Bryan Starchman

Bryan Starchman grew up in the small foothill town of Mariposa, CA., just outside of Yosemite National Park. He began writing short stories in the first grade and fell in love with screenwriting in high school. Soon he tried his hand at playwriting. At UCLA, he spent four years honing his craft. There, he won the UCLA playwriting award for his satire on fraternity life. Unfortunately Bryan and Los Angeles went together like Elizabeth Taylor and husbands -- it just wasn’t meant to be. Now he lives in Mariposa where every night he plays the ukulele with his dogs Maggie and Luna. He teaches English and Drama at his old high school. His plays have been produced over 2000 times in all 50 states and Puerto Rico, in 9 out of 10 Canadian Provinces (come on Prince Edward Island!) and around the world in Mexico, England, Italy, Dubai of the United Arab Emirates, South Africa, Nigeria, and Portugal. He has also collaborated with fellow Eldridge playwright and composer Stephen Murray to create "Just Another High School Musical" and "Parents Just Don't Understand: The Musical." In 2018 he was the recipient of the NBC RISE grant beating out nearly 1,000 other schools and his drama program was featured coast to coast on The Today Show. More information at www.bryanstarchman.com

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  Urban Legends

Horror by Bryan Starchman

64 pages

Widely flexible cast (16-40 actors)


Here is a collection of stories to make your blood turn cold. "Urban Legends" starts with a whirlwind tour that covers many of the famous and infamous urban legends we’ve grown up hearing and fearing. It then delves deeper, dramatizing full stories in chilling detail. In “The Survivor” we meet the sole survivor of a plane crash who has lost his only love, but while the other bodies have been retrieved, hers will never be found. “On Second Hand” features a young man who has a close call with death and suddenly his life is literally flashing before his eyes. “W...

  Still Stuck at Home

Comedy by Bryan Starchman

36 pages

Minimum 4 m, 2 w, 2 flexible, 1 offscreen voice. Maximum 9 m, 7 w, 2 flexible, 1 offscreen voice.


Join this hilarious family as they struggle to endure being stuck at home – together! How many family game nights can teens endure? How are the pets holding up? Can mom convince the kids to do their schoolwork or will they be doomed to a fifth year of high school?  How do first dates and book clubs work while social distancing? And really, who is strong enough to endure more than one Dad joke?

 

This show is perfect at providing both laugh-out-loud humor as well as flexibility in stagin...

  Holiday Celebrities: Criminal Justice

Comedy by Bryan Starchman

62 pages

Widely flexible cast, approx. 12 m, 9 w, 13 flexible.


"Attention all units. Be on the look out for a man with pink wings and a bag full of human teeth. He's considered unarmed and hilarious." What if the holiday celebrities that we all know and love lived among us? Would they still be welcomed with open arms or would their actions be considered criminal? In "Holiday Celebrities: Criminal Justice" we enter the dark underbelly of the holiday celebrity world -- a world where Santa's been dodging his taxes, the Easter Bunny gets caught breaking and entering, and the Thanksgiving Turkey is wanted for grand theft auto...

  With Regard To Cooper Clawson's Conscience

Comedy by Bryan Starchman

35 pages

11 m, 7 w, 5 flexible, extras


We've all heard the story of the geek who turns chic, but wouldn't it be interesting if the popular kid was forced to become a geek for the good of mankind? Well, that's exactly what happens in this hilarious farce. Cooper Clawson is destined to become a geek, but when his conscience, C.C., decides to take a well-deserved vacation, Cooper is suddenly freed from his inhibitions and becomes the coolest kid in school. Now C.C. must figure out a way to turn Cooper back to the way he was because the fate of the world depends upon it. Full of physical comedy, quick...

  Shalloween

Comedy by Bryan Starchman

24 pages

4 m, 4 w, extras


Two unpopular high school students, Sam and Alexandra, find themselves with nothing to do on Halloween, until they're suddenly called to come to a costume party given by the most popular kids. Since they have been invited at the last minute, our unlikely heroes must improvise their costumes. They decide to disguise themselves by cross-dressing so they can find out what the popular kids really think about them. The already awkward heroine dresses up as a thug from the Bronx and the geeky boy puts on a secondhand prom dress and a blonde wig to disguise himself ...

  Stuck at Home (one-act version)

Comedy by Bryan Starchman

28 pages

Minimum 2 m, 2 w, 2 offscreen voices. Maximum 10 m, 10 w, 2 offscreen voices.


Join this hilarious family as they struggle to endure being stuck at home – together! Why is the WiFi out, and will their old-school solutions work when all the needed cords are missing from the junk drawer? Will the family secure two-ply rolls of toilet paper in trade negotiations with Grandma? Wait… what has each of them been using? How many family game nights can teens endure? What foods (or beverages!) are critical enough to make a special run to the grocery store? And really, who is strong enough to endure more than one Dad joke?

 

  The Con and Other Urban Legends

Horror by Bryan Starchman

32 pages

Widely flexible cast, minimum of 13 actors


Here are three stories to make your skin crawl and your blood turn cold. “On Second Hand” features a young man who has a close call with death and suddenly his life is literally flashing before his eyes. “Who’s Calling?” shows what can happen when a seemingly harmless practical joke is taken way too far. And in “The Con” we meet a charming couple who put their full trust in one another…for better or for worse. After leaving the show you will definitely feel the need to check the back seat of your car and look under your bed before going to sleep; but beware o...

  You're Making A Scene!

Comedy Drama by Bryan Starchman

89 pages

Resource Book


This dynamic collection of 25 stand-alone scenes and monologues is a perfect resource for classroom, competition, or stage. The diverse material was carefully selected from playwright Bryan Starchman’s most popular shows. From playful monologues, such as “The Lunch Lady Cometh," to the more profound “And I Did Nothing,” this book provides material relevant to teenagers. Scenes include options for two to five, mostly gender-flexible actors, and use minimal sets and costumes. All of the scenes have been deftly edited so that it is not necessary to be familiar w...

  Divided We Fall: A Series of Teenage Monologues

Drama by Bryan Starchman

44 pages

Widely flexible from 11 to 20


Everyone has some burden, but shared pain is always easier to bear. This monologue-based play is sure to strike the hearts of teens, showing them that any frustration, embarrassment, loneliness, and grief they are experiencing is not limited to them alone. Some major issues within the dozen monologues include a girl’s concern about her body image, a boy who feels smothered by his girlfriend, a girl who runs to escape her home life, and a boy who feels guilty after failing to defend someone who needed help. Each actor, while wearing a hooded sweatshirt that sy...

  Displaced: An Animal Adventure

Comedy by Bryan Starchman

35 pages

3 m, 1 w, 16 flexible


A small California town is under mandatory evacuation as a huge wild fire threatens its citizens, their homes, and the surrounding forest. Just as the family is about to leave, their unsuspecting dogs Loony and Max are tricked by Prince, the evil cat. Following the cat’s sinister advice, the sweet but gullible dogs disappear to avoid the vet and to find the barbecue sausages, leaving the family no choice but to drive off without them. During their big adventure to find their family again, the dogs journey through the forest where they encounter pushy raccoons...

  Parents Just Don't Understand: The Musical!

Comedy Musical by Starchman and Murray Bryan Starchman Stephen Murray

90 pages

Minimum cast of 5 with doubling (3 m, 2 f) Maximum cast of 24 (12 m, 12 f and as big a chorus as you like!)


Are we there yet? The Stathem family is on a loooong car trip, giving everyone lots of extra time to reminisce about the past 12 months. Here is a collection of hilarious (and often too close to the truth) scenes and songs that all families are going to be able to relate to. This easy-to-stage comedy is a lighthearted look at a "greatest hit list" of classic family moments. Remember when Dad tried to teach you to drive? Or Mom decided that she would help pick out your wardrobe? The kids sing the “Back to High School Blues” only to have Mom and Dad sing “They ...