One-act plays by Ginger Lazarus:
Ten-Minute Plays
La Vie en Orange
(1 W, 1 M) Riding public transportation affords many opportunities to witness relationship drama. Here, public transportation is not only the setting but the cause of discontent. A young couple tests their bond with a ride on Boston's Orange Line. Will they get off at the same stop?
The Double Life of Clem Midnight
(1 W, 1 M) A yuppie couple have a special bond with their cat, Clem, and give him all the freedom he wants to roam the neighborhood. But when Clem turns out to be splitting his time between them and another family, Don and Stacy are shocked by his betrayal and forced to reconsider their concept of ownership. A sly comedy that asks if there any hope of reconciliation between the species, let alone between humans.
October
(2 W) On a quiet lake deep in the woods of Maine, two women paddle their canoe. For Carol, the retreat is a welcome relief from the intensity of their life in the city, but her lover Abby can't understand the charm of the wilderness and resents being dragged away from her home in Manhattan. In the middle of the vast, cold lake, Abby's hurt and rage explode to the surface and nearly do them both in. The two of them must come to terms with the very different ways they respond to danger, fear, and loss.
Shooting Sparks
(1 W, 1 M) High on a balcony in a burning building, a grand old dame makes her last stand, reveling in the old hellhole's demise while a young firefighter desperately implores her to leave. With time running out, they both may have to make an impossible leap.
Noodles and Scrimscram
(2 actors) Noodles is a cat and Scrimscram is a dog. Needless to say, they can't agree on what to watch on TV. From there, the fur really flies.
Future Perfect
(1 W, 1 M) In an upscale bar well past closing time, Craig, washed up and bitter at the tender age of 25, is having himself quite the self-pitying binge. In walks Danielle, a mysterious young woman in pajamas, who can't seem to get her tenses right. She claims to be interviewing Craig for the alumni magazine of their old high school, where he was once voted "Most Likely to Succeed." But her true mission, and origins, turn out to be anything but likely.
Arrhythmia
(1 W, 1 M) Late at night, a troubled affair comes to a head over the meaning of "heart." For her, it's the source of all feeling; for him, it's a muscle pumping blood. Neither her passion nor his clinical diagnosis seems likely to bridge the gulf between them. Will either hear what the other's heart is saying?
Invisible Desert
(1 W, 1 M) A mother and son seeking connection in four scenes from their lonely life journey.
Monologues
Lemonade
Peg, a folk singer/songwriter in a major slump, is feeling the effects of a really bad night as she faces her day job (elementary school music teacher). With a bitter song to sing and no audience but a class of second graders, she finds herself spilling her story of love, betrayal, and a few too many refreshments at an "all-girls' lemonade stand."
Artists Anonymous
A young man confronts his tortured past at a meeting for reformed artists.
Patience
Jane, a shy alto with big dreams, should be at rehearsal. Instead, she is stuck pulling a double shift at the hospital, where she works as a nurse's aide. As she cares for a comatose patient, Jane shares the story of her lifelong passion for Gilbert and Sullivan operettas: how the shows captivated her and raised her to an unlikely stardom—which has now dwindled to an endless stint as a member of the chorus. Wistful but ever hopeful, Jane takes comfort in the music, and the possibility that someone will really listen.
Longer One-Acts
Benny and Serena's High School Graduation
(2 W, 2 M. 40 minutes) It's graduation day for Benny, Serena's brilliant son. Math prodigy, star athlete, valedictorian—his mother's proud and happy, what else? But Serena's not as serene as she seems, and when she snaps and smacks the math teacher with her camera, her life with Benny flashes before her eyes. Memories flood back: raising Benny on her own, discovering his gifts, struggling to do what's best, and always hearing a chorus of voices that say she's not up to the task. Benny's future awaits him, but is Serena ready to let him go? A bittersweet comedy about one mother's rite of passage.
Mary
(1 W, 1 M. 30 minutes) A wild, modern spin on one of the most famous mothers of all time. Mary is preparing to save the world, when an angel suddenly appears and offers her an entirely new mission. But she's far from ready to accept—and as a lawyer, she has some objections. A dramatic pas de deux with all the world at stake, Mary explores the choice of motherhood at its most glorious and terrifying.
A Nice Jewish Girl
(3-5 W, 1 M. 25 minutes) Boy wants nice Jewish girl, so he resorts to calling up random women from the phone book. Girl is appalled by boy's scam, but also can't help noticing her own loneliness. Boy keeps trying. Girl falls into existential crisis. What does it take to find love these days?
Miriam
(1 W, 2 other actors. 15 minutes) A fantastical meditation on the Biblical Miriam, imagining her incarnated across history. Written for Untitled Theater Company #61's 24/7 Play Festival.
Performance Review
(2 W. 15 minutes) It's Al's first review at her inspiring but exhausting job at a non-profit arts center. She's hoping to get recognition for her hard work and maybe more opportunities to use her own artistic talents. But her boss Lois has serious questions about Al's performance—and a shocking proposal Al never saw coming.
