A SAMUEL FRENCH, INC. TITLE

Cartoon

Full-Length Play, Comedy  /  4w, 5m

Steve Yockey

"Fast-paced, funny, and drenched in pop culture. If you see only one
play about cartoon characters killing each other this year, make it this
one." - East Bay Express
"The play slowly reveals itself as being more than just a wacky comedy about violence in the media... it speaks to a deeper, darker truth about people's ability to turn on one another without visualizing the cost of that betrayal. It is in these moments that Cartoon shines." - TheatreForum Magazine

Cartoon

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  • Cast Size
    Cast Size
    4w, 5m
  • Duration
    Duration
    75 Minutes
  • SubGenre
    Subgenre
    Fantasy, Parody / Spoof, Commedia del Arte
  • Audience
    Target Audience
    Adult, Teen (Age 14 - 18)

Details

Summary
Join the exploits of a band of mismatched cartoon stereotypes on a wild ride through this animated world, Presented in the style of a Commedia dell’Arte scenario gone berserk, Cartoon is a devilishly violent social commentary that explores the rapid coalescence of media, politics and consumer giants. A young, idealistic upstart named Trouble steals the giant hammer that Esther, the bratty dictator, uses to maintain a monotonous but peaceful order. Chaos ensues. Bombs explode. Puppets are set free. Anime girls fight. And as the bodies pile up, the violence begins to creep off the stage and into the audience. There’s nothing like a punch in the face to really get the blood moving.
Cast Attributes
Keywords
Performing Groups
TROUBLE - A cute, mischievous young man.
ESTHER - A bossy little girl with an old- fashioned microphone, a bad temper and a big imagination.
WINSTON PUPPET - A puppet with strings.
SUITOR - A hopeful boy clown.
DAMSEL - A bashful girl clown.
YUMI - A mischievous Anime school girl.
AKANE - A mischievous Anime school girl.
ROCKSTAR - A heartthrob giant stuffed animal with imposing claws.
VOLUNTEER - A hapless volunteer pulled from the audience.
  • Time Period Contemporary, Present Day
  • Features Contemporary Costumes / Street Clothes, Fantasy Costumes
  • Additional Features Audience Participation/Interactive, Mime, No intermission, Physical Comedy, Play w/ Music, Puppetry, Stage Combat, Special Effects, Drag Performance
  • Duration 75 Minutes
  • Cautions
    • Drugs
    • Gun Shots
    • Intense Adult Themes
    • Smoking

Media

"Fast-paced, funny, and drenched in pop culture. If you see only one play about cartoon characters killing each other this year, make it this one." - East Bay Express

"Yockey's piece plays like an Eastern European communist-era political comedy, with farce and cruelty artfully intermingled to create horrifying situations... whose frequent leaps from cartoony cuteness to over-the-top violence are both shocking and hilarious." - LA Weekly

"Cartoon poses profound questions with every laugh... it will leave you thinking and discussing the play for the remainder of the evening." - Backstage

"At its core, Cartoon is a response to society, to violence, to corrupt leadership, and to twisted romance..." - TheatreForum Magazine

"The play slowly reveals itself as being more than just a wacky comedy about violence in the media... it speaks to a deeper, darker truth about people's ability to turn on one another without visualizing the cost of that betrayal. It is in these moments that Cartoon shines." - TheatreForum Magazine

Music

  • Musical Style N/A (Not a musical)
  • Vocal DemandsN/A (Not a musical)
  • Chorus Size No Chorus

Licensing & Materials

  • Minimum Fee: $110 per performance

Scripts

Available Formats:
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Authors

Steve Yockey

Steve Yockey
Steve Yockey is a Los Angeles based writer with work produced throughout the US, Europe, and Asia. His plays Pluto, Bellwether, Afterlife, Octopus, Large Animal Games, CARTOON, Subculture, Very Still & Hard to See, The Fisherman’s Wife, Wolves, Disassembly, and Niagara Falls ...
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