Plays for two actors are a distinct dramatic genre. Two on stage, two in the line, two for the whole story. Chitacle is a platform that has gathered 200+ original plays for two performers: freely distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license.
The term "duologue" — it's a play for two
The term "duologue" is the dramaturgical name for a play with two characters. The word stands alongside "monologue," only in it there are two. It's not a scene in a full-length play, and not an excerpt — it's a self-contained work with a complete composition: a beginning, a development, and a finale. On Chitacle's public pages we usually call this genre "a play for two" — it's clearer.
In the play-for-two genre there's a special focus: all dramatic tension is between two people. No third characters, no choruses — only two voices.
Why plays for two are little known
In the Russian tradition, the play-for-two genre is not as widespread as the monologue or the full-length play. Most classical texts are long multi-act plays. Plays for two exist, but scattered and often hidden in the repertoires of specific theaters.
Chitacle has assembled a contemporary collection of original plays for two — 200+ texts, written under the Chitacle brand. It's the project's main repertoire.
What's good about plays for two
- The ideal form for partner reading. Two people read two characters.
- Concentration of drama. No crowd scenes, no secondary characters.
- Convenient runtime. 20–45 minutes — an evening format.
- Simplicity of staging. Any room becomes a stage.
- Closeness to life. Most of our conversations are dialogues of two people.
What's in the repertoire
- Plays for two women. Friends, sisters, colleagues.
- Plays for two men. Friends, brothers, rivals.
- Plays for a man and a woman. Strangers, exes, lovers.
- Genres. Drama, comedy, tragicomedy, melodrama, black comedy, psychological, philosophical, miniature.
- All under CC BY 4.0. Freely distributed, with no rights claims.
Who Chitacle is for
- For actors. Training partnership with a stranger, building your repertoire, finding material for auditions and scene work.
- For acting teachers. Fresh material for class. Online supervision: the teacher joins the student's session as a viewer.
- For amateur and professional theaters. 200+ contemporary plays — no negotiations with rights holders, no royalty payments to collecting societies.
- For playwrights. See your text in a live reading by ordinary people — honest feedback on what works in the text.
- For two who already know each other. "Read with a friend" mode — a private meeting via personal link.
How to read plays for two on Chitacle
Go to play-read.online, leave your email, and choose a meeting mode. Chitacle finds a partner of the opposite sex and picks a play for the pair. At the appointed time the curtain parts — and you both read the text for the first time (cold reading). You learn the play's title during your meeting in the theater.
The legal side — Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 (CC BY 4.0).
Chitacle plays are freely distributed perpetually and worldwide, with no rights claims. You may copy, distribute, perform on stage, create derivative works, and use commercially. The only requirement — attribution to the author (Chitacle) and links to our resources.
Часто задают вопросы
What is a duologue?
A duologue is the dramaturgical name for a play with two characters. The word stands alongside "monologue," only in it there are two. It's a self-contained work with a beginning, a development, and a finale. On Chitacle's public pages we call this genre "a play for two" — it's clearer.
How is a play for two different from an excerpt?
An excerpt is part of a larger play, taken out of context. A play for two is a self-contained work with a complete composition, written from the start as a single whole.
What role combinations are there?
Plays for two women, for two men, for a man and a woman. Chitacle has all three combinations.
On what terms can I stage the plays?
All Chitacle plays are freely distributed under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 (CC BY 4.0), perpetually and worldwide, with no rights claims. Staging is allowed freely, including for commercial purposes. The only requirement — attribution to the author (Chitacle) and links to our resources.
How do I get the play text as a file?
Write to chitacle.online@gmail.com with the play's title — we'll send you the file. You learn the title during your meeting in the theater.
Can I invite viewers to the meeting?
Yes, in all formats except instant matching. In scheduled meetings and in "Read with a friend" mode, the viewer joins via a personal link. The same works for online supervision — a teacher, psychologist, or coach joins the student's or client's session as a viewer.
How much does it cost?
Your first meeting is on us. After that — by individual meetings or a monthly subscription.
Your first meeting is on us
Зайдите в Гримёрку на play-read.online и выберите режим встречи.
Your first meeting is on us.
Enter the theaterChitacle now speaks five languages — Русский · English · Español · العربية · 中文.
We did it quietly, but properly.