The Animal Kingdom: Shows Featuring Actors Playing Animals

With International Cat Day and National Dog Day both falling in August, what better way to celebrate than with a selection of the wide variety of animals that have been brought to life on stage. Whether functioning as a surreal way of reckoning with thorny aspects of human existence, as faithful adaptations of children’s classics, or simply as a way to bring vibrancy and life to the stage, the animals found in these shows are every variety of wild and wonderful. Explore this collection of shows where actors of all ages have the chance to embody animals and hear the call of the wild!

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Plays

Alabaster by Audrey Cefaly (US/UK)
(Full-Length Play, Dramatic Comedy / 4w)
The animal(s): Weezy – A goat. Bib – A very old goat.
Synopsis: This all-female, darkly comic Southern drama offers a profound exploration of art’s elusive nature. ​In the aftermath of a catastrophic tornado that reduces a town to ruin, only a reclusive artist, June, and her devoted companion, Weezy, remain to bear witness. When a renowned photographer arrives to capture the indelible marks of June’s ordeal, together, they navigate the delicate interplay of grief and healing.

Alice in Wonderland by Brainerd Duffield and Lewis Carroll (US/UK)
(Full-Length Play, Dramatic Comedy / 20 any gender youth)
The animal(s): March Hare, White Rabbit, Gryphon, Mock Turtle and others.
Synopsis: Alice plunges down the rabbit hole and becomes involved in a madcap and deliciously satiric series of adventures in Brainerd Duffield’s adaptation of the Lewis Carroll classic. A kaleidoscope of action and madness ensues.

An Absolutely True Story (As Told By A Bunch of Lying Liars) by Ian McWethy (US)
(Short Play, Comedy / 4w, 6m, 1 any gender youth)
The animal(s): Marlan – The family dog.
Synopsis: Someone is in enormous trouble for breaking the priceless heirloom vase in the Peterson living room. But who? Someone is lying. Well, probably everyone is pretty much lying. Each suspect’s account is more outlandish than the last, from warring siblings Fred and Kelly, to their deeply weird friends Barney and Ava, to the family dog (according to the dog whisperer).

Babe, The Sheep Pig by David Wood and Dick King-Smith (US/UK)
(Full-Length Play, Drama / 10 any gender adult, 10 any gender youth)
The animal(s): Babe – The titular sheep pig, kind and gentle. Ducks, Sheep-Dogs, Cockerels, and others.
Synopsis: The tale of high adventure in the farmyard that became the hit movie Babe is a captivating play for children young and old. A leading writer of children’s plays brings the heartwarming story of the piglet who rises to fame at the Grand Challenge Sheep Dog Trials to the stage.

Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo by Rajiv Joseph (US)
(Full-Length Play, Drama / 2w, 5m)
The animal(s): Tiger – Big. Tiger wears clothes. Nothing feline about him. Older, scrappy, past his prime, yet still tough. He can be any race except Middle-Eastern. His language is loose, casual; his profanity is second nature.
Synopsis: The lives of two American Marines and an Iraqi translator are forever changed by an encounter with a quick-witted tiger who haunts the streets of war-torn Baghdad attempting to find meaning, forgiveness and redemption amidst the city’s ruins. Rajiv Joseph’s groundbreaking Pulitzer Prize finalist play explores both the power and the perils of human nature.

Blind Willie and the Talking Dog by Shel Silverstein (US)
(Short Play, Comedy / 2m)
The animal(s): A talking Dog, the companion to a down-on-his-luck blues musician.
Synopsis: Blind Willie sings the blues and asks passersby if they can spare a nickel or dime to help him and his hungry dog. But his dog can’t understand why Willie refuses to use the fact that he owns a talking dog to make some real money. Part of the collection An Adult Evening of Shel Silverstein.

Brief Interviews with Internet Cats by Patrick Greene (US)
(Short Play, Comedy / 9w, 7m, 6 any gender youth)
The animal(s): Cat-in-a-Box, The Scaredy Cat, The Grouchy Cat, The Singing Cat and other viral sensations.
Synopsis: On tonight’s episode of the World Wide Window: a veritable litterful of felines whose internet antics have catapulted them to fame. In this fast-paced series of hilarious interviews, interviewer Ian learns just what makes Nelson the Grouchy Cat so very, very grouchy, contends with the diva-like antics of Kitty Boo Boo and her entourage, and so much more.

Eternal Life Part 1 by Nathan Alan Davis (US/UK)
(Full-Length Play, Dramatic Comedy / 2w, 3m)
The animal(s): Goose.
Synopsis: An American family meets the future: space travel, talking animals, a state-of-the-art home. But when that future includes the promise of immortality, they must wrestle with the point of the life that happens along the way.

Fantastic Mr. Fox by David Wood and Roald Dahl (US/UK)
(Full-Length Play, Comedy / 2w, 5m)
The animal(s): Badger/Narrator – Avuncularly friendly. Mr. Fox – Confidently courageous. Mrs. Fox – Bravely protective. Other farm animals.
Synopsis: David Wood’s adaptation of Roald Dahl’s much-loved story follows the vain attempts of three farmers – Boggis, Bunce and Bean (one fat, one short, one lean) – to get rid of the fox who regularly steals food from their farms. Despite their efforts to defeat the fox by any means possible, the hapless farmers are outwitted at every turn.

Father Comes Home From the Wars, Parts 1, 2 & 3 by Suzan-Lori Parks (US/UK)
(Full-Length Play, Drama / 2w, 8m)
The animal(s): Odyssey Dog – A faithful companion.
Synopsis: Offered his freedom if he joins his master in the ranks of the Confederacy, Hero, a slave, must choose whether to leave the woman and people he loves for what may be yet another empty promise. As his decision brings him face-to-face with a nation at war with itself, the loved ones Hero left behind debate whether to escape or wait for his return… only to discover that for Hero, free will may have come at a great spiritual cost.

Frisky & The Panda Man by Ross Howard (US/UK)
(Short Play, Dark Comedy / 2w, 1m)
The animal(s): Frisky – Female. A panda personified. She is the last panda in existence and appears to be a little “under the weather”. She still does panda things like pandas do, if a little gingerly.
Synopsis: This is a big interview. A big deal. The End. Animal conservationist Dr. Ogden has spent most of his life pandering to pandas. But lately they’ve been dropping like flies and now there’s just one panda left. Her name is Frisky and really she’s been nothing of the sort, which has always secretly suited Dr. Ogden.

Godbird (Full-Length) by Nurit Chinn (US/UK)
(Full-Length Play, Drama / 1w, 1m, 1 any gender adult)
The animal(s): Birdman – Birdman looks like a man on stage, but he’s sort of a bird. He’s older. Can be played by an actor of any gender. Knuckle – Man + Dog.
Synopsis: Deb’s up early and can’t sleep. During off-leash hours in a neighborhood park, she meets Hugo and his pitbull. Also lurking in the shrub: a Birdman, with a bird-like view of things. A play about being seen. And also strangers, desire and attention.

Hippos of the Eastern Enclosure by Jen Silverman (US/UK)
(Short Play, Comedy / 5w, 1m)
The animal(s): Spotty, Large, and Small – Hippos, currently undergoing their periods.
Synopsis: On Thanksgiving, a nervous male zookeeper is overwhelmed by three female hippos, who all get their periods. While the zookeeper, his girlfriend and his co-worker decide who is on clean-up, the hippos interrogate the nature of ambition.

Journey to the West by Mary Zimmermann (US/UK)
(Full-Length Play, Comedy / 5w, 9m + ensemble)
The animal(s): Monkey King, Dragon King, Pig and other creatures from Chinese folklore.
Synopsis: The story of the mischievous Monkey and his physical and spiritual journey, encountering spirits, gods, demigods, demons, mythical creatures and more along the way to enlightenment. Mixing whimsy with spiritual weight, Zimmerman’s version combines comedy, adventure and satire.

Lupe and the F Train Monster by Marco Ramirez (US)
(Short Play, Comedy / 2w, 5 any gender youth)
The animal(s): The F Train Monster – A terrifying worm-creature that lives under subway tracks, straight-up X-Files-style.
Synopsis: Young video-gamer Lupe rides the F train by herself every day. She may be a game master, but in real life, she’s never done anything extraordinary. That is, until the infamous F Train Monster chooses Lupe as his nemesis in battle – and she’s got to use all her skills to survive.

Off the Map by Rich Orloff (US)
(Short Play, Comedy / 9w, 7m, 6 any gender youth)
The animal(s): Penguin – Wise, sage and able to help a couple in need of mediation.
Synopsis: In a very cold place, a penguin helps a lost couple find direction. Part of the collection Nothing Serious.

Pluto by Steve Yockey (US/UK)
(Full-Length Play, Drama/ 3w, 2m)
The animal(s): Cerberus – Laid-back therapist vibe, pretty with a pedigree, but not snooty, the personification of the mythic, three-headed dog guarding the entrance to the underworld.
Synopsis: In the wake of a local tragedy involving gun violence at a community college, single mother Elizabeth Miller and her withdrawn son, Bailey, try to jump-start their relationship across the breakfast table. But with berserker appliances, shifting astronomy and the talkative new family dog’s interruptions, Elizabeth might not be able to really “see” the person she needs to see most.

Rhinoceros by Eugene Ionesco and Derek Prouse (US/UK)
(Full-Length Play, Satire/Political Satire / 5w, 10m)
The animal(s): A whole town, succumbing to their baser instincts and turning into rhinoceroses, including Berenger.
Synopsis: The sublime is confused with the ridiculous in this savage commentary on the human condition, a staple of 20th century drama. A small town is besieged by one roaring citizen who becomes a rhinoceros and proceeds to trample on the social order. As more citizens are transformed into rhinoceroses, the trampling becomes overwhelming and more and more citizens become rhinoceroses.

2015 Broadway production of Sylvia (Joan Marcus)

Sylvia by A.R. Gurney (US)
(Full-Length Play, Comedy / 2w, 2m)
The animal(s): Sylvia – A dog Greg finds in the park.
Synopsis: Greg and Kate have moved to Manhattan after twenty-two years in the suburbs. When Greg brings home a dog he found in the park, Sylvia the pup shakes up their lives in more ways than one.

The Apiary by Kate Douglas (US/UK)
(Full-Length Play, Dark Comedy / 4w, 1 any gender adult)
The animal(s): The Bees – We should see them as literal honeybees when we are in “human time,” but the interludes in “bee time” are a more theatrical representation of their experience that is zoomed in, slowed down and deeply visceral.
Synopsis: Zora is overqualified for her new job at the lab, but she’s there because she loves bees – or what is left of them, as it has been years since bees produced honey or pollinated certain fruits and flowers.

The Cagebirds by David Campton (UK)
(Short Play, Drama / 8 any gender adult)
The animal(s): The Long-Tongued Gossip, The Mirror-Eyed Gazer, The Medicated Gloom and other birds.
Synopsis: Six women live in a locked room, each absorbed in her own petty interest and in placating the “Mistress” who takes care of them. Then a “Wild One” is thrust in among them. She talks of breaking out of the room to find freedom. She troubles the others who remain secure in their cage, and soon they all join against her.

The Jungle Book by Monica Flory (US)
(Full-Length Play, Dramatic Comedy / 19 any gender adult)
The animal(s): Father Wolf – Raises Mowgli. Kind and strong. Mother Wolf – Raises Mowgli. Loving and fiercely protective. Shere Khan – The tiger who will stop at nothing to get Mowgli. Power-hungry, he wants justice for missing his kill. Baloo – The bear who teaches Mowgli the Laws of the Jungle. Emotional, slow to anger, lazy and wise. Other jungle creatures.
Synopsis: In this action-packed adaptation of the classic adventure story designed for young audiences, precocious Mowgli grows up believing he’s as fierce a wolf as any of the members of his pack. When he learns he is actually a human, he must discover how to reconcile these very different identities and decide whether to remain with the pack or return to the human world from which he was born.

The Moors by Jen Silverman (US/UK)
(Full-Length Play, Dark Comedy / 5w, 1m)
The animal(s): The Mastiff – The dog. He looks fierce and brutal but is a sad philosopher-king. A Moor-Hen – A small chicken. Practical but easily frightened.
Synopsis: Two sisters and a dog live out their lives on the bleak English moors, dreaming of love and power. The arrival of a hapless governess and a moor-hen set all three on a strange and dangerous path. A dark comedy about love, desperation, and visibility.

The Squirrels by Robert Askins (US)
(Full-Length Play, Dark Comedy / 3w, 3m)
The animal(s): Scurius – Great old gray squirrel. Big. Fat-ish. The greatest gatherer of nuts the forest ever saw. Now gone to seed. Father to Chordata. Partner to Mammalia. Adopted father to Rodentia. Chordata – Young gray squirrel. Squirrel sexy. Squirrel smart. She knows the forest is changing. She is in love with Carolinensis. She is perhaps a little too sentimental. Other Squirrels (Mammalia, Rodentia, et al.)
Synopsis: Scurius, the patriarch of a family of gray squirrels, has collected enough nuts to last ten winters. When a group of starving fox squirrels begs him to share his hoard of food, animosity erupts into a ferocious war. A boundary-pushing, darkly satirical look at wealth inequality in which no creature comes out unscathed.

The Tomb of King Tot by Olivia Dufault (US/UK)
(Full-Length Play, Dark Comedy / 3w, 2m)
The animal(s): Alligator-Woman and Anubis – Figures in “King Tot,” the comic strip created by Jane.
Synopsis: Jane Haley is the punny voice of the comic strip “King Tot,” a three-panel strip about a nine-year-old pharaoh in Ancient Egypt. Jane has just been nominated for the Chuckling Willow, the single most important award for female cartoonists in New England. All seems to be going well until bleak news strikes the Haley household.

The Velveteen Rabbit by Elise Kauzlaric, based on the story by Margery Williams (US)
(Short Play, Drama/ 2w, 3m)
The animal(s): The Velveteen Rabbit – Childlike, open to the world, genuine and naturally shy. Also other assorted dancing and wild rabbits.
Synopsis: In the world of toys, life begins when humans leave the room. When one group of toys discovers a velveteen rabbit, they learn what it means to be truly loved by their owner. Adapted from the classic story by Margery Williams, The Velveteen Rabbit tells the story of the unconditional love between a boy and his toy bunny and how that love makes the rabbit real.

The White Snake by Mary Zimmermann (US/UK)
(Full-Length Play, Dramatic Comedy / 6w, 5m + ensemble)
The animal(s): White Snake (Bai Suzhen) – A snake spirit. Green Snake (Greenie) – A snake spirit. Assorted animal spirits.
Synopsis: Mary Zimmerman reimagines The White Snake, an ancient Chinese legend in which a snake spirit transforms herself into a beautiful woman in order to experience the human world. Adventuring down her mountainside with her companion Green Snake, White Snake meets and falls in love with the humble, virtuous Xu Xian and convinces him to marry her. Together, the three friends open a pharmacy, but soon the remarkable healing powers of White Snake draw the attention of a treacherous monk.

Toros by Danny Tejera (US)
(Full-Length Play, Drama / 1w, 3m)
The animal(s): Tica – A golden retriever, 80+ in dog years.
Synopsis: Toro is back in Madrid hanging out with his high school friends, Juan and Andrea (and Juan’s dying golden retriever, Tica). They spend their weekends exactly like they used to: chain-smoking pitis in Juan’s garage, listening to Juan’s latest DJ mix, and going out to pijo clubs around Madrid. But something’s not quite right.

Tortoise vs Hare 2: This Time It’s Personal by Sean Abley (US)
(Short Play, Comedy / 4 any gender adult)
The animal(s): Jack Rabbit – The present-day hare and son of the Original Hare. Starts out arrogant, transforms into a very laidback, good sport. Ro-Shell – The present-day tortoise, daughter of the Original Tortoise. Starts out humble, transforms into a hypercompetitive nightmare.
Synopsis: Everyone knows that the slow-and-steady Tortoise beat the bragging Hare in the famous race – but when their great-grandkids Ro-Shell the tortoise and Jack Rabbit are talked into a rematch, anything could happen.

Wink by Jen Silverman (US/UK)
(Full-Length Play, Dark Comedy / 1w, 3m)
The animal(s): Wink – Male. The cat. Lithe, dangerous, sensuous.
Synopsis: Unhappy housewife Sofie and her breadwinning husband Gregor both seek weekly counseling from an unorthodox therapist, Doctor Frans. Their current topic of disagreement: the cat, Wink. When Wink goes missing, violent desires, domestic anarchy and feline vengeance emerge, threatening the neatly ordered reality Sophie, Gregor and Doctor Frans have constructed.

Musicals

Bob Marley’s Three Little Birds by Bob Marley, Cedella Marley and Michael J. Bobbitt (US/UK)
(Short Musical, Comedy / 3w, 3m)
The animal(s): Doctor Bird – A lucky bird, Ziggy’s pet and best friend. Duppy – An evil spirit bird with a head full of human hair taken from children.
Synopsis: Mama says “breathe easy,” but Ziggy’s afraid to leave the house. He’s too busy worrying about tropical storms, evil spirits and steering clear of that sneaky, hair-snatching Duppy! But with the help of Dr. Bird and his feathered friends, Ziggy is reminded – in soothing six-part harmony – that “every little thing gonna be all right.”

CATS by Andrew Lloyd Webber & T.S Eliot (US)
(Full-Length Musical, Dramatic Comedy / 7w, 11m + ensemble)
The animal(s): Grizabella, Old Deuteronomy, Skimbleshanks and a whole host of other Jellicle Cats.
Synopsis: The Jellicle Cats come out to play on one special night of the year – the night of the Jellicle Ball. One by one, they tell their stories for the amusement of Old Deuteronomy, their wise and benevolent leader, who must choose one of the Cats to ascend to The Heaviside Layer and be reborn into a whole new Jellicle life.

Finn by Chris Nee, Michael Kooman & Christopher Dimond (US/UK)
(Short Musical, Comedy / 4w, 3m + ensemble)
The animal(s): Finn – Teens-20s. A sensitive young shark. Kindhearted and buoyant, he has never really fit into the pack. Aggie – Teens-20s. Finn’s older sister. Stern, tough and driven, her harshness comes from a place of love. Seasil – Teens-20s. A spunky young regal tang, bursting with energy and enthusiasm. Many other undersea creatures.
Synopsis: Hilarious and heartwarming, this underwater musical chronicles the coming-of-age journey of Finn, a young shark who dreams of following in his family’s footsteps by joining the prestigious Shark Guard. As Finn faces the challenges of growing up and following his heart, his musical story becomes a magical journey of self-discovery, friendship and adventure.

GARFIELD, The Musical with Cattitude by Jim Davis, Michael Bobbitt and John L. Cornelius II (US/UK)
(Full-Length Musical, Comedy / 1w, 4m)
The animal(s): Garfield – A lazy tabby cat with a large ego. Nermal – A kitten, Garfield’s arch nemesis. Odie – A simple-minded dog, Garfield’s friend. Arlene – A cat, Garfield’s friend and, perhaps, love interest.
Synopsis: Garfield, a chubby and sarcastic tabby cat, fantasizes about having the most amazing birthday in the history of birthdays… he deserves it for being the best cat ever! Unfortunately, all of his friends – Arlene, Odie, Jon and even his nemesis, Nermal – seem to have forgotten.

Pete the Cat by Sarah Hammond, Will Aaronson, Kimberly Dean and James Dean (US/UK)
(Short Musical, Comedy / 2w, 3m)
The animal(s): Pete the Cat – A super zen rocking cat who lives in a VW Bus. He goes with the flow.
Synopsis: For Pete the Cat, life is an adventure no matter where you wind up. So the minute the groovy blue cat meets The Biddles, he gets the whole family rocking. That is, except for young Jimmy Biddle, the most organized second grader on planet Earth. But when Jimmy draws a blank in art class during the last week of school, it turns out Pete is the perfect pal to help him out.

Snoopy!!! by Charles M. Schulz, Warren Lockhart, Arthur Whitelaw, Michael L. Grace, Larry Grossman and Hal Hackady (US/UK)
(Full-Length Musical, Comedy / 3w, 3m, 1 any gender adult)
The animal(s): Snoopy – A dog, Charlie Brown’s best friend. 
Synopsis: Based on the beloved Peanuts comic strip by Charles Schulz, Snoopy!!! sparkles with wit and warmth as it depicts life as seen through the eyes of Schulz’s unforgettable characters. Musical numbers include “Just One Person,” “Poor Sweet Baby” and “Don’t Be Anything Less (Than Everything You Can Be).”

The Amazing Adventures of Dr. Wonderful (And Her Dog!) by Lauren Gunderson and Bree Lowdermilk (US/UK)
(Short Musical, Comedy / 2w, 2m)
The animal(s): Newton – A dog, a loving but hyper friend, dressed like Dr. Wonderful.
Synopsis: Dr. Wonderful and her dog, Newton, want to know why the moon changes shape in the sky every night. But how can they study the moon when it’s so far away? By blasting off into space, of course! On their amazing journey, this detective duo gathers clues to solve their lunar mystery using the powers of science, curiosity and teamwork. A whimsical musical for all audiences to delight in discovery while learning a thing or two about the solar system.

2017 Broadway production of The SpongeBob Musical (Joan Marcus)

The SpongeBob Musical by Stephen Hillenburg, Kyle Jarrow, Tina Landau, Yolanda Adams, Steven Tyler & Joe Perry of Aerosmith, Sara Bareilles, Jonathan Coulton, Alex Ebert of Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros, The Flaming Lips, Lady Antebellum, Cyndi Lauper, John Legend, Panic! At the Disco, Plain White T’s, They Might Be Giants, T.I., David Bowie, Tom Kenny, Andy Paley & Tom Kitt (US/UK)
(Full-Length Musical, Comedy / 16 any gender)
The animal(s): The entire cast is under-the-sea creatures, from the Texas squirrel Sandy Cheeks to the titular SpongeBob SquarePants.
Synopsis: The stakes are higher than ever in this dynamic stage musical, as SpongeBob and all of Bikini Bottom face the total annihilation of their undersea world. Chaos erupts. Lives hang in the balance. And just when all hope seems lost, a most unexpected hero rises up and takes center stage. The power of optimism really can save the world!

Also available in a Youth Edition (US/UK) and a Theatre for Young Audiences Edition (US/UK).

The Tales of Custard the Dragon by Mary Hall Surface, Ogden Nash, Brad Ross and Danny Whitman (US)
(Short Musical, Comedy / 2w, 4m)
The animal(s): Blink – A mouse with a lion’s personality. Ink – A worldly-wise cat. Mustard – Not-the-brightest dog. Custard – A dragon, both cowardly and dear.
Synopsis: Join Custard the Dragon and his friends as they embark on a musical journey in which a most unlikely hero finds true courage. Based on Ogden Nash’s whimsical stories The Tale of Custard the Dragon and Custard the Dragon and the Wicked Knight, this musical tale follows the exploits of young Belinda and her three boastfully brave pets, Mustard the Dog, Ink the Cat and Blink the Mouse – and one not-so-brave dragon, Custard.

The Velociraptor’s Very Good Day by Sarah Kaufman and Shane Dittmar (US)
(Short Musical, Comedy / 1w, 1m, 1 any gender)
The animal(s): Velociraptor, Triceratops and Tyrannosaurus
Synopsis: When an impossible-to-predict tragedy strikes, it’s up to Velociraptor to embrace who they really are and make a discovery that will change the world forever. Originally written for Prospect Theater Company’s Musical Theater Lab, this show explores Autistic joy and the history of an Earth-shaking food.

The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame, Alan Bennett and Jeremy Sams (US/UK)
(Full-Length Musical, Comedy / 25 any gender adult)
The animal(s): Toad, Rat, Mole and their forest companions.
Synopsis: A contemporary slant on the adventures of Badger, Rat, Mole and Toad of Toad Hall, Alan Bennett’s charming adaptation of the classic children’s novel is a brilliantly theatrical piece of storytelling entertainment.

Water for Elephants (High School Version) by Rick Elice and PigPen Theatre Company (US)
(Full-Length Musical, Dramatic Comedy / 2w, 5m, 1 any gender youth + ensemble)
The animal(s): Queenie the Labrador Retriever, Rex the Lion, Rosie the Elephant and Silver Star the Horse, among other animals.
Synopsis: A dazzling, heart-filled musical about Jacob, a young man desperate to escape his past, who jumps aboard a moving train uncertain of the road ahead. Finding himself on the ride of a lifetime, Jacob joins the colorful company of a traveling circus and is hired by the imperious ringmaster, August, as caretaker to the animals. This version has been carefully curated to be suitable for teenage actors.

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For more shows featuring animal roles, visit Concord Theatricals in the US or the UK.