72 pages
12 m, 15 w
Seattle, Washington, 1895. There are 10 men for every woman in the territory -- excellent odds for Shamus Donovan, an Irish fisherman with five daughters to marry off. Several town council members immediately fall for the younger daughters, but unfortunately, a family tradition says the oldest must marry first. But the oldest daughter is Katherine, a wild cat! In a woman-starved town like Seattle there has to be someone desperate enough to take on Katherine, they reason. Using William Shakespeare's "Taming of the Shrew" as a guide, the men give Danny O'Brien,...
75 pages
11 m, 14 w, 28 flexible, much doubling possible
Here is a lovely version of the adventures of Dr. Dolittle, the gentle Englishman who can talk to animals. All his furry and feathered friends are along for the ride including Jip, the dog; Dab-Dab, the duck; Chee-Chee, the monkey; Gub-Gub the pig; and, of course, Polynesia, the parrot; as well as a slew of seagulls, dolphins and sharks, and the unique two-headed creature, Pushmi-Pullyu. Follow Dr. Dolittle to Africa to cure a tribe of sick monkeys. Watch him thwart a fierce band of greedy pirates. Join him on a mission to rescue Professor Long Arrow, a famou...
47 pages
19-33 or more. (6 m, 6 w, 7 flexible, much doubling possible.)
Team Justice, a team of four incredibly obnoxious superheroes, must overcome a group of supervillains who have ingratiated themselves with the city council of Littleton. The villains have taken over the city by entangling its superheroes in a nightmare of tickets, citations, and bureaucratic red tape. The only way to repeal the supervillains’ nefarious legislation is for the arrogant, socially incompetent superheroes to somehow convince enough random citizens to sign a petition…without using their superpowers, which are now illegal. They must do this before t...
90 pages
Flexible cast of 13 to 40
When Fred is forced to go to the library to do a report, he meets the Book Master, a magical character who introduces him to some of the most popular fictional characters ever created. Before his eyes, sections from several great books are acted out. You can choose whichever 6 to 8 scenes of the 9 included to comprise a full evening's entertainment. Scenes include "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" and "Little Women" (Americana); "Jane Eyre" (Gothic); "Dracula" and "The Monkey's Paw" (horror); "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland" and "A Thousand and One Arabi...
67 pages
5 m, 10 w, and 5 - 10 flexible
Connor's summer is off to a rough start: the camp bus almost crashes, his cabin mates don't trust him, and the girls on the other side of the camp constantly outsmart him. But when he and his friends Tasha, Parker, and Kimberly investigate the mystery surrounding the "Ghost of Dead Billy," they begin a hilarious adventure that is worlds away from a typical campfire story. This haunted camp comedy with a sci-fi twist has it all: ghosts, aliens, robots, plant zombies and, of course, dodgeball.
87 pages
28 depending on doubling. (7 - 16 m, 12 - 21 w, 11 flexible)
Following his shenanigans up the beanstalk, Jack has built a real estate empire in Goosetown, and now his ambitious mother is determined he should solidify their fortune by developing an amusement park and condo complex. But one property owner is refusing to leave, and Jack soon finds he’s up against more than just the old woman who lives in a shoe and her many clever children. No amount of golden eggs are enough to withstand the growing forces that line up against Jack: Pressures from Old King Cole; a dodgy partnership with the not-so-Noble Duke of York; the...
78 pages
Minimum: 4 - 11 m, 7 w. Maximum: 11 m, 19 w, 8 flexible.
“Miracle worker” Annie Sullivan Macy wakes on a lonely stretch of beach. A mysterious hermit encourages Annie to debate and share pieces of her life with him, including her greatest accomplishment, teaching the famous deaf and blind girl, Helen Keller. Like pieces of a puzzle, Annie’s memories spring to life, revealing hard-won victories, childhood horrors, and a rise to stardom. Annie discovers that she and Helen are forever connected, but who needs who? As Annie wrestles with this question, one more secret remains locked within her, and this mysterious man ...
62 pages
12 actors (5 m, 7 w) and can expand up to 42 (16 m, 25 w, 1 flex)
Hayden Ferovick, a successful female physicist at the height of her career, is tragically reaching the end of her life. The dying woman recounts key moments where her gender had a profound effect on her journey as a scientist and mathematician. Hayden’s story begins to interweave with two women who shared her same struggle over three hundred years ago. Emilie du Châtelet, a colorful, upper crust French scientist, befriended playwright/poet Voltaire and created the definitive translation of Newton’s Principia – but is later wiped from most history books. Mary ...
73 pages
11 m, 13 w, 4 flexible, much doubling possible
Adapted from the novel by Wilkie Collins. It's the late 1800s and young Walter Hartright, on his way to a new teaching position, meets a mysterious woman dressed in white. Terrified, she asks him the way to London and mentions that she once was very happy at the very house Walter is going to. Later, Walter meets his pupils: Marian Halcombe and her half-sister Laura Fairlie, the latter who strongly resembles the woman in white. Walter soon falls in love with Laura, but his happiness is dashed when he finds out her engagement to Sir Percival Glyde has been arra...
51 pages
8 m, 5 w, 9 flexible, extras
This adaptation, appropriate for middle school and high school students alike, contains much of Shakespeare's original poetry and language but with an additional female role, that of Nerissa, a gentlewoman of the court. The play, a satiric comedy about "romantic" love, features two contrasting couples. There is Benedick, a cad, who has sworn to forever remain a bachelor. But as it turns out, he meets his match when he encounters Beatrice, a strong, intelligent, witty woman. Beatrice doesn't need a man, and she doesn't want one either. Then there is Claudio, t...
71 pages
7 m, 9 w, 25 flexible, doubling possible
Adapted from the stories by Rudyard KiplingHere's an energetic dramatization of the classic tale of Mowgli, the man-cub, who was abandoned as a baby in the jungle and raised by wolves. With Baloo, the bear, and Bagheera, the panther, as mentors, the growing boy has no trouble avoiding Shere Khan, the tiger, who wants to eat him. But when his two protectors leave him alone in the jungle to test his mettle, Mowgli suddenly finds he's got more trouble than he knows how to handle. The monkeys kidnap him and haul him off to the Forbidden City. Then two hyenas, who...
71 pages
Flexible cast from 10 to 40
If drama has always taken a back seat to athletics at your school, it's time to bring all those sports nuts into your theatre. From baseball to football to tennis to chess and beyond, you'll find scenes about every aspect of sports -and life - the good, the bad, the ugly, and the funny! Pick and choose from 18 scenes to create a show that's just right for your team. You'll laugh at scenes like "Competition," "Coaching School," and the hysterical new game show, "Face Off." You'll be taken by scenes as "Teamwork," "Finding Time," and the offbeat "Adult Games," ...
64 pages
Widely flexible cast (16-40 actors)
Here is a collection of stories to make your blood turn cold. "Urban Legends" starts with a whirlwind tour that covers many of the famous and infamous urban legends we’ve grown up hearing and fearing. It then delves deeper, dramatizing full stories in chilling detail. In “The Survivor” we meet the sole survivor of a plane crash who has lost his only love, but while the other bodies have been retrieved, hers will never be found. “On Second Hand” features a young man who has a close call with death and suddenly his life is literally flashing before his eyes. “W...
58 pages
11 m, 23 w, doubling possible
High school student Chloe seems to have everything together. She is a soccer player, a dancer, and a top student. But under the surface, the pressure is mounting. Her mom and brother need help at home, the school projects pile up, and even her friends pressure her to start dating. She doesn’t want to disappoint anybody, but in her effort to please everyone, her world begins spinning out of control. As the various responsibilities build up around her, she creates and deploys multiple versions of herself – the Chorus – in an effort to be "everything to everybod...
76 pages
11 m, 22 w, 2 flexible. (Minimum cast 2 m, 5 w, 2 flexible.)
A King, grieving over the death of his son, demands that a weaver create a tapestry that will provide comfort. The woman weaves six tales into her tapestry. The first tells the story of young woman who must learn about herself. The second concerns two farmers who have a chance at a tremendous fortune, but it may cost them everything. Other tales teach more lessons. Finally the Woman weaves the story of Tatiana, a mother who loses her daughter and almost succumbs to her own grief. Upon completion of the tapestry, the King must decide whether he has found conso...