Just Girls Talking

*Welcome to our Featured Play Spotlight. * Just Girls Talking by Robert Wing is a fabulous drama for female performers. If “doing the right thing” could destroy a life, would you do it? “You’re the push of a button away from changing two lives. Mine and yours. You can’t do it. You won’t do it.” What starts as a meeting to finalize frivolous graduation ceremony details ends with one young woman faced with a life-changing decision. Five girls on five different paths hit head-on in a collision of values that leaves the viewer asking: What would I do? Why did we publish this play? Do you like plays that start in one direction and take a left turn? Do you want great parts for girls? We do and that’s what drew us to this play. Fabulous character-driven parts for girls. Your audience will talk about Just Girls Talking long after they leave the theatre. Let’s hear from the author!1. Why did you write this play? After years and years of teaching, I am still often stunned by the things my students say – and the things their parents do. Though this play is pure fiction , it is topical, given the recent headline-making college admission scandal in the United States involving wealthy parents who buy places for their children at top universities.. So, why did I write about it? Because I have seen it happen, not in the way it unfolds in the play, but I have seen it. Wealth buys access. It’s unfair, and anti-democratic, and it infuriates not only teachers, but hardworking students too. 2. Describe the theme in one or two sentences. Sophocles said it best: “ There is a point at which even justice does injury.” The characters in J.G.T. are poised at that precise moment where “doing the right thing” could destroy a life and they have to decide if it’s worth it. 3. What’s the most important visual for you in this play? The image that comes to my mind appears in the final moments in the play when Amanda is trying to get the phone away from Molly. Both actors are in a desperate state: Amanda wants to preserve her power and Molly is struggling with her unexpected (and not entirely wanted) power. 4. If you could give one piece of advice for those producing the play, what would it be? Though it is a one act play, give this piece a good, long rehearsal window. Allot time during production to discuss the concept of justice, and make sure the actors understand the complexity of these characters. There are depths to them all, even to Amanda that need to be fully understood to inform the actors’ choices. Take your time with this play. There’s very little in the way of setting and costuming to worry about – spend your time living in the characters’ heads. 5. Why is this play great for student performers? Students will be familiar with these characters. On the surface, they fall into the timeless categories of young adult depiction: smart kid, sassy kid, rich kid, etc. Easy enough. Students and audiences will find this familiar, if not predictable. They are lulled into what they think is going to be a traditional teen angst narrative – and then an entirely unexpected depth is revealed and, hopefully, audience members leave the theatre asking themselves, “What would I do?”

Time for a Tfolk Top Ten Plays For…All Girls! You have an abundance of girls in your program and you want good parts for everyone. With all of these plays either all the characters are girls or gender-flexible. Click the link and you’ll be taken to the webpage for each play. There you’ll get the details and read sample pages. All the best with your search! Ten Minute Plays: All Girls Juliet and Ophelia in the afterlife. An eggplant in a bridesmaid dress. Seeing the light about your best friend and then joining the Slow Songs Make Me Puke Club. A collection of short plays with interesting, engaging, and vivid parts for girls. Every one is a winner. Just Girls Talking What starts as a meeting to finalize frivolous graduation ceremony details ends with one young woman faced with a life-changing decision. Five girls on five different paths hit head-on in a collision of values that leaves the viewer asking: What would I do? Nice Girl Mia does her friends’ homework, lets people cut in line and pretends to be someone she’s not. Being nice requires a lot of sacrifice and frustration. Mia reaches her breaking point as she tries to find the balance between being her true self and being “the nice girl.” Typecast Ms Thespis casts by look and personality – the students are okay with their set roles. Until one show when Ms. Thespis is away and all the girls are cast against type. They’re forced to learn to play the roles they’re totally wrong for. Smarty Pants All the parts in this play are gender neutral with names provided. Dallas can’t wait to show off in her new Advanced Placement class. But there’s more Play-doh than Plato and more colouring than Van Gogh. What kind of advanced class is this? Will Dallas figure out Kindergarten High or will she flunk? Who’s the real smarty pants? Flaky Lips Two young women live in separated societies. One skin colour on this side. One skin colour on that side. They have never seen what the other looks like, until circumstances throw them together. A small cast but a challenging acting opportunity. Carrying The Calf A teenager fed-up with being bullied drags her reluctant friend to a self-defence class. But more important than the karate training, the instructor challenges the group to find self-confidence, independence, and to choose their own destiny. Diverse roles. They Eat Sunshine, Not Zebras All the parts are gender neutral in this look at conformity and individuality through the metaphor of grass and a single dandelion. A dandelion will turn the field upside-down. A dandelion must be destroyed. Isn’t that what you do when something is different? Virtual Family In the Virtual Family, you don’t need to go outside, or do chores, or even have a real family. When technology takes away all your ills, conflicts, and concerns, you become a happier human being. Right? All the roles are gender neutral. Ten/Two Ten short two-person plays (inspired by the numbers 10 and 2!) in a variety of themes and lengths. Excellent for classwork and for competition. 8 of the 10 plays are either for 2 women or have “either” characters.

Time for a Tfolk Top Ten Plays About…Teen Life! These are not your typical teen-angst-woe-is-me stuff. Three dimensional characters. Relevant stories. Each one offers a unique theatrical take. Read one, read them all! Click the link and you’ll be taken to the webpage for each play. There you’ll get the details and read sample pages. All the best with your search! Sixteen In 10 Minutes Or Less The lives of seven teenagers become intertwined in this humorous and oftentimes bittersweet collection of ten minute plays. Puzzle Pieces This play explores teen issues through a series of monologues. The characters speak frankly about their fears, their futures, and how to embrace the day to day. Stereotype High High school is full of stereotypes – or is it? Told in a series of interlaced vignettes, these “stereotypical” teens fight tooth and nail to reinvent themselves. A Deep Poetic Journey Into Something Jane wants to break out of her box. The problem is she has no idea where to start. Will Jane choose to hide inside or change her life? Stressed Stress is driving this quartet crazy – so much so they can’t stop talking about it. This play is a symphony of sound and character. Pressure Alex is a refugee. Tera is faced with an unpopular decision. Penny is getting up at five every morning and Kyle can’t live up to expectations. Candid and uncompromising, with no easy answers. A Box of Puppies We can all relate to feeling small in a big world. These characters share their insecurities, their frailties and their coping mechanisms. Just Girls Talking What starts as a meeting to finalize graduation ceremony details ends with one young woman faced with a life-changing decision. A head-on collision of values that leaves the viewer asking: What would I do? Split Teenagers navigate the winding road of divorce in this honest and theatrical look at the day to day reality of growing up in a family that’s been torn apart. Neet Teen Teen life – backwards, forwards and inside-out. In every form from kitchen sink, to absurd, to movement, to audience participation, to song, to adding your own scene.