Children's

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...

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,...

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...

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...

36 pages

Cast of up to 28 mixed gender roles

On the lonely planet Eleph, where language was never invented, the mango-loving Elephans learn to communicate without words. The friendly (and not-so-friendly) aliens share their story in song with the help of the local children of Earth. A delightful score of 6 songs, including "I Am Only Me," and "Do You Know What It Means To Be Lonesome?" help to carry the message of the play: tolerance, understanding and listening. Very few roles, if any, are gender specific. The opportunities for creative costumes and sets are also present. Roles can also be expanded or ...

61 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...

61 pages

Widely flexible cast (minimum 7 m, 5 w, chorus)

From the day we're hatched to the day we spread our wings and fly on our own, there are a series of requisite, riotous rites of passage that must be experienced. This collection of humorous scenes and hummable songs explores the innocent squawk of infancy, the terrible twos, the treacherous teens, and everything in between. There are tactics for dealing with those who endeavor to shape, stretch and warp our minds and bodies, like gym teachers, substitute teachers and those cafeteria culinary queens, "The Little Lunch Ladies." From the angst of acne, adolescen...

65 pages

5 m, 3 w

Here is the timeless story of how a young maiden named Beauty bravely lives in the castle of a frightening Beast, and how her gradual love for him breaks the curse he is under, turning him back into a prince. All the favorite characters are here, including a likable prince, a kind, fair person even when he is a furry beast; Beauty, a beautiful young maiden who lives up to her name in spirit and self-reliance; and a wizard who wonders why the audience doesn't delight in his evilness. Other characters include Beauty's blustery and somewhat silly father, Otto Vo...

51 pages

flexible cast (minimum 11 with doubling)

The adventures of the resourceful Rat, trusty Mole, gruff Badger, and the ever frivolous Toad are intermingled with the actual story of how "The Wind in the Willows" came to be written in this beautiful full-length musical. To entertain his son, Kenneth Grahame wrote stories about the rich Mr. Toad, who steals a car and ends up in jail. The story's villains, the Weasels and Foxes, take over Toad's estate in his absence. Badger, Rat, and Mole come to the rescue, conquer the Weasels, and save Toad Hall from ruin. Interspersed with the animals' adventures we see...

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...

58 pages

6 m, 6 w, 16 flexible, extras if desired

Follow Prince Tamino in this hilarious tale as he travels to the castle of the evil Sarastro to save the princess Pamina. Along his magical journey he meets a wild cast of characters including Papageno, the three muses, the Greenbird, the spirits, and the fabled Queen of the Night. Armed with a magic flute given by the queen, Tamino is ready to take on Sarastro. Once inside the castle our prince and his friends face monsters, magic, and a test to free his beloved Pamina. Fast-paced dialogue and hysterical characters enchant this large-cast play based on the o...

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 "...

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.

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...