MONOLOGUE
Dramedy
Dramedy
Baked goods make excellent snacks and even better metaphors.
Especially with a dash of infidelity.
CHARACTER INFORMATION
Especially with a dash of infidelity.
CHARACTER INFORMATION
Jules - Any gender, 30s and older, any race / ethnicity
THEMES
marriage in crisis, affair, confrontation, secrets
marriage in crisis, affair, confrontation, secrets
REVIEWS & RECOMMENDATIONS
“Ooo! I am glad I stumbled upon this monologue! I love the strength in which Jules controls this narrative in just a few biting words. The recipient of these words will most definitely want to eat a whole tray of cookies after enduring this sneak attack! Deliciously baked, displayed and sold!”
(Jacquelyn Floyd-Priskorn)
(Jacquelyn Floyd-Priskorn)
“In less than half a page, John Mabey gives us a richly realized character in Jules, whose warmth, wit and hurt come through in every word of this brief but powerful monologue. The final line cuts with razor-sharp precision.”
(Adam Richter)
(Adam Richter)
“An engaging little monologue that uses an unlikely, yet oddly perfect, metaphor for marriage. As always, Mabey’s heart and generosity of spirit shine through the deft writing.”
(Robert Weibezahl)
(Robert Weibezahl)
“A short-short monologue that does so much, revealing through subtext and detail a distinct character that will leave you smiling.”
(Asher Wyndham)
“A one minute monologue loaded with tasty metaphor and more than ample sweetness to go around. SECRET INGREDIENT is rich with subtext and a wonderful confectionary delight for an actor to perform. Would love to see this performed at a festival.”(Asher Wyndham)
(Vivian Lermond)
“What a spicy nugget of ambush browsing at a bake sale. To make an obvious pun, the final line is biting.”
(Matt Cogswell)
(Matt Cogswell)
“The veiled everything here is reminiscent of Strindberg's THE STRONGER. I do love subtext and Mabey's piece is a goldmine. Everything feels more dangerous with this kind of indirect-yet-direct address and only writers so clear in knowing what they want to say- and how- are successful at it. Home run.”
(Miranda Jonte)
(Miranda Jonte)
“Love this. Short but definitely not sweet except in the aftertaste of revenge. I caught Miranda Jonte's June 22 "Back Porch Theatre" reading; she captured Mabey's subtext perfectly. Super writing. A few brush strokes and voila! Love the human being Mabey has created, someone whose quiet life and love are sneered at by an adult bully but they get their cake and they make their bully eat it too.”
(Nora Louise Syran)
(Nora Louise Syran)
“This is a terrific, acid-tipped monologue that stings and burns even more in retrospect. Read it, listen to it at least twice.
With barely a nod of exposition, John Mabey makes the backstory and the stakes for Jules and the unseen audience abundantly clear.
I loved the June 22 performance of "Secret Ingredient" on Back Porch Theater on Facebook. Actor Miranda Jonte was brilliant in letting viewers feel Jules' tumultuous emotions although they were strongly under wraps. I gasped at the suddenness of the ending and its devastating insinuations.”
(Steven G. Martin)
With barely a nod of exposition, John Mabey makes the backstory and the stakes for Jules and the unseen audience abundantly clear.
I loved the June 22 performance of "Secret Ingredient" on Back Porch Theater on Facebook. Actor Miranda Jonte was brilliant in letting viewers feel Jules' tumultuous emotions although they were strongly under wraps. I gasped at the suddenness of the ending and its devastating insinuations.”
(Steven G. Martin)
“A monologue with real bite. The ingredients are all there for a performer to pull this off and get to the not so gooey stuff that's inside this half baked marriage. Great monologue to read and perform!”
(Brent Alles)
(Brent Alles)
“How absolutely DELICIOUS this monologue would be to perform. John Mabey has written something with a real bite! Go ahead… sample it!”
(Debra A. Cole)
(Debra A. Cole)
“Oh snap! Bake Sale Jules brings recipes and receipts! At first you think Jules is full of fillers and expired butter, but towards the end, maybe not? You never know what's going on in someone else's kitchen. Jules makes that very clear!”
(Jacquelyn Floyd-Priskorn)
(Jacquelyn Floyd-Priskorn)
“Once you find the right cookie, there’s no need to keep exploring. John Mabey serves up a spicy batch and lets the chocolate chips fall where they may. Brief but delicious monologue.”
(Morey Norkin)
“Jules isn't one to be taken lightly. They use their cookies to reveal a simmering rage most effectively. Jules certainly knows the value of their cookies. This is a striking and densely packed brief monologue.”
(Paul Donnelly)
(Morey Norkin)
“Jules isn't one to be taken lightly. They use their cookies to reveal a simmering rage most effectively. Jules certainly knows the value of their cookies. This is a striking and densely packed brief monologue.”
(Paul Donnelly)
PRODUCTIONS
Valdez Theatre Conference, AK - 2021
Back Porch Theater, MA - 2022
Back Porch Theater, MA - 2022
IMAGES
Valdez Theatre Conference
Valdez Theatre Conference
Back Porch Theater
Back Porch Theater
