How to Survive a Group Project
It’s Group Project Day at school, and two ambitious students are on a mission to livestream the madness in a new episode of their web series, Surviving School: Tips and Tricks to Make the Grade. While documenting the chaos of group dynamics, they capture the absurdities and frustrations that unfold when personalities clash, deadlines loom, and expectations skyrocket. One group attempts a dramatic interpretive dance, another secretly enlists the help of a high-tech AI robot, a perfectionist engineers the ultimate A+ plan, and one rogue student believes sabotage is the key to success. But when the principal threatens to shut the whole thing down, the student filmmakers must scramble to finish their documentary and maybe discover some real lessons about collaboration along the way. This fast-paced, easy to stage, hour-long comedy is a whirlwind of miscommunication, mayhem, and unexpected teamwork, perfect for anyone who’s ever survived a group project.
Productions
Behind The Scenes
With Katie B. Oberlander
What inspired you to write this play?
My teenage son suggested that I write about group projects for my next play and I immediately loved the idea. As a teacher, I’ve seen countless group projects unfold to varying degrees of success. I wanted to capture that dynamic: the clash of personalities, bursts of ambition, moments of distraction, and flashes of unexpected brilliance that emerge when students are thrown together to work as a team. It’s a situation every audience member and cast member can relate to, whether they’re in school now or remembering it from years ago.
What's your favorite part or line in the play? Why?
One of my favorite moments is when one student finally realizes that “There is no ‘you’ in a group project.” That line captures the heart of the piece. Beyond all the humor, the play is really about learning how to listen, collaborate, and respect one another - skills that matter far beyond the classroom.
Where did the characters come from? Are they based on people you know?
The characters are inspired by real student archetypes I’ve met in classrooms over the years: the overachiever, the schemer, the genius, the class clown. None of them are exact portraits, but they’re all combinations of real behaviors and personalities that make group projects so unpredictable and funny. The play is framed by two student filmmakers who serve as narrators and they are some of the most delightfully offbeat characters I’ve ever written. I don’t know where they came from, but their antics frequently caused me to laugh out loud when writing the script!
What did you try to achieve with this play?
I wanted to write something that feels authentic to students and is genuinely fun to perform. The goal was to create a play that celebrates teamwork while leaning into the comedy of a group project experience. It's fast-paced, character-driven, and full of moments that encourage ensemble creativity.
Do you have anything else you'd like to add?
How to Survive A Group Project gives every performer a chance to shine, and directors can easily adapt it to fit different cast sizes by adding additional students to the school setting. I hope it continues to spark laughter, reflection, and maybe even a little teamwork on stages everywhere.