43 pages
With doubling: 3 m, 3 w, 1 flexible
Meet the Prince Charmings of Cinderella, Rapunzel and Snow White. Steve, an itinerant freelance narrator, starts with the first story of Cinderella's hero, Prince Charming Hair who is introduced at a ball, a nightmare of young ladies playing push-and-pull with him. Luckily, he finds Cinderella and they have a traditional happy ending. Prince Charming Smile is distraught because he does not have a Lady Fair. When he meets Rapunzel, "imprisoned" by two wicked witches, he falls instantly, deeply into shallow love. But this Rapunzel, monosyllabic and whiny, doesn...
36 pages
With doubling: 2 m, 4 w.
Before putting "Through the Looking Glass" down on paper in 1860s, Lewis Carroll told a colleague’s young daughter, Alice Liddell (the real Alice in the books), the story of talking chess pieces. The novel, of course, was a sequel to his earlier one, "Alice in Wonderland." This play is set in the early 1920s as a now elderly Alice Liddell reflects on the telling of the story. Faithful to Carroll’s expression of childhood fears of growing up, this adaptation keeps the Victorian charm and merriment by maintaining Carroll’s scenes intact. The audience is transpo...
41 pages
5 m, 8 w, 4 flexible, extras (including a few children from the audience)
In this adaptation of Hans Christian Andersen's beloved tale, all of the town's children gather round a traveling storyteller to hear the story of a wayward little fairy girl. When an old woman wishes on a magic flower, her heart's desire for a child of her own literally blossoms before her eyes. Her magical little girl, only a few inches high, is named Thumbelina, and although the friendly child is very helpful around the house, and very kind to the nearby forest creatures, she just doesn't feel as if she fits in. A gossipy Frog Lady convinces Thumbelina tha...
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...
76 pages
15-24+ actors, extras
Eighteen-year-old Katie has a problem: she's a tooth fairy who wants to be a DJ. While out exploring the human world, Katie meets Max, a young man who loves everything about flight. Their growing friendship is short-lived, however, after a centennial celebration of all fairies and troublesome trolls. As a reward for keeping a promise, the trolls demand that Katie become their drudge, or servant, until the next centennial, one hundred years away. Max and several other fairies try to rescue Katie and discover a key piece of information that changes everything. ...
40 pages
1 m, 5 w, 15 or more flexible, extras and doubling possible
The Awesome family has been so successful at fighting Champion City crime that they have decided to release all the villains. Yes, General Mayhem, Corporal Punishment, and the others in the Army of Evil are free.
The Awesome family now travels to where crime fighters are needed. Meanwhile the youngest, Annie Awesome, is at odds with being in a superhero family as she’s often stuck doing not so heroic tasks. She meets normal citizen Fiona who dreams of making a real difference in the...
35 pages
8 m, 7 w
What happens in a toy store after hours? The dolls come alive in a world filled with comedy and adventure. Meet totally clueless Pretty Hair Melinda, and her pals, Beach Buff Ben and Surfer Sam. There's also streetwise Jewel and playboy millionaire doll, Mike, who is really secret agent, James Pond, 007. Raggedy Freddy and Franny, lovable and mischievous, tangle with the grumpy and sarcastic Teddy Bear and have to run for their lives. When a group of the dolls venture over to aisle 10 for a little excitement, they accidentally unleash the Bionic Warrior doll....
34 pages
8 m, 6 w, extras, doubling possible
This re-creation of Robert Louis Stevenson's well-loved action classic will delight audiences of all ages and can easily be taken on tour. Young Jim Hawkins finds a treasure map and the adventure is on. If crossing the ocean is not adventuresome enough, Long John Silver and his band of pirates plan to take over the ship and steal the treasure for themselves. With the help of a castaway named Ben Gunn and a group of islanders, the pirates are defeated in battle and the treasure is recovered by Jim and his friends. About 40 minutes.
68 pages
8 m, 12 w, 1 flexible
The Wicked Witch is on trial for her crimes in the land of Once Upon a Time in this madcap musical featuring several favorite characters from many fairy tales. The cast of characters includes the Fairy Godmother as the judge, the Three Little Pigs as bailiffs, and Jack the Giant Killer as the guard. Witnesses for the prosecution and defense provide a variety of toe-tapping tunes such as a swinging Big Bad Wolf in “The Wolf of Wall Street,” an operatic Rapunzel in “I Love to Sing,” and a rocking Gingerbread Man in “Go, Gingie, Go!” The Wicked Witch herself cas...
58 pages
9 – 46 performers possible
We all know the nursery rhyme "Hey Diddle Diddle," but when you stop to think about it...how can a cow jump over the moon? If a cat could play the fiddle, wouldn't it be all over the internet? Why is a dish running away with a spoon? What’s the little dog actually laughing at? And how do they all connect with each other? This family comedy offers seven different outlandish tales speculating about what might be “The True Story of Hey Diddle Diddle.” It has a completely gender-flexible cast of 9-46 actors and runs about 55 minutes in length. Its target audience...
28 pages
Flexible cast of 18-28
In this comical yet surprisingly educational parody of "Twelve Angry Men," a certain wolf is on trial for blowing down a pair of houses owned by the Three Little Pigs. A jury of swine must now decide if they will oink in favor of conviction, or declare the wolf not guilty. Throughout the deliberation, most of the angry pigs believe the wolf is big and bad. However, an ensemble of storybook characters helps the pigs review the testimony, and Pig #8 asks some tough questions. Questions that will make the rest of the pigs realize that the witness testimony of Li...
35 pages
5 m, 15 w, extras
The King, his court, and all the villagers are enjoying a festival when the comic captain and his guards rush in to announce that the princesses have again slept through the day, and their shoes have been mysteriously worn out during the night. Distraught, the King orders that no one in the kingdom shall be happy until the riddle is solved. A young beggar comes into the kingdom and the princesses' matron sends him to the enchanted forest where he sees the princesses dancing the night away. We find the beggar is a prince in disguise and the matron explains her...
57 pages
Large, flexible cast, much doubling (minimum 8 m, 8 w, 6 flexible)
Here are the hilarious stories that start after the traditional tales end! Consider Cinderella and her Prince, who are now ruling the kingdom. Little does Cinderella know The Dice Girls, the entertainers she's arranged for a state dinner, are really her stepsisters and stepmom, ready for revenge! Or how about poor little Pinocchio? The Blue Fairy never got around to getting rid of his wooden head, but it may be a good thing considering the evil plan he's overheard involving the Lampwick and Foxy. And finally Snow White, who's running her own fashion boutique,...
41 pages
5 m, 7 w, 1 flexible
In this variation of the classic fairy tale, two human-sized dwarves, Beryllium and Boron, must help handsome Prince Suave find a bride. The sometimes sharp-tongued, but often wise Mirror helps Beryllium deal with his mischievous brother. Boron is a clever rascal who ends up tricking the mirror and involving the two inept Wong brothers in his schemes. The Prince speaks fluent medieval English which adds to the charm of the play. Now he must choose one of the White sisters for his bride: Snow White, the eldest; Egg White, the brain; Bleached White, the airhead...
73 pages
8 m, 16 w, 5 flexible
King Barney and Queen Rose suffer from a terrible jinx. Rose's sister, Jean, who wants to be queen herself, has cursed them with an "ugly duckling." Their oldest child, Dora, is as spoiled a brat as the kingdom has ever known. Desperate for help, the Queen calls on Magdelia, the witch who taught Jean everything she knows. Magdelia has only one antidote: some unlucky fellow must fall in love with Dora. A matchmaker suggests Bodkin, a simple woodcutter, who longs to marry. Dora is kidnapped and sent to Bodkin, who begins to slowly chip away at her nasty persona...