than the legendary Orson Welles who nicknamed the man born Herbert Walton Gleason Jr. in New York City on this date in 1916 "The Great One.". By Jex Butterworth. Tucker green is an award-winning playwright, having established herself in the world of theatre by 2004 with Born Bad, which scooped the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Newcomer Play in that year. Eleven ( Millie Bobby Brown) in Stranger Things . (Maybe a little too sentimental, but that can be forgiven considering the source material.) Strong female characters are usually considered a desirable thing in geek media such as science fiction, comic books, etc. The economic collapse has affected Hannah and David's relationship, and Moore's comedy subversively captures the truth buried beneath the laughs. This Pulitzer-winning play isnt saccharine or melodramatic, but heartbreakingly honest; anyone who has ever walked (or crawled) through the valley of the shadow will find connection to the emotional story. I particularly like. A Very Rich Woman by Ruth Gordon (US)(Comedy / 8f, 7m)Ruth Gordon played the part of a Boston widow with a rather common background, who together with her husband built an enviable fortune the hard way. The dark secrets of a Catholic school come to the surface in this deep, moving contemporary play from John Patrick Shanley. Danger is everywhere, and mysterious blackouts are setting residents on edge. This contemporary play is equal parts funny and tragic, revealing the wild passions and anger that flow beneath a seemingly civilized middle-class life. When two actors with a history are thrown together as romantic leads in a forgotten 1930s melodrama, they quickly lose touch with reality as the story onstage follows them offstage. Painting Churches 4. Acting scripts for two actors. This bittersweet comedy of manners is a tribute to the grandeur of Southern style and a musing on what a smart woman might really want toward the end of her life. You might even learn a thing or two; Prebble manages to make complicated concepts feel more accessible. Drama, drama everywherebut not a play in sight. After killing her father (a prominent Nazi) with a rolling pin, von Mahlsdorf went on to survive some of the most difficult decades in recent history. re: Plays with mainly female characters. Below is a tip of the wonderful iceberg of plays by women. Found inside - Page 213De Filippo's plays are a . His best known works include "Alcestis" , "Medea" , "Hecuba" , "The Trojan Women" and "The Bacchae" , as well as "Cyclops" , the only complete satyr play (an ancient Greek form of tragicomedy, similar to the modern-day burlesque style) known to survive. Despite the mixed reviews for Daddy, its an interesting and decidedly modern look at race and class conflicts in the world of art. X-23 (Dafne Keen) in Logan. Goldas Balcony by William Gibson (US)(Drama / 1f)This tight-knit story of war and peace opens in 1973, on the eve of the Yom Kippur War, and uses flashbacks to let Golda tell the story of her life: her journey from her birthplace in Russia to the United States where she settled in Milwaukee, became a school teacher and married. This is a contemporary play set in Victorian times, when male doctors lavished the diagnosis of hysteria on female patients. You might recognize Quiara Alegra Hudes name she wrote the book for the musical In the Heights. Miriam Ruth, the Mother Superior, determinedly keeps young Agnes from the doctor, further arousing Livingstones suspicions. Playwright: Caryl ChurchillLicensing: Concord Theatricals. The four are all contending with different life issues, all the while fully aware of their privileged position (thanks to the absent mother). . This madcap comedy is laugh-out-loud funny. During the sixth lesson, Lily reveals a closely guarded secret -- she is terminally ill -- and Michael shares his greatest gifts -- loyalty and compassion. From Kushner to Karam, Miller to Mamet, and Nottage to O'Neill, these are the 25 modern and contemporary plays every actor should know. Robin Hood is (and has always been) Maid Marian in disguise, and leads a motley group of Merry Men (few of whom are actually men) against the greedy Prince John. This riveting play is an epic tale told through an unexpected and remarkable perspective. Who knows perhaps they were gathered in the Lower Room. Brothers Lincoln and Booth yes, the names are intentional are just trying to stay afloat after a challenging upbringing. Between day drinking and teenage drama, everything is going off the rails. He is financially strapped and taking to the road as a salesman. For Peter Pan on her 70th Birthday by Sarah Ruhl (US/UK) (Dramatic Comedy / 2f, 4m)When Ann thinks of her father, she immediately remembers playing Peter Pan in her hometown theater in Iowa, particularly when he used to bring her flowers after her performance. Grace, a feisty 90-year-old cancer patient, has checked herself out of the hospital and returned to her beloved homestead cottage to die alone. The main character, Major Kusanagi, is a cyborg woman who uses her post-human body to confront a terrorist threat. To view the purposes they believe they have legitimate interest for, or to object to this data processing use the vendor list link below. Hurricane Diane by Madeleine George (US/UK)(Comedy / 5f)Meet Diane, a permaculture gardener dripping with butch charm. The staunchly Midwestern Weston family seems normal on the surface. Silent Sky- Lauren Gunderson (4w,1m) --Could double cast if you have more students. Geek! Her memory is jogged by the fact that she and her four siblings are in their fathers hospital room during his final moments. Ask MetaFilter is where thousands of life's little questions are answered. The Odd Couple, Female Version by Neil Simon (US/UK)(Comedy / 6f, 2m)Unger and Madison are at it again! Related: A Young Woman Endures the Civil War in This Historical Fiction Novel Amazon Apple Books Barnes & Noble 20 Funny Contemporary Comedic Monologues For Women From Plays 1. Ask MetaFilter is a question and answer site that covers nearly any question on earth, where members help each other solve problems. As "men", these characters have more freedom, highlighting the lack of social liberty for women in Shakespeare's time. If youre exhausted from the constant political discourse (were using that term loosely) thats everywhere, maybe give Heroes of the Fourth Turning a pass. Chicha, The Emperor's New Groove Walt Disney Animation Chicha has a "no nonsense" attitude and. 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