A SAMUEL FRENCH, INC. TITLE

Beauty Of The Century

Short Play, Comedy  /  21w, 6m

As tradition dictates, a group of the most horrendous monsters from history and literature gather to determine the most worthy among them to be Miss Century.

Beauty Of The Century

  • Cast Size
    Cast Size
    21w, 6m
  • Duration
    Duration
    40 minutes
  • SubGenre
    Subgenre
    Fantasy, Theatre for Young Audiences
  • Audience
    Target Audience
    Appropriate for all audiences, Children (Age 6 - 10), Pre-Teen (Age 11 - 13)

Details

Summary

As tradition dictates, a group of the most horrendous monsters from history and literature gather to determine the most worthy of them to be Miss Century. For some, this is a chance to see and be seen. For others, it is a chance to check out the competition. Alone after a hard day of rehearsals, we learn about our monsters' inner demons as several of them discuss strategy before the next day's contest. During the competition, led by the enthusiastic Master of Ceremony, the monsters do their best to shine. Just as the winner is about to be announced, one character steps forward to right the wrongs of the whole beauty contest charade.

History

Beauty of the Century was first performed at The Ellis School in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, in 2002.

STAGE MANAGER, MS. WHIPPLE - Believes the show must go on
MASTER OF CEREMONIES, BART PERKS  - Jealous of his beautiful co-host
HIS LOVELY CO-HOST, BLAIR - A true artist, and nobody understands her
LITTLE BO PEEP - Perky, pretty, and not sure why she's here
MRS. PEEP - Willing to do anything to see that her daughter wins
THE GORGON, MEDUSA - Turning people into stone isn't her only talent
HER GORGON SISTERS, STHENO AND EURYAE - Known for their frightful glare, they root for their sister in unusual ways
GRENDEL - As the only monster from literature, he is sure of his superiority
GRENDEL'S MOTHER - It's tough for her to keep her son in line, but she tries
THE HARPIE, AELLO - Always hungry, where is catering anyway?
HER HARPIE SISTERS, CELAENO AND OCYPETE - They are always hungry, too, but their main wish is to destroy their sister's chances of winning
LOCH NESS MONSTER - Sweet, misunderstood, and very rarely seen properly
LOCH NESS'S MUM - Loves her daughter and has the pictures to prove it
BIG FOOT - A monster of mystery
BIG FOOT'S FATHER - Wants his son in the limelight, if that's okay with him
THE BOGGART - A real scream, his pranks could ruin the whole show
THE BOGGART'S GRANDMOTHER - Wishes everyone would just eat their veggies and take a nap
THE THREE JUDGES - Very serious but open to bribes 
HEDLEY COO - Always in the right place at the wrong time
HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME - Can't figure how he could win Miss Century
HUNCHBACK'S MOTHER, ISABELLA - Sophisticated, sleep, and looking to make a fortune
FORMER MISS CENTURY/REGISTRATION ASSISTANT - The epitome of beauty and efficiency
CHOREOGRAPHER, CHROME BOBBINS - Has a vision for the shows and knows how to get it
DIRECTOR, J.B. - Has a vision for the show and will cry and pout to get it 
DIRECTOR'S ASSISTANT, TRUVIE - Used to her boss' tantrums and able to make everything okay
THE DESIGNERS, KATE AND ALLIE - Very hip, very New York, and very talented
PAGEANT COORDINATOR - Frazzled and stressed, needs about three of herself
CONDUCTOR - Her muse is music and she expects the most from her musicians, even if she has to play the whole show herself

6 roles are gender-flexible

  • Time Period Not Applicable
  • Setting A beauty pageant for monsters, including registration, on stage, backstage, and the Cave Regency.
  • Features Fantasy Costumes
  • Additional Features No intermission, Physical Comedy
  • Duration 40 minutes
  • Cautions
    • No Special Cautions

Media

No quotes available at this time.

Music

  • Musical Style N/A (Not a musical)
  • Vocal DemandsN/A (Not a musical)
  • Chorus Size N/A (Not a musical)

Licensing & Materials

  • Minimum Fee: $65 per performance

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Authors

Julie Tosh

Julie Tosh-Coles’ plays and screenplays include Skirt (Mary Marlin Fisher Playwriting Award, Second Place David Mark Cohen Playwriting Award, Finalist for Trustus Theatre Playwrights’ Festival), Refuge (adapted from the young adult novel by Jacqueline Kolosov), and Program Ro ...
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