The Next Narrative™ Monologue Competition, Vol. 3 features newly created works from eighteen of America’s leading contemporary Black playwrights that engage students in artful exploration of 21st century themes, while instilling confidence in all to find their voices. The program objectives are to introduce students to today’s leading contemporary Black writers, expose students to acting techniques that enhance their knowledge of the art and skill of performance, utilize the arts to support students in making co-curricular connections, investigate how history and culture influence personal perspective through artful exploration, and embolden students to use their voices to inspire social action.Kenny Leon’s True Colors Theatre Company is a nonprofit regional theater company based in Atlanta, Georgia. True Colors Theatre Company’s mission is to celebrate the rich tradition of Black storytelling while giving voice to bold artists from all cultures. We add dimension and relevance to our work on the stage through community events and education programming. The vision of Artistic Director Jamil Jude is for the company to thrive at the intersection of artistic excellence and civic engagement.
Length: One Acts
Shows that are under about 60 minutes, and typically performed in schools for competitions.
Journey to the Poles of Inaccessibility (One-Act Version)
Indiana Jones meets Around the World in 80 Days in this fantastical romcom! Dylan likes his safe life, working at an insurance company and living with his wheelchair-bound aunt. Then he meets Chris, a young woman of boundless energy, who’s convinced magic is real and the last of it may be found at the world’s most remote places, the Poles of Inaccessibility. Fate intervenes and Dylan must circle the globe with Chris on an epic journey of discovery, comedy, danger, and love.
Boca (One-Act Version)
Are you ready for some laughs? Soak up the good life in Boca Raton, a city that offers the fountain of youth. In this Garden of Eden, the sun always shines, the lawns are always manicured, and the weather holds steady at a perfect 75, just like Boca’s well-maintained seniors. BOCA is a series of short intertwining comedies that follow a group of retirees in a fictional retirement community, the Boca Oasis, who, between rounds of golf, bridge and botox, discover the key to happiness lies within their very community.
Not Your Mother’s Goose!
NOT YOUR MOTHER’S GOOSE! is a high-energy, laugh-out-loud romp through Gooseville, where nursery rhymes come to life—and fall apart in the most delightful way! When Hickory the clock-mouse ditches his post, the enchanted Tickety-Tock Clock grinds to a halt, unleashing chaos: time unravels, day turns to night without warning, and rain refuses to fall. With the 100th Annual Peter Pumpkin Eater Harvest Festival at stake, it’s up to the ever-rhyming Mother Goose, the mischievous Itsy-Bitsy Spider, precocious Jack, contrary Mary, and a lovable cast of nursery rhyme characters to restore order. Full of clever wordplay, wild schemes, magical mishaps, and heartwarming lessons about friendship and community, NOT YOUR MOTHER’S GOOSE! is a fast-paced theatrical farce that turns childhood classics upside down—and right-side up again.
At the Wake of a Dead Drag Queen
Courtney Berringers would like to welcome you to her wake! But—make no mistake—this ain’t your grandma’s funeral. AT THE WAKE OF A DEAD DRAG QUEEN is an imaginative one-act play that uses magical realism, mythology, drama, and drag to tell the story of a pair of drag queens living (and dying) in rural Georgia in 2004. From African Gods and Goddesses to Trina and Whitney Houston, AT THE WAKE OF A DEAD DRAG QUEEN explores identity, illness, and the celebration of Black, queer life in the rural south. Come party at the wake. Bring your own heels!
Jane Austen in 39+ Minutes
An abridged version of James’s JANE AUSTEN IN 89 MINUTES with optional scenes to extend its length.
In this uproarious, clever, engaging comedy, narrator Jane Austen and a madcap cast of ladies and gents deliver condensed versions of all six of Austen’s beloved novels at a lightning pace, including modern day zingers about Austen’s fame—and fandom. Fans will be delighted, although no knowledge of Austen’s work is required to enjoy the play, which basks in the glory of her major works, while also poking fun at their pitfalls—a hilarious and loving homage to the celebrated English writer whose insightful wit and romantic stories are treasured across the world today.
Sitting Ducks
A delightful and hilarious entertainment awaits all in this gathering of absurdly inspired short plays. These tales of life and love feature shamelessly zany characters and locales and are full of twists and surprises—from a radio station in rural Arkansas with Bubba, a long-time on-air personality who realizes he may have gone too far when he spills some of the town’s juiciest secrets, to a year-round Christmas shop where the overworked proprietress slowly unravels as she attempts to train a new crew of seasonal ‘elves’. You’ll travel back in time to meet three sisters in the tiny town of Fayro, Texas, who are reeling from a huge family secret being revealed just minutes before Lady Bird Johnson rolls into their community for a whistle-stop picnic. Then brace yourself for a quick descent into an unusual locale—hint: it’s really hot down there—for a wickedly explosive men’s support group with Napoleon and Nero as they welcome a newbie into their ranks. Back in a slightly cooler climate—Florida—you’ll get to know a group of wise-cracking husbands who regularly gather on the benches at a discount department store as they wait for their wives to shop ‘til they drop, and watch their extreme reactions to a wife joining their group on the bench for the first time. Not to mention visits with two women having big trouble controlling a giant balloon in a nationally televised Thanksgiving Day parade, a man delivering a singing telegram who has a badly timed mid-life crisis, and a party planner desperately trying to buoy spirits during a gathering for a destination wedding on a disaster-plagued tropical isle. With all that, you have the ingredients for a delicious buffet of comedic delights. With no set required, this easy-to-produce show is perfect for smaller stages. As this flat-out funny Jones Hope Wooten comedy proves, when it comes to life and love, we’re all just sitting ducks!
right before I go: School Edition
Stan Zimmerman (The Golden Girls, Roseanne, Gilmore Girls) brings to life the last words written in letters by individuals lost to suicide—including celebrities, veterans, kids that were bullied, LGBTQ, and the clinically depressed—and those who have survived suicide attempts. Since its acclaimed first performance at the Hollywood Fringe Festival in 2015, the play has traveled across the country, raising awareness and offering hope for suicide prevention.
The Name Jar
After her first day of school in America, a young, Korean, immigrant girl decides to change her name to something “easer to pronounce.” With the enthusiastic help of her new classmates, she soon has a jar filled with exciting new names. Will she choose a new name? Or will she find value in her own?
The Little Mermaid
Awakened by a thunderstorm in the middle of the night, a family passes the time by weaving their own wondrous and joyful mermaid tale, using comedy, music, and dance to bring the timeless story of love and adventure to life. Hans Christian Andersen’s once cautionary tale about a disobedient girl is transformed into a magical journey that encourages young people to listen to their hearts and choose the right path even when it’s a difficult one.