74 pages
5 m, 6 w
When Letha Gordon keeps an appointment with her ex-husband, she suddenly finds herself the prime suspect in his murder. But who would want to kill the headmaster of a prestigious New England prep school? Perhaps it's his neighbors, who have had their eyes on his property. Or maybe it's the embittered housekeeper whose son was expelled from the school, the same son who is now hiding out there because he hasn't anywhere else to go. What about the music teacher who lives in a dream world of fear and fantasy? Or could it be the victim's second wife, Letha's own s...
48 pages
4 m, 6 w, many extras
Ashley, a freshman sprite, makes her first visit to Mt. Olympus to meet the powerful pantheon of gods and goddesses of Ancient Greece. She is overwhelmed by the way the Great Olympians live and the power that they wield, and wants to grab a little of the glory for herself. She becomes friends with Persephone, the goddess of spring who is running away from her brooding husband, Hades. Together the women set off on an ambitious odyssey to steal Zeus' lightning bolts, Poseidon's trident, and Hades' helmet of invisibility and take over Mt. Olympus! They are pursu...
61 pages
4 m, 10 w
When movie mogul Mandrake Masterfiend, producer of the schlockiest horror movies in history, invites some of Hollywood's craziest characters to his birthday party, the evening's a killer--literally. That's because he also invites Rona LaMona, the most vicious gossip columnist in the business who writes weekly under the title "The Poisoned Pen," to stir up the pot a bit. Though the actors, designers, and directors of some of Masterfiend's greatest successes enthusiastically reenact some great scenes from his movies, they suddenly find themselves playing suspec...
48 pages
6 m, 6 w, some flexibility
What could go wrong when a group of patients at the Sunnyvale Insane Asylum decide to put on an evening of Edgar Allan Poe works for the public? A lot. With tongue-in-cheek comedy, and a host of kooky characters, this wild romp provides a uniquely theatrical take on such Poe classics as “The Tell-Tale Heart,” “The Raven,” and many more. Beware, though, there are surprises within, and things may not always be what they seem. Muhahaha! Running time: 60 minutes
56 pages
8 m, 8 w, 4 or more extras as female pirates
While evading her wedding and overbearing fiancé, Lizette de Champlay, a headstrong French woman, leads her ladies to a British merchant ship. Once aboard, the ladies upset the sailors and their disciplined captain, Roger Thornwood, convincing him to hunt for treasure on an island home to a fierce band of female pirates. As Roger and Lizette begin to fall for each other, Lizette’s fiancé and her father follow them to the island, only to be captured by the pirates. What follows are battles of the heart and sword as everyone searches for their treasure.
58 pages
5 m, 7 w, 2 flex
This modern retelling of the Austen classic places the entire story in an upper-class restaurant. The Bennett sisters are now four waitresses whose world is turned upside down by the arrival of the restaurant owner, a very rich but unlikeable man who seems to bring doom with him. As Piper fights for those she believes in, she comes to realize that she may have been prejudiced against the wrong characters and too proud to admit that she has misjudged nearly everyone. The modern setting allows for easy costuming and props, and focuses on the major relationship ...
64 pages
8 m, 9 w, extras
A mysterious phantom, who inhabits the depths of a TV studio, creates murder and mayhem to seize a beautiful soap opera heroine, for whom he has an obsessive love! Laid-back police detective Digby Wright does little to allay the fears of the troupers, somewhat of a shaky group to begin with! There's Daphne Davis, a haughty actress whose career is moving fast --downhill; Quentin Harris, a former football hero who drops the ball when it comes to his lines; Lily Ponds, a scatterbrained secretary who can't remember the director's name; Addison Meriwether, the upt...
73 pages
4 m, 4 w, 3 flexible, numerous extras
Young, gifted opera singer Christine Daae has just filled in for La Carlotta, the reigning prima donna, to a stupendous ovation at the Paris Opera. Christine has been tutored by an instructor whom she thinks of as the "Angel of Music." She convinces him to let her see his hidden world, for she realizes he is the feared "Opera Ghost," though he tells her his real name is Erik. Reluctantly, he takes her to his lair where she sees the wonder of a world that totally revolves around music. Curious, she pulls off the mask he wears and sees the hideous visage beneat...
83 pages
3 m and 7 w (With optional extended ending: 7 m and 8 w)
Penny Ramsey is a young woman who, like all of us, has different sides to her personality. They are personified in the story by comically stereotypical characters, collectively known as the Egos. The five Egos make up her decision-making process, which gets a lot more complicated when Penny overhears only one side of her boyfriend Matt’s phone conversation and believes he has betrayed her. It’s a stressful time for Penny, made even more confusing by the introduction of a potential new suitor named Rick and the nosy involvement of Penny’s mother (and Matt’s bo...
63 pages
Minimum of 5 with doubling: 2 m, 2 w, 1 flexible.
The hip-hop standard of the 1980s said it best: "There's no need to argue, parents just don't understand!" Here is a collection of hilarious (and often too close to the truth) scenes that all families are going to be able to relate to. This easy-to-stage comedy is a lighthearted look at a "greatest hit list" of classic family moments. Remember when Dad tried to teach you to drive? Or Mom decided that she would help pick out your wardrobe? How about those family vacations when you were stuck in the backseat for hours on end with your annoying sibling, headed f...
73 pages
7 m, 9 w
Terry Campbell just wants to have a little fun when her parents go out of town. So, she invites her three best girl friends over for a slumber party. But as soon as Mom and Dad leave the door, the party turns into a bash which turns into a police raid, which turns into a mind-boggling spy intrigue when illegal aliens and the FBI show up. "I just wanted a few friends and a little pizza," Terry whines as she and her friends are held at gunpoint by a desperado. Goofy boyfriends and smug neighbors drop by to help out...until the lights blow out and people start d...
76 pages
5 m, 4 w, 5 flexible
Kathy, the stage manager, has the play’s first line: “I hate opening nights!” From that point on we see everything that could go wrong in the course of a performance happen to a group of dedicated high school actors and techies. Mistakes, miscues, dropped lines, forgotten entrances, missing props, and a tricky light board you name it, it happens in this frenetic play. As we watch chaos reign in the tech booth and with the actors backstage, we also see what calamities occur onstage in the “play within the play.” It all makes for non-stop hilarity as the proces...