Children's

32 pages

Flexible roles for 30 or more

Here’s the story of Howard Carter's famous discovery of the tomb of Tutankhamun in 1922. Carter and others with him are astounded by the treasures buried for over 3,000 years. Before long the visitors discover the story of this little-known king through the writing on the walls of the tomb. These hieroglyphs come to life, teaching us all about Ancient Egypt including King Tutankhamun, Queen Hatshepsut, Egyptian society, the gods and pyramids. This musical was written specifically for young voices, ideally, Grades 5 through 9. Grades 3 and 4 could participate ...

39 pages

2 m, 3 w, 1 flexible

Based on the Grimm Brothers Folktale. Queen Ysabel of Oldmark sends her daughter, Princess Jorinda, to marry King Ferdinand of Eastphalia in order to seal an alliance between the two kingdoms. Elsa, an ambitious and devious maid-in-waiting, leads Jorinda to believe that her future husband is ill-tempered and ill-favored, and convinces the princess to trade roles: Elsa poses as the bride, and Jorinda is given a position as a lowly goose girl. Ferdinand, of course, proves to be neither ill-tempered nor ugly. In fact, there is a definite attraction between Ferdi...

55 pages

Widely Flexible

The music is stunning in this story set in Athens around 400 BC. Despite the city's wealth and splendor, the Athenians have recently been defeated by the joint Spartan and Persian armies and now reluctantly, after years of superiority, have to put up with foreign interference. Anxious to find out what is in store for their great civilization, Socrates, Plato and Hippocrates set off to see the great Oracle at Delphi. The Pythia tells them to seek advice from Zeus himself at the great statue in Olympus where they will discover their destiny. Lots of fun songs, ...

29 pages

4 m, 7 w, and 7 flexible. Extras and sound effects/musicians for ensemble.

The drama club members assemble to perform “The Complete Brothers Grimm Fairy Tales,” but realize there isn’t enough time to do the whole collection and still eat the cookies waiting in the lobby for after the show. The actors condense the tome down to their favorite parts, mixing, matching and mashing up characters, while a clever casting director challenges stereotypes to meet the demand for princess roles among the girls in the company. With the help of a group of musician-dwarfs to play and punctuate the story, the characters head out on a quest to find t...

52 pages

4 m, 2 w

An inventive and hilarious retelling of the famed fairy tale that features the bickering Grimm Brothers, who narrate the story of a talking cat who helps her downtrodden master become a noble lord by using his wits and resources. With its lively music, witty lyrics and quick-paced script, this play is both entertaining and educational, as the audience helps the Grimms decide upon the morals and merit of an unusual tale. Some songs include “Once Upon a Time,” “Alas, Alack,” ”Keep Your Wits About You,” “What You Do To My Eyes,” “Okra, The Ogre,” and “The Great ...

43 pages

From 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 grades 2 through 9, 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: "Anansi and His Children,” the classic African folk tale of a man and his unusually named children;...

35 pages

5 m, 5 w, 1 B, 2 G + chorus (can be doubled to 3 m, 3 w, and 3 chorus)

Joanna Spyri's classic story of the orphan who spreads sunshine everywhere she goes is well represented in this fast-paced adaptation. Heidi conquers her grandfather, Peter, Klara, Herr Sesemann and all those with whom she comes in contact.

56 pages

7-13 actors

The Hero Squad literally stumbles across a plan by the nefarious criminal mastermind Nikolai Oshgoshbgoshnikov that involves a mysterious kidnapped princess. Once the princess learns the heroes' true identities, she is determined to join their cause fighting for justice. Meanwhile, Oshgoshbgoshnikov blackmails the city's established and arrogant hero, the Good Knight John-Boy, to help re-kidnap the princess and vanquish the Hero Squad. John-Boy has grown pretty tired of the four heroes stealing his spotlight. So with the help of a couple of bank-robbing bottl...

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...

60 pages

4 m, 2 w, 3 flexible

The Hero Squad, four superhero friends, decide to make amends and invite their arch-enemy, the nefarious criminal mastermind Nikolai Oshgoshbgoshnikov, over for a Christmas party and caroling. Little do they realize, Nikolai is secretly plotting against the heroes with special eggnog designed to turn them evil. Meanwhile, an old roommate from Nikolai's past, the gargantuan bovine supervillain Angus Khan, has returned with his own plan to rule the world. The Hero Squad have a lot on their plate: Not only must they deal with the wrath of one very angry cow, as ...

51 pages

8 m, 7 w, 9 flexible and extras, doubling possible.

The headstrong leader of a feisty gang of child thieves has a secret: the young man everyone knows as Rosario is really a teenage girl, climbing the ranks of a clandestine criminal guild. To join the illustrious Council of Convicts, she needs all the help she can get  from her followers to steal the Madonna statue off the newest church in the city. But not everyone is thrilled about her risky plan, and Rosario suffers a double betrayal. Tackling themes of sexism, loyalty, and deceit, will her dangerous ambition tear the gang apart? Approximately 70 ...

36 pages

Large, flexible cast (approx. 17 boys and 19 girls)

If you want to know what really goes on in middle school, join these students as they perform insightful songs highlighting their monologues and scenes. "Doing the Tag" introduces friendships and rivalries, "Hanging in the Hallway" finds a girl longing for the boy of her dreams to notice her, and "I'm Hot/I'm Not" shows us all about popularity. "America" tells the troubles facing a foreign-born student, while "Cambiata" deals with the challenge of the unchanged male voice in chorus class. "Hormonal Blues" finds a boy in the throes of first love with a girl he...

42 pages

Flexible cast of 12 (approximately 2 m, 10 w), extras

This comedic tale begins with the familiar version of the fairy tale featuring an overly kind Princess, a vain Prince and the traditional evil witch, but there are twists to come as the story gets retold from the viewpoints of the Prince and witch. The second version zigzags in a totally new direction as the poor Prince is turned into a frog and is then plagued and pursued by a horrid giggler of a Princess, who actually wants to kiss him! The third version lights up the stage as a beautiful young woman with magical abilities turns the Prince into a frog in an...

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...

57 pages

4-26 m, 14-24 w, doubling is appropriate.

Ivan’s greatest ambition has always been to learn the Language of the Birds. When he shows off his pet nightingale for show and tell at school, he is teased until he runs away. Seeking shelter in the forest, Ivan protects baby birds from a storm. In gratitude, the mama bird grants Ivan’s wish and teaches him to speak Bird. When his parents Mama Lou and Papa Joe find out that Ivan not only can speak Bird, but is now speaking in a heavy Russian accent, Ivan promptly finds himself sold off as a cabin boy on a ship. A band of tough girl pirates soon takes over, a...

27 pages

12 to 14 flexible parts

All the familiar characters from the classic fairy tale are here but with a little bit of a modern-day twist, including gullible, inquisitive Jack and his poor mother; a smart, determined cow; the magical egg-laying goose; and a not-so-scary Giant and his wife. Children will be laughing out loud when Jack's cow refuses to be sold and is constantly chased across the stage, first by the bean seller and then additional characters from other fairy tales! The smart aleck Narrator almost gets into a fight with the Mother about the magical qualities of the beans and...

35 pages

6 m, 8 w.

In this fast-paced “green” adaptation Jack and his mother are really poor now that the forest has been cut down. Sadly, all that’s left is for them to sell their cow, Milky White. (All Milky White can say is “moo” but her moos are extremely expressive!) Jack trades her for magic beans and by the next morning, the beanstalks have grown out of sight into the sky. Jack climbs up and enters into the castle of the Giant and his wife, Giganta. Ultimately Jack rescues a hen that lays golden eggs, a magic harp, and even more importantly, tree seedlings which will hel...

32 pages

15 - 30

Jack's family makes and sells the best cheese and butter in the world. That is, until the competition gets jealous. Vegetable merchants Vlad (who is not-so-nice) and his sister Carol (who is missing a few cards in the deck) make a wish with some pink magic beans to ruin Jack's family's livelihood. When Jack's cows suffer strange and dramatic demises, and Jack's dad is captured by ruthless and revolting Ruffians for his cheese-making skills, Jack's mom goes on a daring adventure to rescue her husband with a ladle as her only weapon. Jack is left to do one thin...

56 pages

Flexible cast: 9-30 actors.

Gather ‘round, friends. Here are four Appalachian folktales your audiences will love … and your actors will love performing, too! Our favorite folk hero, Jack, appears in all four stories: “Jack’s Mother’s Second Marriage,” “Jack and the Mean Old Man,” “Foolish Jack,” and “Soldier Jack.” All four tales are fast paced and humorous, and still hold true to the oral traditions of the Blue Ridge Mountains. In fact, playwright R. Rex Stephenson gathered some of the material from the archives of the WPA Virginia Writer’s Project and some tales from interviews with l...

32 pages

Flexible cast from 10 - 24 actors.

This play opens when a woman who is collecting mountain folktales asks the Gentry family to tell her one. But they do better than that! They act out for her the story of "Jack and the King's Girl." When a Princess has a "witchin'" put on her, Jack decides to save her and collect the reward. It isn't an easy task, especially when he has to sleep over in a haunted house. Along the way he makes some friends who have special skills, however, and ultimately they help him meet every challenge the old witch throws at him. Of course Jack saves the Princess! The widel...

20 pages

3 m, 11 w

Take seven inept campers who must win a variety show competition on which the whole camp's reputation is based and what have you got? Instant disaster! Luckily for the campers, Jo White, who would rather sing than whistle while she works, has escaped to their cabin. Hilarity and confusion follow, but the camp's reputation is saved!

37 pages

Flexible cast of 10

From the story "Kaa's Hunting" by Rudyard Kipling.  Deep in a jungle in India in the middle of the 19th century a tribe of monkeys come chasing in with the boy Mowgli in their midst. In the middle of their play, Kaa, the great python, terrifies them as well as Baloo, a great bear, and Bagheera, a panther, who are Mowgli's friends and protectors. Once out of harm's way, the two scold the boy and teach him how to make himself safe in the jungle. They fall asleep. The monkeys, eager to get Mowgli to make them huts like his, wake him and drag him off. Baloo and B...

67 pages

Large, flexible cast

Confusion and fun are the business of the day at Kamp KAOS, a summer camp that boasts its own 12-watt radio station. It's opening day at the camp and director Wally Schneider is already in trouble: the mortgage is due, the world's wealthiest woman wants to buy the camp, the county health inspector is coming, and the mysterious weather phenomenon El Gordo has brought a migration of mice! When Wally accidentally eats cheese laced with sedative, it's up to the wacky gang of counselors and campers to save the day. This one-set musical can easily expand or contrac...

0 pages

Large, flexible cast (minimum of 15)

Four timid page boys in the Court of King Arthur will soon become squires by performing acts of courage and skill. The girls of the court chide them for their fear and lack of ability. Merlin the Magician helps the boys in adventures that include rescuing their teacher, Lady Katherine; subduing the Grouchlinks, the evil slaves of Morgan LeFey; and slaying a dragon. Very clever lines with comedy situations. Some 13 songs including "I Don't Want to Go," "Knock! Knock!" "The Wishing Song," and "Dragons in England."