Children's Theatre Plays

55 pages

Flexible cast of 14 or more

Timeless Tales: A Hans Christian Andersen Quartet weaves together four of Hans Christian Andersen's best-known stories in an exciting and flexible format. Narrated by Andersen himself, the play introduces us to the master storyteller from Denmark, providing background information on his childhood and the circumstances leading to the publication of his plays. After the "Prologue," the actual dramatization of the tales begins. They include: "The Princess and the Pea," "The Little Mermaid," "The Emperor's New Clothes," and "The Ugly Duckling." This last...

22 pages

1 m, 2 w, 1 flexible

Here's a perfect play to entertain young children and encourage them to read. Shusha wants an adventure like the one in her new book. Then the Story Snatcher, with his flapping ears and honking nose, grabs her story and descends to his underground lair. Shusha’s doll, Shareen, comes to life and gets the audience to help, acting as trees or a tunnel onstage, or providing wind and hooting owl noises from their seats. After magical and comic adventures they recover Shusha’s book. An ideal play to present during right-to-read week, national library week, or any o...

30 pages

Cast of 20 or more

The touching story of Beauty and the Beast is recreated here as a delightful half-hour show for young audiences. A festival celebrating all the good works done by the rich Baron von Holwitz is interrupted when his ships sink. Devastated, the Baron runs into the woods, where an ugly Beast will spare his life if one of the Baron's five daughters returns in his place. Only Beauty gladly offers to go. She finds the Beast ugly to look at, yet he is intelligent, gentle, and terribly lonely. She convinces the Beast to go back to town, where her kiss transforms him i...

28 pages

2 m, 13 w

It’s Princess Daylight’s christening, and the blessings of the good fairies are interrupted by a wicked Swamp Fairy.  The Swamp Fairy vexes the princess with two evil curses: she will never see daylight, and her vitality will wax and wane with the phases of the moon. The good fairies mitigate the curses as much as they can. Thanks to their help, the princess will be awake at night, and the curse will be broken when she is kissed unknowingly by a prince. As the years go on, Princess Daylight’s curse seems to worsen. Her only joy is dancing in the moonlight.  F...

41 pages

1 m, 1 w, 3 flexible

Here is a troika of short, story-theatre plays that will take you on three very unusual journeys. First stop is a town where the cow-dreamer ran away... and we all know that without someone to dream cows there simply are no cows. Then we travel to a farm where the devil comes to call every day at noon. Only the dog knows who he is, and it's up to her to save the farmer and his wife. Finally, we visit a marsh and find out what happens when the Sun gets so curious about the Earth that she comes down to see what it's like for herself. Because the narration fills...

36 pages

4 – 23, optional extras

Young Erin loves to hear his father’s story of a baby dragon on Wild Island who needs rescuing. With the help of an alley cat, Erin finds himself in the adventure. Along the way, Erin realizes that he must use his wits, bravery, and cunning to outsmart numerous jungle animals including a gorilla, lion, crocodile, wild boars and a rhino! The use of masks and puppetry keep young audiences engaged as they watch Erin in his quest to set free the dragon. About an hour.

38 pages

2 to 12

There’s nothing like real, live storytellers to catch the imagination of youngsters. With these six tales, each told by a pair of storytellers, students can go on an enchanted voyage, whether they’re in a classroom, cafeteria or theatre. Let your young audiences, from kindergarten through 6th grade, connect, learn, and be entertained through these inventive scripts in one of the oldest forms of entertainment -- storytelling! Running from 6 to 12 minutes each, they include “The Cat, the Mouse and the Huge Pot of Cheese,” the Aesop tale of the two traditional e...

16 pages

11 m, 6 w

In this farce, a narrator helps the action and humor even to the point of shooting the good queen, who doesn't want to die after Snow White is born. The evil queen can't make up a rhyme that's worth a darn before the magic mirror, and she even forgets her apples are poisonous and eats one at the wedding of the Prince and Snow. About 25 minutes.

67 pages

4 m, 9 f, 10 flexible, extras.

Princess Lizzy wants to be a knight. Bored with the usual duties of a princess, she dreams of fighting in tournaments, slaying dragons, and doing all the things that good knights do. For what Princess Lizzy desires above all else is to be special – one-of-a-kind, absolutely unique! And so on her sixteenth birthday she becomes a knight ... and is crushed to learn that she is not the first, but actually the ninety-sixth. Still determined to be special, Lizzy resolves for her quest to do the impossible: to go to the moon. She soon finds the magical Medallion of ...

23 pages

9 m, 6 w, children, extras

An infestation of rats plagues the beautiful, perfect town of Hamelin, and the angry towns people give the Mayor and town council one last chance to solve the problem. A curiously dressed piper arrives just in time to save the day. He promises to lead the rats out of town for a fee of $1000. The town agrees and the rat problem is solved, but the people, arguing that the price was too high, refuse to pay. The angry piper takes all the children with him instead, leaving the town unhappy and without a future. But wait! The storyteller runs on stage to offer an "...

56 pages

Large, flexible cast

Cindy R. Ella and her nasty stepsisters and stepmother are the richest family in town, but Cindy is required to do all the housework. She only wants two things: to attend a Stagnant Rocks concert to see the star, Nick Lynx, and to spend more time with her father, who is always away on business. She gets her first wish from the Godfather, but at the concert she loses her hat. Like all good fairy tales, "Prince" Nick arrives with the hat, looking for the girl of his dreams, and Cindy's father vows to be at home more. Lots of parts, including nosey reporters, en...

53 pages

Large, Flexible cast

Welcome to the mythical Forest of Fables, home of the Tortoise and the Hare, the Ants and the Grasshopper, the Lion and the Mice, and many other colorful creatures. This realm is also the home of Aesop, the friendly storyteller from Ancient Greece. The animals and two immortal Muses prepare for Aesop's surprise 98th birthday party, until they realize that they have no music for their upcoming celebration. The problem is solved when a nervous Donkey, a vain Cat, a hopeful Rooster, and a dim-witted Dog join forces and ensure that old Aesop gets the party of a c...

55 pages

Ensemble cast of 6 to 27

The magic of theatre now weaves three tales from around the world together into more than an hour of captivating entertainment for young audiences. In a Chinese play, Little Red Maiden and her older brother learn that riches do not always bring joy. Too bad the selfish dragon learns the hard way! In a native American play, the Cinderella story is retold as Little Burnt Sand endures the cruelty of her sisters before becoming the bride of the new Micmac chief. In a delightful English fairy tale, we find that too much curiosity can be a mite unhealthy. Show the ...

43 pages

16 characters

It may not be the biggest court case on record, but it is the funniest! B. B. (Big Bad) Wolf is being tried for the murder of the two little pigs, Wilbur and Portly. With his reputation for - shall we say - never eating vegetables, what chance does B.B. have? Hilarious flashbacks provide opportunities for the audience to see the testimony, as told by the witnesses, including the revenge-seeking mother and sister, Mrs. Pyg and Suey, and the vindictive Little Red Riding Hood. From the overbearing judge to wild prosecutors, this fun play races to a dramatic endi...

74 pages

With doubling 4m, 5w, 2 flex

Kira, the little mermaid, longs to see life on the surface. When she realizes her overprotective father will only show her a deserted island and has promised her hand in marriage to nerdy Duke Dorsal, she takes matters into her own hands. She sings for the Sea Witch who takes her voice, with the knowledge that she must win the heart of a human or be turned into sea foam. While on land, she saves the prince who falls for her cousin, and finds true love in the end. Jellyfish telling knock-knock jokes, a kingdom with a yoga instructor, a magical triton that can ...

67 pages

5 m, 8 w, 23 flexible, doubling

Alice has accidentally discovered a strange new world and she's convinced her two friends to explore it with her. They meet the Cheshire Cat, the White Rabbit, the Mad Hatter, and Tweedledee and Tweedledum, all on their way to the castle for the Princess' homecoming from college. But the Princess is now a tattooed tough girl who has brought home some very unsavory friends. The Queen has them all arrested and the King allows them one phone call. They call Monstressa, an opportunist who wants to turn Wonderland into an amusement park. Alice and her friends must...

56 pages

14 m, 14 w, 2 flexible

All the luck in Camelot has been bad lately, and the Brotherhood of Peasants, Serfs and City Scum expect King Arthur to do something about it or else! Merlin has become a fly, and Morgan LeFey and her minions waste no time in turning Arthur's three most loyal knights, Sir Tin, Sir Loin and Sir Cuss, into a frog, a rock, and a grasshopper. Not even Queen Guinevere nor her ladies of the court can fight the king's evil half-sister. It takes Threadbare, a lowly weaver, to turn the tables on Morgan in this hilarious romp through a Camelot that never was. Additiona...

30 pages

Ensemble cast of 5 to 22 actors

Some of the gentle, humorous, and well-loved characters from the writings of Beatrix Potter come alive in this gem of a story theatre play for young audiences. The play consists of adaptations of three Beatrix Potter stories: “The Tale of Benjamin Bunny” (one of the Peter Rabbit tales); her renowned Christmas story, “The Tailor of Gloucester”; and “Grasshopper Belle and Susan Emmet,” Potter’s adaptation of the Aesop fable. Also included are two poems from the “Apply Dapply Rhymes” and a third inspired by them. The pieces are short, the action continuous, and ...

48 pages

4 m, 6 w, extras

“Now, my friends… do you like stories about rousing sword fights? Do you like stories about fire-breathing dragons? Well, this story has absolutely none of that!” says Christophe as the townspeople of a small European village gather to hear this itinerant storyteller. Soon the villagers clamor to tell their own stories. And the seemingly silly and simple tales, infused with the villagers’ personalities, become important lessons of patience (“No More Than a Tiger’s Whisker”), friendship (“Birds of a Feather”), and love (“A Ring of Truth”). The villagers add no...

48 pages

18-19 roles (2 m, 1 w, 15-16 flexible)

When a pirate ship inadvertently sails over the lost city of Atlantis, an adventure-seeking girl – who happens to be the granddaughter of Poseidon himself – makes friends with a charmingly naïve sailor, causing their two worlds to collide. As the pirates continue to arrr-gue and the Atlanteans ask an endless series of questions with no answers, new friends Duffle and Pana explore strange new worlds they have never seen before. With the help of a Narrator giving advice and a friendly dog who just wants to play, and with Poseidon’s undersea magic adding to the ...

56 pages

5 to 18 flexible roles

It's the story of Pecos Bill in the rootin'-tootin', ropin' and shootin' wild, wild West! From an infant raised with coyotes to a grown man rescuing his "furever" sweetheart, Sweet Sue, Pecos Bill has one adventure after another. He rids the town of Pecos of all its outlaws, tames some purty wild desert creatures, and rescues his Sweet Sue from a couple of mean hombres called Buck and Chuck. Pecos even takes an hour or so to dig a ditch for Sue's catfish. Lasso in a little bit of Americana in this story-theatre style play. Scenes flow together seamlessly, and...

32 pages

3 m, 2 w, 1 flexible

Get the youngsters in your audience twitching their noses, making engine noises, bowing to the king, catching imaginary gold thread, and shouting out names, especially Rumpelstiltskin! With such audience participation, this fairy tale adaptation is loads of active fun. It features a braggart father, his long-suffering wife, their poor but beautiful daughter, a strict rule-enforcing chancellor; a monarch whose kingdom depends on straw being spun into gold, and of course, the mysterious little man who is willing to perform that exceptional feat – but at a treme...

26 pages

2 m, 4 or 5 w

Prince Charming Smile meets Steve, an itinerant narrator, and after a furious swordfight they become friends. Prince Charming Smile tells Steve that he is the only Prince Charming without a lady fair, and he is on the quest for one. When he meets Rapunzel, “imprisoned” by the wicked witch Imaboil and the New Age witch Esmepus, he falls deeply into shallow love. He decides to rescue her and win her as his wife. But the rather vapid Rapunzel doesn’t want the Prince, so Steve conjures up a sleeping Snow White for him and a happy ending for all the characters. Tw...

50 pages

9 w, 24 flexible

It's a media moment! Little Red Riding Hood has come to tell her story on Terry Tellus' talk show but is rudely interrupted by her Grandmother and the Wolf. It seems Red Riding Hood's version is nothing but a fairy tale! The Grandmother and the Wolf insist on equal air time. Henny Penny, Chicken Little and Turkey Lurkey appear as insurance agents, and the Three Little Pigs and the Three Little Kittens are present, too, as we make our way through the twists and turns of the different versions. Decide for yourself if Red is the heroine, the Valley Girl or every...

50 pages

Approx. 8 m, 8 w (doubling possible)

Travel back in time as the real story of "The Elves and the Shoemaker" unfolds in a flurry of magic and mayhem. It begins when seven zany Elves - not just two as Mr. Grimm wrote - end up lost at the shop of Hans, the shoemaker. They need to perform three good deeds to get back, and no one could use help more than poor Hans, who has just enough leather to make one pair of shoes. The trouble is, elves don't go around wanting to do good deeds. They have to be coaxed! But one pair of perfectly made shoes leads to another and then, after Mr. Grimm tells Hans' stor...

49 pages

3 m, 3 w, 2-4 flex

The Hero Squad of Metro Valley, Iowa—a team comprised of superheroes 3-D, Lindy, Iron Lung, and Slapshot—are enjoying a bit of a peace in their home city. All that changes when their archnemesis, the ever-scheming Nikolai Oshgoshbgoshnikov, gets a visit from his teenage niece Veronica. Veronica is a supervillain-in-training with a knack for robotic henchmen and a devious plan to destroy the Hero Squad from the inside out. Posing as a super-fan, Veronica infiltrates the Hero Squad’s HQ and begins to plant seeds of dissension among the four friends. Things come...

34 pages

2 m, 2 w, 1 flexible

Since its first appearance in 1898, Kenneth Grahame’s "The Reluctant Dragon" has delighted both young and old alike with its tale of the lazy dragon who shows the townspeople that they shouldn’t be prejudiced against dragons, or for that matter, people who are different. One early morning, on their way from the market, a mother and her young son pass the entrance to a dark cave where mysterious sounds are heard. They soon discover that a dragon has moved in and the son, being rather sensible, decides to visit the new neighbor. The young boy determines that th...

41 pages

3 m, 2 w, 2 flex

Attention, new recruits! Fairytale City is in trouble because of a wolf named Big Bad, who wants to get his hands on a magic porridge that will make him invincible! Billings, a master of disguise who runs the Special Agent Unit, needs your help! Meanwhile, Mama Bear, the Porridge Maker, and Papa Bear, the Porridge Keeper, are having a hard time getting Baby Bear, a bratty toddler, to eat the porridge and become the Porridge Heir, which would keep Fairytale City safe. While Big Bad plots to steal the porridge from the Three Bears, Billings calls in his secret ...

46 pages

10 m, 7 w, extras as desired

Here's an exciting tale about two English youths, one the royal Prince Edward, and the other a pauper by the name of Tom Canty. Because they look so much alike, they laughingly decide to try on each other's clothes. For a few moments they find themselves daydreaming about "being the other." Suddenly, the unthinkable happens! The true prince, now dressed as the pauper, is unceremoniously thrown out of the palace by zealous guards while Tom, now dressed in royal clothing, is looked upon as heir to the throne. On the streets of London, the prince fights to prove...

51 pages

Widely flexible cast (14 or more)

Kipling's dramatic and entertaining stories about how the Camel got his hump, how the Elephant got his nose, how the Whale got his spout, and other richly woven tales come to life in this engaging full-length play. Mr. and Mrs. Kipling and their two bubbly yet unpretentious daughters serve as narrators. The story weaves from several animal tales to the final human one, how Man-or in this case an enterprising young girl!--wrote the first letter. Especially engaging is the two-person whale which is a great theatrical device. Easy to produce, this whimsical play...