28 pages
Approx. 6 m, 8 f, easily expandable and gender flexible
"Woolfie" takes place in a series of flashbacks as the wolf must defend himself in the Trial of the Century! Accused of a variety of heinous crimes that include blowing down other people's houses, impersonating grandmothers, and gobbling up little girls, the much maligned and misunderstood Woolfie must defend himself or face dire consequences. This new look at an old tale explores prejudice in its many forms, and features such characters as Judge Billy Goat Gruff, Little Bo Peep as the bailiff, gangster pigs, a befuddled attorney, and an interactive panel of ...
49 pages
Flexible cast from 12 to 60
This musical is a hip-hop, happenin' history lesson. From dinosaur extinction to Columbus, from the wheel to space exploration, they're all rediscovered in this clever, chaotic, comical cataclysm of creativity. From the rockin' "Big Bang" opening number and careening toward a stirring big finale anthem, "Circle of Friends," this upbeat, tuneful score also includes numbers like "It Stinks to Be Extinct," "Me and My Wheel," "You Better Avoid the Asteroids," and "Cave, Sweet Cave." Flexible casting for either a small ensemble playing a variety of roles, or a lar...
67 pages
8 m, 8 w, 12 or more flexible
Prince Fred wants more than anything to find the princess of his dreams. His mother, the queen, wants to stay young – in other words, no marriage and no grandchildren! And that means no partying or dancing. To preserve the appearance that the queen wants Fred to marry, the kingdom has advertised far and wide for a suitable princess. Unfortunately, the outlook is bleak until the Jester finds an incognito princess. Tired of being deluged with unsuitable suitors proposed by her military-like father, Princess Philamena has escaped and taken employment in Fred’s p...
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...
40 pages
Flexible cast from 12 to 60
This happenin' history lesson presents a fresh perspective as to who, what, where, when and how this crazy planet and its people came to be. From dinosaur extinction to space exploration, they're all rediscovered in this clever, chaotic, comical cataclysm of creativity. Doing their best to contribute to the world's development are the solar system (each planet has his or her own personality); the dinosaurs (the herbivores are higher class than the lowly carnivores); the first humans (totally clueless!) and the daring, early explorers including Columbus with h...
48 pages
2 m, 2 w, 11 flexible
This stage adaptation closely follows the original story by Carlo Collodi. Pinocchio is a mischievous puppet who is trying to become a real boy. Once he is carved by Gepetto, his adventures begin. Along the way he almost meets his doom at a puppet show, is waylaid by an evil Cat and Fox, sidetracked by Lampwick who takes him to The Island of the Toys, and is swallowed by a huge whale, where he is reunited with Gepetto. After saving Gepetto, the Blue Fairy helps Pinocchio attain his dream of becoming a real boy. Perfect for touring.
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...
45 pages
2 m, 2 w
The zany antics of the commedia style, with lots of bumbling, scheming, incorrigible improvisations and very physical comedy, allows just four traveling actors to create this fast-paced story of Aladdin. Arelquin, Punchin, Columbine and Rosetta portray all the many roles in the story of a lazy young boy who needs to work to help support his mother, especially since his father froze up and is standing in a forest where birds nest in his hair! Aladdin almost falls for the machinations of an evil magician, but instead he saves himself and gains access to the Gen...
35 pages
Flexible cast 50 to 500
Here's an excellent adaptation of the story with all the beloved characters including Dorothy, Aunt Em, Uncle Henry, the Munchkins, the Cowardly Lion, the Scarecrow, the Tinman, and the Wicked Witch. There's plenty of room for other performers, too, as winged monkeys, animals, guards and servants. Lively, original music, including music for the dances (which may be left out without hurting the story) make a musical your children and audiences will love. Performance time is 90 minutes.
36 pages
Cast of 15 to 53
Take your young audience on a journey around the globe discovering other cultures. From Africa we have the tale of why the Sun and Moon live in the sky. From the Pacific Northwestern Native Americans is the story of the ocean and its tides. From South America we learn how the beetle got its beautiful coat, while from Asia is the tale of why toads croak before a rain storm. The play ends with an Aesop fable from Europe that tells why the bat flies alone and at night. Weaving it all together is a Cherokee fable that explains the bringing of stories into the wor...
30 pages
2 m, 2 w, 2 flexible parts
The overbearing Queen has already determined whom her precious sonny boy, Prince Handsome, will marry. So when a muddy and very dirty Princess Jasmine catches the Prince's eye unexpectedly, the Queen insists she pass the "pea under the mattress" test to prove she really is a princess. Only it's not one thin mattress we're talking about here, it's thirteen mattresses, four feather comforters, and eight queen-size pillows! And not only that, but Jasamine wears ear muffs, a night mask, and is very, very tired! Yet Jasmine passes the extremely unfair princess tes...
35 pages
3 m, 4 w
This is a funny, fast-paced story with songs ranging from blues to calypso, super simple sets, and easy costumes. The small cast invites the children to come along on this imaginary trip as "Right Before Your Eyes" they present three different stories. In "Little Red Riding Hood," the wolf eats Granny and Little Red only so he can get their bag of candy because he is sick of his health-food diet. The wolf's song, "Tofu Blues," is a riot! In "King Midas," the fairy godfather sings "Kiss My Ring" to the gold-hungry king so he can have his wishes come true. And ...
35 pages
14 parts. (with doubling 2 m, 1 w, 3 flexible)
Yazoo! Get ready for one tall tale of adventure as Sheriff Cyclone Malone must protect his town, Yazoo Junction, from evil pirates! The pirate captain, along with two bumbling crewmen, has somehow managed to build a submarine – with torpedoes! – and is sailing on the river outside of town. Cyclone’s gonna need help to deal with this problem. The sweet schoolmarm (and Cyclone’s gal) Cozy Dumond tries to get a message to the neighboring sheriff, but she is tricked by the disreputable Violent Lavender, captured and tied to the submarine’s periscope. Cyclone and ...
73 pages
7 m, 11 w (doubling possible)
Originally commissioned and produced by the Dallas Children's Theatre, this full-length play is a faithful adaptation of the book by Frances Hodgson Burnett. Young Sara Crewe arrives at Miss Minchin's Select Seminary for Young Ladies in Victorian London. There the young, beloved heiress shines as the star pupil - until the death of her wealthy father completely reverses her fortune. The greedy headmistresses allow Sara to become a servant at the academy and live in a cold, miserable attic room. Sara uses her vivid imagination to overcome adversity and even br...
72 pages
12 flexible roles
Based on the short story by Kenneth Grahame. What happens when a gentle, Shakespeare-loving dragon meets a town badly in need of some diversion? St. George, a semi-retired dragon slayer, has been summoned to rid the town of a terrible threat. Of course neither the villagers, who will do anything for a work holiday, or the wanna-be mayor with his faux French accent, have actually seen the fearsome beast! Only Jack, a sensible, bookish young man, has met and befriended the timid, peace-loving dragon. Join the villagers as they sing “There’s a Dragon Loose!” Jac...
36 pages
7 m, 7 w, 2 flexible, extras and doubling possible
Katie and Max Grimm are tired of having to listen to their mom’s bedtime stories about fluffy hamsters and magic smiles. When they tell her they've outgrown them, she asks for one more chance to tell the best bedtime story ever. Their dad, who loves to write zombie fan fiction, overhears and wants in on the challenge to tell the "King of Bedtime Stories"! Katie and Max have some tricks up their sleeves, however, since telling their own scary stories at summer camp. Zombie bunnies! Evil scientists! Gloomy gamma rays! Post-apocalyptic survivalists! One thing is...
72 pages
With doubling: 7 m, 12 w, 2 flexible. Many extras including children.
Lewis Carroll, the author of "Alice in Wonderland," has been contracted by a theatrical producer, Sir Henry Irving, to adapt his book into a stage play. Carroll, multi-talented but totally disorganized, has put off the writing of the play until the day before it is due. To help him create it, he gets Alice Liddell and her friends and family to improvise all the delightful characters. Even his staid housekeeper, a local handyman and two of Carroll's university students end up playing the roles of the Queen of Hearts, the Caterpillar, and the March Hare and Dor...
34 pages
3 m, 2 w, 1 puppet.
Y’all know of Pecos Bill, the first Texas cowboy! He was raised by coyotes, made the first lasso out of a rattlesnake, broke a cyclone down to a gentle breeze, tamed the longhorn cattle and almost married Slewfoot Sue, who caught his attention by riding a giant catfish. Unfortunately, this Pecos Bill is a little confused. Ya see, the setting is in the present at a performance of “Pecos Bill's Wild West Show,” patterned after the Wild West shows of the late 19th century. But Bill and the other performers still live in the past. They believe everyone comes to t...
64 pages
9 m, 12 w, 2 flexible parts
Professor Boris Conklin can now revitalize DNA samples from anyone (or anything!) in history, returning that person to life. Unfortunately, those who invested in Conklin's work want him to revitalize world-class monsters like Frankenstein, Dracula, the Mummy, and others to serve as attractions at his estate turned into an amusement park - Monster Park. But the Professor's down-and-out niece, Marlene, wants the estate for herself and plots to have her uncle hauled off to a sanitarium. She chooses the very weekend a test family is due to get a sneak preview of ...
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...
59 pages
Approx. 37 parts, doubling possible
Romance, mystery, and more fun than a magic carpet ride - that's what makes this richly imaginative version of the story of Aladdin such a winner. You'll love all the colorful characters, including Yahoo and his pet snake, who serve as narrators; the evil magician, El Kahsid; the beautiful Princess Celestia; the spoiled, obnoxious Gorgan, who wants to marry the Princess; the lamp and ring Genies and their "wish-granting associates"; the poetic cave creeps; and finally Aladdin himself, who starts out as a lazy, insolent boy but proves himself to be a prince. T...
28 pages
1 m, 2 w, 5 flexible
Based on the African fable of Anansi, the play tells the story of a "brave" spider's desire to bring stories into the world and the difficult challenges he faces achieving his goal. Anansi must battle the python, outwit the tiger, protect himself from the hornet's sting, and endure a frustrating encounter with Mmotia, the bad-tempered fairy. In addition, he even has to deal his critical mother-in-law! Throughout it all Anansi thinks himself clever, but in reality, it is only with the help of his wife Osa, who is really the clever one in the family, that Anans...
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,...
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.
44 pages
2 m, 4 w, 1 flexible. (Seven actors play 12 characters.)
Snow White is a dirt-smudged stable girl, innocent to the point of cluelessness, whose stepmother, the Queen, must be the most beautiful woman in all the land. But when the Magic Mirror informs the Queen that Snow White has the gift of inner beauty, the Queen goes berserk with jealousy. The Magic Mirror and the castle servants comically thwart the Queen's first attempts to poison Snow White. Fleeing into the woods, Snow White finds the House of the Three Slobs. Therein live Grouchy, Snivelly, and Slacker. They don't want to let her in, but she promises to hel...
32 pages
2 m, 2 w, 2 flexible
You might think it's fun to be a princess like Alwida, and to live in a castle. But her castle is so lame! It doesn't even have a moat. Tired of parents who never listen and are always telling her what to do, Alwida runs away from home in search of adventure. Instead she finds Alf, the prince from a nearby country. The two hit it off at first, until Alwida's parents ground her in her tower. She escapes, but is captured by bloodthirsty pirates. Finally! An adventure! The pirates think they've taken a frail, simple girl as their prisoner, but they are about to ...
32 pages
Flexible cast of 7 to 18
A lonely boy receives a wonderful Christmas gift and a toy rabbit learns some valuable lessons about life and love. In this humorous and touching adaptation of the children's classic, the Velveteen Rabbit encounters the antics of toys and wild rabbits in his faithful quest to be "real." About 40 minutes.
26 pages
4 w, 5 flexible, extras
At last Auntie Em is allowing Dorothy and her little bunny FuFu to go to the mall alone! But just as Dorothy enters the revolving doors, they spin out of control knocking her unconscious and killing the wicked sales clerk of the East Mall. Luckily, Glinda, a good sales clerk, helps Dorothy on the quest to find Kaufmann's Department store. Along the way Dorothy travels with Burnout, who needs new brain cells; Security Guard, who needs a heart; and the Nerd who needs some courage. A modern twist on an all-time favorite story. About 30 minutes.
43 pages
Widely flexible cast of 25
It’s been peaceful at Camelot for years. Merlin the magician put the fearsome dragon, Fog, in a sleeping spell and turned the evil Morgan Le Fay into a fragrant flower – although she can still talk! But when everyone in Camelot celebrates the impending nuptials of Lady Marian and Sir Lancelot with a Maypole dance, Morgan Le Fay is able to work some magic. She steals all the knights’ swords and trips the Pages, creating enough noise to wake the dragon. She coaxes Fog to kiss her, and her spell is broken! From then on it’s a wild and crazy chase as the knights,...
41 pages
6 m, 9 w, 12 flexible
The age-old competition between Mother Goose and the Brothers Grimm isn't abating. Mother Goose's employees encourage her to take a vacation, but while she's gone, Simple Simon messes everything up and the employees go on strike. The only way Simon can bring them back to work and get the company out of the red is to agree to have them appear on a fairy-tale television special with the Brothers Grimm and their employees. Unfortunately, the Brothers plan to sabotage the show! Eleven swingin' but sophisticated songs include "Grimm, Grimm, Grimm," "Vacation," "Fr...