Chemo Girl and Other Plays by Christian Kiley - Theatrefolk

Chemo Girl and Other Plays

Recommended for High Schools

Chemo Girl and Other Plays

by Christian Kiley

A collection of plays that examine the impact of cancer as seen through the eyes of teenagers. Can be performed as a full length or one acts.

 About 90 minutes

Times given are approximate and do not include intermissions/scene changes/breaks

Simple Set

 70 pages

Drama Character Study Experimental Form Issue-Based Movement-based

I’m losing my hair! I get sick to my stomach. My mouth tastes like metal, I sweat profusely, then I get the chills, I have to be careful not to cut myself, or get a cold, or bump into anything, or breathe in the wrong direction, or exert myself too much. My pee looks like watered-down fruit punch and the only thing I have to look forward to is a vanilla pudding cup and they may be out of those because people are hoarding them and eating them on the toilet at 3 a.m.

A collection of plays that examine the impact of cancer as seen through the eyes of teenagers. Characters deal with the difficulty of saying the word cancer out loud, the difficulty of admitting a friend or family member has the disease, and the difficulty of finding the energy and the attitude needed to fight.

Chemo Girl can be performed as a full night of theatre or as a cutting for competition.

This Book is a Collection of 4 Plays

Chemo Girl
Camille is given a video game system from her mom as a form of recovery therapy for cancer. She prefers reading books. Video game worlds lack realism and she believes they will not help her fight against cancer. However, Camille is pulled into the video game world that mirrors her fight. She meets the Gamemaster and takes on the screen name Chemo Girl.

3 W 13 Any Gender, Doubling Possible, ensemble expandable to 26 or more. Approx. 25 minutes long. Rights: $25.00, Script Distribution License: $38.95

The Other Room
Dad is recovering from cancer and heavy chemotherapy treatments in the other room. It has become a dark corner of the house, especially for Mary, who rarely goes in there. Tommy goes in to watch Cubs games and wonders how the team’s over a century-long World Series drought is helping his Dad. Mom is trying to hold the family together, but it is not an easy challenge for a family dealing with cancer in The Other Room.

4 M 3 W. Approx. 20 minutes long. Rights: $25.00, Script Distribution License: $20.95

Red Rover
A young girl is pulled out of her history class to go to the hospital where she discovers she has cancer. She befriends Lucy (who is chemotherapy personified) and she and Lucy prepare to take the disease.

1 M 3 W 12 Any Gender, Doubling Possible. Approx. 20 minutes long. Rights: $25.00, Script Distribution License: $38.95

Waiting Room
A group of teenagers who all have various types of cancer are waiting to be called into the doctor’s office to receive updates on their progress. At first everyone wants to be by themselves, to stay in their personal bubbles. But as they discover their similarities and appreciate each other for their quirky eccentricities, a bond is created. Their common desire to find out who the mysterious Mr. Fitzpatrick is, after he is called time and time again to go into the office with no response, allows them to express their own feelings about their illnesses.

4 M 7 W 1 Any Gender, Doubling Possible. Approx. 25 minutes long. Rights: $25.00, Script Distribution License: $30.95

Characters in this play are currently identified as male or female. Directors are welcome to assign any gender (binary or non-binary) to any character and modify pronouns accordingly.

Chemo Girl
GIRL, Camille [W] 98 lines
She is battling cancer. Screen name: Chemo Girl
MOM [W] 29 lines
Has come back to give her daughter the power to fight
GAMEMASTER [A] 37 lines
Is in charge of Save the Planet (the video game world)
WITCH [W] 8 lines
Guards the forbidden forest of living trees
LAGGER [A] 10 lines
Flies behind the flyers and helps GIRL PARTS OF THE STORM 1, TREES, MINES, STATUES, PATIENTS, FLYERS, PARTS OF THE STORM 2
The Other Room:
DAD [M]
In the other room, is seen on stage in three flashbacks
TOMMY [M] 47 lines
Watches Cubs games with his dad
MARY [W] 58 lines
Avoids the entire ordeal by going to her best friend’s house
MOM [W] 44 lines
Trying to keep the house in order
ROB [M] 12 lines
Tommy’s friend
BOB [M] 16 lines
Tommy’s friend
JEN [W] 25 lines
Mary’s best friend
Red Rover
HOLLY [W] 105 lines
girl who recently discovered she has cancer
LUCY [W] 65 lines
Her friend, Chemotherapy
The Side Effects:
NAUSEA [A] 5 lines
VOMITING [A] 5 lines
FATIGUE [A] 4 lines
FEVER [A] 2 lines
SWEATS [A] 2 lines
CHILLS [A] 5 lines
HAIR LOSS [A] 5 lines
The Visitors:
DOCTOR [A] 11 lines
MOM [W] 15 lines
DAD [M] 11 lines
CAL [A] 9 lines
PAL [A] 6 lines
SAL [A] 7 lines
SOCIAL WORKER [A] 14 lines
Waiting Room
CALLER [A] 18 lines
Calls patients in for their appointments
FAITH [W] 55 lines
Very positive and gregarious
FINN [W] 71 lines
Real name Finland, a sharp cynic
ROHAN [M] 56 lines
Real name Ronald, but uses this name as his cancer-fighting character
CLOUD [W] 23 lines
Real name Claudia, struggling with depression
OSWALD [M] 17 lines
Already knows his diagnosis and options, but comes to the waiting room once a week to be a part of something
Finn’s Family
DAD [M] 6 lines
MOM [W] 5 lines
SISTER [W] 7 lines
Rohan’s Family
DAD: [M] 15 lines
MOM [W] 5 lines
SISTER [W] 3 lines

Subgenres
Fantasy Adventure Character study Movement-based Fairy tales

Settings
Abstract setting Present day

Dress
Contemporary costumes

Audience
Pre-teen Teen

Features
Mime Variable Cast Size Tableau Character study Choral work Movement-based Special effects Stage combat Variable gender breakdown Variable length

Set
Simple set Exterior set Interior set

Cautions
Adult themes

Themes
Adolescence Death Friendship Illness/Health Love Memory Parenting/Family Sports Disability Body image Individuality Relationships Self-image Technology Depression

Cross-Curricular Uses
Technology

Other uses
Competition Monologues Scene work Audition material Class work

Prop List

Chemo Girl
Wrapped video game system
The Other Room
Backpacks, Cubs hat, Mixing bowl and spoon
Red Rover
Fake hair, yarn, string, File/clipboard/chart, Cactus , Cubs hat,File
Waiting Room
Piece of paper, file, and/or clipboard, Outdated magazines, Hat, Pink snack cakes, Cell phone, Headphones/MP3 Player

Multimedia
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Royalty fees apply to all performances whether or not admission is charged. Any performance in front of an audience (e.g. an invited dress rehearsal) is considered a performance for royalty purposes.

Exemption details for scenes and monologues for competition.

Related Titles

We accept orders worldwide using the following payment methods:
Purchase Orders accepted from US and Canadian Schools.
Info for your purchasing department.

A vignette play is a collection of short scenes on a theme. You'll love working with the variety and flexibility of the scenes. Your actors will love the fast pace and fun characters.

There's more. Every Theatrefolk vignette play holds the unexpected. A showcase monologue. A dramatic moment. A change in form. A left turn.

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